The young girl turned her azure eyes toward the person standing beside Aponia, full of curiosity. It was Eden—a woman who exuded an air of elegance and distinction.
Though her clothing didn't bear any obvious labels, the fabric and craftsmanship were clearly exquisite, marking her instantly as someone of immense wealth.
"Sister Aponia, who is this?"
"A patron of the sanatorium, Miss Eden."
Aponia offered a brief introduction before turning to Eden. "And this is..."
Halfway through the sentence, Aponia realized that while she and the girl were "old acquaintances," she had never actually learned her name. She turned back to the girl, feeling a bit sheepish. "I apologize. I've realized I still don't know your name."
The girl didn't seem surprised; she had always kept a low profile, believing that the less presence she had, the better. But since Aponia had asked directly, she couldn't well refuse.
"The name's Pardofelis. You can call me Pardo, or Felis, whatever you like!"
Pardo seemed quite the chatterbox. As she spoke, she circled Eden, stroking her chin with a contemplative look. "Something's off. The name Eden... and your face. The more I look at you, the more familiar you seem."
Unable to pinpoint where she might have seen her, Pardo eventually gave up and asked directly, "Are you some kind of celebrity?"
"A celebrity? Perhaps." Eden looked at the blunt girl with a faint smile. "I wear many hats—singer, opera performer, host. These roles have given me a certain degree of exposure. But since you reside in the slums of Sundown Alley, where my works haven't yet circulated, you must have recognized me from Entrepreneur magazine. I was featured in an exclusive interview last month."
"Entrepreneur magazine!"
Once Eden mentioned it, it all clicked for Pardo. Why else would the name and face feel so familiar? She was the cover girl for the latest issue!
That particular issue had made quite an impression on Pardo. Usually, the people on that cover were much older, grizzled veterans of industry.
Seeing someone as young and beautiful as Eden—to the point where the magazine looked more like a fashion spread—was a first.
Pardo had never imagined she'd cross paths with such a "big shot." She had always defined herself as a mere "commoner."
She read Entrepreneur to daydream about one day becoming a successful merchant, but she knew her own place in the world.
"E-E-E-Eden..."
Once the realization of who was standing before her hit, the previously carefree Pardo became incredibly stiff. For a long while, she couldn't even manage to say the name properly.
Seeing how cute the girl looked, Eden spoke up. "Just call me Sister Eden. You call Aponia that, don't you?"
"E..."
Yet, Pardo still choked on the syllable.
In the end, she suddenly turned and scrambled up the garden wall in a few fluid motions, leaving nothing but the back of a fleeing figure for Eden and Aponia to see.
"Sister Aponia, I'll come back to see you in a few days!"
With that, she leaped down the other side and vanished.
"What an interesting child." Eden's gaze couldn't pierce the wall, but she continued to watch the direction in which Pardo had disappeared.
"Are you interested in Pardo, Miss Eden?" Aponia asked.
Eden nodded. "I prefer to call her Felis. She reminds me of the younger members in our organization—full of a certain vitality. Being around them always fills me with a sense of purpose."
"I understand," Aponia said with a nod. "It's much the same way I feel about the children in the sanatorium; being with them reignites the hope in my own heart."
"I was just about to bring this up, Aponia. The leader and her deputy are out exploring Sundown Alley to get a feel for the people, and they won't be coming to pick me up until tonight. Since we have the time, why don't you tell me more about this Felis?"
Eden finally resumed the conversation that Pardo's surprise appearance had interrupted. Aponia didn't mind hosting Eden until evening; after all, she had donated so much to the sanatorium.
If the living conditions here weren't so dire, she would have invited Eden and her party to stay for the next two weeks.
Aponia felt a genuine connection with Eden—not quite close enough to be "best friends," but heading in that direction. As the story of a "Robin Hood" who loved "stocking up on supplies" unfolded, Eden grew thoughtful.
"I think I know how to draw Felis out," Eden mused.
"Draw her out?" Aponia looked at her, puzzled as to why Eden was so fixated on the girl.
Eden didn't hide her intentions. "Aponia, since you've read the files the leader prepared and joined the Schicksal organization, you must understand that the Honkai radiation levels in Sundown Alley are higher than in most places."
"That is why so many children suffering from Honkai sickness gather here. Those with poor Honkai adaptability and resistance simply don't survive long enough to grow up. That's why there are only children here, no elderly."
"Which is to say, those who can still remain active in Sundown Alley today—whether it's you or that girl Felis—possess the basic requirements to join Schicksal. Felis's hobby of 'collecting supplies,' in my eyes, makes her perfectly suited to be my subordinate. It is never easy to recruit for Schicksal."
"We need people who can survive at certain concentrations of Honkai radiation and who possess talents we can utilize. Felis is clearly such a person."
As Eden explained, Aponia understood her plan.
"Is there anything I need to do to help?" Aponia asked.
"Indeed." Eden looked toward the dorms. "Since Felis likes to lurk around and eavesdrop when you tell stories to the children, you could tell them a story about me."
"Tell them that my favorite thing to do when I'm feeling a bit tipsy is to distribute priceless jewels everywhere. I trust that with Felis's talents, once she hears such a story, she will surely find where I'm staying and personally 'deliver her services' to me!"
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL