"You deliberately made my darling Seele cry, then unceremoniously kicked her out. So, what earth-shattering 'official business' do you have that requires telling me in person?"
"If it's some trivial little matter, you know the consequences, right? E! ly! si! a!!!"
Seeing that Elysia had not only snatched away her adorable Seele, but even made the little treasure in her heart cry on the spot, Mobius was in an absolutely foul mood.
"Hehe~ I always thought someone as aloof as Dr. Mobius wouldn't be interested in a cute girl!"
"Who knew Dr. Mobius would fall so completely for sweet Seele's charms so quickly? It's really surprising. Back when I just wanted to be friends, you were always so mean to me~"
"Elysia! How dare a narcissistic pink cow like you compare yourself to my darling Seele? If this pointless chatter is all you have to say, then get lost! I don't have time to waste on someone like you!"
Hearing Elysia had the gall to compare herself to her precious Seele—though objectively, that pink cow was indeed on the same level of beauty as her little treasure—Mobius, fueled by anger, unhesitatingly used her sharp tongue to tear Elysia down right to her face.
And if it weren't for the fact that she was no match for that pink cow in a one-on-one fight, just for making her beloved Seele cry, Mobius might have lunged at Elysia and started brawling right then and there!
"Dr. Mobius, don't be so angry~ I'm just used to lightening the mood a bit before getting down to business…"
"Do you remember who initially proposed conducting live research on a Herrscher~"
Sensing Mobius's displeasure, Elysia quickly stopped pushing her buttons with words.
Instead, she casually hopped onto Mobius's lab desk, using it as a seat, and brought up someone that stirred a flicker of emotion in Mobius's heart.
"Oh? Did Mei send you? But I don't recall hitting any bottlenecks in my live Herrscher research... Besides, I just recently passed clinical verification for a gene-enhancement serum developed precisely by leveraging a Herrscher."
"Are you telling me that still isn't enough to shut up the higher-ups at Fire Moth?"
Thinking of all the research results she had submitted over the past ten months while focused on live Herrscher studies, Mobius was utterly confident she could maintain primary research control over her Seele.
Though initially, Mobius had been thoroughly reluctant and annoyed at the hassle of taking on Seele, a dangerous Herrscher, now that she fully understood the immense value Seele could bring, her attitude had done a near 180-degree turn.
Not to mention, Mobius had just experienced the delightful sensation of snuggling with Seele firsthand.
Now, if anyone tried to take sweet Seele away from her, Mobius would resist with every fiber of her being!
"Fire Moth's leadership certainly recognizes your contributions, Dr. Mobius. But do you recall the Herrscher-related research project Dr. Mei is currently working on?"
"A Herrscher research project? You mean this 'Blank Key' initiative?"
With such a clear hint from Elysia, and as a true heavyweight in Fire Moth's top scientific circles, Mobius pulled up her information channels, did a quick search based on Elysia's tip, and pretty much grasped why Elysia had come.
This "Blank Key" initiative proposed by Mei could be seen as an extension of the earlier "Divine Key" project.
After all, the "Divine Key" project used Herrscher cores as the central component, supplemented with Soulium, to create powerful weapons theoretically capable of harnessing a portion of a Herrscher's authority.
The ultimate goal of the "Blank Key" initiative, however, was to develop equipment that, by installing Herrscher cores, would allow humans to directly control and wield the Herrscher authority themselves.
Although this new proposal was theoretically feasible, achieving a level where the wielder could rival a Herrscher's power was clearly not something that could be accomplished overnight.
Unless...
"So, Mei wants to target the Herrscher core inside my Seele?"
"If that's how you want to see it, Dr. Mobius, that's not wrong... Moreover, this proposal has been unanimously approved by the organization's top leadership."
"So... you understand what that means, right?"
Seeing the undisguised anger flash across Mobius's face, Elysia, the messenger, felt a bit awkward.
But considering that if this initial plan for the "Blank Key" succeeded, it would not only be a huge contribution to humanity's fight against the Honkai, but might even be somewhat beneficial for Seele—who was still blissfully unaware—in a way...
