I Understand / The Moon

But now, the Puppy girl's situation makes her realize that the Doll's guesses were correct.

My own touch did indeed have that effect.

But... the question is, why does this happen?

Maria lowered her head and gradually fell into deep thought.

What do this Oripathy and the curse of Yharnam's Beastification have in common?

Ultimately, when did Oripathy appear in this world? And what caused it?

Getting this answer will probably take quite a bit of effort.

I hadn't been thinking about it for long.

Maria suddenly felt her clothes being tugged.

I turned my head to look.

It was poor Texas standing there, looking rather pathetic.

Although she tried her best to endure it, her slightly trembling body still revealed her unease.

"Mrs. Maria ..."

Texas said, raising her eyes and looking timidly at Maria.

As she drew closer to Maria, she felt an increasingly palpable sense of danger.

She was certain that there was some kind of danger in the vicinity.

It was a feeling that came from her body's instincts, making her feel uncomfortable all over.

Seeing that everyone else looked indifferent, and not wanting to embarrass herself in front of Maria, she could only grit her teeth and force herself to get closer.

"Shall we... talk somewhere else?"

By this point, Texas was out of options.

Although I don't approve of Ceobe and Maria's intimacy, well... so what if they're intimate? At least they can chat somewhere else.

There's definitely something wrong here!

There's something dirty inside!

Chapter 137 I Understand

"Hey? Hong? What are you doing here?"

Just as Maria was wondering what Texas was doing, a small female voice came from not far away.

As her voice rang out, a girl wearing a red coat appeared before everyone.

Texas was also furious when she saw the other person.

I took several steps back.

But the other party seemed oblivious, and after hesitating for a moment, nodded to Maria and then decisively left.

She could sense a strange aura emanating from Maria, but she was also certain that Maria had noticed her from the very beginning, which was why she had been observing her all along.

Upon seeing Amiya arrive, she used her not-so-bright little brain to think for a while.

Having arrived at an answer that only she knew, she chose to believe Amiya and left.

Their mysterious demeanor was puzzling.

Fortunately, Amiya was used to the other person's behavior, and after greeting him, she continued walking in this direction.

"You must be Ms. Maria... right?"

The girl looked very young, only thirteen or fourteen years old, and she was quite cute.

But Maria remembered him.

"Amiya... the leader of Rhodes Island..."

After thinking for a moment, Maria gently bent down and gave the other person a slightly stiff bow.

Although she didn't have much respect or understanding for Rhodes Island, the other party was, after all, a leader of a faction. Since they had come to see her in person, she had to show them the respect they deserved.

This is a matter of politeness.

Amiya, however, was clearly not used to the somewhat rigid etiquette. She stood there for a moment before hurriedly bowing in return.

His hands were pressed tightly against his sides, and his long ears were taut and straight.

This is one of the few polite greeting gestures she has learned.

It's not that no one taught her these things, but relatively speaking, the courses Dr. Kal'tsit arranged for her were mostly about how to plan ahead, understand the situation on the ground, and how to lead a team.

Regarding etiquette and manners, she was simply imitating what her Doctor had done.

Fortunately, Maria only greeted her briefly. After exchanging pleasantries, she looked up at the other person.

"What brings you here?"

"Huh?" Maria's honorific clearly caught Amiya off guard, but after seeing Ceobe standing there dumbfounded, she quickly composed herself after a moment 'Maria hesitation.

"Actually, I came here this time to apologize."

"Um?"

"Miss Texas, you had an appointment for an internal medical examination at Rhodes Island, right? I'm sorry, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, the scheduled time may have to be postponed."

Amiya spoke with a hint of embarrassment, but she quickly added something else.

"But it won't take too long, at most an hour, and we can resolve it!"

"One hour..."

Texas wasn't bothered by the wait; she was just a little worried that it might upset Maria...

"It's alright, we understand your difficulties..."

Maria was very easy to talk to, and seeing how nervous the little girl looked, she offered words of comfort.

