Did I Fight Kal'tsit? Seriously?

"It was only a guess, but it seems I guessed right." Gerald turned his gaze back to the water mist that had just dispersed and spoke thoughtfully.

"Oh my, after all, even I make mistakes like this sometimes."

The little elf didn't look regretful at all. The corners of her lips curled up slightly as she openly threw the Pegasus a playful wink, her tone rising. "But I'm a little relieved too. At least Saria's new friend seems very smart, and quite fun to talk to."

"Likewise."

He'd basically sorted out some of the obvious facts now.

Gerald tapped the table with his fingertips.

This woman named Muelsyse was indeed Saria's friend—but that was probably all she was.

Her concern was real. Her friendship with Saria was real. Her coming over to water the plants was real.

But her probing and her private little schemes were just as real.

Saria didn't mind her coming to the house, which meant Muelsyse wasn't openly standing against Saria.

But considering the information about [Pete Fruit Assorted Candy], she most likely knew about Ifrit, yet wasn't entirely on Saria's side either... At the very least, if she'd tried investigating, Muelsyse should have been the person he'd seen in the prison.

Gerald knew very well that a water clone, much like his wind nature, was an ability perfectly suited for mobility and infiltration. Having her investigate Mansfield was far better than having Saria personally waste two months inside the prison.

Her position beside Saria was still rather ambiguous, and one reason was that her motives couldn't be sorted out for now.

As for the other reason, he'd just figured something else out.

Muelsyse's ability to control water felt very similar to what that piece of cloth had brought him, yet it was actually completely different—at least from his perspective, everything she did had nothing to do with Originium. It was more like Sarkaz sorcery, but her traits didn't resemble those of a Sarkaz, and none of the Royal Courts were known for controlling water.

How should he put this... Gerald felt like he might actually develop Lamaline PTSD.

Why did he keep running into these once-in-a-century rare species?

He'd basically sorted out some of the obvious facts now.

On the other side, Muelsyse narrowed her eyes.

The moment she realized Saria had [deliberately brought this "friend" back to Tramounts], she had other Manifolds investigate what had happened in Mansfield.

The last time Saria returned to Tramounts, she'd carried a huge pile of books out of the room. Muelsyse had assumed they were meant to keep her entertained in prison, yet less than two months later, she'd come back again.

This time, she'd brought the man before her. Given the situation last time, Muelsyse hadn't immediately connected him to Mansfield.

But just now, while she lay on the table waiting for the intelligence to return, Muelsyse realized that the current situation had completely exceeded her expectations.

What happened in Ticarondo hadn't spread through Tramounts yet. Only after her clone located a concrete source of information did Muelsyse realize just how huge a mess Saria had caused in the prison... and it seemed that the man before her had taken that mess upon himself. From beginning to end, the intelligence hadn't mentioned Saria at all.

In other words, Saria might have found someone she could truly acknowledge and confide in... And judging by his earlier probing regarding the "plan," he might know Saria's current plan and support her belief in bringing Kristen back onto the right path and thoroughly setting Rhine Lab right.

And with a terrifyingly powerful figure capable of forcibly turning Mansfield into that state, the balance between Saria and Kristen would be broken.

...Should she feel glad that her friend had found a true companion, or troubled that her other friend had gained another obstacle?

Personally, she was perhaps leaning more toward the latter now.

As an elf more severely affected by Originium than most, Muelsyse was still searching for land suitable for elves to live on. To find an eternal nursery for a race on the verge of withering away, to plant seeds that symbolized the future, to seek an ideal home among the stars—this was the dream Kristen had promised her. Whether for personal reasons or for the future of her race, she didn't want the conflict between Saria and Kristen to escalate that far.

And there was another issue.

Though it had only lasted an instant... she could indeed sense that the Originium Arts used by the Kuranta before her differed from everyone else's, even from Infected people forcibly driving the Originium fragments within their bodies. In that moment, she had almost felt that he was, like her, an elf who could remain in the city.

How strange.

She rubbed her fingers together, considering a way to break the deadlock.

After a long while, a brilliant smile suddenly bloomed across her face, and she leaned a little closer to the Pegasus.

"Oh my, we've talked for so long, but I never introduced myself. That seems rather rude."

"I'm Muelsyse, Director of Rhine Lab's Ecology Department. It's very nice to meet you~"

"Wait, wait!! Uh... can I take that move back? I'm begging you!"

When Saria emerged from the kitchen carrying steaming dishes, what greeted her wasn't the slightly tense conversation from before, but an unexpected battlefield.

Several decks of cards made from water lay scattered across one side of the round table.

At the center of the other side of the table sat a crystal-clear chessboard. Muelsyse had added trace minerals to the black pieces, making the contrast between black and white even more distinct.

The game was much the same. One side was in dire straits, while the other stood firm as a mountain. The queen symbolizing victory or defeat was isolated and helpless, needing only one more move to be erased.

