บท 206: Chapter 206: Mobius: Eh? Eh?

"No, I don't want to go."

During the call, Vill-V refused, and her tone was full of dissatisfaction.

"That woman doesn't look like a good person at first glance."

"Vill-V, it's wrong to judge people by appearance, right? And I have to say that Dr. Mobius is very capable. If you stay with her for a while, maybe you will gain a lot?"

Nozomi reminded Vill-V helplessly.

"And Dr. Mobius will help us get permission to study the 'stone'... so we can study it openly and progress faster."

"We can do it ourselves, it'll just be slower. There's no need, and... I just don't want to go."

Vill-V was rarely in a good temper and seemed to have a prejudice against Mobius.

"That old woman doesn't agree to let me enter her laboratory, so what am I going to do? If you want, just go..."

"It's just that the old woman has a very bad reputation. Nozomi, you have to be careful and don't be fooled by her. I heard that she has kidnapped others and even tied them to the operating table."

"...It's okay. At least in our short time together, I have a pretty good impression of Dr. Mobius. It's just that her way of speaking is a little strange... Dr. Mobius, what are you doing?"

Nozomi thought about it and then answered. At the same time, he looked up to his side... He heard the sound of Mobius approaching.

"Oh, I've been discovered~"

"...Um?!"

Mobius's slightly frivolous voice reached Vill-V's ears through the communication, which made Vill-V perk up all of a sudden.

"But, little one, I don't think there's anything wrong with the way I speak. And... this is also within the scope of my laboratory. In other words, here, I am free to do whatever I want."

Mobius pushed Nozomi away a little so that her figure could appear in the communication screen.

"Hmm... I see. You are the companion the little one was talking about, Vill-V..."

Mobius looked at Vill-V for a moment, and then seeing the vigilance towards herself in Vill-V's eyes, she smiled meaningfully.

'The relationship between these two people is quite strange, haha...'

"Yes, Dr. Mobius. Vill-V is my research partner... She is very talented in this area, and it is thanks to her that those experimental pieces were successfully made."

Nozomi nodded and gave a brief introduction.

"I know, I know~ It's a pity that your companion doesn't seem to appreciate it. I clearly wanted to help you out of kindness... Maybe if your design succeeds, you two can leave your names in history?"

"What a pity, little one, now it seems that you are the only one who can leave your name~"

"Don't worry, even if she's gone, I can help you find a replacement. At worst... I'll help."

Mobius deliberately hooked Nozomi's arm, pulled him to her side, got close to him, and spoke lightly with a smile and a very seductive tone.

"Okay, little one, end the call early. You can't just do nothing after coming to my place. I spent a lot of effort to get your permission. And... don't you have a lot of things to ask? Then come quickly? The tea is almost cold."

As Mobius spoke, she prepared to get up and leave... However, after getting up, she did not leave in the direction she started from. Instead, she deliberately went behind Nozomi, poked Nozomi's cheek lightly with her finger in a slightly intimate manner, and then left from the other side.

"Dr. Mobius..."

Nozomi's mouth twitched when he saw this action... He could sense that Mobius did it on purpose.

But Vill-V didn't know!

so...

"...Nozomi, where are you now?"

"…Dr. Mobius's laboratory."

"How long have you been there?"

"I've just been here for a few hours, and I've learned a little bit about why our research was stopped in the first place."

"It's only a few hours...that's fine."

Vill-V no longer listened to the second half of Nozomi's explanation. After knowing that Nozomi had only stayed there for a few hours, she patted her chest and temporarily felt relieved.

'It's just a few hours...there's not much you can do.'

'Hiss... That's not right. With Nozomi's abilities and drive, it seems that he can already do a lot of things.'

'No, I have to hurry' Vill-V spoke quickly after making up her mind.

"Nozomi, don't be fooled by this bad woman... Wait for me for a moment, I'll be there soon."

"Actually, Dr. Mobius is just a little bit weird, you don't have to be so nervous..."

"......"

Vill-V held her forehead with her hand and then let out a sharp exclamation.

"Nozomi, isn't it obvious that you've been kidnapped? Don't be fooled by her! I'll be there right away!"

"......Forget it, just come."

Nozomi also covered his head with his hands in pain... Although he knew that this was the effect that Mobius wanted, it was still somewhat of a headache.

