A scenic elevator slowly ascended within the building.
Rhine Lab's headquarters building had a common circular structure, with a wide atrium in the middle for elevators and freight elevators.
The elevator's walls were entirely made of transparent Materials, allowing a view of the rapidly descending scenes of each floor and the full panorama of the Rhine Lab headquarters building.
The morning sunlight, filtered through special glass from the top and side windows, was adjusted to the most suitable brightness.
Although it was a company primarily focused on Oripathy research, Rhine Lab's facilities were still full of technological flair, with robots constantly running around and drones slowly flying through the corridors.
There was a faint scent of disinfectant in the air, but in the corners of the elevator and on every floor, numerous green plants could be seen, adding a splash of vibrancy to the predominantly white building, preventing visual fatigue.
However, Goki certainly wouldn't be fatigued, after all... there was a more captivating presence than green plants.
"Wow, that drone, it flew past, it flew past! I've always wanted a drone like that; it would make moving luggage so much easier."
Pressing against the glass outer wall of the elevator, the young Liberi girl's golden eyes widened as she curiously watched a large engineering drone transporting goods.
Meanwhile, Goki leaned silently against the wall beside her, watching the pretty Nona with interest.
Just moments ago, other job seekers, in a hurry, had already gone upstairs, while the unhurried Goki and this Little Penguin, who was carrying a lot of equipment, had the next elevator all to themselves.
The Liberi girl had short brown hair with a few silver streaks at the tips. She wore thick down pants, and because she felt warm, she had taken off her jacket and tied it around her waist.
It was May, a warm spring, and such thick clothing was quite unsuitable.
The only explanation was that the girl came from a colder region and arrived in a hurry, not even having time to change her clothes.
"Excellent."
The Nona's well-proportioned figure, tightly wrapped in a tea-green sweater, was pressed into two large flat shapes against the elevator's transparent outer wall. Goki struggled for a long time before he managed to avert his gaze.
Look not at what is improper, look not at what is improper—but it really wasn't small.
"Medivh, are you interested in drones? Are you planning to apply for the Engineering Department?"
Goki, of course, knew who Magellan was—the future Field Exploration Specialist for Rhine Lab, a little explorer stationed in the far north, and also a Special Operator affiliated with Rhodes Island.
She was also Skadi's food—whether the sea was chaotic or not, the Orca decided. Seals had to be eaten, and penguins too; only then was it complete!
The drones Magellan envied so much now would become her excellent assistants on her exploration journeys in the future.
In the hands of a Senior, those three types of drones could be used in various creative ways, making Magellan a regular in Contingency Contract. However, for Goki, the appearance rate of such an acrobatic Operator was much lower.
Women like Sister 42 were more suitable for Goki, simple and brutal.
Of course, in terms of figure—Magellan wouldn't lose out in the slightest.
In short, as a former Doctor, Goki naturally recognized this particularly excited Little Penguin in front of him, and was very familiar with her.
But now, he was just an ordinary Rhine Lab job seeker, so he naturally had to pretend not to know her at all, treating her as a recent graduate also applying for a job.
"Hmm? Medivh? My name is Magellan—no, no, I don't study much in engineering. My major is polar exploration and ecology. My graduation thesis was written in Sami. It's so troublesome to carry all this equipment in the snow. I think if I had a drone, surveying and mapping would be much easier."
Hearing Goki speak to her, the young girl who called herself Magellan immediately became interested. She patted the light yellow triangular surveying instrument beside her and enthusiastically took out a small camera from her pocket, moving closer to him.
"Look, look, these are photos I took in Sami."
Saying this, Magellan slid the camera and cheerfully introduced her journey to Goki.
"It's a pity Ursus is a bit xenophobic; Liberi people like me can't even get past customs... Oh, sorry, sorry, did I talk too much?!"
The Little Penguin chattered on for a while, then suddenly realized that she had said too much to this gentleman she had just met—others had also told her she was too talkative in the past.
"It's fine, it's fine, Nona McDonald. It's good to talk a lot, as long as you're not speaking in riddles."
Waving his hand at Magellan, Goki never found it troublesome to chat with pretty Young Misses—he was a pervert.
"Not McDonald, it's Magellan. It seems to be the name of a famous ancient explorer, I specifically chose it... By the way, Mr. Goki, you're also here for an interview, right? Which department are you going to?"
Seeing that Goki didn't mind her talkativeness at all, Magellan's little face immediately broke into a happy smile.
"I'm applying for a researcher position in the Defense Department. My graduation research direction is exactly the opposite of yours, McCree, it's about the southern parts of Terra—the Aegir coast of Iberia, and the Burning Wind Scorched Earth south of the Sargon Rainforest. I've visited both for research purposes and only recently returned."
