Chapter 89. Chimera
"It's surprisingly well-preserved for an abandoned fortress. Must've been left untouched for ages. How many years ago was it abandoned again?"
"A hundred years?"
"A hundred and fifty-two years. After the war ended, it became useless."
This fortress was abandoned when Grandpa was still the Demon King.
Meaning Grandpa must've made the decision.
Grandpa didn't remember, but Grandma did.
I've always thought Grandma had the better memory.
Well, forgetting things from over 150 years ago is pretty normal.
"But why build a fortress in a forest full of magical beasts?"
"No idea. It was built during my father's reign - the Demon King before last. Back when we were still at war. There are other abandoned wartime fortresses like this scattered around the country."
So it's from the war era.
Now that you mention it, it's been 300 years since the war ended.
For us, it's ancient history, but for Grandpa's generation, they lived through it.
Actually, wasn't Grandpa the one who ended the war?
"Grandpa, you're the one who ended the war, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's right."
"What made you decide to end it? Neither side was defeated."
"Hmm? Mmm... Got bored, I guess."
"Bored?"
Wait, that's the reason?
"Yeah, boring stuff. My old man and friends all died in the war. Couldn't even travel freely within our own country during wartime. Everyone walking around with gloomy faces. Utterly boring. Plus, I had this dream of traveling the world. Can't do that during war."
I see. That does sound boring.
"Also, when Alice was born, it was the first time I seriously considered my own child going to war."
Yeah, that would be painful.
"After the war ended and Asurad was born, we waited until he took the throne and stabilized the country before Miri and I started traveling."
"Right after the war, visiting human kingdoms would've been impossible."
Now we have exchanges and even half-breeds, but right after the war that would've been tough.
"Anyway, more importantly. We're here to investigate the fortress, right?"
"Right. Let's split up."
Even abandoned, it's quite spacious.
Would've been easier if we had a floor plan or something.
"Just checking - do you remember the interior layout?"
"Of course not."
"No way we'd remember. Actually, it's not that we forgot - we never knew."
Figured.
No choice but to do this the hard way.
"Let's split up and search. But no one goes alone. Groups of four.
First group: Me, Yuu, Ai, Hati. Second: Sebast, Noella, Ruu, Kuu. Third: Lily, Yuu, Lucina, Julia. Fourth: Grandpa, Grandma, Kaien, Ignas."
""""Yes!""""
We enter and start searching from the first floor.
"Some parts are crumbling, but it's surprisingly sturdy. Not as ruined as I expected."
"Ruuks like it's reinforced with magic to prevent collapse."
There are walls engraved with runes.
Probably why it's remained intact after 150+ years of abandonment.
Magic sure is convenient~
At least we don't have to worry about earthquakes.
"Alright, let's start with this room."
"Yeah. Let's check everything systematically."
We search each room thoroughly - not just looking around, but checking walls and floors for hidden passages like in ruins.
"Being an abandoned fortress, there's nothing here."
"Right. At least that means fewer places to check."
After about an hour of searching,
Sebast's group finds a hidden passage in the basement and calls us over.
Everyone gathers immediately.
"Just to confirm - is it normal for fortresses to have hidden passages like this?"
"Not normal."
Right.
This passage is unusually wide and tall.
An escape route wouldn't need to be this large.
"Let's go. Noella takes point, Kaien covers the rear."
""""Yes!""""
The passage is wide enough for everyone.
Magical lights illuminate the way.
No dust accumulation either.
"Judging by this, whoever made this is still using it."
"Seems so. Hopefully our target's at the end."
If this is the same person from the ruin's lab,
there are mountains of questions.
Definitely up to no good,
and there's that unknown beast that killed Ruu and Kuu's parents.
We need to catch them today.
"Big room ahead."
"Yeah. And we've got company."
Opposite the entrance, a door opens and magical beasts emerge.
These are clearly beasts I've never seen before.
"What would you call these? Chimeras?"
"Right, like patchwork hybrids of different beasts?"
A turtle-type beast with a wolf's head,
an eight-legged horse with bat-like wings.
Nothing like this exists naturally.
And their eyes... no intelligence there.
Just empty, moving solely on command.
"Anyway, this raises the likelihood that our lab researcher is here."
"Yeah. Let's deal with these first."
About twenty to thirty of them.
Must be a huge lab down here.
"They're not much trouble."
"Right. Movements are simple. Neither speed nor strength seem enhanced."
Plus we have numbers this time.
We wipe them out quickly.
"That's it?"
"Nope, seconds coming up."
We don't want seconds.
But these new ones are slightly different.
"These are..."
"Mixed with demons... no, humans too?"
"Yeah, demons and humans mixed with beasts."
This is worst-case experimentation.
Well, the beast combinations were bad enough.
"Do you think the human subjects are conscious?"
"No. Their eyes show no awareness. Same as the earlier chimeras."
Then we have no choice but to defeat them.
No way to revert them.
Honestly, reversion seems impossible.
"Ah! Ah!"
"N-no way! This is too cruel!"
"Ruu? Kuu?"
The twins are trembling violently upon seeing two particular chimeras.
"Th-those two are our parents!"
"And their adventurer friends too! No mistake!"
Ruu and Kuu's parents?
They were supposedly killed by an unknown beast - likely these chimeras.
And now those two chimeras are their parents?
"Dad! Mom!"
"It's us! Ruu and Kuu! Do you recognize us?!"
No response to their cries.
Instead, the chimeras attack as if triggered.
"Ruu, Kuu, fall back! Sebast, Noella, protect them!"
"What about their parents?!"
At this point... there's no saving them.
But we can't kill them in front of the twins.
"Try restraining them! We'll check for solutions later! Avoid killing if possible!"
