Silence had been in a bad mood these past few days.
Silence, who had always viewed scientific research as her life's sole purpose and had never shown the slightest interest in anything else, had now gone several days completely without the mood to delve into other projects. Instead, she was worried about Ifrit's safety.
And her mentor, the director of the Structural Section, Parvis, had been suspended by the Director-General a few days ago due to a major mistake. The position of acting director of the Structural Section was now held by another senior researcher, who was also another of Parvis's students.
And this middle-aged researcher, who appeared to be in his forties, seemed to have had a problem with Silence for a long time.
After all.
They were both students of Parvis.
Yet Silence, a newcomer in her twenties with no seniority or status, had become the chief person in charge of the [Flame Demon Project], a project of extremely high importance, at such a young age. This had made the researcher incredibly jealous at the time.
Now that the opportunity had arrived.
He naturally transferred Silence away from the core project, assigning her to marginal projects with no prospects.
But Silence didn't care.
The moment she learned that her mentor had been deceiving her about the [Flame Demon Project] and was developing human experiments that she despised, Silence had already lost her passion for Rhine Lab. The more she had admired Rhine Lab as a student, the more disappointed she was now.
Silence was disappointed not only in her mentor and the entire Structural Section, but also in her good friend, Saria.
She couldn't believe that Saria, as the Director of Rhine Lab's Defense Section and a high-level executive with the same status as her mentor, would be unaware of the specifics of the [Flame Demon Project]. Besides... Silence wasn't actually angry at Saria for hiding it from her. After all, in Silence's view, even if Saria was a high-level executive and the director of another department, she still had no way to stop an important experiment from being initiated.
Her hands were tied. And besides, Saria had genuinely cared for Ifrit all these years.
The reason Silence was angry now was purely because...
After Ifrit went missing,
Saria still kept it from her, and even acted indifferent, not even trying to find Ifrit, as if she didn't care. Whenever Silence questioned her, she would ignore her.
This point.
Made Silence furious, causing her to just put on a stern face and not even speak to Saria these past few days, even when they happened to cross paths. After all, Silence was just an ordinary researcher; she had no way of knowing that Ifrit was with Raythean Industries.
On the other hand.
Saria was also very direct.
A typical 'straight woman'—blunt and direct.
She knew perfectly well that Silence was angry with her, but she didn't say anything. In fact, given the relationship between Silence and Saria, such a simple misunderstanding could have been easily resolved if Saria had just taken the initiative to explain. But Saria was the same as always, and her actions only made Silence misunderstand her even more.
She believed Saria didn't care about Ifrit at all.
In reality, Saria had been preparing to bring Ifrit back in her own way these past few days. She didn't trust Raythean Industries. Moreover, besides being a product of the [Flame Demon Project], Ifrit also had severe Oripathy and required constant treatment at Rhine Lab. And even though Raythean Industries was a formidable arms manufacturer, it was far inferior to Rhine Lab when it came to medical treatment.
Suddenly...
A knock sounded on the door.
Saria, originally thinking it was Silence, sat up a little straighter and called out, "Come in."
However, the one who entered was a 'penguin,' which left Saria a bit disappointed.
"Hehehe! Director Saria~~"
Magallan came jogging in.
She was currently acting as a 'double agent,' here to probe Saria's thoughts.
Actually.
Magallan wasn't very familiar with Saria, but in her impression, both Silence and Saria genuinely cared for Ifrit. Still... it was best to ask specifically. Ifrit had been clamoring to go home these days, and last night, her Oripathy had a sudden flare-up. Luckily, Lucas Reeve was there and managed to suppress it; otherwise, the consequences would have been dire.
"Is something the matter? Ms. Ma... Ma..."
Saria momentarily couldn't recall Magallan's name, so she simply chose to call her what Ifrit did.
"Um..."
Magallan was thinking about her wording. She waddled like a penguin to Saria's desk and sat down opposite her as if she owned the place.
"Uhh... Director Saria, in your opinion, what do you think of Ifrit?"
"?"
A question mark appeared over Saria's head.
"A child, boisterous..."
Saria said casually.
"No! No!"
Magallan waved her hands. "I've heard, Director Saria, that Ifrit's identity is actually... something else, and Ms. Silence doesn't seem to know. So, as Ifrit's good friend, I wanted to ask... to you, Director Saria, what exactly is Ifrit..."
