NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13 - Suspicious Mark on the Nape 5
The cold morning air was felt.
It was natural, given that even the shabby clothes I had been wearing were taken away.
“…..”
I stretch my arms to loosen my body that had stiffened overnight.
A snow-white skin without a single scar was visible.
It was quite a clean skin for someone who had spent a long time in the wild.
And it was also a skin that I wanted to tear off right now, permeated with that bastard’s smell after being violated all night.
It was a faint smell that an ordinary person would hardly notice, but I could clearly sense it.
I had never resented my beastman body, which had allowed me to overcome countless crises, this much before.
“That damn bastard…”
The boiling anger dissipated into the air.
Because that damn black mage was nowhere to be found.
All that was there was a magic doll resembling him.
“…Wait, a magic doll?”
At the same time as I questioned its existence, the out-of-place object placed in the corner began to move.
“Whitey, are you awake?”
As if it had just detected that I was awake.
It approached me and spoke in an artificial voice, yet quite similar to his.
“He could monitor me himself, why use such a low-quality doll… Ah.”
Only then did I remember that he had infiltrated this place under the guise of a professor.
Even if his true nature is that of a black mage, he’s currently a professor.
In the end, he must fulfill his role as a professor to some extent.
Otherwise, it would be difficult to prepare for the ritual.
‘This… I could use this.’
Even with excellent magical skills, there are limits.
It’s no ordinary feat to control a doll while lecturing students.
“Are you, hungry?”
As proof, this doll’s speech was clumsy from the start.
It must be quite difficult to monitor me in a state where the connection isn’t even properly established.
Could there be better news for someone dreaming of escape?
‘Come to think of it…’
Black mages are bound to lack social skills.
It’s natural for those who spend their entire lives performing rituals in filthy rooms.
Thinking about the situation of that guy who must be lecturing in front of numerous students right now, a small laugh escaped.
“Do you, want to eat?”
The slightly elevated mood crashed back down at the doll’s words.
Perhaps simple actions were programmed, as it raises its creaking arm to point at the bowl.
The bowl was filled with the meat I ate yesterday… or rather, was forced to eat.
“Would you eat that if you were me?”
Did he think I would eat that without even being ordered to?
If he thought something like ‘The first time is hard, but the second is easy,’ I’d tell him not to be ridiculous.
Unless forced, I had no intention of putting that thing in my mouth.
I kicked the plate on the floor.
-Crash!
The plate shattered into pieces as it accurately hit the doll’s head.
The meat that was in it scattered in all directions, dedicating itself to dirtying the room.
“Now it’s starting to look like a black mage’s dwelling. Why don’t you thank me? I’ve made it a bit closer to the filthy god you serve.”
I sneered, looking at the doll covered in plate fragments and meat grease.
Anyway, he won’t be able to harm me.
As I’m the cursed child who is the core of the ritual, he’ll try not to leave any wounds as much as possible.
“…..”
As expected, the doll just stared at me.
“What are you looking at? You’re just a doll that operates remotely. What can you do as long as I don’t run away?”
“Problem, occurred. Whitey not eating food. Devising solution… Complete.”
…What is it saying now?
“First, make, hungry.”
“Make me hungry? Are you thinking of making me throw up everything I ate yesterday?”
I mocked, pretending to put my hand in my mouth.
Although I know it’s a doll, perhaps because its appearance is similar to that bastard.
A strange sense of elation rose.
It felt like the stress from yesterday was being relieved, though not completely.
Just as I decided to completely destroy this doll while I was at it.
“Playtime!”
“What did you just—”
The distance with the doll suddenly closed.
I was thrown onto the bed before I could react and…
-Tap tap
A situation similar to yesterday unfolded.
*
*
*
How much time had passed since then?
Perhaps the infused mana had run out, the doll simply disappeared.
“Whew… Damn, bastard…”
How much did it touch me?
There wasn’t a single part of my head, back, or belly that didn’t ache.
I gather myself and get up from the bed, looking around.
The room that had been in chaos was clean again as if nothing had happened.
The scattered meat pieces, when I refused to eat them until the end, the doll used as its own energy source.
And just before stopping its movement, it restored the broken plate to its original state with its last remaining mana, so it’s natural.
Except for the presence of the doll, it was completely identical to when I woke up.
Of course, just because the room is clean doesn’t mean the shame I just experienced disappears.
“That son of a bitch, I’ll definitely…!”
I fueled my anger towards the professor who could be called the root cause of this, but only for a moment.
“…Calm down, it’s not time yet.”
As of now, when biting with all my might only leaves a mark at best, there’s no way to deal with him.
I calmly catch my breath and subdue the rising anger.
And do what I can do right now.
Escape.
The doll responsible for surveillance had crumbled, and now was the perfect time as I hadn’t received any orders not to run away.
I walk to the door, grab the handle, and pull.
“….!”
As expected, the seal showed no reaction.
I relax my muscles that had tensed in preparation for any possible shock, and step outside the room.
Seeing the large desk in the center and papers scattered around, this seemed to be an office.
“To keep a sacrifice in a place like this. I wonder if he was confident or just ignorant…”
Aren’t black mages the kind who value sacrifices more than their own lives?
Yet here, there was no sign of any device to prevent the sacrifice’s escape or intrusion from outside.
Well, it’s just grateful for someone in a position to escape.
Just as I was about to move towards the office door.
