Everything, Left Unspoken

"Huh? Doctor Mobius?"

Blanca, having just composed himself and stepped out of the room, ran right into Mobius, who was standing silently by the bedroom door. His eyes immediately darted around in panic, and he stammered, "Doctor... do you have any work you need to assign me?"

Mobius had a grim expression, and Blanca could barely meet her gaze.

After an unknown amount of time, Mobius took a deep breath and extended her right hand to Blanca, saying:

"Give it to me."

"Ah... ah?"

Blanca was a bit bewildered. She didn't understand what Mobius meant.

"Your resignation letter. Give it to me."

Mobius's tone was impatient, and Blanca was startled by her current demeanor. She quickly pulled out the crumpled resignation letter from her embrace and handed it to Mobius with both hands.

Mobius directly took the crumpled resignation letter, pulled out a pen she carried with her, signed her name on the applicant's line of the resignation letter, and then tossed the report back to Blanca, saying:

"Alright, Blanca. You can go."

"Ah... ah?"

"What 'ah'?"

Mobius waved her hand impatiently and said:

"Wasn't I clear enough? From now on, you are no longer my experimental assistant, Mobius. There is no place for you in my research institute anymore."

"I... huh?"

Blanca felt that Mobius was acting strangely today, even unforgivably so. After a moment of thought, she still looked at Mobius with a confused expression and asked:

"Doctor, are you... not feeling well?"

As she spoke, Blanca looked towards Xu Ziling, her confused expression asking if Xu Ziling knew what was going on with Mobius today.

Xu Ziling knew, of course, but he definitely couldn't say. He could only shrug helplessly, feigning ignorance.

"Huh??"

Upon hearing Blanca's words, Mobius seemed to get fired up. She tiptoed and poked Blanca's forehead hard a few times with her finger, saying:

"Blanca, have you been around Elysia for too long and become stupid? Wasn't I clear enough?? The moment I signed that contract just now, you! Are no longer my experimental assistant, Mobius! You have no reason to stay in my research institute anymore! Because you... have graduated!!"

"Ah??"

Faced with Mobius's outburst, Blanca became even more confused. She stammered:

"I... I graduated??"

"Yes."

Mobius stated directly:

"When you first came to be my assistant, wasn't it because you valued my achievements in biology and wanted to get a degree from me? Now, you've graduated. I'll have Fire Moth send someone to deliver your certificate later. You have no reason to stay here anymore, please leave."

"But... but..."

Having obtained the certificate she once dreamed of, Blanca's expression was not one of happiness but rather filled with worry as she looked at Mobius.

"But Doctor Mobius, I haven't found a suitable replacement yet. As for Mr. Xu Ziling... I haven't even had time to teach him how to handle documents. If I leave now, Doctor, what will you do?"

"Huh???"

Mobius's expression became even more exaggerated. She then sneered dismissively and tapped Blanca's forehead again, saying:

"Blanca, remember this: you were my experimental assistant, but only an experimental assistant. While your presence certainly made my work in the research institute much easier, it doesn't mean my research institute can't function without you!

Do you understand? Blanca, if you understand, hurry up and leave! There's no place for you here anymore!"

It was clear that Blanca still wanted to say something, but Mobius directly reached out and covered her mouth, her expression fluctuating as she said:

"Blanca, I know what you want to say. You want to accuse me of being cold-blooded. You want to ask why I can discard years of our relationship like foam in a single day, right?

Hahahaha~ Blanca, you're truly hilarious... Go ask anyone in Fire Moth, and see who doesn't think 'Mobius' is a cold-blooded and cruel doctor! How dare you try to measure me with sentimentality? Who gave you the right?! Do you think I can't survive without you? Do you think the research institute will collapse without you?!

Who do you think you are? Blanca, do you expect me to be crying and begging you on the floor not to leave? How is that possible! I am Mobius! The world's most cold-blooded biologist, Mobius! How could something like that... possibly happen..."

Sensing the waver in her voice at the end, Mobius's expression changed. She immediately adopted a stern posture and gaze, looking at Blanca and saying:

"Perhaps you did feel a sliver of warmth from me before... but I need to tell you, the Mobius you see now is the real Mobius. The warmth you felt from me before was fake! Do you understand? It was just a tactic to make you work harder for me, understand!

So, Blanca, if you want to leave, leave now. You're just a pawn I've been using, and I'm just an extremely evil and cold-blooded doctor. There's nothing here worth your lingering attachment, right?"

Hearing Mobius speak so much in one breath, Blanca clutched the signed experimental report in her arms and looked at Mobius with a complex expression.

