I'm fighting Kal'tsit? Really?

“It was just a guess, but it seems I was right,” Gerald said thoughtfully, turning his gaze back to the dissipating mist.

"Oh dear, even I make this kind of mistake one day."

The little fairy didn't seem to regret it at all. She smiled slightly and gave Pegasus a playful wink, her tone rising: "But I'm a little relieved. At least Saria's new friend seems to be a very smart person, and it's quite interesting to talk to her."

"Each each other."

……

Now we have basically clarified some of the more obvious situations.

Gerald tapped the table with his fingertips.

This woman named Muirsey was indeed a friend of Seria's—but that was probably all.

Her concern was genuine, her friendship with Saria was genuine, and her act of watering the plants was genuine.

But her probing and her private thoughts were also genuine.

Saria doesn't mind the other party coming to her home, which shows that Muirseth is not openly opposed to Saria.

But considering the information about [Pete's Fruit Mixed Candy], she probably knows about Ifrit's affairs, but she's not entirely on Seria's side... At least if she's tried, Muirsays should be the person he saw in prison.

Gerald knew very well that the water clone, like his wind-like nature, was a perfect ability for mobility and stealth. Having her investigate Mansfield's affairs was far better than Seria wasting two months in prison herself.

Her current position alongside Saria is quite ambiguous, and her motives are not yet clear.

As for another point, he has now figured out something.

Muirseth's ability to control water seemed very similar to the feeling that the cloth gave him, but in fact they were completely different—at least from his perspective, everything she did had nothing to do with Originium, but was more like Sarkaz witchcraft. However, her characteristics did not resemble those of a Sarkaz, nor was the royal court known for its water control.

Well... Gerald feels he might actually be developing Ramalyn PTSD.

How come he always seems to encounter such rare species that only appear once in a century?

……

Now we have basically clarified some of the more obvious situations.

Muirsey on the other side narrowed her eyes.

Upon realizing that Seria had deliberately brought this "friend" back to Tremont, she immediately sent the other manifolds to investigate what had happened in Mansfield.

When Seria returned to Tremont last time, she took a huge pile of books from her room, which she thought were meant for her to use in prison. But less than two months later, she came back again.

This time, he brought the person in front of him—considering the situation last time, Muirsay did not immediately associate it with Mansfield.

But just now, as she lay on the table waiting for the intelligence to be transmitted back, Muirsey realized that the situation had completely exceeded her expectations.

The events in Ticarendo hadn't yet spread throughout Tremont. It wasn't until her clone found the specific source that Muirseth realized just how much trouble Saria had gotten into in prison... and it seemed that this trouble had been taken care of by the person in front of her, as Saria's existence hadn't been mentioned in the intelligence reports at all.

In other words, Saria may have found a true, trusted supporter... and judging from her previous probing about the "plan," he may know about Saria's current plan and support her idea of ​​bringing Christensen back on track and completely reforming Rhine Lab.

With such a terrifyingly powerful individual, capable of turning Mansfield into that state, the balance between Saria and Christen will be disrupted.

...Should she feel relieved that her friend has found a true companion, or be troubled that another friend of hers has encountered a new obstacle?

Personally speaking, she might now prefer the latter.

As an elf whose impact from Originium was far more severe than that of others, Muirseth continued her search for a suitable land for the elves to live on. To find an eternal cradle for her dying race, to plant seeds symbolizing the future, and to seek an ideal home in the stars—this was the dream Christen had promised her, and she didn't want the conflict between Saria and Christen to escalate to that point, whether for her own personal reasons or for the sake of the race's future.

And there's another question.

Although it was only for a moment... she could definitely sense that the Originium Arts used by the Kuranta in front of her were different from those of others, and even different from those of the Infected who forcibly activated the Originium fragments in their bodies—at that moment she almost felt that the other person was like her, an elf who could stay in the city.

really weird.

She rubbed her fingers together, pondering a way to break the deadlock.

After a long while, a bright smile suddenly bloomed on her face, and she moved closer to the Pegasus in front of her.

"Oh dear, we've been talking for so long and I haven't even introduced myself yet. That seems a bit impolite."

"I'm Muirsey, the head of the Ecology Department at Rhine Life Sciences. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

--------

"Wait, wait!! Uh... can I take back my move? Please, I'm begging you!"

When Saria emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming hot meal, what greeted her eyes was not the slightly tense conversation from before, but an unexpected battle.

Beside the round table, several stacks of playing cards made of water were scattered haphazardly on the table.

On the other side, in the center of the round table, on a crystal-clear chessboard, the black chess pieces were infused with trace amounts of minerals by Muirsay, making the black and white pieces on the board more staggered and orderly.

The current game is similar: one side is in dire straits, while the other is as stable as a mountain. The queen, symbolizing victory or defeat, is isolated and helpless, and could be wiped out in just one move.

