The bottle burst under the terrifying strength Jeanne had unconsciously applied. The loud crack snapped her attention back to reality. She didn't do anything extra; she simply crumpled the plastic into a small ball and tossed it into a nearby trash can.
To an observer, it didn't look like much. It just looked like someone had seen a piece of litter on the floor and decided to tidy up. Even Ivanov, watching from behind the monitors, didn't notice anything unusual about the trash. Compared to a discarded bottle, his heart had been in his throat while she was staring at the painting.
He knew the secret room was locked from the inside—a steel box that no one could open from the outside unless a special emergency protocol was triggered. But even so, Ivanov couldn't stop breaking into a cold sweat. It wasn't necessarily that he was a coward; it was a natural reaction to the fear of death. However, as an undercover agent, showing such an expression in the face of danger would certainly be considered a failure.
On the other side, Jeanne was doing her best to suppress the fire in her heart. For her, getting this angry was a rare occurrence. She had previously considered the possibility that the Infected were being used as lab rats without their knowledge, as the situation felt all too familiar. Because of the intense pain, the Infected in little Rope's area hadn't shown much of their berserk side; it was likely that the agony had simply overwhelmed their ability to act.
But deep down, an intuition had been telling her that this strange illness and the people who went mad after taking unknown drugs were essentially the same case. Even though Jeanne had mentally prepared herself several times, the moment she saw that water bottle and confirmed this company was the mastermind, an unnamable fury surged within her.
She felt a visceral disgust for those who treated innocent Infected as disposable test subjects, stepping over their corpses to climb the ladder of success. By now, it wasn't that she couldn't understand the poor treatment of the Infected—she had lived in Ursus for years; what kind of discrimination had she not seen?
However, what Rhine Gold was doing now was pure, unadulterated evil. It was the kind of thing that made one want to reduce the entire place to ashes just by hearing about it. Jeanne felt a flame churning inside her, and along with it, she sensed the boundless anger and hatred trapped within this magnificent building. This sensation was far more severe than what she had encountered on the tundra! If this anger were ignited, it could turn this entire sector into a sea of fire if left unchecked.
It was clear just how many innocent people had died here. They might have heard a rumor about a place that treated Oripathy or recruited volunteers for drug trials. But when they arrived, they discovered the truth: they were merely test subjects, stepping stones for someone else's salary and degree.
I have to say, a noble who doesn't view the Infected or even commoners as human, and a group of researchers who have mastered the essence of Columbian 'education' by treating the innocent as experimental material... you two groups truly are a perfect match!
Her face, however, remained as cold as frost, showing no change. She understood that now was not the time to lose her temper. There were two others in this building who were unarmed; her actions could easily put them in danger. She had to endure. When the moment finally came to tear off the mask, she would make sure everyone involved learned the true meaning of a cruel revenge.
Jeanne couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It was a good thing she was the one who took this mission. If she had brought Talulah along and let her find out the truth, the girl would have been breathing literal fire in rage.
"I wonder how those two are doing with their search. There's still an hour before the 'event' happens. I might as well go over and check on them."
With that thought, Jeanne turned and headed toward Ch'en and Hoshiguma's location. She didn't even lift her head as she passed the portrait again, which allowed the Ursus man behind the monitor to breathe a sigh of relief. It seemed she really hadn't discovered the secret of the "Roaring Ursus"; she had likely just been staring out of curiosity. He was still safe for now.
Upstairs, Ch'en and Hoshiguma were sitting together reviewing documents, surrounded by several staff members who were providing explanations. Although they had split up initially, their investigations overlapped in many areas, so it was only natural for them to cooperate. Investigating together hadn't slowed them down; in fact, their silent chemistry made the work go much faster.
Among the staff, Ch'en continued to play the role of the strict, unapproachable officer, her face set in a scowl that made people keep their distance. Hoshiguma, on the other hand, played the more understanding "good cop," occasionally smoothing things over for Ch'en. The two played their parts so perfectly that it didn't even feel like acting. Given their personalities, they didn't even need to coordinate; they were just being themselves.
"You two really are together. Does this mean you kicked me out so you could investigate as a duo? Even if I'm a rookie, you don't have to be that unwelcoming, do you?"
Jeanne, wearing an unhappy "Artoria-esque" pout, stared straight at her two colleagues with a look that screamed "I've been abandoned." The Dragon and the Oni, who were working seriously, hadn't noticed Jeanne walking up because of the surrounding staff.
"How could that be? We just happened to run into each other. But why are you here? It shouldn't be time for our rendezvous yet. Or did you discover a sudden problem?"
Hearing Jeanne's voice, the two exchanged a glance and began chatting with her as if it were a normal conversation. They knew Jeanne must have something to tell them, but since they couldn't speak freely, they would have to play it by ear.
"It's nothing. Isn't it almost noon? I came over to ask what you wanted to eat."
Jeanne put on a "I'm hungry and want food" face. Her deadpan delivery made everyone else think this girl was a total foodie.
"You finished breakfast at 8:30. It's barely 11:00 and you're hungry again?" Ch'en looked at Jeanne with a helpless expression, naturally following her lead.
"Hunger is a great enemy! Meals must be eaten on time!"
Jeanne said it with total conviction, but saying those words with this face gave her a strange feeling. For some reason, she felt an urge to laugh, but she had to keep her expression neutral. Holding in the laughter was becoming quite painful.
"Fine, then. We'll grab a bite. What do you want? I'll order delivery."
As she spoke, Ch'en actually pulled out her phone to order lunch. One of the staff members standing nearby whispered:
"Um... our company has a cafeteria. If the officers don't mind, we can have the chef prepare something."
She was following instructions from her superiors—at the very least, prepare some good food and drink so the afternoon inspection would pass by in a blur.
"We appreciate the offer, but it's unnecessary. LGD regulations forbid those on this type of mission from eating at the company being inspected." Ch'en maintained a strictly professional front, rejecting the offer. She knew exactly what they were thinking, but a "meal" was never just a meal.
"You decide, then. What are we eating?" Ch'en asked Jeanne while scrolling through her phone.
"Char Siu rice," Jeanne said.
Before the words had even fully left her mouth, Ch'en's finger paused for a fraction of a second. Then, she quickly swiped up with a look of pure disgust on her face.