Was it because he'd failed his first task?
Faced with such a stark contrast, that was the easiest answer to come up with.
Had he been targeted because refusing to follow the guidance made him an unstable factor?
It sounded like a relatively reasonable explanation, but wasn't that a little too harsh? Not giving him any margin for error?
"What happens if you don't follow the guidance?"
Fu Qian thought for a moment, then looked at Media and asked.
"Why would you do that?"
Media looked thoroughly perplexed by his question.
"I just think there are bound to be accidents, the kind that happen without any intention. Like if something interrupted you in the middle of it?"
Fu Qian asked without giving anything away.
"Are you saying that in all these years, you've never failed to finish?"
"Well, not exactly. Just like you said, unexpected things do happen sometimes."
Fu Qian's words had clearly sent Media down memory lane.
"It feels awful. It leaves you with a terrible sense of regret."
Just regret?
Media didn't seem to be making it up, and Fu Qian couldn't help feeling a little emotional.
After feeling regret, she was still alive and well.
If what she said was true, then she hadn't been killed for going against the guidance.
Was the double standard really that severe?
He had the feeling he was overlooking something.
"You mentioned earlier that Edral became irritable and anxious later on. Did that show in any particular way?"
Fu Qian thought for a moment, then asked another question.
"Show in any particular way... There wasn't any specific incident, exactly. He just started acting in ways that were hard to understand. Oh, right! He started paying a lot of attention to certain anomalies, and he discussed them with me many times."