"The address is (the one provided by Mobius). Come on over. I'll pick you up when you're almost there."

"Wait for me, Nozomi. Wait for me. We will be there soon!"

After saying that, Vill-V hung up the phone in a hurry, turned down subsequent performance arrangements, and dragged her parents to pack her luggage.

During this process, Vill-V's parents just rolled their eyes and watched Vill-V hurriedly packing her things with expressionless faces.

'Look, look, what did we say before?'

'Stupid daughter, who told you not to seize the opportunity, who told you to run away on your own... Are you okay now? Are you anxious? Are you panicking?'

'You deserve it!'

But having said that, Vill-V's parents still planned to help their daughter. At the very least, they would go and check on Nozomi's situation... After so many years of getting along with each other, they still cared about Nozomi to some extent.

So after admiring her daughter's cute, slightly flustered look, they started packing up together to prevent Nozomi from getting into any real danger...

After all, Mobius's reputation in the outside world... well... can only be said to be both good and bad.

So hurry up.

…

......

"Alas... Dr. Mobius, you're going a bit too far with this method."

"What's wrong, little one? Don't you like this?"

Mobius said meaningfully.

"Even though I've been staying in the lab all the time, I'm still a little confident about my appearance, right?"

"Yes, yes, indeed, you are quite pretty, Dr. Mobius... So I hope you can change the way you speak a little bit. This way it is too easy to be misunderstood, and it will have a bad impact on your reputation."

Nozomi nodded casually, acknowledging Mobius's boasting, and then gave a serious suggestion.

"Ha... Interesting, little one, you actually care about me..."

A hint of surprise flashed in Mobius's eyes, and then she smiled and waved her hand casually, motioning Nozomi to come to her.

"But it doesn't matter. I don't care about the comments of those mediocre people... Besides, I also like those imaginary bad reviews. This way they won't bother me."

"...is that so?"

"Of course, what else do you think?"

"…Then let's just take it as it is."

Nozomi was silent for a while but still nodded without refutation of Mobius's statement.

"Hehe... little one, you are very interesting. I like you a little bit... but unfortunately, only a little bit~"

Mobius narrowed her eyes... She felt that Nozomi's words hinted at something as if he had discovered something.

"Doctor, I remember I told you not to scare my fellow apprentice..."

Blanca reminded them helplessly from the side and acted as a "mediator" between the two.

But it seems that it is completely unnecessary. Because Mobius seems to like Nozomi very much as if there is something about Nozomi that she particularly likes... Blanca rarely sees Mobius have such an obvious "preference".

And Nozomi seemed to be able to tolerate Mobius's strange personality and did not show any impatience or fear at all... It was amazing.

"Haha, the little guy is not as fragile as you said, is he?"

"Um."

In response to Mobius' words, Nozomi just nodded slightly... When he followed Father Enrique before, he had met all kinds of people, so he didn't think that Mobius's character was a big problem, just a little weird.

...Anyway, it's much better than that theological scholar who is just like a "fanatic".

"Well... before your weird little girl comes here, let's continue with the previous topic~"

Mobius said with a smile while holding a stack of documents.

"After learning about the existence of Honkai and Honkai Energy...what do you think they are?"

"...Honestly speaking, if it weren't for the Honkai eruption, [Honkai Energy] would be almost the most perfect energy source. It has a wide range of uses and is extremely efficient. If we can solve the problem of Honkai eruption and the erosion of [Honkai Energy], then it can be said to be a great advancement in human energy."

"No… Even if we can only solve the erosion problem, according to the existing records, the most casualties are caused at the moment of the Honkai outbreak. A large number of people will die because they have no corresponding resistance. Then, the destruction and casualties caused by the Honkai Beasts generated by the gathering of [Honkai Energy]…"

"As long as this problem can be solved, the biggest threat will change from [Honkai Energy] to the Honkai Beasts that are created by the Honkai eruption..."

"And... the humanoid, high-threat unit called Herrscher... this is a bit troublesome, I don't know how to deal with it..."

Nozomi slowly expressed his understanding, while Blanca on the side slowly revealed an expression of surprise... She didn't expect Nozomi to accept the existence of [Honkai] so quickly. After all, this thing... was somewhat shocking to one's cognition when one first learned about it.

Moreover, Nozomi grasped the key points so quickly, especially his views on [Honkai Energy], which coincided with those of Mobius.