Although Magallan was usually very lively and could chat cheerfully with almost anyone she met.
But...
To discuss such a sensitive topic with a director-level executive... who knows how many times Magallan had mentally rehearsed this before she found the courage to say it out loud.
"Hmm?!"
Saria's brow furrowed.
Her presence surged, and in an instant, Magallan was completely flustered. She regretted not asking Lucas Reeve to come with her.
*Phew~~ Director Saria is so scary!!*
And.
This question had clearly touched a nerve with Saria.
"Ms. Magallan, this is not something you should be asking. I am well aware of Ifrit's situation..."
From her tone, Saria was about to show her the door.
But Magallan finally steeled herself and became brave. She had a good relationship with Ifrit; otherwise, she wouldn't have made it a point to visit and bring gifts for Ifrit first thing after every expedition.
Upon learning that Ifrit was actually a test subject, Magallan had, in fact, been very angry.
"Director Saria! Ifrit has missed you very much these past few days... If you can, you... never mind, I'm out of here, goodbye.."
With that said.
The little penguin stood up and left directly.
Only after leaving the office did the little penguin gasp for breath. This Director Saria was a bit frightening. She was afraid the other woman would just beat her up. Silence was much easier to talk to...
After Magallan left.
Saria remained silent for a long time, then sighed and murmured to herself.
"Ifrit..."
————————
Night.
Saria changed out of her Rhine Lab uniform and into casual clothes, arriving at the entrance of the residential complex where Jessica lived. In truth, she had known all along that Ifrit was in this villa. But as the Director of Rhine Lab's Defense Section and one of its founders, her actions no longer represented just herself, but the entirety of Rhine Lab. Even if she was deeply dissatisfied with the current state of Rhine Lab, she couldn't just show up and demand Ifrit back.
However.
Saria was also very puzzled.
Why.
After so many days.
As the final product of the [Flame Demon Project], shouldn't Ifrit have been transferred to Raythean Industries' headquarters long ago? Why was she still left in the villa of the Raythean Industries heiress?
However.
At the gate of the complex.
Saria ran into someone unexpected.
"Si... Silence..."
At this moment.
Silence was also standing at the gate of the complex in casual clothes. When she saw Saria behind her, a flash of shock crossed her beautiful eyes under her glasses, which was then filled with a thick layer of cold indifference. She huffed, turned her head away, and ignored Saria, even deliberately shuffling to the side to increase the distance between them.
Saria didn't say anything either..
As a 'straight woman,' she had no idea what to say in this situation. In fact, Saria really wanted to say something to Silence, but she decided...
To just pretend she didn't see her.
After their identities were confirmed.
The security guard let the two of them in.
On the wide road within the complex.
Saria walked on the left, and Silence walked on the right. This strange behavior made the wealthy residents out for a stroll look on in confusion.
—————
"They're here..."
Lucas Reeve floated in the air, looking through the window at the two women approaching the villa in a strange 'formation,' and spoke.
These past few days, he had also been struggling with whether to return Ifrit to Rhine Lab.
The main issue was a lack of trust...
They didn't want to throw Ifrit back into the fire. Therefore, they had to meet these two, Ifrit's 'guardians' on paper, again. Lucas Reeve possessed the unique spiritual sight of a soul, allowing him to see a person's spiritual essence. Through this, Lucas Reeve could easily tell if someone was lying.
Ifrit's wish was simple...
To live happily together with Silence and Saria. And Lucas Reeve wanted to fulfill this wish for her as much as possible.
Meanwhile, Ifrit, by the window, saw her incredibly familiar family members and excitedly shouted from the window.
"Saria!! Silence!!"
Outside.
Hearing that familiar voice.
The two of them looked up simultaneously. When they saw Ifrit in the window.
Silence could no longer control her emotions and ran over. Saria was more composed; she didn't show any outward emotion, but she still quickened her pace.
The villa's main door opened.
Silence rushed over and swept Ifrit into her arms.
Not having seen each other for days.
Made Silence truly realize how important Ifrit was to her. To her, Ifrit was more like her own daughter, a part of her life...
Saria walked up behind Silence. Although she wanted to pat Ifrit's head, after a moment's thought, she just watched silently. But Ifrit, who could be quite clever at times, noticed the situation and reached out her hands.
"Saria!! Hug!!"
Hearing this, Silence was a little reluctant, but she still held Ifrit out to Saria. After Saria held her, she immediately snatched her back, holding Ifrit in her own arms again.
