Chapter 607

In most areas of the laboratory, they were working on creating an army.

But that project had already progressed beyond development and was in full swing, with completed test subjects being utilized as a military force.

Christina was searching for a way to genuinely revive people.

Neither Louis and Anna, nor Christina herself, were solely focused on that research.

They were working on the next phase of the project, its applications, and everything that pertained to its further development.

In the isolation zone, there were other labs.

Ludwig, Heinrich, and Louise, tense with the thought that they might witness another shocking scene, encountered a sight they hadn't expected at all.

It wasn't a brutal scene, nor a horrifying one.

"A rabbit...?"

"Yeah, it's a rabbit."

Anna nodded in response to Heinrich's words.

It was a rabbit, quite literally.

The rabbit was inside a fairly large cage.

Five adorable rabbits were in the cage.

These adorable creatures seemed too out of place in this facility, where terrifying and horrifying experiments took place.

They watched the rabbits hopping around the spacious cage, seemingly captivated.

So what did that have to do with anything?

It wasn't as if they were suggesting watching the rabbits together simply because they were cute.

"Wait... something's off."

However, Louise noticed something strange about the rabbits.

While they looked perfectly fine on the surface, there was something slightly off about them.

Something was subtly different.

"Their legs seem... uneven..."

There was no denying the feeling that something was amiss.

"Now that you mention it..."

Ludwig, who had a keen eye, couldn't help but notice the oddity when Louise pointed it out.

"Their legs are of different lengths."

Louise finally noticed that the front and back legs of each rabbit were not balanced.

"That's correct."

Louis Ancton nodded.

"We've transplanted legs from other rabbits."

Ludwig's eyes widened at this revelation.

"And none of these rabbits have ever died."

This time, it was Anna who spoke.

"It's an experiment conducted on living subjects."

There were already three taboo subjects related to this project.

Necromancy, the dark magic of animating the dead as undead beings.

Then, homunculus.

Louise murmured blankly.

"Chimera, huh?"

"Yes, that's right."

And now, chimera.historical

The field of magic that synthesized only the strengths of various living creatures to create the ultimate being. Although it was mostly used in horrifying ways and thus deemed taboo, it wasn't necessarily required to be used in such a manner.

What mattered wasn't what type of magic it was, but rather how it was used.

Transplanting limbs from other creatures.

Everyone present knew what this meant.

A lost leg.

Or a lost arm.

These could be restored.

"Ludwig... this is a very basic magic among chimera experiments."

Compared to the taboo of replacing everything from the head to internal organs, transplanting limbs was a basic level technique.

Since their involvement with the taboo was top secret, they couldn't tell Ludwig that there was a way to restore his lost arm.

But now that Ludwig had entered the laboratory and seen everything, there was no need for them to hide anything from him.

Rather, now that they knew the secret, they could do for Ludwig what they hadn't been able to do before, despite knowing.

"I see..."

Chimera magic could be developed into a limb transplantation technique for those who lost their limbs in war.

Reviving someone was close to impossible.

But giving back someone's lost arms and legs was possible.

Instead of raising animals in the lab for no reason, they were experimenting to see if there was a way to restore Ludwig's lost limbs.

It was an easier task than creating an undead army.

Ludwig couldn't help but be excited by the prospect of regaining his lost arm.

This wasn't just beneficial for Ludwig. There were countless people injured due to war, just as there were countless dead.

Once all that was over, and post-war reconstruction began, it might not have been a dream for those who had lost their limbs to regain them. However, it would have only been possible after the perception of Chimera magic, which was forbidden, had improved.

Chimera could have been helpful to someone depending on how it was used. In the end, it all depended on whose hands wielded the power.

But the fact that they didn't mention the possibility of restoring Ludwig's lost arm wasn't only because it was forbidden.

"It will be painful."

"That's fine."

If he could get his lost arm back, he could endure any amount of pain.

Ludwig was prepared to endure anything for that alone.

"Ludwig, it's not just pain. You could die."

"...That much?"

"Chimera isn't regeneration, it's a fusion technique. You're transplanting a body part that wasn't originally yours. There could be rejection, and there could be shock."

Louis Ancton looked at the rabbits in the cage.

Ludwig could only intuit that there were failed subjects, as well as the successful ones that were alive.

"The endurance is on you. There's nothing we can do to help with that."

Ludwig was informed in case he chose an extreme method. If he could bear it, he could regain his lost arm through the Chimera procedure.

"I'll do it."

Ludwig nodded firmly, with a determined expression.

Now that he knew, there was no thought of hesitation.

"There's no reason not to do it if I can do more instead of just standing still."

He had touched the forbidden.

That's why Ludwig was able to learn about new possibilities.

"And my talent is physical stamina."

Since his only advantage was his robustness, he was confident he wouldn't die.

Ludwig nodded resolutely.

Louise looked at Ludwig and the others.

