Chapter 175: Farewell, Ganei

“As expected, you were too much of a nuisance this time. I cannot leave you be. Mr. Ganei, I will capture you!”

I can no longer leave Mr. Ganei, who intentionally released orc chimeras outside and caused trouble for many people, be.

I absolutely must capture this person!

“Hmph, capture me, you say? Try it if you can!”

Saying so, the bird orc carrying Mr. Ganei flaps its wings.

“Fast!? For its appearance, that orc is fast!?”

“I won’t let you escape, Mr. Ganei!”

I chase after the fleeing Mr. Ganei with flight magic.

“Everyone, please take care of subjugating the remaining orc chimeras!”

“Yeah! Leave it to me, Big Bro!”

“U-Understood! You be careful too, Rex!”

“Yes!”

Leaving the matter of the orc chimeras to Jairo and the others, I concentrate my consciousness on pursuing Mr. Ganei.

Mr. Ganei’s bird orc is faster than it looks, perhaps receiving support from wind magic.

“But I can catch up immediately if it’s just this much!”

While increasing the speed of my flight magic, I close in on Mr. Ganei.

However, if I increase the speed too much, the shockwave will cause a disaster on the ground, so adjusting it is difficult.

“Huh?”

Just when I was a little closer to Mr. Ganei, the bird orc changed direction. Drawing a large arc, it began to fly up aiming above the mountain range.

“Is he trying to cross the mountain range and escape beyond it?”

The bird orc carrying Mr. Ganei rapidly ascends.

“Whoa, Mr. Ganei is being reckless too. To forcefully recreate an updraft with magic that generates tornadoes.”

With that, that bird orc’s wings will be torn to shreds.

Sure enough, the ascended bird orc staggered unsteadily, becoming unable to fly properly.

“Hm? Is that Mr. Ganei?”

From the back of the staggering bird orc, a figure resembling Mr. Ganei jumps off and lands on the mountain surface.

“Does he intend to run away using the mountain trees as a smokescreen? But I don’t intend to let him escape obediently either!”

I unleash magic towards the place where Mr. Ganei landed.

“GRAVITON PRESS!”

Due to the effect of the unleashed magic, the trees in the entire area around where Mr. Ganei landed cave in.

Gravity magic, Graviton Press. It’s a magic that multiplies the gravity of the target area several times over a wide range.

Originally it’s just to dull the enemy’s movements, but depending on the magic power infused, it can apply enough gravity to kill the opponent.

“Because Mr. Ganei is an undead. I’ll apply it a little strongly!”

While applying Graviton Press, I descend to the area where Mr. Ganei landed.

“If I recall, around here… what’s that!?”

Mr. Ganei’s figure wasn’t there.

Instead, what was there was…

“A teleportation gate!”

Yes, what was there was a teleportation gate to move to a faraway land.

“Its function has stopped, but there’s a lingering scent of the magic power from when the gate activated. Did he lock it so its function stops after teleporting?”

To think there was a gate in a place like this.

“He made it look like he was fleeing without a plan, but he was aiming for this place from the start, huh.”

◆ Ganei◆

“Fuhahahahaha! I managed to completely escape!”

Having safely escaped from that brat, I was laughing in a good mood.

“When he caught up to the bird orc supported by magic, I thought it was over, but it was a good thing I remembered there was a gate there!”

Moreover, I locked the gate so it cannot be used again.

With this, I can proceed to my next research with peace of mind!

“Either way, the orc chimeras are nothing more than intermediate materials. It was a little shocking that Giga Orc-chan lost, but the opponent is a monster who can single-handedly subjugate my cute prototype chimera; he’s an opponent who was naturally going to lose.”

What is important is that the orc chimeras released into the world feralize and produce mutations.

“For that, time is needed. Dealing with that brat comes after that.”

“I won’t let you do that!”

“Fuhahahaha, the gate is sealed. No matter how hard you try, to this place… wait, why are you hereee!?”

Turning around, there was the figure of the brat.

Impossible! I sealed the teleportation gate, you know!?

“You wretch! How!? The gate should have been sealed!?”

