The sunlight was bright, and the insects chirped noisily, yet the midsummer atmosphere was blocked by the well-insulated windows. Only faint sounds that seemed to come from far away remained in the Incubation Chamber, making the room feel all the quieter.
The atmosphere was a little awkward, but Gawain did not let it last long. He coughed lightly twice to break the silence and said calmly, "I ran into Nicholas outside just now."
"Mister Egg? Yes, he just left," Enya said in her usual gentle, detached tone. "He helped me repair this Neural Interface Device... I believe that was what it was called? Sorry, there seemed to have been a problem with how I used it. I accidentally damaged a key component."
"I heard," Gawain said, letting out a breath as the atmosphere finally began to return to normal. He decided to bury Nicholas Egghead's assessment of Enya in the corridor deep in his heart forever—or, preferably, forget it all immediately. "Don't worry about it. Machines wearing down is perfectly normal—but you should still try to limit how long you stay connected to the Neural Network. Even aside from the equipment, getting too absorbed in the online world can affect your health... uh, probably?"
By the end, Gawain's tone had become noticeably cautious. Looking at this "retired god" lodged in a pedestal in the form of a dragon egg, he suddenly began to wonder whether she could even have health problems like mortals did—just how much worse could Enya's health get now? Could she surf the internet until her yolk scattered?
Fortunately, Enya did not seem to care about the disrespectful thoughts that had passed through Gawain's mind during his brief hesitation. Gentle laughter came from within the eggshell. "I accept your advice. Let us say... for my health."
Gawain