Father immediately stood up and lunged at me with bloodshot eyes. However, he was immediately caught and subdued by Nike.
“Ugh!”
He didn't tell me anything, but if it were my father, he might have realized it.
The gears of tragedy began to turn not on the day Ryan was chased away, but on the day I sent myself to him.
"Did you just realize who the final boss was?"
I was terrified of my father, who was about to pounce on me like a beast, but Ryan came my way calmly, just sneering.
"Why are you doing this to my daughter, Father?"
"Ugh, uh, uh!"
Even saving someone who was dying is causing a fuss.
He must be finding it amusing. Ryan hugged me and mocked him by shaking his chin back and forth in front of my father.
"Subdue them all and escort them!"
Nike gave the order, and the Imperial Knights stormed in in perfect order.
"Hey, brothers, please transport the bodies carefully! I have to personally officiate the funeral!"
"Ah! Aaaah!"
Ryan provoked my father to the very end. However, even as he was being dragged away, my father kept looking only at me and screaming.
"Aaaargh! Save me, save me!"
Even Diana, who had been hiding.
"W-wait! Wait! I... I didn't do anything that deserved to die!"
Brigitte, who was tied together with her, too.
Even Wassenberg's retainers...
They were all dragged away without dying on the spot.
Screaming and thrashing about.
"This bastard is fucking quiet."
Ryan muttered. Gabriel, who was being led away bound by ropes without any resistance, turned around smiling brightly.
"Ryan, why are you saving everyone?"
"Do you think I saved you?"
“Haha, no.”
Gabriel grinned.
"You're probably planning to kill me in an even more gruesome way, aren't you?"
"..."
Ryan was speechless.
"I'm looking forward to it! I've never been tortured before!"
“Get out, quickly!”
As Gabriel was dragged out as well, the meeting room fell silent.
The end of a long, drawn-out revenge.
Ryan stood in the center of the ruins, where a bloodbath had swept through, and let out a long sigh.
I looked at his face, unsure of what he was thinking, and quietly asked.
“Are you relieved?”
Ryan thought for a moment, then chuckled and said.
“Not bad.”
***
One sunny day in the fall.
Capital, Imperial Academy.
The students were gathered to attend <Fundamentals of Magic Extraction>, the first regular lecture held since the reopening of the Department of Magic Engineering.
A popular course that filled all 40 spots within 3 minutes of registration opening.
In fact, the students were more interested in other things than the lecture content.
It is the professor conducting this lecture.
Revan Belzer.
A white-haired man wrote his name on the blackboard and stood on the podium.
A sleek figure in a form-fitting black suit, contrasting with a pure white blunt bob.
The fearsome magic engineer who developed weapons against demon beasts was, contrary to rumors, a beautiful man with a gentle appearance.
"Nice to meet you. I am Professor Revan Belzer, who will be teaching the <Fundamentals of Mana Extraction> course for the next semester starting today."
He smiled, curving his mysterious-looking green eyes.
"Haha. A professor who teaches from the very first day probably isn't popular, right? Since most of you who took this class probably came because you were curious about me, shall we start with some personal questions today?"
At those words, hands shot up brightly in a rush, as if they had been waiting for this moment.
Revan gestured to one person.
"Thank you. I am Thomas Leon! I heard that you have a criminal record, Professor. Is the rumor true?"
"Oh, dear. The first question is spicy."
Revan nodded.
"You're right."
As he readily agreed, silence fell over the classroom.
"Sixteen years ago, the entire faculty of the Department of Magic Engineering was sentenced to death for illegal experiments, and I was part of that faculty. I was eleven years old at the time. Thanks to the Juvenile Protection Act, instead of the death penalty, I served an 11-year prison sentence in Abyssinian and was released."
The students were all shocked as his past came pouring out one after another, as if they had been waiting for it.
"I did not participate in the illegal experiments, but I had to serve a prison sentence because I could not prove that fact. With no evidence and so much time having passed, it was impossible to open a retrial, so I currently have a criminal record on paper."
Revan shrugged his shoulders and added.
"Of course, believe it or not, even if there are some who cannot tolerate the fact that I am seeking instruction from a criminal, I respect your wishes. If you are offended, you are welcome to leave the classroom right now."
But no one moved.
Because the students had come knowing all the rumors about the professor from the start.
"Haha, that's a relief. I would have been hurt if someone had actually left."
