"You... You knew all along?"
Alice's face turned incredibly pale, and for the first time, her gaze towards Rozen carried a hint of resentment and anger.
But Alice wasn't wrong.
"While I can't say I knew all along, after witnessing the existence of Maschinensoldat and seeing you use illusion-manipulating magic so many times in front of me without employing magical tools or stones, if I didn't know, it would be fake."
Enduring Alice's resentment and anger, Rozen spoke indifferently.
"After all, when you use magic, you completely omit the use of magical tools and stones."
Clearly not using magical tools and stones, Alice could still use the 'Illusion' magic so quickly and casually. That's not normal, right?
In addition to having seen so many Maschinensoldat before, and with Alice consistently disguising herself using magic, even someone as dull as Rozen could guess what lies beneath Alice's disguise.
"By mechanizing half of your body and implanting magical circuits, you can use magic as freely as an automaton."
Rozen stared directly at Alice.
If it were now, with the ability of 'Spirit Vision,' Rozen could see through the magical circuits inside Alice's mechanized left half.
"Earlier, because magic continuously covered the left side of your body, even though I could see magic and mana disguising your body, for a while, I couldn't see through the layers of disguise to understand what was underneath. Now, I finally understand."
Rozen slowly spoke to Alice.
"However, it seems like you're different from those so-called Maschinensoldat, right? You weren't willingly mechanized?"
This is something that can be easily seen.
If Alice willingly underwent mechanization, she wouldn't expose her left side with such a degree of excitement and concern.
Although it's true that girls love beauty, if half of the body has been turned into an automaton, anyone would want to conceal it, not letting anyone see.
However, if Alice willingly underwent mechanization, she wouldn't resort to fleeing and escaping punishment when Rozen tried to expose her disguise.
At least, Rozen believes that if Alice willingly became an automaton, with her strategic nature of deceiving others as casual as having three meals a day, she would have sensibly chosen to reveal it on the battlefield, explaining that she used illusion magic to disguise this monstrous body, seeking sympathy and a chance for rebuttal.
However, Alice abandoned all these opportunities and chose to run away, unwilling to make a final struggle even if it meant shouldering all the blame. This doesn't align with the actions of a strategist.
Of course, even if Alice had revealed everything on the spot, Rozen had prepared arguments and means to deal with her, but none were used.
This indicates how unbearable and sensitive Alice is about this matter.
Therefore, Rozen speculated...
"I'm afraid it's because since childhood, your body has been weak and prone to illness, possibly even on the brink of death. So, you chose mechanization willingly, or perhaps you were forced into it, just to preserve your life?"
Rozen exposed such a fact.
With the ability of 'Spirit Vision,' Rozen could see signs of extreme weakness in Alice's spiritual energy, proving that her physical condition is not good.
This kind of condition is more than enough to threaten her life.
In other words, Alice is already on the verge of death.
"It's precisely because of this that your personality is so twisted, disregarding your own safety and even finding joy in self-destruction, all because you've completely given up on yourself."
Rozen stated this emotionlessly.
"However, you shouldn't use your self-destructive tendencies as an excuse to harm others."
At this point, Rozen's tone carried a hint of anger.
Certainly, Alice's situation evokes sympathy, especially for Rozen, who feels a sense of shared suffering.
After all, Rozen experienced a similar situation at the age of two, almost succumbing to death.
Indeed, Alice can be considered a victim of human experimentation, much like Frey.
If the circumstances were different, since Rozen didn't mind helping Frey, he wouldn't hesitate to assist Alice.
However, Alice, unlike Frey, chose to persecute others after being victimized.
This ignited an uncontrollable anger within Rozen.
It's precisely because of their shared experiences, their shared suffering, that Rozen couldn't help but feel this intense anger towards Alice's actions.
For others, Rozen would only act out of indignation and disgust, not with such fiery anger.
However...
"...Are you talking about the situation with Frey and the two sisters from the Belew family?"
Alice, with a pale face, fell silent for a moment and then suddenly burst into a cold laughter.
"That's right, I am self-destructive, I can't stand seeing others doing better than me."
Alice spoke in a tone that sounded both self-deprecating and mocking.
"Even though we underwent mechanization, our bodies stopped functioning at some point, and we could die at any moment. Yet, she gets saved by someone who suddenly appears, and here I am still struggling in the abyss. How can I not be jealous?"
Alice's words left Rozen silent.
Recalling the night encounter between Alice and Frey, people in the academy described it like this:
"It seems like she really enjoys forcing 'Surround Roar.' She had a happy smile on her face the whole time."
This description was wrong.
At that time, Alice was indeed smiling, but it wasn't a smile of enjoyment; it was a bitter smile.
Watching someone with similar experiences being saved while she continued to struggle, the contrast would make anyone feel emotionally unbalanced, wouldn't it?
Alice is like this, so even under Rosenberg's orders, she still went after Frey.
"Those sisters are the same. Healthy bodies, loving parents, yet they still feel sad about their situation. What are they mourning about?"
When one's true self is exposed in such a manner, no matter how confident and powerful a woman is, she becomes incredibly fragile, just like Alice is now.
So, Alice continues to wear a self-deprecating smile, sarcastic and mocking.
"Therefore, I truly can't stand it. Since I can't stand it, I'll just drag them all down to play with me. Doesn't that sound nice?"
Alice keeps laughing, laughing.
"So, I'm truly a despicable woman, someone who brings misfortune and disaster to others, hehe, heheheh."
Laughing and laughing, what Alice reveals is not just sarcasm and mockery anymore; it's an overwhelming sadness, sounding more dismal than crying.
Facing this kind of Alice...
"Slap!"
A crisp sound echoes.
"Miss!"
Shin calls out.
"Rozen...?"
Yaya is equally astonished.
"What... is...?"
Even Alice is stunned, holding her face in disbelief.
In front of her, Rozen maintains the posture of a swung palm, coldly staring at her.
Rozen gave Alice a harsh slap.
And without mercy.