Chapter 19: Dounia’s Little Scheme

Anomaly Bureau.

Sunlight filtered through the windows, casting patches of light on the wooden floor.

Fia, the ice-cold, black-haired beauty, sat upright behind her desk, engrossed in the document in her hands.

Her posture was ramrod straight, like an iceberg, exuding an intimidating majesty that warned others not to approach.

Tap, tap—

A soft, hurried knock on the door broke the silence.

“Chief, I am here to report on the situation,” Adelle’s voice came from outside the door.

“Come in,” Fia’s voice was steady and powerful.

The door slowly opened, and Adelle, dressed in her maid uniform, walked in.
Her steps were light and graceful, like a cat walking without a sound.

Adelle bowed slightly, habitually saluting Fia.

“Speak. Are there any new developments?”

Toward her dedicated maid of many years, Fia offered a slight smile, put down her work, and adopted a much more relaxed demeanor.

“Dounia has become an official Executioner. Today, as her Surveillance Officer, I accompanied her this morning to investigate the places Miss Violet visited a month ago…”

Adelle recounted everything they had experienced in detail, including Dounia’s specific reactions and performance, for Fia’s reference.
She even included the specifics of how she would manage Dounia’s private matters.

Fia listened attentively to Adelle’s report.

“What is your evaluation of her?”

“In a certain sense, her operational logic is extremely similar to that of a Pleasure Follower. She will do things that are completely illogical and contrary to common sense, and these actions may even go against her own self-interest.”

Fia nodded slightly, as if in agreement.

“However, I have not seen her display any intentions similar to those of a Pleasure Follower toward any man. Therefore, I believe she is still in a relatively controllable stage.”

“She has a unique and meticulous method of observation, which does not stem from any extraordinary ability, but rather from her own outstanding personal skills. I suspect her childhood was not a simple one.”

“Her attempt to flee from the battle was entirely within my expectations.”

Adelle stated calmly, then blinked.

“But I was somewhat surprised that she chose to return and join the fight.”

“For an ordinary person with no abilities to encounter a Soul-Loss patient with extraordinary powers on the verge of losing control, death is almost a certain outcome… But I did not see her use any extraordinary abilities. Perhaps her true ability is luck?”

Fia shook her head slightly.

“I suspect her ability is likely related to the ‘Deeper Consciousness’.”

“The Deeper Consciousness…!?” Adelle’s eyes widened slightly. “You mean that most dangerous and bizarre mysterious organization?”

“Yes,” Fia said calmly. “The very Deeper Consciousness Society you are thinking of.”

“But… the Anomaly Bureau sealed away all psychological knowledge a long time ago. There shouldn’t be any wild Beyonders emerging who can connect with the ‘Deeper Consciousness Society’ out of thin air, right?” Adelle said subconsciously.

“Even for us at the Anomaly Bureau, deliberately cultivating Beyonders on the ‘Deeper Consciousness’ path is exceptionally difficult, let alone her reading those forbidden texts on her own… That would be enough to make her brain explode countless times.”

“Perhaps this is the reason she was able to ‘cure’ the Soul-Loss in Violet,” Fia glanced at her, bringing the discussion back to the main topic. “Overall, what is your evaluation of her?”

Adelle blinked, choosing her words carefully. “She may not be a selfless person, nor is she a good person…”

“But she doesn’t seem like a bad person either.”

“As an Executioner, she was able to step forward when her Surveillance Officer was in trouble. That is a satisfactory performance.”

The corners of Fia’s lips curled up as she teased with amusement, “It’s rare to hear you evaluate someone like this. I recall you storming into my office yesterday, wanting to execute her on the spot?”

“I am merely speaking on the matter at hand,” Adelle lowered her head slightly, demonstrating her loyalty. “Your authority should not be offended. No one has that privilege.”

“If she were to do something that endangers the Anomaly Bureau or other ordinary people, I would still kill her without hesitation. But for now… as an Executioner, she still has her uses.”

“Is that so.” Fia nodded noncommittally. “That will be all for today.”

“Yes.” Adelle bowed in salute and swiftly departed with light steps.

