Salvation Through Delusion C14

Chapter 14

“They know. Very well, in fact.”

Dr. Kim’s tone was oddly calm for someone admitting that a cursed noble house wanted her dead. “But don’t worry. You think I hired the best mercenary battalion on the continent as my guards for nothing? Those bastards grind their teeth every time they hear the name Adeye, but let them try something. They couldn’t touch the dirt on my boot.”

“Dr. Kim, from now on… I think it would be best not to provoke the Koon family any further.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” she replied immediately, fire in her voice. “Koon nearly destroyed our world — the least I can do is crush them a little more! Anyway, what was the reason for failure mentioned in the message I sent?”

“…Because only one family could close the Eye of Hell.”

“Which one? Don’t tell me it’s one I didn’t invest in. No, I made sure to cover every possibility — even families without a Divine Beast. Tell me, which house was it?”

“…I already did.”

“When?”

“Just now.” I murmured, lowering my voice even further.

“Koon.”

“…What?”

“Koon.”

“Who?”

“The Koon family.”

“…”

“Dr. Kim?”

I called her name in concern, ready to rush out and fetch help if needed—because she wasn’t breathing.

“Are you alri—”

Hhup!

She suddenly sucked in air, grabbed another potion, and downed it in one go. Clang! The bottle hit the desk as her eyes snapped open wide.

“That’s impossible! The Koon’s Divine Beast was extinguished!”

“But the scroll said otherwise. It stated clearly that only the awakened Koon’s Divine Beast could close the Eye of Hell.”

“…You’re telling me the Divine Beast was sleeping?”

She asked the question as if talking about a neighbor’s pet dog. When I nodded, she stared at me, eyes trembling.

“So… the only person who can save our world… is from Koon? The only one capable of using the Divine Beast’s power is that arrogant brat?”

“…Yes.”

Dr. Kim squeezed her eyes shut. Without another word, she reached out and rang the bell herself.

The door burst open in less than a second. A flood of healers — and her chief secretary — rushed in. And before their eyes, Dr. Kim fainted gracefully, as if she’d been trained to collapse in style.

Instantly, her secretary’s wrath turned on me.

“What did you say to her this time?! Do you want our Lady to die?!”

I had no defense. Technically, the most shocking news hadn’t even been revealed yet.

The next morning.

I’d spent the night half-dozing in a chair beside Dr. Kim’s bed, only to be called to another patient at dawn.

“She wakes briefly, then falls asleep again,” the healer in charge explained. “Her consciousness lasts longer each time, but we still can’t find the cause of her weakness. Are you certain you have no information about this patient’s medical history?”

The woman in the healer’s uniform looked hopeful. I wished I could give her something—anything—but all I knew was that a certain spirit hovered near the patient like a very annoying guardian angel.

I glanced toward the air above the bed.

[Humans are so dumb~ My Petal hasn’t even been woken up yet, and they’re feeding her baby poop water~ Ew~ disgusting~]

…What did it just say?

“What’s wrong?” the healer asked.

“Can I… see what you’re feeding her?”

The healer held up a bowl of beige porridge.

“It’s a nutrient mix — milk, grains, honey, and herbs. Gentle on the stomach.”

Ah. So… not actual baby poop. I exhaled. Then glared upward.

The spirit sensed my irritation and chirped indignantly.

[My Petal is all grown up~ And they’re giving her milk like a newborn! And that watery white thing—it’s baby poop water! I’ll never understand humans~]

I ignored it and thanked the healer instead.

“That sounds perfect. Thank you.”

“It’s too early for thanks,” she said, frowning slightly. “No medicine seems to improve her condition. Without knowing her past illnesses or even her name, it’s difficult to help her.”

I almost apologized on instinct—but stopped myself just in time.

According to Mo, Adeye Rue never apologized. The last time I slipped up and said sorry, people nearly fainted.

So instead, I forced my tone to sound sharper, though it came out pathetically soft.

“Are you… doubting me right now?”

It was weak as far as noble tantrums went, but it worked. The healer paled.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean that. I just wondered if there’s anyone else we could ask.”

“…No one.”

Except for the spirit. Not that it was any help.

When I asked it for the patient’s name earlier, it just kept repeating ‘Petal is Petal’ like a broken wind chime. And then it started lecturing me again.

[Humans are fools~ fools~ fools~ My Petal belongs in a wide field~ beneath the dawn sky~ where her leaves blush pink~ pink pink~ pink pink~ pink pink~ pink pink~]

‘Mo, can you cut out the repeated words?’

[Already minimized repetition.]

‘So you can’t do better?’

[It’s possible, but I may crash.]

How much processing power did it take to filter out the word pink?

I sighed and asked the healer,

“Do you know any plant that grows in wide plains and turns deep pink under the dawn sky?”

The healer froze, eyes wide. She stumbled a step back.

“Why would you ask that?”

That reaction wasn’t good.

“Just curious.”

“Of course I know it. That’s a lethal poison. Even touching it can kill.”

…What.

I looked sharply up at the spirit again. You little murderer.

“Lord Rue, is something wrong?”

“There’s a—uh, evil spirit—no, nothing.”

The healer gave me a confused look but pressed on.

“Why bring up that plant, then?”

“Oh, no reason. Just testing your knowledge. And you passed! Excellent skill!”

I patted her shoulder—then pulled my hand away in exactly 0.1 seconds and escaped the infirmary.

I was ready to yell at that homicidal puffball, but it must’ve sensed danger and vanished. Probably clinging to Petal again.

Instead, I found others hovering nearby—floating, translucent forms, bizarre in shape and size. They looked similar to the creatures I’d first seen at the lakeside retreat. Yet all of them kept their distance, watching silently.

Were they afraid of me? Or… something else?

I glanced back toward the infirmary. Maybe of it. The spirit.

Fine, that could wait. Dr. Kim was the priority.

Just as I was heading back, a maid hurried toward me.

“Lord Rue, there you are! The Lady has awakened.”

“I’ve been thinking,” Dr. Kim began the moment I entered her room.

She was half-reclined on the bed, her color still pale but her eyes fierce as ever. Ten minutes awake and already plotting world salvation.

“If the scroll’s information is true, then… well, there’s no helping it. That damned Koon… I’ll have to make them my ally.”

Even after ten minutes of enlightenment, it was clear she’d spent ten years hating that family.

“Are you sure you can handle that?” I asked carefully.

“You said they’re the only ones who can save our world, didn’t you?”

I nodded. Her lips twisted bitterly.

“Then I have no choice. If saving our world means kissing a monster, I’ll do it.”

“Kissing a monster doesn’t sound too ba—”

“Do you want to become my next problem?”

“…No, ma’am.”

She waved a hand dismissively and sighed.

“You must be disoriented—suddenly thrown into another world, surrounded by idiots, and the only local contact keeps fainting.”

“I’ve never once been disappointed, Dr. Kim. And you’re not the only agent here.”

Her eyes immediately sharpened. “That’s what I wanted to ask. There are others, aren’t there? I can’t be the only one who settled in this world.”

“Yes.”

“How many? If they received the coordinates from my scroll, the implantation rate should’ve been high, right?”

“In theory.”

I paused, watching her carefully before continuing.

“In practice… only one succeeded.”

Her eyes trembled ever so slightly.