I picked up the necklace and gritted my teeth. If I didn’t, it felt like a scream would pour out of my mouth. My heart felt like it would jump out of my mouth. Unable to endure the anxiety, I ran out as if bouncing. Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
My head was dizzy. I wanted to kick my earlier self who thought nothing would happen because Belly’s abilities were excellent. What if something happened to Belly?
But fortunately, in the corridor close to my room, Belly was leaning against the wall.
“Belly-ya!”
At my voice, he slowly turned around. His pupils were repeating contraction and relaxation, and his face was soaked with sweat. At a glance, I could confirm his body’s condition wasn’t normal.
Since Belly looked like he would collapse any moment, I hurriedly supported him.
“Good heavens, what is this…”
Belly was a reptilian beastman. He was created by combining various reptilian genes, and at the same time possessed human characteristics.
As much as he had the characteristics of a cold-blooded animal, he was sensitive to external temperature, but because he possessed human characteristics, he wasn’t affected to the point where his life was in danger. However, since he wasn’t completely unaffected, he always maintained a cool body temperature.
They say some species living in warm regions are hotter than humans, but Belly wasn’t like that. He was always like a cool bamboo wife. But now his whole body was burning hot. It was believable enough to think his entire body was made of fire.
Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, I moved my feet quickly toward my room while carrying Belly on my back. It was heaven-sent luck for me that he was near my room.
“Ugh, heavy…”
It felt like carrying a blazing hot stone. No matter how much bigger and heavier than me Belly was, he shouldn’t be this heavy.
Only after barely arriving at my room did I realize Belly’s tail was slowly being revealed outwardly. This was the source of the weight. If the tail had been completely revealed, dragging him would probably have been impossible too. Because the tail was longer than his entire body and even thick, making it heavy.
“Belly-ya…”
From his appearance of not even being able to open his eyes and wheezing, I could indirectly feel the pain he was experiencing.
“A doctor…”
But I couldn’t call a doctor. Because the beastman characteristics were coming out strongly again like in the past. Not knowing what to do, I paced around the room and then turned on Glutton.
[The black hand that came to retrieve him harbored resentment after failing. His everything was a sacrifice that should have been devoted to the clan.
The fact that the sacrificial lamb for the burnt offering had its own will and left seeking freedom aroused great anger in them.]
“Burnt offering…”
My eyes quickly read down Glutton’s text. My speed reading ability had developed dramatically to read as many books as possible during short break times. Thanks to that, I could quickly get through the updated content.
[However, they found the sacrificial lamb too late to lay their hands on. If they had found him earlier, if it had been before he willingly entered Jack’s grasp, there would have been a possibility. But he scraped everything of himself down to his soul and placed it in Jack’s hands.]
“……”
Even though I knew he was devoted to me, reading it in text like this gave me the strange feeling of reading a dense love letter. With slightly flushed cheeks, I continued reading Glutton.
[As much as he was made by gathering the best things, he grew rapidly. With a mature body unbelievable for his young age, whether magic or force, he was outstanding in everything.
He was even skilled at hiding his own presence, so during the years he was missing, he had become a fearsome existence. There was no way to suppress such an existence. In the end, they withdrew while grinding their teeth.
Near him as he returned to his room to find his master, a black hand shot out. Because he was a chameleon beastman, he had an outstanding stealth ability, so thanks to that, they could escape his detection for a moment.
However, since they couldn’t oppose him by force, all the black hand could do was snatch his necklace. Even that had a high possibility of failure.
But luckily, that attempt succeeded. Immediately after, his body’s condition began to worsen steeply.]
“So this is it.”
Recalling Rose’s explanation, the necklace was only playing the role of hiding him. I never imagined that hiding him from other mages would bring such an aftermath.
“Why are you suddenly sick and all…”
Feeling sorry, I stroked Belly’s face. I came to my senses at the heat hot enough to burn. Right, now wasn’t the time to be lost in sentimentality.
“Belly-ya, wait just a little.”
I couldn’t bring a doctor and I wasn’t versed in medicine either. If the cause was removing the necklace, the person who might know about this situation was Rose. I left the room alone after firmly locking the door in several layers to prepare for any possible situation.
After Belly remained by my side, he didn’t want to leave me even for a moment. As such, this street I walked alone was so lonely.
“Get a grip, Jack.”
