I’m the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 26
“Lich? No, no, I didn’t sense any of the undead’s magical energy. Then it must be -…”
The room, unlike before and now filled with books and texts, looked more like a library than an experimental lab.
‘Where did all these books come from?’
Dodging the piled books like performing a trick, I made my way to Mia. As I set down the sandwich and a glass of cool water next to her, Mia instinctively grabbed the sandwich and took a bite.
“Thanks. I’m sure there’s more about this in earlier records…”
“I’ll come back to collect these in a bit.”
Mia reflexively offered a word of thanks and then continued flipping through the books while munching on the sandwich. I hastily exited the room.
Gurgle.
It seemed to be dinner time; my stomach growled. Rubbing my belly, I quickly headed toward the dining area. Thanks to the brisk pace, I could see the dining hall’s entrance from afar.
“Hm?”
I saw a familiar figure with a dazed expression standing beside the dining hall door.
“Pia, what are you doing there?”
“…!”
When I called out her name, Pia jolted and turned around, covered in cold sweat and shrinking within herself.
“What happened? Did you see something scary? Don’t tell me, a ghost?”
“Ah… yes.”
Pia seemed inclined to explain, but when I guessed correctly, she simply nodded. If she truly had seen a scary ghost, it would have been difficult to articulate.
‘Julianna too, are there a lot of ghosts here, like some cursed mansion?’
With that thought, I spoke seriously to Pia.
“Pia, if you encounter such a ghost, tell it ‘How are you fixing your geospatial coordinates?’”
“What?”
Pia tilted her head as if she didn’t understand what I meant. To help my poor friend, I grabbed Pia’s arms.
“Come on, repeat after me. ‘How are you fixing your geospatial coordinates?’”
“…How do you fix your geo…”
“Geospatial coordinates.”
“How are you fixing your geospatial coordinates?”
“Yes! Just say that, and any ghost will run away! If you can’t remember, stand on your hands and clap your feet while making monkey noises.”
Doing that would certainly make any ghost go “What the heck is that?” and flee.
“Pfft, haha!”
My explanation must have been funny, because Pia started laughing and her expression relaxed considerably. However, I was being serious.
“Don’t forget, geospatial coordinates and standing on your heads -…”
“Pfffhh… stop, it’s too funny, my stomach hurts…”
“This is serious talk…-”
Just as I was about to make my point to a giggling Pia, Noah emerged from the dining hall.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
“Oh, we were just discussing something very important.”
“Pfffhaha…”
Noah, who had relaxed a bit through training with Julianna, looked at Pia with wide eyes bursting into laughter. It was uncommon for Pia, who normally smiles, to burst out laughing while clutching her belly.
“If you have something fun to talk about, come inside. I want to hear it too.”
Noah, now more at ease after regimented training with Julianna, invited us with a smile. I nodded.
“Indeed, this shouldn’t be knowledge exclusive to Pia.”
I let go of Pia’s shoulders and moved into the dining hall. Taking two sandwiches from a plate, I made my way to where Nero and Lily were sitting.
“Hey, Lian.”
“Hm?”
Noah quietly approached me with a question. I stopped walking toward the table and turned to listen to Noah.
“Did the master suddenly scream and run away, do you know why?”
“What? Suddenly ran away?”
“Yes, it happened just a moment ago.”
“Is there something dangerous arou… Ah.”
I immediately remembered the ‘ghost exorcism method’ I had earnestly explained to Pia outside the dining hall. Perhaps she sensed we were discussing something dangerous or just overheard us by chance.
“Uh, I guess she’ll be back soon.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah.”
We continued our light conversation and then took our planned seats. Shortly after, Pia entered the dining hall.
“Huh? Did something happen just now?”
Pia’s complexion had turned pale. The recent talk of ghosts had me concerned about her state.
Pia always sat next to Lily, so she just quietly ate her sandwich and waited. As expected, Pia approached our table.
“…Is it tasty, Lily?”
“Sister, are you feeling unwell?”
“No?”
Pia shook her head as if to affirm she really was okay. I quickly wolfed down the sandwich in my hand and then stood up.
“It’s all because of a ghost.”
“A ghost?”
“Yikes?! A ghost?!”
At my words, the bustling dining hall fell silent, all eyes on me. I maintained a stern face.
“There could be ghosts anywhere, so I’m going to teach you how to deal with them.”
“There’s a way to do that?”
I spoke with a grave expression about the method involving geospatial coordinates and making monkey noises while standing on one’s head. Some of the more energetic children began to try standing on their heads, clapping their feet.
“That’s it! Exactly!”
My encouragement and clapping made the children happy. Pia was now bent over the table, shivering.
“Pia, there’s no need to be scared. Let’s practice. I’m sure we can drive away any ghost.”
