Rhodes Island's Internal Affairs [6K Two-in-One] (Continued)

Warfarin made a gesture indicating that she would like to hear more.

"I feel like I've stepped into a stage. A puppet ball..." Closure's voice was low, like a whisper in a dream. "The people are kind, the soldiers are dutiful, the officials are honest, the merchants are generous... everything is so good, it's like a dream. And this dream is entirely under the control and manipulation of Persephone."

She slowly raised her head, and before she knew it, her clear eyes were bloodshot. "The ideal country Your Highness described, she has achieved. Rhodes Island is now able to produce inhibitors for Catastrophe Disease. And as long as this city remains under her control, there will be no discrimination, no war, no famine—everyone can fulfill their duties, and everyone can close their eyes peacefully when night falls."

"She did it, she could have done it long ago. But she only did it now... No, I'm not accusing her of playing a dishonorable role in His Highness's death. What reason do I have to question His Highness's judgment? But... I'm wondering. His Highness's wish was fulfilled in this way. So, is this fulfilled wish still the beautiful ideal that I, and we, originally wanted to pursue?"

She was very anxious; her fingers were pressed against the table, and her knuckles turned white.

"I know she can do it... She can manage Chernobog this way. She has Surtr assisting her. So if she wants, she can expand her domain... destroy all armies, merge all nations. Put all threats under her control. And when she achieves this, Terra will be free from Catastrophe. No more war. A long period of peace will come. Because everyone will become a puppet in her hands!"

"I'm afraid of such a future... Is peace that's been confined truly peace? Even if this cage is big enough to contain the entire earth?"

Warfarin remained silent—she stared at her, at her colleague, her kinsman, for several seconds.

Then he chuckled softly.

"That's why you came here to ask me."

"Yes, that's why I came here to ask you."

"But what you really want to ask isn't me, but my friend—the one who, besides the former princess, I was the closest to her—you want to ask Surtr through me. You want to know Surtr's position. You want to know if, if the worst-case scenario comes true, you'll still have someone to rely on."

"...Yes, I want to ask her. But I don't dare to ask her directly..." Closure gently gritted her teeth. "She's changed. She's become different from before. When she left Rhodes Island, no matter how powerful she was, she always lacked an independent motivation to use it. But now... she and Persephone have both changed, they've both become people I don't know whether to resist or get closer to. I... don't dare to ask her."

"...If Surtr knew you saw her like that, she would be heartbroken... Yes, you know she'll be heartbroken now." Warfarin nodded, stood up, and prepared to leave. "So, you didn't come here to ask me at all. You didn't want to ask her through me—you wanted to force her, you wanted to use the bonds of the past to create shackles. To make her come out, to make her promise, to make her vouch for Persephone!"

Her voice was cold, and her actions were decisive.

"You're scheming against Surtr because you know she does what she says! You want Surtr to be Persephone's insurance. You want to keep them in check and balance each other, to prevent them from going down the same path."

"..." Closure silent, but silence itself was an answer—she seemed to want to raise her hand to stop Warfarin as she stood up. But her hand froze abruptly after moving only half a step up.

"I will not do as you wish, Closure —I was not here today. Nor will I tell a third person anything that happened here."

"... Do you despise me?"

"No, it's human nature. The weak will always try to control the strong. And both Persephone and Surtr were indeed capable of losing control." The white-haired Sanguinarch shook his head. "I just feel sorry. Closure, even if you don't trust that Doctor who can hardly be categorized as human, you should at least..."

She pushed open the door and left.

"... to your colleagues, your companions, your friends."

"I have some confidence."

She disappeared at the end of the porch, leaving the black-haired Sanguinarch alone in the empty, abandoned room, experiencing sorrow and loneliness.

She stood there lost in thought for a long time before lowering her head and walking toward the spot that Persephone had originally arranged for her at this point in time.

Two minutes after the two had left, Miss Surtr's form appeared in the secluded meeting room—she sat down in the spot where Warfarin had been sitting. And opposite her, Persephone's form sat silently.

Ah, yes. She was indeed at this secret meeting place a few minutes ago. She did try to explain herself to Closure. And she was just one step away from vouching for Persephone, just as Closure had anticipated, making a promise that would restrain Persephone's behavior.

She almost did it—but a split second before she could speak, Persephone's form silently appeared in the meeting room using Originium Arts and interrupted her. Then she made her request to him.

