The Perks of Mind Reading

"Are you going to yell at me for her sake?" Specter gently grasped Mizuki's hand, her previous cunning demeanor completely transformed into one of pitiful vulnerability.

Mizuki knew that Specter was just teasing Irene, so of course she wouldn't get angry or scold her. However, Irene seemed to be in a daze, her eyes wide open, seemingly lost in thought.

"You two shouldn't go too far."

Exusiai was in charge of driving, puffed out her cheeks slightly. If she got angry, she might just drive everyone at high speed toward the hundred-meter cliff.

Hai Mo rode in the same car as the Doctor and the others. She and Irene would argue within three minutes of meeting, and she didn't show much respect for Exusiai, the main heroine. It was best for them to separate.

This time, Mizuki brought a lot of good stuff to the girls of Rhodes Island. She figured that at least she wouldn't get bitten by Rosemary, which would be a victory. She had experienced the sharp teeth and sharp tongue of the little cat many times.

When Goldenglow heard that someone was actually asking her about Mizuki, she immediately felt that something was very wrong. She already had enough sisters-in-law. She didn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of kids calling her "Auntie" in the future. She was only in her twenties!

However, upon seeing that the person asking him about Mizuki was actually a little girl who was not even ten years old, Goldenglow couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Although she knew that her brother was always popular with women, this one was probably not within his target range.

"So, little friend, what do you want to ask?"

"Um... you can just call me Cecilia, sister."

Young Sankta girls are incredibly cute and sunny, inspiring an inexplicable fondness in people and easily winning over others.

"Then you can just call me Susie. Here, would you like some juice?"

"Susie, Sister Susie."

The girl Susie didn't recognize—she'd been on Rhodes Island for over a year and had basically met everyone Rhodes Island, even some elusive figures.

So this girl in front of me must have just arrived at Rhodes Island recently, but the fact that she immediately asked about Mizuki means she came specifically for Mizuki...

(Could it be my brother's child?!)

The thought of this possibility made Goldenglow lose her grip on the cup, and she accidentally let go of it. Luckily, Cecilia caught it in time, otherwise it would have been a huge blunder.

"What's wrong, sister?"

"Oh no, it's nothing. I just remembered something and thought I forgot to turn off the gas stove when I came. I must have been mistaken."

Susie shook her head. After thinking about it carefully, she realized that this was unlikely. Mizuki was only in her early twenties, while the girl in front of her was at least seven or eight years old. It couldn't be that Mizuki became a father when she was just over ten.

"Cecilia, please sit down. I've never seen you before on Rhodes Island. Are you new here?"

"Yes, I came with my mom. She said she has some things to talk to Brother Mizuki about."

Susie nearly fainted, her vision blurring. Good heavens, could this adorable little girl really be her niece, whom she'd never met before?

"Um... Cecilia, may I ask you a question?"

"Okay, you ask first, sister."

"Is it that you and Brother Mizuki close?"

"Yes!" Cecilia nodded quickly. "Brother Mizuki is so kind. I met him when my mother and I were looking for my father."

This statement might seem ambiguous at first glance, but Susie was truly relieved because it meant that Mizuki was indeed not Cecilia's father; otherwise, this lovely girl would have directly stated that they were father and daughter.

(Thank goodness, at least I'm not being made the aunt.)

Just as Goldenglow was thinking this, perhaps feeling that what she said might not have been clear enough, Cecilia didn't forget to add a sentence.

"But Brother Mizuki said that I can marry him when I grow up!"

"What!?"

Goldenglow's tail instantly straightened, and a crackling sound of static electricity filled the air. However, Cecilia in front of her didn't seem surprised or frightened. Instead, she opened her eyes wide with excitement.

"Wow, Sister Susie really is just like Brother Mizuki said! Whenever she gets excited, lightning crackles out!"

Cecilia also seemed very excited. It was clear that Mizuki had told her quite a bit about Goldenglow, which meant that she must have met Mizuki after she left Victoria.

But what Goldenglow couldn't understand was that she really didn't become the sister-in-law, because Cecilia had been promoted to a higher generation, and she couldn't remember when her brother had even had such a young child... She could have easily had one herself! Cecilia's figure and everything else were quite good!

"Oh, my brother, really! I've hinted at it so many times, but he'd rather date such a young child than accept me..."

Unable to help but mutter a few words, Goldenglow tried her best to calm herself down. It would be better to say that Cecilia was Mizuki's daughter. She would rather be Cecilia's aunt than call this girl her sister-in-law.

No, if we're going by the timeline, Cecilia wasn't even seven years old back then!?

However, Goldenglow knew her brother's personality, and she didn't believe that Mizuki really had such a plan. She thought she was just joking. After all, children tend to take adults' words seriously.

"Ahem, Cecilia, let's not talk about that now. What do you want to ask?"

To avoid being startled by what this adorable little angel said, Goldenglow decided to ignore the question for the time being and ask Mizuki what was going on when he returned. After all, it didn't seem like Mizuki would be back for long.