Applying Chimera research to make limb transplantation possible was considered a shocking yet valuable endeavor.

And the one person who was missing from this place, whom the emperor had taken away to talk to.

This lab was obviously the most important area.

So it was clear that the three of them, former second-year Temple students, were at the heart of this research.

There were still unresolved issues, and the mystery remained unsolved.

But it was clear that what was being researched in this lab went beyond the gruesome and cruel, as they were dealing with extremely powerful magic.

The base was dark magic.

On top of that, the research on Homunculus and Chimera was being applied in a complex manner.

And then, on top of that, the limb transplantation technique utilizing chimeras.

'How on earth can these kids do so much?'

It wasn't just a single field of magic but a complex one.

And they weren't just assisting in the research; they were clearly core members.

There was an absolute limit to the time available.

‘Why are these kids, who have barely turned twenty, able to do and accomplish so much?’

Louise couldn't shake off her completely different set of questions.

And, it was not regeneration but transplantation.

'The transplanted arm...'

It probably wouldn't be from a living person.

Louise kept recalling Dettomorian's words.

The ominous boy had said that if he continued to chase this matter, Ludwig would eventually die.

The words kept swirling in her head.

As you know, I was a person familiar with numbers.

Numbers could tell you a lot, assuming there was someone who could read them. So, I had been learning how to decipher the meaning behind numbers for quite some time. In fact, that was pretty much all I had been doing.

But you see,

Nowadays, the world had become easier for people who didn't know numbers.

As you know,

Those days, numbers only seemed to decrease.

This time it was how many regular soldiers, how many superhuman-level individuals capable of Magic Body Strengthening, how many master-class fighters, how many mages, and how many holy knights. How many in each refugee camp..

Died.

How many cities in which country, or how many countries, or the remaining food supplies, supply routes..

Destroyed.

That was the kind of numbers I saw.

Numbers that only decreased didn't require painstaking analysis.

The situation was worsening.

Yesterday's situation was bad, and today's situation was worse.

Knowing the worsening situation in more detail didn't change much.

The only number that brought joy when it decreased was the number of remaining warp gates. Fortunately, that number had now decreased to a countable level.

The situation was getting worse and worse.

It seemed impossible for it to get any worse, but such a situation wouldn't come unless humanity disappeared altogether.

Gates endlessly spewed out monsters, and there were limits to the surviving humans.

What happened when there were no more people who could fight?

Wouldn't that truly bring about a situation that couldn't get any worse?

I didn't lose sleep every night because I had plenty of mages around me who could force sleep to come.

Anyway.

Those numbers.

Combat power.

People who could fight.

Those who could still wield weapons.

Their absolute numbers were decreasing, and there was not enough time or resources for people to grow.

The numbers that had disappeared.

Dead people.

Dead soldiers.

Dead knights, dead mages.

When you proposed that you could quantify those vanished numbers back onto my list of documents as combat power, I hesitated a lot.

Of course.

It wasn't because I thought it was something that shouldn't be done.

No, it wasn't that I hadn't done it at all, but it seemed like I had only done it briefly. Just briefly.

The reason I had so many concerns was:

It would have been great if it worked.

If it did, there would have been nothing more to wish for.

But was it possible?

If it was possible:

Then what was next?

Yes, what was next?

I was worried about the things that would follow.

Let's assume it worked.

Let's assume the Gate crisis ended.

What would happen then?

I thought about it, but I couldn't figure it out.

So, I gave up worrying.

First, let's see if it worked or not. So, when I saw your results, I had such doubts.

More fundamental doubts.

Could it be possible:

In such a short time:

To accomplish it so perfectly?

Adelia also succeeded in creating a Titan, but as you know, Adelia didn't create the Titan alone. Like you, Adelia was a genius.

Ultimately, it required the concentrated technology of the Golem from Saint Owan Duchy.

In the first place, the Titan wouldn't have been created without the Grand Duke of Saint Owan, the ruler of the Empire. Could Adelia have designed the Titan on her own?

It might have been possible, but it would have taken quite a long time. Adelia said it would take more than 10 years because of her near-masochistic modesty. Of course, some might say that was still too short.

Now:

Although I've done many bad things, had many evil thoughts, and engaged in many unsavory activities:

The Empire did not invest in dark magic. As you already knew, we didn't dabble in wicked power.

In this very special situation, being cornered, it was human nature to reach out reluctantly, and I knew it was my nature too.

Soon, the knowledge of the Empire wasn't much help to you.

With three geniuses of Adelia's level, could it have been possible?

Yeah, maybe.

A while ago, I had a brief conversation with someone who knew about this issue.

They had worried that I might have teamed up with some dangerous people.

I had said this:

"As far as I know," "I haven't" teamed up with such people.

I didn't know if the other person understood my words well.

I didn't team up, but someone else might have, so I couldn't be certain.

