Irene Is Forced to Join the Island

What displeased her even more was Mizuki's attitude. He didn't care at all about Miss Gladiia's pride as Aegir, or rather, in his view, Gladiia's so-called pride was not worth mentioning.

"Thanks."

Mizuki carried a bag of tomatoes. Although vegetables were still relatively expensive due to the economic recovery period, the quality of the tomatoes was quite good, and Mizuki had selected the best ones.

He glanced at Gladiia. The Black Crown and the Sea of Life hidden deep within her consciousness allowed Mizuki to understand or sense other people's emotions even without actively entering the Deep Blue state. However, he didn't quite understand where Gladiia's inner turmoil and displeasure came from.

Is it because this older sister neither likes snacks nor tomatoes?

(Skadi really loves to eat... well, it seems like there's nothing she doesn't like to eat.)

Mizuki decided against using Skadi as a reference. It just goes to show how difficult the Aegir are to understand; if only they were all as easy to please as Skadi.

"The matter between Aegir and Seaborn that I mentioned earlier."

Mizuki took out a tomato, wiped it clean, and then took a bite.

"I discussed it with Seaborn last night, the Brood agreed to lift the blockade on Aegir."

This was very unexpected news, so unexpected that Gladiia almost dropped the bag of snacks in her hand. She had thought the negotiations would require more steps. Well, the last person to think that was Irene.

However, it wasn't that Mizuki wanted to be perfunctory; rather, in his eyes, these issues were less important than lunch. To Mizuki, the fight between Aegir and Seaborn was like watching two children fight with sticks. Although both sides aimed to "crush the other to dust," in Mizuki's eyes, that was truly the highest level they could go.

"Of course, this comes at a price. The continuation of the Seaborn cannot be threatened, and the Sea Siren and the Seaborn will not help Aegir eradicate the Deep Sea Cultists within your ranks; that is your own job."

Mizuki made no attempt to hide discussing this issue on the street. Gladiia glanced at the reactions of the passersby and realized that they didn't seem to have heard what Mizuki had just said; they were simply looking in their direction because the two of them had such good looks and were so outstanding.

Mizuki knew clearly what should and shouldn't be said to others. For Iberia, the Church of the Deep was a target of everyone's hatred, and most of the members of the Church of the Deep were Aegir. It's hard to say that Mizuki and Gladiia were not being watched by so many people along the way without this reason.

However, because Mizuki can manipulate other people's five senses, Mizuki is not worried about being overheard by Gladiia. In the eyes of others, they haven't even moved their mouths.

"It's alright, the letter you gave me can serve as evidence."

"Is that so? Are you sure they won't turn around and falsely accuse you of betraying the Church of the Deep, deliberately causing the Abyssal Hunters' demise, and trying to awaken the Deep Sea believers of the Great Silence?"

This was not impossible. Gladiia frowned. She was so eager to return to Aegir that she forgot just how despicable the Deep Sea Cultists could be.

Despite her position as Chief War Division Commander, Technical Administrator, and Honorary Legion Commander in Aegir, it was still impossible for her to shake the Church of the Deep's foundation in Aegir, since many of her opponents were her former colleagues.

They knew exactly how to fight against Gladiia, and so did Mizuki.

"Think about it, you're the only Abyssal Hunters who survived and returned to Aegir, and upon your return you immediately accused so Aegir figures in Agor of being Deep Sea Cultists. How do you explain your survival, and how do you explain the source of this information?"

Specter and Skadi cannot go back with Gladiia. Specter needs to stabilize her mental state and cannot leave Mizuki's side. Skadi cannot go back; she is Ishar-mla's host, and returning to Aegir would only lead to her being targeted. Not to mention the judgment and fear from Aegir, the Church of the Deep might also take the opportunity to let Ishar-mla completely take over her body.

Even if Ishar-mla is unwilling, they have other options. Mizuki is currently searching for the two Firstborn, "The Origin of Life" and "The Unmelting Iceberg," to prevent them from being used by the Church of the Deep.

So even if Gladiia returns to Aegir, Mizuki feels that she will not be able to overthrow the Church of the Deep, and at that time, she may not even be able to return.

"..." Gladiia couldn't refute it, because she could also imagine how many doubts and accusations she would face.

Aegir wouldn't believe her; the upper echelons had long been corrupted by the Church of the Deep, and returning to Aegir would be tantamount to walking into a trap.

Mizuki wasn't particularly concerned about what would happen to Gladiia, as they weren't very close, but Skadi and Specter were very concerned, which was why he wanted to advise Gladiia not to rush off to her death.

"You've been assimilated quite a bit, haven't you?"

"You can feel it?"

"After all, it's a change in vitality, so it's hard for me not to feel it."

No matter what, she didn't Seaborn God for nothing. If Mizuki couldn't see through Gladiia's situation, then she would truly be derelict in her duty.

Having completely mastered the Sea of Life last night and no longer needing to worry about Aegir's countermeasures, he was confident enough to persuade Seaborn to lift the blockade against Aegir. Otherwise, he wouldn't have arranged to meet with Gladiia today to discuss the matter.

