Chapter 270: The Method
"Losing face isn't only your problem."
Tsuru's voice was calm, but it allowed no room for argument.
"I am also one of your teachers. If you act like this, what will others think of me? This concerns my reputation as well. Therefore, no matter who you are standing in front of, I will not allow you to do such a thing."
Axel nodded silently.
Then he calmly picked up his clothes and put them back on.
That was taken as tacit agreement.
"It was that simple?"
Zephyr looked at Tsuru, the corner of his mouth twitching.
In daily life, awkward problems like this had appeared more than once. Every time, Zephyr had needed a great deal of effort to resolve them.
He had not expected Tsuru to settle it with only a few words.
Should he say she truly lived up to her reputation?
After waiting for Axel to finish dressing, Tsuru asked, "Are you ready?"
Axel nodded calmly.
Searching through his memories, he knew that the moment Tsuru's wrinkled hand touched him, he would be turned into laundry and hung on a clothesline.
In his memories, he had always resisted strongly whenever this happened, looking no different from livestock being dragged to slaughter.
The only difference was that livestock acted that way because their lives were in danger.
As for him, perhaps he had done it intentionally.
Or perhaps he simply disliked the feeling.
But now, he did not know what dislike was.
Nor did he understand the meaning of life.
So there was no need to avoid it.
The moment Tsuru's wrinkled hand touched Axel, it was like a magician's trick that no one could see through.
The solid person from a moment ago instantly became thin clothing, then was hung on the clothesline.
"How do you feel?" Tsuru asked.
"Nothing," Axel replied coldly.
Even though he was now only a thin piece of clothing, his voice remained unchanged.
"Then let's make an agreement."
Tsuru looked at him.
"You will stay here for one hour. After that, I will come find you."
Then her gaze swept toward the female Marines.
"And all of you, go inside."
"No one is allowed to speak to Axel without my permission."
Under Tsuru's command, the female Marines did not hesitate. They immediately organized themselves into several teams.
Aside from the few who remained on lookout, the rest marched back inside in an orderly manner.
They only thought Axel had somehow offended Vice Admiral Tsuru again.
Such things had happened many times before, and they were long used to it.
It was just that the Axel who came this time seemed a little strange.
The old Axel had never been this easy to coax.
Or rather, he had never been this pure.
He had started taking off his clothes after only a little persuasion.
In the past, he had been incredibly shy about this sort of thing.
However, in their eyes, this did not seem like a bad change.
Watching the female Marines leave, Zephyr asked, "How is the situation?"
"We'll know in an hour."
"What does that mean?" Zephyr asked.
Tsuru did not answer his question, nor did she offer any further explanation.
She simply turned around and went back inside.
If Zephyr wanted the answer, he would have to wait an hour.
This answer clearly did not satisfy him.
But even if he was dissatisfied, he could only accept it.
Zephyr first glanced in the direction Tsuru had gone.
Then he peeked at Axel hanging on the clothesline.
Finally, he followed her inside.
An hour later.
During that time, Tsuru had not answered any of Zephyr's questions.
Zephyr's patience had long since worn thin.
As soon as the hour was up, he hurriedly asked, "The hour is up. What's the result?"
Tsuru finally stopped working, looked at Zephyr, and replied, "Wait longer."
"But didn't you say one hour?"
"Then wait another hour."
Tsuru's tone did not change.
"He is a good boy. We both want to heal his heart, so you just need to wait patiently."
That sentence silenced Zephyr.
He wanted to speak, but could not.
Tsuru was cold on the outside and warm on the inside. Zephyr knew this very well.
He could also feel that Tsuru loved her student just as much as he did.
At the same time, the other reason he held his tongue was naturally Tsuru's hardline style.
Once she made up her mind, very few people could change it.
Another hour passed.
Zephyr had kept his eyes fixed on the pendulum clock on the wall.
However, this time, before the hour was even up, Tsuru spoke first.
"Let's go. It's about time."
Zephyr glanced at Tsuru and followed her.
He muttered inwardly that the time had not even arrived yet.
She really was quite capricious.
They returned to the deck.
"How about it?"
Tsuru looked at Axel hanging on the clothesline.
"Do you feel anything this time?"
"No," Axel said.
Tsuru frowned slightly.
She took Axel down from the clothesline and restored him to his original form.
"It seems my ability is ineffective on him."
After saying that, Tsuru walked to the side.
Zephyr was somewhat confused.
He did not understand how she had suddenly reached that conclusion.
"These two hours were not spent waiting for nothing."
Tsuru glanced at him and explained, "No matter what kind of person it is, after someone breaks an appointment, even if they seem not to care on the surface, negative emotions will naturally arise in their heart."
"My ability can wash away those negative emotions."
"But the test proved that he had no feeling at all."
"In other words, he did not generate any negative emotions."
Tsuru looked at Axel.
"This confirms his claim that he has no emotions."
"But on the other hand, it also means my ability cannot take effect."
Only then did Zephyr understand the purpose behind the wait.
But along with that understanding came even greater confusion.
He did not suspect Axel of lying.
The current Axel had no reason to lie.
That meant even Tsuru had no way.
How was he supposed to return Axel to normal?
Tsuru continued, "Right now, the feeling he gives off is similar to that of a newborn child."
Zephyr countered, "But even a newborn child knows how to cry to express what it wants."
He looked at Axel.
"He won't even do that."
"I once beat him while he was in this state. He feels pain. He gets hurt. He bleeds."
"But he won't cry, and he won't express his emotions."
"He just endures everything coldly, like a puppet."
Zephyr's voice became low.
"A puppet with blood flowing through its body."
"Comparing him to a newborn child only refers to his behaviour," Tsuru said.
"His actions are driven by purpose."
"Just as I pointed out during the test, his body had already taken action. That proves he is not without emotion."
"His emotions are simply the most primal commands of the brain, much like how a baby cries when hungry."
Zephyr seemed to see hope.
A door leading to a New World.
He asked impatiently, "Then what do you mean?"
"What I mean is, why can't we cultivate them?"
Tsuru said calmly, "Letting him open the locked gates of his own emotions might be the best method."
"Then how do we cultivate them?"
Zephyr hesitated.
"Like raising a child?"
A trace of sadness suddenly appeared in his eyes.
His voice became slightly heavy.
"Although I once had a family, I have no experience raising a child..."
Zephyr did not say the words that followed.
But Tsuru could hear them.
He would never have that chance again.
His family had already passed away.
In that instant, even Tsuru, who usually maintained a cold expression, almost could not resist the urge to comfort him.
But in the end, she gave up on that plan.
.....
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