Paradigm Parasite

ewhere, so in a way, it was probably a good thing.

 

　Heidi is muffling her mouth to try to argue.

I don't want her to see what I'm about to do, so I'll ask her to leave me alone for a bit.

 

　”Heidi.”

　”Hey, what's up?”

　”I need to talk to Fatima alone.
I'm sorry, but I need you to step out for a minute.”

　”Is that something you can't talk about with me present?”

 

　Heidi's expression disappears and she looks straight at me.

 

　I'm not sure how to do this.

 

　I nodded lightly.

 

　”I can't talk.
Besides, it's hard for her to talk when you're around, isn't it? And before you say anything, I'm not going to kill her anymore.
That's what you're worried about, isn't it?”

　”I can trust you, can't I?”

“Of course you can.”

 

　Heidi's face relaxes as she hears this.

 

　”I understand.
I'll rest in the guest room.”

　”No, you can have my room.
You'll be more comfortable there, won't you?”

　”But…no, thank you.
I'll do that.”

 

　Heidi left the room with a complicated expression on her face, saying, “Call me if you need anything.”

　The presence moved away and disappeared completely.

　Well, now we won't be disturbed.
Now it's time for some fun human experimentation.

 

First, I will use the root to receive Fatima's memories.

First, let's see if I can read the memories intact from a living person.

　I think this will probably work.

 

　I'm using Rothfeldt's brain as it is.

　I can read memories without doing anything that would cause a deficit.

　If so, I should be able to do it elsewhere without any problem.

 

　In fact, it was possible.

Starting with memories from childhood, encounters with parents, sisters, and Rothfeldt.

　Distorted love.
Knowledge of witchcraft.
How to use golems and demons.

 

　Now that I knew what I wanted to know, I pulled up roots.

　Now, to answer the question.

I take the cloth from her mouth.

 

　”Here's a question.
Tell me your name.”

　”……
Fatima Rose Liard.
Mr.
Rothfeldt…
what are you doing to me now?”

 

　Okay, no problem.

I ignore Fatima's question and shove the cloth into her mouth again.

　Fatima cooed and groaned, but then grew quiet as she realized it was useless.

 

Well, next time, this is what I'm going to do.

　I look at Fatima's leg.

Seeing the fine scratches from the earlier battle, I extend the roots to the relatively large wound.

 

　The roots burrow into the wound, wriggle inside the skin, and the wound begins to regenerate.

　I see.
Regeneration is possible even for a stranger?

　I pull out the root.
Fatima is trembling slightly.

 

　…Ah, she is afraid because she doesn't understand what is being done to her.

 

　From the way she looked earlier, it looked like she was going to say “I don't care what you do to me if it's Mr.
Rothfeldt,” but that wasn't the case.

She was implying something about love, but when it comes down to it, people can only think of themselves, can't they?

　I know from her memory that she is not in love with Rothfeldt, but with the “ideal Mr.
Rothfeldt” she has in her mind.

 

　This woman didn't understand this discrepancy until the very end.

　Now, the last experiment.

 

“Ro, Mr.
Rothfeldt.
What have you been doing?　Hurry up and untie this rope.
And let's get rid of that bug!　You are confused now.
Now, get rid of that worm and return to the gentle Rothfeldt-sama you used to be!”

 

Oh, she spit out the cloth from her mouth by herself?

　The original…huh? She's still saying that at this point in time.

 

　”……
don't force your convenience on me.”

　”Mr.
Rothfeldt?”

　”Ex?　Gentle?　Don't make me laugh?　What you're looking for is a masochistic bastard who smiles at you no matter how much you hurt him, right?　I'm sorry, but I'm not that kind of pervert.
Will you stop imposing your ideals on me?”

 

　Fatima was so surprised that she was at a loss for words.

I don't like talking to this woman, but for some reason I felt compelled to tell her.

 

“In the end, you were fine with anyone who accepted your propensity and had a nice face, weren't you?

　”No…”

　”Do you love me?　You who smiled behind my back when you saw your fiancée in trouble?”

 

　I saw the memories.

　I can see right through you.

 

　”You love yourself, not me.
'I helped my fiancée recover so I could feel good about myself for doing my best for him.
I watched my fiancée suffer because it made me feel good.' I'm going to say it right now.
You're a piece of shit.
And I don't love you.”

 

　Perverted narcissism, mental illness…was it proxy something syndrome?　I can't remember.

They want to be satisfied with themselves, but they also want to be seen as good by others as well, or they think it's convenient.

This woman is helpless.

 

　I guess I got a little emotional when I was pulled into the Rothfeldt memory.

　All I could think of was, “Why didn't you save her?” But now that I knew this woman, such questions were empty.

　This woman thinks only of herself to no end.
And she thinks nothing of enforcing it.

　Or perhaps she is not even aware of it.

 

　Fatima froze and did not move.

 

　”No…
no.”

 

She says something with trembling lips.

 

　”You are not Mr.
Rothfeld!　You're a fake!　My Mr.
Rothfeldt would never say such a thing!　What are you going to do with me? And what are you doing disguised as Mr.
Rothfeldt, you monster?”

 

　Ha-ha-ha.

She really doesn't waver, this woman.

　That's what happens when you don't accept reality.

 

　She can't accept it, so she calls me a fake.
After that, will she say it's a dream or something?

　If it had been the other way around, you would have said, “You need to be persuaded,” and you were going to do something that was akin to torture.

 

　”Oh, I understand.
This is an illusion.
Do you think you can deceive me with this kind of magic!?”

 

　Hallucinations.

　That was a little off the rails.

　Well, that's okay.
I don't have to hesitate about what I'm going to do.