The Magic Academy's Physicist

Chapter 211: From Master to Slave (12)

Chapter 211: From Master to Slave (12)

Released from her bindings, Klara made a dumbfounded face.

Huh? Why? Why on earth?

Her lips twitched as she repeated those questions in her head. All she could do was stare confused at the Beast before her.

“Aack!”

Just as she was about to gather what was happening, Rosemary grabbed Klara’s arm and tugged.

“What, did it hurt?”

“.......”

Klara answered with a shake of her head.

It did hurt a little due to her body being significantly weaker, but it wasn’t to the point she needed to scream; it was more out of surprise.

Now the only symbol of humiliation left for Klara was the collar. Rosemary gently petted Klara’s head with her leash in hand like she was trying to tame a wild horse.

“There, there, calm down.”

“I-I’m human...! Get this hand off!”

“I will if you promise to behave.”

“What?”

“Are you going to promise or not?”

“I promise. There, okay? Now remove it.”

Rosemary removed her hand and inwardly counted to ten. Klare showed no signs of attempting to attack or escape in that time.

“Good, now let’s get going.”

“To where?”

Klara asked, but Rosemary didn’t answer.

Actually, she couldn’t because she was scared.

Although Klara had become weak, she was still an Elemental Mage. She had two Greaters, even, so Rosemary couldn’t let her guard down.

Without ever losing focus, Rosemary watched Klara’s movements.

“Just where in the world are we going?”

In the meantime, Klara tried to figure out the intentions of this Beast that suddenly showed up.

Only moments before, she had been under awful torture by Gilach.

Excited, Gilach had said how she’d be his exclusive plaything, his smile still vivid in her head.

In addition, it had been after Gilach had made it clear no one could take Klara besides him.

But since another Beast pulled a ‘Your slave’s awesome’1 not even days after he said that....

If they get caught like this, then this blueberry-looking Beast was going to be ripped to shreds by Gilach.

“Hey, you.”

“Just call me Rosemary. Or just ‘you’.”

“......Are you of higher rank than that elven Golden-Eyed with hooked arms?”

“Well, not in terms of strength.”

“But you’re allowed to take me as you wish?”

A wry smile painted Rosemary’s lips.

Of course not.

One could tell just by Gilach’s temper. After observing for some days, it looked like Gilach absolutely hated when his things were borrowed or taken.

“Why, did you want to stay there, then?”

“As if.”

“If you understand, then just accept your new master without fuss.”

New master? Was this Beast Rosemary going to use her as a slave?

It certainly seemed so. When she got the chance, Klara warned her.

“I’m telling you now that if you make me do something weird, I will bite my tongue and die.”

As all the Beasts that Klara had seen were wicked, she assumed that Rosemary would be as well.

She definitely had to be one to enjoy torturing and harassing.

And as she even stole a toy from an elite like a Heaven, it was almost certain that she had a bad heart.

It was obvious that she would treat a prisoner however she wanted, and so it was necessary to assert herself first with this warning.

Klara revealed that if the purpose was to break her, then she was determined to do it herself first.

But with a dry laugh, Rosemary waved her hand.

“Well, whatever.”

“...Excuse me?”

It was an unexpected reaction.

Normally, this would have resulted in either gagging or cutting the tongue off altogether.

While Klara was befuddled, Rosemary continued.

“But if that happens, then you’ll never be able to see your sister who’s here. Do it if you want to present yourself as a corpse to your family.”

“You.......”

That’s right.

It was after Rosemary had roughly figured out what kind of personality Klara had.

“Don’t you want to see her? Your sister?”

Her insides bubbled like carbonated water, but she held back.

If things went well, then she’d be able to see her sister. She couldn’t die with that anticipation.

“There, we’re here. Go in.”

Rosemary gently pulled the chain and led Klara inside the room.

Inside the room, Klara’s eyes widened like saucers.

“This place is.......”

Light blue curtains with a pointy star pattern, and a queen-sized bed that was naturally placed nearby.

Cute turtle and dolphin dolls sat in a display case, and the vertically-striped wallpaper gave off an antique feeling.

On top of that, a collection of artworks like ceramics on the table marked the peak of the room’s ambiance.

It was a very lively and girly place for a Beast.

“Is, this your room?”

“So?”

Rosemary replied, pouting.

“Of course it’s mine. Would it be your room, then?”

“I thought that an executive of the Demon Army would have a bed made of skeletons.”

“Says who?”

“Just, that was how the storybooks described it.”

