Remarkable Progress (Continued)

Aren't they afraid that I'll make it real and actually have sex with them on the spot?

—W is one thing, she's always liked walking a tightrope. But Theresia ... while she's a wicked person, she's not this bad. And in that space of the Reeds Field, if I really wanted to do something to her, she wouldn't be able to resist at all.

--perhaps...

The finger resting on the table flicked lightly.

Perhaps this isn't just a simple joke. Perhaps behind this joke lies something subtle, ambiguous, and a faint, underlying expectation.

Perhaps... they really wanted her to pin them to the ground under the cover of twilight.

She opened her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself, Surtr," she whispered to herself.

But another voice echoed in her heart.

But am I really just being delusional?

—Or am I just running away?

Thoughts swirled in my mind, like two armies carrying different flags battling each other. The commanders on both sides displayed their ingenious strategies, but they remained deadlocked at a dynamic equilibrium.

Insufficient resources, insufficient evidence, and insufficient motivation make it impossible to distinguish between the superiority of past and present ideas.

The result of not being able to determine which is better is—

—Let's leave it as it is for now. I... can't make decisions easily.

Miss Surtr let out a soft sigh. She knew she could wait a long time, but she also knew that if the people around her truly harbored such thoughts, they were unlikely to wait as long as she did—a missed opportunity was a missed opportunity, and she wasn't unfamiliar with the melancholic, fatalistic literature she knew from the Arknights. But...

—For me, is missing out really missing out?

He raised his hand, part of it still fulfilling its promise to the slumbering Kal'tsit. This conceptual gap had been overcome, and a wisp of colorless, Flame of Burning Time appeared in his palm.

Time is on her side; any regrets can be eliminated.

But the regret that was eliminated was only someone else's regret; her own regret still lingered around her.

—In this world, there are only two people whose time is not interfered with.

—One is me, and the other is Persephone.

Ah... Only the regret between her and me will never be erased. So, if I'm going to miss anything, it's only her.

But does she really possess human emotions?

The girl pondered, recalling in her mind every single action, every smile, every gesture she had witnessed from Persephone during that time. She meticulously examined and evaluated them.

She quickly came to a definitive conclusion.

—Persephone was a person of feeling.

She experiences joy, anger, and sorrow... though rarely, they do occur. However, she usually expresses these emotions when she is with me.

—Is it because I'm the same kind of person as her? Is it because she was ahead of me and had the understanding I have now? Ah...indeed, in terms of intelligence, she far surpasses me. The only area where I'm better than her is in combat.

—She must have already thought of what I was thinking. So... while I was still wondering if I was missing out and giving her an ambiguous attitude, she had already been taking care of me for similar reasons?

Fragments of memory surged within her, and she found it hard to deny that Persephone's gentle and considerate behavior, which was only shown when he was by her side, constituted a special kind of care—she wasn't sure what the reasons, motives, or essence of that care were. But in any case, care was care.

So...

"Go and prepare dinner for Persephone," she thought, and then got up. She would prepare and reap a commensurate reward, according to her principles and beliefs.

Miss Surtr prepared a novel dish—a replica of Southern-style braised tofu, Terra specialty she had tasted at the Rhodes Island cafeteria at lunchtime. Now, using her own sense of taste, experience, and intuition, she recreated a similar recipe—she disliked asking for favors, so she preferred to deduce a dish that might not be entirely authentic herself rather than ask for or exchange the cafeteria chef's recipe. The thought made her uncomfortable.

Asking others for help makes her feel awkward—she doesn't know how long it will take her to get used to it, because she always feels that she can only accept even unequal compensation with a clear conscience if she is the one who is owed something.

This is actually a kind of arrogance, a kind of haughtiness. It's a perspective and idea that places oneself at a higher level, looking down on things that are inferior.

She knew. And she didn't intend to change—she didn't in the past.

After all, similar things had happened before in her memory—a mentally challenged dream world idiot made her choose between the lives of the entire city and her self-respect: either kneel down or the entire city would perish.

At that time, she chose to let everyone in the city die.

Then it would take a very, very long time to rebuild the city and climb the technological tree of that pan-mechanical worldview to the point of gene retrospection and consciousness extraction, resurrecting all the dead people in the city. During this time, anyone who tried to make her bow down suffered... a very inhumane fate.

She had always believed that all misfortunes in the world stemmed from the inadequacy of those involved.

Sin comes only from one's own heart, not from the opinions of others—a principle she had always believed in.

—So, do I think that way now?

Miss Surtr thought to herself. She felt a little unsure—she raised her hand and waved to the dim night sky outside the window. A drone glided in and hovered beside her.

"The main dish is tofu, and the side dishes are braised pork and corn stir-fried with peas—the tofu might not be to your liking. I hope you won't mind." She placed the prepared food container on top of the drone and waved to it.

"Will you come over tonight?" she asked casually.

A familiar sound came from the terminal beside me.

"Is this considered an invitation?"

"It's a promise," Miss Surtr replied, resting her chin on her hand. "I promised to take care of you, protect you, and be there for you when you need me. I also don't see anything wrong with two women sharing a bed, especially you and me."

"Even if you recently had such an interesting experience, do you still think this way?"

"They are them, and you are you. The agreement between me and them is not the same as the agreement with you. Or are you planning to play tricks on me like W did?"

"—Licking ears? If I asked you for that, would you agree?"

Miss Surtr hesitated for a moment.

"I think it's acceptable. If it's just this level of offense, then I think it's acceptable—only if it's directed at you."

"Should I be moved to tears by this special treatment?"

"That's your freedom; you can do whatever you want."

"—How heartless, Surtr, you are truly ruthless—My body will be freed at 10:37:06 due to workload diversion. And I will arrive at your residence at 41:17. Please prepare hot water for my bath and a light blanket for my bed. Tonight I will perform the previous ritual and continue my research on your dream exploration power."

Dream exploration...

"Understood." Miss Surtr nodded. "How are the others? I mean Yelena, Talulah, Alina, and the others. And what about Skadi's pathology results?"