Bailonz Street 13

Ignoring the butler’s guidance, we headed straight for the library. It was where Plurititas showed affection, wasn’t it? Anyone could guess he’d be there.

Sure enough, just like the day we first met, Plurititas was in the library. Snow-white suit, snow-white hair, pale skin. The man resembling a white, thin spider sat perched on the desk, smiling at me. It was surprising that even in this chaos, he matched his clothes’ color perfectly. Plurititas slowly opened his mouth.

“First ‘old geezer,’ and now ‘old man.'”

“Don’t be so petty about every little thing.”

“I’m an old man with a bit of a long memory.”

Something was placed on the desk. It was a silver cylindrical container, identical to those filling the walls. Now I knew what was inside. Liam frowned.

“London’s in ruins, and you’re examining your collection?”

“It’s times like these when one must maintain peace of mind. I was getting bored anyway, thinking of acquiring a new piece for my collection.”

Plurititas’s gaze slowly scanned Liam. More precisely, Liam’s head…

This is truly terrifying. It’s amazing that I forgot what kind of person he was. When I visited alone before, he sent me back without laying a hand on me, but why does he covet Liam’s head whenever he sees him? Sure, Liam is smart, but still.

‘Wait, is this his own way of showing affection?’

While having thoughts that would shock both Plurititas and Liam, I asked him.

“What about Jonathan?”

Plurititas smiled gently. That smile felt ominous. I wondered why he was smiling like that.

At that moment, I made a slight… ominous assumption. Could it be that the container behind Plurititas…

Feeling a chill, I urged Plurititas.

“Plurititas, where’s my brother?”

“Don’t worry. He’s safe.”

So show me his face, I wanted to say. However, Plurititas, brushing off my concern nonchalantly, continued.

“Actually, we were thinking of bestowing our own kind of ‘favor.’ We thought of letting him live forever in a state without pain, aging, or sorrow.”

This is ominous. Surely he doesn’t mean chopping off my brother’s head and turning his brain into one in those containers, calling it a favor? His definition of favor couldn’t be that twisted, could it?

Plurititas’s smile deepened. Damn it. It seemed I was right.

“You have a good brother.”

This is bad. I glared sideways at the cylinder. If there was any label or anything with the name ‘Jonathan’ on it, I was ready to empty all six bullets from my cherished revolver into Plurititas.

No way. But what if Jonathan really had become a brain in a container? How could we reverse that? Can a body live without a brain? Even with 21st-century knowledge, that’s impossible.

“Ah, so where is he? I know my kid is good! But I swear, if you eye my brother’s head one more time, I’ll kill─”

That’s when it happened. At the perfect timing, the library door creaked open.

Familiar green eyes peeked through the gap. It was my younger brother, who looked like my twin. Jonathan blinked a couple of times and then spoke.

“I know you told me to wait outside, but you shouldn’t fight…”

“Hey, Jonathan Osmond!”

I yelled. It’s funny how he casually says “Don’t fight, you shouldn’t fight” in this situation. While I felt like my blood was drying up, what? Don’t fight?

Noticing my unhappy expression, Jonathan fumbled for an excuse.

“Well, I am the bodyguard after all…”

This is ridiculous. The very idea that Plurititas needs a bodyguard is nonsense. Does Jonathan think this man looks like someone who can’t take care of himself? I pointed at Plurititas.

“Does he really look like he needs protection to you?”

“‘He’…”

Plurititas wiped his dry eyes with an exaggerated gesture. The sight was so detestable that I was grinding my teeth, and Liam tried to soothe me.

“If you joke about my brother’s wellbeing one more time, I’ll burn all your collections to ashes!”

“Oh my, it’s been a while since I’ve met such a bold young person.”

“I’m not joking, Plurititas!”

Plurititas laughed and reached out his hand to me. I didn’t particularly want to take it. Seeing my expression was not at all pleasant, he added subtly.

“I know.”

“Yes. Good that you know.”

Not hiding my displeasure, I approached Jonathan and carefully examined him to see if he was injured anywhere.

Only after confirming that Jonathan was surprisingly very fine, and even seemed to have energy to spare, did my heart start to calm down.

“What’s happening outside, sis?”

“Bat-like things are killing people. The world’s gone to hell.”

“It seemed fine here.”

“Probably because they can’t get in because of Plurititas.”

Jonathan blinked innocently. He looked like he didn’t understand what I was talking about.

Right, Jonathan doesn’t know anything about the boundaries. As I vaguely avoided explanation, Jonathan tilted his head.

I asked.

“So, Plurititas. Are you going to stay here?”

Outside, monsters were eagerly waiting for a chance to invade this place. No matter how skilled a scientist Plurititas was, could he handle all those monsters?

There was more than one thing for him to protect here. There were his collections, Jonathan, and perhaps these automatons. Of course, thinking about it, it didn’t seem like he would easily abandon and leave, but those things seemed to respond to people, not objects, so it would probably be okay to leave collections and such behind.

Plurititas looked quite surprised at my question.

“Are you hoping I’ll accompany you?”

No way. I’d have to be crazy.

In the end, I answered honestly.

“Honestly, I’d be fine just taking my brother, but he’s your bodyguard now.”

He seemed somewhat pleased. Jonathan was now naturally standing beside Plurititas like his shadow, seeming quite accustomed to this job in the time I hadn’t seen him. Seeing that made me feel very ambivalent. I wondered if Jonathan felt the same way when he saw me getting used to Liam’s work.

How did my brother end up with this side?

But Jonathan is probably thinking the same thing as me, so I don’t want to say it out loud. I didn’t want to say that both siblings were unlucky with people. Or that we have terrible judgment in people…

I glanced at Liam. He was adjusting his cloak, and when our eyes met, he gently pulled up the corners of his mouth. It was a reassuring smile. I let out a long sigh and added.

“To be honest, you can’t keep holding out here. If you show even a slight weakness, they’ll push right in. Do you know how long you can hold out? You know too. He’s taken action himself.”

Plurititas slowly caressed his lips with his thin, long fingers. He seemed to be pondering. He must know well too, having watched the outside. What’s happening.

Ships in the harbor sinking, houses burning, streets filled with dead people. All these grotesque scenes were like a nightmare. It felt like it might disappear if I closed my eyes and opened them again, as if in a terrible nightmare. I even thought it might be a hallucination from the Black King, but the fact that all this is reality makes it even more tormenting.

“Where are you thinking of going?”

Plurititas asked. I answered.

“Whitmore Gardens.”

At my answer, he chuckled and muttered as if he understood.

“Ah, where that old snake lives.”

Hostility? It’s not hostility. Just a dry, businesslike tone, as if addressing a colleague.

“Old snake?”

Is he talking about Lucita? As I was bewildered, Plurititas shrugged. Then he took out a coat from the coat rack behind the desk. He’s planning to come along. I just watched as he silently slipped his arms into the coat. Jonathan was naturally helping Plurititas with his coat.

A person white from head to toe, and even putting on a white coat on top of that, he looked just like a ghost. I wondered if that was okay, if it wasn’t too conspicuous.

“It’s unsettling to leave my long-cherished collections behind.”

Plurititas looked at the containers filling the library once more, seemingly regretful.

“Have some faith in the security system.”

“My technical skills aren’t what they used to be these days.”

“…Because you’re old?”

He grinned.

“Because I’m old.”

So it was true.