Berserk of Gluttony (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Laine's Laboratory

THE RESEARCH FACILITY was twenty stories tall, and you couldn’t help but stare up at the looming edifice. The skills necessary to build architecture of this magnitude weren’t endemic to the kingdom itself. Buildings like the one Laine worked in were modeled on the deserted structures at the heart of Galia.

I’d only seen Galian buildings from a distance, but I knew some of them reached as high as one to two hundred stories. The buildings in the Military District couldn’t reach those heights because we still hadn’t mastered the Galian technology needed to build that high.

Roxy and I said a quick greeting to the guards at the facility entrance and went inside. The interior was lit up by a light that didn’t come from traditional lamps. According to Laine, the Military District was powered by magical power generators that allowed electricity to flow through and be used in its buildings. 

“It’s a special metal known as a flament,” Roxy said, pointing to the light coming from the ceiling. “It lights up when electricity passes through it. If we could apply it outside of the Military District and make use of it in the greater kingdom, it would make life much, much easier for our citizens.”

“I know,” I said. “I’ve heard people call this field of study ‘magitech.’ If we can use it to master old Galian technology, we can build a world where people don’t have to rely on the skills they were born with.”

“What a wonderful idea! The sooner we create such a place, the better.”

Roxy chattered excitedly about all the possibilities, and I ended up telling her about the work I was doing with Eris and Aaron. I’d originally wanted to keep it a secret and reveal it to her when we were finished, but I realized now that it didn’t matter. She’d still be surprised to see it even if she knew beforehand.

“Actually,” I said, “we’re using Hausen as a test bed for applying the technology of the Military District to a family estate.”

“Really?!”

Roxy couldn’t believe it. That was only natural, though. Until now, the research in the Military District had been kept strictly confidential, and ordinary citizens and townsfolk were forbidden from having any contact with it. But with the return of Eris, things were changing.

“Eris selected Hausen as a model for the first magitech city. We’re actually in the middle of constructing our own magical power generator.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” I said bashfully. “I wanted you to see it once it was nearer to completion.”

“It’s your first step toward a city and a home that doesn’t rely on skill hierarchy. I can’t wait to see it!”

We passed through the white halls and entered a strange contraption called an elevator, which would bring us to the higher floors. Laine’s laboratory was at the top of the facility, on the twentieth floor. Roxy pushed the button for Laine’s floor, and the doors of the elevator slid closed of their own accord.

“It never ceases to amaze me, the way it moves by its own power,” she said.

“Yeah, I’m not used to it either. But pushing a button and being taken where you want to go? It sure beats taking the stairs.”

“Certainly much easier on the legs.”

We talked about Hausen as the elevator took us up and finally stopped. A panel indicated that we reached the twentieth floor. Before we could even step out of the elevator, a girl with light chestnut-colored hair leaped toward me. As soon as I saw her, I dodged behind Roxy. The girl passed straight through the space I once occupied and slammed head-first into the elevator wall with a crash.

“Ow, that really hurt! Why are you avoiding me, Lady Roxy?! There’s no need to hide behind Fate!”

“I, uh…I’m scared,” I said.

“What?! But I do this all the time, and you always let me! You give me a good morning kiss!”

Roxy’s—er, my—face reddened until it practically glowed. “No, I don’t, Miria! Don’t tell such lies!”

Miria’s eyes darted between Roxy and me as lines of concern drew across her brow. “I can’t explain it, but…I’m getting a real weird feeling from this. I’m talking to Roxy and then Fate answers? Plus, you’re both talking strangely. Fate’s talking like Roxy and Roxy’s talking like Fate… Am I going crazy?”

“What do you mean, ‘strange’? We always talk like this,” I said, maintaining a straight face.

“What are you talking about, Fate—I mean, Roxy?” Miria threw her hands up in the air. “I really am going crazy!”

Miria’s brain went into overdrive as she tried and failed to grasp what was happening. I could almost see the steam rising from her head. 

