Thud!
Sandrone slammed her hat onto the ground, glaring furiously at the person in charge.
"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded. "I didn't come here to apply for a chef position!"
Seeing Sandrone's reaction, the person in charge looked even more bewildered.
"Miss Ann, if you're not here to apply for a cleaning or chef position, then what are you applying for?"
"Isn't this place called the Fontaine Research Institute?!"
Sandrone was about to explode with anger, even suspecting the person was deliberately insulting her.
"That's right, yes."
"Then where are your researchers?!"
"We don't have any."
Hearing the reply, Sandrone was utterly dumbfounded.
"Are you telling me the Fontaine Research Institute doesn't have a single researcher?"
"Actually, we had two, but they were sent to the tower a while ago. So now, we have none."
Sandrone tugged at her hair, her emotions teetering on the brink of collapse.
"Then what about all the people I saw on my way here? What do they do?"
"They're chefs. And cleaners."
Sandrone: "???"
This massive Fontaine Research Institute is staffed entirely by chefs and cleaners?!
"Miss Ann, you might not be aware of the situation."
"The truth is, nearly all of our researchers perished in a previous incident. We, the original chefs and cleaners, have been temporarily filling their roles."
"However, we have a rule here: until our research skills reach a certain standard, we are forbidden from calling ourselves researchers of the Fontaine Research Institute. We can't bring shame to its name."
"All of us—over a hundred people—are striving toward that goal. But so far, no one has reached the standard to become a formal researcher."
As he said this, a look of shame crossed the person's face.
So that's how it is.
Sandrone had some knowledge of the recent events in Fontaine and realized the person wasn't lying. Her mood finally calmed.
Then, she looked at the person in charge with a hint of disdain.
Mere chefs and cleaners, dreaming of becoming researchers? What a joke.
Rene must be truly desperate for talent to let a bunch of former chefs and cleaners fill the roles of researchers. How utterly laughable.
"I'm here to join the Fontaine Research Institute as a researcher, not to apply for a cleaning or cooking position. Arrange the assessment for me."
"I've dedicated years to studying Clockwork Technology. This Autonomous Mechanism behind me is the fruit of my research, the culmination of my life's work."
With that, Sandrone proudly gestured to the massive Autonomous Mechanism behind her, her face beaming with smug satisfaction.
"Honestly, I don't even think the assessment is necessary. This alone is more than enough to prove my talent."
Watching Sandrone's brimming confidence, the person in charge sighed softly.
"Miss Ann, I don't mean to discourage you, but I sincerely suggest you start with a simple cleaning position."
"I told you, I'm not here to scrub toilets!"
Sandrone bristled at his suggestion, her temper flaring again.
"I'm here to conduct research! Don't you understand?!"
"You can conduct research while scrubbing toilets. That's how we all started," the person in charge replied, shaking his head.
"Miss Ann, you may not understand the situation at the Fontaine Research Institute. Perhaps I could explain it to you in detail..."
"No need! If you continue to insult me with such work, don't blame me for what happens next!"
"My talent surpasses all of yours. You may not be qualified to be researchers, but I am different."
"Where's the assessment? Just bring it to me! I'll show you what a true genius looks like!"
Sandrone's loud voice drew the attention of others in the room.
At first, they were surprised by her cute appearance. But after hearing her words, they didn't seem angry. Instead, they gave her strange, knowing smiles.
Seeing those odd smiles, Sandrone felt a knot of irritation tighten in her chest. Just as she was about to lash out, the person in charge across from her spoke again.
"Sigh... It seems we really need to give you a reality check, Miss Ann."
"Everyone here was once a genius. Back then, we were just as arrogant as you are now."
"But after coming here, we learned the hard way that there's always someone better out there..."
Sandrone scoffed disdainfully. How could she possibly be the same as these mediocrities?
She's a true genius. There are scarcely any in this world who can rival her.
What you can't do, she can accomplish with ease!
"Go, bring me the promotion assessment standards for our research staff," the director ordered the onlookers. Soon, someone hurried over with a stack of documents and placed them on the table before Sandrone.
"Miss Ann, these are the promotion standards for researchers at the Fontaine Research Institute. If you can understand the contents and implement them, you will become the third official researcher of the Fontaine Research Institute!"
Pfft!
Sandrone couldn't help but burst out laughing at the director's words.
Understand them?
Seriously?
Are you underestimating yourself, or are you underestimating my talent?
The report is already written. How hard could it be to implement?
What a bunch of amateurs.
Has the Fontaine Research Institute really fallen this far?
Sandrone shook her head, a flicker of regret crossing her mind.
My talent is most impactful when demonstrated within a scope others can comprehend. Only then can it truly shock them.
But now... even if I present some of my research findings, these fools probably wouldn't understand a single thing, would they?
Sandrone felt a surge of contempt but still reached out and picked up the report from the table.
Since I'm already here, I might as well just complete the tasks in this report and watch these fools' jaws drop... Huh?
Sandrone stared blankly at the report's title.
[Research on Controllable Pneumousia Fusion Energy]
This seems... substantial. Not sure yet, let me read on...
Sandrone continued reading. After just a few sentences, fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead. By the time she'd turned two pages, she was sweating profusely.
When Sandrone reached the fifth page, her eyes had cleared considerably, but her expression was vacant.
Why is it that I recognize every word in this report, but when they're strung together, I can't understand a thing?
"Miss Ann, how are you finding it?"
The director, sitting opposite Sandrone, set down his teacup and asked with a smile.
Seeing Sandrone's current state, the onlookers couldn't help but cast sympathetic glances her way.
Poor girl. Let's hope the shock doesn't drive her mad.