If there's any way to help, we'll try.
No current method, but restraining is our only option.
But these humanoid chimeras are different.
Enhanced with human/demon physical abilities plus beast traits.
Far stronger than before.
"But weaker than us! We can manage, but stay alert!"
"Restraining is tough though!"
"Leg wounds can be healed! Just don't kill!"
[Futile effort. They're already dead. Merely animated by my arts and spells. Not undead, but close.]
An old man's voice echoes through the chamber.
The mad researcher finally shows himself.
"You did this to them?! Change them back!"
[Impossible. Like unmixing wine and water. Requires time reversal magic. As I said, they're dead. Even if reverted, just corpses.]
Meaning... no way to save them.
"That's just your claim!"
"Exactly! Don't worry, Ruu, Kuu! We'll find a way!"
[Understandable skepticism. But I speak truth. That boy already realizes.]
"Brother?" "Jun?"
Right, I noticed from the first chimeras -
they bleed very little.
These humanoids too.
Meaning... not alive.
Just magically animated.
"They bleed almost nothing. Their bodies are dead. Healing magic won't work."
"No..."
[Additionally, they feel no pain. No suffering in killing them. Though already dead. chuckle]
Disgusting old man.
We'll capture him.
"Dad! Mom!" "Wake up!"
[Hmm? Oh? Those are your parents? How unfortunate. But they're mindless. Calling is pointless. Better kill them quickly. Not that they'll feel it. chuckle]
"You... monster!"
We restrain the other humanoid chimeras.
But what now?
Only option is to kill them?
"Just restrain them for now!"
[Wasteful. Just kill them already.]
"Dad! Mom!" "Please wake up!"
[Pointless... Hmm?]
Ruu and Kuu's parents suddenly freeze.
Did they respond to their children?
[What? Why stop? Fight!]
"Dad! Mom! Wake up!" "It's us! Ruu and Kuu!"
[Fight! This wasn't programmed!]
The parent chimeras raise their arms and...
"Ah!" "Mom! Dad!"
...decapitate each other.
[Im... impossible. This...]
Their heads were still humanoid.
Now just... heads.
Perhaps this was their only salvation.
To die in original form.
Whether that's true salvation, none can say.
The twins collapse sobbing.
We wrap the heads in cloth from magic bags.
"Ruu, Kuu. We'll bury your parents properly. Return them home."
"Jun-sama..." "Dad and mom..."
"Yeah... Cry as much as you need. Let it all out."
We leave the crying twins with Sebast and Noella.
Leaving guards, we advance to capture the madman.
[Marvelous! Fascinating! A most intriguing display! As thanks, I'll meet you. Planned to leave unseen, but...]
Another door opens beyond where the chimeras emerged.
An invitation.
"You'll regret this."
I've never felt such rage before.
Maybe this is a first.
I might even feel... murderous intent.
I push my crest's power to its limit - ready for full force.
But... a strange sensation. Pushed to the limit, yet something beyond.
Furious yet hyper-aware.
Is this the crest's power?
Entering the innermost chamber,
we find a lab resembling the ruin's, but vastly larger.
"Welcome to my lab. First time having guests. Pardon the lack of tea."
So this is the mastermind.
Appears to be a human male, late 60s to early 70s.
An ordinary-looking white-haired elder.
"Delayed introductions. I'm Hose. Might I have your names?"
"Not worth remembering."
"My my, how cold. But you have questions, no? I'll answer."
What's with this confidence?
Does he have more cards?
"What's your goal? Creating these abominations."
"Merely stepping stones. My aim lies beyond."
"Beyond?"
"Yes. Why am I human, you wonder?"
"Huh?"
"Countless things to learn, to do. A human's hundred-year lifespan is insufficient. Thus began my research - to evolve beyond humanity."
So those humanoid chimeras were...
"You mixed yourself with beasts to extend your lifespan and become non-human?"
"Precisely."
"You're insane, old man."
"Indeed. In all my travels, I've never met anyone crazier."
No kidding.
History's worst monsters pale in comparison.
"Was that dragon zombie outside your creation too?"
"Indeed. The Curse Orb - my earlier creation. Nearing this lab's limits, I set it to guard during relocation preparations. Found sooner than expected. You defeated it? Impressive."
Relocation preparations?
Planning to continue elsewhere, creating more victims.
"Your relocation is canceled. This ends here."
Everyone prepares to attack.
Hose is within easy reach.
We can capture - or kill - him instantly.
"Oh no, not wasted. Preparations are complete. Research must continue - can't be caught. Farewell."
"Wait!"
Hose vanishes in a puff.
A magic circle glows where he stood.
"A teleportation circle..."
"He got away?!"
Attempting to follow fails - the paired circle must be deactivated.
He escaped.
"Don't mope. Work remains."
"First, search for clues. Then issue bounties across nations. We must catch him."
Right.
We regroup with Sebast's team,
apologize to Ruu and Kuu,
send them home first with Sebast, Noella and Lily.
Search for clues but find nothing.
Handle the chimera remains.
Return to find the composed twins awaiting us.
"Jun-sama. Let us avenge our parents."
"We'll grow stronger. Please."
I don't want children living for revenge.
But I understand.
Can't blame them.
Yet...
"It's okay, Jun-sama. Don't look so worried."
"We've talked. We'll avenge them, but also live happily."
"Dad and mom always said:"
[Live to be happy.]
Who knows what they truly meant.
But those words are what the twins need now.
"So we'll be okay, Jun-sama."
"We'll do our best."
"I see... You're both so strong."
Could I say the same in their place?
Can't know unless it happens.
But I'll help them achieve their vengeance.
That much I swear.