The Letter's Contents and Resolve / A Chat and an Examination
"Um!"
After having breakfast with Ifrit, Silence asked her teacher, the head of the Structural Department Ahrens, for a short leave before leaving Rhine Lab's headquarters and heading alone to the place written on the note.
In fact, Silence knew she should have someone accompany her, because facing the unknown alone was indeed very dangerous... No one could be sure that the other side didn't harbor malicious intentions.
However, before leaving the Rhine Lab headquarters building, she thought about it all but couldn't figure out who to look for...
Saria was too busy; after spending some time with Ifrit last night, she went out again.
As for Sakura, whom he had already become somewhat familiar with and could chat with a few times, she had just finished her night shift, and Silence felt too embarrassed to bother her.
Finally, since this matter should indeed be kept secret before it is confirmed, Silence chose to trust Ifrit.
Putting aside all these messy factors, Silence was actually quite curious about this person who could gain Ifrit's trust and protection in just a few nights.
Moreover, the [Diablo Project]...
As time passed, Silence, using her transportation, successfully arrived at the address on the slip of paper in her hand.
However, after she got off the bus, she discovered that the address on the note was just an ordinary fruit stand.
"..."
Although for a moment, Silence felt a pang of guilt, but not wanting to miss anything, she continued walking towards the fruit stand, hoping to ask the owner if he had any useful information.
"Hmm? You are... Miss Silence, I didn't expect you to come so soon." The fruit stall owner was slightly taken aback when he saw the girl walking towards him, and then he whispered the name of the person in front of him.
"Do you know me?"
Hearing the stall owner's address, Silence was slightly taken aback, and then asked.
"Haha." After hearing Silence's words, the stall owner first laughed, then lowered his voice and whispered:
"I certainly hadn't met Miss Silence before, but someone asked me to give you some things and showed me your picture."
"!"
"When did that person commission you?!"
The stall owner's words made Silence frown slightly, and then she lowered her voice and asked in a low voice.
P. S.: There'll be another one later, around midnight. I think I'm doing alright with writing tonight...
Chapter 113 The Contents of the Letter and the Resolute Action
"!"
"When did that person commission you?!"
The stall owner's words made Silence frown slightly, and then she lowered her voice and asked in a low voice.
"I can't reveal that, young lady..."
The stall owner first answered in a low voice, then raised his voice and shouted at Silence, "Haha, alright, young lady, what kind of fruit do you want to buy? Young people shouldn't be so indecisive!"
"All the fruits in my house are very fresh, and strawberries are especially recommended as they are in season."
"... Then please weigh some strawberries for me."
Faced with the stall owner's sudden increase in volume, Silence was taken aback at first, then reacted and said...
"Alright!"
"Thank you for coming, goodbye, young lady."
"Okay, goodbye."
After saying goodbye to the stall owner, Silence casually picked up a large bag of strawberries and left.
It wasn't until they returned to Rhine Lab's headquarters by public transport that Silence, in a secluded corner without surveillance, discreetly pulled a letter from a large bag of strawberries, encased in a white envelope.
Although she didn't get any useful information from the fruit stall owner, Silence still managed to get her "target" for the trip.
Honestly, because I wasn't very familiar with that area, before I got there, Silence never imagined it would be like a fruit stand...
She had thought this trip might be a "trap," but to her surprise, there wasn't a trap at all, and she didn't even see anyone. She went and received a large bag of strawberries and an unopened letter.
"..."
Thinking it over, Silence carefully put the envelope in her pocket; she felt this place wasn't suitable for reading such things.
"Sigh, I bought too many strawberries..."
After putting the envelope away, Silence's helpless gaze slowly swept over the large bag of strawberries she was carrying.
At the time, eager to know the truth, she didn't care or dwell on it, and quickly paid the money. But now, no matter how you look at it, she seems a bit like a sucker...
Fortunately, the fruit was indeed of very good quality, just as the vendor had said. We can share it with Ifrit and our friends later.
Having made her decision, Silence stopped hesitating. After carefully placing the strawberries down and changing into her white lab coat, she headed towards the laboratory. As for why she didn't pick up the strawberries right away, the reason was simple...
Who in their right family would take a day off just to buy strawberries? It's fine in private, but bringing it up in public... it really seems abrupt.
Silence didn't want word to spread throughout the Structural Department that he wasn't taking his job seriously and was going out to buy strawberries during work hours.
After arriving near the Structural Department lab, Silence didn't rush back. Instead, he went to the restroom first and then took out an envelope from his pocket in a stall.
Because she didn't know what was written in the letter, she was much more careful when opening it.
After taking out the letter, Silence couldn't wait to read it.
[Miss Silence, you must have many questions, I'm very curious about the "Diablo Project" I mentioned on the note?]
[Then why not try to regain your access and take a look inside your Structural Department? After all, there are some things you wouldn't believe if you were told directly. But I believe that with Miss Silence's keen perception, she must have already noticed something...]
[Of course, one thing I can make clear is that the "Diablo Project" was conceived specifically for Ifrit, this "experimental subject." Yes, you read that right, an experimental subject.]
"!"