With Tianma's nod, she gritted her teeth, raised her slender fingers, and a shallow ripple instantly appeared on the black and white chessboard—the game was restored several moves earlier, and she decisively changed her approach to the layout.

Three steps later, her Black Queen was once again in dire straits.

"Will."

Gerald gave a gentle reminder, and the wind, in place of his hand, softly placed a white chess piece. The water droplet trembled slightly, and in the reflection of light and shadow, a water-condensed horse had already firmly stepped onto the last escape route for the queen.

Muirsey, who graduated first in her class from Trimont Polytechnic University, suffered a crushing defeat in the game she was so proud of.

"How is this possible... You really didn't cheat?" Muirsey practically collapsed onto the table, clutching her long hair, her clear eyes fixed on the chessboard, her gaze filled with shock and resentment. "How did you do that?! This has absolutely nothing to do with science!!"

Across from him, Gerald sat calmly in his chair, his long, slender fingers casually resting on the table, his silver-white hair cascading over his shoulders, his expression as serene as if he had simply won an ordinary game.

Thanks to AI from my past life, and thanks to my memory from memorizing medical books, the abilities of memorizing scores and performing calculations are truly very useful when playing chess.

"Heh, in your words, I'd deduct ten points," he said, resting his chin on his hand, his voice tinged with a hint of sarcasm. "Your observation skills are sharp, but they're still too old-fashioned."

Upon hearing this, Muirsay nearly jumped up in anger. She gritted her teeth, wishing she could conjure a new chessboard from water, replay the game, and decisively win back the score. But the reality was that she had not only suffered a crushing defeat in the card game, but her position on the chessboard had also been completely overwhelmed by her opponent.

"You... let's play a game after dinner! I don't believe I always lose so badly!" She picked up a chess piece, her eyes transforming from a hint of melancholy to a burning fighting spirit. "This time it's your turn with the black pieces, I absolutely can't keep getting thrashed like this!"

Gerald nodded and was about to reach for the chess piece when—

"...What are you two doing?"

A familiar, calm yet slightly helpless voice rang out, breaking the eerie, frenzied atmosphere in the room.

Saria slowly approached the table, her gaze sweeping between the two before finally settling on Muirsay's somewhat disheveled expression after losing two games in a row. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke: "You lost?"

Muirsey's expression instantly froze, as if someone had struck a sore spot. She gritted her teeth and said, "...No way! It was just an accident! I just wasn't used to his playing style!!"

“You lost.” Saria repeated calmly, placing the dish in her hand in the center of the table and moving the water-based chess piece aside. “And you lost decisively.”

"Saria!!" the little fairy glared angrily at her friend. "Can't you comfort me a little?! This is the first time I've ever lost so badly!!"

"Wasn't the situation exactly the same when you lost to Christen last time?" Saria glanced at her indifferently.

"How can that be the same? That's Christensen!" Muirsey was practically exploding with rage. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, then turned and stared intently at Gerald. "No way, we have to play another round after dinner!"

Looking at Muirsey, who seemed genuinely unconvinced, Gerald tapped the water-based chess piece he had just picked up with his finger, feeling the flow of water within it once more.

Then he nodded: "Okay, but I think it would be better to add a little fun."

"For example."

Gerald placed the chess piece in front of Saria and then said with a smile.

"We can also play a three-player game of chess."

Chapter 70 Why would someone kill someone on the very first meeting?

Playing blitz chess doesn't actually take very long.

As for Saria, who had already prepared the meal and was about to call the remaining two to eat together... well, actually, as long as she used calcification to keep the food warm, she wouldn't mind listening to her two friends' opinions and adding some fun to the pre-meal entertainment time.

After all, she was also very curious about Gerald's skill level.

Therefore, after suffering a crushing defeat in a three-player chess environment, a match against Saria under Gerald's guidance, and then cheating and demanding that Saria join her in fighting Gerald, the little fairy still relentlessly demanded a best-of-seven (BO7) match from the referee—

What she was about to face was Saria's icy gaze, as cold as an iceberg.

……

However, it must be said that we should still show respect for the dishes that Saria made herself.

As the saying goes, the best way to show respect for food is to look extremely satisfied while enjoying it, and to devour every dish on the table with lightning speed, leaving not a single drop of broth uneaten.

If ranked by eating speed and respect for food, Gerald's respect should undoubtedly be at the top, with Seria firmly in second place.

As for the little elf who was leisurely holding a piece of bread and carefully dipping it in the remaining soup in the bowl... it makes one wonder if the person who had been clamoring for another game of chess was really her.

In this respect, Saria and Gerald were already quite used to each other's eating habits. After all, three whole months had passed since a prison guard brought a plate full of food to the library, only to have it devoured by a certain Pegasus in a matter of minutes, who then immediately began fighting without even taking a break.

Habits are indeed hard to break, even if he is now in a place that is almost absolutely safe.