"That's it. I want to know what Brother Mizuki likes to eat, what he likes to play, and what books he likes to read."

Why ask these questions?

"Because my mom said it's something a bride should do!"

"... Can we not talk about this anymore?"

Goldenglow suddenly felt that the child in front of her was terrifying. With this level of combat power, he was even more terrifying than Rosemary, who liked to pester Mizuki!

"Oh."

"Ahem, Cecilia, how old are you this year?"

"I'm seven years old this year!"

"A seven-year-old child has a long way to go before getting married, so let's not think about that for now. As for what my older brother likes... well, that's something we'll probably talk about for a long time."

Goldenglow went through his thoughts but couldn't find anything Mizuki truly liked. He could even enjoy traditional dishes that even the Victoria themselves couldn't stomach.

As for games and books, he was never picky. He enjoyed reading and even took Goldenglow to the library every week, where he taught Goldenglow to read.

"And speaking of liking someone, my brother likes quite a few people, and there are tons of girls who like him."

"Yes, that's the most troublesome thing."

When this was mentioned, Cecilia's face immediately showed a distressed expression that was not appropriate for her age.

"Not to mention those older sisters, even Mom says that if she were younger, she would definitely have fallen for Brother Mizuki."

Goldenglow was taken aback by the little angel's words. Why did she feel that this little angel and her mother were both incredibly ruthless people?

This is a bit too... heavyweight.

Chapter 189 The Benefits of Mind Reading

"Honestly, Mizuki, why don't you just debut as an idol and become Terra idol to unite the world? I'm sure you can do it!"

This was the Doctor's first reaction after hearing Mizuki hum a little tune, but Mizuki simply waved her hand.

"I just have a good foundation in singing; I haven't had much professional training, so I can't compare to real singers. If I were to rely solely on my looks to attract people, that would be too... well, never mind."

Mizuki thought for a moment, but still didn't say what he was going to say. It was really unnecessary for him. If nothing unexpected happened, he probably became a child star back then simply because he was short of money and wanted to observe humans. Since leaving Cicero's side, Mizuki had basically been traveling alone. He was still very young at the time. If his memories were to return, he might know what happened, and it probably wouldn't be something that could be explained in a simple way.

"I know, but I've always felt that with so many handsome men and beautiful women on Rhodes Island, forming a supergroup would be no problem at all, with Mostima as the lead singer."

(ps: The voice actress for Mostima, Nana Mizuki, is a very good singer; she even sang a duet with a certain kind old father from the Kamen Rider studio.)

"If you actually submit this proposal, I'm sure Kal'tsit will put you on the bridge without hesitation."

Mizuki poked at the campfire in front of her, looking at Irene sleeping on her lap. This Little Bird had really been terrified by the Specter these past few days. The key was that the Specter hadn't done anything outrageous each time, and Mizuki had only given her a light tap on the head at most.

"How about we make games? I'm not short of game ideas, tsk tsk, just wait and see if I can bring over things like <Legend of Ye'erxi: Breath of the Wild>, <Devil May Cry 5>, and even <Milo Cat Adventure>."

"... Doctor, are you sure we won't be sued across time and space if we do this?"

Mizuki subconsciously chimed in, but the Doctor just smiled and scratched her head.

"Oh, don't worry. If they really have the guts to send me a lawyer's letter, then I'll see if I can bring you to see me... wait, wait, can you finish that line!?"

"Perhaps it's mind reading."

Mizuki pointed to her head. Although there was nothing on it except for the blue soft hat, if someone could observe from another perspective, they would be able to see the black—no, now half black and half white—crown on her head.

As time passed, Mizuki herself observed that the crown, which the Doctor called "the Continuance of Civilization," was undergoing some kind of change, as if it was actively adapting to Mizuki, its new owner.

It might originate from a parallel world's Mizuki, awakened as he gained control of the Sea of Life, or it might have already been dormant within Mizuki's body, simply waiting for an opportunity to awaken.

The white color began to spread from the base of the crown, gradually turning the crown, which resembled a black crystal sculpture, into a pure white, with subtle hints of sea blue ripples.

"Damn it, that's such a cheating trick!"

"There's nothing I can do; I haven't fully mastered it yet, so I can't turn it off even if I wanted to."

During the day, the crown's effect doesn't significantly impact Mizuki, blocking out most sounds. However, it becomes very active at night, at which point Mizuki can hear the inner thoughts of various people.

For example, Doctor is currently thinking, "If Mizuki could read minds, would he also know that I'm planning to throw Rosemary on his bed in the middle of the night?"—a very dangerous thing.

Specter, on the other hand, was thinking about "how to get the captain captured by Mizuki as soon as possible, so that a scene of three Abyssal Hunters fighting against the Seaborn could be staged." If this got out, Gladiia would definitely throw her into the sea.

Exusiai to discuss with Lemuen after returning to Rhodes Island that one of the sisters would openly marry Mizuki while the other would remain secret, even though that was already the current situation.

Gladiia's mind was naturally preoccupied with how to deal with Aegir's Church of the Deep.

