Chapter 66: There is an Original Nightmare here…
Within the room where Raffi and Iberis had left, Stelcis' expression faded and she glanced down at the Mock Turtle. The Nightmare, in the form of a girl, was holding both knees, producing some kind of seed from her pocket and putting it in her mouth to chew. Stelcis was about to say something to her, but she held her tongue and looked around at the man and woman kneeling on the floor.
"Keep a close eye on them. Go."
"… Will that be alright?"
One of the men spoke up. Stelcis bit her lip and nodded.
"Yes. If we start a war with those people here, it will surely lead to unnecessary deaths. That is what we must avoid."
"… I hope they'll leave smoothly."
The Mock Turtle blurted out in a whisper. Hearing her words, the woman who had been kneeling down opened her mouth.
"I still consider it too risky to kick them out of the shelter. You never know when the Originals might discover this place because of that…"
The Mock Turtle was chewing on something and biting her thumbnail in exasperation. Stelcis reached out and gently stroked her head.
"Don't worry, Mock. You have nothing to dread."
"…"
"If it comes to that, I'll put an end to it all. With my Bandersnatch…"
Muttering, Stelcis's hair rustled, even though there was no wind blowing. The Mock Turtle lifted her head to stare up at her and uttered a small voice.
"Please, Stel. Protect me, will you?"
◇
"We've come out docilely… but what are we supposed to do?" Iberis asked, and Raffi leaped down to the floor inside her hospital room. He then gazed up at her face.
"The deadline is noon tomorrow. I think we should talk to… Alice and the others first."
"That's true, but…" Iberis clammed up and then said hesitantly.
"… You know, that child. Can't you just let Alice stay here?"
"Huh… What?"
"Don't you see? She's in no condition to engage in battle. I'm not trying to say that she's out of shape. I only find it to be cruel…"
Her last words trailed off and disappeared unconfidently. Raffi thought for a moment and then shook his head.
"Maybe… I don't think that's possible."
"Why not?"
"It's not me or you they want to get rid of. It's likely Alice."
"What do you mean…?"
"Stelcis said it herself. That doppelganger is probably aware. That Alice has the Archi-type ability of interference."
"What did you say?" Iberis hurriedly clammed up and lowered her tone of voice as she spoke to Raffi. "… It's news to me. Certainly, I knew she is not a typical doppelganger, but…"
"Alice was not 'duplicated by the system' in the first place, like you guys. She was created without me even having any knowledge of it. That is to say…"
"I see… so it's possible that the proto-system is still alive and has been exported to…" Putting a hand to her chin, Iberis reflected, then released a small breath. "One way or the other, we're out of luck. Although I don't feel like I'm going to lose in a fight, killing that woman and the Nightmare isn't going to make things any better."
"You're right. The measure that can be taken is…"
Then there was a knock on the door, and Raffi stopped talking. There was a sound of air escaping, and the door opened, revealing Philrain's face. Iberis opened her mouth after seeing that she looked slightly exhausted.
"Thanks for your effort. Come on in."
"Thanks."
Bowing her head, Philrain entered the room and shut the door. As she sank into a chair, Raffi asked her.
"What about Alice?"
"She is sleeping now, possibly from the effects of the medicine. She seems to be adjusting to reality more and more…" Biting her lip, she clasped her hands in her lap. "… There's nothing I can do for her…"
"…"
Raffi kept his mouth shut and his words were swallowed. Then he looked down with downcast eyes. Iberis observed them, and after a moment, she spoke up.
"They've accepted the… citizens, but the four of us have until midday tomorrow to leave. Of course, we'll be taking the cores of the hazardous Originals with us."
Hearing this, Philrain looked up as if she had been played.
"That… is awful! Wouldn't they protect Master Alice!"
"Unfortunately no…"
Iberis recounted what had just occurred. Philrain sighed and shifted her gaze to the floor.
"… I see. There is an Original Nightmare here…"
"And it looks like she's coexisting with humans."
As if to add to Iberis' words, Raffi continued, "No, I think it only 'looks' like that".
"… What do you mean?"
At Iberis' question, Raffi directed his round eyes at the girls.
"That thing is an Original Nightmare. She's not a human. Do you have any idea what that would entail?"
When Iberis was confronted by the question, she paused a beat and turned pale.
"… It couldn't be…"
"If it is as we imagine, there is no guarantee of the safety of the surviving citizens who have been accepted. This is the so-called heresy that came from the 'outside' in such a confined space. The reason why they want to send us off right away is that they are afraid as well…"
Raffi contorted the corners of his mouth into an expression that could not be described as either fury or sorrow.
"There's probably something they don't want us to see."
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