It was ridiculous. To think I felt loneliness at his absence when I thought Belly would leave me someday. This self-contradictory heart was disgusting.
However, there was no time to be buried in this emotion now. I had to save Belly, the protagonist of this world. He wasn’t a character with so little weight that he would die just like this.
I ran as if flying to Rose’s house. Since I wasn’t the type to exercise diligently normally, it was hard as if my lungs had shriveled.
But Rose wasn’t at home. Thinking about it, since it wasn’t even evening now, she would be in her office. I was so rushed and flustered that my head didn’t seem to be working properly. Stupid Jack.
I headed to the guild again on trembling legs. The closer I got to the guild, the more the guild members’ puzzled gazes reached me. Then, as if cold water had been poured, my reason returned with a start.
The current situation was no different from admitting that something strange had happened to me. Unlike when I was useless Jack in the past, I was now in a state that attracted people’s attention.
The guild members each had their own Guild Master candidate they supported. Since I revealed my abilities, there were people who abandoned those they originally supported and attached themselves to me, but there were bound to be people who supported too deeply to get out. There was a high possibility that such people were glaring with wide eyes to catch my weakness.
“Damn…”
Since I already ran helter-skelter to Rose’s house, there was no way they wouldn’t know. What should I do in this state?
It was too late to worry. It was already late anyway and I had drawn attention. Then it was better to just go meet Rose, which was the original purpose. Because if the Guild Master got involved in this matter, they wouldn’t be able to interfere recklessly.
Having quickly reached a conclusion, I caught my breath while panting and ran again. Rose’s secretary, who was acquainted with me, didn’t stop me, so I could enter the office smoothly. I was newly grateful for the favoritism Rose showed me.
“Jack? What’s wrong? Running here all helter-skelter like this. Bring some water.”
The secretary filled a water cup and held it out to me. When I gulped it down, my throat hurt because I drank too quickly.
“What’s wrong? It looks like you went to my house earlier too.”
“Please help me.”
I tried to pretend composure, but my face contorted mercilessly. Perhaps feeling it was serious from my expression, Rose’s expression also became grave.
“What’s the matter?”
I looked back at the secretary. No matter how loyal he was to Rose, that didn’t mean he could be trusted. Understanding my intention, Rose sent the secretary out.
Since it was an office with thorough soundproofing, I explained the situation to Rose with peace of mind. The longer my story went on, the more worry filled Rose’s face too.
“Let’s go right now.”
Rose grabbed my hand and walked out quickly. Since Rose was much taller than me, it was hard to follow her quick steps, but now wasn’t the time to stop because it was hard. Receiving the guild members’ gazes all at once, we headed to the dormitory.
My room had originally been plastered with all kinds of protection magic by Belly, but since the one who cast it was collapsed now, there was no way it would be intact. As soon as Rose entered the room, she fixed the protection magic. In the current situation, it would be troublesome if something unnecessary barged in, so I was truly grateful for that action.
“Why did this suddenly happen?”
Rose examined Belly with a serious face. Belly was lying down exactly as when I left, without an inch of difference. The only thing that had changed was the bedding that had become wetter.
“I also… don’t, don’t know.”
My tongue stiffened and I inadvertently stammered. Even without looking in a mirror, it was obvious my face would be pale blue.
Rose sighed and said. He too seemed at a loss about this situation.
“I don’t really know about this situation either. A doctor—”
“You can’t call one!”
“Right. I think so too. They might have different pockets.”
Rose, who worked in the information business, had fallen into distrust of humans. Probably there wasn’t a single person under this sky that she truly trusted. I too was cherished by Rose, but that didn’t mean she trusted me.
“Has this happened before?”
“It has, but… back then there was no necklace.”
Rose seemed to fall into thought for a moment, stroking her chin. A moment’s silence filled the room. The more it did, the more my worry swelled like a rolling snowball. Then Rose opened her mouth.
“This necklace hides the beastman’s mana characteristics, but its essence is a mana suppressor. This is a modified form, so criminals use it in back alleys to hide their identity. Still, the original form is a restraint.”
I knew that. In the first place, hiding the wearer’s mana characteristics was an unusual thing. I also knew through Glutton that its essence was a restraint but it was modified.
If this had been something like shackles that could only be released by my will, I would have refused. But the necklace could also be removed by Belly’s will.