"Sister Skadi and Sister Laurentina weren't lying. I can indeed help you suppress the blood of Seaborn in your body. It's not too difficult for me."

As Mizuki walked, he took in the scenery of the streets on both sides. His words didn't even need proof; just standing next to him, Gladiia could feel the extraordinary calm of the Seaborn blood within her.

She remembered the scales that had always been hidden on the back of her neck; she had dreamt countless times of herself transforming into the very thing she once despised.

She dreams of being mercilessly slaughtered by her former compatriots, or of piercing their bodies without hesitation with her claws and bone spikes. The first thing she does every morning is to check whether she has been assimilated more deeply.

"You have plenty of time to think, so don't rush me, and I won't pressure you."

Mizuki hummed a tune, because Gladiia's attitude couldn't change anything.

Seaborn is still gathering power, but compared to Aegir, the Demons are now the Brood most important enemy to watch out for. Mizuki has provided Seaborn with the reference information needed for his evolution.

Once the first Seaborn successfully adapts to the collapse and uncertainty of the Demons, it means that the entire the Brood will become the most effective legion against the Demons.

The other side represents collapse and disorder, Mizuki represents life and consciousness; all they can do is pollute each other.

As they walked, Mizuki and Gladiia chatted all the way, not about anything else, just about the past on the Terra, or whether there were any fun games in Aegir.

But on the other side, the Sea Siren stared in astonishment at the barrier before them.

"These Aegir are incredibly meticulous; they even check the water so many times, making sure to kill all the microorganisms."

"A group of people who are not suited to live in the deep sea are choosing to settle there. As Izumik said, there must be some more compelling benefits that have made them choose to stay."

The Sea Siren hid within the Seaborn, Aegir's barrier kept everything outside, but it could not stop Sea Siren.

No one can clearly explain what Sea Siren is. Wherever there is water, there is life, and therefore Sea Siren. Aegir's barrier is ineffective against Sea Siren.

No matter how many times they disinfect the water, as long as the water is still water, as long as there is liquid, the Sea Siren can use that liquid as a vessel to penetrate into the Material Realm.

"Shall we keep it for now?"

"Keep him. Don't you all know who Izumik is? Right now, the Demons in the north are the most important thing."

Everything Aegir does is ineffective against the Sea Siren; as long as they want to survive in this sea, the Sea Siren will be their eternal nightmare.

However, Mizuki's orders to Seaborn and the Sea Siren were for the Sami Demons to prepare for war, not to destroy Aegir. In addition, given Skadi's relationship with Specter, the Sea Siren would at most sneak some things away from Aegir, not destroy the Hot People's home.

"Didn't number 233 say it was very cold over there?"

"Yes, we'd better steal some antifreeze from Aegir; they should have some."

Fearless of anything, the only things that can trouble the Sea Siren are high and low temperatures. Too high a temperature will evaporate the water, and too low a temperature will solidify the body. Some extra measures need to be prepared, otherwise, Mizuki will have no choice but to go all out and deal with her.

"However, our main task this time is to figure out what Aegir's Matrix is. Since Aegir's Church of the Deep is confident in controlling the Seaborn, it proves that the thing must be very powerful."

Siren No. 1's body gradually became transparent, turning into the purest water, with at least tens of thousands of Sea Siren behind her.

The Matrix —this was the only thing the Doctor could remember. Skadi and Specter didn't know anything about it, but Cicero, the deep-sea bishop, did, which was truly ironic.

But since Aegir agreed to make the Abyssal Hunters' decapitation plan the top priority for eradicating the Seaborn, there must be some other reason, excluding the Church of the Deep's involvement.

Either using the Matrix would cost Aegir far more than the Abyssal Hunters, or they simply cannot use or easily manipulate the Matrix at present. This is a problem that can be easily solved by comparing the risks.

"Let's go, ladies, let's get some antifreeze!"

It is said that on that day, all the antifreeze in the entire Aegir was stolen for some unknown reason; in any case, not a single drop could be found after searching the entire Aegir.

"How could there not be?"

Looking at the research report in front of him, Loken Williams couldn't help but scratch his head. Although he knew that E Cells were a new substance that they had never understood before and that it would take a lot of time to obtain results, this time he also had to admit that this thing was indeed so strange that it made people doubt science.

"Are you sure there's nothing wrong with the instrument?"

"Yes, it's been confirmed. It's definitely not displaying anything. No matter what device we use, we can't capture images of E Cells. It's been like this since last night."

The researcher in charge of last night's experiment looked very uneasy. The researchers had been working around the clock in shifts, and this unexpected mishap had occurred.

"But its presence is definitely visible to the naked eye... Is this true for all petri dishes?"

"Yes, if the administrator hadn't seen on the monitor that there was nothing in the culture chamber, I wouldn't have known this had happened."

"Don't be nervous, I'll explain that this has nothing to do with you."

Loken waved his hand, a rare look of confusion appearing on his aged face. Then, as if remembering something, his expression gradually turned into fear.

It can't be captured by mechanical equipment, but it can be observed with the naked eye. Why does this characteristic always feel so similar to those things associated with Sami?

