Chapter 57: The Proof of Friendship

"The old couple's original plan must have been to imprison those dozens of people until they fell ill, and then release them all together—but the startling stench from the basement alerted the neighbors prematurely, and the security police quickly discovered the place. By that time, the old couple was already dying in the apartment; they had reached the end of their existence as chelates and were powerless to resist.

"It was only then that the authorities realized the chelate disease had quietly spread across Askia. The Askia government immediately activated its highest-level defense protocol and finally discovered that it had lost contact with the habitable zones. Therefore, they dispatched cavalry, hurrying at top speed toward the neighboring wasteland and habitable zones—both to report the danger here and to seek rescue.

"Meanwhile, the entirety of Askia—all five urban districts—was completely sealed off.

"Every household brought out their spare anti-epidemic sprays, misting people and furniture alike. This batch of sprays was left behind by AHgAs, who claimed that this pungent fragrance could, to a certain extent, induce revulsion in chelates."

"......Does it really work?" Hesta asked.

Liz shook her head. "Not really. The sense of smell of chelates is indeed extremely acute, but they have no particular aversion or preference for pleasant or foul scents—the true purpose of these sprays was to protect the undiscovered quicksilver needles among the populace.

"Do you remember the decoy traps I mentioned earlier? Upon direct encounter with chelates, most quicksilver needles undergo their primary awakening. Without cover, they are easily targeted by certain chelates due to their own unique scent, making them the earliest victims. That is why the quicksilver needles fabricated the excuse that 'the spray can induce revulsion in chelates,' prompting people to proactively take these interference measures at the very first sign of chelate disease.

"At that time, we followed the chelate disease response manual and did everything required. Initially, we hung white ribbons on our doors, indicating that no one in the household felt any symptoms of illness yet;

"After a few days, we switched to yellow ribbons, indicating that a family member was showing signs of lethargy and low spirits, possibly a suspected case of chelate disease;

"A half-month later, we replaced them with black ribbons, signifying that a member of our household had already shown signs of chela-formation on their arms."

Liz recounted her past with a calm expression, as though telling a story about a stranger.

During the final days in Askia, she and her family waited quietly for the rescue of the quicksilver needles.

However, little did they know at the time, all the horses and cavalry dispatched to report the news had been intercepted and killed by chelates on their southward journey—those infected individuals who had fled in panic before the city lockdown had already fallen ill and had been wandering the wilderness for a long time.

The entirety of Askia slowly died away in waiting. As more and more people fell ill, the city transformed into a horrifying hell. Chelates not only took pleasure in hunting civilians, but also engaged in exceptionally fierce and brutal fights among themselves.

Liz's family had moved into their own cellar early on. They could often hear faint, dull thudding sounds coming from the ground above—those were chelates roaming and sporting through the city.

Although the cellar was stocked with food and water, the erosion of the chelate disease was something they could not fend off.

The first person to experience limb mutation was the grandmother. She had consistently and calmly directed everyone in responding to this disaster. Upon realizing she might have been infected, she immediately isolated herself, but melancholy and despair had already descended upon the heads of everyone; no one could escape unscathed.

Grandmother told them that once someone was found to have developed chelae, they must not hesitate—either let that person end their own life, or have everyone work together to eliminate the threat. They must not simply sit and wait for death; they had to hold out until the very end.

As long as they endured long enough, until the quicksilver needles arrived, everything would be over.

Afterward, the grandmother used a sickle to slash her own carotid artery.

Following many tears, the father and older brother dragged the grandmother's corpse together to a storage room in the cellar, far away from the ventilation shaft.

The next person to develop chelae was Liz's mother. After a farewell she would never forget for the rest of her life, she followed in the footsteps of the grandmother.

Next, misfortune struck again... Amidst utter despair, Liz slipped away from the others and locked herself inside the storage room where her grandmother lay.

In that pitch-black underground chamber, she snuggled against her grandmother's rotting corpse and stayed there together for three more days.

When the door was finally opened, the corpses of everyone in the cellar had vanished—they had all been carried out to the surface and buried in a mass grave.

The entire Askia was now a dead city.

"Everything was just as my grandmother said," Liz said softly. "The quicksilver needles arrived, and it was all over."

Hesta reached out and gently pressed the back of Liz's ice-cold hand.

"When I first came to the base, I often had nightmares, but I don't anymore. Yet sometimes I also wonder, if that year, someone had continuously watched over that old couple and their children, if everyone could have spared a little more attention for the living, or if Askia had not cared about the death penalty ban in the Third District and instead insisted on our own laws... perhaps things wouldn't have reached that ultimate end."

Liz's clasped hands gradually tightened, her curved knuckles turning white.

"Perhaps... the entirety of Askia could have avoided that tragic and desolate outcome.

"After all, accidental infections had occurred in Askia before; everyone reported them early, arranged for patients to be treated in habitable zones, screened and isolated all close contacts... and they all pulled through."

The wind from the forest swept across their bodies, tangling their hair. The rustling sound of the sea of trees was like the surging waves of a real ocean.

Liz looked at Hesta. "Previously, Ms. Morley said I was overly fixated on punishment itself, and perhaps that's true to some extent. When handling these matters, I inevitably let my personal emotions get involved... That's why I feel I am unsuited to be this adjutant. Especially..."

Liz lowered her head and looked at her own hands. "I am afraid I might hurt you again, just like this time... I lost my sense of proportion."

"This is not your fault—"

"However, I don't want you to take extremes, and that's not the only reason either." Liz adjusted her breathing, trying her best to steady her voice once more, and said in a low tone, "Sean is a much more cunning opponent than anticipated. Going head-to-head with him directly right now is truly easy to disadvantage yourself. If necessary, after I step down from the position of 'adjutant,' I can also help you—"

Before Liz could finish, Hesta had already shaken her head.

"Have you ever heard a saying like this? 'True revenge requires not only punishing the offender, but also ensuring that the avenger remains unpunished afterward. If the avenger is punished themselves, it cannot be considered settling a score. If the avenger fails to let the evildoer know who is exacting vengeance, that likewise cannot be considered settling a score.'"

"......Who said that?"

"Edgar," Hesta sat on the bench, gently swinging her legs. "He wrote it in *A Cask of Montaya White Wine*."

Hearing the name Edgar, Liz smiled once more—she should have guessed it earlier.

"That being the case... you already have your own plan."

"Mmm." Hesta nodded. "It might not reach such an extreme degree, but it has to be done by my own hands."

"Then... I wish you success."

Hesta hesitated for a moment. "If in the future, you are no longer my adjutant... we can still be friends, right?"

Liz smiled softly.

"My grandmother used to say: giving, receiving, telling secrets, asking questions, and sharing a meal—these are the five proofs of friendship," Liz said. "We are already friends."

She reached her hand out to Hesta, and Hesta looked at her, clasping it firmly.