“Yes, so I unlocked the gate and teleported.”

“What did you saaaaaaay!?”

Why does a modern human understand the structure of a gate!?

According to my investigation, modern humans should have regressed in technology due to the decline of civilization!?

“Now, I’ll have you be captured this time!”

“A-As if I’d let you!”

I dive into another teleportation gate I had prepared just in case of something like this.

◆

The scenery changes in an instant.

There was an unfamiliar place, and there was no sign of a gate either.

“Fuh, fuhahahahahahahaha! I won! I won this time! After all, what I just used was an untraceable teleportation gate whose destination is completely random!”

Yes, what I used was a random teleportation gate used for escaping.

To escape pursuit from trackers, the drawback is that there isn’t even a return gate at the destination, but even so, the merit of being untraceable is immense.

By the way, to prevent coming out nearby by any chance, it’s also possible to set it so it doesn’t teleport within a certain range.

“Phew, with this I have to start over from scratch again, but whatever, there are still many research facilities left as ruins. If I use an operational ruin, resuming research is easy. After that, I just have to wait for the chimeras to multiply in the wild…”

“I found you, Mr. Ganei!”

“Wait, why did you comeeeee!?”

Even though I should have completely escaped with the random teleportation gate, the brat pursued me once again.

“It’s a random teleportation gate, you know!? Why can you follow me!? Are you saying it’s a coincidence!?”

“No, I tracked the lingering scent of the teleportation magic power of the teleportation gate and adjusted the destination.”

“Don’t spout nonsenssseeeeeeee!!”

Analyzing a random teleportation and tracking it, you say!? Even the developer of the teleportation gate couldn’t do such a thing!

Because it’s for escaping in an emergency, you know!? If it could be tracked, it’d be useless in an emergency, wouldn’t it!?

“No, there’s a knack to it.”

“What kind of knack is thaaaaaat!!”

I hate this brat already!

“If it comes to this, I have no choice! I will dispose of you myself!”

Even so, I am a researcher.

To be frank, I rely on the chimeras for combat power.

However, if I do not fight here, I cannot survive either.

“Take this! FLAME INFERNO!”

I activate the highest firepower magic among those I can use.

A magic meant to incinerate chimeras decided for disposal; if a human takes it, they won’t stand a chance!

“Take this, FLAME INFERNO!”

However, my sure-kill magic was easily neutralized by the brat.

“What!?”

As expected, it didn’t work on the brat!

Ugh, what on earth should I do to completely escape from this brat!?

I frantically rack my brain wondering if there is any way to escape from the brat.

Think, think, isn’t there any good method to escape from the brat…!?

“Hah!?”

There, I came up with a certain epoch-making method.

That’s right, I have that, don’t I!

“Ku, kukukukuku.”

“Mr. Ganei?”

At my sudden laughter, the brat gets a suspicious face.

“I found it, a means to escape from you! A method that is neither flight magic nor a teleportation gate!”

“What did you say!?”

Hearing there is a method for a miraculous comeback, the brat raises a voice of surprise.

You probably think there’s no way such a method exists, right?

But there is! Because it is me, there is!

“That is! Voluntarily passing on!”

“Eh?”

That instant, I released my attachment to my physical body.

Discarding everything, I pull out the soul’s wedge connecting me to this world.

As an undead, I am dismantling the spell formula tied to my body.

Moreover, this time it’s a voluntary passing on, so the speed of passing on is on a whole different level… though it’s hard to slip out of the physical body.

Well, it’s my first time voluntarily passing on, after all.

“Fuhahahaha! If I escape to the underworld, even you cannot pursue me!”

I won! This time for sure, I wo…

“I won’t let you escape!”

Firmly, the brat’s hand grabbed the leg of my spirit body.

“Eh?”

Before I knew it, the figure of the brat was beside my corpse.

“I won’t let you escape until you take proper responsibility!”

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Th-That’s right! Come to think of it, when I tried to pass on before, this brat forcefully pushed my spirit body into my body!

Which means, the reason my spirit body was hard to slip out of earlier was because when the brat forcefully returned my spirit body to my physical body previously, he seized control of the undeadification spell formula woven throughout my body!?