Anyway, she has plenty of time now, so she's not in a hurry for such a short time.

Moreover...

She was more curious about other things than the physical examination.

"Rhodes Island has done a lot of research on Oripathy... right?"

"Eh? I guess so... After all, Rhodes Island has always wanted to cure Oripathy."

Amiya paused for a moment, and although she didn't understand why Maria would suddenly ask this, she nodded nonetheless.

In this respect, Rhodes Island has an advantage that other Originium research institutions cannot replicate for many reasons.

Their understanding of Originium is arguably the best on Terra.

She was confident in this regard.

"Then... could you explain to me what Oripathy is?"

Upon receiving Amiya's reply, Maria picked up the conversation almost without hesitation, her slightly lowered eyes concealing a sharp edge.

Amiya was also taken aback for a moment.

After a moment, she nodded silently.

"Of course, Ms. Maria ..."

Just as she said, Amiya introduced Maria to a lot of information about Oripathy.

This Oripathy forms, how to detect it, how to prevent it, how to treat it after infection, and how to control it if the infection is severe.

Most of this information was derived from their own practical experience and summaries, which undoubtedly involved a great deal of effort... Logically speaking, regardless of the organization, such information should be properly protected and utilized.

But Amiya spoke frankly and openly about it.

Maria was somewhat surprised by this attitude.

However, she didn't say much, but listened silently to the other person's introduction before continuing to ask questions.

"There's currently no cure... right?"

"Yes." Amiya was taken aback by Maria's question, but after hesitating for a moment, she could only helplessly admit the reality.

Oripathy is currently considered an incurable disease. Once infected, all others can do is prolong the duration of the Originium outbreak.

There is no way to completely cure it.

Even so, she still mustered the courage to continue adding to the recipe.

"But... in the future, Rhodes Island will definitely be able to cure Oripathy!"

"...I'm willing to believe that day will come." Maria paused for a moment, nodded encouragingly, but continued to press for answers.

"Do you know what exactly causes Oripathy?"

"Why did you appear..." Amiya hesitated noticeably upon hearing Maria's words.

Even she hadn't given this question much thought.

But when she began to review her knowledge, she was astonished to find that she had no memory of it whatsoever.

Helpless, she could only shake her head.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Maria, I can't answer that question... Not many people have studied it so far."

"... is that so."

Maria's expression remained unchanged despite receiving no answer, but she was clearly somewhat disappointed.

However, this was within Maria's expectations.

Time is a terrifying force, and Maria had already witnessed its power.

Maria could understand that a civilization that had developed to this level could have lost some records over such a long period of time.

But she couldn't help but keep asking.

"Do you know where I can find information about the appearance of Originium?"

"Um... I'm sorry."

Amiya, in the face of Maria, was ultimately just a child.

After hesitating for a long time, she could only express her apology in a tactful way.

She really hasn't heard anything about this.

Upon receiving Amiya's reply, Maria gently closed her eyes.

After a pause, he let out a small, silent sigh.

"I see..."

Chapter 138 The Moon

After getting the answer she wanted, Maria nodded with a sigh.

Amiya also had some matters to attend to and couldn't continue taking Maria with her. She simply told them they could tour Rhodes Island for the time being, and Maria could go for a check-up after she finished her business.

No one seemed to have any objections to this.

After apologizing to Maria and the others, Amiya hesitantly returned to her office.

Of course, although it's called an office, it doesn't actually belong to Amiya alone.

However, Amiya's desk was located at the very front of the room, directly facing the door. The work sheets were neatly arranged, most of which were filtered and pre-compiled information; she only needed to make the final decision.

As for the people who screened her...

Turning her head, Amiya quickly spotted the man in black who had fallen asleep on the workbench.

Seeing the opened instant noodle bag next to her, she felt somewhat helpless.

But after hesitating for a few moments, she carefully approached the other person and gently nudged them with her hand.