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The Violets decided to do things they hadn’t done in a while.

Specifically, multiplication.

“Let’s grow!”

“Make me grow tons!”

Violets are increasing entities. Numbers equate to strength and strategy.

Thus, nothing was more important than the multiplication of our existence.

Even fearsome monsters and powerful hunters eventually fell before sheer numbers, physical force, and countless magical assaults.

But that wasn’t all; with every increase in Violets, our mental fortitude also grew.

“When the numbers increase, so does our processing power!”

“The power of democracy!”

With every increase in our numbers, the scale and complexity of the Violet Network also expanded.

Though the exact composition principles of the network were unclear, it was evident from Professor Albert and Doctor Yurik’s explanations that it had a close connection to our brains.

Furthermore, if our numbers increased compared to now, we could accomplish even more.

“Stronger magic!”

And perhaps we could utilize reality manipulation abilities that currently felt out of reach.

“Wow! Then we’d be invincible!”

“We’d become gods!”

Just imagining it was exhilarating.

I could snap my fingers and turn enemies into chocolate or transform incoming bullets into piles of French fries.

Supply unlimited magazines or forge the indestructible iron fist of Rugilinn.

“If only we could revive Rugilinn’s iron fist…”

A memory of the wreckage of a tank we had left beyond the Erosion Zone surfaced, and the Violets fell silent.

We wanted to procure a new tank to inherit our friend’s name, but it seemed difficult for a while.

It wasn’t a regulatory issue. There were no regulations in the academy city preventing individuals from purchasing tanks or fighter jets.

As long as there was money, no one would stop an individual from buying a tank to commute.

In the end, the problem was money.

“Too expensive!”

For most clans, tanks were akin to burdens.

Armored vehicles were great for riding around, even if not in combat. They could also be modified like trucks for transporting goods.

On the other hand, tanks had ambiguous utility. They were excessively powerful against weak monsters and did not provide decisive advantages against mid-tier or stronger monsters.

Moreover, strict conditions needed to be met for operation within dungeons.

Handling tricky spells like combustion interference or barrier spells was also necessary.

Thus, tanks available on the market were few and pricey. There weren’t many sellers or buyers.

Effective combat vehicles for battling monsters could only be operated by large clans or corporations.

With our current routine economic activities, it was challenging to meet the demand for expensive equipment.

I couldn’t keep asking Irene for more money.

I had to brainstorm other ways to earn money beyond what we were doing now.

“Let’s try high-difficulty dungeons!”

“How about going to the continent?”

Various arguments sprang up in the Violet Parliament.

“What about smuggling or cloning?”

“Rejected!”

Sometimes, proposals bordering on crime were suggested, but they were dismissed each time.

Our Violets aimed for a sound market economy.

In any case, if we had more numbers than now, surely there would be more things we could do.

Still, seeking advice would be wise.

I went to find Uncle Yurik, who was rummaging through papers in the office in the Central District.

“Yesterday you collapsed and even got hospitalized, but you seem to be fine now. Do you remember? I took you to the ER when you said you were sick, and it was quite the fuss with even a CT scan.”

Right, that nasty Apostle had used sensory amplification, causing Violets all over the country to writhe in pain. A sad black history.

“But I’m okay! That won’t happen again. I really taught those bad guys a lesson yesterday!”

“Glad to hear it. But you look like you have something to say…”

“Right! I have a question!”

Before diving into the main topic, I rambled on about what had happened yesterday.

To ask a question, I figured it was best to provide some context first.

Uncle Yurik, who had been listening quietly, suddenly grew serious.

“Apostle? Aedos? Hold on, these are things I’m hearing for the first time in my life. Just a glance and they seem like things from top-level military confidential documents. Is it okay to speak of such things freely?”

“Ah, yeah. So, do you not want to hear it?”

It would be difficult for him to ignore. Perhaps it was because he was a scholar, but the uncle before me was clearly a person rich in curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

“…Now that I’ve heard it, there’s nothing I can do. Let’s hear the whole story.”

Once I finished explaining, he adjusted his glasses back up his nose.

“…So, you’re telling me that an Apostle has been added to the Violet Network. Shall I take a guess at what you’re here for? You’re here to ask what to do since you can’t use reality manipulation, right?”

Wow, he’s quick on the uptake.

“Yeah! So can you give me an answer? Is there a good method?”

“This sort of thing is related to magic, so it’s in Professor Albert’s area of expertise, you know? I can’t give you a definite answer, though…”

After pondering for a while, Uncle Yurik took his time to respond.

“What you are thinking right now is likely correct.”

“Increase the number of clones?”

“Yes. But remember, it won’t work if you just increase the numbers to a few hundred; that’s hardly a blip.”

Hmm, that’s a more disheartening conclusion than expected.

“I’ll discuss the details with Professor Albert. It might require some calculations… I hope that was enough of an answer?”

“Yeah… Well, we can’t do anything about it.”

The questions were over. Uncle began unpacking a box of papers, the source of which was unknown, and organizing the documents on his desk.

