Never Forget

"Back to our previous topic," Chiba continued, "The first time the two of them made the social news was for killing a young deer in the Tanyi City plaza."

"...A deer?"

"The people here like deer. It seems the city's pioneers got lost in the nearby mountains decades ago, and were eventually led back to the right path by a herd of deer. So, there have always been free-roaming sika deer in the Tanyi City plaza, funded by the government and cared for by specialists. The citizens and the deer have a good relationship.

When Shawn and Calvin first arrived, there were some issues with their base registration. The Quicksilver Needles who brought them stayed at a small inn near the plaza for a night. That night, the two brothers slaughtered two young deer that were less than a month old and roasted them over a fire in a corner of the plaza. The two of them didn't even realize there was anything wrong with doing that. They didn't clean up the bloodstains on the ground or the deer heads until the next day, when people found the herd of deer gathered around, wailing. That's when they realized something serious had happened.

"Several more incidents like this happened afterwards," Chiba said, pointing to her head. "These two brothers lack a bit of 'common sense' for living in a civilized world."

Hesta froze. That description felt all too familiar to her.

"This is also why I don't agree with Molly's approach – I've seen that no matter what rules are made within the base to protect newcomers, there are always loopholes. No matter their reasons for wanting to approach you, if you don't repel them head-on, you'll never have peace, understand?"

Hesta took a deep breath. "I... think I understand."

"I made a mistake today, I forgot that you need to make an appointment before taking you out. We can discuss the specifics when I take you out this Saturday. If you're scared, don't go out tomorrow."

Chiba glanced at her watch, then took a business card from her pocket. "This is my email and private phone number. You can contact me if necessary, but always remember to discuss important matters in person. Got it?"

Hesta took the card. She seemed to want to say something but hesitated. After a long while, she finally said, "Does Miss Chiba really think I can deal with Shawn with just a gun?"

Chiba smiled.

"Listen, Jane," Chiba said softly, "Generally speaking, in this world, there are three types of people who can disregard most rules and are difficult to deal with – nobles, eccentrics, and fanatics."

Hesta pondered this.

"Nobles have wealth and immense power. Eccentrics have outstanding abilities and exceptional talent. Fanatics, on the other hand, have nothing to lose... Is Shawn one of these three types?"

Chiba looked at her. "Are you?"

As night fell, Hesta stood alone on the balcony, letting the wind blow. She kept replaying her conversation with Chiba from dusk, clutching the silver key tightly in her hand.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway outside. Hesta turned and saw Tulan pushing the door open. As their eyes met, Tulan glanced in her direction and gave a slight nod. Before Hesta could react, Tulan had already entered her own room.

About half an hour later, Liz also returned.

Like Tulan, she wore a green-brimmed military cap, and her face and clothes were covered in dust. She quickly took a shower and returned wearing clean loungewear.

"Where did you go today?" Hesta asked.

"Field emergency training," Liz replied.

"Did everyone go?"

"Yes," Liz nodded. "Once you pass the fifteen-kilometer cross-country run assessment, you'll be able to train with the main group. For newcomers... they usually have to train alone for half a year first."

"Was Shawn there too?"

"Yes," Liz replied. "I kept an eye on him and Calvin all day... How was your day? Did you run into any trouble?"

Hesta shook her head.

Liz smiled with satisfaction, then got up and tossed her jacket, which she had casually draped over the chair back, into the laundry hamper. "Did you meet with Teacher Chiba today?"

"Yes."

"What did she say? Why is she so insistent on canceling the restraining order against Shawn?"

Hesta thought for a moment. "Her meaning... is probably that I need to learn to face and solve some difficulties on my own."

"What?" Liz looked somewhat taken aback. "She's telling you to solve these kinds of problems alone now?"

Hesta nodded.

Liz brought two cups of water and handed one to Hesta. Like during their first night talk, one leaned against the railing facing the living room, while the other faced the distant night scenery.

"Doesn't Teacher Chiba understand the situation? Did you tell her that Shawn is a sophomore who has already undergone a Secondary Awakening?"

"Yes."

"I don't understand..."

"Speaking of which..." Hesta suddenly remembered something. "Liz, do you know what these two sentences mean?"

Seeing Hesta hand her a piece of paper, Liz lowered her head to examine it. Written on it were the words: Forti nihil difficile, Numquam obliviscar.

"Where did you see this?"

"It's a tattoo on Miss Chiba's neck," Hesta said softly. "I might have gotten a few letters wrong, but that's roughly it."

"It looks like a classical language... Let me check."

The two went to Liz's room. Liz took out a thick classical language dictionary. After some searching, Liz quickly translated the general meaning of the sentence:

Strength overcomes all difficulties, never forget.

Both of them let out a soft sigh of question at the same time.

"Chiba Masaki is truly mysterious," Liz murmured softly. "Did she tell you about her past?"

Hesta shook her head. "Have you heard anything, Liz?"

Liz also shook her head. "I only know she was transferred from District 14 several years ago. She's one of the few Quicksilver Needles who can fight solo, and she's incredibly brave. My aide, Rogoren, had the chance to see her fight once. I remember she said that Chiba's demeanor in combat often made it seem like she wasn't trying to defeat her opponent, but rather intended to perish with them."

The two lay on the bed, gazing at the phrase "Strength overcomes all difficulties, never forget," and both fell silent for a moment.

After a while, Liz looked at Hesta and said, "Perhaps it's precisely because Teacher Chiba is too powerful herself that she can't truly put herself in the shoes of the weak and understand their plight."

Hesta rolled over and looked at the ceiling light in the room, then suddenly said out of the blue, "Thank you."

"Hmm?" Liz was a little surprised. "Thank you for what?"

"Thank you for being willing to spend so much time on me," Hesta said softly. "This has really dragged on for too long."

"It's what I should do," Liz replied. "The base's technical department is currently thoroughly checking Shawn's daily equipment. Let's wait for the results."

"And if there's still no evidence after the check?"

"Then we'll keep looking," Liz whispered. "He has to pay for the mistakes he's made."

Thanks to He Yao for the reward.