Vol 23 Chapter 4 (1/2)
Mental Conferences Should be Held in Secret
Clara A said:
”What's important is sorting out the problem first.”
”Really? Is that problem difficult enough to need sorting out?”
Clara B refuted Clara A's opinion.
”It's true that the problem's very difficult. But I also think there's no need to deal with it.”
Clara C calmly critiqued.
”It's very important to sort out the problem. But I doubt whether doing that can resolve anything.”
Clara D pointed out.
”Speaking of sorting out, this room's very clean. So different from her room.”
”You're basically someone who leaves everything for other people to do.”
Clara E and F debated over such things.
”Here's what's important! I haven't even eaten Meishen's delicious cooking! Or Layfon's supersized portions of food! I want to satisfy both desires!”
”The desire to recuperate physical strength is quite important for a Military Artist, but what about for a woman?”
Clara H consoled Clara G as she emphasized this.
Chatter, chatter.
Chatter, chatter.
A large number of Claras surrounded the circular table and talked like this.
This was the inside of Clara's mind.
It was a meeting room with a circular table.
Right now, Claribel Ronsmier was facing an important topic and was struggling with it.
This was a visual portrayal of her mind.
◇
Before her mental conference was held.
Clara felt refreshed that night.
She had fought against Layfon in the platoon match, and challenged him to fight alone.
It had been a true one-on-one battle.
She, who hadn't hesitated to chase him to Zuellni, had achieved her goal.
Though problems had piled up like a mountain, her mood was very cheerful tonight.
No, it 'had' been very cheerful.
Past tense.
Clara...... Claribel Ronsmier.
She was a member of one of the three royal families that supported Grendan, and if she hadn't left home for Zuellni, her grandfather would have pestered her to become the Ronsmier family head. After twenty or thirty years, she might have become Grendan's queen.
That was the person Claribel Ronsmier.
However, her mood wasn't downcast because she was only now regretting losing her privilege to inherit the throne.
You could even say that she had never once held interest in the throne up through now. Maybe it was her personality as a member of the three royal families, as the more excellent of a Military Artist she was, the more indifferent she was about the royal families.
”Hah......”
Halfway through the celebration-and-consolation party that had been held in the apartment, Claribel snuck into the bathroom and then sighed with a gloomy heart.
Just sighing couldn't lighten her mood.
Meishen and her friends had made countless foods, and they were all extremely delicious. It had been a happy, short time.
Since this celebration party was simultaneously a consolation party, the fourteenth platoon that Claribel belonged to were here as well as Layfon, Nina, and the seventeenth platoon. Meishen's friends and residents of this apartment were here too, so the place was quite lively.
”What am I doing?”
Claribel listened to the laughs of the s.h.i.+n and the fourteenth platoon from the other side of the wall as she murmured.
She had hidden in the bathroom because she hated pretending to smile.
But she couldn't stay here too long. If everyone worried, doing this would have been meaningless.
”......Guess I'll go back.”
Claiming that she felt very tired after the compet.i.tion was probably the most convincing. Claribel and Layfon had fought an incredibly intense battle, so everyone definitely could accept that.
Actually, the feeling of battle still lingered in Claribel's body, so she didn't want to sleep at all. But no one knew that.
”Guess that's what I'll do.”
After telling herself to stand by her thinking, Claribel tried rising......
She tried doing that, but she couldn't.
She wanted to leave this place.
”Ng--”
The thought 'but is there anything else to do with him?' floated in her heart.
Though it was completely unfounded, that feeling tightly lodged itself in a corner of Clara's heart, interfering with her decision to return home.
Normally, she would view that kind of feeling as simple unwillingness to part with normalcy, but......
”What's wrong with me?”
Something was different.
The reason for the difference was in her pocket.
”Urgh--”
How annoying.
The object she took out was a small bottle as large as her pinky.
She had met a suspicious person.
Claribel had heard Nina say it several times, saying that person was a troublemaker who used her abilities to have fun.
Claribel felt that this person was probably a researcher or something. As she had thought, this woman was apparently a drug researcher.
However, that wasn't what interested her about this woman.
After hearing of that incident from Nina, she had just ended the topic with an 'Oh!'.
'Such a person exists' - then she ended the topic.
However, that person was the dorm head of the dorm Nina had lived at before, and Claribel had been taken care of by that person for a short period of time once before moving to this apartment.
That person was Selina.
She's very suspicious, so you have to be careful - Nina warned Claribel like that countless times.
So Claribel had never thought of using the thing she had given her.
”It's just this......”
Claribel looked at the bottle she pinched with her fingers.
She had received the medicine bottle before moving here.
The problem was......
”Why did I bring this here?”
That matter.
A drug given by a suspicious person.
A drug used in suspicious situations.
Why had she brought it here tonight?
'This drug was made according to research into filth monster biology.'
Claribel remembered that Selina had described this medicine bottle that way.
She thought of the situation from that time.
”This drug works on the nervous system, but for a large part of filth monsters' nerves it's hard to say whether they're biological or not, so it's really difficult.”
”Really?”
