"Anyway, we can say that we've gained nothing so far."
"Then if we look for something more complete, no, if we have a more complete list... should we look for it there?" Hikari asked me, bewildered.
What the little fool said is indeed a line of thinking.
While such an idea might seem far-fetched to others—let alone finding such a directory, or even having one at all—the existence of the Universal Library makes this idea a viable action.
“So I’ve already shared this information with Yao, and she’ll be responsible for verifying this list with the current personnel list in the city.” I winked at her. “Although there’s a possibility that the entity hiding in the shadows is plotting to cause trouble and is hiding in other places, this is still a possible solution.”
"If the other party is hiding inside the city, then it will be even easier. He probably didn't expect that the city lord would hand over this registration list of mages entering the city to me for review, and that I would have something to verify it, right?"
Since the other party could create a chimera and deploy it so close to the city, it's highly likely they are hiding nearby. Furthermore, the Sacred Tree Stronghold isn't some rural town without garrison mages and guards. If we rule out the possibility that the garrison mage was corrupted or was the mastermind behind the chimera's creation, then the person who could remain hidden nearby for so long clearly possesses their own intelligence networks or assistance…
Every step leaves a trace.
It's unlikely that the other party has thoroughly and meticulously erased all traces they left behind. Following this path should lead to some clues. I can only hope that the chimera was merely an entity overlooked during a previous extermination effort, or perhaps it escaped on its own after killing the experimenter who conducted the experiment. Otherwise, I truly can't imagine how much trouble lies behind this.
"Hmm, I don't understand."
Hikari ate the fruit platter, nodding her little head as I explained, and then suddenly blurted out this sentence.
There was a moment of silence, but soon I heard the girl briefly recount her understanding: "In other words, Mr. Yumi now judges that the sudden increase in monsters in the Gray Zone is being manipulated by someone behind the scenes, creating extremely dangerous chimeras, and possibly even more?"
I nodded.
"Putting aside the possibility of that...why?"
The girl looked genuinely puzzled, her face filled with disbelief.
Me: "Who knows? That's what's giving me a headache right now."
"Experiments involving abnormally generated life forms like chimeras are strictly prohibited by the academic community. Once discovered, they must be eradicated, even if the mage is unrelated to them. A rigorous investigation must follow. Not to mention the possibility that they might be intentionally creating large-scale monster disasters..."
I paused, intending to explain to her why I suspected it might be a monster disaster deliberately induced by someone, since similar precedents had existed before. But just as I was about to speak, I was completely silenced by a fruit that was instantly stuffed into my mouth.
"Don't explain to me. It's always a bunch of incomprehensible academic terms. It's too much trouble, and I can't understand it!"
Watching the girl pout and act spoiled, I could only smile and stop, focusing on dealing with the fruit that was pressing down on her tongue.
Biting hard through the slightly chewy skin releases a burst of tart jam, which, after a brief moment of apprehension, transforms into a subtle, lingering sweetness on the tongue.
Is it sweet?
Hikari suddenly leaned closer, tilting her head back slightly, and asked with a smile. The corners of her narrowed eyes curved into a beautiful arc, like a cunning kitten, and her long eyelashes trembled gently, shimmering with a crystalline luster in the slanting sunlight.
"...Sweet." I mumbled, nodding slightly.
Hikari smiled even more broadly: "It's sweet, that's just right. It wasn't for nothing that I went out of my way to ask the fairy for the location of the fruit tree."
I was a little surprised: "Did you pick them yourself?"
"Well, I won't tell you."
Hikari made a face, then quickly coughed and adopted a serious demeanor: "Anyway, what I want to say is, well, don't overthink it, come back soon, and be careful."
"Aren't you coming with me?" I wanted to ask her that, but the words took a turn in the sweetness on my tongue and turned into a soft "I know."
Yes, I understand.
I won't take the risk.
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