We couldn’t bear to watch her confusion any longer, so we stepped out of the elevator and explained what we could about our strange body-swap experience. It was the third time we’d done it, and we were improving every time. Miria was still a little perplexed, but she at least accepted the information without too much fuss. She was surprisingly flexible.

“I see,” she said. “Well, at least it all makes sense now. So, Lady Roxy, you’re stuck in Fate’s body; and Fate, you’re stuck in Lady Roxy’s body, and—oh my god, I’m so extremely jealous! I want to change bodies with Lady Roxy! Oh, imagine all the things I could do if that happened!”

Miria let out a mischievous giggle. I couldn’t believe she said that right in front of us. Roxy went pale as she listened, and her eyes glistened with new tears.

“I’m so glad it was you, Fate,” she said, putting a hand to her chest and breathing a sigh of relief. “If I swapped bodies with Miria, who knows what would have happened…”

I put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a knowing, sympathetic nod.

Miria explained that she was waiting at Laine’s laboratory because she knew Roxy was coming about the Hobgoblin Forest. She had arrived at the lab two hours ago, which was kind of impressive in its own way. But it was also obvious that she had been a real handful for the laboratory researchers.

“Waiting here for a whole two hours?” I asked. “You’re as reckless and free-flying as always, huh, Miria?” 

“Could you please not say that kind of thing to me while you’re wearing Lady Roxy’s face? If the real Roxy knew I’d been waiting here so long, she’d be all like, ‘Oh, Miria, I’m so happy to see you!’”

“I would say no such thing!” said Roxy.

Things were always a bit rowdy with the three of us, but it was on another level in our current situation.

“Ohh! What am I supposed to do now?!” wailed Miria.

“Huh? What? What are you talking about?”

“I can’t hug Lady Roxy when she’s like this! I’d simply be hugging you inside of Roxy’s body! But Lady Roxy is trapped in your body, and I… What am I supposed to do?!”

“I don’t know!” I cried.

“I don’t know either!” echoed Roxy.

Miria dropped to her knees, tears ready to burst from her eyes. She clenched her fist and slammed it into the floor. 

A passing researcher gave us a weird look before moving on. We had to be careful; if we were too much of a nuisance, we might lose our clearance to visit the facility. I didn’t exactly want to, but I knew I had to try and patch things up before they got any worse. I cleared my head, focused only on my recollections of Roxy, and put on the most winsome smile I could.

“Come now, Miria,” I said. “Nothing good will come of just sitting on the floor feeling frustrated. You’ll only get in the way of all these busy researchers.”

“Lady Roxy!” Miria cried.

Her eyes had practically turned into hearts. My Roxy impression was good! Or so I thought until Miria paused, motionless.

“I…I won’t be fooled that easily… I know it’s you in there, Fate.”

“What are you talking about? It’s me, Roxy! Now come here so I can give you a hug!”

Miria groaned and stepped toward my open arms as though she were being sucked in. “I know it’s not really you!” she sobbed. “I know it, but…my body…I can’t control it!”

I did my best Roxy giggle. “Come now, Miria! Quickly!”

“Okay!”

Just as Miria was about to leap into my arms, Roxy (as me) stepped between us. Her eyes had narrowed to slits, and there was more than a little anger in them. “What in the world are the two of you doing?! We’re in the middle of an emergency!”

“Sorry…” Miria and I said in unison.

I’d let myself get carried away. Miria was always trying to avoid me, and it was interesting to see her suddenly so friendly toward me. 

For her part, the disheartened Miria looked at Roxy with a pleading look. “I get all my energy and enthusiasm from your hugs, Lady Roxy. What should I do?”

“Well, I can still give you hugs…as long as you’re okay with me looking like this.”

Miria crept toward Roxy-as-me and got her energy refill as she muttered uncomfortably. “It’s Lady Roxy on the inside, it’s Lady Roxy on the inside…gah…”

Did she really dislike me that much? I couldn’t help but feel a little hurt as I watched. 

