225 The Diary of a Researcher
When Professor Vinigo’s entire office was lit up, Meredith finally could see the details of the room. The furnishings looked expensive, but not as expensive as those in Ayumi Yamazaki’s house, so the half-fox wasn’t impressed.
In the center of the room was an elaborate rug made of a bear’s skin, which Meredith avoided stepping on as she approached the professor’s desk.
There were more than a dozen books, parchments, and scattered sheets of paper on the table. However, what really caught the woman’s attention was a glass flask with a green liquid inside. She gently touched the jar with her index finger, and the liquid didn’t even waver.
‘It seems that whatever that was meant to be, it’s been ruined for some time now.’ She deduced and turned away.
This time she decided to direct her attention to the papers on the table, which might contain information or letters that would give away some connection to the Smakusa.
During the trip, everyone in the gang talked a lot about various possible plans, this one involving Doctor Vinigo was always the one with the most gaps. They didn’t know what kind of person Vinigo was, much less his relationship with the demons and, at the same time, with the Smakusa. They only knew that there was a connection between these people.
In addition, in the letter written by Marie, there was also another name, Arzen, which no one knew who it was. This could be a title, a codename, or even a last name, so Luke, Meredith, Nathalia, and John forgot about this for now and focused on Vinigo.
After ten minutes of searching, Meredith was already tired from keeping the <Licht> ability active. Still, she persisted for another ten minutes.
This was the time necessary for her to find the old man’s personal diary and read it a bit.
At first, she found Vinigo’s act of writing in a diary somewhat corny, but she soon discovered the written details tantalizing. There were so many putrid details about the professor’s life that Meredith almost vomited as she read a few different lines from the first few pages. Vinigo was an avid slave buyer, torturer of animals and humans, and also a sadistic man of the worst kind.
In his diary, Vinigo described genetic testing sessions that basically involved what Alexis defined as a chimera, only with humans instead of animals in some tests. The old man tried mixing monster spoils with enslaved people he bought, which never worked well, but he still kept trying.
According to what was written in the diary, every month Vinigo personally went to buy his slaves in the East Port of Oukiwa, which was commanded and protected by the Smakusa.
This diary would not only get the Alchemy Professor expelled from the Oukiwa Academy of Nobles, but also get him arrested and then executed.
Reading those things, Meredith thought:
‘If these nobles are covering this up, this could be our chance to finally catch the Smakusa in the act at one of these slave sales!’ She closed the diary and tucked it under her right arm. ‘I have no reason to stay here anymore.’
Meredith deactivated <Licht> and turned to walk to the door.
However, when she looked at the door, she saw a fat hand opening it, and the heavy door opened so fast that she didn’t even have time to hide. The half-fox was so focused on her mission that she forgot to pay attention to the hallway.
The bluish light coming from outside the office projected Vinigo’s shadow onto the woman’s face, and she was very frightened to see him. After all, Meredith was the only one in the entire Academy who knew the Alchemy Professor’s authentic self.
He looked with a confused expression at the half-beast as he encountered her in his living room, then asked in a tense and threatening voice:
“Who are you? And what are you doing inside my office?”
Meredith took a step back, shuddering. “My name is Meredith, I’m in first grade. I’m interested in learning Alchemy, so I asked some of my 2nd year friends, and they told me that I could ask you to be my tutor.” She replied, without shaking her voice, even though the disgust she was feeling just from having to maintain eye contact with the teacher.
Vinigo looked the girl up and down, observing both her pointed and delicate upper ears and her bulky tail.
At that moment, he smiled at Meredith. “I understand that you might be eager to learn Alchemy, but I can’t be your official tutor. If you really want to learn, come to my room after class today, and I’ll teach you a few things, but you can’t tell anyone.”
The woman had to fake an expression of surprise and happiness. “I will certainly come, respectable teacher!”
“In that case, go to your class. Also, don’t go into the places anymore without permission; if you knock and no one answers, wait at the door.” He scolded her, because he felt she might be suspicious that he had accepted her so readily.
“Yes, respectable professor. I will not do that ever again. Thank you for the lesson!” She said, as she walked to the exit.
Doctor Vinigo looked at her and smiled, while thinking about which execrable exam he would test on the half-fox. More than two years ago, he had given up using Academy students in exams, but half-beasts were so rare that he couldn’t let an opportunity like that pass him away.
Nevertheless, just as Meredith was about to walk out the office door, Vinigo saw something under one arm of hers. “Hey, wait! What’s that you’re carrying?”
She looked back, ready to lie that she was carrying was just a Basic Potions Confections book, but she saw that the professor was wearing a totally different expression and approaching in stride. Meredith knew that if he saw the diary’s cover, he would recognize it. For that reason, she immediately started to run.
As soon as Vinigo realized that the half-fox would start running, he pulled his wand from his belt and pointed it at the door. A single and small magic circle was formed from the tip of his wand. From within that magic circle, an intense wind gust came out and closed the door to the professor’s office before Meredith had a chance to escape.
TUMM~
The entire room went completely dark, and at that moment, the necklace around the man’s neck glowed in a dark green light, revealing the macabre smile that appeared on Vinigo’s face.
Turning to him, Meredith began to walk backward, frightened, and only stopped when her back touched the massive door.
Only she knew what Vinigo did to his dozens of victims. Mutilation, dismemberment, torture, trepanning, and hundreds of other surgeries. She feared she would meet a similar end.
Still, she didn’t back down or stay submissive. Determined to stay alive, she threw the diary toward Vinigo’s face, which was easily deflected.
“I will not become another victim of yours!” she exclaimed.
“Calm down, calm down… I can make you stronger than you could ever be… I will just help you, but with a small price.” Vinigo stated sadistically. “What I seek is not to torture my slaves as you have read, but to test them to create a new type of human, an improved, stronger, more powerful type…. Now, I’m going to get you some sleep.” He said and pointed his wand at Meredith. At the tip of his wand, a small magic circle appeared again.
However, Meredith wasn’t completely alone in that room with Vinigo. A cat with black hair jumped out and stepped in front of the half-fox out of the shadows.
Initially, Vinigo was surprised to see Bastet, but he sneered upon seeing the cat’s size. “Owwnt! You have an invocation that is a kitten!”