The next morning, Ifrit leapt out of bed, unable to contain her excitement as she waited for Mobius to arrive.
Yesterday's homework had been completed with great care, and even the assignments she had skipped the day before were now fully made up.
Today was the day Mobius would fulfill her promise.
"Ifrit~ my hardworking Ifrit~ As a special reward, I've even brought Saria along for you~"
Sure enough, that voice—one that made Ifrit's skin crawl—drifted in from outside her room.
Sometimes, Ifrit truly couldn't understand why Mobius occasionally liked to speak in such a strange, syrupy tone.
The last time she had mimicked it, Silence had given her a severe scolding.
"Don't learn to speak like Mobius. It's far too impolite."
---
The moment Mobius stepped inside, she was greeted by Ifrit, who eagerly presented her homework with both hands.
Mobius smiled and accepted it, though she didn't bother to open it.
This made Ifrit think that perhaps Mobius actually trusted her.
In truth, Mobius had already seen through the surveillance footage that Ifrit had spent a great deal of time finishing her work the day before.
The clarity of Rhine Lab's cameras was good enough for Mobius to see every single character she wrote.
Sometimes, letting go just enough gives a child the illusion of being trusted—it's a useful way to build a better relationship.
Since she put in so much effort, there's no need for me to nitpick.
After all, my only goal is to make her obey.
---
After handing in her homework, Ifrit immediately hugged Saria, who was standing beside Mobius.
"Saria, today Mobius promised we could go out and have fun together."
Saria, caught off guard by Ifrit's sudden embrace, turned awkwardly toward Mobius, who was watching the scene with mild amusement.
"Oh~ it's just a little surprise~ You'll get to enjoy a day at the amusement park. Ifrit picked it herself and even insisted Silence come along too."
"I don't mind, but Ifrit—"
"No problem~ I'm her supervisor now, after all~"
Mobius casually made a call, summoning Silence to join them.
"I'll be counting on you to look after her today~"
Mobius drove them to an amusement park and stopped at the entrance, letting everyone out while she remained in the driver's seat.
"You're not coming with us?"
Seeing Silence and Ifrit already at the ticket counter, Saria hesitated before asking.
"I'll pass~ If Ifrit sees me hanging around, she won't have as much fun."
Mobius fiddled idly with the car's radio. The voice of the famous idol, Sora filled the air.
"…Leaving you alone here doesn't feel right."
"Oh? Are you worried about me? How touching~ Boo-hoo-hoo— Put your fist down! Don't worry, I have my own ways."
In the end, urged on by Mobius, Saria headed into the amusement park to meet up with Silence and Ifrit.
Mobius adjusted her monocle with a faint smile.
'Strange… why is this amusement park so deserted?'
Silence hung heavy in the air, and Silence glanced around uneasily.
It seemed that aside from the three of them, there were no other visitors.
Everyone else present wore large mascot headpieces—staff members, every one of them.
'Is the working condition here so strict that even the staff all have the exact same build?'
She approached one of the front desk staff, still wearing the mascot head, and asked why there were so few customers today.
"You don't know?" the staff member replied, their voice filtered through a clear mechanical distortion. "Someone purchased the park's full operating hours for you today. The entire amusement park is reserved exclusively for your group."
'Dr. Mobius really went all out… And this park keeps its staff identities under wraps impressively well.'
Her curiosity lingered, but the sight of Ifrit bolting toward the roller coaster forced her to shelve her questions for now.
"Ifrit, wait for me!"
---
Meanwhile, Saria was inside a convenience store, buying snacks for Ifrit and Silence.
She hesitated, then called out to the mascot-headed clerk behind the counter:
"Mobius?"
"Oh~ as expected of someone who's spent countless days and nights with me~ You recognized me so easily~"
The clerk removed the headpiece, revealing unmistakable green hair and a signature monocle.
"…Your cloning technology is already operational?" Saria asked.
She was certain—Mobius was not the only one here. Every staff member in the park carried that same, familiar presence.
"That's right~ You see, to give Ifrit a flawless childhood memory, I went so far as to rent out the entire park~ Just to avoid any unpleasant encounters. After all, both of them are Infected. Silence is fine—she's a mature adult—but I wouldn't want Ifrit's young heart to suffer any harm~"
Mobius handed her three ice creams, along with the change.
"I spent quite a lot reserving this place, so you'd better enjoy yourselves and help me get my money's worth~"
Saria studied the familiar, trademark smile on Mobius's face.
'She can be surprisingly gentle.'
Unaware of her thoughts, Mobius continued. In truth, she had never personally been to an amusement park. She possessed memories of visiting one, of course, but none were her own experiences. And why would Mobius ever go to an amusement park? Those attractions held no meaning for her.
To avoid detection by the Diablo fragment within Ifrit, she had deliberately infused the clones with only the faintest trace of her will, dulling their awareness of the outside world.
Saria accepted the ice cream, a little awkwardly.
"It seems Ifrit isn't that afraid of you in the headpiece… Come on, you should join us. Leaving you alone to work doesn't feel right."
"Oh~ that won't do~ As a staff member~ how could I possibly shirk my duties? Everyone knows my greatest strength is working when it's time to work, and relaxing when it's time to relax. You just go and enjoy yourselves~"
Mobius pushed a handful of souvenirs into Saria's hands, put the mascot head back on, and gently ushered her out of the convenience store.
"…Next time, I'll take you with us," Saria called back to her.
Mobius—Kashchey—pretended not to hear.
'These short-lived species can be oddly endearing sometimes.'
---
"I heard you've been taking test subjects out recently… If you continue to act so recklessly, I'll have no choice but to consider removing you as the project lead."
"Then remove me~"
"…What exactly are you thinking?"
"Who knows~"
'My thoughts are rather changeable, after all~'