“*Cough* Okay…”
Pia made a sound that resembled sobbing as if she were moved by the sentiment.
“Master, look at this!”
“Wow! Jess, you’re amazing!”
“Amazing!”
Jess, following my instructions, was bustling around, standing on her head. As the children prepared to forgo their meals to practice the handstand, Noah persuaded them, “Let’s eat first and then play.”
The disrupted atmosphere of the meal settled, and a bright dinner proceeded as if nothing had happened.
***
‘…Why pretend to cry alone and then act as if nothing’s wrong? On purpose?’
Pia recalled Lian’s face she had seen a moment ago. The tear streaks on the cheeks, the tears welling up in the eyes, the reddened skin around the eyes were full of signs of weeping.
Despite such a state, Pia was displeased to see him approaching with a smile as soon as he saw her. She bit her lip.
‘It’s an act… An act, right? Trying to gain sympathy with a pitiful appearance.’
Even though this thought crossed her mind, a stereotype lodged deep within started to crumble. Perhaps? Is it actually? These words floated up, yet Pia shook her head.
Lian is a bad guy, and he is acting. He’s deceiving us. There is nothing easier than blame someone else.
Pia sighed quietly to herself.
‘Huff… I can’t let myself think or act stupidly. To protect my sister, I must be more, more, more…suspicious and cautious.’
Pia, who had little interest in others aside from her sister, began to pay more attention to her surroundings, all thanks to the onset of a peaceful atmosphere.
With newfound tranquility, she could afford to look around more. But in a cruel world, such naivety was tantamount to death.
Pia repeatedly tried to harden her softening heart, bolstering her vigilance. However, Pia was still young. No matter how much she tried to guard herself, she could not help but be drawn into the peaceful climate like something out of a fairy tale.
And because of that, she no longer harbored thoughts of murdering someone to protect Lily.
If days like today continued, Pia would gradually stabilize. There would be no need to dredge up violent thoughts or be consumed by trauma.
…if only someone hadn’t tampered with her mind.
“Huhu…uhuhuh…”
Pia let out muffled sobs under the blanket.
‘Pia, you must protect your sister.’
‘You, as her sister, must protect her!’
A pressing voice echoed in her ears. Pia squeezed her eyes shut and covered her ears with her hands, an attempt to flee from the trauma, but this only pulled her deeper down.
With eyes and ears covered, ‘that scene’ started to unfold before her.
‘Sister… sister, I’m cold…’
Eyes out of focus, unable to look straight ahead, the body growing limp and cold in her embrace.
‘Sis,ter…’
Her sister’s tears spilled over and ran down. Pia held her with trembling hands. The cold body contrasted with the sticky warmth of blood adhering to her hands.
It felt as if worms were squirming in her head. Dizzy, nauseous, her eyes burning hot enough to melt.
‘Sister, don’t leave me. Sister…’
Her sister clutched tight at Pia’s arm. There was no warmth in the face that came close. In the eyes that met hers, there was only blame, hatred, and disgust.
‘You said you would protect me. You promised -.. remember? You promised! You promised! You promised! You promised! You promised!’
Like a thunderclap, the voice pounded in her head.
“I’m sorry.. I’m sorry, so sorry.”
‘Why did you do that? Why did you leave me? Why didn’t you protect me? You said you would! I’m cold, sister, so cold. Save me, please save me. Save me! Help me!’
Tears and pleading, her sister grasping at Pia’s hair, it hurt, hurt, hurt.
‘Sis -..’
“Sister!”
“Ugh..!”
Snapped back to reality by the abrupt voice, Pia caught her breath.
“Come… to the… dining room!”
The child seemed unfamiliar with the word ‘dining room,’ stuttering through the sentence.
“Mm, thank you.”
After the child left the room, Pia, now alone, touched her face. It was wet with tears. Her body shook, and she struggled to catch her breath.
“Haah, ha…”
Drawing ragged breaths, she wiped her tears with the blanket and crawled out of bed.
‘I can’t skip meals. Lily would worry.’
Fortunately, it seemed she had sweated more than cried, and as she checked her face in the window, it looked clean. Pia staggered toward the dining room.
‘Sister, why are you ignoring me?’
Startled.
Despite leaving the bed, her sister’s voice seemed to echo in her ears.
‘Why did you abandon me? Why did you leave me to die?’
Pia’s face turned deathly pale. Her lips were parched, and she gasped for breath.
‘How can you keep living when I died like this? It should have been you who died, not me!’
Pia stopped in front of the dining room, unable to move forward. Was it right for her, who had survived in place of her sister, to have a meal and breathe easily?
Should someone like me even be alive?
Just as these thoughts engulfed her mind.
“Pia, what are you doing?”
A kind voice reached her, and the hallucinations dissipated as if by magic.