"Turning back in time, Surtr," Persephone said at that moment.

At that time, although she didn't understand why Persephone made such a request, she trusted Persephone and chose to comply in the instant the two Sanguinarch were about to jump up in surprise. Thus, time was rewound to the point before she appeared, and without leaving a trace, she sensed the arrival of the Maiden Doctor.

She chose to listen attentively.

Then, she obtained the reasons and the results.

"There are three kinds of people on Rhodes Island," Persephone said calmly, sitting opposite her, his eyes showing no anger or resentment as always. "The first kind are the old people of Sarkaz Babel Tower. They follow Theresia herself. The second kind are the new people of Rhodes Island. They follow the ideals left behind by Theresia."

"The third type of people are ordinary employees and resident patients, and there is no need to discuss them specifically—this incident is a conflict between the old Sarkaz Babel Tower and the new Rhodes Island. Like Blaze, she simply fights for the Infected and doesn't care whose side she's fighting for. Like Closure, more than a cure for the Infected and peace for the land, she longs for Theresia's return—she wants to fulfill Theresia's wish, but in the way Theresia hoped for in her lifetime."

She spoke calmly, while beside her, an invisible but slumped pink-and-white-haired girl looked as if she were questioning her existence, 'Am I fucking dead?' Persephone ignored her, while Miss Surtr, feeling sorry for her, sent a wisp of her will into the Reeds Field and patted the Princess on the head to comfort her.

And, with a helpless sigh.

"So... what should we do?" Miss Surtr asked melanchol.

However, Persephone gave a simple and straightforward answer.

"There's nothing I can do," she said calmly. "Trust is mutual. I do have an agreement with you, and I do plan to hand over this entire city to Rhodes Island. Her lack of trust is her business, not mine. As long as she continues to work at Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, she will eventually become involved in many affairs of the city. And at that time, she, and the first type of people she represents, will naturally no longer hold such foolish and ridiculous ideas."

Miss Surtr thought that the guy in front of her was probably angry.

—No, not at all. She wasn't angry... How could she be angry about something she'd never cared about? This city, this country, had never been anything she cared about. Rather, if she were angry about Closure's actions, the latter would be overjoyed.

—Because that would mean Persephone would fall from an unattainable position, becoming understandable, approachable, and agreeable. Just like...

Miss Surtr turned her head away with a slightly melancholy look.

—Just like me in the past and me now...?

"Then let's leave it at that." Surtr's fingertips touched the conference table in front of him. "To turn a blind eye and a deaf ear. To let everything take its natural course—is that alright?"

"Of course," Persephone replied, giving a concluding affirmation.

The interlude ended there. After that, Persephone left, and on his way out, he told Miss Surtr a fact that they both knew in their hearts, but which he still wanted to emphasize.

—I have nothing more to do.

Miss Surtr walked alone down the empty street. Laevateinn floated beside her, while the still listless pink and white Princess perched on her shoulder in another dimension, looking utterly weak and listless.

—If there's nothing to do, one shouldn't take on any more commissions.

She walked and pondered. The glow of Twilight painted the earth a dim red, and the slightly chilly air characteristic of near winter enveloped her.

—Only in this way can Rhodes Island's operators take control of the city as soon as possible. They need to become responsible and accountable managers, instead of seeing everything as castles in the air simply because they've relied on my power.

Ah... there's always a sense of resentment. This feeling of being excluded... but it's necessary. Because if I, Persephone, and I did everything perfectly, they wouldn't even be able to find meaning or value in their own existence.

She crossed the street and entered the square. In the distance, there was a faint sense of human presence, but it remained a place where she couldn't let it distract her from her thoughts—she was slightly taken aback to find that the location she had arrived at seemed to be exactly the same city square where she had met Natalia, or rather, Rosa. She chuckled to herself, and simply sat down in the opposite direction of her previous spot, looking up at the slowly disappearing sunset on the horizon.

There's nothing left to do.

Having nothing to do, yet not being on vacation—this contradictory feeling caused her some annoyance.

—Right now, I'm just a salted fish.

She realized—her consciousness existed on multiple levels simultaneously. Here, she sat lost in thought; in the Reeds Field, she gently combed the Princess's long, pinkish-white hair while offering Theresia a lap pillow. And in the emergency room, she was still unconsciously holding Kal'tsit's hand, watching the Medical Operator responsible for Kal'tsit care bustling about.