Sickly Girl, but a Drug Addict

‘Lightning always strikes the highest point….’

Perhaps the Thunder Emperor landed on the rooftop of Count Train’s company first. After searching for survivors inside the building, she seems to have just arrived on the ground.

Judging by the red blood stones scattered messily on the road around the burning building, she’s already had quite a battle.

We, who had been trembling inside, were soon rescued by the Student Council President and placed on the street.

The flames of the building were blazing like a giant campfire.

Rukia, perhaps startled by the heat, clung even closer to me.

This is screwed up.

Is there anything left?

I’d be fortunate to find even one intact bottle of Vermilion Heart.

“Thank you, Student Council President.”

“Yes, Shana Midgard. And Rukia Nilapr. What were you doing here?”

She asks me with a dignified posture, hands on her waist.

She knows she won’t get a proper answer from Rukia anyway.

As agreed with Rukia, I began to recite a lie.

Due to the drug effect circulating, my emotionlessness is maintained.

“We were kidnapped by two men.”

“Kidnapped?”

“Yes. Rukia and I were walking on the campus when we were suddenly dragged away.”

“That’s. Absurd. Regin Academy’s security is top-notch. Are you saying they broke through the security network, entered, and kidnapped you two!”

Does she have four lungs or vocal cords twice the size of others?

…Maybe what’s attached to her chest isn’t milk pouches, but shouting pouches.

Overwhelmed by the volume, Rukia squints her eyes and won’t leave my embrace.

“But we were kidnapped like this.”

“I see!”

The Thunder Emperor embraced us both in her large arms with a hearty laugh.

“Still, I’m glad you’re safe. As a bonus….”

I don’t know why she suddenly came here.

‘I’m glad you didn’t cause any trouble.’

…That’s probably what she was going to say.

Professor Yggdrasil and the Student Council President must be suspecting me the most as the culprit who raided the professor’s office.

Just to be safe, let me ask properly and confirm.

“As a bonus…?”

As soon as I subtly asked, the Student Council President was startled.

“Nothing. My mouth ran ahead of me.”

It’s fortunate that she’s a person whose emotions are visible.

I can predict her next words without having to think too hard.

…Well, I also can’t help but know, having rushed toward D-Day with her several times already.

“Anyway, you must have been shocked! Let’s go back now!”

If I were to defy the Thunder Emperor’s words here, troublesome things would happen.

She’s a justice idiot.

She’s an ignorant hero who solves everything with force, but at the same time, she has quite childish aspects.

For instance, I could cite the fact that she never just lets go of actions from others that she can’t understand.

If I were to say, “Can I take a look inside the burning company for a moment?” here, she would immediately drag me to Professor Yggdrasil.

Especially that left eye.

“What’s wrong, Shana Midgard?”

It looks like a normal eye, but it especially shines in the darkness.

The eye that sees the future, inherited from her mother.

The moment the Student Council President uses that eye on me, there’s a high chance that I’ll be discovered doing something unwanted.

If it weren’t for the penalty, wouldn’t she have already used it on me?

Professor Yggdrasil and the Student Council President are too close for comfort. Even facts I don’t want to share reach Professor Yggdrasil’s ears through the Student Council President.

So I need to be careful.

Respond calmly.

“The people who kidnapped us… they were trying to take us to that building. What kind of place is it?”

“Ah. You mean there?”

The Student Council President raised her head and looked at the burning building as she spoke.

“They were manufacturing unauthorized drugs.”

Vermilion Heart is a drug for recovery and awakening of Athenas.

As mentioned once before, only professors of certified academies are permitted to manufacture this drug.

The punishment for drug manufacturing by those without permits is the same regardless of the nation within the continent.

“They deserve to be punished. The things that the Drug Control Bureau staff came and lectured about were sprawled all over the place!”

A being that shares emotions with humans, but simultaneously absolutely obeys the professor’s orders.

That’s what an Athena is.

Looking at the fragments of life rolling on the ground, I stared at the Student Council President with an emotionless gaze.

“The site will be completely destroyed after the Drug Control Bureau’s investigation today.”

Probably tonight.

I wish I could have time to visit before then.

“I see. That’s reassuring.”

“You must have been very shocked, so go back and rest for now.”

“Yes. Thank you for your consideration.”

“Or would you like to attend the banquet? Professor Yggdrasil is waiting for you to come.”

There was a banquet?

I didn’t think about it at all because I was busy running around trying to get Vermilion Heart.

