The Extra's Regressor Wives

Aldric walked over to Sophie and sat down in front of the little girl.

Sophie was holding her remaining half of the pastry. Seeing him approach, she immediately stood, both small hands awkwardly clutching the pastry against her chest.

"Young Master Aldric."

"No need to be afraid."

Aldric smiled, then placed a hand on her head.

Sophie ducked slightly.

A thread of mana entered her body once more.

This time Aldric examined more carefully.

The magic veins were immature, but their purity was exceptionally good. If allowed to develop normally, it would take many more years before they reached a suitable state.

Aldric had no intention of waiting that long.

’A few years?’

He nearly laughed.

’I don’t have the time to raise them to adulthood.’

Morgana immediately caught his thought. "What are you planning to do?"

Aldric gently stroked Sophie’s hair, his expression still perfectly gentle on the surface.

’Feed them.’

"Feed them?"

’Medicinal herbs, magic elixirs, mana crystals, anything that can stimulate the magic veins to develop. If the body can’t handle it, lower the dose a little, then continue.’

Morgana’s voice slowed. "You want to force their magic veins into maturity?"

’Correct.’

"They’re children. Doing that will put their bodies under extreme stress. They could even be in constant pain as the veins are forcibly expanded."

Aldric withdrew his hand from Sophie’s head.

The girl looked up, saying politely: "Thank you for bringing us pastries."

He looked at the small face before him and smiled very gently.

"Don’t mention it. I’ll be bringing you all even better things from now on."

Sophie brightened at once and ran back toward her friends.

Once the girl was far enough away, Aldric resumed his answer to Morgana inside his head.

’So what if it hurts?’

"Do you understand what you’re saying? That’s no different from torturing a group of children just to make their magic veins develop faster."

Aldric smirked.

’Here we go again, Master.’

"I’m talking about human beings."

’And I’m talking about resources.’

Morgana was silent for a few seconds.

Aldric walked slowly across the yard. A child running too fast nearly crashed into him. He even reached out to steady the boy’s shoulder, his expression warm, reminding him to be careful.

The child laughed, said thank you, and ran off.

The instant the small figure was out of sight, the warmth in Aldric’s eyes vanished completely.

’Has Master ever seen people force-feeding geese?’

Morgana didn’t understand what he meant.

Aldric continued: ’No need to wait for it to grow on its own. Just keep feeding, force the body to accumulate what you need. When it’s fat enough, take the liver.’

Morgana’s voice turned outright cold.

"You want to treat these children like livestock?"

Aldric laughed inside his head.

’Finally you understand.’

"Aldric."

’Don’t use that tone with me.’

He looked toward Noel, Sophie, and the other three children.

’I don’t have time to wait five or ten years. As long as the resources are good enough, their veins can be forced to develop much faster. If a year is too long, then a few months. If a few months is still too long, increase the dosage.’

"Their bodies could be destroyed."

’Then find the right threshold.’

"They’ll be in pain."

Aldric gave a slight shrug.

’That’s their duty.’

Morgana faltered.

"What?"

Aldric raised an eyebrow slightly.

’NPCs are born to serve the storyline. Some provide quests, some provide items, some are born with a good set of magic veins for whoever needs them.’

Morgana’s voice sharpened. "What is an NPC? You’ve used that word many times."

Aldric watched the children sharing food up ahead.

’Master doesn’t need to understand.’

"I’m asking you."

He was silent for a few seconds, then answered with contempt.

’A bunch of background characters.’

Morgana still didn’t understand.

Aldric had no intention of explaining a concept from his old world. He simply looked at the children before him as though evaluating animals in a pen.

’They think they have lives of their own. Wondering what to eat today, who to play with tomorrow, whether they want to become a mage or a merchant someday. But does any of it actually matter?’

His gaze passed over Sophie.

’If her veins can make me stronger, that’s the greatest value she’ll ever have.’

Over Noel.

’If this one can supply a different type of vein, then he only needs to live until the day I need him.’

Morgana heard that calm voice, and a creeping chill settled in.

"In your eyes, these children truly are no different from livestock?"

Aldric barely needed to think.

’Livestock at least know to behave when they’re being fed.’

Morgana went silent.

Aldric continued walking, the friendly smile still in place for everyone around him.

’I’ll give them better food than they’ve ever had. Magic elixirs an orphan couldn’t buy in a lifetime. Mages to teach them. So their veins expand as fast as possible.’

He looked at his own hand.

’When it’s enough, I take it.’

Morgana asked coldly: "After their veins are ripped out, they could become cripples. If the ritual goes wrong, they could even die."

’So?’

"They’re children."

Aldric laughed softly.

’Master can repeat that as many times as she likes. It won’t change a thing.’

He turned his head to look at the children.

’Piglets are young too. People still raise them for slaughter.’

"They’re not pigs."

’In your eyes, maybe.’

Morgana asked: "And in yours?"

Aldric watched Sophie laughing with Noel, then answered without a trace of emotion:

’A pen of livestock.’

Morgana’s voice went completely cold.

"I will not help you do this."

Aldric wasn’t the least bit angry. On the contrary, he laughed.

’Did I ask for your opinion?’

"You don’t know the full ritual yet."

’I will eventually.’

"I can refuse to teach you."

Aldric slowly rubbed the ring on his finger, the smile on his face unchanged.

’Master, where are you right now?’

Morgana fell silent.

Aldric continued: ’Inside my ring.’

His voice was still light, but the meaning had shifted entirely.