Thinking this, Elysia suppressed the flicker of pity she felt for the sweet girl.
In her eyes, dear Seele still didn't know her own identity as a Herrscher.
So, before the innocent little thing fully realized her own danger, restricting this highly threatening Herrscher power within human-controlled limits was indeed a harmless, even beneficial, move for human civilization.
At the very least, those radical Fire Moth higher-ups who kept clamoring that "only a dead Herrscher is a good Herrscher" and constantly tried to stir up trouble might quiet down a bit!
Elysia, as Seele's personal protector, had secretly intercepted countless deranged attacks from Fire Moth's radical faction—she'd lost count of how many times.
She was genuinely worried that one day, a moment of carelessness on her part might let these maniacs slip through.
If Seele were caught off guard by one of their suicide attacks...
Even the seemingly gentle and sensible Seele would probably snap and go berserk on the spot, wouldn't she?
"They're just taking advantage of my sweet Seele's current obedience to push their luck and squeeze even more value out of what a Herrscher can create for them! Tsk... How typical of those hypocrites."
But Mobius, who knew exactly what those Fire Moth higher-ups—whom she disdained to associate with—were like, obviously wouldn't think about things from the perspective of human civilization like Elysia did.
She saw through their true intentions in approving this proposal almost instantly.
While Mobius certainly had a more realistic, less rose-tinted view of human actions compared to Elysia, her clearer understanding didn't make things easier.
Grumbling under her breath, she privately cursed the Fire Moth leadership for being bullies who only picked on the seemingly weak.
Yet, between the lines, there was no clear indication that she intended to stop Elysia from coming to take little Seele away.
After all, although Mobius held unshakable authority in Fire Moth when it came to scientific research, she had always disdained building influence or forming factions.
Naturally, she lacked the leverage to say "no" to the organization's higher-ups.
To put it bluntly, in the eyes of Fire Moth's leadership, Mobius was merely a temperamental chess piece—one they couldn't replace for now, but still just a piece.
Even if Mobius were to resign or go on strike outright, while it would certainly deal a heavy blow to Fire Moth, the organization wouldn't grind to a complete halt because of her departure alone.
This was an objective fact Mobius couldn't deny.
"So, Dr. Mobius? May I take it that you've agreed?"
Familiar with Mobius's way of speaking, Elysia naturally caught the underlying meaning in her words.
Slowly, she let her signature adorable smile fade, then asked Mobius directly to confirm the answer.
Faced with Elysia's rare calm and serious inquiry, Mobius—who was seething with rage over Fire Moth reaching for little Seele—truly wanted to throw Elysia out on the spot, or even grab her beloved Seele and run far away.
But for a researcher like Mobius, exceptionally talented yet physically defenseless, escaping with Seele was out of the question.
Even if she tried to leave alone, Fire Moth—now a dominant force worldwide—would never let her go easily.
To be realistic, they might even silence a disobedient Mobius for good.
After all, for prodigies who refused to be controlled, Fire Moth had its dedicated assassination department, "Cocoon," to handle such matters.
Take Dr. Mei, for example. When she first rose to prominence and crossed some radical higher-ups, she ended up on the Cocoon's hit list.
What those radicals didn't expect was that Mei had an extraordinarily loyal and powerful guard dog—Kevin.
Upon hearing Mei might be in danger, Kevin stuck by his girlfriend's side almost constantly.
In the end, he even captured the ace assassin sent by Cocoon—none other than Sakura, as we all know.
Mei at least had Kevin as her safety net, but Mobius's position as a senior member relied solely on the value she brought to Fire Moth.
Yet that value, substantial as it seemed, still wasn't enough to influence the organization's major decisions—especially ones as critical as those related to a Herrscher.
In the end, Mobius's alluring, enchanting eyes locked onto Elysia's beautiful, unreadable gaze—a gaze that seemed both smiling and not.
With a fierce intensity, it looked as if she might slap Elysia right across the face and tell her to get lost!
But...