And Mobius, as if truly as cold-blooded as she claimed, met Blanca's incredibly complicated gaze with a dismissive smile. She then turned her back, not even glancing at Blanca.

...But this was only what Mobius believed.

In reality, whether it was Blanca, Xu Ziling, or Miss Elf who was still fiddling with a box in the living room, they could all clearly see that Mobius's fingers... and even her entire body, were trembling slightly. This was a symptom that appeared when a person's emotions reached a breaking point, something that couldn't be suppressed by sheer willpower.

Blanca had no doubt that if she continued to stay, Mobius would absolutely have an emotional breakdown, and might even cry in front of everyone. But crying... was truly unsuitable for Mobius.

Yes, Blanca knew that the best choice for her now was to accept Mobius's reprimand, take the signed resignation letter, and go home to her husband and children. Afterward, she could use her graduation certificate from Mobius to attach her name to a few small projects in biology. Even if Blanca did nothing else, she could accumulate wealth that her family couldn't spend in a lifetime.

But... things happened too suddenly. Blanca still had so many, many things he wanted to say to Mobius, but Mobius was already on the verge of breaking down, and Blanca truly didn't know how to start.

Blanca froze in place, thinking for a long... long time. Finally, he looked at Mobius's retreating back and said:

"Doctor, I..."

"...Stop right there!"

Before Blanca could utter a complete sentence, Mobius raised her right hand and said, "I know what you want to say. It's nothing more than those sickening farewell scenes. I'll give you five minutes. Hurry up and finish with me and Elysia and Little Mouse! Then leave. Right now, every minute, every second... I don't want to see you anymore!"

After saying this, Mobius ran off quickly, leaving Blanca standing there alone.

Looking at the stunned Blanca, then at the fleeing Mobius, Xu Ziling shrugged helplessly. He then walked forward and said to Blanca:

"Senior Blanca, you... should understand what the Doctor means, right?"

"How could I possibly not understand..."

Blanca muttered to himself, then thought of something and looked at Xu Ziling. He said, "Mr. Xu Ziling, come here for a moment. There are some things... I need to tell you in private."

"Hm?"

Xu Ziling was a little surprised by this. After subtly glancing at the pink Miss Elf still in the living room, he returned to her room with Blanca and asked, "What is it?"

"Mmm..."

Blanca scratched his head and then said, "I just wanted to ask Ziling... do you have anything else to do tonight?"

"Hm?"

Xu Ziling leaned back tactically. Why did this question feel strange?

After a moment of thought, Xu Ziling replied, "If I don't have anything else to do at night, I usually sleep on the floor in the Doctor's room."

"Phew... That's good."

It seemed Blanca breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she looked at Xu Ziling with a serious expression and said, "Well... this might be a bit abrupt, but I really can't stay at the institute anymore. Xu Ziling, can I ask you to sneak into the Doctor's room tonight and keep her company for the night? I can feel that the Doctor is really close to a breakdown. She needs companionship. As for Miss Elysia... uh, her companionship would probably have the opposite effect on the Doctor, so I can only ask you. Can you do it?"

"So that's how it is..."

Xu Ziling nodded and immediately said, "Don't worry, Senior Blanca. Have you forgotten my relationship with the Doctor? Even if you hadn't said anything, as her 'target,' I would go and accompany her."

"Mm."

Blanca nodded and then said, "Then I'm leaving... Ah, sorry, I haven't been able to teach you much during these days we've spent together. I'll introduce another assistant to the institute later, and you can learn from her then... Am I really leaving now?"

"Mm."

Xu Ziling looked deeply at Blanca, smiled knowingly, and said, "Senior Blanca, may we meet again."

"Mm, may we meet again."

With that, Blanca pushed open the bedroom door, preparing to leave the "small building" where he had lived for less than three days, but she had "lived" for three years.

"Branch."

"Whoa whoa whoa!"

To Blanca's surprise, when she opened the bedroom door, she saw a pink Miss Elf eavesdropping by the door. As the inner sliding door of the bedroom opened, Elysia almost fell.

"Miss Elysia, you..."

"Ahem, ahem!"

Feeling Blanca's slightly strange gaze, Elysia quickly coughed twice and changed the subject with a smile.

"Oh my, oh my~ What a coincidence, you two, meeting here... Anyway, little Blanca is leaving the institute now, right?"

"...Mm."

Blanca nodded and added, "We'll keep in touch."

"Oh my~ What do you mean 'keep in touch'?~"

Elysia smiled and hugged Blanca, then asked, "I'll just ask you one question, Blanca, do you... still have money to buy a plane ticket now?"

"……?!!!"