The reunion of the family of three was quite heartwarming.
Of course.
Saria stood there like a wooden post the entire time, slightly spoiling the mood.
After the brief, heartwarming moment.
Saria got straight to the point.
"Thank you for taking in Ifrit. Name your price, Miss Jessica. What will it take for you to return Ifrit to Rhine Lab?"
Saria's words caused Silence's expression to change drastically.
"Return her to Rhine Lab?!"
Silence said sharply.
"I plan to leave with Ifrit!! I will not take Ifrit back to Rhine Lab!! This company! I've had enough of it!"
Leave?
Lucas Reeve's eyes lit up.
It seemed this Ms. Silence truly loved Ifrit, willing to give up her current career for her. And if she left, Ifrit wouldn't have to go back to Rhine Lab, which would prevent other researchers from getting their hands on her...
Silence had originally thought Saria would refuse.
However, Saria just snorted. "Do as you please. If you want to take Ifrit and leave, then leave."
Silence was stunned for a moment. She glanced at Saria, finding it hard to believe that she would agree so readily.
After a few seconds of silence, she said no more and quietly stepped back behind Saria, letting her handle the negotiations.
"Miss Jessica, what price will it take for Raythean Industries to return Ifrit to us..."
Jessica smiled slightly and gestured for the two to sit down. She then slowly explained how she had met Ifrit and why she had brought her along.
Hearing the reason, Saria and Silence were both too shocked to speak.
So...
It was to protect Ifrit...
The two of them had thought Raythean Industries had taken Ifrit away...
"It's true!"
Ifrit raised her hand.
"Sister Jessica and Brother Lucas Reeve have been very good to me, and Sister Ceobe plays with me, and Sister Magallan often comes to play with me too."
Lucas Reeve, possessing Ceobe's body, spoke slowly, "To be honest, our initial thought was that if you only saw Ifrit as a test subject, we would definitely not have returned her to you. But... you're clearly not like that..."
Lucas Reeve had just seen through their souls and could clearly tell that both of them genuinely loved Ifrit.
"Thank you!"
Silence was incredibly emotional at this moment. When she learned that Ifrit was in the hands of Raythean Industries, she had nearly fainted. What did it mean to be in Raythean's hands? It was completely impossible to get her back. She never expected such a turn of events... At this moment, Silence was like a mother who had fallen into despair and had suddenly grasped onto hope.
"But Ifrit's treatment is a problem, Ms. Silence..."
Lucas Reeve said.
"If you leave Rhine Lab, I don't think any other company in Columbia has the means to treat Ifrit. Even if you have the relevant skills, skills can only be applied with the right equipment and funding. After you leave Rhine Lab, I imagine that even if you try to join other medical companies with your expertise, they wouldn't dare to hire you."
"Ms. Silence, you don't want Ifrit to be unable to receive treatment, do you?"
Lucas Reeve's words dealt another heavy blow to Silence...
This was all true, and incredibly realistic. For a moment, Silence was at a loss, while Saria frowned.
Suddenly.
Lucas Reeve changed the subject.
"If possible, Ms. Silence, would you be willing to join Raythean Industries?"
"Huh?!"
Silence's eyes widened.
"But... isn't Raythean Industries... for weapons development.."
"That's fine.."
Jessica, beside them, smiled faintly.
"Ms. Silence, we at Raythean Industries have money, and you have the skills and expertise. My parents are very supportive of me creating my own subsidiary of Raythean Industries..."
Jessica had this idea for a while.
When she learned that Ceobe had Oripathy, Jessica had wanted to use her family's funds to start a pharmaceutical company dedicated to researching Oripathy. After all, when Jessica was very young, her parents had agreed to give her a ten-figure sum to start a business and play around.
Jessica had mentioned this idea to Lucas Reeve before, and Lucas Reeve was very much in favor of it.
After all, the Reunion Movement now had a bunch of Infected people. With the Reunion Movement still small, he could manage, but as it grew, he would definitely be overwhelmed. If they could successfully develop some medicine that could at least alleviate Oripathy, it would be a great help to the Reunion Movement.
Jessica and Lucas Reeve had originally thought Silence would hesitate for a few days, as the invitation was quite sudden.
Unexpectedly, Silence nodded immediately.
And Saria didn't object at all, just sat to the side with her eyes closed, pretending not to hear.