Sometimes, there are things that become painful once you know them.
Unfortunately, the truth often falls into that category.
*
"......Just a moment, please give me some time to talk with that person."
At Sylvia's request, Yun Siwoo hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding.
"......Was that a lie just now?"
"There's no way. Why would I lie to you, Miss?"
Though she asked as if trying to deny it, Sylvia clenched her teeth at Satoru's response.
Despite his smile, every time Satoru looked at Scarlett, deep-seated anger and disgust were evident in his eyes.
Sylvia recalled the words Satoru had said when he recommended the book titled [Anger] to her.
'How about you give this book a read? I found it quite moving.'
The author's near-maniacal resentment, anger, and obsession towards witches that she felt when reading that book.
If Satoru had found it moving, it was clear that he had been significantly influenced by the book.
If, as he said, Scarlett was indeed a weapon created by Astra using a piece of the heart of the Witch of Anger.
That would be a sufficient reason for why he showed such emotions whenever he looked at Scarlett.
Perhaps because she had encountered many people who approached her for their own gain since childhood.
Sylvia instinctively gauged whether people were sincere when they spoke.
Her heightened senses as a superhuman often led to a high accuracy rate.
That's why she was so shocked by Satoru's words.
Because no matter how she looked at it, Satoru seemed to be telling the truth.
Looking at the shaken Sylvia, Satoru muttered with a regretful expression.
"I am truly sorry, Miss. This friend here caused a commotion by burning down the research facility and escaping with the experimental subject. It seems you truly considered this to be a friend. It was my mistake for not preventing the experimental subject, which contained remnants of a witch, from approaching you."
Sylvia couldn't understand why Satoru was apologizing to her in such a situation, as if he had been caught at a crime scene.
But what was even more incomprehensible were the words that came out of his mouth.
Her friend, bound and hanging in a small prison like a birdcage around her body.
The one who had approached her without any ulterior motives and wanted to be friends, was actually an experimental subject created by the family.
This was a statement that Sylvia found extremely hard to accept.
But Sylvia desperately tried to gather her thoughts and understand the situation.
"......Was the plan you mentioned when you almost fought with the elders at the mansion related to Scarlett?"
Satoru's expression changed in surprise.
"It seems you overheard. It was originally a secret known only to the family and the elders, but since I've already said this much, there's no point in keeping it a secret. To answer your question, yes. The official name is the Witch Weaponization Plan. It's a plan to create a powerful biological weapon capable of using the Witch of Anger's power."
"Are you out of your mind? A biological weapon capable of using a witch's power? Are you telling me the family was pushing forward with a plan that only a madman would think of?"
Sylvia shouted, realizing that many things were happening within the family that she didn't know about, but she hadn't expected something that would make people think she was crazy.
Satoru smiled at Sylvia's reaction.
"Do you know, Miss? That plan was created entirely for your sake."
Sylvia's movements froze.
She then turned to look at Satoru, her voice trembling.
"W-What? For my sake? What do you mean......"
Satoru's expression turned wistful.
"There was a time when everyone in Astra despaired because the star spirits no longer responded to Astra. They said it was the punishment for failing to protect the World Tree, and that Astra's glory could never be restored. But 11 years ago, you showed us. You revealed the brilliant starlight that proved Astra had not been abandoned by the World Tree."
Satoru continued, his body trembling as if reliving that moment.
"I still vividly remember that moment. It was a light of hope. The hope that Astra could become great again. And I realized that if we missed this opportunity, it would never come again. That the World Tree was sending its final message. That the connection to the World Tree still remained in the land, even though the Eternal Forest, the home of the elves and the World Tree, had been burned by the Witch of Anger. That we should reclaim the land and restore Astra to its former glory."
Satoru continued.
"But the north was filled with the hands of the Witch of Anger, which could control fire. The humans refused to expand the northern border zone, saying that the desolate land was not worth reclaiming. It was unimaginable to reject Astra's request in the past. We had to reclaim the land with Astra's power alone. That's when I remembered the unique characteristic of the hands of the Witch of Anger."
His eyes sparkled behind his glasses.
"The hands of the Witch of Anger cannot harm those with greater power. Intermediate hands cannot harm higher intermediate hands, and higher intermediate hands cannot harm superior hands. So I came up with a plan. If we could create a weapon capable of handling power close to that of a witch, we could reclaim our land. I presented my plan to the Senate and received approval. The Witch Weaponization Plan began like that."
Sylvia shuddered as she looked into his vivid eyes.
"So, Miss Sylvia. It was all thanks to you that we could start this plan! You showed us the light of hope in the midst of despair! You will go to the land I reclaim with this weapon and become the head of the great Astra once again!"
Satoru's appearance, shouting with joy and looking at her, seemed like that of a madman.
He had been thinking such things without even asking for her opinion.
Sylvia had never thought about becoming the head, nor did she want to participate in such a plan.
But the idea that the plan was created because of her made her feel suffocated.
Various emotions swirled within her, but she managed to overcome them and shouted.
"......Didn't the Senate tell you to stop the plan?"
Pointing out the argument she had with the elder over this issue, Satoru's actions froze.
His joyful face instantly turned demonic.
He slowly began to scratch his neck and stared at Sylvia with his eyes.
"......Yes. They all agreed at first, but after a few years, they suddenly changed their stance. They are traitors who only care about their own safety and not the true well-being of Astra."
Sylvia felt her body tremble at Satoru's sudden smile.
"But I have no intention of giving up on this plan. If Miss is okay with it, I will take care of all the dirty work. I am the one who truly cares for Astra! Miss only needs to lead the great Astra I will create!"
His appearance was that of a fanatic.
The madness in his eyes made Sylvia's skin crawl, and she couldn't speak.
"I...I......"
At that moment, Yun Siwoo, who had been standing quietly beside her, spoke.
"Do you know the oath that is recited during the formal hero inauguration ceremony when you graduate from the academy?"
Caught off guard, Sylvia nodded slightly.
The inauguration ceremony held annually when graduating from the academy.
The event where the true hero is announced to everyone through a broadcast, and the time when the [Hero's Oath] is recited.
No one who had not imagined standing in that line and reciting it in their childhood would exist.
"Then you also know the second line, right?"
At Yun Siwoo's words, Sylvia recalled the hero's oath she had heard every year.
And Sylvia, who had been unable to speak, finally managed to open her mouth.
"......Uncle Satoru, this is an order as the successor of Astra."
Sylvia's eyes turned to Scarlett, hanging by Satoru's side.
Because she had promised.
If there was something she couldn't solve with her own strength, she would help no matter what.
[Here, I swear that I will never abandon my comrades, no matter the situation.]
This was the second line of the [Hero's Oath].
"From today, the plan is terminated. So please release my friend immediately."
Sylvia's words made Satoru's expression stiffen.
The hand that had been scratching his neck began to move faster.
"You can't, you can't...... Miss, you can't......"
With bloodshot eyes, Satoru continued to scratch his neck and mumble.
"You can't. Astra will become great again. The plan must continue. And a friend? This creature was born from the Witch of Anger? It took everything from Astra."
He scratched and scratched, then shouted.
"But, but, but! As the successor of Astra, who should hate and despise the Witch of Anger more than anyone, you can't say such things! If it's a homunculus created from a piece of the Witch of Anger's heart, it would be too satisfying to use it until its body crumbles and then kill it for revenge!!! How!!! Can you talk about it being a friend!!!!"
Suddenly, his body stopped.
And Satoru laughed.
His gaze turned to the side,
where Scarlett was hanging.
"Is that so, is that so, is that so. Is it because it's not yet complete? Don't worry, Miss. I will