“Whitey, I’m back!”
“….!”
He came in.
‘What, why now… The professor’s work should end in the evening.’
This is not a magic doll like before.
I could clearly feel a liveliness that couldn’t be reproduced by such a thing.
My body, recognizing that this human was the professor himself, unconsciously tried to step back.
I barely manage to fix my legs in place by exerting force on them.
There’s nothing good about showing weakness to the enemy.
While trying hard to hide my trembling body, I spoke nonchalantly.
“Oh my, I’ve been caught?”
I’m not unaware that he can easily inflict pain on me if he uses the seal.
Of course I know that much.
I also know that if ordered to die right here, let alone my limbs, I would obediently comply.
But, if there’s one more thing I know.
“So… What are you going to do now?”
It’s the fact that I’m a very important sacrifice for their ritual, and they won’t easily damage such a sacrifice.
It was an action taken with the confidence that they would strengthen security rather than directly lay hands on me.
“Yes, did you miss me a lot? I did too.”
Although it was close to gambling, it was ultimately successful.
-Pat pat
The relief was short-lived as I felt an unpleasant sensation on my head.
It tickles my ears, strokes down my nape, and pats my back.
The reality of being violated and having to passively accept it doesn’t become familiar no matter how many times you experience it.
I tried to suppress the anger that was about to burst out as much as possible, but.
“You ate all your food cleanly too? Our Whitey did well!”
I heard strange words.
A tone that seemed completely unaware of what had happened just before.
It didn’t seem like he was testing me, as there was no hint of such intention at all.
He must have been monitoring what happened in the room through the doll.
This reaction was clearly strange.
‘No, wait a minute…’
‘Is he unable to manage both his professor duties and controlling the doll?’
It was quite a plausible hypothesis.
I don’t know what subject he’s in charge of, but a professor isn’t just someone who babbles in front of a blackboard.
He must constantly communicate with students and demonstrate various magic during lectures. Maybe he doesn’t have time to pay attention elsewhere.
‘This… I could use this.’
If he doesn’t know what happened here while he was lecturing, it broadens the range of actions I can take.
Enough to outweigh the restrictions that would arise from today’s escape attempt.
“Alright Whitey. Are you hungry? Shall we eat lunch soon?”
Thinking I really ate the chunks of meat in the plate, he asked with a smiling face.
A look that believes without doubt that I have completely submitted.
Logically thinking, there’s no way the heart of a cursed child who has survived bearing the world’s hatred would break in just one day.
Is it because he’s a black mage and lacks social skills?
“…Do as you please.”
If it’s a misunderstanding that benefits me, I’ll exploit it to the end.
So now.
I needed to act as he wanted.
*
*
*
Perhaps even for a black mage, it’s not easy to capture people in a place with many watching eyes.
What was presented to me, who had steeled myself to act, was ordinary pork.
Both the smell and taste were ordinary.
While feeling puzzled by this, I quietly emptied the plate.
“….!”
He hugged me and literally rolled around like a beast.
No, even beasts have more intelligence than this.
At this point, I wonder if this might be part of the ritual.
Every time those two hands that must have taken countless lives caressed my body, nausea welled up, but I endured it.
If I had decided to act, I had to do it properly.
Wouldn’t he be suspicious if the sacrifice that seemed to accept everything until just now showed signs of dislike from a little physical contact?
I forcibly moved my body, rubbing my head against his hand while pulling up the corners of my mouth.
I spent quite a while in his arms after that.
-Knock knock
Until someone knocked on the door.
———
‘Crazy bastard.’
I thought while chewing the unidentified pill in the bowl.
Until just a moment ago, I thought their plan had gone awry.
It must have been a conversation that other beings shouldn’t hear, as he put me in the room, and I couldn’t eavesdrop like yesterday because it was obvious I would be caught.
But after the other black mage left, judging from his expression, I could guess that their conversation didn’t end well.
‘I was sure that was the case, but…’
-Crunch!
‘Ugh, this tastes disgusting.’
I continue my thoughts while forcibly swallowing what I want to spit out right away.
The quickly ended conversation, strange sacks piled in the corner, the professor who seemed depressed but soon acted as if nothing had happened.
What on earth could be the correlation—
“Oh, you’re eating well.”
-Pat pat
With the hand stroking my back, my thoughts didn’t continue further.
For now, I focus on eating whatever is in front of me while moving my jaw.
-Crunch!
…It’s better not to think about what the raw materials for these are.
If I do, the act I’m putting on might go to waste.
While Whitey was eating the unidentified pills (dog food), Aisha entered Liannis’s room.
“Sniff… sob…”
Aisha’s crying showed no signs of stopping.
If anything, perhaps because she was indoors now, her crying seemed to have gotten louder.
“Here you go.”
“Th-thank you, Liannis…”
Aisha smiles faintly while accepting the warm teacup.
Perhaps taking this as a positive sign.
“Now then, tell me. Why were you crying like that? Did you confess to the professor and get rejected?”
With a rather direct side that contrasted with her cold appearance.
She threw a fastball at her friend who had entered the room less than a minute ago.
It was before Aisha could even put the teacup to her lips.
Of course, in her own way, she might have been trying to lighten the mood with a light joke, but the timing was inappropriate.
“I think… the professor has found a lover…”
“Huh?”
Liannis Evelyn.
For the first time in her life, she doubted her own hearing.