"Sigh... Elysia... I know perfectly well that what you've given and the responsibilities you've taken on for Seele likely far exceed my own."
"But listen to me clearly! I'm only lending you my Seele for now. If you can't bring my Seele back whole and unharmed..."
"I will never forgive you! Not in this lifetime!"
The stubborn snake had ultimately compromised.
"Don't worry, Dr. Mobius~ I will definitely bring adorable Seele back alive. After all, wasn't I the one who brought her here in the first place?"
Seeing Dr. Mobius—always so stubborn that no one could talk her around—drop her tough facade for the first time in front of her, Elysia was shocked that Mobius would break her principles for Seele.
Yet she also felt a strange, tangled sensation, as if her own wings had gotten knotted.
From the perspective of Elysia, the famously renowned 'wing collector' of the Previous Era, both Mobius and adorable Seele should have been lovely young ladies she spotted first and made contact with first.
But why?
Why did these two lovely girls, both essentially her "wings," end up tangled together right under her nose?
But after promising Mobius to bring Seele back alive, Elysia took the initiative to seek out Seele for the first time since bringing her to Fire Moth headquarters.
When Elysia found Lunelle again, she was still diligently fulfilling her duties as a little worker, struggling to handle the endless pile of tasks Dr. Mobius had dumped on her.
Seeing Seele's utterly unguarded, adorable figure, Elysia almost couldn't resist the urge to pull out a sack, pounce, and whisk the little cutie away on the spot.
But fearing she might do something illegal, Elysia forced herself to maintain a safe distance from Seele.
This deliberate distancing was instantly interpreted by Lunelle—who already believed her 'wife' Elysia disliked her—as further proof that her wife now couldn't even stand to touch her!
Whimper, Wife Elysia, you've changed!
When we first met, you were willing to hug me. Now you won't even hold my hand!
And so, despite adoring Seele deeply—even to the point of obsession—Elysia once again planted the stubborn impression in Lunelle's mind that "Elysia doesn't like me touching her."
Honestly, it was fortunate this act of pushing her most beloved away happened in what Lunelle believed was a simulation.
If Elysia pulled something like this in the real world of Honkai...
Even though Elysia was Lunelle's second-favorite wife, being repeatedly and deliberately distanced like this would surely make Lunelle feel too ashamed to face her, leading her to actively avoid Elysia!
Since Lunelle, on the surface, was still an innocent little cutie completely unaware of being a Herrscher, Elysia simply tricked her this time, saying the trip was similar to the weekly blood draws and tests.
Essentially, Elysia's message was: once Seele arrived, she just needed to cooperate and let them draw "a bit" of "blood" from her body.
After that, she could go back.
Though Lunelle could sense Wife Elysia wasn't exactly lying, her sharp intuition told her that this "blood" probably wasn't the ordinary kind!
Soon, as a living Herrscher, little Seele was taken—for the first time in the simulation—to a third location beyond Mobius's lab and her own confined dormitory.
Upon arrival, Lunelle didn't see any physical blood-drawing tools like syringes. Instead, the place looked more like an arsenal stocked with all sorts of high-tech weapons.
Unfortunately, Lunelle's expertise lay in biotechnology, so she wasn't very familiar with these flashy, high-tech gadgets.
But when Lunelle, pretending innocence, was led by Elysia to face a strikingly familiar young woman wearing a gear-adorned top hat...
'It's Vill-V! I've been brought to the Spiral Workshop?!'
Initially thinking she might just be passing through, Lunelle now fully understood where she'd been taken!
"Hi~ Vill-V, I've brought adorable Seele."
Seeing the beautiful girl busy at her workbench, Elysia smiled warmly and greeted Vill-V, who was adjusting some equipment.
"Oh? Elysia. So this lovely young lady is the material for crafting today's Divine Key, right?"
Hearing Elysia's voice, Vill-V quickly paused her work.
Upon spotting Lunelle, the blunt and straightforward Vill-V immediately blurted out something shocking!
Lunelle: (⊙ˍ⊙)!!!???
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T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.