In the isolation ward, in the disinfection room, two figures, one tall and one short, stood in the white mist used for disinfection.
"I didn't expect you to come too—aren't you very busy lately?"
Silence adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose and quietly spoke to the Vouivre / Wyvern woman beside her, who was 20 centimeters taller than her.
"But I'm here now. When I have time, I'll definitely come back to see Ifrit. Sorry..."
Beside her, Saria looked a little embarrassed. Recently, she had been secretly investigating some matters in her spare time, so her frequency of visiting Ifrit had naturally decreased.
"Besides, isn't Goki getting along well with Ifrit? Silence, you're also more relaxed, aren't you?"
Mentioning her subordinate, Saria's Dragon tail behind her wagged, and she couldn't help but show a hint of proud smile on her face.
"Hmph, that's true. With Goki taking care of Ifrit, I feel like both you and I are dispensable."
Looking at the brown feather belonging to her on Saria's waist, as well as the subtle movements and micro-expressions that even Saria herself could barely notice, Silence raised an eyebrow.
"Don't say that, Silence. At least you are equally important to Ifrit—just like Goki."
Seemingly realizing her gaffe, Saria stopped wagging her tail and lightly coughed.
Capable and reliable, Saria rarely used these words to describe others, but Goki truly deserved this praise.
During this time, Goki had become Saria's right-hand man, not only sharing much of her daily work but also helping her in many other aspects.
And... Goki, he not only takes care of children but also adults.
Saria had been incredibly busy these past few days, implementing stricter regulatory policies for Rhine Lab, dealing with the aftermath of the mass hallucination incident half a month ago, and handling the pressure from the military... At the same time, she was also secretly investigating how much Rhine Lab had researched "God."
Although Saria always had a regular routine and an organized desk, during this period, she was so busy that she could only manage to shower once a week, and she almost smelled.
And during this time, Goki had always been by her side, helping her.
Processing documents, executing Defense Department missions, investigating Structure Department incident scenes, assisting in questioning involved parties—Goki had shared a lot of these tasks with Saria.
Previously, other researchers always found various excuses to avoid these "unimportant" tasks. After all, for them, researching new armor and protective suits was more likely to bring them fame and success.
However, Goki performed these tasks without any complaints.
Even before getting off work, Goki would specifically help Saria organize the unattended documents on her desk, brew a steaming cup of Laterano coffee, and prepare a basin of hot water and a towel to refresh her.
Clearly, Goki was skilled in this Dao, very good at taking care of others, almost to the point of being meticulously attentive.
However... this also indicated that anyone taken care of by Goki must be a homebody who does no work at all.
Saria had heard Goki say that he had a very fierce older sister and a very cute younger sister at home—it was truly difficult for him.
Goki's older sister and younger sister were too worrisome.
— — — —
"Phew—the taste still isn't right. I'll just wait for him to come back and brew it."
Kalt'sit stuck out her tongue in slight disgust and placed the coffee she had just brewed on the table.
The ingredients were just a few types of coffee from different origins, plus milk, honey, and sugar cubes, but no matter how Kalt'sit tried, she couldn't brew the rich, sweet, and lingering taste that Goki achieved.
Goki said it was one of the countless small hobbies he developed during his past hunting work. Kalt'sit had lived for so long, yet she had never paid any attention to such things.
"Ha, Kalt'sit, you're so useless."
Beside her, Skadi, on the sofa that Goki had specially bought with this month's salary to improve the two girls' living standards, was eagerly looking at the door, waiting for Goki's return like a pet.
At the same time, she didn't forget to mock her cohabitant, whom she disliked, giving her a scornful smile.
"Goki has the right to mock me, but you don't, Abyssal Hunter. You are even more ridiculous than your race—you only need to use your monstrous strength. It will be your turn soon!"
"Nyah, nyah, nyah, reverse! You're twice as ridiculous as me!"
During Goki's working hours, their bickering never stopped.
— — — — — —
"Yes, I'm afraid even a child educator couldn't make Ifrit like him that much. I'm even jealous."
Hearing Saria's words, Silence also sighed, her golden eyes subtly shifting as she rarely spoke about things outside of research.
Silence was an exceptionally focused, serious, and utterly pure researcher.
In her opinion, she was essentially just a research fanatic no different from anyone else, but when it came to Ifrit, Silence felt her maternal instincts were awakened.
Now, her goal was Ifrit's recovery and to prove her own capabilities.
Goki was a good person. His care for Ifrit made Silence, who believed she had fulfilled her duties as a good guardian, feel ashamed of herself.
