"Well, if it isn't Mobius?"
Elysia looked up, her eyes meeting the snake-like gaze. "What brings you to me today? Could it be... you missed me?"
"Who'd miss you! I'm asking what you're doing right now!"
"Hmm... as you can see?"
Elysia lifted Lynelle's small hand gently. "I'm helping Lynelle treat her wounds?"
"Since when is this how you treat wounds?"
The snake let out a cold laugh. "If Su saw this, he might just drop dead on the spot."
"Oh, come on, Su would never. But Mobius..."
A flicker of curiosity appeared in Elysia's eyes. "You seem quite concerned about Lynelle. Did something happen?"
"Who's concerned about her! I, I just..."
Mobius was momentarily tongue-tied. She suddenly realized—from Elysia and Lynelle's perspective, she shouldn't even know Lynelle existed, right?
Ahem. "I just happened to notice there were two of you in the Elysian Realm, so I came to check it out."
"Eh? So it's not because you're concerned about Lynelle, but because you're concerned about me?"
Elysia covered her face with her hands. "To think Mobius would be so direct for once, how unexpected! Miss Pink Elf was completely caught off guard~"
"?"
Mobius gritted her teeth in frustration. When it came to Elysia, she was completely at the other's mercy—though she'd never admit it, of course.
"Who cares about you, Elysia! The only one I care about is this little pink mouse. Such a precious experimental specimen, isn't it a waste to leave her with you? She'd be better off coming with me. I could properly study what her deal is."
"See, Lynelle?"
Elysia gently pinched Lynelle's cheek. "This is what I was just telling you about—the green wriggly snake in the Elysian Realm that eats children!"
"But..."
Lynelle blinked. Though she didn't know why this snake lady seemed to recognize her, years of Galgame experience told her that when entering a new environment, one should aggressively grind favorability points.
"I think Dr. Mobius seems pretty normal... At least, based on the information from my Stigmata, she shouldn't be a bad person."
"?"
"St-Stigmata?"
It was the umpteenth time today that the snake found herself short-circuiting.
What did she mean, 'information from her Stigmata'?
Are you telling me this girl, who looks like Elysia, has Herrscher of Corruption powers, mysteriously appeared out in the world, and carries a Stigmata?
Well, isn't that convenient? And just who is the only person in the world now who fully understands the Stigmata mechanism, the one who originally devised the Stigmata Plan alongside Mei?
"See? Actually, there are no bad people in the Elysian Realm~"
Completely unaware of the mental storm raging inside Mobius, Elysia smiled and rubbed Lynelle's little face. "Dr. Mobius might seem a bit 'ferocious,' but she's actually a very gentle person."
"Look, Dr. Mobius isn't even denying it, is she?"
"Tsk... I can't be bothered with you."
The snake forced herself to calm down, then looked at Lynelle with a somewhat serious expression.
"Little pink mouse, I believe I just heard some rather interesting terms... Call it the price for your intrusion into the Elysian Realm. How about you answer a few questions for me?"
"A-Another Q&A game?"
Lynelle looked somewhat helplessly at Elysia.
"Don't worry, just explain things normally."
Elysia smiled cheerfully, giving Mobius an assist. "I'm still right here~"
Lynelle then looked back at Mobius.
"Hmph. I suggest you not stick so close to Elysia. That woman... is nothing but a traitor."
Noting how Lynelle had just looked to Elysia for help, the snake let out a soft snort before getting to the main point.
"You said earlier you have a Stigmata? Can you show it to me?"
Mobius didn't bother asking pointless questions like how she obtained the Stigmata, opting instead to examine it directly.
"Here... it's this."
Lynelle extended her hand. On the back of her hand, a pattern identical to Elysia's Ego Signet materialized according to Lynelle's will.
"...?"
The snake's eyes widened abruptly, her pupils visibly shaking.
"W-What is it? Is there... something wrong with my Stigmata?"
Lynelle asked, feeling a bit guilty.
After all, according to 'Customer Service Kiana-chan,' her Stigmata was entirely granted by Kiana-chan and Elysia with the system's help.
It was completely different from the genuine natural Stigmata of people like Seele or Bronya. For Lynelle, Elysia's Stigmata basically just functioned as a Herrscher power amplifier.
Mobius said nothing.
Because she was currently speechless.
She had already thoroughly researched the evolved Stigmata of the current era through the World Serpent cadres who came for trials; they basically hadn't deviated from the Stigmata Plan.
And while the Stigmata on Lynelle's hand did have some deviations from the original form, and clearly showed traces of modification by the power of Origin...
This Stigmata... seemed to really be her own handiwork. At the very least, this particular modification should have been proposed by "Mobius."
The snake felt she was losing control of her expression.
How she wished she could open her eyes and find everything that just happened was just a dream.
"...Second question."
Clutching at one last shred of hope, the snake asked her next question.
"How did the Herrscher of Corruption core inside your body come to be?"
"That's a bit complicated... I'm afraid you might not believe me if I told you."
Lynelle's expression turned awkward.
"During the Second Eruption of the current era, my relationship with the Second Herrscher, Sirin, was rather... close. And because I wasn't very careful back then, even though I had the ability to resurrect, I still died several times."
"So, to prevent me from being killed again, when Sirin went to the moon to seek help from the Will of Honkai sealed there, she specifically asked how she could keep me alive."
"And then, the Will of Honkai directly gave her a fully sealed Corruption core..."
Alright, no need to ask any further.
Mobius felt her vision go dark.
That Corruption core was given by Prometheus. And under whose plan was Prometheus implanted into the Will of Honkai?
Especially since Lynelle mentioned having a resurrection ability.
Just whose child is this? It's really hard to guess.
Now, forget anyone else; Mobius herself didn't believe this had nothing to do with her.
"Wait a minute..."
Elysia, who had been listening quietly, suddenly sharpened her gaze.
"Resurrection? Died several times?"
Immediately after, Mobius, also processing the information, turned a stern gaze toward Lynelle.
"?"
Lynelle instantly felt cold sweat trickling down her back.
Huh? Weren't you two just sniping at each other? Why the sudden focus fire on me?
"Lynelle~"
Elysia 'gently' took hold of Lynelle's hand.
"Could you tell me in detail about the story of the Second Eruption?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.