Because I Am Surtr

"Damn it, cover for me and reject the application." Surtr spoke to Persephone with the same casual tone as before, out of habit.

"I regret to inform you that according to PRTS's permission hierarchy, only you or Amiya can make that decision. If you don't want to go back on your word, then you'll have to persuade Amiya. She trusts you a lot, so she might help you with this small matter."

However, Persephone was not as omnipotent as she used to be this time.

"Of course, you could also choose a more extreme method. Life has no meaning to me, and I don't care about resetting the game again. If you're willing to redo today's events, I can take you back to the place before the sarcophagus was opened at any time."

Surtr fell silent.

Start over? Do everything all over again?

What a joke. After finally reaching a perfect conclusion, they wanted to reset because of a minor detail that wouldn't affect the overall outcome?

NEVER!

"I'll talk to Amiya," she said after hesitating for several seconds, sighing. "It's not a big deal. If it doesn't work out, I'll just go on a long-term mission and let time smooth over this little hiccup... Speaking of which, how are you getting along with PRTS?"

"It's interesting." Persephone's tone on the intercom rose slightly. "I'm getting along well with her, and she's been very helpful. I've also seen many... very interesting things. Especially Ms. Kal'tsit, whom I interact with frequently. I really didn't know she had such a hobby."

"What is it?" Surtr asked casually, getting up and heading towards her own lounge—she felt it would be best to get some sleep early. If she could return to Dark Souls smoothly, she'd be more comfortable fighting or being fought there than dealing with all this messy triviality.

"It's a good thing." The voice on the other end returned to normal. "Of course, if you're hoping to pry into someone else's secrets, I don't mind sharing them with you. However, if Ms. Kal'tsit finds out later, there's a high probability she'll come after you for a fight."

—Come after me for a fight? Why? Aren't you the one trying to pry?

—Wait, is this guy deliberately trying to lure me in... This attempt to conceal is just making it more obvious!

"Then forget it," Miss Surtr replied, pushing open the door and closing it. Before her lay neat furnishings and a comfortable large bed. "I have no interest in knowing things I shouldn't. Just keep it to yourself."

—Anyway, as long as you don't utter the name 'Precise', I don't care.

"As you wish, Surtr." The drone vibrated slightly, about to leave through the window.

However, Surtr suddenly stopped it.

"Wait a minute," Surtr's tone suddenly became serious. She raised her finger and pointed at the bed, then at the two pillows on it.

"Why is this a double bed?"

Outside the door, footsteps suddenly sounded—footsteps she was familiar with.

Chapter 41: When Happiness Knocks

"Because this is also my room."

The door opened, and before Surtr's crimson eyes appeared a face she never would have guessed: light purple long hair, emerald green eyes, a petite figure, and a cool expression—undoubtedly, this was Persephone. The young Doctor, who should have been extremely busy at this hour, stood before the door.

"Do you mind?" she asked, though her tone was more of a statement. She casually took off her white lab coat, a symbol of her researcher status, and hung it on a coat rack by the entrance.

Her movements were natural, as if she were in her own home.

"You... but aren't you supposed to be very busy right now!?" Surtr was dumbfounded.

Then she saw Persephone point to a strange device clipped to her ear—it looked like an earphone, or perhaps an antenna meant for a robot. For a moment, Miss Surtr even thought she had entered the wrong room, perhaps the world of Punishing: Gray Raven next door—of course, that was just an illusion, a mere illusion.

"PRTS, this is a communication device Amiya gave me. It's waterproof, dustproof, and electromagnetically shielded, ensuring a clear signal no matter when or where. With this, it doesn't matter where I work. In fact, I'm currently managing nearly thirty engineering projects of various sizes, and this conversation with you is the thirty-first."

"My brain can handle this level of computation, but my body needs rest—have you eaten?"

Her topic shifted rapidly and abruptly.

"Not yet... What's wrong?" Miss Surtr felt a bit dizzy from this barrage of actions.

