Perhaps I Came at the Wrong Time...

Very good, very energetic.

Persephone inwardly scoffed, watching as the other Surtr on the monitor gradually faded away. Soon, apart from her and Kal'tsit, even the nurses who came to rummage through the bedding or other Medical Operator would not be able to see this clone who had completely eliminated her presence.

So she nodded, but did not comment on whether the operation was good or bad.

"An interesting way to respond. Surtr, is that also considered your true form?"

"Of course it counts." Miss Surtr gestured with her right arm, which was now complete but always felt somewhat out of place. "I cut off the concept of my right hand and placed it there. That is naturally my true self, not some ordinary avatar that was arbitrarily constructed with force, like a drone you control with your mind—I always keep my word, and since I promised to be with her, I couldn't possibly get away with something so casual."

"You seem to care about her quite a bit."

"After all, it's Kal'tsit." Surtr shrugged slightly, then looked a little puzzled. "Hmm, do you have some other ideas, Persephone?"

Miss Surtr, I have a feeling there was something off about what you just said.

—Perhaps it's sour?

—No... Damn, why would I have such an idiotic thought?

"I have no other thoughts, I'm just stating the facts." Persephone paused abruptly before continuing, "And you don't really have anything else you can do for her."

"Is there anything I can help with?"— Miss Surtr asked at the same time.

Great, that means the medical process went very smoothly—but speaking of which, is there something wrong with Amiya's dream creation?

"How long will she have to lie there?" Miss Surtr asked—she didn't dare to ask Amiya about her dream-making scheme directly, because she didn't want to get a conclusion like ' Amiya's dream-making tricks are fine, Kal'tsit's dream turned into a nightmare because you were too close,' which would make everyone present uncomfortable.

She didn't ask, Persephone naturally wouldn't say—even if Persephone guessed the subtle psychological changes that were almost written all over this guy's face, she still wouldn't say it.

"The initial estimate is a week," Persephone answered the question that had been asked. "Simply repairing the body doesn't take long. But Amiya wants Kal'tsit to relax her overly tense mind. And I also think she needs to adjust her mindset to maintain sufficient efficiency in the long run—combining the two, a week is a conservative estimate. If necessary, it can actually be extended a little."

"Do you wish to prolong this process, Surtr?" She snapped her fingers, and a swarm of drones hummed and flew toward a location in the city to carry out one of her wills.

"Perhaps you should ask the person in question for their opinion?" Miss Surtr, unwilling to take on such a responsibility, casually offered a refusal.

"So the result of the inquiry is that this guy will be discharged from the hospital this afternoon, and then at the latest two months and five days later, his mental state will collapse due to fatigue overload. It will take at least three months to recover, and there is still about a 30% chance of it getting worse."

Miss Surtr's lips twitched.

Well, it seems that respecting other people's opinions isn't always the right thing to do.

"Then let her lie down for now. It breaks my heart to see her like this," the flame-haired Sarkaz sighed helplessly. "So, besides Kal'tsit's illness, is there anything else I need to do?"

"No."

Not a single one?

"That's right. I have plenty of manpower right now, and there's absolutely nothing that requires you to accomplish."

"... Okay, let me rephrase my question. Is there anything I can do right now?"

"..." Persephone did not answer, but just looked at Surtr quietly.

"..." The red-haired thing stared at her, looking completely bewildered.

"Do you know, Surtr?" The Maiden Doctor's tone shifted subtly. "My usual workload is more than fifty-seven times that of Kal'tsit."

There seemed to be a subtle expectation in her words.

However...

"I know, there's no strategist stronger than you in this world." The red-haired fellow nodded, completely oblivious to any hidden meaning in his words. He seemed utterly matter-of-fact. "So... um, can I help you with some of the burden?"

Persephone: "..."

A low-pressure system seemed to have gathered in the air. The morning temperature appeared to have dropped a few degrees.

Then...

The Maiden Doctor from Rhodes Island hugged the left hand of this red-haired fellow.

"Just do this—I don't want to expend energy standing right now. Lend me your left hand so I can lean on it."

"?... Oh." — She received a response devoid of any initiative.

Chapter 149: Perhaps I've arrived at the wrong time...

Persephone's body was so light, almost weightless. When she leaned against Miss Surtr's left hand, the pressure on her skin was no greater than that of a thin veil.

—I remember in a previous Arknights, there was a story about a swallow dancing on a palm.

Ah, if Persephone were also interested in dancing, she would probably... no, she would definitely be able to dance on the palm of my hand.

Thinking is a gradual process, from reliance to weight, from weight to dance. There are no illogical fallacies in this chain of thought. As her mind began to work, and such thoughts materialized on the surface of her consciousness, Miss Surtr instinctively wanted to look down at Persephone's smooth ankles.

She held back—the erotic farce of hours before still lingered in her mind. The smooth touch of Persephone's toes still echoed in her memory. It was a flawless treasure bestowed by heaven; even just touching it in her mind would stir ripples in the heart of someone in a sane state. However, the memory of the touch and the embarrassment of hours before were intertwined, and she wasn't sure what kind of answer she would get if she actually read on.

—I feel like I'll be disliked.

—Because it's really a bit too... well, if it were best friends, it would be considered playful banter. But I don't think Persephone is the type who has the leisure to play around.

Can my relationship with Persephone be categorized as that of best friends?

It should be possible, after all, the two have already shared a bed and often exchange gifts and handmade delicacies. If we simply consider the concept of 'best friend' commonly used on Terra, then the relationship between myself and Persephone has clearly crossed the line of 'best friend' and is moving towards a more intimate relationship.

What could it be?

Close friends? Or, in a more Chinese sense, 'enemies'?

—Hmm, so that makes sense. Then I probably won't be disliked... But why do I still find myself thinking in that direction?

—Could it be that... I have improper thoughts about her?

A terrible idea surfaced in his mind, which he wanted to dismiss, but he found no evidence to support it— Persephone was right. He had never hated her in the past, and the reason he was in a semi-antagonistic relationship with her in the past was simply because her actions always disrupted his plans.

But she wouldn't do that now—she had made a promise, and she would keep it. And she knew perfectly well how arrogant she was. She would rather die than break her promise.

Wasn't that exactly how I killed her in the past? I discovered her weakness and slew her thirty-one times in a row. And even if I harbored any resentment towards her after that, it would all be erased with those thirty-one, or rather, the final, sword strikes that were a final farewell in each other's eyes.

Hate does not exist.

Beyond all this, Persephone was the only being in the world who could understand her thoughts, keep up with her ideas, and even surpass hers, merely lagging behind her in terms of pure power. And compared to having Laevateinn by her side, loneliness and solitude—if she even felt such emotions—surrounded her even more.

Does Persephone feel lonely and isolated?

Perhaps it will happen.