“I caught you, Mr. Ganei!”

Simultaneously as my spirit body completely returns to my physical body, the brat restrains my body.

“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

N-No, I’ve been caught!

Seriously, what is this brat!? A monster!? No, the monster was me.

Anyway, at this rate, I don’t know what I’ll be made to do.

To the point of forcefully returning my soul to my physical body saying he’ll make me take responsibility.

It must undoubtedly be a manifestation of his intention that he won’t let it end with just killing me!

I have to do something, I have to do somethinggggg!

“Then shall I have you take responsibility?”

“Hiiiii!!”

What on earth will I be made to do!?”

“First, I’ll have you retrieve the chimeras you irresponsibly threw out!”

“Heh?”

The brat’s demand was something unexpected.

◆

“With this… that’s all of them, right.”

Caught by the brat, I returned to the place where the collapsed laboratory was.

To my surprise, that brat possessed a teleportation gate for personal use, and using that, we returned in an instant.

To possess such a thing, who on earth is this brat!?

Even I am merely reusing ancient gates.

No, I mean, my specialty is chimera research, after all. Gates and such are outside my expertise.

Anyway, threatened by the brat, I was recalling the orc chimeras I let outside.

“Ama~zing, the orcs really came back.”

The red-haired brat, the brat’s comrade, is looking at the gathered orcs as if impressed.

Fuhahahaha, be surprised, be surprised.

“These chimera orcs have been adjusted to listen to my words just in case. Even if they went far away, if I release a wave of magic power carrying a return order, they will return no matter where they are.”

“As expected of ancient civilization, what an outrageous technology.”

Umu umu, this is the correct reaction of a modern mage, isn’t it!

“Even so, what an amazing number. Looks like there’s enough for one town.”

“Yes, I’m truly glad this number of orcs didn’t form a single group and attack a town.”

In fact, the number of gathered orc chimeras was large.

Even I was a little surprised that I had released this many.

“Then shall we dispose of them all? LIGHTNING RAIN!”

When the brat activated his magic, the group of orc chimeras, perhaps the size of a town, was annihilated by thunderclaps.

A・nni・hi・la・ted.

“In an instaaaaaaaaaaant!?”

“Ah- I know, I know. It normally turns out like this, doesn’t it.”

“It’s been a while since I saw a normal reaction, feels refreshing.”

What are you guys saying!? They’re chimeras, you know!? The orc chimeras I adjusted, gone in an instant with area magic!? A number equivalent to a town, you know!?

“With this, the orc chimeras are annihilated, so all that’s left is the treatment of Mr. Ganei.”

“Flinch“

Th-This is baaaaaaaaad!!

My turn has come! It’s not ‘has come’, me!

I gathered all the chimeras and had them disposed of, so at this rate, the flow is that I’m no longer of use and will be disposed of, right!?

Wh-wh-wh-wh-what should I do about this!? I’m in a huge piiiiinch!

“Let’s see…”

The brat crosses his arms and considers my treatment.

This is bad, this is bad. My life is on a countdown!

“Decided. I will prohibit Mr. Ganei from developing any combat-use chimeras from now on!”

“Wh-What…!?”

Hearing that chimera research is prohibited, I am dumbfounded.

“Ch-Chimera research is prohibited, you say!?”

“A-Are you intending to rob me of my purpose in life!? My purpose in life, having dedicated my life to chimera research!?”

“No, what I’m prohibiting is the research of combat-use chimeras. As long as it’s not for combat use, it’s fine.”

“I-I see, then I’m reli… like hell that makes sense!”

Prohibiting combat-use chimeras, isn’t that practically the same as prohibiting chimera research!

“Chimeras are things created for combat use! Saying that is the same as saying all chimera research is prohibited!”

Against indignant me, the brat quietly shakes his head side to side.

“Not necessarily. It’s common for technology developed for military use to be utilized in the civilian sector. Teleportation magic, magic bags, and even ice magic, which were attack magics, have been improved for food preservation. Everything depends on the idea.”

“Even if you say idea, they are chimeras… hm?”

