NOVEL NEXT Chapter 140
The snow falls.
People shivered in the cold, watching the snowflakes tumble down from the sky.
“Ugh, it was so warm just a couple of days ago, and now it’s freezing already.”
“What do you mean ‘already’? It’s winter now.”
They grumbled as they put on their coats. The weather anomaly that had whipped up chaos just days earlier was long forgotten in their minds.
Even the memories of the scientist who had hypnotized people to rid them of this weather anomaly vanished completely.
Thanks to that, people forgot the memories and experiences buried beneath the snow and just ended up catching a cold or two.
“Ah, it’s winter…”
Ayle sniffled her cocoa as she gazed outside the window. Watching the pristine white snow pile up while shop owners and guards came out to clear it, Ayle slowly realized it was time to move and stood up.
A moment later, Ayle stepped into the room, fully dressed.
“We’re off now, Scientist.”
“…Are you really planning to go?”
“Of course! What’s wrong with that?”
Ayle shot Aida a glare, her eyes flaring with intensity as she wore a coat over her Evil Magical Girl outfit, blinking innocently as if asking if there was a problem.
“No, but what if you’re discovered…”
“Who would actually think of me as a real Evil Magical Girl? They’d probably just think I’m a bit quirky. And look! I’ve disguised myself!”
“You’re just wearing a coat…”
It was a sight that made one want to sigh, but that didn’t mean she could be stopped. Just wearing the Magical Girl outfit boosts physical abilities, promotes blood circulation, and allows her to focus on solving problems without feeling drowsy or losing concentration.
Normally, I’d tell her not to waste her Magical Girl outfit on trivial tests… but today was different. This was the day her year of hard work would be decided.
Today was the exam.
So, in terms of Earth, it was like the SAT.
For the test-takers, it must feel like clutching at straws.
“Well, just don’t get caught. Good luck.”
“…Yes!”
Ayle smiled brightly.
She had an attitude of confidence.
* * *
“Um, excuse me… are you an Evil Magical Girl…?”
“…No, I’m not.”
“Really…?”
“It’s, um, cosplay!”
“Understood for now…”
With the piercing gazes of the examiner and other test-takers upon her, Ayle shrank a little in her chair, regretting her choice to wear the Magical Girl outfit for no good reason…
* * *
I’m still living in the Boss’s mansion. Like a parasite clinging to a workaholic. There were many reasons for this. First off, the mansion was unnecessarily large like some palace, overflowing with empty rooms. The maids residing there took care of everything — meals, cleaning, laundry, and all sorts of chores.
I’ve become the kind of person who can no longer sleep without the freshly washed and fluffy smell of blankets. I wasn’t about to step outside to suffer for no reason. Regalia never directly told me to go out either.
Of course, whenever some maids passed by, I occasionally felt their judgmental gazes as if they were looking at human junk… but what could they do? My employer said she wanted to keep me around.
Despite being a place brimming with upsides, there were not no downsides. The only downside I could point to was living right next to my boss—having to face her every single day.
“Good morning! Scientist.”
“Good morning, Boss.”
“Right. Is everything prepared?”
At her words, I hesitated for a moment but then nodded with a smile.
“Yes, of course.”
What is she talking about? What preparation?
I racked my brain to figure out what Boss was referring to by ‘preparation.’ Years of being trained as a graduate student drilled into me the heinous sin of daring to question my superior.
Professors may not explicitly state what they want, but it’s a graduate student’s duty to interpret and address their expectations. And I was a good graduate student.
‘What could it be? Is she declaring martial law or something?’
Could it be that the Boss intended to devour this planet entirely with the power of Evilus? With that thought, I entered the laboratory and began designing military equipment.
Unfortunately, no martial law was declared.
However, the next day, the same question came flying my way.
“Well, it’s not long now. Are you starting to feel nervous?”
“Huh? Yes, I suppose.”
I entered the lab and started the production of the military equipment I had designed.
“It’s tomorrow, huh? You should probably get some rest early today.”
“Understood, Boss.”
I instructed the Artificial Intelligence to mass-produce the equipment.
I was ready for deployment at any time…
The next day. Rising early in the morning, I approached Boss with a prepared mindset.
“Good morning, Boss.”
“Hmm… Scientist. You must be ready, right?”