At the Pegasus's nod, she gritted her teeth and raised her slender hand. A faint ripple instantly spread across the black-and-white board—the game reverted several moves, and she decisively adopted a different strategy.

Three moves later, her black queen was cornered again.

"Check."

Gerald reminded her calmly. Wind replaced his hand and gently placed a white piece down. Water droplets swayed faintly, and amid the refracted light and shadow, a water-forged horse had already planted itself firmly on the queen's last escape route.

Muelsyse, who had graduated first in her class from Tramounts Institute of Technology, was now suffering a crushing defeat at the game she took pride in.

"How is that possible... You really didn't cheat?" Muelsyse nearly threw herself across the table, clutching her long hair with both hands. Her clear pupils remained fixed on the board, her eyes filled with shock and unwillingness. "How did you do that?! This has absolutely nothing to do with science!!"

Across from her, Gerald sat steadily in his chair, his long fingers casually resting on the tabletop. His silver-white hair fell over his shoulders, and his expression was as calm as if he'd merely won an ordinary game.

Thanks to AI from his previous life, and thanks to the memory he'd developed while memorizing medical textbooks. Memorization and calculation were genuinely useful for chess.

"Heh. By your standards, deduct ten points." He rested his chin on his hand, his voice carrying a hint of teasing. "Your observation is sharp, but you're still too conventional."

Muelsyse nearly jumped up in fury. Gritting her teeth, she wanted nothing more than to form a fresh board out of water, replay the match, and thoroughly win one back. But the reality was that she'd not only suffered a miserable defeat at cards, she'd also been completely overwhelmed on the chessboard.

"You... After dinner, we're playing again! I don't believe I'll lose this badly every time!" She grabbed a chess piece, the gloom in her eyes transforming into blazing fighting spirit. "This time, you take black. There's no way I'll keep getting humiliated like this!"

Gerald nodded. Just as he was about to reach for a piece—

"...What are you two doing?"

A familiar, calm voice tinged with faint helplessness rang out, breaking the room's strangely feverish atmosphere.

Saria slowly approached the table. Her gaze swept across the two of them before finally falling on Muelsyse's somewhat disheveled expression after losing two consecutive games. After a brief silence, she slowly asked, "You lost?"

Muelsyse's expression instantly stiffened, as though someone had brutally struck her sore spot. She gritted her teeth and said, "...Of course not! It was just an accident! I just haven't adapted to his playing style yet!!"

"You lost," Saria repeated calmly. She placed the dishes in the center of the table and moved the water-made pieces aside. "And you lost thoroughly."

"Saria!!" The little elf glared furiously at her friend. "Can't you comfort me a little?! This is the first time I've ever lost this badly!!"

"When you lost to Kristen last time, weren't you exactly like this?" Saria shot her a bland glance.

"How can that be the same? That was Kristen!" Muelsyse practically bristled. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself before turning to glare fixedly at Gerald. "No, after we eat, we're playing another game!"

Seeing Muelsyse looking genuinely unconvinced, Gerald tapped the water-made chess piece he'd just picked up with one finger, once again sensing the flow of water within it.

Then he nodded. "Sure, but I think it would be more fun if we added something."

"For example?"

Gerald placed the piece in front of Saria, then smiled.

"We could play a three-player game too."

Why Did Someone Try to Kill Me the First Time We Met?

Fast chess didn't actually take very long.

For Saria, who had already prepared the food and was about to call the other two over to eat... Well, as long as she used Calcification to keep the food warm, she didn't mind listening to her two friends and adding a little entertainment before dinner.

Besides, she was also curious about Gerald's actual skill level.

Thus, after being utterly defeated in a three-player chess match, then losing to Saria under Gerald's guidance, and then suffering three consecutive losses after shamelessly demanding that Saria team up with her against Gerald, a certain little elf still stubbornly requested a best-of-seven, first-to-four series from the referee—

What awaited her next was Saria's iceberg-cold gaze.

Still, one had to show respect for food personally made by Saria.

And as the saying went, the best way to express respect for food was to wear an expression of utmost satisfaction while eating, then sweep every dish from the table clean at a whirlwind pace, without wasting even the last drop of soup.

If respect for food were ranked according to eating speed and manner, then Gerald's respect would undoubtedly take first place, while Saria would firmly hold second.

As for a certain little elf who was slowly holding bread and carefully dipping it into the remaining soup in her bowl... it was hard to believe she was the same person who had been clamoring for another game of chess earlier.

In this regard, Saria and Gerald had long since grown used to each other's eating habits. After all, it had already been three whole months since a certain prison guard brought a heaping plate of food to the library, only for that plate to be swept clean by a certain Pegasus in mere minutes, after which the person in question immediately began fighting without even pausing for a moment.

Habits really were hard to change, even when he was now in a place that was practically absolutely safe.

"Can't you two eat a little slower?" Muelsyse propped up her chin and complained half-jokingly. "I wanted to talk, chat, complain about what's been happening at Rhine Lab lately. Anyone who didn't know better would think I was having dinner with two beasts."