“It’s Fate’s rough, coarse body on the outside, but at least it’s Roxy’s nourishing, all-encompassing energy on the inside. Okay! I’m raring to go! Let’s enter Laine’s laboratory!”

She wasn’t even trying to be nice about it. 

It’s rough and coarse because I’m a young man going through Aaron’s training regime! I thought. So I put on a bit of muscle! Give me a break!

Nonetheless, at least Miria’s spirits had brightened. She led the way to Laine’s laboratory with a visible spring in her step. The laboratory was at the end of the corridor on the left after leaving the elevator. I’d been here so often that it almost felt like going back to my own room. Laine wasn’t the shy type, though. It didn’t matter how long I lingered; she just went right on with her research regardless.

I knew it would be the same as always when we entered: Laine would be silently hard at work, and she’d probably have skipped breakfast. We’d expected that much and so had brought along a light meal from the manor. I was certain that Laine would become aware of her hunger the moment she saw it and bound over like a ravenous little woodland creature. I did all this at Mugan’s behest.

“Please, I’m begging you,” he’d said. “When you have some time, will you at least feed my daughter?”

What surprised me was that he specifically told me to feed her, not to simply bring her food. Then again, feeding her seemed to be the only way to get her away from her research long enough to notice me, so there was a certain logic to Mugan’s request.

The door to Laine’s laboratory opened automatically when we approached it. The lab behind it was a complete and utter mess. Books with cracked spines, scientific instruments, and reams of paper covered in writing were scattered about on every surface. Laine was not the type to bother cleaning up after herself, so her laboratory was the complete opposite of Roxy’s perfectly neat and tidy room.

“It’s as if this room is a bigger mess every time I visit,” I said.

“What?! But we tidied it just yesterday,” Roxy moaned. “How did it get this messy so quickly?”

“It’s like all the work we did was for nothing.”

Past all the books, papers, tools, and research apparatuses, Laine stared intently at a panel set in the console she was working on. Her eyes were ringed with dark circles from lack of sleep. When she noticed us entering her laboratory, she glanced at us and stifled a yawn.

“Ah, good morning! I’ve been expecting you.”

“Morning!” said Roxy.

“Good morning,” I said.

“We don’t have time for casual morning greetings!” cried Miria. “Laine, you have to hear this! Let me explain—”

Miria excitedly regaled Laine with the story of what had happened to Roxy and me.

“No need to tell me,” said Laine. “I already know.”

“Huh?!”

Miria’s shock left her in stunned silence. Laine walked past her to me and Roxy, scrutinizing us with the one eye that wasn’t hidden behind her bangs.

“You’ve swapped souls,” she said. “Just as I expected. So, how do you feel? Have you noticed any changes in your bodies?”

Roxy and I shook our heads in unison. Laine shuffled back to her console and typed something. “I see…” she said.

“What?” I asked.

“Your souls have only just swapped, so you haven’t felt any of the predicted effects. Oh,” she said suddenly. “Is that basket for me?”

Laine snatched the basket out of my hands and stuffed her face with the sandwiches inside. Watching her eat gave me the distinct impression of a hungry little squirrel filling its cheeks with chestnuts. Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about how much she resembled an adorable fluffy animal, though—not after what she’d said. 

Effects we hadn’t felt yet? 

Laine polished off another sandwich before speaking again. “Your souls are in the wrong vessels, which is dangerous. If you stay like this for too long, then…well, worst-case scenario, your bodies grow weaker until you die.”

Roxy and I cried out in dismay. That was fair—we’d just learned that our lives were at stake. We’d thought swapping bodies was bad enough, but that was only the beginning of our troubles. Roxy and I stood there, our eyes wide with fright as Laine laughed.

“That’s why I pulled an all-nighter! I’ve been concocting a plan. Don’t worry; I have more to tell you, so sit down and let’s get to it.”

We busied ourselves cleaning up the detritus around Laine’s laboratory and made enough space to sit and talk.