"That's right, Hua. I think Li is correct. You'll be the focus of the stage tonight."
Himeko looked at Hua with a playful laugh. However, Hua just shook her head, her gaze fixed with confusion on Li, who was currently wandering around the ballroom taking pictures of everything.
Seeming to notice something, Himeko asked with amusement, "What's wrong? Are you not happy?"
"It's not that," Hua said truthfully.
"I just don't understand. To eliminate the Sixth Herrscher, we lost two entire branches. That just happened not long ago."
"Even though we achieved a victory… how can everyone so naturally forget the sacrifices and the sorrow?"
"They are all wearing beautiful clothes today, listening to music and eating snacks… When I think of a scene like this, I can't help but think of our fallen comrades… I don't understand."
Hearing Hua's question, a flash of sympathy and helplessness crossed Himeko's eyes. She reached out and patted her on the shoulder.
"Hua, forgetting is a bitter medicine. No one forgets for no reason. Forgetting is a tool. We use it to vent our pain and find happiness."
"You have to allow people to forget, allow people to be happy. This is especially true in times of war. Soldiers with low morale can't fight."
"But…" Hua's brow furrowed even deeper. "Why did the organization spare the Sixth Herrscher's life? And why would they entrust such a dangerous individual to my brother's care?"
"..." Himeko fell silent. After a long moment, she sighed and looked over at Li, who was now sitting with Mobius and Klein.
In the vast banquet hall, that corner was the most deserted, as if it weren't a part of the party at all, but a cold serpent's den.
However, within that serpent's den, the three of them seemed to be getting along surprisingly well.
"There are some things that, let alone being beyond your clearance level, are beyond even mine," Himeko sighed.
Compared to frontline soldiers like them, who were essentially cannon fodder, talented researchers were obviously far more important.
And although Li was nominally her squad member, he was a favored subordinate of Mobius, with a higher security clearance than her own.
Of course, due to that same issue of clearance, she couldn't tell Hua any of this.
"Is that so?" Seeing that even her captain couldn't give her an answer, the gloom on Hua's face deepened.
But soon, she felt a pair of hands gently pushing her from behind.
"Alright, Hua, go join the party."
"Eh… I understand, Captain."
---o---
Just as Hua was being led into the festivities by Himeko, in the corner that was completely out of sync with the banquet's atmosphere…
"Li, where is that little lab rat of yours?" Mobius asked curiously, holding a glass of red wine and sipping it slowly.
She had been unwilling to attend this kind of event. If Li hadn't invited her, she couldn't have been bothered to come.
"Lab rat? You mean Seele?" Seeing Mobius's curiosity, Fu Li smiled and passed her the camera.
"As much as I'd like to bring her to a party like this, her appearance here wouldn't be a good thing, neither for these soldiers nor for Seele herself."
"However, she's been staying next door to me. After being locked up for so long, it seems like a good idea to let her see how people on the outside live."
"Oh?" Mobius raised an eyebrow and put down her wine glass. "Are you really raising her like a daughter? Need I remind you? She's a Herrscher."
Her words were laced with profound meaning, and Fu Li simply smiled faintly.
"Doctor, I can't be sure about others, but you, of all people, wouldn't be so narrow-minded as to believe that the concept of a 'person' is confined merely to a physical body, would you?"
"Mmm~ As expected of my confidant. Li, I'm liking you more and more."
Her serpentine eyes narrowed slightly. Mobius leaned against Li's shoulder, and Fu Li naturally steadied her.
To an outsider, this might have looked like an intimate gesture, but in Fu Li's eyes, it was merely the normal way he used to interact with his older sister.
After a few rounds of drinks, though their group was small, they enjoyed the lively party with remarkable harmony.
"Alright, Doctor, you've had a bit too much to drink. Klein, shall we escort the Doctor back to her room?"
"Of course, Dr. Li. That is my job."
Fu Li and Klein supported the slightly tipsy Mobius on either side, skillfully making their way to the female dormitory building.
Once they reached the ground floor, the rest was up to Klein.
"Goodbye, Klein, Dr. Mobius."
"Mm, goodbye."
Fu Li waved, and only after Mobius's figure had disappeared did he turn to leave.
---o---
In the hallway of the female dormitory.
"Doctor, if you can't handle your liquor, please don't drink so much next time," Klein said out of habit as she supported the Doctor.
"Mmm… Klein…" Mobius's face was slightly flushed. Emboldened by the alcohol, she suddenly uttered some truly audacious words.
"Klein, tell me… if Li and I were to combine… just how brilliant do you think our child would be…?"
"...…Doctor, do I need to remind you that Dr. Li is still only seventeen?"
"Mmmph… So what? Klein, you know as well as I do, in all these years, he's the first boy to ever make me feel… 'fondness'."
"Doctor, if you keep this up, I might have to call the police," Klein said, exasperated, suddenly feeling the urge to just leave her boss right there.
"Then I'll just wait for him to become an adult," Mobius persisted stubbornly.
"I think you might need to sober up, Doctor."
After getting Mobius back to her room, a mentally exhausted Klein returned to her own. She splashed some cold water on her face from the basin and let out a long breath.
To be honest, for some reason, she also kind of wanted to make a move on Dr. Li.
Just wait one more year, she sighed.
---o---
Meanwhile, Fu Li had arrived at little Seele's door.
Knock, knock, knock…
"Seele? Are you in there?"
"Get lost! Damned human! Don't bother me!"
Hearing that energetic voice, Fu Li chuckled softly.
Very good. The voice is loud, full of vigor. Excellent!
"Then big brother is coming in."
Ignoring Seele's protests, Fu Li swiped his keycard and pushed open the heavy, steel-reinforced door.
The moment the door opened, a hateful look flashed in Seele's eyes as a fist wreathed in the aura of death shot straight for him.
"Alright now, stop fooling around."
Effortlessly catching Seele's blow, Fu Li closed the door and entered the spacious, brightly lit room.
As a room specially designed to hold a former Herrscher, he was the only one with access.
In other words, no matter what he did in this room, no one would ever know.
"Okay, don't be angry."
Fu Li held out the camera, dangling it enticingly in front of Seele.
"Want to see the outside world? As long as you don't attack me, I'll let you see."
"Hah! Who cares about looking at you bunch of trashy humans?" Seele rolled her eyes, looking at Fu Li as if he were an idiot.
Trying to make her, a divine messenger, betray her cause? Impossible.