Punishment

The two of them soon arrived at a nearby staff lounge.

Liz, who had just become a freshman assistant officer, now had permission to enter this place as well. She brought Hesta a set of spare clothes, and seeing the girl still trembling, she fetched her a cup of hot cocoa. However, Hesta only held the cup in her hands and still did not drink.

"Don't you like hot cocoa?"

"...I'm not used to its taste." Hesta lowered her eyes.

Only then did the fire alarm throughout the building finally cease. Hesta looked out the window and heard the noisy crowd gathering downstairs—probably 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 open the consultation room curtains again. "When you're in danger, don't get hung up on formalities. Do everything you can to call for help—you understood that as soon as you arrived. That's wonderful."

Under Liz's reassurance, Hesta gradually calmed down.

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

Hesta did not respond. She was still thinking about what had just happened, especially the moment she saw the person Shawn called "Karl." That overwhelming pressure had left her badly shaken. The discomfort even made her feel, in a daze, as though she had returned to that night at the convent when she had confronted a Chelated Being.

Liz returned to Hesta's side and sat down.

"It was my fault," Liz said.

Hesta did not understand. "What?"

"I should have come out with you today. You're still unfamiliar with this place, and there are so many strange people among the Quicksilver Needles... I should have taken that into account." Liz spoke sincerely. "I'll be more careful from now on."

"I don't blame you." Hesta shook her head. "I never even thought of it that way... I have another question."

"Go ahead."

"Besides Shawn, I also met someone called 'Karl' today—"

"Ah, that was his brother, Calvin." Liz looked somewhat surprised. "You met his brother too today?"

"Yes..."

"Calvin is a big man, but he's quiet and relatively steady... Then again, it's not strange that you ran into him today. The Grangua brothers always act together."

"You mean in combat?"

"In daily life too," Liz replied. "Calvin has a steadier temperament and can stop Shawn when he does something stupid, so the base prefers that Calvin not be separated from Shawn whenever possible."

"I see..." Hesta murmured.

"The two brothers came from the Hekla Wasteland, a volcanic region in western District 3. Have you heard that name before?"

Hesta shook her head.

"Really? I thought you'd be familiar with it. Hekla is called the 'Gate of Hell' by outsiders. It's a place as full of killing as Duanming Alley. It's quite famous in District 3 because many gray-market trades hire killers there through intermediaries."

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

Liz laughed. "If you stayed here for three years, you'd know these things too. The brothers arrived the same year as Tulan. They're both second-years. I haven't had much contact with them, so I'm already considered fairly unfamiliar with them."

"Do they often approach other people on their own like they did today?"

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

"...Why?"

"Because being around Calvin is uncomfortable," Liz answered. "He isn't very good at controlling his power, and I'm more sensitive to the presence of other Quicksilver Needles. Every time I get close to him, I feel a little tight in the chest—other people don't seem to react that way. Maybe they're used to it?"

Hesta sharply raised her head.

"Well, you probably can't feel it yet," Liz answered with a smile. "Once you go through a Secondary Awakening too, you'll understand what I mean."

"But today—"

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

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Miss Fletcher?" A cool female voice came through the phone.

"Yes, this is me." Liz recognized the voice. "Ms. Moly?"

"This is she. Is Miss Hesta with you at the moment?"

"Yes."

"How is she?"

"She's fine." Liz glanced at Hesta. "She's recovered now. Do you need to speak to her alone?"

"No. I'm calling to inform you of the follow-up measures regarding this matter."

Liz froze for a moment—she clearly had not expected the matter to be handled so quickly.

"Alright, please go ahead. We're both listening." Liz turned the phone's microphone toward Hesta so she could hear Molly more clearly.

"Then first, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sophie Moly, the base's Order Affairs Officer, Miss Hesta. Although you encountered such an incident today, please believe that such matters are uncommon at the base. In most cases, our Quicksilver Needle reserves, like Miss Fletcher, know how to care for their juniors."

She delivered the long sentence in one breath, speaking almost as quickly as Chiba. Yet the officer's voice sounded extremely cold, and Hesta could practically imagine the downturn of her mouth from her tone—like Sister Gurdin, who always wore a stern expression.

"We have discovered that Mr. Grangua stole your information over the past few days. From today's surveillance footage, we have also confirmed that he had been secretly following you all along. Such premeditation is extremely reprehensible, regardless of its purpose.

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

"Second, the base will deduct 70% of his living allowance for the twelve months from this May through next April. Fifty percent of that sum will be deposited directly into your account at the beginning of next month as compensation for emotional distress.

"Third, we will impose certain restrictions on Shawn Grangua's conduct. Both inside and outside the base, he may not approach you, speak with you, or interfere with your daily life for any reason. Otherwise, we will directly restrict all of his movements.

"Given that you are still a minor, we will discuss with your guardian, Chiba Masaki, how long this restraining order should remain in effect. At present, it appears it will last at least until after your Secondary Awakening.

"Do you have any other opinions or additions regarding this decision?" the woman on the other end of the call asked rapidly.

Hesta was silent for a moment. "Not for now."

"Very well, Miss Hesta." Ms. Moly's voice softened somewhat, and she paused for a moment. "Please believe that we have both the willingness and ability to protect your personal safety."

Current known information:

Duanming Alley: A wasteland in District 3, located south of Tanyi City. Jane Hesta's birthplace; a lawless slum.

Askia: A wasteland in District 3, located in the central-northern part of District 3. Liz Fletcher's hometown, once a land rich in water and grass.

Hekla: A wasteland in District 3, located in western District 3 and bordering District 4. Also known as the "Gate of Hell." Like Duanming Alley, the entire wasteland is rife with every kind of crime and trade. At its center lies a relatively peaceful "Oasis Land," the hometown of the Grangua brothers.

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