As for Texas and Ho'olheyak... they don't like the wilderness; emptiness often means danger, but they also enjoy the atmosphere of sitting around the campfire with their companions and chatting.

Skadi and Hai Mo were currently only thinking about how to get the pretending-sleeping Irene off Mizuki's lap so they could take her place.

Yes, Irene wasn't actually asleep. The cute Little Bird's mind was in a mess. On one hand, she thoroughly enjoyed the sense of security and comfort of being protected by Mizuki and not having to worry about Specter. On the other hand, she felt that lying on a man's body was rather inappropriate and unladylike.

Then, thinking about the unspeakable things that had happened between her and Mizuki, the little Little Bird couldn't help but curl up and try to fall asleep quickly.

"Human thought is truly complex and fascinating."

Mizuki suddenly felt that it would have been better if this mind-reading ability had come earlier. No, it couldn't be worse either. If he had read Exusiai's thoughts earlier, such an excellent girl wouldn't have become his girlfriend.

Why are you suddenly feeling sentimental about this?

Sitting down next to Mizuki, Exusiai handed him the juice in her hand.

"It's just a sudden feeling, Xiao Le, aren't you asleep yet?"

Exusiai pointed to Irene on Mizuki's lap, expressing her dissatisfaction with her eyes. Mizuki was her closest companion, both in name and in reality, and upon reflection, the two of them hadn't had a proper rest alone in a long time.

Let's get some rest together after we get back to Rhodes Island.

"OK."

With just one simple word, Exusiai's attitude was evident. Mizuki uncontrollably heard Muelsyse's thoughts. She wasn't very satisfied with this older sister who was nominally someone she had to serve tea to, after all, she had been the closest to the champion's throne, but Mizuki, who was supposed to be the prize, had run away.

The campfire blazed brightly, Mizuki softly hummed a lullaby; under the glittering starry night, everything seemed so harmonious.

Everyone was quiet and undisturbed, silently returning to their tents to prepare for sleep. They all tacitly agreed to let Mizuki keep watch, since it wouldn't have any negative impact even if he didn't eat, drink, or sleep.

Irene quickly drifted off to sleep to Mizuki's lullaby, but perhaps because dreams are inherently chaotic, the "Continuance of Civilization" was unreadable, or perhaps because it was being gradually assimilated and transformed by Mizuki.

After putting Irene into her sleeping bag, Mizuki sat alone by the campfire, watching over everyone. He pondered the past and planned for the future, finally gently covering his heart and feeling the beating of the Heart of Deep Blue.

This ancient heart beat within him, and even though neither he nor the Doctor had regained their memories, he could guess that the Doctor must have made many adjustments to help him adapt to this heart.

This Heart of Deep Blue enabled Mizuki to complete its initial and second transformations, but as Mizuki's connection with the Sea of Life deepened, it instead became a burden.

To put it more bluntly, it's outdated and can only serve as a backup. If it has any practical use, it's probably as a means for Mizuki to exist in the real world.

"Compared to the heart, cells have become the most important part..."

Mizuki frowned slightly, but then relaxed, which was undoubtedly a good thing for him.

Although he could also shape himself with water like Sea Siren, the resulting body would obviously not be as strong as his current one. Therefore, it was extremely convenient for him for cells to gradually replace the function of his heart.

Each of Mizuki's cells can exist independently. Given enough time and Mizuki's permission, the cells will begin to absorb nutrients and divide, eventually creating a new body. This means that as long as one cell exists, Mizuki will not die.

Of course, there probably isn't anyone who can kill him directly right now. Mizuki's only problem right now is that he's bound by the Heart of Deep Blue, preventing him from taking any further steps. But he can't possibly cut his own heart, since he was able to be resurrected because of the Heart of Deep Blue, and he's a little reluctant to do so.

"This is really a dilemma."

The campfire reflected in her eyes, and Mizuki squinted, a bad feeling creeping into her heart. She had a feeling that something was going to happen after she returned to Rhodes Island.

Such intuition was by no means Mizuki's overthinking, but rather a subtle warning from the Sea of Life. Even the Continuance of Civilization above her head was warning Mizuki, but in terms of magnitude, it was roughly equivalent to a normal person tripping and falling when going out.

He thought to himself that this shouldn't be a big problem. Was he going to get swarmed in the face with siege equipment by Rosemary Kitten when he got back to Rhodes Island?

It was late at night. Amiya, having finished her work, stood up and stretched. Doctor wasn't on Rhodes Island, and Kal'tsit was away on a business trip, so her workload had naturally increased considerably.

Fortunately, she wasn't working alone. Lemuen probably felt too idle and had nothing to do, so she volunteered to help out and handle the documents that weren't very confidential.

Lemuen was even more efficient than Amiya had expected. It was said that she had already been working in an administrative position at the Laterano Papal Basilica before arriving. It was thanks to her that Amiya was able to handle these tasks so efficiently.

I'm afraid she won't be able to finish it even tomorrow; it's really too much for a 14-year-old girl.

"Thank you, Miss Lemuen, otherwise I definitely wouldn't have been able to finish all this by myself."