Chapter 239: The Curse Carved into the Body (6)

​Before she knew it, Liliana was engrossed in the black notebook. In very small script, and sometimes using diagrams and tables, the notebook detailed research objectives, progress, results, and observations. However, the content consistently aimed at one goal: how to amplify a person's mana capacity.

​“I recognize the necessity of forming both the physical body and the soul into optimal shapes. Regarding the body, it is essential to create subjects capable of withstanding excessive mana through crossbreeding. Regarding the soul, quality adjustment is difficult, and I feel the need to compensate with quantity. In any case, procuring human subjects has been extremely difficult, and securing distribution channels is the greatest challenge for the future.”

​As she reached the latter half of the notebook, Liliana stopped turning the pages. There, the owner had summarized observations after looking back on their research.

​“First, I shall state my personal views on body creation. For this task, crossbreeding between those with a lack of sensitivity to mana but robust bodies and those with high mana capacity is desirable. As shown in the previously mentioned cases, children born between certain "Northern Immigrants" and individuals with high mana capacity were confirmed to have a vast amount of mana at an eighty percent probability. However, most died shortly after birth. The longest survival period was six years, but an abnormal personality transformation was observed after four years and seven months. This is evidence that even if the body could withstand excessive mana, the spirit could not.”

​The abnormal transformation seen in the personality—it was "berserkization." The young child was initially gentle and calm, but after passing the age of four, they began lashing out at objects. Eventually, they punched and kicked people around them, and even caused serious injuries by biting. Ultimately, when the child reached six years of age, they ended their own short life while in a state of depression.

​The family and the child themselves must have been in agony, but the notebook Liliana held contained nothing but observational records. However, it was clear that the child was illegitimate—and that the owner of the notebook had created the circumstances for that illegitimacy for the sake of the research.

​Were that child and their parents happy?

​Liliana knit her brows, thinking that they certainly could not have been.

​This country strictly followed monogamy. Despite not being a monotheistic nation, the rule was rigorous. The most widely practiced religion in the Kingdom of Slibegrad wasn't that strict, but some sects forbade divorce. This trend had not changed much throughout history.

​Royals and nobles were permitted to keep mistresses, and even commoners engaged in affairs. However, most people, upon learning their partner had been unfaithful, would be consumed by jealousy and denounce them. Furthermore, the "communities" existing in this world were extremely narrow. If one were ostracized from such a community, it was difficult even to survive.

​Given such a cultural background, it was hard to imagine that a child born of illegitimacy would be happy.

​"You may think you're observing logically, but your credibility is low because you completely ignore environmental factors," Liliana muttered in a slightly irritated tone without realizing it.

​Ages four to six are sensitive years. A child would be greatly affected by their surroundings. Though it was only speculation, if that child had heard rumors that they were "born of a parent's sin," or if they were met with looks of pity or contempt—and if they had seen their parent being insulted—it was possible they directed frustrations and sorrows they couldn't process in their small bodies toward their surroundings.

​Liliana let out a long, thin breath.

That wasn't the only thing that bothered her. Another phrase caught Liliana's eye.

​"I never expected... to see that name here."

​Her slender finger traced the words "Northern Immigrant." Almost certainly, the "Northern Immigrants" written here referred to the "Descendants of Alvaldi."

​In other words, the owner of this notebook had used children born from "Descendants of Alvaldi" and high-mana individuals as test subjects. Whether they actually recognized them as "Descendants of Alvaldi" was uncertain, but if one searched for Northern Immigrants with robust bodies, most would be "Descendants of Alvaldi."

​But she couldn't dwell on one thought. More time had passed than she had originally planned. Liliana decided to continue reading for now.

​“Second, I shall state my personal views on the soul. Research regarding the soul has not progressed as far as the body. However, it is currently impossible to artificially induce a transformation of the soul; therefore, taking inspiration from Shamanism practiced in the East, research into housing multiple souls within a single body has shown promise.”

​Liliana gasped. When she saw those words, the hand holding the notebook shook.

