Having built a separate laboratory, and filled it with all sorts of expensive equipment, and even found a free assistant, I began serious research three days ago.
“But how do we extract the Neomium inside Aslan’s body?”
“…That’s a good question.”
We hit a snag right from the start.
First of all, it’s a given that there is Neomium in my body.
Aslan, who was even called a genius in magic, has become incapable of even sensing mana, let alone handling it.
This can only be interpreted as the Neomium remaining in my body is acting somehow.
To conduct an experiment, we first need to extract the Neomium…
“Ugh. Isn’t this something the Evil God should handle for us?”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ complains, feeling wronged as to why it’s being questioned about something strange it consumed.]
It seems better not to expect Kali’s help.
By the way, Kali has exhausted all the Neomium collected from around the world, yet the performance is rather disappointing.
Considering that it couldn’t even bring it out when exiting the Shadow World, it seems that it was Laura who helped by having Irene spit it out out of concern.
There hasn’t been a single instance of her descending into the real world, let alone making a doppelgänger like Laura.
Is she just a type that has high rank but low power?
Her cost-effectiveness is quite poor.
Laura gives us an eye that can discern lies, grows giant to fight, and is cute when shrunk down; she’s versatile.
Kali just keeps giving unsolicited advice, making her useless.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ strongly protests, feeling that it seems like it’s being cursed by looking at your expression!]
In such moments, it’s evident that she’s quite perceptive, suggesting that her intelligence isn’t low.
Though I sometimes wonder if she peaked as an Evil God and, overwhelmed by skepticism, is hiding her power to enjoy mischief.
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ sulks severely!]
But that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Such a formidable Evil God wouldn’t act so childishly.
“This is troublesome. Should we temporarily suspend the experiment until we find a method?”
“What? We should continue trying until we find a method! …Right?”
“Julia, have you seen a mirror?”
“A mirror? Why would I look at a mirror…”
I casually held a hand mirror in front of Julia.
She grimaced as the reflected light struck her eyes.
After staring closely for a while,
her focus sharpened, and it seemed she finally realized something, exclaiming “Ah!”
“Now do you understand? Your eyes must be so fatigued that you couldn’t keep your focus.”
“Ah…”
Though Julia prefers indoor life,
she still received sunlight streaming through the windows in the mansion.
But this laboratory has facilities that completely block out sunlight to minimize external interference.
After three days without any natural light, Julia’s concentration had noticeably deteriorated.
Nutrient deficiencies can be supplemented with food, but there must be limits.
If we continue like this, there’s a significant risk of hindering Julia’s growth.
That absolutely cannot happen.
For someone as promising as Julia, to stop growing due to a single mistake?
Just imagining it brings me to tears—it’s a terrifying disaster.
If such a thing were to occur, I could never forgive myself and would surely spend my days filled with regret and remorse.
Thus, I proposed the plan to temporarily halt the experiment.
“I’m fine! I’m just a bit tired. Even if I want to keep experimenting at night, Aslan has been nagging me so much that I’ve been getting enough sleep. …Right?”
“The issue isn’t just your health. When you dive into something without breaks, you often stumble even on simple problems. You might have found yourself buried in something irrelevant without realizing it. Let’s get some sunlight and then start again.”
“Mmm, you’re right… Even when I keep struggling, problems don’t resolve, but sometimes just stepping out after Charlotte keeps pestering me helps clear my mind…”
Of course, Julia was making excuses, but it seemed to have worked out somehow.
Finally, Julia wobbled out of the laboratory with weak steps.
Thank goodness.
With this, I’ve safeguarded Julia’s future…
“Ahh! The sunlight is warm, and it feels so drowsy! Should I take a nap on the lawn?”
Stepping outside, Julia stretched and let out a happy hum.
Though she usually enjoys staying indoors.
It seems she can’t resist the warm early summer sunshine.
“Go ahead and nap. I’ll review some academic journals.”
“What? You said to take a break since if you keep diving into things, you could get stuck on something irrelevant. You need to keep your own advice! …Right?”
“…”
[The Evil God ‘Kali’ nods vigorously, agreeing that our necromancer is a hundred percent right.]
At that moment, Julia pinched my sleeve, puffing her cheeks like a sulking child.
I had planned to return to the laboratory to see if I had missed anything.
But I found myself caught in my own trap.
“I’m just going to rest… Can you lend me a hand? …Please.”
“Isn’t that something you’ve graduated from?”
