Durandal sharpened her focus, using her unique constitution to sense the shifting density of Honkai energy in the air. Her gaze snapped toward a specific room on the third floor of the inpatient department.
"Found her," she said softly.
"The Third Herrscher?"
Elysia's expression turned serious in an instant.
Durandal nodded slowly. "It's... a very familiar feeling."
After a moment's hesitation, she let the words slip.
It was time to start revealing some of her secrets to Elysia—and eventually to the rest of Schicksal.
She didn't necessarily have to explain her identity as a traveler from another timeline, but there was no longer a need to hide her uncanny familiarity with the Herrscher.
After all, she had once fought side-by-side with the Third Herrscher of fifty thousand years in the future.
During that battle, she had even seen the Seven Thunders of Retribution, the Divine Key crafted from that very Herrscher's core.
Because of that, Durandal knew she couldn't be mistaken.
"Familiar..."
Elysia turned the word over in her mind, whispering it softly.
She didn't press for more details. Instead, she offered a smile. "Since you're so sure, Durandal, shall we head over?"
"Yes."
As they stepped into Morita Hospital, a member of the medical staff approached them. The nurse had been at the scene of the human experimentation lab rescue and recognized both Durandal and Elysia immediately.
"What brings you two to Morita Hospital today?" the nurse asked, before a thought seemed to strike her. She lowered her voice tentatively. "Are you here to visit the victims?"
"We are. Could you lead us to them?"
Durandal nodded. Having the nurse guide them would make things much smoother.
"I can, but..." The nurse hesitated.
"Is there a problem?" Elysia asked, sensing the woman's doubt.
"No, no, it's just... they aren't doing very well. They still can't communicate normally with anyone. Anyway, follow me and you'll see for yourselves."
The nurse waved them forward and led the way. Along the corridors, Durandal and Elysia were greeted by several other staff members who recognized them.
They crossed the main lobby of the outpatient clinic, passed through a long gallery, and finally reached the inpatient wing.
The elevators were taking too long, so since their destination was only on the third floor, the three of them took the stairs.
"Only the victims in these last three rooms are still unable to be discharged," the nurse said, pointing toward Rooms 306, 307, and 308 at the end of the hall.
These were standard wards, each holding three patients. That meant nine people were still trapped here.
Durandal and Elysia didn't enter immediately, choosing instead to ask the nurse for more details outside the door.
The nurse sighed as she answered. "The reason they can't leave isn't just because their condition is poor. It's also because they have no family left."
"I heard this from the insurance department—their medical bills are being fully covered by the Nagazora City government. When they looked into it, they found that every single one of their family members was on the list of those who perished in the labs."
It was a grim, yet expected, realization.
After seeing the nurse off, Durandal and Elysia entered Room 306. The Third Herrscher wasn't in this specific room; they simply wanted to check on the welfare of the survivors first.
Inside, they saw hospital aides gently cranking up the headrests of the three beds.
The workers didn't look surprised to see visitors; the Nagazora government sent representatives to check on the patients frequently. The aides felt a deep pity for these poor souls and took extra care in their duties.
As the beds were adjusted, the aides began using damp towels to wipe down the victims' limbs.
Durandal could see that their state hadn't changed since the day she rescued them. They were like hollow shells whose souls had long since departed, their eyes staring at nothing. Her heart grew heavy.
She'd had a feeling recovery would be difficult, but she hadn't expected that after two months, there wouldn't be a single sign of improvement.
If only I had Fenghuang Down or the Core of Sentience, she thought. Could I wake their sealed consciousness then?
As she wondered when the Genius might grant her such a reward, she noticed something. The eyes of the three people in the beds suddenly flickered.
Durandal narrowed her eyes. She hadn't imagined it.
Elysia noticed it too. A thought occurred to her, and she gave Durandal a gentle nudge. "They seem to be reacting to you. Maybe they recognize their savior."
Elysia's words sparked an idea. Durandal wasn't exactly the best at this kind of thing, but if these people needed her...
She stepped forward, reading their names from the charts at the head of their beds.
One by one, she called out to them, greeting them softly. Although the three only stared at her without speaking, the mere act of focusing their gaze was a sign of a turning point.
This wasn't unique to Room 306. In Rooms 307 and 308, the other six victims—including the host of the Third Herrscher—showed the exact same reaction.
They truly were responding to the presence of the woman who had saved them.
Once Durandal confirmed that the host of the Third Herrscher was a high school girl named Miyuki, the Genius, which had been silent for some time, crackled to life.
[Static... Bzzzt...]
Durandal felt a wave of practiced indifference toward the device's daily reception issues.
[Detection: Savior has identified the Third Herrscher host ahead of schedule. Progress toward final success has advanced. Dispensing hidden reward: Please place your hand over the heart of the Third Herrscher host to complete the modification of the Herrscher Core.]
Durandal's mind went blank. Excuse me?
She understood the logic, sure.
But the device wanted her to... in front of Elysia... put her hand on another girl's chest?
She was starting to suspect the Genius was just messing with her. Even with her legendary density when it came to romance, she knew this was a massive misunderstanding waiting to happen.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 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.