These two research directions were also the persona Kaltsit had created for Goki. Although he hadn't professionally researched these two countries, he had at least personally experienced their customs and traditions, so there would be no flaws in casual conversation.
Nine truths and one lie, that was the perfect disguise.
"Wow, Burning Wind Scorched Earth! I also thought about going there when I first started university, but in the end, I still chose the Northland as my research direction. And, Iberia? The entry application there is much harder than Ursus, that's amazing!"
Hearing Goki's introduction, Magellan's big eyes immediately lit up. For this little explorer, the Goki in front of her was immediately labeled as an "Explorer Senior."
However, she soon noticed Goki's incorrect address of her once again, and her little mouth immediately pouted.
"Mr. Goki, my codename is Medivh, no, that's not right, Magellan! You're deliberately teasing me, aren't you—I took this name very seriously, Ma-gel-lan."
Goki, meanwhile, smiled and gave Magellan a thumbs up, watching as the elevator stopped at the floor Magellan was heading to.
"You caught me~~ Alright, I wish you a successful interview. We'll see each other again after we become official employees—Columbus."
The elevator opened, and Goki held down the door button, helping Magellan move her instruments and Materials outside the door.
"There's not even a 'Ma' sound anymore! But... it's nice to have met you, Mr. Goki. See you after we become official employees. I'll be waiting for you to tell me stories of Sargon and Iberia! Goodbye!"
Sticking out her little tongue at Goki, Magellan grumbled, but in the end, she still gave Goki a cute smile.
"Then—see you at noon, Mai Mai?"
The transparent elevator door closed. Goki waved at Magellan, and as the Little Penguin's face suddenly turned red, he slowly ascended.
"Mai, Mai Mai... Really, really, more familiar than I am."
Magellan was stunned for a moment before realizing Goki's affectionate nickname for her. She instinctively covered her face, but Goki's figure had already disappeared from view. She could only pick up her surveying instrument with a huff.
"Next time I see Goki, I must make him say my name properly!"
Rhine Lab's entry assessment was extremely rigorous. Even though all the applicants were Geniuses, the employment rate was only about ten percent. However, Magellan wasn't worried at all that Goki would be rejected.
There was no reason, but thinking of Goki's confident smile, Magellan felt... that they would definitely be colleagues in the future!
— — — —
"Ha, I didn't expect Magellan to join at this time—I've arrived."
With a sigh, Goki's elevator arrived at the 16th floor, where the Defense Department was located. He briefly activated his coded communication device and reported the situation to Kaltsit.
He hadn't expected to be a contemporary employee with Magellan at Rhine Lab.
Thinking of this, Goki was particularly looking forward to meeting other acquaintances.
However, as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a man and a woman, both fully armed in black armor and helmets, walking past the stairwell in front of him, complaining.
"Hah... What are the Structure Department people doing? Such an important experimental subject escaped again, and it even burned out its locator and ran over to our Defense Department. That little Sarkaz is a Caster! How dangerous!"
"What can be done? With Parvis dead, everyone in the Structure Department started vying for power. Some were fired, some simply vanished, their fates unknown. Silence alone can't control them—but don't worry, that little Sarkaz is just an ordinary Caster, at most she'll throw a small fireball that won't hurt anyone. Besides, isn't she on good terms with our Director? She must be looking for her. Just check the surveillance and don't provoke her."
When they saw Goki, they immediately fell silent, instinctively.
"Interviewee? Turn right and go straight. Director Saria's office is at the end of the corridor."
"Thank you. Your work is hard. After today, we might be colleagues."
Smiling, Goki nodded at the two Defense Department employees who quickly left, observing their retreating footsteps.
Undoubtedly, both of them were excellent combat personnel.
"Sarkaz, Caster, little kid... I think I know something—"
Stepping out of the elevator, Goki looked at the pristine white corridor, then towards a hidden compartment behind a flowerbed filled with lush shrubs, used by cleaners to store cleaning supplies.
"This is too unperceptive. It's clearly easy to find—but that's good. Their weakness just proves that I'm sure to get the job, doesn't it?"
From this small space, Goki felt a wary and cautious gaze.
It was an intense, somewhat familiar gaze.
A twisted crystalline horn emerged from the crack in the door.
----------------------------------
I've already uploaded over 40 new chapters on Patreon!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read ahead, feel free to check it out.
Your support truly means a lot to me!
patreon.com/Kazenova223
Thank you so much for being here!
And if you're having fun with the story, don't forget to drop a Power Stone for me!