Sure, Mobius only had her second glass; she certainly wasn't drunk yet.
But last time at the Kinosaki Onsen, Mobius had managed to steal Klein's first kiss after just a single drink.
Now that she was on her second, Klein didn't even dare to imagine what might happen once they got home!
Because of that, she felt she had to snatch the wine right out of Mobius's hand. She was determined not to let her have another drop.
When Durandal walked over, she was greeted by the sight of this high-stakes tug-of-war between Mobius and Klein.
Sensing Durandal's approach, Elysia smoothly leaned her weight against her. She lifted her glass, the rim still stained with her own lipstick print, and held it up to Durandal's face. "Want a sip? ♪"
Normally, a teetotaler like Durandal would have declined. However, at this moment, Elysia had clearly had quite a bit of wine herself, even if she wasn't exactly tipsy.
If Elysia drank it, what was the difference between that and Durandal drinking it herself? After all, those who knew, knew!
So, facing the offered wine, Durandal took the glass and took a small sip right where the lipstick mark was.
Immediately, the tart, slightly bitter taste of the red wine made Durandal's brow furrow. Fortunately, the texture was high-quality enough that she didn't spit it out. Soon, a lingering aftertaste that defied words occupied her mouth.
A look of realization flickered in her eyes. She finally understood why Eden and Elysia loved wine so much, and why even Mobius, who had no tolerance for alcohol, would indulge in a few glasses.
Yet, for Durandal, enduring that initial bitterness just for the sake of the aftertaste felt like putting the cart before the horse, even if the quality was decent.
Besides, if she wanted to experience that aftertaste, wasn't there an easier way?
She could just taste it directly from Elysia after she had a drink.
"What are you thinking about? ♪"
Elysia asked curiously when she noticed Durandal's silence.
"Thinking about you," Durandal replied without a second thought.
Elysia blinked, stunned for a moment, before she realized what was happening. She gave Durandal's shoulder a playful swat. "What are you saying with all these people watching!"
Despite her words, the upward curve of Elysia's lips betrayed her excellent mood.
Eden: "..."
She decided she was better off just pouring herself another drink.
Mobius: "..."
Tch. As if no one was thinking about her!
Mobius looked at Klein and intentionally lowered her glass, her voice dripping with suggestion. "Klein~ tell me, what are you thinking about right now?"
Klein fell silent for a moment, her face flushing as she whispered, "Thinking about you..."
Hearing this, Mobius's mood soared. She shot a provocative glance at Elysia and then, as Klein wished, swapped her wine for fruit juice.
However, the moment the wine was gone, the smile on Mobius's face froze.
Because Klein immediately added, "...and when you're finally going to hand that wine over to me."
"KLEIN!"
To make her lose face in front of Elysia like that! Just look at that insufferable "I told you so" look on Elysia's face...
Mobius grit her teeth inwardly. Klein was definitely going to get it when they got home tonight!
Meanwhile, Elysia, whom Mobius assumed was gloating, didn't notice a thing. She simply looked on with a wholesome, gratified expression. "Dr. Mobius and Assistant Klein have such a wonderful relationship~ ♪ Just as close as the Overseer of Schicksal and her private secretary♪"
After the welcome banquet concluded, Durandal made brief arrangements for the new Schicksal members arriving from Sapphire City.
Carole was assigned to Ato, whose personality was relatively more grounded, while Hua was sent to follow Emile. Time slipped away quietly as Schicksal continued its orderly development.
A month later, Mobius's lab finally hit a major breakthrough—she had successfully engineered Stigmata that could be rooted within human genes possessing high Honkai resistance or adaptability.
However, because the research was based on Durandal's genetic map, implementing it now would only result in a bunch of "Mini-Durandals." The practical application was limited.
After all, neither Durandal nor Mobius had the goal of mass-producing clones.
If they weren't going to surpass the original, they at least had to stand on equal footing. Thus, Mobius turned her sights toward Fire Moth.
She sought out Durandal and laid out her plan.
"I discovered certain Honkai Beast factors within your genes. Fire Moth has plenty of those materials in their archives. If we can get our hands on them, we can create various Stigmata genes with different functions to implant into humans, creating Stigmata warriors who can rival or even surpass you."
Looking at the excited Mobius, Durandal simply nodded. "And?"
"And?" Mobius looked bewildered. "And so, I came to you. I don't care if we steal them or take them by force—give me the Honkai Beast factors Fire Moth has collected since the First Honkai Outbreak, and the Honkai will become a triviality!"
"You underestimate the Honkai. At least..."
Durandal wanted to say that, so far, she still hadn't figured out how to deal with the Herrscher of Finality.
As for her status as the Proxy of the Will of Honkai, she honestly lacked the confidence that it would influence the strongest Herrscher.
"Forget it. Honkai aside, Schicksal and Fire Moth are currently allies. Himeko and Dystopia are busy helping us defend Nagazora City and Sapphire City right now! So, whether it's stealing or robbing, I won't do it."
"Then..."
Mobius really wanted to complain that everyone knew those two Fire Moth aid teams were essentially "meat buns thrown at a dog"—never coming back.
However, she looked at Durandal and noticed her expression hadn't changed.
Knowing Durandal, this meant she already had a plan in motion.
"Your previous lab results regarding Honkai serums and vaccines have been successfully mass-produced by a biotech company in Nagazora City. This is 50% of the first round of patent fees. As we agreed, the Mobius Lab receives half of the earnings from its breakthroughs.
"The orders for these serums and vaccines come not just from Schicksal, but from Fire Moth as well. As for what they'll have to pay... Dr. Mobius, you spent enough time in Fire Moth to know better than I do exactly what should be written on that invoice."
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL