Chapter 53: Lilia

"Let's leave the previous matters aside for now, but yesterday it was Jane who threw the punches, and Sean who took the beating."

"You call that taking a beating? Apart from a fractured nasal bone, did he suffer any other major injuries? When Jane is discharged from the hospital, given Molly's temperament, she will definitely have her rank demoted according to the base's regulations—ah, I found it."

Chiba finally spotted the F-series files and strode purposefully toward her target.

Valentina hurried after her. "Chiba, no matter what, as an adult, you shouldn't be directly interfering between them—"

"I'm not directly interfering. Have you seen me look for Sean? I've been to the base so many times, and I haven't even laid eyes on Sean once." Chiba stepped onto the mobile double ladder parked by the display racks and looked back at Valentina. "Coming up?"

Valentina bit her lower lip, took Chiba's outstretched hand, and stepped onto the moving ladder.

Chiba typed Lize Fletcher's name into the retrieval interface. The ladder began a smooth ascent, stopped at the fourth tier, and started sliding to the left.

"I've worked at this base too; I know all too well what Molly's so-called 'order' is really about. She is indeed extremely fair, but honestly, in a completely enclosed place like this base, what use is this kind of self-righteous fairness?"

"...Why would it be useless?"

"For certain Quicksilvers, life in the reserve base is far more difficult, even crueler, than life after transferring to independent service." Chiba looked at Valentina. "Do you know why?"

Valentina looked slightly blank, failing to grasp Chiba's meaning. After leaving the reserve, young Quicksilvers had to truly face endless battles against Chelates. From any perspective, life within the base resembled a wonderful cocoon, a temporarily tranquil haven.

Without waiting for Valentina to answer, Chiba continued, "I'll tell you why. Because the reserve base is the most jungle-like place in the entire world."

Valentina blinked. "Our place... is a jungle?"

"A jungle," Chiba said. "People love playing at being 'adults' most when they are still children. By enforcing all sorts of 'rules,' they get to experience what it feels like to be a self-defined 'grown-up.' In this respect, Sean, Jane, and Lize are all the same."

As she spoke, Chiba reached out and pulled the file folder bearing Lize Fletcher's name from the archive shelf.

After a moment, she pulled out an entire row of documents, clutched them to her chest, and then began reading the handwritten notes on them one by one.

"Yet at this stage, they aren't truly grown up and have no idea what actual reality looks like, so they can only imagine a set of operating rules for the world—survival of the fittest, the strong preying on the weak...

"And as it happens, during this phase of their lives, they live in relatively enclosed environments like bases and schools. Here, relationships between people are extremely simple, devoid of any real conflicts of practical interest. That's why these young people can execute the rules they've imagined with such exceptional thoroughness.

"You might say that in an ordinary school, whoever goes too far gets expelled, or at worst, the victim transfers to another school. Do you have the option of dropping out or transferring here at the base?" Chiba countered. "The base is the most jungle-like place in the world—the person being targeted has no other choice but to break through head-on."

"...It's not as serious as you're making it sound," Valentina narrowed her eyes slightly. "The chain reaction caused this time was indeed a bit excessive, but in the past, we haven't been without ways of handling such conflicts, for example—"

"I know how you handle them," Chiba replied. "Isn't it just that 'peace period' when I didn't reply to Molly's emails? Sean was still stirring up trouble behind the scenes, only restrained by the base's punishments, so he made sure Hesta didn't notice—malicious acts that sink beneath the surface don't cause actual, visible harm, so you just couldn't be bothered to investigate further, right?"

"Of course not!" Valentina replied sternly. "If we had known at the time that Sean was still doing bad things behind our backs, we definitely would have investigated—"

"Your investigations are always launched after the harm has already been done, which is why you are always a step behind." Chiba looked at her. "And the deterrent effect of such disciplinary actions is clearly questionable as well."

Valentina took a deep breath. "This is a long process, Chiba. Don't you remember? When you first arrived in the Third District, I encountered this exact kind of thing too. There were a few boys in the base who kept giving me trouble, and Miss Ada, who was on duty at the time, handled the entire matter from start to finish. In the end, they all turned over a new leaf and reined in their behavior—"

Chiba did not look up; she merely let out a soft laugh. Lowering her head, she drew out the documents that interested her from various folders and flattened them out on the iron plating of the elevator.

"Look me in the eyes!" Valentina leaned forward. "Am I wrong?"

Chiba smiled. "Do you really believe they changed their ways because they were inspired by Miss Ada?"

たとえ "...What do you mean?"

Chiba did not answer.

Valentina was stunned for a moment. Recalling the events of back then, she finally began to grasp a fraction of the subtext behind Chiba's words.

"Did you... do something for me back then?"

"It's all in the past." Chiba flexed her knuckles, making a sharp cracking sound. "Anyway, my method has been verified countless times over. If you think Molly's approach works too, prove it to me."

Just as Valentina wanted to say more, Chiba made a "quiet" gesture.

Chiba had already found the interview with the Quicksilver who had originally brought Lize back to the base, along with the several critical counseling records compiled by the base's counselor thereafter.

Lize Fletcher, birth name Lilia Alexandrovna Oktyabrskaya.

She was born in the East City of the Askia Wasteland in the year 4609, living in a small apartment at No. 12 Boatman Street. Her father was a doctor, and her mother was a pharmacist.

Her generation in the household included an older brother and two younger sisters. Her brother was already married and lived near No. 12 Boatman Street as well.

When the tragedy struck, a total of eight people were living in Lize's apartment: Lize, her grandmother, her parents, her brother, her two younger sisters, and her pregnant sister-in-law awaiting childbirth. Less than two months away from her due date, the couple had moved back into Lize's home for the sake of convenience and care.

A family structure like this was extremely common in Askia, where they had a longstanding tradition of multiple generations living under one roof. Because of its unbroken heritage, Askia had once been a model for wasteland containment against Chelation disease. Coupled with the fact that it was one of the rare wastelands very friendly to habitable zones, AHgAs had even considered specially raising a dedicated fund to establish an AHgAs work station in Askia.

That way, Quicksilvers could use Askia as a center to radiate routine protection outward for a radius of two hundred kilometers, potentially even transforming Askia from a wasteland into a new habitable zone.

This proposal was already undergoing internal feasibility assessments, but plans could never keep up with sudden changes.

As the most prosperous wasteland in the Third District, the tragedy that occurred in Askia was a massive coincidence—it was forged by a chain of interlocking accidents that ultimately triggered an avalanche-like catastrophe.