"Oh...very good."

Mobius's smile grew even wider.

"You are much better than those old-fashioned people. Compared to those conservative people, how could they possibly understand what the emergence of [Honkai] means? And they are actually trying to evade and conceal the fact of Honkai. This is not a good thing~"

"So when they found out that the little gadget you were researching actually attracted Honkai Energy, they took away your research results and even banned you from doing research…"

"What are they talking about... they are worried that this technology will cause the Honkai Impact and cause more casualties... Haha, I don't even know how much of this statement is true~"

"For disasters like this, we must face them head-on, overcome them, and regard them as a stepping stone for civilization and even human progress."

"…Dr. Mobius, you're thinking too far ahead."

Nozomi shook his head and reminded helplessly.

"We can't do that yet... at least, not [yet]."

"We have to focus on the problem at hand. Otherwise, if we walk along and accidentally step on a place without steps, we might fall badly."

"...Hehe, you're right, little one."

Mobius did not refute but instead looked at Nozomi with a hint of admiration.

"We have to take it step by step, but when necessary, we have to take a little leap and cross some obstacles that have no steps, right?"

"You're right."

Nozomi also nodded seriously and didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

"I am somewhat fond of you, little one, and this is true."

"It's my pleasure."

"Well... Next, I will ask a few special questions... I hope you can tell me what you really think."

Mobius looked at the document in her hand again and asked.

"How do you define human beings?"

"......"

"Heh... this question may be too stressful for you, so... let's narrow the scope a little bit."

Mobius covered half of her face with the documents in her hand. She squinted her eyes and stared at Nozomi, waiting for his answer.

" do you think you are a [human]?"

"Certainly."

"So, if your arm was replaced, for whatever reason, and replaced with a prosthetic limb, or grafted with something else, do you... still think you are [human]?"

"Naturally."

"So... your entire body has been changed? For example, you have modified yourself to adapt to a special environment, or for some other reason your body has mutated, making you biologically out of the category of [human]?"

"The Ship of Theseus?"

"You can understand it that way."

"...As long as I think I am still a [human], then I am a [human]."

Nozomi thought about it for a moment and then answered.

"I may have changed my appearance, or lost something because of something, or even chose to transform myself for some reason, but... as long as I still think I am a [human], then I am."

"Even if others don't think so? Or even don't want to accept you?"

"It doesn't matter. I don't care."

"Very good!"

Mobius's voice rose slightly.

"Little guy, are you interested in being my experimental subject? Don't worry, I can guarantee that you will live well, better than anyone else."

"......"

"Dr. Mobius… would you like to hear what you're saying?"

Blanca, who was standing by, covered her face in pain.

"You brought my junior fellow apprentice here to be an assistant and researcher for new projects... not to be a test subject!"

"…If it can guarantee the safety of my life, then I actually don't mind."

"…Junior Brother Nozomi, do you want to listen to what you are saying?"

Blanca felt that her mind was on the verge of collapse… It was okay for Mobius to be like this; she was used to it. But Nozomi, why did you still answer her? And agree with her?

'Good grief, you two are willing to fight and be beaten, right?!'

"It is only natural to devote oneself to science and research. All progress is accompanied by sacrifice and effort. This is inevitable... And as I said, this is done while ensuring the safety of one's life."

Nozomi explained softly.

"…Little guy, I am a little unhappy when you say that."

In response, Mobius frowned.

"You are being irresponsible with your life. Besides... are you questioning my ability?"

"If this makes you feel uncomfortable, I apologize, Dr. Mobius... But on the contrary, I believe in your ability, so I agreed to it."

"…Blanca, it seems like you have good taste. I like this little guy very much. Please find an opportunity to let me meet the other one, the little guy named Klein."

"…Okay, Doctor."

Blanca felt her headache getting worse.

"But I hope you won't do it again. Klein can't stand your jokes and inquiries…"

"That's hard to say~"

"......"

Blanca always felt like she was pushing her fellow apprentices into the fire pit...

"So... am I considered passed now?"

"Of course, little guy, you can stay here as my assistant~ to perfect your design... ah, your awkward companion can't."

Mobius felt a little unhappy when she thought of the way Vill-V addressed her.

Although she doesn't care much about her age or what others call her,but...

Sure enough, she still feel a little unhappy.

"After all... I don't really like rude people~"

"…I'll introduce you to Vill-V when she comes."