“Of course! I’m prepared for deployment anytime.”
“Ready, huh…?”
Regalia looked at me with an incredulous expression. She glanced up and down my outfit and frowned slightly as she opened her mouth.
“Prepared for what? You’re not planning to go to the award ceremony looking like that, are you? Don’t you think you should wear a proper suit?”
“What? Award ceremony?”
“Did you really not know? Today is the day we receive the ABC Award.”
“The ABC Award…?”
As I puzzled over what that was, I realized it was something like the Nobel Prize in this world. It was nearly confirmed I would receive it for the paper on souls I co-authored with Dr. Shira.
I truly didn’t expect to receive an award or even that it was happening today. So, the preparations Regalia was talking about wasn’t for a military coup but rather for the award ceremony…
“I’m completely unprepared; what on earth did I prepare for?”
“H-Haha— I thought, as a scientist, that this outfit would be just fine…”
“That’s impossible. Kitty? Quickly, procure a men’s suit.”
Watching the grumbling Regalia, I hastily instructed the AI to dispose of the weapons I had prepared. I nearly dodged a bullet there. If she had found out about the secret weapons I had been preparing…
She likely would have scolded me furiously about what kind of nonsense I was up to. Maybe she would have thought I intended to stage a coup and oust her from that very spot. Recently, I had been unwittingly hinting at such unease.
And no matter how skilled I was, I wouldn’t have the confidence to turn the Boss into my enemy and survive. She knew my identity and my weaknesses, so even if I tried to set this world ablaze, she could easily take my life.
I had no interest in her position, nor did I find it worth risking my life for. At least, not for me.
“Scientist. Come this way.”
“Y-yes…”
I followed Kitty’s lead to the dressing room. Just seeing her look at me with a pitying gaze put my mind at ease.
It made me feel like even if I truly became pathetic, it wouldn’t matter…
* * *
The ABC Award Ceremony.
True to its reputation as the Nobel Prize of this world, people from various countries gathered like shining stars. There was a saying that if a Villain appeared and pulled a terror attack here, it would set Humanity back by monumental leaps…
However, such incidents never occurred. It wasn’t just because the development of Artificial Intelligence drastically reduced the number of Villains; it was also because there were…
[First up, the ABC Hero Award goes to—Gaissa!]
Awards for heroes also existed.
There was no courageous Villain daring enough to intercept this place filled with S-Class heroes.
“Ah, thank you. Well, my family and companions… yes, that’s it.”
As expected of a hero from City G, who values efficiency, he finished his acceptance speech quickly before stepping down. The audience regarded him with knowing expressions.
Considering that there had been worse instances among heroes in the past, he was quite decent.
As the ceremony continued, the moment everyone had been waiting for eventually arrived.
[Next, the ABC Science Award goes to—Eight and Dr. Shira for their paper on [Proof of Souls].]
Since this award had been anticipated for so long, everyone began to clap without much excitement. It was somewhat different once the two called to the stage appeared.
People’s eyes sparkled as they saw Eight make his official debut. He was young. Exceptionally young. While Dr. Shira was relatively young as well, Eight was beyond expectations.
“Ah, well, I haven’t really done much, so I’m not sure what to say…”
“I’ll just leave it to this guy.”
“Dr. Shira… really?”
“What else can I do? I haven’t done anything.”
On the stage, the two of them bantered for a while before finally grabbing the microphones. Clearing his throat, Eight raised the golden award and cautiously began to speak.
“It is an honor to receive such an esteemed award. Honestly, I never expected to win this award for this research.”
[─Is that so? I believe it was praised as an incredible study by everyone.]
“Yes! I never thought they would give an award for such a simple study…”
[……???]
As the audience puzzled over whether they heard correctly, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted angrily.
─This is a scam! There are anti-gravity devices and Artificial Intelligence, and that kind of research on souls shouldn’t win an award…
As the guards swiftly subdued the man, Eight smiled reassuringly, as if to say not to worry.
“Ah, I made those too. So it’s all good.”
─???
“Anyway, please, don’t call me from next year onward. It feels like grabbing snacks from kids, and it just feels a bit off to receive an award like this…”
An onslaught of shocking declarations.
The award ceremony then devolved into an arena filled with enraged scientists.