And Ifrit's closeness to Goki even made Silence feel a hint of jealousy.
"He also helped us a lot in the Structure Department. Even Ptilopsis said that after Goki came, her work became much easier. He even brings back our meals from the cafeteria every day—how can such a good person exist in the world? Is it possible that all Yan Country people are so helpful? No way, right?"
Silence had to admit that Goki was very good at taking care of people, so skilled that Silence was even learning from him.
During this period, Goki spent most of his working hours in the Structure Department.
While her racial traits didn't make Silence sleepy all day, she couldn't help but doze off every now and then, just like Ptilopsis. Previously, the two of them either took turns or relied on coffee to get through.
But with Goki helping with some of the work, looking after Ifrit, and even bringing meals, Silence and Ptilopsis finally had time to gratefully take a nap.
Moreover, recently, thanks to Goki's mediation and the full supervision of the Ifrit Project's implementation, Silence and Saria no longer had reasons to argue, and their close friendship had largely recovered.
Thanks to him, the two of them could now converse in such a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
"I really don't know why such a good person would come to Rhine Lab, a place full of scoundrels—you, as a leader, shouldn't bully him just because he's capable. My graduate school advisor was an asshole who ordered me around every day."
Silence's words made Saria awkwardly twitch the corners of her mouth.
"How could that be? You should trust me a little more... I was originally considering giving him a raise and making Goki a full-time employee earlier, but he refused."
As the white mist around them gradually dissipated, Saria recalled her previous conversation with Goki and sighed.
"It's truly regrettable. I don't know what he really wants..."
Hearing Saria's words, Silence also pinched her chin, and the two white bird feathers extending from her bangs began to bob up and down as she pondered.
"Oh? I haven't heard him mention that. Now that you say it, Goki's motives seem suspicious again—even looking at history, one knows that civil and military officials who desire nothing are more feared by kings."
Beside her, Saria also scratched the four Dragon horns on her head, seriously considering this question for the first time.
"He doesn't need a high salary, nor does he do research. He has no desire for fame or wealth, so what he can pursue is only..."
Suddenly, both Saria and Silence had a flash of insight, opened their eyes, turned around, and with a mischievous smile, pointed at each other.
"I know! Goki wants to pursue you!" x2
The friends had a telepathic connection, but after saying this together, the two female academic overachievers, who had focused solely on studying since childhood and had never been in a relationship, immediately felt the atmosphere become a bit awkward.
"He-He-Silence, what are you saying? How could a rough, tall, strong woman like me, who only knows how to use violence, be attractive to anyone?"
Completely unprepared for Silence to say such a thing to her, Saria's face, which could withstand Originium Arts bombardment, instantly turned red.
"Clearly, it's intellectual and gentle people like Silence who are more likely to be liked."
To be honest, in all her years, Saria, even before moving to Columbia when she was young, used to beat up boys her age in the Vouivre / Wyvern Alliance. During school, everyone around her focused on their studies, and no one was in a relationship. She had never even imagined herself being noticed by anyone.
"I should be asking you what you're saying! How could anyone like a gloomy, harsh woman like me, who is useless except for research, has no regular life, is short, and has a flat figure?"
Silence had never expected Saria to have such an opinion of her. Her small hand trembled as she adjusted her thick glasses, and her usually gloomy face showed a rare shyness.
"Saria, you simply don't understand your own allure, do you? Everyone envies such a full, good figure... And what's so tall about 174 cm? My neck has been sore from looking at Goki these past few days; he's nearly two meters tall!"
Having been regarded as a bookworm by her peers since childhood, Silence mostly spent her time alone, clutching thick books and studying in the corner of the library. The word 'love' had never existed in Silence's life.
The Dragon and the bird looked at each other awkwardly, paused for a few seconds, and then both laughed simultaneously.
"Hahaha, Silence, is that how you've always seen me?"
"Hmph, I never thought, Saria, you'd see me that way."
It was rare to hear each other's opinions, and they were both a little happy.
Then, the two looked at their friend, awkward and shy, and finally sighed at the same time.
"This question... let's put it aside for now. It's not good for us to speculate about Goki like this."
"Agreed. Goki would definitely be sad if he heard us say such things."
"Ultimately, he's not someone who indulges in women."
"Yes, Goki is a righteous person."
Then, the door to the ward slowly opened, and their expressions once again returned to seriousness and formality.
"Silence! Saria! You're here!"
And from inside the room, Ifrit's excited voice rang out.
Indeed, the question of love was still too distant for the two female academic overachievers.
However, in the not-so-distant future, they would learn just how incredibly wrong their "righteous" perception of Goki was.
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