​“When fixing an existing soul to a body, separating a living soul from its body is accompanied by immense difficulty. The soul is adhered to the flesh; if pulled away, both the body and the soul sustain great damage, and it was confirmed that, with few exceptions, neither could serve any purpose thereafter.”

​The researcher wrote that experiments to forcibly extract souls from living humans had all failed. During the procedures, the subjects apparently screamed in agony and terror, begging for mercy.

​The researcher had recorded those moments vividly as well.

Yet, this researcher consistently referred to the people used as experimental "materials" as "test subjects" (specimens) rather than human beings. Whether it was a man or a woman, for that researcher, the humans brought in for the experiments were nothing more than objects.

​“Research into fixing multiple souls separated from the deceased into a body saw success, but it was found that personalities split, causing hindrance to daily life and resulting in mental illness.”

​Liliana frowned, thinking it was only natural. After all, multiple souls—multiple personalities—were competing for a single body.

​The term "Multiple Personality Disorder," which was widely known in her previous life, crossed her mind. However, looking at the cases in the notebook, it was clear this was something similar but different. In multiple personality disorder, usually only one personality is out at a time. She remembered reading that while one personality is out, the others are unconscious or watching from behind.

​However, the situation seemed somewhat different when multiple souls were fixed into one body. There were successive reports of multiple personalities competing for the single body. Or, there were an equal number of reports that the central personality—or perhaps the original soul one was born with—became confused and ultimately grew deranged.

​“Furthermore, when multiple souls are fixed into a single body, it does not necessarily mean they can withstand excessive mana.”

​The owner of the notebook wrote the facts flatly. This only highlighted the researcher’s abnormality, and Liliana’s brow furrowed deeper. She felt an indescribable emotion swirling at the bottom of her stomach. Ignoring it, Liliana read further.

​“The soul has a capacity, and it is necessary to secure sufficient capacity to control excessive mana. For that purpose, the selection of information to remain and information to be excluded from the souls fixed into the subject is important. To avoid inconveniences such as the subject's derangement or self-harm, I am reaching the conclusion that the deletion of memory and emotion is the optimal solution. However, at the current stage, the deletion of memory and emotion is difficult. I speculate that applying memory and emotion control techniques at the soul-level before birth will lead to the resolution of these problems.”

​Having read that far, Liliana closed her eyes tightly.

A feeling welled up that she didn't want to read any further. A hypothesis had already been constructed within Liliana. Thinking that her speculation might be confirmed if she read to the end, she wanted to close the notebook and burn it right now.

​But she had no choice but to continue.

​She had always wondered. Her father's schemes were a mystery, but at the same time, there were several inexplicable points about herself. Having held those mysteries in her heart for years, she had skillfully looked away from them as she lived.

​Why do I have memories of a previous life?

Why do I dream of scenes that never appeared in the otome game I played in my former life?

​If it was all because the experiment described in the notebook Liliana had just found was a success, then it all made sense. Inside Liliana, multiple souls of the dead—souls that shouldn't exist—likely resided.

​The memories she believed were of her previous life, the dreams of scenes that shouldn't have been in the otome game—all of it was because different souls existed in her body. And that technique was likely a success, leading Liliana to possess vast mana.

​"Then... where is my real soul—"

​She couldn't bring herself to say it out loud. A chill ran through her. She already understood that it was born of fear.

​"No, I must have it."

​Her voice, though she spoke as if to convince herself, trembled slightly.

​When she realized she had no emotions, there was a part of her that couldn't quite give up. That "feeling of not being able to give up"—where did it originate from? Was it not the very "emotion" she had declared she didn't have? However, she could no longer tell if that emotion belonged to Liliana herself or to the souls planted in her by the forbidden art.

​The "emotions" that had originally been distant entities to Liliana were now clearly being thrust before her eyes.