Suddenly feeling something pulling the hem at my feet, I looked down, and there was that white furball-like monster.

“Y-You are!?”

“Kyuun!”

When I jumped back in surprise, the white furball monster moved away from me and walked over to the chimera orcs lying nearby.

“Kyuu!”

And letting out a cry as if to say ‘watch this’, it gnaws on only certain parts of the chimera orcs.

“What is it doing?”

I completely don’t understand that monster’s thoughts.

“I think those are probably the parts Mofumofu likes.”

“Parts?”

Is that it? The parts that monster gnawed on are its favorite taste?

“I think Mofumofu is saying he wants you to make chimeras for eating, not chimeras for fighting, you know?”

“Ch-Chimeras for eating, you say!?”

What is that!? I’ve never heard of edible chimeras!?

I receive a strong shock from the concept of edible chimeras, which I had never even thought of until now.

“B-But such a thing… for eating… !?”

For me, who has researched combat-use chimeras until now solely to defeat the White Calamity, to be told to make chimeras completely opposite to fighting…

“Mr. Ganei, you have been researching chimeras to defeat the White Calamity, right?”

“U-Umu. Exactly.”

That’s right, to reclaim the surface world trampled by that abominable monster, we dedicated our entire lives to chimera research, after all!

“But there is no White Calamity on this surface world. You have no obligation to research chimeras for fighting, Mr. Ganei.”

“Obligation… you say?”

“Yes, until now you probably developed combat-use chimeras out of necessity, but in today’s world, there is no need to research combat-use chimeras. In that case, wouldn’t it be fine for you to freely research whatever chimeras you like now?”

“Freely… whatever I like… research…”

Told that I no longer have the obligation or the need to develop chimeras for fighting, I look at that white furball monster.

“…”

If my prediction is correct, the true identity of that monster is…

But that monster shows no sign of attacking people, and obediently follows the brat.

On the contrary, isn’t it eating the chimeras I made even now?

“As long as there is something to eat, that guy won’t attack people either…?”

If that is so, by creating a massive amount of delicious chimeras, even if by some chance the White Calamity revives again, perhaps we could coexist with it.

I hallucinated such an impossible future, yet I could not deny that possibility…

“A world where no one has to starve, huh.”

I felt something fall into place in my heart.

“Understood, I will stop researching combat-use chimeras. From now on, I will research edible chimeras.”

“I’m glad you understood.”

The brat breathes out, seemingly relieved from the bottom of his heart.

“By the way, if I had ignored your demand, what were you intending to do?”

Suddenly, out of curiosity, I ask what the outcome would be if I had chosen a different future.

“Eh? Let’s see… if you wouldn’t stop researching combat-use chimeras… hmm, since there are people who pretend to pass on and transfer to a spare body, or people who enhance their existence into spirit-type higher undead, perhaps I would have thrown you into long-term sealing while maintaining your consciousness to have you reflect on your actions.”

“Long-term sealing?”

“Yes. It’s meant to urge reflection upon heinous criminals possessing important information; we throw the target’s soul into a completely empty sealed space, accelerate the internal time, and make hundreds of years’ worth of time pass in a few minutes. Of course, to prevent the mind from accidentally breaking, normalization spell formulas to maintain sanity are also incorporated within the seal.”

” ” ” ” ” “Hii!” ” ” ” ” ” “

Not just me, but the brat’s comrades behind him also scream with pale faces.

“Or rather, that normalization spell formula to maintain sanity just now, it’s that thing we used in our training, right!?”

“Hundreds of years’ worth while using that thing!?”

“I’ll die, I won’t die but I’ll die.”

“Mental normalization, what does normal even mean…”

“I-I don’t want that magic anymoreeeee!”

At the hellish picture unfolding before my eyes, I was chilled to the bone, truly feeling that my choice was correct.

“Ah, come to think of it, normalization magic is also a peaceful utilization of military technology.”

” ” ” ” ” “It’s not peaceful at aaaaaaall!!” ” ” ” ” ” “

Under the warm sunlight, we retorted while feeling cold in both body and mind…