Trap and Identity
Stout’s PoV (3rd Development Lab’s Chief)
I was busy at work when the damn Director called for me. Including me, there were a few others waiting in the conference room.
I was annoyed that the Director didn’t show up on time after calling me, when something touched my ankle. I grabbed it, thinking it was just another prank by the Director, but it was light.
“Lab Chief! That’s…!?”
Stef, the only researcher in the third group not under the curse, shouted.
It was a hand.
I was lifting a hand… just a hand!
“Uwaaaaah!?”
I almost lost my transformation, but somehow I managed to hold on. I threw the hand far away. But there were other hands, crawling toward me.
The cursed researchers were still studying without caring. It was enough to make me envy them. Stef was desperately trying to get the other researchers to leave. He is a good man who cares for his wife and children. If he weren’t human… if I weren’t an infiltrator… I would want to be his friend.
“Kihyahya…”
“U, uwaaaah!?”
Stef fainted. No wonder. He is an ordinary person. I looked in the direction Stef looked. There were two of those horrid things with only their upper bodies. Well, I will manage.
“… It’s alright, Stef.”
At least let me protect you. Perhaps you were just caught up with me. I can’t fight satisfactorily while transformed, so I cancelled my transformation.
“Uwaaaaaah!? C, chief!?”
Stef just fainted and collapsed for a moment, but he didn’t seem to have fainted for long. Ah, I have been found out. Stef looked at me with frightened eyes. I’m sorry… I know all too well that my true form is horrifying to humans.
“… I’m sorry for deceiving you. But I will save you guys, I promise.”
The researchers who fell victim to the curse are also blameless. I am sorry, my Lord… so far away in Wolfanea, I tried to fight.
“Magical☆Kurarin Vacuu~m☆”
I tried to fight.
But there was no fight. Err… an old man in a frilly maid’s outfit took out a strange shaped magic tool… a cleaning one, I think? The one they were prototyping in the 1st… and he sucked out all the hands and monsters and stuff.
“Clean and sparkly☆”
The old man posed and left. We looked on in amazement.
“… I wonder if he will show me that magic tool if I ask him later?”
“I don’t know…?”
I wonder about that. But what about you, you are more interested in the magic tool than the old man?
“Yo, yo, sorry to have kept you waiting! Everyone can go home, except for Stout-kun~”
The late Director, unmoved by my presence, tried to kick Stef and the others out of the room. I have made up my mind. I can’t run away.
“… Director, did you know about Stout-san?”
“No? I just found out.”
The smirking Director was, as usual, unreadable as to what he was thinking.
“Stout-san… Stout-san was trying to save us!”
“… Indeed~ I won’t do anything bad to him. If you’d like, I can even use my best masterpiece of magic tool.”
“… Understood.”
The Director’s application of the masterpiece magic tool means that he will always keep his word. Stef looked unconvinced, but backed down. You really are a good guy, Stef. To think that you would even try to protect this ugly me… who was deceiving you… Stef exited the room, looking concerned.
I turn to the Director, but I don’t think he’s the one who wanted me. But I couldn’t give him any information. If I did poorly, it could trigger a war between Wolfanea and Christia.
I took advantage of the Director’s opening and brought down the knife I had hidden on myself without hesitation. The Director exercised his magic, but not in time. My only regret was that I would die without being of any use.