Chapter 598 – Nora
‘What? Is this deja vu?’
It is not a pleasant deja vu.
I had no idea that a situation like this would happen in this far away world, not Earth.
I regained my senses after briefly running away from home.
There was a nun still there, looking at me with clear eyes.
Are you a nun?
Of course she’s not a real nun.
Jesus would not have advanced this far.
I don’t know the exact purpose of the outfit, but it seems correct to think that she is wearing clothes similar to a nun.
Wearing a nun’s uniform, she had a beauty that could enchant you.
Of course, that’s the beauty world.
It is a vicious method often used by pseudo-cultists as a method of missionary work. If the person you are going to preach to is a man, use the Miin-gye style, and if you are a woman, use the Mi-nam-gye style.
A beautiful face is a powerful weapon.
Unfortunately for her, she can be tempted when a beautiful woman whom she has never seen before talks to her.
Even if it feels strange, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to just have a cup of tea together.
Going one step further, you might dream of a happy ending where you save the beauty from the abyss of this pseudo-religion… And a rosy future that follows.
But there is no such thing.
That thought itself is dangerous.
If you follow her for no reason, you might find yourself preaching to her family.
In the first place, it is not a place where common sense things happen.
If they knew how to think and make sound decisions, why would young women sacrifice themselves to a wrinkly old religious leader?
It takes her harsh means to rescue her from the abyss of her pseudo.
But since I have to stay calm here and not stand out, there is no way to do anything.
If I had been in the same frustrated state as I was a few days ago, I might have followed suit and caused an accident.
Fortunately, I was still maintaining the Wise Man Time effect that I had acquired by losing all my assets.
‘Tsk tsk. What’s wrong with such a pretty woman?’
I looked at her with pity in her eyes and took her steps.
“Wait a minute, where are you going!”
The nun catches me as I try to escape from her place.
“I’m sorry, but I believe in Buddhism.”
I am non-religious.
But sometimes you have to have a fashion religion.
A representative example is the military.
Changing religions to get better snacks is common in the military.
It is also valid when a religious person comes to your home.
“Buddhism? What does that mean…”
In this case, fashion religion was a polite yet strong expression of intention to stop because I believed in a different religion.
“Now, wait a minute? Don’t do that, just give it a little time…”
Despite my polite refusal, she grabs my arm and doesn’t let go. She was as persistent as a cult member.
At that time, I saw something that made me tilt my head.
“… Hmm?”
She was wearing an electronic anklet… No, a magic suppressor device on her ankle that was visible under her long skirt.
That is proof that this woman wearing a nun’s uniform is not a resident living here.
‘… Were you a prisoner?’
To come all this way and preach…
Here was a vivid educational material that showed how difficult it is to break away from a pseudo-religion once you fall into it.
“Bark, your mind will change when you see this.”
She then handed me a note folded in half.
Bark was the name I used in Zephyria.
How do you know my name?
Among the prisoners, the only ones who know my name are the Rebellion guys.
I opened the note feeling puzzled.
“Aren’t you looking for Helena?”
“…”
There was something unusual written on the note.
“Now do you feel like having a good conversation with me?”
*
*
*
The heterogeneous architectural style of Karaz, made entirely of plain stone, gives the feeling of an old ruin.
The fact that it was difficult to find items containing Zephyria’s advanced magic engineering technology contributed to this atmosphere.
Is this a deliberate attempt to prevent prisoners from living a comfortable life?
Or is there another reason?
Why are so many people living here?
Compared to the comfortable, dopamine-filled world outside, this is a very boring world.
However, the faces of the people living here who were not prisoners did not seem to feel uncomfortable about that at all.
Still, since it was a place where many people lived, there were a variety of stores.
I and the woman in a nun’s uniform moved to a quiet tea house in a shopping district and took a seat by the window with a clear view of the street.
I unleashed the light power of deception around us.
So that our original conversation cannot be heard.
“… So, you are the head of the Helena Liberation Front?”
“Yes, that’s right. Hello!”
The nun who drank her tea identified herself as Nora Carson.
She is said to have led the Helena Liberation Front.
As for the Helena Liberation Front… It was an organization that Sunni and Celestia joined and did volunteer work.
She remembered that Suni had said that among the humans captured by Gregory was the head of the Helena Liberation Front.
