Shido held Chinatsu, who was still "unconscious" with tear tracks lingering at the corner of her eyes, his heart tangled in complex emotions.
He was worried about Chinatsu's condition, and was also unsettled by the "sleep talk" she had just uttered, completely failing to notice the barely perceptible upturn of the corner of the "unconscious" girl's mouth in his arms.
Just then, a shadow stirred, and Kurumi's figure silently reappeared in the workshop like a phantom.
She immediately spotted Shido, who was holding Chinatsu, his face a mixture of entanglement and worry, and a hint of amusement flashed in her golden eyes.
She elegantly tapped her chin with her fingertip, a "I understand" smile appearing on her face, tinged with teasing.
She spoke in her unique, saccharine yet mischievous tone:
"Ara ara~ Young man, it seems your progress is swift, isn't it?" She deliberately drew out the end of her sentence.
"Although~ the setup where one accidentally learns the dark truth of the world, happens to meet a mysterious girl closely linked to this truth and possessing strange powers—"
"—and relies on her during times of danger, finally falling helplessly in love... it certainly sounds like it has that charmingly naive and moving dramatic flair~"
She tilted her head, as if enjoying an interesting stage play.
"However," she changed the subject, her tone carrying a hint of mockery.
"Even if it's a script dictated by fate, shouldn't you consider the heroine's personal wishes and current state? Hugging someone tightly while they are unconscious might be seen as taking advantage of them, young man~"
"No, no, no! It's not like that! You've misunderstood!"
Shido's face instantly flushed red, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
He frantically tried to explain, but his movements were restricted by holding Chinatsu, causing cold sweat to break out from embarrassment.
"I, I just saw Chinatsu-san... she looked like she was in a lot of pain and said some very strange things.
I was worried something might happen to her, so I..."
He stammered, quickly recounting how Chinatsu had suddenly "sleep talked," cried, and the unfamiliar, painful look in her eyes after she woke up.
Along with his own conjecture that "the Welt inheritance might contain memories and even emotions," he spilled everything out in one go, attempting to prove the "purity" of his actions.
After listening to Shido's description, the teasing smile on Kurumi's face slightly subsided, replaced by a thoughtful expression.
She walked closer and carefully examined the "unconscious" Chinatsu in Shido's arms, especially the lingering tear tracks and her slightly furrowed brows.
"Hmm..." She gently twirled a strand of black hair around her fingertip.
"According to Mr. Welt Yang, the first generation's 'Herrscher of Reason', Welt Joyce, did indeed copy and carry the 'thoughts' of the entire city's residents into his Spirit Core at the very end."
Her gaze deepened, as if recalling knowledge related to "consciousness" and "time."
"In that case, it is not impossible for Welt Yang, as the successor, to have copied his life's experiences, knowledge, and even... thought patterns into the Core, leaving them for the next inheritor."
She looked at Shido and confirmed his conjecture, "Your speculation is quite reasonable."
She paused, then presented two possibilities, her tone calm like an academic discussion, which made the eavesdropping Chinatsu internally exclaim that she was an expert:
"The key is, what form does this 'inheritance of thought' take? Is it like creating an 'Artificial Intelligence AI' capable of independent thought and possessing an individual personality, accompanying the inheritor deep within their consciousness to guide or even... interfere?"
"Or is it merely the categorization of all memories, knowledge, and emotional experiences, like compiling the minutiae of a person's life into heavy books, which are then stored in a 'library' formed by the Spirit Core, available for the later inheritor to consult and comprehend at will, but without the ability to actively intervene?"
Kurumi's analysis was clear and logical, instantly stripping away the core of the problem and making Shido even more aware of the complicated situation Chinatsu might be facing.
— She might be facing not just immense power, but potentially one or countless weighty "lives" belonging to others.
(Miss Kurumi, you truly are my best supporter! This analysis, this gravitas! It instantly elevated the temporary setting I made up to a higher level!)
Chinatsu gave Kurumi a thumbs-up internally.
(Exactly, exactly! It has to be this kind of grand possibility! The more complicated it is, the more difficult my situation seems, and the more it will ignite the protective instincts and curiosity of Shido, this little idiot!)
As for Shido, listening to Kurumi's calm analysis, looking at the "fragile" Chinatsu in his arms, and imagining her possibly struggling with an ancient soul deep within her consciousness, or being forced to browse the tragic and painful river of others' memories... his heart clenched even tighter, and the arm holding Chinatsu unconsciously tightened slightly.
(Chinatsu-san... you must pull through...)
He had no idea that the girl in his arms, who was supposedly "struggling with an ancient soul," was currently overjoyed internally.
And she secretly decided that the next time she "woke up," her acting would have to be even more refined, ensuring the image of this "girl burdened with sorrow and secrets" was deeply ingrained, causing this innocent young man to fall deeper and deeper down the path of "rescue" and "investigation."
Kurumi took in Shido's unconcealed worry and tension, and a meaningful curve reappeared at the corner of her mouth, but she refrained from teasing him further.
Some seeds, once planted, will naturally take root and sprout.
And she was content to be a quiet observer, occasionally... watering them.
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