Chapter 188 Irene, Forcibly Arrived on the Island

As for Aegir, since Gladiia has no other choice, she can only return to Rhodes Island with everyone else for now.

Irene thought she would never see him again. Although she felt a little reluctant to part with Mizuki, she was overjoyed at the thought of never seeing Specter again. She was finally rid of that guy!

But this happiness completely changed after she was dragged into the car by the Specter.

"Let me go! I am Iberia judge! This is an attack on government officials!"

"Hey, stop struggling. Didn't Iberia say that you're now Iberia's special envoy to Rhodes Island?"

The Doctor's smile looked exactly like that of some criminals. In fact, Mizuki remembered encountering many kidnappers with the same expression. If you didn't know better, you'd think they weren't going to Rhodes Island but were selling this Little Bird somewhere else.

"What?" Irene was stunned for a moment before Specter shoved her into the car. She was completely bewildered before she realized what was happening.

"No, I don't want to go! I want to see my teacher! I want to see the saint!"

"I shed blood for Iberia, I served the Inquisition! You can't treat me like this! Waaah!"

Irene's mouth was casually stuffed with a hamburger by Specter, who then put her in the car.

She instinctively moved closer to Mizuki. There was no other way; Mizuki was the only one who could give her a sense of security right now, especially when she was sitting with Specter.

"I said... is what Laurentina said true?"

"Hmm." Mizuki smiled and nodded at Irene. "This was the Doctor's suggestion. Shouldn't the Inquisition have informed you?"

"But I didn't... Oh no."

Irene suddenly remembered something: the Inquisition documents and notices were confidential and could not be communicated verbally, so she should go to the local Inquisition to pick them up. Moreover, even without the documents, she still had to submit the report there every three days.

The problem is that she spent this time hanging out with Mizuki and the others, having a good time and forgetting about the matter. Not only did she not submit the report, but she also didn't go to the Inquisition to retrieve her belongings.

"You have all your identification documents on you, right?"

"Ah... um, yes, they're all here."

Now Irene finally understood why her teacher, Dario, had been so serious when she suggested going with Mizuki and her group to avoid them causing trouble, reminding her to pack her things and bring extra clothes.

"That's good. You should enjoy life on Rhodes Island."

"But I..."

"The fries over there are free."

Upon hearing this, Irene, who had initially been quite critical, immediately fell silent. Even Specter couldn't help but cast an approving glance at Mizuki; he seemed to have this Little Bird completely under his control.

Of course, Irene wouldn't just follow the crowd because of the fries, but she quickly figured out the reasons behind the Inquisition's decision.

Now that Seaborn retreated, Iberia's crisis has eased considerably. While the country is in dire need of manpower to rebuild, Mizuki is also crucial. If a cooperation agreement can be reached with the Sea Siren under Mizuki's command, it would certainly be a good thing for Iberia.

Given the Sea Siren's unique qualities, immense strength, and capacity for thought, Iberia naturally wanted to win them over, along with Mizuki. For this... Irene felt she might need to make some sacrifices—no, she had already sacrificed enough.

Thinking about everything that had happened with Mizuki, Irene couldn't help but sigh. It was truly a tragedy; how had she gotten involved with Mizuki and the others in such a muddled way?

Are you worried, Little Bird?

Specter's words startled Irene, causing her to move even closer to Mizuki, practically touching her. Half the reason for the conflicted relationship between Mizuki and Irene was due to her.

But Specter just loved Irene like that. The usually proud and strong girl revealing a completely opposite, shy and frightened side made her almost irresistible.

It's just a pity that Mizuki wouldn't show a contradictory side like Irene. Even if Specter wanted to flirt with him, she couldn't. Over this long period of time, she had figured out Mizuki's personality completely.

"Laurentina, I... don't come any closer!"

"Okay, okay, I won't go over there, but could you please stop hugging my boyfriend?"

Specter pointed at Mizuki, whose arm was being held by Irene, though he seemed completely unconcerned, simply looking out the window.

Irene then realized she had indeed been a bit too nervous. After letting go, she quickly straightened her clothes, but still kept her distance from Specter.

"Let's switch seats."

Mizuki thought that if they sat like this the whole way, Irene would probably be scared sick by Specter. If he sat in the middle, Specter would probably be more restrained.

Actually, if it weren't for wanting to stay with everyone to protect the Doctor, and because she was always unwilling to take the final step, Mizuki wouldn't have needed to take the car and walk back at all.

"Good."

Irene stood up slightly, Mizuki also moved to a different position. Specter seized the opportunity and, as Irene struggled to walk to Mizuki's side due to the limited space in the car, reached out and gently touched her ankle.

"Eeya!"

Suddenly having her ankle touched, Irene was so startled that her hair stood on end, and she couldn't help but stretch out her beautiful ear feathers as she sat directly in Mizuki's lap.

"Oh my, what an adorable reaction!"

Specter's smile looked like that of a cunning fox spirit. Mizuki reached out and pinched her cheek in annoyance, then placed the dazed Irene by the window, using herself as a barrier between them.

"Don't scare her."