The Gloomy and Timid Princess Heads to the Academy

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The outside seemed narrow and a bit shabby, but contrary to that, the inside was surprisingly clean. Still, compared to other facilities or even the streets, it looked a bit worn out.

“Um, Hoyeon, didn’t they say this was a welfare center? But why can’t I see anyone? I expected at least staff or people receiving care.”

“Oh, that’s… well, it’s for the sake of those receiving care. I feel really sorry to say this, but… it’s terrible. In all sorts of ways. If you want to go back right now… but you don’t, do you? Come on, follow me. They’re deeper inside.”

Terrible. It was a fitting expression for her, but since she rarely said something was terrible when it came to people, I started to wonder what they looked like to be so hidden away.

Was it that there were survivors of horrific biological experiments? But even so, there shouldn’t be any need to hide the staff. While I had all these thoughts, I quietly followed behind Hoyeon.

As we walked down the dim hallway, we came across a heavy metal door at the end. She placed her hand on the doorknob and asked me again.

“I’m genuinely advising you. You don’t have to know, and knowing won’t help you. Still want to see it?”

I could feel the genuine concern in her expression. She, who had been answering all my questions, had finally told me it was fine not to know.

…Sorry to her, but the more she tried to hide it, the more curious I became.

“Yeah. I want to see.”

What lay ahead must be the dark side of the Empire. Although half of me was being dragged along against my will, I wanted to know every detail without missing anything, as it seemed like a place where I’d end up being a skeleton.

“Okay… if you really want to. But I warned you.”

She reminded me one last time that she’d warned me before turning the heavy iron door handle. An eerie sound echoed as the metal clashed, and the door creaked open. And beyond that…

There was ‘something.’ The reason I say ‘something’ is that there wasn’t a single word in my vocabulary that could explain what I was seeing.

I began to understand why she warned me so much. Even though I had braced myself not to be shaken no matter what came out, I still felt a scream rising to the back of my throat.

Hoyeon turned her head away, her eyes tightly shut, as if she had seen something unpleasant. I quickly understood why.

Fleshy lumps were bubbling, and large eyes were appearing there, watching her. When she didn’t give them attention, that something turned its gaze to me.

“…Oh, has someone already come to receive a new life? But one person just went for a new life yesterday… Ah, Princess? Why are you… here? And you are… who?”

Just as I was about to faint from fear, I noticed someone approaching us with tired steps. A female wolf beastman, resembling a black wolf, looked at us and appeared to be completely re-energized.

“…This person here is my boyfriend, and we just arrived, so I was giving him a tour. He insisted on stopping by when he saw it. Are you in charge of this place?”

Hoyeon said this with a clearly displeased expression, but she spoke clearly. Seeing her like this made me think she had grown up a bit, but the gaze from the wolf woman was too nerve-wracking to allow me to ponder that.

“No… I’m just one of the helpers. The director has stepped out for a bit to attend to some matters at the academy. By the way, I see… you’re visiting with your boyfriend… but there’s really not much to see here…”

“I know, I know. I warned him, but he insisted on seeing, so there’s nothing I could do. I feel bad for being a nuisance.”

When Hoyeon apologized, the staff member hastily waved her hands, telling her not to say that. Meanwhile, something was staring at us with a pitiful and creepy gaze.

What in the world must have been done to a person to end up like this…

“…If it’s not rude to ask, could you tell me what happened? More importantly, what is this welfare center?”

Though it didn’t look quite like the thing in front of me, something terrible was passing through another direction. It was covered in insect-like eyes all over its body… plus some appendages.

Ugh. Let’s stop looking at that.

“Ah, so that’s what you were curious about. This welfare center is a facility to look after those poor souls until they head to their next life. Please don’t look at them with such frightened eyes. They have a sort of consciousness, you know. It would hurt their feelings.”

“Those poor… souls, how are they made? Is it some sort of biological experiment, or something like that? Have there been any attempts at treatment?”

Seeing all these… things from a distance told me they were definitely in a holding facility. I understood that, but I was dying to know what kind of acts led to their creation. And whether there had even been any attempts at treatment.

The Empire, with its ability to create substances and manipulate space while erasing side effects and replicating technology, surely couldn’t have just left something like that to rot.

“Oh my. Biological experiments? Such barbaric acts are legally prohibited. While some scholars at the academy may conduct such experiments on their clones… yes, clones are soulless and deteriorate quickly. These individuals were simply born this way.”

“But… how…?”

There are degrees to deformity, and what I was seeing surpassed deformity to the point of not even resembling a human figure.

“Do you understand the term ‘spiritual deformity’? The soul is the blueprint of body and mind. Our medical practice reconstructs the body and mind according to this correct blueprint of the soul. But these individuals… unfortunately, have been deformed since birth. Considering our technical capabilities, this appearance is normal. It’s shaped according to the soul’s design.”

…So, there’s no way to fix it from the start. I understood there are incurable diseases in reality. Still, I wanted to know why they had become so twisted. When I asked that, the staff member looked troubled and replied that even they didn’t know.

“…I’m sorry, but that hasn’t been clearly established yet. Scholars say it’s a sort of side effect that occurred thousands of years ago when we transformed from humans to beastmen overnight… but there’s no clear conclusion. Sorry that I can’t be more helpful.”

The staff member bowed their head as they spoke. No, that wasn’t necessary for them to apologize. I encouraged them not to feel that way.

Before entering, I had thought about taking a look inside, but that thought had long since vanished, and I was trying to say goodbye and leave.

-Creeeak.

However, just before I could open it, the iron door opened by itself. Or rather, I was under the impression that was the case. Someone had simply opened it from the outside first.