Nozomi felt a headache when this was mentioned... because Mobius's previous actions had successfully triggered some emotions in Vill-V.

Although this approach successfully dragged Vill-V into this, in the future... Vill-V and Mobius' relationship might not be very good.

"Okay, little guy, don't worry about anything for now. Just fill your stomach before starting the research."

Mobius stood up and, unusually for her, took the initiative to boil some water while she rummaged through the cabinet nearby.

"As you said, a good body is the foundation of everything~ So... shall we eat first?"

"Rice... you mean instant noodles?"

Nozomi looked at the three packs of instant noodles that Mobius took out from the cabinet, and his eyes twitched slightly.

"Isn't there a dining hall here?"

"Yes, but I don't want to go."

Mobius searched for a few beakers, crushed the dough and threw it in, poured in the seasoning and hot water, then put the beakers on the equipment to heat them, as if she was "cooking noodles."

"And I don't think there's anything wrong with instant noodles. They're high in energy, filling, and fully meet hygiene standards."

"Uh... wait a minute, Doctor... it's better not to do this in front of Nozomi..."

"Before, due to some reasons, Blanca and I ate together for a long time. Although it was a bit greasy after eating too much, it saved a lot of time for the experiment and accelerated the progress a lot..."

"Ah, little guy, are you not used to it? You have to get used to it in the future, okay? After all, special situations often occur here, so fast food that can quickly solve the meal problem is a frequent customer here."

"It's over…"

Hearing what Mobius said, Blanca put on a mask of pain... She forgot to tell Mobius not to bring up the topic of "physical health" in front of Nozomi.

"…Senior Blanca, I want to ask, is this situation... normal for Dr. Mobius?"

Nozomi's voice came faintly.

"Yes..."

Blanca answered truthfully and had no intention of hiding anything... She couldn't hide it anyway, as Nozomi would be staying here in the future and the truth would be exposed soon.

"So... Dr. Mobius."

"Hm? Little guy, what do you want to ask? I can tell you anything while I'm in a good mood, okay?"

At this time, Mobius had not yet realized the coming crisis.

"I would like to ask, what is the result of your physical examination?"

"You're so concerned about me, little one... Don't worry, I'll ask Blanca to check it for me, there's nothing wrong at all~"

"Yeah?"

"Yes, do you want to see it? I don't mind letting you know some of my information, okay?"

"That's perfect."

Nozomi nodded with a smile and got Mobius's physical examination report from Blanca.

Blanca had already turned her head away and dared not look... She was afraid that she would laugh out loud at the following scene and get herself into trouble.

"…Dr. Mobius, I have something to tell you."

After reading Mobius's physical report, Nozomi put his hand on Mobius's shoulder with his unchanged smile.

"…What's up, little one?"

Maybe it was because Nozomi's aura was too terrifying at this moment, but Mobius's body stiffened slightly for a moment, but she quickly adjusted herself and asked with a normal expression.

"You are in very poor physical condition, I would say, and as the leader of the laboratory, you must serve as a role model."

"...so?"

"Next, I will be responsible for your daily schedule and diet arrangements, and try to restore your physical condition to normal standards..."

"Little guy, I'm in good health... I don't think I need it..."

"No, you do, Dr. Mobius."

Nozomi stared closely at Mobius's eyes. The strange three-color pupils seemed to carry some kind of irresistible oppressive force.

"I'm sorry to have to do this on my first day in the lab, but..."

"A good body is the foundation of everything! Dr. Mobius, please get ready!"

"But please don't worry, I will take care of you during this process!"

"So... let's start with the simplest thing. I need to adjust your eating habits."

Nozomi took away the beaker that was still "cooking noodles" in front of Mobius with an expressionless face and placed it away from Mobius.

"Although it's too late today and I can only use the cafeteria to make do, but... I will be responsible for your meals from now on."

"Also, you must remember to eat three meals on time from now on, Dr. Mobius. I will supervise you."

"Huh? Huh?"

Then he put his hands on Mobius's shoulders, quickly pushed the confused woman out of the laboratory, and pushed her towards the cafeteria.

Along the way, even if someone looked at him with surprise, Nozomi would respond with an extremely terrifying look of "What are you looking at!", causing others to flee in a hurry.

As for Mobius's assistant Blanca?

Blanca was snickering.