Back in her dormitory, Dounia lay on her bed, completely unaware that she had successfully passed a test.

As soon as they returned to the Anomaly Bureau, Linda was taken to another location by people Adelle had arranged, supposedly for further examination.

And after personally escorting her back to the dormitory, Adelle had quickly departed.

“Heeey~” Dounia muffled her head with the blanket, rolling back and forth on the bed. “What are you doing—!~”

Lilith popped out again in her small demon form, curiously observing the squirming caterpillar-like lump on the bed.

“Hehe~ Are you afraid, my beloved Apostle?”

The Dounia-caterpillar vigilantly raised its head, crossing its arms defiantly and turning its head away. “Who’s afraid!”

“Then what are you agonizing over?” Lilith retorted. “From my perspective, your portrayal of a Pleasure Follower is excellent. You’ve already started to undermine the Chief’s authority, hehe~”

Dounia shot her a glare and threw a pillow at her.

“Get lost!”

The pillow passed straight through Lilith’s doll-like body.
Dounia silently hopped off the bed, picked up the pillow, dusted it off, and then covered her face with it again.

In truth, Lilith wasn’t wrong at all.
The thing she was worrying about was precisely the original game’s protagonist—Alicia Alvarez.

If nothing unexpected happened, she would arrive in Winterfrost Town in three days!

As everyone knows, game protagonists tend to have a “trouble magnet” constitution.
Just like a certain elementary school student in Conan, wherever they go, someone dies.
They’re practically a walking Grim Reaper, a disaster detonator.

If she was a butterfly whose flapping wings could trigger a storm, then this original protagonist was a Category 8 gale.

She would destroy everything that got close to her like a typhoon, viciously stomping on the gas pedal as the world spiraled down the path of destruction.

“What on earth should I do…”

Dounia’s troubled voice came from behind the pillow, a bit muffled, but the young girl’s aggrieved and confused expression was unexpectedly cute.

“Since Zhou Yu already exists, why is there a need for Zhuge Liang…”¹ Dounia couldn’t help but lament.

Isn’t one “protagonist” like me enough?
Shoving the original protagonist in here, do they want me, this “Pleasure Follower,” to die for her to see?

The original protagonist’s tragic past was likely inseparable from the Pleasure Followers.
When the time came, if her identity as a Pleasure Follower was confirmed, she would be the first one to get killed!

“Struggle, in the abyss of blood and darkness!” Lilith cackled sinisterly.

Dounia stared at Lilith dumbfoundedly, as if she had seen a ghost.

‘Huh?’

‘She’s a Goddess of Pleasure from a game, and she can play games from our world? You’re defying the heavens!’

“I’m super… amazed!” Lilith wagged her heart-shaped tail, voicing Dounia’s thoughts for her.

“Damn it, don’t voice my thoughts!”

Dounia frantically swung the large pillow, but she couldn’t hit Lilith at all.

After swinging for a while, the out-of-shape Dounia grew a bit tired.

She huffily tossed the pillow aside, lay flat on the bed in a starfish position, and peacefully closed her eyes.

‘Tired. Let it all be destroyed.jpg’

An idea slowly emerged in her mind—since she couldn’t avoid this walking jinx, she might as well act like a real villain and suppress her, restrict her movements, and buy herself more time to develop.

At the same time, she would offer honeyed treats from behind the oppression, secretly providing aid to the original protagonist without revealing her identity.

This way, the protagonist’s damned luck wouldn’t be able to truly corner her to death!

‘I’m a genius!’

“Hmph hmph… hehe… Mwahaha…!” Dounia laughed wildly.
Lilith flicked her tail curiously, her eyes sparkling.

Her apostle was about to cook up something new for her.

Swish—

The door quickly opened, and short pink hair entered Dounia’s field of vision.

She sat up from the bed and said with a solemn expression, “Violet, I want to become a Surveillance Officer!”

Footnotes:

1. A famous line from “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” It’s a lament by the brilliant strategist Zhou Yu, who feels overshadowed by his rival, the even more brilliant Zhuge Liang. Dounia is comparing herself (Zhou Yu) to the game’s original protagonist (Zhuge Liang).