Kumo Desu ga, Nani ka?

Chapter 246 - I can’t stop laughing

Muhahah. Imouto is MINE. So easy.

The instant I baited her with her brother Yamada-kun, imouto-chan completely folded. While she might emotionally regard her brother as the pinnacle of existence, it seems she’s still able to logically recognise the difference in strength between Yamada-kun and me.

「I’ll accept whatever you do to me, just leave onii-sama alone!」

That was the proposal that she bravely gave to me herself. I made her cry huh. Instead, I can’t stop laughing though.

But, after that it dragged out. Imouto-chan began this speech on her brother. That old guy magician from some time ago seemed to have given a drawn out speech as well though, so is there something about single-minded humans that makes them talk for such a long time I wonder? There’s also me who had to listen to the whole damn thing because I couldn’t find the timing to interrupt. There’s still this echo in my ears going “onii-sama this, onii-sama that, onii-sama onii-sama…” Hey, numb legs - do your job.

Eventually, I did indeed hear everything about onii-sama, from chapter one on his greatness to the final chapter on how he will eventually become god. The seventh chapter on child prodigy onii-sama was rather interesting. Thanks to all that, it took a very long time until we finally got down to business. I’m so glad I’d setup the time management.

So, in return for me leaving the great onii-sama alone, I made imouto-chan promise four things. One, to not interfere with Natsume-kun at all from now on. Two, to prioritise acquiring any of the Humility, Kindness or Chastity skills. Three, always carry one of my clones, the one the size of a fingertip, and abide by its orders. Four, don’t talk to anyone about me.

The first is just in case she attacks Natsume-kun again after I release him. The second is worth a shot. After all, unless someone has a lot of talent it seems they can’t acquire Ruler skills. Imouto-chan does seem to have the talent, but I’m seriously doubtful about whether she’ll be able to acquire any of them even still. As such, I won’t hold out that much hope, and will consider it lucky if she is able to gain any. The third, is to help reinforce my monitoring. Now I will no longer need to act so stealthily in Yamada-kun’s vicinity. I don’t expect to be giving many instructions though. Currently there’s not really much for imouto-chan to do for me anyway. Though maybe the day will come that the situation changes and I need imouto-chan to do something. The fourth, is an obvious precaution.

Eventually even imouto-chan’s legs reached their limit, so I gave her the instructions, handed over the clone and then released her. At the time I also provided healing for her legs, as a special service in anticipation of future achievements.

Unlike with Natsume-kun, it’s not necessarily the case that it would have been better to erase her memory and place a parasitic clone in her brain. But, I’ve kinda given up on that. If I were to give a reason why, then it’s because I feel that with that method it seems like she probably wouldn’t be able to acquire a Ruler skill. Ruler skills seem the sort where you can only acquire them on the basis of the innermost depths of your heart’s desires and thoughts. For me, Pride, Patience and Sloth were like that. Charity just happened to fall into my hands, so it’s an exception I guess. For someone like Natsume-kun who has a pointless amount of energy just floating around then it’s a different story though, but normally, unless you desire something from the bottom of your heart, then I think it’s probably not possible to acquire Ruler skills. In that case, even if I used a clone as a parasite to guide her thinking, a Ruler skill wouldn’t start to develop.

For Ruler skills that imouto-chan could possess, Chastity and Humility seem about right? Envy seems about right for her to possess as well, but that’s already been taken though. For Chastity, she’s devoted to her onii-sama. For Humility, onii-sama is the best in the world so she’s second at most. Yup, they’re totally gettable. For Kindness, let’s just not go there.

Now then, I’ve released imouto-chan, given suggestions to Natsume-kun, and also erased the memory of the guards who fainted during the tussle. This way, there’s now nobody who knows about imouto-chan’s reckless incident. What’s this, while the actual event occurred just recently in real time, in practice if feels like an age has passed.

Well. Now’s not the time for that. I should go check up on sensei.