Laughter erupted from all around at Revan's cheeky remark.
"But what exactly was the experiment?"
When Thomas, the student who had raised the first question, asked, Revan paused.
After contemplating for a moment, he continued speaking nonchalantly.
"It was an ability transplantation experiment that attempted to implant the power of an ability user into the body of a living ordinary test subject."
Sounds of gasping for breath were heard.
In fact, the power known as supernatural ability was unfamiliar to ordinary people. This was especially true because the students here were children of noble families who had never held a pen before.
The monstrous beast outbreaks occurring across the continent every six months, and the supernatural abilities that could only be seen when suppressing them...
It is bound to feel unfamiliar.
However, everyone from the capital knew the story of the recently wiped-out Wassenberg family.
"The entire Wassenberg family were all people with supernatural abilities, right?"
When someone asked, Revan nodded.
"That is correct. Since this ability causes an imbalance of military power, it gives rise to various social problems. Up until now, the Wassenberg clan threatened the imperial authority with unrivaled military strength, which ultimately led to their downfall."
"Professor! Then wouldn't it be fair to say that the executed professors of Magic Engineering conducted their experiments for the greater good?"
One student spoke bravely.
"If the ability transplant experiment had succeeded, the monopoly on military power would have ended, and the tyranny of those with supernatural abilities could have been stopped!"
"Yes, well. The deceased professors might think they were acting for a noble cause... But the experiment was conducted in a highly unethical manner."
For some reason, a hint of bitterness crossed Revan's face.
"It is said that in ancient times, there were wizards, and the source of their magical power was 'blood.' This supernatural ability is the closest to magic. In short, the experiments on supernatural ability transplantation started from the assumption that the blood and bodies of those with supernatural abilities could be the source of power."
At those words, the students were shocked.
"You get the idea of how the experiment was conducted, right?"
"P-Professor! Then, instead of necessarily transplanting power into ordinary people, couldn't we devise a magical tool imbued with the power of supernatural abilities, just like extracting magical energy from magic stones to create weapons?"
"Oh. That's a really good idea! What is the student's name?"
"My name is Oliver Moen!"
"That's wonderful. Oliver, that's exactly what I was thinking. That is precisely the point I felt was lacking while crafting the magical artifacts. I wondered what it would have been like if we had experimented with crafting the artifacts instead of extracting supernatural abilities and performing bio-implantation..."
"Isn't it possible even now?"
Someone spoke. Silence fell.
The female student, having been looked at, glanced around nervously and opened her mouth.
"...I heard that the execution date for the Wassenberg members has not yet been set. Wouldn't it be more beneficial to society to use them as test subjects? It seems you have sufficient knowledge to conduct the experiment."
"Even criminals have human rights."
Revan said firmly.
"They cannot be deprived of their dignity and human rights simply because they are criminals. They must not be deprived of their physical freedom, nor be subjected to forced experiments."
The fact that fundamental human rights should apply even to criminals.
It was a social agreement.
"We must conduct experiments with human dignity in mind, always prioritizing moral values. The rights and welfare of test subjects must be respected as the highest priority. That is precisely experimental ethics."
Revan's conviction was firm.
At that sight, the students thought.
Seeing him, the students thought.
He certainly wouldn't be the type of person to participate in unethical experiments for the sake of a greater cause.
They assumed he must have a criminal record of being wrongfully accused.
"As a researcher, I strictly adhere to experimental ethics."
The young professor said firmly.
***
Uh. There's no experimental ethics~~
"Criminals don't need human rights either~~."
The capital, the basement of Count Belzer's mansion.
Revan's secret laboratory.
Revan, dressed in a white gown, hummed as he put on gloves with a snap.
A gag was placed in his mouth to prevent self-harm, and dozens of needle marks were clearly visible on his forearms.
A middle-aged man with a haggard appearance was sitting here.
Edgar Wassenberg was in a straitjacket.
There was not a shred of mercy or compassion in Revan's eyes as he looked at him.
Just...
Knock, knock, knock!
At the sound of an urgent knock, Revan tilted his head and cautiously opened the laboratory door.
“Oh, brother!”
It was Vania.
"Huh! Our Bunny Bunny~? What brings you all the way here?"
"He's here! Now! Up there!"
"Who?"
“Father!”
Father?
Vania's father...
His Majesty the Emperor of this Empire.
"Whoa, f*ck!!!"
Revan was shocked.
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