"Can't you two eat a little slower?" Muirsey complained half-jokingly, resting her chin on her hand. "I wanted to talk, chat, and complain about what's been going on at Rhine Lab lately. Anyone who didn't know better would think I was having dinner with two beastmen."

“Beasts don’t use knives and forks,” Saria replied calmly, neatly placing the bowl and chopsticks in front of her aside.

That's not the point!

Muirse looked speechlessly at Gerald, who had finished eating the fastest, spread his hands holding the bread, and said with a hint of accusation, "This was made by Saria herself~ Don't you have anything to say to her, sir?"

“It’s not like she can only eat this one meal.” Gerald casually picked up a napkin, skillfully wiped the remaining soup stains from the corner of her mouth, and said matter-of-factly, “She still owes me two meals.”

"Does breakfast tomorrow morning count?" Seria asked Gerald upon hearing this.

"I guess so. Did you buy bread?" Tianma peeked towards the kitchen, then looked away. "I want to eat ham and egg muffins. Do you know that Casimir-style recipe that uses brandy? I can teach you how to make the sauce. It's pretty quick and doesn't take much time."

“I bought a bit too much bread and put it in the kitchen. I don’t know how to make brandy.” Vayvan paused for a moment, then nodded. “But I can try to learn. There are two bottles of brandy in the liquor cabinet that I was planning to give away. As long as it doesn’t affect my work efficiency, I think I can accept it.”

"It won't get to that point. The problem lies only in the sauce. Anyone can make basic eggs and ham; the sauce and cooking time are the key."

Without realizing it, he suddenly shifted his address from Saria to Muerseth, and his tone carried a clear hint of amusement:

"Since a certain close friend has never seen Saria cook dinner, he naturally hasn't seen Saria make breakfast for anyone either, right?"

"...?"

Mules, who had only been chewing a piece of bread, was now slightly losing control of his facial expressions after being hit with a series of combos and fatal blows by the conversation between the two.

She was obviously the one who came first.

The three of them were fine at first, but suddenly one of them ran ahead and another ran to the left, leaving her all alone.

As a result, the person who ran to the left suddenly came back, bringing with him a silver-haired Kuranta. They chatted and laughed together when she was at her most vulnerable (referring to eating) (although Saria didn't laugh), completely ignoring her.

Thinking of this, Muirsay took a big bite of the scallion bread in her mouth, as if she were taking the bread as the man in front of her and cutting him in half with one bite.

With a soft click, her mood immediately improved.

Manifolds can control the transmission of sensations, so they never gain weight no matter how much they eat—as long as the problem of diminishing marginal returns is taken into account, she will always be the happiest little elf.

After a few thoughts lingered in her mind, she looked ahead and saw that Gerald had suddenly stood up at some point.

"What are you going to do?" Muirsey asked warily, watching his movements.

“Get some bread,” Gerald replied casually. He went to the kitchen and soon returned with a small basket containing slices of bread.

He casually picked up a piece, popped it into his mouth and took a bite, then put the basket on the table and pushed it toward Saria.

Saria glanced at him, then quickly at Muirses who was eating, before imitating him by taking a piece of white bread, tearing it in half, and placing it on her plate. She then began to tear off small pieces of the less sweet crust and chew them slowly.

Muirsey watched their actions and gave a soft hum. Although she didn't say anything explicitly, she was clearly in a much better mood than before.

Even if one's emotional intelligence is slightly lagging, it's still good to feel cared for; at least the points that were just secretly deducted can be made up a little.

Gerald casually brought up a topic to fill the last moments of the meal: "Speaking of which, Ms. Muirsey, the esteemed head of the Ecology Department at Rhine Labs, I would like to ask you something—are there any special requirements for joining Rhine Labs?"

"...Isn't this question a bit too abrupt?" Muirsey squinted at Pegasus in front of her, feeling that he must have some ill intentions in asking this question.

"There's no other way. If you don't tone it down and be humble, you're going to lose completely today."

Gerald sighed and counted on his fingers the current record: "Look, you can't beat me at cards, you can't beat me at chess, and your spells have been broken... I'd really like to let you win a round or two, but it seems the conditions don't allow it."

“But thankfully,” he clapped his hands and said very calmly, “I didn’t go to high school, let alone university, so I was just waiting for you to mock my education after you finished asking me questions.”

Muirsey felt her head start to ache. She barely managed to suppress the awkward feeling in her chest and asked with great discomfort, "Then why are you saying it outright now?"

"Oh, because Saria wanted to invite me to join the Defense Department, I could actually get in through connections."

Upon hearing this, Muirsay sneered inwardly.

Ah, she knew it. But she was well aware that someone as upright as Saria would immediately object to that statement!

“I won’t let you get in through the back door,” Saria suddenly said, drawing the attention of the two. “You still need to go through a rigorous interview and testing process to avoid breaking the rules, and considering the potential jealousy of other employees, this behavior is not advisable.”

These words undoubtedly struck Muirsay's heart.