What Connie was wrestling with, Durandal had no way of knowing.
However, when she entered the academic lecture hall with Mei and laid eyes on the chief scientist presiding over this symposium, she couldn't help but let her lips twitch slightly.
Einstein…
But an Einstein with a small shock of red hair, wearing red-framed glasses identical to Dr. Lobster's.
So, was this why there was no Tesla in the Previous Era?
Seems Dr. Lobster and the bird's-nest-head merged into one.
Of course, the urge to snark was fleeting.
What concerned her more was how far along Dr. Einstein's Project ELF had progressed.
Or perhaps the plan hadn't even been born yet?
Naturally, Durandal wasn't one to idly speculate on her own. She had one defining trait—she was straightforward.
So, after the first scientist finished presenting their findings and the ensuing discussion wrapped up, she took advantage of the ten-minute break. She strode right up and sought out the chief scientist.
"Dr. Einstein, could we talk?"
Durandal looked at Einstein and extended the invitation.
"You are…?"
Einstein looked puzzled.
Before sending out the invitations for this conference, she had reviewed the guest list and photos, certain she hadn't seen Durandal before. Therefore, the other must have come with one of the scientists.
Still, why did she seem somewhat familiar…
"Dr. Einstein should have heard my name."
Durandal lowered her voice. "Flame-Chasers Organization, Durandal."
Hearing this, a flicker of astonishment passed through the deep blue eyes behind the red-framed glasses.
"How did you…"
Einstein started to say something, then glanced around and made a gesture. "Let's find a place to talk in detail."
"Alright."
Durandal nodded.
She had already asked Elysia to protect Mei and Kevyn.
That's right, Kevyn still needed protection, having joined the Flame-Chasers only recently, with the relevant training yet to begin.
Though Elysia really wanted to follow along, she couldn't just leave Mei and Kevyn unattended, so she had to stay in the lecture hall.
Exiting the hall, Einstein led Durandal directly to an office at the end of the corridor.
She motioned for Durandal to sit, then asked, "Miss Durandal, how did you come to be in Mu, and why attend this academic conference?"
"Because I'm curious about just how far human civilization's technological level has advanced."
Durandal looked at Einstein. "As a member of Fire Moth, Dr. Einstein, you should understand clearly that the Honkai grows stronger alongside the development of human civilization."
That's right, Einstein was also a member of Fire Moth, even one of its high-ranking figures.
Otherwise, she couldn't have commanded such vast resources to create countless ELFs, nor decisively granted them freedom after they protested.
It could be said that Einstein's authority within Fire Moth was even greater than Mei's, who effectively became its leader after the Herrscher of Dominance incident.
Unfortunately, during the Ninth Honkai Eruption, she activated a portal to the Sea of Quanta and then lived with the ELFs within a bubble universe there, eventually perishing due to an inability to adapt to the new environment.
With such a figure, Durandal naturally didn't expect to recruit her into the Flame-Chasers—at least, the current Flame-Chasers couldn't support someone of that stature.
But establishing good relations was absolutely necessary.
Durandal had always claimed she had connections inside Fire Moth, which was of course a lie.
However, after today, that might just become true.
"This is Fire Moth's latest research finding, something even Dr. Mobius isn't aware of yet. You…"
Einstein shook her head with a faint smile. "It seems experts aren't confined to Fire Moth. Miss Durandal, you came here deliberately, surely not just to tell me this?"
Durandal shook her head. "Of course not. I came here simply to befriend you, Dr. Einstein."
"Befriend me?"
Einstein pondered briefly and understood what Durandal meant.
After all, she had read the files and seen what Durandal said at the Second Honkai Eruption site.
She was well aware that Durandal didn't have the best impression of Fire Moth, and as one of its founders, Einstein understood its internal flaws better than anyone.
But… what could she do? She was just a scientist.
While her prestige was such that any project she pushed for would receive maximum resource allocation within Fire Moth without any obstacles, that was about the extent of it.
Personnel management, power struggles… she truly wasn't skilled at those!
So, most of the time, she wasn't at the Fire Moth base. Even though the experimental conditions there were no worse than here in Mu, she preferred to stay here.
Dealing with fellow scientists was far more pleasant than dealing with politicians.
Clearly, the Durandal before her felt similarly.
"Also, I'd like to offer a warning."
After a moment's hesitation, Durandal continued.
"Dr. Einstein, a place like Mu, standing at the pinnacle of this planet's civilization—if a major Honkai eruption were to occur here, the consequences might be more than human civilization could bear."
"So, to avoid having humanity's industrial manufacturing capabilities wiped out entirely by a single Honkai event, perhaps we should consider relocating some of Mu's industries elsewhere. Even as a backup, it would be wise."
Einstein was taken aback, then fell into deep thought.
"That's a point I hadn't considered."
Einstein first nodded, acknowledging the value of Durandal's warning.
But soon, she shook her head. "However, humanity's defensive capabilities are limited."
"Currently, Fire Moth not only handles the routine protection of Mu but also must dispatch support when Honkai erupts elsewhere."
"Adding one or even multiple key cities to protect… even with the UN's financial and human resources, I fear we'd be stretched too thin."
Perhaps this was one reason Einstein later created so many ELFs to protect Mu.
That way, part of Fire Moth's routine protective force could be freed up to 'fight fires' in other regions.
Durandal really wanted to say that if the UN were to form a unified Earth Federation government, its financial and human resources would likely increase tenfold.
But Einstein was just a scientist. Why trouble her with such an unlikely scenario?
Therefore, Durandal said plainly: "The Flame-Chasers plan to establish our headquarters in Nagazora City."
"So, relocating elsewhere isn't feasible for us. But if it's Nagazora City, the Flame-Chasers are confident we can ensure its complete protection."
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