She said that she was this woman…
“Did you approach me knowing who I was?”
“Yes, wasn’t your wife and sister active in our organization? Her daughter was also active before attending Jepia Academy.”
“I heard they were just doing volunteer work.”
Suni and his group had only recently joined. It’s not a position for a high-ranking person to care about.
“It’s a bit extreme, but thanks to them, many people have joined our organization, so we had no choice but to pay attention. And do you know Laurent?”
“Laurent… If so.”
“The head of Lemanien. He also joined our organization and provided generous support because of them? But how could I not know such talented people?”
Although I have become numb after seeing them every day, I think their beauty was more destructive than I thought.
“You can’t keep leaving such talented women at the receiving end, right? Recently, they have been evaluating them quite positively.”
I think she was told by Suni that if she worked hard as a volunteer, she could get into a position where she could get more information from the Helena Liberation Front.
The review seemed to be about that.
“It’s natural to investigate their surroundings for security purposes. Naturally, you, who can be said to be their family, could tell. But why? You were also quite a suspicious person. Of course, in a good way.”
Her eyes are meaningful.
I asked Nora the question I had been holding back.
“Do you know where Helena is?”
“That… I don’t know?”
“… What?”
As I frowned at her, she leisurely sipped her tea and continued speaking.
“I’m saying I don’t know the exact location. But I’m almost certain that Helena is somewhere in Karaz.”
Should I say it’s good news?
“If Helena was in another city, there’s no way I wouldn’t have found her. This is the only place I couldn’t find.”
It is said that Nora knew about the existence of Karaz for a long time, and thought a lot about coming here.
“… As you can see, there was no way because of the location and because it was a facility managed by the military. The only way was to commit a heinous crime and come in… But when I came here, I realized that not making that choice was the right choice. I think it was a choice.”
“Where are the people who were sentenced to life imprisonment?”
“They’re on the mining side. They’re quite restricted, unlike us.”
“So… The reason you came to me.”
“Rather than looking for Helena alone, wouldn’t it be better to have someone to be with?”
Nora answered with a sweet smile.
*
*
*
I returned to the prisoners’ quarters after three days.
I parted ways with Nora, promising to see each other tomorrow.
And I was able to find Cowra, one of the members of Rebellion, loitering in front of my door.
“Where did you go?”
Cowra, who found me, urgently approached me and asked.
“Where…”
I tried to answer with a confused look on my face, but was momentarily speechless.
Because most of it was just stuff she couldn’t say without permission.
A story about hanging around with women for three days in a brothel… Or a secret meeting with the leader of the Helena Liberation Front.
“Hmm… I went out to get mining equipment.”
I shook the pickaxe I was holding in my hand and showed it to him.
Cowra’s eyes narrow at my excuse.
“You didn’t come in for three days to get that pickaxe?”
“…”
I don’t think she visited me for the first time today.
“There were strange rumors going around?
“… Rumors?”
“There is a rumor that a very large man is hanging out in a brothel because he has borrowed money to the limit… Surely it’s not you, Bark?”
-Hot.
A pitiful expression appears on Cowra’s face as I see myself becoming a mute.
“Wow… It seems so true. Am I crazy… Am I sane?! I brought that precious money to a brothel.”
… Is there a traitor?
The fact that someone saw me means that they wandered around that place. And the purpose is obvious.
They may not be able to keep each other’s secrets, but these guys with red peppers are really talkative.
“Hmm… Don’t worry. You can repay the loan in no time if you mine magic stones starting tomorrow.”
The reason I took out a loan is simple.
This is because magic stones are quite expensive.
The 100,000 Zena I borrowed is enough money to save in half a year even if you dig up just one magic stone a day.
And mining magic stones was not difficult for me.
In fact, you can just pretend to dig.
You can just wander around the tunnel, kill time, and take the magic stone from your inventory.
I had a plan.
〈What is the plan… Why did such a person make such a dazed face after he was robbed of all his money?〉
It was Cosmos who scolded me at this time.
“Ha… It’s not that easy.”
Cowra sighs at my confident appearance. It’s like looking at a child who doesn’t know anything about the world.
“Well… You’ll know when you experience it yourself. If you need help, don’t be too proud and come to us.”
Kaura said that and left.
She was a decent person.
I think he came here because he heard strange rumors and was worried about me.
