Hypothesis

"...What important detail?"

"Where did you get this report?"

"Where else could it have come from? There was only one place we could request it from—"

"Then there are two possibilities," Hesta said softly. "Either the Chelated Being that died at the station had its body switched, or the person who issued this report deliberately falsified it... assuming you didn't just forge a report to fool me."

"Forge it?" Farn gripped the report tighter. "I worked my ass off—"

"Why are you in such a rush? You're allowed to suspect me of fishing for information, but I'm not allowed to suspect you of fobbing me off with a fake report?"

"Fishing..." Farn froze for a moment, and the agitation on her face suddenly turned to astonishment—this person was far too vindictive. She had only mentioned it offhand earlier, yet Hesta had remembered it until now!

"...Tell me the detail," Farn said in a low voice after collecting herself. "I'll look into it."

Hesta looked at Farn for a while.

"What are you looking at? Answer me," Farn said, frowning. "You don't think it's my turn to fish for information again, do you? The risk I'm taking right now, you don't even—"

"...There was a ring of solidified silver around them," Hesta answered quietly.

Farn's words cut off abruptly. She stared at Hesta. "...What?"

"The Chelated Being I killed that day had a silver ring around its pupils."

For a moment, both of them fell silent. Hesta's answer took Farn a long time to process. Only after an autumn gust swept dead leaves past their feet did she speak again. "You're insane."

"I wondered whether I had seen it wrong too," Hesta said, looking away. "But..."

"Quicksilver Needles cannot contract Chelated Disease." Farn shook her head in disbelief. "...Common sense, friend."