Punishment

The two quickly arrived at the nearby faculty lounge.

Liz, having just become a new student advisor, now had access to the lounge. She brought Hesta some spare clothes from there, and seeing that the girl was still trembling, she also brought a cup of hot cocoa. However, Hesta just held the cup in her hands and still didn't drink it.

"Don't you like hot cocoa?"

"...I'm not used to the taste," Hesta said, her eyes downcast.

The fire alarm throughout the building finally stopped. Hesta looked out the window and heard the noisy gathering of people downstairs, likely everyone who had poured out after hearing the alarm.

"Did I cause trouble for you?" Hesta asked.

"No, you did exactly the right thing." Liz pulled back the curtains of the conversation room again. "When you're in danger, don't get hung up on formalities; do everything you can to call for help—it's wonderful that you understood to do that right after arriving."

Under Liz's comfort, Hesta gradually calmed down.

Liz stood by the window, looking at the somewhat gloomy sky outside. "The weather's been really off these past few days. It suddenly got so cold today—that's quite rare."

Hesta didn't respond. She was still thinking about the scene from earlier, especially the intense sense of oppression she felt the moment she saw the person Shawn called "Karl," which had left her shaken. This discomfort even made her feel, for a moment, as if she were back in the monastery on the night she confronted the Chelated Being.

Liz walked back to Hesta's side and sat down.

"It's my fault," Liz said.

Hesta was puzzled. "What?"

"I should have come out with you today. You're not familiar with this place yet, and there are so many strange people in Quicksilver Needles... I should have considered that." Liz said sincerely, "I'll be more careful from now on."

"I'm not blaming you," Hesta shook her head. "I didn't even think about it that way... I still have one question I want to ask."

"Go ahead."

"Besides Shawn today, I also saw someone named 'Karl'—"

"Ah, that's his brother, Calvin." Liz seemed a little surprised. "You saw his brother today too?"

"Yes..."

Liz replied, "Calvin is a big guy, but he's quieter and more composed... It's not surprising you met him today; the brothers always move around together."

"You mean in combat?"

"And in life," Liz answered. "Because Calvin is more composed, he can stop Shawn when he's about to do something foolish, so the base prefers that Calvin stays with Shawn as much as possible."

"I see..." Hesta murmured.

"The two brothers are from the Hekla Wasteland, a volcanic belt in the western part of District 3. Have you heard that name before?"

Hesta shook her head.

"Really? I thought you'd be very familiar with it. Hekla is known as 'Hell's Gate' by outsiders, a place full of killing, just like Duanming Alley. It's very famous in District 3 because many gray industries hire assassins there through various intermediaries."

"...You really know a lot about this place."

Liz laughed. "If you'd been here for three years too, you'd know all this. The two brothers and Tulan came in the same year; they're both second-year students. I haven't interacted with them much, so I'm relatively unfamiliar with them."

"Do they often approach others like this, as they did today?"

"I don't know. After Calvin's Secondary Awakening, I rarely went near them."

"...Why?"

"Because it's uncomfortable being around Calvin," Liz replied. "He doesn't really know how to control his power, and I'm quite sensitive to the presence of other Quicksilver Needles, so every time I get close to him, I feel a bit of chest tightness—others don't seem to feel this way, maybe they're used to it?"

Hesta sharply looked up.

"Hmm, you probably can't feel it yet," Liz answered with a smile. "Once you experience Secondary Awakening, you'll understand what I'm talking about."

"But today—"

Liz's phone suddenly rang. She gestured for Hesta to be quiet, then put it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Miss Fletcher?" a clear, cold female voice came from the phone.

"Yes, it's me," Liz recognized the voice. "Ms. Moly?"

"It is. Is Miss Hesta with you now?"

"Yes."

"How is her condition?"

"Very good," Liz glanced at Hesta. "She's recovered. Do you need to speak with her privately?"

"No, I'm calling to inform you about the follow-up handling of this matter."

Liz paused—she clearly hadn't expected the matter to be handled so quickly.

"Okay, please tell us. She and I are both listening." Liz angled the phone's microphone towards Hesta so she could hear Molly's voice more clearly.

"Then, let me introduce myself first. I am Sophie Molly, the base's order affairs officer, Miss Hesta. Although you experienced such an incident today, please believe that such matters are not common at the base. In most cases, our Quicksilver Needles Reserve, like Miss Fletcher, knows how to care for their juniors."

She rattled off the long sentence in one breath, speaking as quickly as Chiba, but the officer's voice sounded very cold. Hesta could almost imagine her downturned mouth from the tone—just like the perpetually stern Sister Gurdin.

"We found that Mr. Grangua stole your information in the past few days, and from today's surveillance, we also confirmed that he has been secretly following you. Such premeditation, regardless of its purpose, is extremely malicious.

"Regarding Shawn Grangua's actions today, after thorough discussion, we have made the following decisions: First, his credit rating will be adjusted from C+ to D, and he will be required to retake the District 3 Social Etiquette and Safety Regulations."

"Secondly, the base will deduct 70% of his living allowance for 12 months, from May of this year to April of next year. Fifty percent of that money will be paid to you as compensation for emotional distress and will be directly deposited into your account at the beginning of next month.

"Thirdly, we will restrict Shawn Grangua's actions to a certain extent. Both inside and outside the base, he is not permitted to approach you, speak to you, or interfere with your daily life for any reason. Otherwise, we will directly restrict all his movements.

"Considering you are still a minor, the duration of this restraining order will be discussed with your Guardian, Chiba Masaki. Currently, it is expected to last at least until your Secondary Awakening.

"Do you have any other opinions or additions regarding this resolution?" The female voice on the other end of the phone spoke quickly.

Hesta was silent for a moment. "Not at the moment."

"Alright, Miss Hesta." Ms. Moly's voice softened. She paused for a moment. "Please believe that we have both the will and the ability to protect your personal safety."

Currently Known Information:

Duanming Alley: A lawless slum in the Hekla Wasteland of District 3, located south of Tanyi City, and Jane Hesta's birthplace.

Askia: A place in the Hekla Wasteland of District 3, located in the north-central part of District 3. It is Liz Fletcher's hometown and was once a lush, fertile land.

Hekla: A place in the Hekla Wasteland of District 3, located in the western part of District 3, bordering District 4, also known as "Hell's Gate." The entire Wasteland, like Duanming Alley, is rife with various crimes and transactions. There is a relatively peaceful "Oasis Land" in the central area, which is the hometown of the Grangua brothers.

Thanks to Ling Lan for the tips and monthly passes~!