Elysia's words jolted Blanca from his daze, startling him. However, after a moment of calm reflection, Blanca replied, "…It's fine. I'll borrow some more from Hen. The money for a plane ticket, our family can afford that."

"Heh heh~ No need for such trouble!"

Elysia chuckled, nodded to Xu Ziling, and then took Blanca's hand, leading him to the living room.

On the living room table was the "box" Elysia had been fiddling with since the beginning.

As they got closer, Xu Ziling realized the boxes on the table weren't ordinary at all, but rather exquisitely wrapped "gift boxes" of various sizes.

"Ta-da?~ This is Miss Elf's big surprise!"

Elysia grinned and handed a gift box to Blanca, saying, "Hurry and open it?~"

Blanca opened it. Inside the gift box was none other than a plane ticket, already booked in advance… a ticket to M Continent.

Mu, the world's most advanced continent, wasn't Blanca's hometown, but Hen and Griseo were there now, so that was Blanca's home.

The ticket's departure time was… 3 AM tonight, departing from Changkong City's First Airport.

Seeing the ticket, Blanca's pupils contracted. He then looked at Elysia with a mix of helplessness and surprise, saying:

"Miss Elysia… you knew the Doctor would have me leave tonight?"

"Mm-hmm?~"

Elysia tilted her head slightly and said, "It's just a little concern from a beautiful girl for her companion… Oh! Don't mind that, little Blanca, hurry and open the other boxes? I've prepared so many gifts!… Hey, hey, little Ziling over there, don't just stand there foolishly, come help little Blanca pack. As for me… I'll be in charge of opening the gifts for little Blanca to boost the atmosphere?~"

Xu Ziling was taken aback, not expecting Elysia to call him at this moment. After a moment, he smiled helplessly, took the travel bag Elysia handed him, and diligently helped Blanca pack the gifts Elysia had prepared for him.

Blanca, meanwhile, was diligently opening gift box after gift box.

Inside the gift boxes were the cute little dresses Elysia had bought for Blanca before, hand-sewn cartoon sachets, a pack of jasmine tea… and so on. Elysia had truly prepared so many farewell gifts for Blanca, so many that Blanca couldn't count them all.

The last gift box, when opened, contained three dolls… or rather, three dolls stacked on top of each other.

At the bottom of the doll stack was a green Serpent with cold, stern eyes. Undoubtedly, this doll was made to resemble Mobius.

On top of the green Serpent was a cute pink Elf. Undoubtedly, this cute pink Elf was Elysia.

And above the Elf, at the very top of this stacked doll… was a little girl with golden hair and blue eyes. Who this little girl was modeled after, I won't say; everyone knows in their hearts.

"Pfft… haha~"

Seeing the three cute and comical stacked dolls, Blanca couldn't help but laugh. Then, he asked somewhat curiously, "Miss Elysia, the dolls have the Doctor, you, and Ziling… but why isn't there me?"

"Mm-hmm?~"

Elysia smiled and looked at Blanca, saying, "Who says you're not here? You… have always been here?"

As she spoke, Elysia gave Blanca a big hug. Blanca finally understood where "he" was in the stacked dolls…

Xu Ziling watched the scene, thought for a moment, and then shamelessly joined the hug. After all, his current appearance and body were highly feminized, so asking for a hug wouldn't be a problem.

After the embrace, the three let go of each other. Blanca took the bulging travel bag Xu Ziling handed him and said, "Thank you… both of you. See you next time."

"Mm."

"Mm-hmm?~ Little Blanca, when you get home, remember to call me!"

"Mm."

Blanca nodded heavily, shouldered his backpack, pushed open the front door of the small building, and left the building in Changkong City, carrying with him the proof of his graduation and the affection of a mother and a friend.

"Whoosh!!"

As quick as lightning, before Elysia, standing at the door, could even wave goodbye to the departing Blanca, a verdant figure rushed to her side, slammed against the doorframe, and shouted towards the distant figure:

"Wait!!!! Blanca!!!!"

Blanca, who hadn't gone far, stopped in his tracks and looked back at the Doctor, whose eyes were now red, waiting for her next words.

"Hmph…"

Mobius's chest heaved. She gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and then shouted at Blanca:

"Blanca!! Today, you leave me! Go and tell everyone you meet from now on!! That you are my Mobius's student! That you are a graduate from me, Mobius!! From now on, you never need to bow your head to anyone! Show your pride! Go, go prove it to everyone!!! Do you understand what I mean!!!!"

Blanca said nothing more, merely shouldering his travel bag with determination.

Everything was left unsaid.

Volume 1: Crown of Truth (End)

Next Volume: Chalice of the Void