Such a cute girl. It'd be a real shame if she went mad.
"Th-this... this has to be nonsense!" Sandrone stammered. "How could something like this be possible? Generating enough energy to power the entire world from such cheap materials..."
"It's fundamentally impossible! Do you have any idea what would happen if all this energy were released at once? All of Fontaine—no, the entire continent of Teyvat—would be utterly annihilated!"
"How could ordinary people possibly control power of this magnitude? Did you just make all this up, knowing it's impossible to achieve, so no one could ever prove your report is false?!"
Despite Sandrone's accusations, the director remained perfectly calm, not showing the slightest hint of anger.
After all, Sandrone's reaction was identical to his own when he first learned of this research.
Ah, how I miss my old, confident self!
The director indulged in a brief moment of nostalgia before speaking slowly to Sandrone.
"Miss Ann, please calm down."
"I know this is hard for you to believe, but this report has already been verified as feasible. The final product is currently housed within the Fontaine Research Institute."
"To this day, that device continues to sustain the immense daily energy consumption of the Fontaine Research Institute."
"If our calculations are correct, the energy will be completely depleted in fourteen thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven years."
"And the cost of this technology is virtually zero. Once activated, it's entirely self-sustaining."
The director's words struck Sandrone like a thunderclap, her mind going completely blank.
She couldn't fathom that someone had actually verified the feasibility of this technology. The revelation was a devastating blow to her.
Has Rene truly reached such a level?
From what the director had said, the Fontaine Research Institute currently had only two official researchers. Without a doubt, they had to be Rene and Jacob.
That meant Rene and Jacob were the ones who had verified the report's feasibility.
Centuries of silence hadn't diminished Rene's brilliance; instead, they had elevated his talent to an entirely new plane.
The gap between them had indeed widened—but it was Rene who had left her far, far behind.
No, I refuse to accept that I'm inferior to him!
Centuries ago, they had been geniuses of the same caliber, their only difference being their research fields.
After all these years—after she had poured countless hours, day and night, into her research—she now found she couldn't even see Rene's back anymore?!
Seeing Sandrone's devastated expression, the director sighed softly. To be honest, he hadn't wanted to show her this report so soon; it was simply too demoralizing.
The veterans were used to it, having been humbled time and again. But for a rookie like Sandrone, such a blow could shatter her confidence completely, leaving her riddled with self-doubt.
The same thing had happened many times before. Only those with unwavering resolve chose to stay at the Fontaine Research Institute.
After all, it wasn't easy to recruit janitors who also happened to be researchers. He hadn't wanted to scare Sandrone away immediately. His plan had been to let her work for a while, get her bearings, and then reveal the report once she was mentally prepared.
But he'd had no choice. She had been far too confident. If he hadn't forced her to face reality, communication would have been impossible.
Now, though, it seemed the blow had indeed been too severe.
The director thought for a moment and decided to offer some comfort.
"Miss Ann, please don't be discouraged."
"We truly recognize your talent."
"Take this Autonomous Mechanism behind you, for example."
The director stood up, walked over to the mechanism, and tapped it with his hand.
"In my opinion, its technical level is quite decent. Its combat capabilities are probably comparable to the most advanced Gardemeks at the Fortress of Meropide."
Sandrone: "?"
Her masterpiece... being compared to trash like Gardemeks?!
Damn it, old man, I've been putting up with you for far too long!
Sandrone's fury erupted. She was about to open her mouth and tell the director just how foolish his assessment was when he spoke again.
"This must be the weapon housing, right? The propulsion system is an older model, but it packs a punch..."
"Hardness is around R6 to R7... Endurance..."
"It also utilizes Abyss Energy, which significantly boosts its destructive power. However, that will shorten its operational lifespan and require frequent maintenance..."
As Sandrone watched him casually rattle off the Autonomous Mechanism's specifications—all of which were almost perfectly accurate—she was utterly dumbfounded.
If she had previously dismissed him as a layman, his current display had left her completely stunned.
Just by looking and tapping, he can accurately list all the Autonomous Mechanism's performance data? This is insane!
Sandrone began to suspect that the director was actually one of Fontaine's contemporary geniuses, pretending to be a newbie just to mess with her.
What horrified her even more was that someone like him still wasn't an official researcher at the Fontaine Research Institute.
What's wrong with this world? Did I get transmigrated?
Did I somehow end up in Fontaine a thousand years in the future?!
At that moment, the Autonomous Mechanism's eye flashed red, then blinked three more times before finally settling. No one present noticed.
"Miss Ann, have you made a decision?" the director asked.
"Would you like to apply for the janitor or chef position?"
"The janitor's workload is a bit heavier. The chef's role is more relaxed, but it does require some culinary skill."
"Of course, rest assured that regardless of which job you choose, you'll have ample time for your research."
"Furthermore, you'll have free access to all the data and research reports here. Though, I wouldn't recommend diving into such advanced material right away—it's not great for one's mental health..."
Hearing his words, Sandrone froze for a moment before asking in horrified disbelief:
"You mean there are other research projects on par with this report?!"
"Miss Ann, I think you've misunderstood something."
The director shook his head and spoke again.
"This is merely the assessment for promotion to official researcher. Within the Fontaine Research Institute, its difficulty is only considered moderate."
"What I meant was that I don't recommend you read the more difficult research reports. If your mental fortitude isn't strong enough, reading them will only harm you."
That report is only considered 'moderate'?!
I'm in Fontaine, not Sumeru, right? Why am I having such vivid daydreams?!
"Those... other reports... have they also been verified?" Sandrone asked, her voice trembling.
When the director slowly nodded, Sandrone collapsed onto the sofa like a deflated balloon, her spirit utterly crushed...