The yellowed papers looked older than I expected.

“By the way, Uncle! What are you looking at?”

“Oh, this?”

Uncle Yurik held up a stack of paper from the box, and the large letters on the front page were impressive.

<Expansion of Consciousness through Ether Wave Synchronization: Feasibility of Exponential Amplification Mechanisms of Awakened Abilities – Eric Sturgis>

“I got these from people I know. I collected all the materials that had been left rotting in the university’s professor’s office. I thought they could be helpful for my research.”

“Research?”

Now that I think about it, this uncle had lingered at our house, buried in books, even after the Magnavis explosion. He seemed to be working on something with Professor Albert as well.

“I see. It’s not about human experimentation, is it?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Got it! Then take care!”

I left the uncle in his room and went outside. There was a place I needed to go.

**

We went to find Ariel. It wasn’t hard to locate her.

All it took was asking acquaintances, and they’d find her quickly.

Since people from Cascadia were also participating in the rescue activities, I could simply ask Sister Adela.

The answer came swiftly.

“There are about three people named Ariel. One is a student at the Academy, and the other is an adult. This girl is likely who the Violets are looking for.”

“This is her!”

The patients affected by the recent incident had been distributed among various hospitals, and Ariel was currently hospitalized in one of them.

I heard that many patients with similar symptoms had gathered there.

“By the way, who is this girl?”

“Oh, she’s going to be our future junior!”

“Future junior?”

After hearing my explanation, Sister Adela’s violet eyes sparkled with interest.

“Oh, I see, she was preparing to enter Aegis Academy… How exciting.”

Ariel was a lovely girl. I was sure Sister Adela would also take a liking to her.

The hospital we arrived at was much more bustling than expected.

Due to the sudden influx of patients, the medical personnel were bustling about.

I worried about the possibility of not getting in, but the condition of being an Awakened ensured I could visit.

“Alright, please open your arms wide. Now, open your mouth.”

“Ugh!”

In addition to the basic disinfectant, we also went through several layers of complex quarantine procedures involving disinfectants and radiation treatment, before we could finally head to the hospital room.

“This is super complicated!”

“What are these masks and gloves for?”

In the news and articles, there was barely a mention of the illness, but I didn’t expect it to be so severe.

Were the Restraid folks controlling the media?

Upon entering the hospital room, a cute girl with brown hair greeted us cheerfully.

“Hi!”

“Sister Violet?”

Ariel’s wide-open eyes and her astonished expression were quite the sight.

I cautiously asked.

“Ariel! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine now! I’ve taken my medication.”

Ariel responded in a bright voice. Contrary to my expectations, she seemed to be doing quite well.

I sighed in relief and approached her bedside.

“That’s a relief! I thought you were really sick, I was worried!”

“The doctor said I got better fast. I’m much better than yesterday!”

At Ariel’s words, we exchanged glances.

Had the effects of the strange contagion unleashed by the Apostle disappeared?

Right now, I couldn’t tell. For now, I wanted to enjoy time with Ariel.

“I see. So, you’ll be able to be discharged soon?”

When I asked with a smile, Ariel tilted her head.

“I’m not sure. The doctor said to keep an eye on me a little longer.”

“That’s right! You’ll get better. You said you wanted to get into Aegis Academy, right? You have to enroll.”

A warm smile formed on Ariel’s lips.

“Yes, I have to.”

However, the warmth on her face soon vanished.

Ariel’s expression, one of anticipation and joy, quickly lost its strength.

She looked somehow lonely.

“Why is she acting like this?”

Perhaps she was overwhelmed by the shocking events.

Having witnessed nuclear explosions and falling ill, it was only natural for her mood to be off.

“Don’t worry! It’s probably nothing. Plus, the Aegis entrance exam is not as difficult as you think.”

“Really?”

“Yeah! If you prepare hard, you’ll definitely pass! Your parents will be happy too! It’s a prestigious academy, right?”

“…”

As I spoke, Ariel’s gaze became blank, staring into the void.

The smile that had struggled to form disappeared, replaced by a pale, plaster-like expression.

“Are you… in pain?”

“…I’m fine. I… I just want to sleep a bit…”

Ariel suddenly complained of fatigue and rolled onto her side. Maybe she was quite tired.

“I’ll come visit again! If there’s something you want to eat, just let me know!”

“Yeah…”

I left, closing the door behind me with hopes for my next visit.

Outside the hospital room, the bustling steps of medical personnel still filled the air.

Looking at the other patients lying in the hospital, it seemed the situation was far from resolved, but it was clear that things were better than yesterday.

“We must have healed some people!”

“This is Violet-style quarantine!”

While I chatted with the other Violets as we headed down, I felt something was off.

A nagging feeling that I had forgotten something important.

After going through the complex quarantine procedure once more to exit the hospital, 2316 suddenly asked in a serious tone.

“Wait, where are Ariel’s parents?”

“Uh-oh?”

That’s when we belatedly realized the mistake we had made.

“Oh no! This is a big deal!”

 

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