’You need me to find the materials to restore your soul. You need me to carry you out of here. So don’t forget who’s keeping whom.’

For the first time, Morgana didn’t immediately argue back.

Aldric sensed the silence, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward.

’Be a good girl and things are easier for both of us.’

Right at that moment, Lina came running over.

The girl held a small wrapped pastry in both hands.

"Brother Aldric."

He shifted his gaze to her at once, every trace of coldness wiped clean.

"What is it?"

Lina held the pastry up. "Can you bring this to brother Lathel? Last time he brought us honey cakes. Tell him to get better soon, okay?"

A few other children heard and came running.

"I have candy."

"This one’s for brother Lathel too."

"If he’s hurt he should eat soft bread."

Before long, Aldric’s hands held several small items.

He looked at them and smiled.

"Of course. I’ll pass them along."

Lina brightened at once. "Make sure to tell him we’re waiting for him to come."

"I’ll tell him."

Sister Mira, standing nearby, watched the scene, her voice growing softer. "The children are very fond of young Lathel. Every time he came, he’d fix the tables and chairs, bring books, then teach the older ones to read. Because he can’t speak, some of them even taught themselves a few hand signs so they could talk to him."

Aldric turned his head.

"They learned sign language?"

"Only a few phrases." The nun called Lina over and smiled. "Show the young master, dear."

Lina set her doll down, and her small hands moved clumsily through the motions.

First, thank you.

Then, big brother.

Finally, get well soon.

The girl beamed.

"Brother Lathel taught us."

Aldric looked at her hands.

The smile was still on his lips, but his eyes had gone cold.

Ever since Grail Pass, the name Lathel kept appearing before him without end.

Leviana kept Lathel.

Cassian took him away.

Mirelle defended him.

Catrina appeared years ahead of schedule.

And now even a group of orphans spoke of him with faces that made it seem he was someone very important.

An Extra who should have only existed for a few Chapters had left far too many traces.

’A stray dog that’s been taken in and still leaves its scent everywhere.’

Aldric tightened his grip on the pastry package for an instant, then quickly relaxed.

He turned to Sister Mira.

"Sister Mira, I’d like to help the orphanage test the children’s magical aptitude."

The nun froze.

Aldric continued in a perfectly natural tone: "House Kirlinghalm sets aside a sum for charitable work every year. Rather than just bringing food, I could arrange for a mage to come test all the children. If anyone has good aptitude, I’ll sponsor their education. The exceptional ones might even have the chance to enter the Magic Academy."

The nun’s eyes reddened at once.

"Young Master Aldric, is this... are you serious?"

"Of course."

Aldric glanced over the five children he had already selected.

"Make a separate note of any with exceptional talent. They’ll need a better diet, magic elixirs, and more advanced training than the others."

The nun had absolutely no idea what lay behind those words. She bowed deeply, overcome with emotion.

"This is the children’s blessing. I truly don’t know how to thank you."

Aldric smiled.

"No need to thank me. Consider it me continuing to look after them in Lathel’s place."

At the sound of that name, the last of the nun’s wariness disappeared entirely.

"I’ll prepare the list right away."

Aldric nodded.

In his eyes, the five children playing in the distance were no longer five people.

They were just five portions of raw material that needed to be fattened.

.....

The carriage left the orphanage close to noon.

The pastries and sweets the children had asked him to bring to Lathel sat on the small table inside the carriage.

Aldric looked at them for a few seconds, then pulled out the waste bin beneath the seat and swept everything in with one hand.

Morgana asked coldly: "You promised to give those to Lathel."

"I only said it to make them happy."

"The children trusted you."

Aldric took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands, contempt showing at the corner of his mouth. "I don’t need the trust of a pen of livestock."

Morgana said nothing.

Aldric folded the handkerchief and leaned back in the seat.

After a while she asked: "You truly intend to use magic elixirs to force those five children to develop?"

"Yes."

"You know they’ll suffer."

Aldric looked at the ring and laughed. "I know."

"And you’ll still do it?"

"An NPC’s duty is to help the protagonist achieve his goals. If they can’t even manage that, what were they born for?"

Morgana didn’t understand those two letters, but his attitude told her everything she needed to know.

"You disgust me."

Aldric raised an eyebrow.

"You’ll get used to it."

A small pastry inside the waste bin suddenly rolled out and dropped to the carriage floor.

Aldric glanced down.

On its surface was a figure drawn in honey, and beside it a name written in clumsy, childish handwriting.

Lathel.

The smile on Aldric’s face slowly disappeared.

He thought of Lina’s sign language, Leviana’s expression, Cassian’s eyes staring him down, and Catrina who had forced him to use the Void Step Talisman.

Aldric placed his foot on the pastry.

The sole of his shoe pressed down slowly, deforming the soft pastry. Honey oozed across the floor, and the little figure along with the name was quickly ground into an unrecognizable mess.

Aldric kept pressing until the word Lathel could no longer be read.

Only then did he lift his foot.

"You care about those children that much?"

Aldric looked at the crushed pastry beneath his shoe, the corner of his mouth slowly curving.

"Then I’ll take care of them for you."

He leaned back in the seat, his voice as calm as if he were discussing a few newly purchased goods.

"I’ll feed them well, use the finest magic elixirs, force every last vein to develop faster. And when they’ve reached enough value..."

Aldric looked at his hand.

"I’ll take it all."

He laughed.

"I hope you’re still alive by then."

"I want you to watch with your own eyes."

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