Chapter 64
*Creak.* The stiff iron door groaned as it opened, revealing a vast hall. The ceiling, arched like a dome, was impossibly high for an underground space, adorned with intricate patterns. But what was even more shocking were the densely packed prison cells lining the perimeter of the hall.
“Rudy!”
“I’ve been collecting them diligently. With this many, we’ll succeed in the research soon.”
Despite Eris’ horrified reaction, Ludvio shrugged with an unsettling grin. The surrounding cells held a mix of animals and young children—half and half. Their screams, moans, and the stench of decay made it clear none were in healthy condition.
“It’s too noisy, though.”
At Ludvio’s muttered remark, the guards stationed by the cells moved in to silence the prisoners. The sound of something breaking and wails crescendoed before abruptly dying into eerie silence. The stark contrast sent chills down Eris’ spine.
“Are these the materials for the beastman chimera project you mentioned earlier?”
Hecate, who had followed in silence until now, finally spoke. His voice betrayed no emotion as he slowly circled the hall, inspecting the cells. Eris clenched her trembling hands to steady herself.
“Y-yes! So? With this many, there’s no shortage for building a beastman army, right?”
Ludvio’s bulging eyes trailed Hecate’s back, his impatience palpable as he waited for an answer.
Hecate had secretly contacted Ludvio not long after his beastman chimera research began. At first, Ludvio suspected him to be Teia’s spy—especially since Hecate had attended Teia’s party. But instead of blackmail, Hecate made an offer Ludvio couldn’t refuse: a way to eliminate Teia.
In exchange, Hecate wanted only one thing—the pet rabbit Teia doted on. Or rather, the rabbit chimera. Ludvio hadn’t confirmed whether the creature was truly a chimera, but Hecate seemed certain.
Either way, their interests aligned perfectly. Ludvio wanted to strip Teia of everything, and Hecate demanded only the rabbit. Moreover, with Ludvio’s research stalled, Hecate’s promise of a breakthrough was worth investigating.
“Now that you’re here, know this: if you fail to synthesize a chimera, you won’t leave alive.”
“Then I suppose there’s nothing to worry about.”
Hecate’s confident reply made Ludvio’s eyes gleam with greed.
“It seems you’ve never succeeded before.”
Eris agreed. Despite calling this a chimera research facility, there were no actual chimeras in sight—only grotesque failures piled in a corner, rotting. Half-human, half-animal corpses lay mangled together. Eris averted her gaze, disgusted by the mutilated remains.
“And most of these are herbivores? Small ones, too… They’re unfit for an army. Stronger, fiercer animals would be better.”
“I know that! But this is just the experimental phase. Larger ones are harder to control—what if they attack me?”
“Ah…”
“We’ll test the process on weak, small subjects first. Once we perfect control, we’ll move to stronger specimens. Heh. I’m just being cautious.”
Hecate stared blankly at Ludvio’s smug face before turning away. In the cells, small, wounded animals huddled silently, barely breathing.
After surveying the facility, Hecate shook his head.
“Your methodology is flawed. Where did you learn this?”
“Th-that’s impossible! The source was reliable! That rabbit you mentioned—they said it was made this way!”
“Hmm. Unlikely. If you continue like this, you’ll never create a single chimera. Was the person who taught you this method trustworthy?”
“T-trustworthy…”
Ludvio faltered. But he wasn’t keen on revealing all his secrets to Hecate either, dodging the question with vague excuses.
“If you don’t trust me fully, this research will keep failing. Whether I live or die is your choice—why hesitate?”
Hecate’s taunting pressure wore Ludvio down. Finally, the prince produced an old book.
“He’s dead now. The master of the information guild swore he succeeded using this method. He promised to show me the chimera, but then—ugh!—Teia attacked the guild!”
Ludvio trembled with rage at the memory, missing Hecate’s silent smirk. Only Eris, quietly observing, caught the flicker of mockery.
“If only we had that rabbit, we could’ve tested it ourselves—”
“Do not touch the rabbit. It’s mine.”
Hecate’s voice turned icy, his gaze sharp with warning and disdain. Ludvio flinched, then bristled at his own momentary fear, raising his voice to mask it.
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