Maybe she had been affected by Selina's somewhat slow way of speaking, as Claribel also looked at the medicine bottle in her palm with leisurely movements. It looked more like a toy perfume bottle she had gotten as a child than a medicine bottle.
”In other words, this is poison?”
”Hmm~ it would be nice if we were able to make something so effective. It would be convenient if we could invent a repellent.”
The word 'repellent' made a picture of bug spray appear in Clara's mind. You can easily drive away filth monsters with a spray! ......If that kind of future existed, what use would Military Artists be?
”The drug we made this time is used on the nervous system, to make the filth monster's movements slow down...... Well, it's something of that level.”
”Oh......”
”Incidentally, if you dilute it a hundred times, it'll become sleeping medicine.”
”......Hah?”
”If you dilute it seventy times, it'll be effective on Military Artists.”
”Hah?”
”Very interesting, right?”
Selina narrowed her eyes very thin, smiling at Clara's stunned expression.
After recalling that incident, Clara stared at the bottle.
”Truly a suspicious person.”
That pair of eyes had been seeing through Clara.
Clara currently had that kind of feeling.
What would happen if she gave this medicine bottle to Clara? Selina had given n that drug to Clara because she had seen that outcome.
This person was suspicious, and also very interesting.
Clara hadn't told Selina the reason she came to this city. Though Clara believed this, Selina had still given this medicine bottle to her, so that meant Selina was incredibly outstanding at reading people.
”As I thought, this means...... now is the time to use it?”
She pinched the medicine bottle between her fingers, feeling like the solid sensation slipping between her fingertips was telling her the answer......
”No no no...... I can't do that.”
She couldn't help but mutter.
Just then, a doorknock sounded.
”Ah, what is it?”
”Clara? Are you okay?”
”Ah~ ......Hahaha, I'm fine.”
”Really? Sorry, then.”
”No, it's alright.”
”Nn.”
Nina was the owner of the voice.
”Whew......”
Clara sighed lightly after she sensed her leaving.
”............Eh, what exactly am I doing?”
Shouldn't she hurry up and get out?
If she left this place, she could either talk with others or say that she was tired and was going to return to rest in her room. In any case, she should move.
She could just throw the drug away here.
Dump it and flush it down, then it would be over.
That was all she had to do, so why couldn't she do it?
”Uaaaaah!”
Clara held her head.
She didn't know what she wanted to do either.
◇
Hence, this mental conference.
”Everyone, quiet down!”
Clara A forcefully pounded the round table at the constantly-chattering Claras.
”Doesn't everyone want to resolve this problem?”
Clara A asked impatiently.
They were just being noisy. It didn't feel like they wanted to solve the problem at all to her.
”Huh~”
”That's fine, I guess?”
”Actually, that's the question, right?”
”It's a problem that she can't get out of the bathroom.”
”She'll just be shut inside someone else's bathroom like this.”
”Wouldn't it be good to just leave the bathroom first?”
”We're going to graduate from the bathroom (heh[1]).”
”We're having this meeting because she can't graduate!”
Clara A continued forcefully pounding the table.
”Everyone, what do you think we should do to leave the bathroom?”
”Just squeeze it out, right?”
”Squeeze what?”
”It feels impolite to talk about something like that here.”
”Well, the meaning is to have her finish her business in the bathroom.”
”Ahh, that's not a bad way to describe it.”
”Then we'll say that.”
”All she needs to do is put some effort into her lower abdomen.”
”You should all know that this way is better for the body!”
Clara A was the only one shouting.
In her opinion, the topic she had brought about was moving in a grave direction.
”Is it like this now?”
Clara A glared and surveyed the Claras in the mind.
”Are you unwilling to resolve the current problem?”
”Huh~?”
”Isn't there no helping it?”
”Yeah, because there's no saving her.”
”You guys......”
Clara A held her head.
Why was it that all the Claras in the mind outside of her had no motivation?
”Hm~?”
In other words, Claribel herself had pretty much given up already?”
No, she was just unable to leave the bathroom after giving up hope, so that way of thinking wasn't correct.
”In that case, what do you plan on doing?”
Clara A asked them.
”Huh~?”
”Who knows~?”
”Staying in the bathroom like this isn't bad.”
”Hmm.”
”Someone will break in sooner or later.”
”That would be unsightly.”
”......If you know that, then think a little more seriously.”
Their responses made Clara A feel very helpless.
It looked like of these mental Claras, only Clara A represented the will to resolve the problem. The others acted sluggishly because their determination was hazy.
In other words, Claribel herself was confused and unable to act.
”This can't go on!”
Clara A shouted this, making a proposal to her unmotivated compatriots.
Claribel herself couldn't move, so they had to organize her messy thoughts and then find what she truly wanted to do.
Only Clara A could do this.
”I'll just have to do my best.”
After resolving herself again, Clara A stared at the Claras inside the mind.
Including herself, they were all illusions of imitation humans manifested from various thoughts in Clara's heart. Given that almost all of them showed no determination, Claribel herself couldn't take action either.
In that case, what could Clara A do now?
