Magellan decided that when she went to Sami in the future, she would fully experience the local customs.
Of course, not all outings were so joyful—just last weekend, Magellan went out with Goki, and Goki also brought his'sister'.
How to put it, although the white-haired Nona seemed elegant and beautiful to Magellan, Magellan always felt a little scared, that feeling... it was like being a hunted prey.
As a result, Magellan, who had originally planned to get closer to Goki before heading to the far north, had her plans foiled.
So, she intended to make up for it today.
"...Fine, I'll listen too."
Watching Magellan's actions, Mayer couldn't help but purse her lips, a hint of hesitation flashing in her grey eyes, but she eventually sat next to Goki.
She said she didn't want to get involved, but in reality, Mayer knew she had already been dragged onto the pirate ship.
"Goki, during this time, I've organized all the exploration data from our field expedition team over the past few years.
Hugging Goki's arm, Magellan enjoyed the pleasure of being close to him while taking out a stack of paper documents and handing them to him.
"Originally, Rhine Lab's field expedition missions generally focused on studying the local ecological environment, but at some point, more and more became focused on ruin exploration—and the casualty rate was not small."
"Oh? Hiss... Good heavens, this isn't an expedition team at all, it's practically an archaeological team, no, it's purely grave robbing."
Goki took the documents from Little Penguin's hand and began to flip through them, reading out the place names listed.
"Leithanien underground ruins, three missing. Kazdel ancient Sarkaz Royal Court ruins, two dead, five injured and disabled. Kazimierz Gods People's tomb, thirteen members of the research team suffered permanent intellectual damage... Sargon Dynasty ancient ruins, one dead."
Indeed, from very early on, Rhine Lab had begun excavating ancient ruins on Terra, and each excavation always resulted in the deaths of many top talents.
All things considered, the God of Burning Wind outbreak incident that Goki intervened in was even the one with the fewest casualties.
With a little deduction, it was clear that Rhine Lab, over the years, had definitely plundered countless graves, just like those insane scholars at Byrgenwerth—and this was just the surface, unhidden data.
"Haven't I applied to go on a polar expedition recently? Our department also gave me a task to enter the Northern Land from Sami, station myself at the Infi Icefield Research Station, and then search eastward for an ancient Ursus ruin. I don't know if I should accept it..."
As soon as Magellan spoke of her recent troubles, Goki gently patted her shoulder.
"Don't go. Listen to me, just do your main job."
After half a month of investigation, Goki already understood that the current Rhine Lab was no longer a simple organization that studied Life Qi and Originium.
Instead, it was a mad organization that rashly contacted the power of gods with only a partial understanding, and if these girls around him stayed in it, they would surely suffer for it.
And Mayer and Magellan were also willing to help Goki because they feared their company truly held dangerous secrets.
—At least, Goki, who was being sandwiched by Little Penguin and Little Otter, thought so himself.
I don't like it.jpg
Goki's greater fear was—perhaps, the harm of the gods had already occurred.
So, over the past half-month, he actively interacted with these familiar and reliably future Rhodes Island Operators, all in order to get enough help.
Even an Old Hunter would occasionally ring a bell to summon others to help him.
Goki also believed in the power of a team, especially a team made up of beautiful girls.
"Goki, this is the key card. I've already set the password. Once you enter the core storage room, the alarm System there will be deactivated, and the surveillance System will maintain a static image until you leave... Please be very careful."
Beside them, Ptilopsis also walked up to Goki, her expression as calm as ever, and handed Goki a white magnetic card.
For Rhine Lab's strongest programmer, this was not difficult, but there was a hint of worry in her golden eyes.
Unlike the two beside her, who were brought in to help him because Goki, the former Doctor, knew they were trustworthy Researchers, Ptilopsis had been doing her best to help Silence from the start.
As a member of the Structure Department, Ptilopsis had always looked after Silence, and for Goki, who had newly joined Rhine Lab, Ptilopsis also witnessed his heroic charge forward in a hallucination that day.
Over these past few days, Ptilopsis had witnessed Goki's interactions with Ifrit, Saria, and Silence, understood his integrity and reliability, and decided that no matter what feelings developed between them, she would silently bless them.
Therefore, when Goki decided to investigate Rhine Lab's secrets, Ptilopsis unhesitatingly agreed.
"Hmm, I will—how about it, you didn't agree to go out last week, so how about next weekend?"
However, Goki didn't intend to let go of this little bird, who was now not mechanical but had gentle eyes—Rhine Lab, not a single person could be missing!
"If your trip goes smoothly, Goki... I'll consider it."
Ptilopsis smiled slightly, her white hair and white feathers on her head seeming to puff up a little from happiness.
"Alright, then we'll talk after I return safely—now, the question is, this... Nona, I don't recall ever seeing you before, and our operation should be confidential, right?"
Looking at the woman in front of him, who was exceptionally familiar but whom "Researcher Goki" shouldn't know, Goki raised an eyebrow.
"The stars told me the answer. Obtaining current and future messages from the alignment of the stars, this is astrology... I cannot prophesy, but I can sense the coming of danger, and this premonition has been particularly clear recently."
Before anyone else could introduce her, the blue-haired, blue-eyed woman in front of Goki, wearing a black long dress with countless sparkling ornaments on her body and a rapier at her waist, nodded to Goki, her expression as calm as water.
"You can call me Astesia. I am not an employee of Rhine Lab, but a philological consultant who arrived here a week ago. I smelled a hint of danger in the documents Rhine Lab interpreted for me."
Her hands slowly moved across her blue spherical instrument, Astesia looked earnestly at Goki, her eyes as deep as the starry sky, yet holding a hint of fear.
"My Originium Arts change with the rotation of the starry sky, and now... the stars are terrified."
She seemed to use all her strength to keep her voice from trembling, and instead earnestly made a request to Goki.
"The entire Rhine Lab is already immersed in the Universe—I hope you can find a way to save it here."
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