​She had always kept her distance from "emotions." It wasn't because she had memories of a previous life. It wasn't because she thought she had to suppress her emotions to avoid ruin. Unconsciously, Liliana had believed that "emotions" were something that must not be touched. Her instinct feared both touching and being touched by something inside her. Being treated kindly by others or having a hand reached out to her were things Liliana felt she must never allow to get close.

​Looking back at her memories, whenever her emotions began to surge, she remembered experiencing dizziness, headaches, chest pain, or losing consciousness.

​Was that because the emotion control spell placed on my soul was forcibly suppressing my feelings?

​Most sorcery and magic weaken over time. Even more so if the caster is dead. In the case of magic, almost all of it loses its effect upon the caster's death.

​Even if it was a spell placed on a soul, the basics remained the same. No matter how strongly it had been cast, the thirteen years Liliana had lived were enough time for the magic or sorcery to weaken.

​Taking repeated deep breaths, Liliana opened her eyes. With a tense expression, she opened the final page. There, the words concluding the observations were written.

​“As a future research subject, I shall consider the following: Producing a child through the crossbreeding of one who carries the blood of the "Northern Immigrants" and one with high mana capacity, fixing multiple souls from the time they are in the womb, and applying suppression techniques for memory and emotion. Thereafter, at a time when mana control is deemed stable, more mana shall be injected from the outside to create a subject capable of withstanding excessive mana and capable of freely controlling and exercising magic. If my hypothesis is proven correct, this subject will far transcend humanity and possess mana equivalent to the spirits said to have existed in the past.”

​And finally, the names listed as "candidate parents" needed to create the subject. Seeing them, Liliana clenched her fists tightly.

​“Primary Candidates—Abram Clark and Belinda Ebba Samms. Abram Clark is from a lineage with high mana capacity, and research results show the Samms Earldom carries the blood of the "North."”

​As I thought, Liliana relaxed her shoulders, harboring an emotion akin to resignation. She had apparently been tense without realizing it.

​Letting out a sigh, she returned the notebook to its original place.

​The fact that she, Liliana, was the research result of these notebook owners was far too shocking. Yet, the cool, calm part of her that accepted the fact was strangely convinced.

​The fact that her original mana capacity was high, the reason she had believed she had no emotions—and the fact that she had memories of a previous life.

​The reason her mana had recently begun to increase even further was likely related to the experiment performed by the owner of this notebook. She didn't know the details, but since the research number on the notebook left here was "Number Three," there must be at least two other sets of research records.

​Once she recovered from the shock of her birth's mystery being revealed, something hot and murky began to boil up from the bottom of her stomach. Even after repeated deep breaths, the sensation did not subside. On the contrary, it gradually spread throughout her body. On the other hand, Liliana’s mind was white and cold.

​Wondering if this was what anger felt like, as if it concerned someone else, Liliana stood up from the chair. Then she slowly walked out of the hidden room. Looking back at the doorway, the vast collection of books filled her vision.

​The excitement she had felt when she first saw this room was gone. Instead, the room itself seemed like an evil place. However, if she destroyed this shack now, she would be in trouble if something she wanted to check came up later.

​Liliana suppressed a sigh, closed the door, and reapplied the spells as they were before. Normally, it is impossible to re-apply a sorcery array once it has been dispelled. However, for Liliana, it was easy.

​When she thought that even this power (mana) was the research result of forbidden arts layered by some unknown notebook owner, she felt an unbearable sense of futility. When she thought that the research was built upon numerous sacrifices, she even felt a simmering rage.

​The research conducted in this hidden room was a deed that ignored even the fear of God. No, perhaps this researcher and the "Lord of the Soul" they spoke of believed they themselves were gods. They believed not only their own lives, but the lives of others and the world itself, would move exactly as they wished.

​Life, heart, and even emotions—all belong to a single individual, and no one else has the right to harm them. Yet, they were toyed with like playthings at the whim of one's own greed.

​"The sheer audacity is beyond measure."

​The murmur that escaped Liliana’s lips, her eyes devoid of all emotion, was cold and chillingly clear.

—-

Toc

Chapter 240