"It seems I guessed correctly. Perhaps you don't need to eat? After all, those who consume Qi do not die." Persephone took off her boots and socks, changing into slippers. A drone carrying large bags flew in behind her and placed a food container emitting a rich aroma on the dining table in the lounge.

—As they left, they intelligently, or 'were' intelligently, closed the door.

"But I've prepared some food for you. Based on PRTS's records of your meals at Rhodes Island, I deduced that you have a fondness for Yan cuisine—fortunately, there's a suitable Yan chef in Chernobog. So I spent some time and effort helping to arrange it. Four dishes and one soup. The soup is Lotus Bamboo Fungus Soup, and the dishes are Shredded Fish Maw, Two-Style Prawns, Stir-fried Mushroom with Cabbage, and Steamed Chicken with Coconut. PRTS told me that you once called this entire set the Zhou Family State Banquet and recorded the recipes. Otherwise, some of the ingredients would have been quite difficult to find."

She walked past the stunned Miss Surtr, went to the table, opened the food container, and a rich aroma filled the air along with vibrant colors. The lotus was white, the bamboo fungus pale yellow, the fish maw fresh and smooth, and the prawns delicate with a glossy sheen. The light brown mushrooms were brimming with sauce, and the coconut milk, hard to find in Ursus, exuded a faint fragrance.

Faced with such a feast, anyone who wasn't hungry either had a full stomach or a problem with their stomach.

However, Miss Surtr only felt a stomach ache.

"You..." She even wanted to touch Persephone's head, to see if she had fried her brain from overexertion. "...Are you alright."

"Haven't I done this before?" —But the Doctor's rhetorical question left her speechless.

"...Occasionally." Surtr admitted with difficulty. In her memory, there had indeed been one or two instances.

But each of those times was under special circumstances!

"That's right. I've lost a significant portion of my memory, and I believe doing things I used to do will help restore it. I also think you want to know something from me with my memory intact. To use your favorite Yan slang, it's a win-win situation, so why not?"

"..."

"And this." The purple-haired girl took out a chilled mixture of chocolate and cream from the last, smaller food container. It looked exquisite, but it was quite different from the meticulously prepared dishes with their carefully chosen ingredients and knife work. She placed this item, which was clearly homemade ice cream, on the table and then prepared a small spoon next to it.

"PRTS's records mentioned that you like an ice cream labeled 'Häagen-Dazs'. Unfortunately, there are no records of this type of snack in this city. So I had to make it myself according to the sweetness, fat content, and other parameters provided by PRTS. Although pairing it with dinner isn't healthy, it might suit your taste."

The atmosphere suddenly became somber.

Surtr fell silent. She stared at the ice cream on the table, motionless.

The silence lasted for several seconds.

"In the past..." her voice was a little low. "Theresia handled all my ice cream. Every time I came back from outside, she would make me some. So, only she knew my preferences."

"I can guess," Persephone tilted her head slightly. "If you don't like it, it's fine to leave it. The same goes for the food, after all, I haven't had dinner either."

"...I will never forgive you for what happened to Theresia."

"Is that so?" The Doctor's expression remained unchanged, even more indifferent than before. "But have you ever truly cared about anyone's life or death? What you can't forgive, both in the past and present, is it me killing her, or me killing her outside of your plans and permission?"

"…………"

A second silence.

"See, you can't answer that question yourself. Because you can't be bothered to repeat today's events, a normal person would have attacked me when I provoked them like this, but you just stayed silent—just as you can see my true nature, I can also see yours. You and I are essentially the same kind of being, we just play in this world differently… Do you want to take a bath?"

"...No."

"Then I'm going to take one—cold water is beneficial for my brain function. Or, to put it another way, it helps maintain my sanity at a relatively stable level. They're always chattering in my ear, and I'm about to lose it and twist Miss Amiya's rabbit ears off. To save both of us time, I don't suppose you'll stop me here?"

"Go if you want to." —Persephone received a response.