Chapter 71: The Broodmother

Siloque picked up the water and took a sip, calming himself.

At the same time, he noticed from the corner of his eye that Lorin had been watching him all along.

This tall girl with deep purple hair had locked onto Siloque the moment she entered.

Siloque hadn’t forgotten about Lorin either.

When Cliff and Norius came to Class F to pick a fight, she had been observing from outside the classroom.

Siloque naturally pretended not to notice, making sure their eyes didn’t meet.

“Hello, Doctor Gewina. I’d like to have my leg checked. The connection was a bit stiff during class and moving felt inconvenient.”

Parenoa noticed Siloque, her deep lavender irises meeting his.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize someone was here seeing the doctor first. Please, go ahead.”

She gave Siloque a sweet smile, as if pure white lilies were blooming behind her.

“Ah! N-no, I just, um… didn’t feel well, so I came to rest for a bit.”

Siloque stammered, his voice unusually tense, his face flushed, hands awkwardly misplaced.

He looked every bit the flustered protagonist of a romantic comedy.

After all, he was once a man with the full to-love set, his imitation was perfect.

I remember, the reason she wore white tights was to hide from others that her legs were artificial.

Valosa Group’s advanced product, as long as there was magic power, it worked just like real legs.

However, Siloque’s over-the-top performance successfully placed a huge “?” over Beiren’s head as she sat in the swivel chair.

“That guy—don’t mind him. Just treat him like air. Lorin, please help her to the bed.”

Beiren reminded her gently but with annoyance.

Lorin responded politely, “Sorry to trouble you, Doctor.”

“Eh? But this classmate…”

“Just ignore him. Come on, come over here.”

Parenoa seemed a bit uneasy, but Beiren pulled back the curtain by the bed and called her over.

“Ahaha, it’s fine. I’ll step out first. You two go ahead!”

Time for breakfast anyway.

Siloque exchanged glances with Beiren, then walked toward the door.

He passed by the two B Class girls, careful not to bump into them.

“Ah…”

Parenoa let out a small, cute yelp, her hand slipping from Lorin’s shoulder as she pitched forward.

Impossible!

In that instant, Siloque felt something was off.

Lorin would never make such a rookie mistake—letting Parenoa get hurt in front of her.

This had to be a trap!

Even though his mind sensed danger, his body reacted faster.

His hand reached out on reflex, supporting Parenoa, catching a whiff of the oleander scent from her.

Lighter than I imagined.

Did this girl even eat properly?

“Thank you. That was close—I almost fell.”

“Wh-wh-what—no, I really didn’t mean to touch you!”

Damn it, is this what they call an open trap?

Though, it’s not bad!

Except Beiren’s gaze was a bit cold…

Taking the opportunity, he carefully looked at her snow-white, jade-like hand.

“It’s alright.”

A blush crept onto Parenoa’s face.

“You don’t have to feel embarrassed. You helped me, after all.”

“Parenoa, he just did what anyone should. If you thank him too much, he’ll get carried away.”

Beiren cut in bluntly, helping Parenoa onto the bed.

Siloque scratched his head and laughed awkwardly, backing toward the door.

Even as he closed it, he could feel Lorin’s gaze following him.

***

“Thank you, Teacher Gewina. Lorin and I will be leaving now. This is a little token of gratitude—please accept it.”

After adjusting her artificial leg, Parenoa took out a Coffee Set from the Ring Chart.

It was a beautiful set, clearly chosen with care.

Beiren liked it very much, but still smiled politely.

“I appreciate your kindness. But I don’t accept gifts from students.”

“Then let’s do it this way.”

Parenoa placed the gift box on Beiren’s desk.

“Ah, I accidentally forgot about this gift. I don’t want it anymore. Whoever picks it up first can have it. There.”

“Eh?”

Parenoa grabbed Beiren’s hand and placed it on the box.

“There. Now someone can receive this gift. Make sure to use it—I spent a long time choosing it.”

“Wait, wait, Parenoa, this…”

Parenoa had already reached the door, gave Beiren a slight bow, and left.

“Please accept it, Teacher. We’ll be coming here often, so sorry to trouble you.”

Lorin said, leaving the somewhat bewildered Beiren and gently closing the door.

“Are you satisfied now, Parenoa?”

Lorin’s expression remained calm, but there was a hint of exhaustion.

“Isn’t he kind of cute?”

Parenoa smiled innocently.

Pretending the artificial leg had a problem—sure enough, it was easy to make contact with him.

“….I admit Siloque acted pretty well.”

“Geez, Lorin, you’re too blunt.”

Lorin could never refuse her friend’s requests.

“Last time, too. You asked me to check out Class F. I shouldn’t have told you what happened.”

To this day, she still didn’t understand why Parenoa took an interest in Siloque.

Or rather, why he became one of her targets.

That day, she had simply mentioned a boy who looked like a girl leaving the classroom in a commotion, and Parenoa laughed.

—Blocked Cass in that situation, by chance?

She then told Lorin to keep an eye on those people in Class F.

“To deal with Class C, you have to understand the one with the highest Lv. Isn’t that normal? Plus, I found an interesting person.”

“The problem is, I’m the one doing all this…”

Black lines appeared across Lorin’s face.

“Sorry, I’ve been troubling you so much. But you’re the only one I can rely on. If I could walk better, I’d come myself.”

Parenoa bowed her head slightly, looking dispirited.

“No… It’s not that exhausting.”

“Really? Then, can I ask you for another favor?”

Parenoa’s tone shifted, her cute hands clasped together.

With that pitiful look, Lorin could only sigh in surrender.

“Alright, alright…”

***

After leaving, Siloque didn’t go to the cafeteria.

Instead, he headed to the men’s restroom to calm down.

He couldn’t help but retch, the morning food churning in his throat, but he forced himself not to vomit.

In the first playthrough, bed end.

That gentle girl—Parenoa—her belly swelled with insect eggs, her stomach bulging.

Even though Parenoa was still a virgin.

Her story was about insect violation.

In the school turned hell, on the rooftop.

Parenoa lay lifeless, her eyes empty, as hundreds of leech-centipede hybrid bugs burst from her stomach, spraying blood all over Lorin.

Lorin was paralyzed by the villain’s magic, unable to do anything as Parenoa died in agony.

As for Cass, all he could do was kill Parenoa before she was cut open, or else the monstrous bugs would massacre the entire school.

“Urk…”

Damn you, Production Team!

Which lunatic in the Production Team came up with this insane scenario?

I’ll kill you!

No one who plays with bugs is ever decent! (Prejudice)

When he played through that part, he couldn’t eat properly for three days.

Rice reminded him of eggs, noodles of those worms.

But from the examination earlier, there were no purple vein patterns on her skin.

Which meant she hadn’t been parasitized yet.

Or, in the worst case—

She had, but the bugs inside her were dormant, unactivated, like the early infection in Resident Evil 4.

Schrödinger’s State.

Impossible to confirm which case, but at least for now, there was still time.

She could be saved.

The key to saving her was the Totem Cass obtained in the underground ruins of Hertanid, from an orc corpse, which triggered a new Dungeon Task.

Completing that quest would grant the Anti-Parasite Tool.

“Hoo… Deep breaths. Deep breaths.”

Siloque washed his face again.

For now, he had to forget all this.

The event hadn’t triggered yet.

Don’t let predetermined outcomes cloud your judgment.

When he looked at himself in the mirror again, his gaze was filled with determination and resilience.

“Parenoa, no matter what, I’ll save you.”

The cold tap water washed away the unrest in his heart, filling him with resolve.