”I need to increase my support as much as possible.”
But how could she attain her goal?
”How annoying.”
Clara A had the determination to resolve the problem.
But Clara A's thinking ability was insufficient to think up how the problem could be resolved.
If her support increased, it would mean the thoughts of Claribel herself tended towards Clara A's side, so that way she would definitely be able to find a way to resolve things.
”I guess I symbolize the 'firm determination not to yield no matter what happens'.”
After she realized that matter on her own, Clara A looked at her compatriots again.
Then, what should she do to turn them into allies?
In the end, she would have to solve that problem herself.
After thinking for a long while, Clara A said:
”Everyone, we definitely can't let her get trapped in someone else's bathroom.”
”I guess.”
”Yeah.”
”But.”
”There are still possibilities.”
”Why's that?”
”In this world, this kind of happiness comes and goes.”
”I see the world in a new light.”
”I see.”
”No no no no......”
Their thoughts tried to turn towards a different direction again, or rather, they tried to go in a direction completely opposite of what she wanted.
Clara A hastily stopped the progression of the topic.
”Are you all alright with letting Layfon see this scene?”
”Well......”
”That's a bit......”
”That's too much.”
It seemed that she had succeeded in turning the tables. Clara A sighed in relief.
Just then, Clara A felt guidance from above flash through her mind.
”Right, Layfon!”
Clara A loudly proclaimed what she had realized.
”What?”
”Layfon?”
”Speaking of Layfon, today's battle wasn't bad.”
”Though she lost.”
”It was pretty refres.h.i.+ng.”
”She always wanted to fight like that.”
”A happy time.”
Spurred on by Clara A, the mental Claras put on captivated demeanors.
As expected. Clara A confirmed that matter.
The mental Claras were unable to maintain chaotic att.i.tudes when faced with Layfon. Because Clara A was the same.
”In that case, should we leave this place? This is also to avoid Layfon getting a 'bathroom girl' impression about Claribel.”
”That's true.”
”You're right.”
”When you say it like that......”
”But are you sure he doesn't like 'bathroom girls'?”
”Haven't you been a bit too dismissive recently?”
”That's not true.”
”I motion to vote here!'
Clara shouted.
”No matter what, we should leave the bathroom immediately! This is also to keep Layfon from making a 'bathroom girl' impression. Everyone in favor, raise your hands!”
An unstable undercurrent was concealed here. As if pushed to action by that sense of emergency, Clara A immediately made a proposal to the other mental Claras.
”As I thought......”
”'Bathroom girl' is a bit......”
The mental Claras raised their hands one by one to approve of Clara A's proposal.
Clara A let out a relieved breath just as the votes of approval broke half.
”Then let's leave the bathroom.”
”Okay~”
The united opinion reached Claribel herself directly.
”Okay.”
Her voice was also broadcasted inside her mind, and the 'Claribel's subjective point of view' screen that had been constantly showing the bathroom wall moved.
In the screen, Claribel stood up and prepared to reach for the door handle.
Just then--
”Please wait.”
The one who said this was the one who had been continuously sparking discussion before.
”Why? Clara H?”
Clara A secretly raised her alertness as she asked.
”It's fine to leave the bathroom, but what do we do afterwards?”
”That......”
”Are we going home? Or are we using that medicine bottle? If we're going to use it, what do we do after using it?”
”Urghhh......”
The deluge of problems left Clara A silent.
”Won't ignoring the fundamental reasons she's hiding in the bathroom end up badly?”
”W......Well, that's true......”
A commotion rose in the conference area.
”That's true.”
”There's no hope if we don't decide what to do.”
”Hm~”
”What do we do?”
The mental Claras around Clara A started becoming panicked.
”In that case......”
The impatient Clara A looked at the screen. As expected, Claribel's movements had also stopped.
”It's true that the nickname 'bathroom girl' is disgraceful, but we can't keep ignoring that problem. Our original self - Claribel Ronsmier - would never procrastinate, right?”
”Ugh......”
Clara A was completely unable to refute Clara H's matter-of-fact argument.
Very accurate.
Truly very accurate.
Just as she said, Claribel Ronsmier was that kind of person.
Once she wanted to do something and noticed a path to realize her goals, Claribel would charge forward without looking back. She was that kind of person.
That was why she had left her home in Grendan and come to Zuellni.
”In that case...... What do you plan on doing? What's right?”
Clara A spoke those words, having nowhere to turn.
Letting Clara H talk was very dangerous.
She had that kind of premonition, but Clara A still said what she did.
”The crux of the problem is the drug.”
Clara H smoothly a.s.serted.
”The crux of the problem is that she's indecisive due to the existence of the drug.”
”That's true.”
”Yeah.”
”Then, why are we being indecisive?”
”Who knows?”
”Why is it?”
”Come to think of it, why's that?”
”Urghh.”
The mental Claras spoke one by one. Clara A groaned, but inadvertently started thinking.
She didn't know the answer either.
But she felt like it was very difficult to give up on this medicine bottle.
It seemed some kind of future was inside this medicine bottle.