Upon seeing this, Silence's pupils contracted slightly, and a look of horror appeared on his face. At the same time, the hand gripping the letter tightened involuntarily, crumpling the edges of the paper.
If the letter is true, then it confirms the suspicions and thoughts that Silence has been keeping hidden in her heart for some time.
"Teacher, you..."
Silence gritted his teeth, suppressing the anger in his heart, so that he wouldn't run out and confront his teacher.
"..."
After a moment, Silence, who was furious with her inner thoughts, managed to calm down, then lowered her eyes and continued reading.
[Alright, let's leave this topic at that. Let's cooperate again after Miss Silence finds out the truth about the "Diablo Project."]
[By the way, I was a little too rough last night and accidentally cleared half of the Originium from Ifrit's body.]
[Then I'll just have to let the child cause a good fuss later, since I probably won't be visiting for the next few days and won't have my potions... But I think Miss Silence will help keep it a secret, right?]
[Of course, if Miss Silence insists on hearing the child's cries, there's nothing I can do to stop her.]
[How pitiful! Ifrit encountered two people who claimed to protect her, but in reality, they not only failed to do so, but were even accomplices and perpetrators.]
[You're right, Miss Silence, aren't you?]
--Snake Serpent Lord
"..."
After thoroughly reading the letter, which was casually formatted and full of sarcastic remarks, Silence's hand holding the letter began to tremble. A mix of emotions overwhelmed her, leaving her feeling quite confused.
Firstly, it was quite shocking that this mysterious person actually had the technology to do something like that—eliminating half of the Originium in a person's body! This technology would be highly sought after anywhere.
Secondly, the last few sentences of this letter...
Silence admitted that those last few words, filled with "malice," had indeed deeply pierced her heart... Again, if the contents of that letter were true, then she... had truly committed an unforgivable act.
In a daze, Silence seemed to hear again Ifrit's mournful cries, which hadn't echoed in the laboratory for some time...
This auditory hallucination jolted her awake. In the next few breaths, her eyes grew increasingly resolute, even revealing a sense of determination.
"I'm back."
After composing herself and adjusting her expression, Silence returned to Ifrit's room with a smile.
"Hmm, welcome back, Silence!"
Ifrit, who had heard Silence's footsteps long ago, greeted him with a smile, as if it were no surprise.
"So, what's the situation?"
"I went over there and read a letter. Now, Ifrit, can you have a proper chat with me about you, you Mobius?"
P. S.: Ahem, it's around 1 AM, which is also around midnight (seriously). Going to sleep now, everyone. Goodnight.
Chapter 114 Chatting and Inspection
"I went over there and read a letter. Now, Ifrit, can you have a proper chat with me about you, you Mobius?"
"Hmm, okay."
Upon hearing this, Ifrit blinked slightly and then nodded.
"When did you two meet? What does that person look like?" After Ifrit nodded, Silence hesitated for a moment before asking two questions.
"I've known Mobius for... a while now." Ifrit, who wasn't very sensitive to time, frowned slightly and gave a vague answer.
"As for Mobius's appearance... she looks about my age, and she's very beautiful!"
When Mobius's appearance was mentioned, Ifrit's eyes lit up slightly, and then she spoke seriously.
After hearing Ifrit's answer to the first question, Silence felt somewhat helpless but said nothing. It wasn't until she heard the answer to the second question that she frowned slightly and murmured:
"Around your age... teens? How is that possible?"
"Mobius are very powerful!"
Hearing Silence's incredulous words, Ifrit added quietly.
"... And then what? After you met, did she start injecting you with drugs?" After a moment of silence, Silence, having regained her senses, stopped dwelling on the age issue and asked in a different way.
She realized that there were some things Ifrit simply couldn't explain, so it was better to ask for details and then figure it out herself.
"No, the first night I met Mobius, we made a promise, and then she examined my body."
After hearing Silence's question, Ifrit gently shook her head and then answered.
"..."
Perhaps realizing that her next question was a bit too pointed, Silence paused for a moment before speaking:
"Ifrit, can you tell me what the agreement is?"
"Hmm..."
Ifrit frowned, looking deep in thought for a while, before finally revealing the part that Mobius had forbidden her to say:
"That night, the Mobius promised me that it would stop my pain... and completely heal me."
"..."
Ifrit's words plunged Silence into complete silence...
Well, the little dragon was still a child and didn't understand, but Silence was very clear about the weight of the two promises in those short sentences.
It's important to understand that in a time when Originium infection is practically incurable, someone dared to make such a promise, put it into practice, and even achieved "partial success." What courage and talent that takes!
Silence was certain that if all of this were true, the Mobius that Ifrit spoke of would be a target of fierce competition among countless powerful forces should she dare to show her face in the scientific community.
As for the cost of these two promises, Ifrit didn't bring it up herself, and Silence didn't ask about it for the time being.
She knew she wouldn't get any answers by asking now, so instead of pressing for answers, she decided to wait and try to get information out of him gradually.
"And then? Wait..." Silence, who was about to ask more questions, suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly asked, "Ifrit, your sudden breakthrough in overcoming your psychological barrier and being able to speak wasn't also because of her, was it?"
"Hmm!"