However:

Listening to what you just said:

I realized that I didn't know.

Where you heard it:

I didn't know how you found out:

But I was good at silencing people, so it couldn't have leaked from my side.

So, it seemed like you found out from somewhere else. Then, the number of candidates was greatly reduced.

So, in the end, I had lied at that time.

Christina.

Let me ask you one thing.

Emperor.

"It seems like it's not me, but you, or the three of you, who joined hands with the Black Order."

Bertus de Gardias asked, looking at Christina.

"Right?"

Christina noded her head, looking at Bertus.

"Yeah. That's right."

"Is it just you? Or does it include the other two who aren't here?"

At Bertus' words, Christina shruged her shoulders.

"Who knows? What do you think?"

Bertus fell silent at her noncommittal attitude.

Christina might have joined hands with the Order alone, and it was not certain whether the other two know.

However, Bertus was certain the other two would know as well.

Accepting the truth he had suspected, Bertus gave a slight nod.

Christina had been in contact with the Black Order, and somehow had recently learned the truth.

Her sudden change in attitude towards Ellen was evidence of this.

"Yes... The research is complete, and we have secured enough data and blueprints. Even without you, the Empire can maintain the project," Bertus said, folding his arms.

"You hear stories like that all the time. Discarding a loyal servant, abandoning a hunting dog once the hunt is over, that kind of thing."

"..."

Titan was created by combining the knowledge of the Saint Owan Empire and Adelia's genius.

The Homunculus Undead was also created by combining the knowledge of the Black Order and the genius of the three.

Both the former and the latter could be replicated now that the blueprints were complete. This had been a field of study distinct from ordinary magic.

Thus, the blueprints were completed.

Christina and the Black Order were no longer of any use.

"However."

Yet, Bertus, who had uttered those words, furrowed his brow.

"You're not fools. You must have expected this."

If Christina and the other two had proposed and carried out this work solely for the Empire or humanity, there would be no need for a purge. They would be great mages who had achieved something extraordinary, even if it could not be revealed to the world.

However, the situation becomes complicated with the involvement of the Black Order.

Their intentions were unknown, so the necessity of a purge arose.

The Black Order must have known this, and so must have Christina and the other two.

"There must be some kind of safety mechanism."

It was unlikely that they would have carried out such a thing without preparing something for such an eventuality.

"You know it well."

Christina looked at Bertus and smiled.

It was a smile mixed with extreme anger, hatred, and malice.

Ultimately, only a very few people who knew the truth about the Gate Incident could understand it.

Some ended up hating everyone.

Even if it was not intended, there was no reason to forgive them.

Where was the reason to absolve someone who accidentally pressed the button that destroyed the world?

And it wasn't even a mistake.

What did the truth matter?

The number of people responsible has merely increased from one to many.

Where was the justification for them not to be punished simply because they were tragic figures?

If someone asked why those who committed ambiguous wrongs should have died,

What answer would they have to the question of why the innocent had to die?

In a world drenched in the blood and tears of those who did no wrong, why should their tears and blood be erased first? Shouldn't their tears and blood be the first to be shed?

No one could justify it.

No one was ignorant of the fact that nothing could be saved by death.

It was true that there was no need to add death to death.

But who could confidently say that such truths should enter the hearts of those who had been hurt and torn apart?

"If you tried to kill us, saying that we're useless now, I was going to tell you that it's actually the Empire that has become useless."

Christina spoke with hatred, anger, contempt, and murderous intent.

She expressed her desire for vengeance for everything that had happened.

Wasn't the Emperor doing this for a reason?

Didn't he say he had given it a lot of thought?

If this was possible, then what would come next?

It wasn't about considering the morality of resurrecting the dead.

"It's a matter of putting an army, which I cannot control nor suppress, in someone else's hands. It's inevitable that I would have my concerns."

"..You also know what the safety mechanism is?"

At Christina's slightly surprised reaction, Bertus chuckled.

"What else could the safety mechanism be but control?"

"That's true."

Bertus had long known that the moment the army was created and completed, it could not belong to the Emperor.

It was being created with unfamiliar technology. Therefore, Bertus already knew that he could not even control it.

He knew and yet he was deceived.

It was because he knew that he was deceived.

From the moment he faced the success of the first experiment, Bertus had been envisioning the consequences of completing this project in his mind.

The Gate Incident would end.

The sacrifices would lessen.

But the moment would come when he had to pay another price.

From the moment he decided to create the army, he knew he could not be the master of the Empire.

He knew it.

The project itself was a success.

But Christina was trying to bring the dead Asher back to life.

It wasn't the end. While making futile attempts, Christina had been improving the project itself.

If she could make the dead move as if they were alive and in perfect condition, and even make them speak.

Bertus was well aware that someone could do the same to him.

Resurrecting a dead knight would allow the use of the knight's power.

But inevitably, resurrecting a dead emperor would grant control over the Empire.

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