“When I’m in the garden, I sometimes still think about it. The girl ghost I saw before…”
“What? Is that still showing up?”
“No. When Aslan came, it frowned and ran away, and I haven’t seen it since…”
“…”
I thought it had been dealt with by the Touch of Death.
But it seems it managed to escape before entering the range of destruction.
Thanks to that, Julia is still engulfed in fear, not knowing when it might return.
Even now, she’s trembling heavily while leaning on my arm.
“Since it might appear again, can you stay by my side? …Please?”
“If you’re scared of that, you could take a nap in your room instead of the garden.”
“But you said to get some sunlight. …Right?”
“Just open the curtains and sleep…”
“Ah! I still want to sleep outside! …Please!”
As her rebuttals piled up, Julia began stamping her feet in frustration.
Regardless of the reasons, it seemed the conclusion had already been decided.
Perhaps the gentle breeze and warm sunlight were making it impossible for Julia to resist.
I wished she was just making excuses to sleep next to me.
I felt a bit disappointed.
“Sylvia. Spread out the mat.”
“Yes.”
With a swish, a mat was laid out on the wide lawn of the garden.
Julia, with a bright smile for the first time in a while, collapsed onto the mat.
She sank into the grass as if she had thrown herself onto a fluffy mattress.
I heard that the old Aslan would get extremely upset if anyone stepped on the grass, even a little.
I can understand that to some extent, but as far as children are concerned, they can ruin the grass as much as they want.
The bent grass where they stepped and laid is a clear mark of their presence.
Just seeing those traces evokes images of children playing here, which is undeniably delightful.
Though the sad feeling that arises as time passes and the grass recovers, blurring those marks, is something I can’t help.
“Umm! Sometimes outdoor activities aren’t so bad…!”
“You’re the only one who would consider this an outdoor activity.”
“It feels a bit strange to hear that from no one other than Aslan…”
With a smile, Julia gently laid her head on my thigh.
Then, she tightly gripped my hand with both of hers, lay down on her side, and closed her eyes.
For someone worrying about the appearance of a ghost girl, she looked quite at ease.
Does that mean she trusts and relies on me that much?
I felt a strange sense of pride.
‘But this is… Quite hot.’
When I first came outside, I thought it was just warm.
But after sitting in one spot for a while, the sunlight felt quite intense.
On Aslan’s pale, corpse-like skin, I could start to feel pain.
Though I wasn’t sweating, it began to sting.
‘I have to endure!!!’
But after a long period of patience, as Julia fell asleep again with my help, I couldn’t let this moment slip away.
This bit of pain is nothing.
I clenched my teeth, doing my best not to shake or move too much, trying not to wake Julia despite the prickling pain.
Beside me, Sylvia glanced over with an expression as if to say I was pathetic.
“Ah! It’s Julia! It’s been such a long time since you came outside!!!”
“Mm…?”
At that moment, a lively voice echoed through the garden.
Thud, Thud, Thud.
The sound was drawing near, like an elephant charging.
Looking back, Charlotte was running toward us, kicking the Dirt-Dirt like a soccer ball.
“Julia, come play with us! The mud ball rolls so well when it’s round!”
[Kyaahhh! This is so much fun! I feel like I’m going incredibly fast!]
Naturally, I thought Dirt-Dirt would scream and get angry.
But surprisingly, it was cheering and enjoying itself.
At the noisy sound, Julia eventually woke up and rubbed her eyes.
“Mm… I’d probably break my ankle if I kicked Dirt-DIrt. You’re the only one who can walk around with it.”
“Hehe! Is that so? But Julia, what are you doing over there? Didn’t you say you’d stop sleeping next to the uncle?”
“Well, that… I had no choice. The ghost girl might come again. It’s not that I’m scared; there might be a real threat, so I had no choice…!”
“Real? Threat? I don’t really get those difficult words! Didn’t the ghost girl disappear because of Mister’s murderous aura? But why is there a ghost girl?”
“Ah.”
At Charlotte’s puzzled remark, Julia froze.
Then, her face slowly turned red.
In an instant, Julia’s face was as red as a beet, and she couldn’t look up at me, lowering her head and trembling.
“Why are you suddenly acting like this, Julia?”
“Right? Why are you blushing? It’s like the need for an excuse to hold onto my hand while falling asleep has been exposed…”
“Ahhhh! I don’t know!!!”
Ah. She ran away.
