Chapter 298: Crown of the Mundane and Divine: Mundane Troubles 『 Part Two 』
「 "Excuse me, Ms. Trailblazer, tell me—what were you doing the last time you saw that puppet?"
"…Running errands for Herta?" Stelle tried hard to recall.
"Don't play dumb. Think carefully." Dr. Ratio stared at her with intense seriousness.
Stelle racked her brain. She vaguely remembered that a few system hours before she started helping Ruan Mei, Herta had indeed sought her out.
She had lost a very important Curio and asked Stelle to help find it. Stelle couldn't recall the specific name; the only thing she remembered was Herta emphasizing the Curio's characteristics: it had no physical form, yet it possessed life. If she wanted help, Herta suggested she could go to Asta.
Through Asta, Stelle launched a series of inquiries and investigations, finally piecing together a hazy memory from fragmented recollections.
Ever since the Space Station was attacked, quite a few people have developed a crisis of trust in the station's security systems. Unfortunately, as luck would have it, there had been recent incidents of researchers secretly disappearing within the station—four cases in total.
From Arlan and Adler, she learned: around the time of the disappearances, the station's automatic fire suppression system had records of brief activations. That Curio seemed somewhat similar to the Heliobi of the Xianzhou; every victim was accompanied by inexplicable phenomena of spontaneous combustion.
After relaying this to Dr. Ratio, he pondered for a moment before asking in return: "So, regarding everything you just said, is there anyone who can corroborate this?"
Screwllum proposed they could verify this with Herta, but Ratio merely shook his head calmly: "Hmm, if you start running now, you might catch up with the IPC's shuttle in four system hours—as it stands, there is no third party who can testify for her."
Screwllum: "Mr. Ratio, your style of questioning would seem to have a preconceived bias."
"My apologies, it is a bad habit of mine. Those engaged in academic research often find it difficult to believe in things. Conversely, doubting them is much easier." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Akame Ga Kill World〜
Imperial Capital, the Jaegers—
Wave stared at the screen in the sky where Stelle was being pressed step by step by Professor Ratio, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. He slapped his thigh abruptly, speaking with indignation:
"What is up with that plaster-head professor? Stelle was obviously the one who got dragged into this by accident, so why is she being interrogated like a criminal?"
"The way this man speaks… is also quite suffocating."
Kurome narrowed her eyes slightly, her fingers unconsciously caressing the hilt of Yatsufusa, as if recalling a similar sense of oppression—back when Esdeath interrogated those members of the Revolutionary Army, the scene had possessed this same cold, asphyxiating atmosphere.
But Esdeath achieved it through killing intent and brutal methods, whereas this Mr. Ratio accomplished it merely through questioning. It was like a Danger Beast closing in step by step; answer with the slightest lack of caution, and he would swallow you whole.
"And this Miss Asta… why is she just watching from the sidelines? She should know the truth, too, right?!"
The more Wave thought about it, the angrier he got.
Run clasped his hands together, thoughtfully recalling the memory bubble fragments on the screen, and sighed softly:
"Wave, it isn't that Miss Asta doesn't want to help, but that she cannot."
"Huh? Why?"
Wave turned to look at him in confusion.
"Do you remember in Stelle's memory, when Miss Asta mentioned the disappearance incidents on the Space Station to her… the expression on her face?"
Run asked.
"As the Lead Researcher of the Space Station, she is responsible for the safety of all staff—but first came the Antimatter Legion's attack on the station, and after months of arduous reconstruction, there are now clueless disappearance cases. Coupled with the crisis of trust gradually breeding within the station… her anxiety and unease were practically written on her face."
"But for something like this, wouldn't it be fine to just say it openly?"
Run shook his head with a smile:
"Of course not. If even she, as the Lead Researcher, shows an expression of unease, wouldn't that prove that the Space Station really has security issues that even she cannot control?"
"…The reason it is a crisis of trust is that, as the Lead Researcher, she must make the staff believe they are protected by the Defense Department. If that trust cracks, even if the source of the crack is just a trace of fear she inadvertently reveals… it could lead to a total collapse."
Run's voice was calm and steady, carrying the patience he once had as a teacher:
"Take General Esdeath as an example… if even she were to show a grim expression on the battlefield, we as her subordinates, even without experiencing combat, would roughly guess that the situation is not optimistic, right? And what of the soldiers below? …Rumors would only breed incessantly within the camp, eventually leading to mutiny and desertion within the army."
"Miss Asta trusts Screwllum and Stelle immensely. But Mr. Ratio is the biggest variable—before having a sufficient understanding of him, Asta certainly will not speak."
—
「 Screwllum looked toward Asta, who nodded in understanding.
"If she is indeed innocent, let her use her answers to clear herself of suspicion." Ratio looked down at Stelle from his high vantage point, interrogating: "According to your statement, the reason you met with Herta was that you received a specific commission, yet the content of that commission was a Curio whose name is unknown even to you."
"Herta's collection — an endless trove of trinkets and baubles — and yet she singles out one nameless, ordinary Curio? It's hard for me to imagine she would treasure one Curio so much.."
Stelle: "Sure, but you're the one saying the Curio in question is ordinary."
Ratio frowned slightly: "Why not speak plainly?"
"The Curio isn't the main point; it is only because it relates to the Genius Society that Herta attaches such importance to it."
Screwllum added from the side: "Presumably, that Curio is the creation of a certain Genius. Logic: It possesses extraordinary significance."
Ratio accepted this reason, but immediately he asked about Stelle seeking help from Asta. On this point, Asta chose silence. And Ratio keenly perceived this; he was curious whether it was Stelle who was lying, or Asta who was hiding something?
"Mr. Ratio, this is because…"
Asta was hurriedly trying to explain or clarify something, but was ruthlessly interrupted by Ratio. He cast his gaze toward the pink-haired young woman: "I am questioning her, Miss Asta. Your testimony went out the window the second you started being secretive." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
Teyvat—
Inside the Palais Mermonia, Neuvillette gazed calmly at the scene in the sky. He stood before the window with his hands clasped, feeling the oppression brought by every single word from Professor Ratio—as the Iudex of Fontaine, the symbol of Fontaine's Justice, questioning others had always been his authority.
He had never observed such a high-pressure interrogation from the perspective of an audience member before.
…This sensation was quite novel to him.
—