‘Could it be… to place absent students on the list of suspects?’

That was a close call.

If I had said any nonsense just now, I would have been caught by the Student Council President and thrown in front of Professor Yggdrasil.

Good job thinking calmly, me.

“I should at least show my face. By the way… did Pixie and Hakana also attend?”

“Pixie… Hakana?”

The Student Council President tilts her head.

She remembers the faces of all students but not their names.

“I mean, the ones you called Sleepyhead and Dumbbell?”

“Ah. Aaah! Yes. I forcibly transported those two to the banquet hall.”

“And Yormu….”

“Since she has surveillance, I left her where she always is. I couldn’t bring her to the banquet hall in that state! Haha!”

Myself, Rukia, and Yormu.

It seems everyone except exactly three members of the Social Service Department attended.

Let’s attend the banquet for now.

After that, I can come back here.

‘I’ve memorized the location anyway….’

Remaining Vermilion Heart. At least a few bottles.

If that’s not possible, I should at least get a few bottles of the counterfeit.

————————————————

<< Shana Midgard >>

Regin Academy / Aesir Dormitory / 2nd Year

— Enhancement Effect ‘Vermilion Heart’ Applied

(Time Remaining: 284 minutes)

[Status]

Vitality 5/12

————————————————

The banquet will take about 3 hours, so the time I can use after it ends would be exactly 1 hour and 44 minutes.

If this isn’t a bolt from the blue, then what is?

Thunder Emperor, you blockhead!

♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦

I arrived at the banquet hall, heard various stories.

I took notes and organized the semester curriculum as much as possible.

But even while listening to the stories, I couldn’t really concentrate.

Although my eyes were looking at Professor Yggdrasil in front, my head could only gauge what would happen after the dinner.

After simulating the dimension of possibilities for about 2 hours,

The conclusion came around the time my vitality parameter changed to 2.

The Drug Control Bureau usually sends an accident processing team for site cleanup about 30 minutes after an incident occurs.

The time it takes for them to investigate the site is about 2 hours, judging by the building’s size.

Then they load the organized items onto trucks they brought and head to the Crime Research Institute under the Drug Control Bureau.

As items are arranged according to classification in advance and loaded onto trucks, and each truck definitely heads to the designated research institute…

As always, during the journey from the site to the research institute.

I should target the truck that collects the finished products.

That way, I can minimize armed conflicts and only take what I need.

If I leave now that the banquet is over, the timing would be perfect.

“Will you be okay, department head?”

Rukia, who had returned to her usual sloppy expression, tightly hugged my waist and said.

“I don’t want to imagine the Social Service Department without you. Well, as always, there probably won’t be any major problems… But still! Make sure to be careful! Got it?”

I bowed to her, who had supported me so I wouldn’t fall and brought me to my dorm room.

“Thank you for bringing me here, Rukia.”

I have to solve this with my own power.

Since it’s night now, there won’t be a problem.

“Then, tomorrow at the club room….”

After closing the door and waving goodbye to the giggling Rukia, I sat on the bed.

————————————————

[Awakening Skill – ‘Shadow of Sisters’]

“We survive together. Forever.”

— Substitutes your magic-related status with physical-related status.

— Can only be used after sunset.

— Consumes all activity points when usage ends.

— Vitality decreases by 1 per hour while maintained.

————————————————

Remaining vitality is only 2.

Using the awakening skill, I can only be active for one hour.

If I get Vermilion Heart during that time, it’s my victory.

If I don’t, it’s my defeat.

I hope there are at least a few samples left, not in the upper part of the building that was burned due to the Student Council President’s hero landing…

But in the lower part close to the ground and in the basement.

I’m going to live.

I must live.

“Sister. Please help me.”

White skin is gradually covered by dark and hard leather.

Now the darkness cast on the ground will become a secret path that only I can walk on.

Since magical talent is substituted with physical talent, even the annoying status ailment ‘Greenhouse Flower’ becomes partially invalid.

Even in situations where I might fall, I can barely maintain my posture and stand straight.

Of course, my already insufficient vitality decreases additionally while using it.

And there are substantial penalties, such as immediately falling asleep due to depleted activity points when stopping the ability.

But it’s virtually the only means that liberates my body, which is riddled with numerous problems…

For me, who had to move secretly behind the scenes, there was no better ability than this.

“And, let’s survive together today too.”

I hide the few blades,

Deep in my heart just in case.

…People call her Atropos.