“Fucking hell.”

She might be an enemy, but she looked as if she had been wronged.

“So there was an extended reproduction of those stupid humans’ propaganda. If I had known this would happen, I would’ve suppressed the publishing industry as soon as I got in.”

Rosemary attempted to lighten the mood with a joke.

But it was a bad move. Instead of laughing, Klara’s brows furrowed like she’d heard something insulting.

“How dare you say such a thing....”

“Oops, sorry.”

Sensing something strange, Rosemary immediately bowed her head.

Way back when, Rosemary had adapted to the Demon Army through criticism after criticism from the two sisters. With how many times she had been scolded, she had naturally learned how to save herself from more of it, which was to admit her fault and apologize first.

Especially with Aether.

No matter what she did, Aether forgave her if she cried and begged.

And since this didn’t cost her much, she also naturally came to apologize and beg others’ pardon without reservation.

“.......”

Long, ultramarine hair dropped down as she bowed her head.

Because only the round head could be seen and not the face, it really looked like a blueberry.

And since found that a bit funny, Klara lost her tension.

She was no longer angry, and besides, being angry wouldn’t really change things, either.

“It’s fine. It’s fine so explain why you’ve brought me here....”

“Just wait minute. Why are you so impatient?”

Although she said that, the two did feel it necessary to change the topic.

Klara was wondering why they had to this room, and Rosemary was thinking to move on with the conversation.

“First, get on the bed.”

“What?”

“So I can check you over.”

Once she lay Klara down on soft, tea cake-like covers, Rosemary began taking her pulse.

Frequent pulse aside, she looked seriously worn.

Her arms were skeletal, and her eyes were a little bloodshot. It seemed she was going to need rest in order to be used for the ‘operation’.

She could heal her and build trust while she was at it.

“...Why are you doing this?”

“Get some rest. I’ll be using you substantially later.”

“What do you....”

“No need to be concerned. I won’t ask for anything weird and also let you meet your sister. Well, up to you if you believe it or not.”

Grinning, Rosemary picked up the teapot then poured some black tea into the teacup with plum blossoms on it.

She normally would’ve added beryllium to it but it wasn’t good for humans so she substituted it with sugar cubes. She dropped in one so that she could get some sugar without it being too sweet.

“Hey, drink it.”

Klara’s eyes rolled like hills.

Just what on earth was this about?

Was she trying to play house with her, she thought, but that didn’t seem to be it either.

“I didn’t poison it or anything so hurry up and drink it. My arm’s going to break.”

Rosemary’s hand with the teacup shook minutely. Why was her arm shaking when she was a machine? Klara quickly took the cup and placed it in front of her.

Klara hadn’t been able to eat properly all this time, so of course she wouldn’t be able to resist the sweet-smelling tea.

After she blew on it and took a sip, a warmth began to crawl up her throat. Her stomach and body injured from the torture relaxed, and she felt peaceful and cozy like she was in the arms of her late mother.

Rosemary also picked up a cup, and poured herself some hibiscus-steeped water from a different teapot.

Sip, sip, after taking a few drinks of the tea–

Head cleared, Klara asked neutrally.

“......Why are you treating me so well?”

“I haven’t done anything yet.”

“The Beast I’ve been seeing didn’t behave like this.”

Thus, there was something behind this.

“What, huh. Do you want to know?”

Klara swallowed dryly.

One never knew when or how these Humanoid Beasts would show their true selves.

Ones like Rosemary especially, who were skilled at infiltrating, were masters at hiding their intentions and manipulating others within human society.

She was not one to be taken lightly at all.

What unreasonable thing would she be asked? Preparing herself, Klara nodded and demanded an explanation.

“You might not believe it if I tell you now, but–ah, before that, I should get you something to eat.”

Getting up abruptly, Rosemary whooshed out of the room.

“Huh...?”

She just left?

Without any warning?

Staring dazedly at the door through which Rosemary had left, Klara soon refocused and considered the situation.

Was this her chance?

“...If I don’t leave now, I may never.”

Even if she managed to escape the Demon Castle, she would freeze to death if she went outside in minus thirty degree-weather dressed like this.

But Klara was a Fire Mage. If she found a cave nearby and moved while warming herself up, returning alive wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility.

“Yes, let’s do it.”

She finished calculating everything through running the simulations in her head.

Klara got down from the bed barefoot and approached the door, looking for her chance to escape.

Just then–

Footnotes

1. A meme where 'your [something] is awesome' is said as a taunt after one takes something belonging to another