"Beasts don't use knives and forks." Saria answered calmly, arranging the dishes and cutlery before setting them aside.

"That isn't the point!"

Muelsyse looked speechlessly at Gerald, who had finished eating first. She spread her hands while holding her bread, her tone carrying a hint of accusation. "Saria made this herself, you know~ Don't you have anything to say about it, Mr. Friend?"

"It's not like this is the only meal I'll ever get." Gerald casually picked up a napkin and skillfully wiped the remaining soup from the corner of his mouth. "She still owes me two meals."

"Does breakfast tomorrow morning count?" Hearing that, Saria asked Gerald.

"It counts. Did you buy bread?" The Pegasus craned his head toward the kitchen, then pulled back. "I want ham and egg muffins. Do you know the Kazimierz-style recipe that uses brandy? I can teach you how to make the sauce. It's pretty quick and doesn't take much time."

"I bought extra bread. It's in the kitchen. I don't know the brandy recipe." The Vouivre's expression paused for a moment before she nodded. "But I can try learning it. There are still two bottles of brandy in the wine cabinet that I originally intended to give away. As long as it isn't enough to affect work efficiency, I think it's acceptable."

"It won't go that far. The issue is only the sauce. Anyone can make basic eggs and ham. The sauce and heat control are the key."

Before she realized it, the person he was speaking to had shifted from Saria to Muelsyse, and there was a clear hint of amusement in his voice.

"I imagine that since a certain close friend has never seen Saria cooking dinner, she naturally hasn't seen Saria make breakfast for someone either, right?"

"...?"

After merely taking a bite of bread, Muelsyse found herself hit by a chain combo and fatal damage from the conversation between the two. She was starting to lose control of her expression.

She'd been here first.

The three of them had been getting along just fine, then one person ran ahead while another went off to the left, leaving her alone by herself.

And now, the person who had gone left suddenly returned, bringing along a silver-haired Kuranta. They were chatting and laughing together while she was at her most vulnerable—meaning while eating—though Saria wasn't actually laughing. They simply weren't paying any attention to her at all.

Thinking that, Muelsyse viciously bit into the scallion bread in her mouth as though it were the man before her, biting straight through its middle.

With a faint crunch, her mood immediately improved considerably.

Manifolds could control the sensations they transmitted themselves, so she wouldn't gain weight no matter how much she ate—as long as she considered diminishing marginal returns, she would always be the happiest little elf.

After letting a few thoughts linger in her mind, she looked ahead and saw that Gerald had somehow gotten to his feet.

"What are you doing?" Muelsyse asked warily, watching his movements.

"Getting some bread," Gerald answered casually. He walked into the kitchen and quickly returned carrying a small basket filled with sliced bread.

He casually picked up a slice, tossed it into his mouth, and took a bite. Then he set the basket on the table and pushed it toward Saria.

Saria glanced at him, then quickly glanced at Muelsyse, who was still eating. She copied him by taking a piece of white bread, tearing it in half, and placing one half on her plate. Then she tore off the less sweet outer crust bit by bit and slowly chewed it.

Muelsyse watched their actions and gave a soft hum. Though she didn't say anything, her mood had clearly improved quite a bit.

Even if their emotional intelligence was a little slow to catch up, being considered still felt good. At least the points they'd secretly deducted earlier could be added back a little.

Gerald, meanwhile, casually brought up a topic to fill the last stretch of the meal. "By the way, esteemed Director Muelsyse of Rhine Lab's Ecology Department, may I presumptuously ask you something—if someone wanted to join Rhine Lab, were there any particular résumé requirements?"

"...Isn't that question a bit too blunt?" Muelsyse narrowed her eyes at the Pegasus before her. She had a feeling he wasn't asking with good intentions.

"Can't be helped. If I don't humble myself a little, it seems you'll be losing so badly today that there won't be anything left of you."

Gerald sighed and counted their current record on his fingers. "Look, you can't beat me at cards, you can't beat me at chess, and your arts were broken too... I'd like to let you win once or twice, but the conditions don't seem to allow it."

"But luckily." He clapped his hands and said with complete calm, "I never went to high school, much less university, so I'm waiting for you to mock my educational background after you've finished questioning me."

Muelsyse felt her head beginning to ache. She barely suppressed the awkward, suffocating feeling lodged in her chest and asked uncomfortably, "Then why are you saying it outright now?"

"Oh, because Saria wants to invite me to join the Defense Department, and I can technically use connections."

Hearing that, Muelsyse sneered silently in her heart.

Heh, she knew it. But she knew very well that someone as upright as Saria would immediately object to that!

"I won't let you use connections." Saria suddenly spoke, drawing both of their attention. "You still need to undergo rigorous interviews and testing to prevent the rules from being undermined. And considering the potential jealousy of other employees, such behavior is inadvisable."

Those words undoubtedly struck straight into Muelsyse's heart.