I was somehow able to prevent the collapse of sensei’s soul. I prevented it, but it’s not like there’s no damage either. Several of her skills have vanished for one thing, and her status values probably also dropped. Most of all, the total size of her soul has reduced, though there’s no indication of that in the status.

For skills like Automatic HP Recovery and Accelerated MP Recovery, where does the recovery come from? Even if it’s a fantasy world, it’s not like the law of conservation of mass is no longer applicable you know. Likewise, it could be said that something like the law of conservation of soul energy exists too. If the status values are based on the power of the soul, then restoration is also based on using the power of the soul. Using the power of the soul that is not already written into the status values. Therefore for sensei, with the power of her soul having significantly declined, restoration of neither HP nor MP will occur. And so, within sensei’s body, as a substitute for the power of the soul that was lost, her own body should be being broken down for the purpose of providing energy. In short, even if nothing happens to her, her body will be covered in wounds.

Sure enough, when I go check up on sensei, she is lying on a bed while smeared in blood. With her hollowed cheeks, her originally small body has become even smaller. She’s become so scrawny that you’d think she hadn’t eaten a proper meal in many months, and if that wasn’t enough her skin is flaking away. I guess it’s as if Automatic HP Recovery has gone into reverse. This is literally shaving off sensei’s body.

Sensei’s condition is even worse than I had assumed. If it’s like this, then unless she gets treatment from someone else she’ll die. When I wonder why it’s so bad, the answer comes forth. So as to not expose her wretched state to her students, she still persevered in pretending to be fine. Normally she should only have collapsed from weight loss and no more. Instead, sensei gritted through the pain, and as a result she has exacerbated it further instead. Normally, to come from the practice grounds all the way back here by her herself would be unbearable. After all, it’s at the level where she should absolutely have collapsed at the grounds and gotten medicate treatment there.

Really this person is something else. Isn’t it too much for a single person to carry anything and everything on their back? That is so much like sensei though.

I perform medical treatment on sensei. The wounds heal, and her ruined complexion recovers. I can’t restore the power of the soul that she has lost, but the abnormalities in her body should stop now at least. Though she’s lost a bit of body weight, she just has to eat for that to return to normal.

Also, let’s include a little trick while at it as well.

Footsteps. I teleport, departing from the room. Naturally after leaving a clone.

The one who comes into the room, is Potimas. With no concern for the sick person, he violently opens the door and strides towards sensei. Potimas looks down on sensei with all the cool indifference of someone looking at a laboratory animal, and he deliberately grabs hold of her head.

「Tsk!」

A single click of the tongue. He removes his hand from sensei’s head.

Hehehe, hehahahaha, hahh-hah-hah-hah! Lo-o-ser! Maybe this should be said to be the silver lining of her injuries from this incident, as the part of Potimas’s soul that has been grafted onto sensei’s soul, has vanished. I think that it’s likely that it was sacrificed by the presentation skill. Say, are you frustrated? While it’s just a part, are you frustrated at losing part of your soul?

Naturally, there’s no way that I would pass up the chance I had. The little trick I’d prepared earlier was for protection on sensei’s soul. Now Potimas can’t interfere with sensei anymore. In addition, the biggest reason why I couldn’t interfere with Potimas has vanished. Next, if I could just do something about his Ruler authority, then I’d be able to cast this piece of sheet down to the bottom of hell.

「Uh, uhh…」

Hups, it seems that sensei is waking up.

「Are you conscious?」

「Potimas? Where am I?」

「Your own room.」

Sensei’s gaze is unfocused - is she still half asleep?

「My injuries, did you heal them for me, Potimas?」

「Yeah, I did.」

O RLY? D, dammit! Gnnnn! It’s hard for me not to come forward here! Damn you Potimas!

Maybe he felt my killing intent, as Potimas quickly looks around the room. Well, fine. I shall ignore you for now. He didn’t do anything unecessary to sensei either. Now that he can no longer take hold of sensei I’m finished with him, and if he tries to perpetrate anything, my restraints are waiting for him.

Hehehe. I’m now looking forwards to the day when I can take his head. Quake in your boots while waiting for that time.