“…A candidate for a new life has been selected. That one, resembling a slug, bring it to the altar.”

A man in a white robe, suitable for a temple or shrine, entered and immediately pointed at the strange thing that had been staring at me before, instructing them to take it to the altar before coolly walking out.

I had seen Hoyeon, but I wasn’t shaken by that.

“Oh my… this time, it truly seems someone is about to receive a new life. Congratulations, Seongram. It was fun while it lasted. I hope we get the chance to meet again in the next life…”

In that case, it sounds like they were calling to the altar for a sacrifice. She seemed to be joyfully embracing something.

Looking at Hoyeon, she was also staring at the something with a look that said it was a good thing. Not the same disgust as before.

If it’s a sacrificial offering, it means death, right? So why was she happy about it? I couldn’t understand. Moreover, that something seemed to be excited too.

“…Is there a priestess? If not, should I take over? Dokan, come with me. This time, it’ll definitely be something you might find interesting.”

You think sacrificing a living person would be something I’d enjoy? I wanted to refuse, but her gaze was one that said she wouldn’t forgive me if I ran away.

Thus, I had no choice but to follow her. Behind us, there was a slopping sound as that slug-like something came bouncing along, while the staff member slowly walked, telling us to take our time without hurrying.

“…Hey, Hoyeon. When you say altar… it’s a sacrifice, right? It’s definitely a sacrifice, right?”

“Yep.”

—

Dokan often asked about sacrifices. Whether it was offering a living person or splitting open their chest to take their heart.

The former was correct, but the latter was not. That sort of barbaric method of sacrifice had been discontinued about 40 years ago, as my mother had directly declared.

Originally, during a ceremony, no one aside from the priest, priestess, and the sacrificial offering should be on the altar, but since it was Dokan’s first time, I especially got permission from the God to observe.

The priestess also told me that the Princess would handle it better than herself, giving up her spot. I felt a prick of guilt for taking someone else’s opportunity, but I felt slightly better thinking I could show Dokan something good.

It was rare for someone to have the talent to receive the God. Even those rare individuals had to use the preferred offerings and methods of that particular God to even get a response.

In other words, receiving the God was quite a cumbersome affair.

As for me?

-O God, the offering is prepared. Please take the soul of this poor being and return it to the sea of stars.

When I call, he comes. There’s probably no one else like me.

…My mother would slither in before being called, so we’re different.

Dokan looked at me, seeing that I was silent and just with my hands together, with half anxiety and half suspicion. It took him less than five seconds for that expression to turn to one of horror.

The slug-like offering was instantly engulfed in blue flames.

“W-wait! Offering means setting them on fire while they’re alive?! This isn’t right…”

They say the greatest pain a being can feel is burning. It wasn’t surprising that Dokan was so terrified. But when I plunged my hand into those flames, Dokan immediately closed his mouth.

“It doesn’t hurt at all. It wouldn’t be right for someone doing this noble act of offering themselves to suffer in pain.”

-…Oh, are you not a child of the stars? Are you offering me the soul of a poor one? Alright, I accept it. Your intention to offer me the scorched soul is well received. I hope you live a long life in your next life.

The God spoke briefly with the soul that had been offered to him and then absorbed the soul. That something then vanished without a trace.

-Indeed, even so, I can’t recover this damaged soul. It has been thousands of years since it answered the call of the sea of stars… so. What is it you desire in calling me?

The God lamented for a moment and then asked what I needed.

…Uh, come to think of it? Why did I call? I summoned the God as a replacement priestess, but I hadn’t heard the purpose of the summon.

“God of the altar. I seek your audience for matters of great importance.”

I asked the priest since I didn’t know. Um… this is somewhat embarrassing. Dokan seemed to not mind, staring wide-eyed at the empty altar.

“It’s a request from the academy. They wish for wisdom to handle electricity.”

-…So it is.

It was amusing that while I knew how to manipulate space, I didn’t know how to handle electricity. But well, there was a good reason behind it.

Everything that could be done with electricity could also be done with magical power. It would seem there was no point in researching it. They were hastily seeking wisdom for aerospace technology now.

-For the knowledge to handle electricity… play well with copper and zinc. I cannot offer anything more than that.

Copper and zinc, I felt like I heard about those in science class, but what were they again…

Ah, I don’t remember. I felt the connection break as I conveyed the words of the God to the priest.

“…Is that so. Copper and zinc. They are both elements I have already experimented with, but surely, there must be profound meaning in what the God said.”

“…Try throwing some water on it.”

Usually, if you pour water on those kinds of things, something should happen. I offered a bit of advice after retracing my memories and then took Dokan’s hand to get off the altar.

But he didn’t move at all, as if he were made of stone.

“Priest! Are the people being offered as sacrifices… all those with deformed souls?”

The priest gazed blankly at Dokan for a moment before finally opening his mouth.

“…Generally, yes. Sometimes we also sacrifice volunteers who come to offer themselves. If I had to quantify it, it would be about 60:40. Those designated as offerings from birth take precedence… but they are extraordinarily rare, appearing far less frequently than geniuses. Has your curiosity been satisfied?”

“Doesn’t that make you feel any guilt…?”

Dokan was asking himself, yet his confidence diminished, and his voice grew softer. Guilt, well, that sort of thing…

“You wouldn’t feel that way. When witnessing the unity with the great one, how could such emotions intervene? Only reverence and solemn grief would exist.”

Ah, I see. So that’s what he wanted to ask all along.

Dokan looked confused but seemed to be making an effort to understand.

But I couldn’t afford to patiently wait for Dokan to come around, as my mother was signaling me to return.

“Well then, Dokan. Let’s head home now.”