CH 52.1

“Try to Kill Me”

Even after Mentor and Magician have left, Lin Yi is still unsure of what he just heard in the conversation; he has guesses, but is not certain.

Jiang Yiyi has resumed reading on the sofa. He looks so relaxed that one cannot help but be casual as well——Even though Lin Yi has just heard a conversation with an absurd amount of information and even witnessed their reaching an unspoken consensus.

“Doctor?” Lin Yi, after some hesitation, decides it is better to avoid risking making wrong moves due to misunderstanding the previous conversation, asking Jiang Yiyi to help confirm the hidden agreements behind the words spoken.

Jiang Yiyi looks up at a Lin Yi, and, after scrutinising his expression, shuts his book once again, “what do you want to ask?”

“Mentor… He’s…?”

The end of that conversation consisted of extremely implicative messages. Removing all the unnecessary packing material leaves behind one clear message – insinuating that Mentor’s true identity had to do with Stargaol.

“If my guess is correct,” Jiang Yiyi produces the blade Mentor returned to him, observing it. The blade has no temperature, and is sharp enough to deter most people from approaching.

It is not just anyone who can take it from Jiang Yiyi’s hand, and not just anyone who is a special NPC.

In fact, Jiang Yiyi has only seen five special NPCs with distinctively memorable appearance – Lin Yi, Lunatic, Lion, Jian Si, and Mentor.

The only person he did not interact with, due to his deal with Ye Wang, was Lion. The rest are, as expected of special NPCs, feature either complicated backgrounds, or are simply shrouded in mystery, beyond any possible investigation.

Of the four remaining, Mentor clearly stands out from among the rest——The only NPC to have equalled Jiang Yiyi in demeanour and performance.

“He is indispensable to Stargaol.” Jiang Yiyi tells Lin Yi with a smile, “if he was once your teacher, then I have to say, you are truly fortunate.”

Someone indispensable to Stargaol?

Lin Yi runs through people who may be ‘indispensable’ to Stargaol, but before he arrives at an answer, Jiang Yiyi’s smile snaps a spark into his mind.

Magician’s odd behaviour, Stargaol’s absurd efficiency both link up in his mind, pointing him to an unthinkable conclusion.

“You mean, Mentor is…” This is such a preposterous conclusion that Lin Yi is clearly in disbelief when he says it, “the Warden?”

The ruler of the Han Federation Stargaol. The only legendary figure of the five commanders of the Federation. The Warden who has revealed no information of himself to the public?

While mysterious and largely unknown publicly, but being one of the five commanders, the Warden has more authority than people can even imagine——A commander has their own army, and in times of crises, are allowed to mobilise Starfleet unilaterally. They have the power to veto Parliament, and if three or more commanders issue a No Confidence Declaration against the current Parliament, they are immediately dissolved and a special election is triggered to form a new one.

Put simply, the five commanders are supremely important, standing at the top of the pyramid of hierarchy of the Federation.

Lin Yi is unable to really connect Mentor, who has taught him a great amount with a loving attitude, with an existence at the top of the power structure——No matter how he thinks about it, the dark and damp Stargaol is completely different from the gentle, understanding and rational Mentor, no?

“Assuming my guess is correct, and that there is only one person on whom Stargaol’s existence hinges.” Jiang Yiyi says without surprise or shock, “then he must be that legendary Warden.”

Unthinkable as it is, if Jiang Yiyi is the one speaking, then it must be correct.

Lin Yi accepts Mentor’s new identity without question, and thus, the conversation earlier unravels itself immediately, “then Doctor and Mentor both reached a consensus?” He deliberates, then asks, “on looking for the perpetrator responsible for this situation?”

“Perpetrator…” Jiang Yiyi whispers, bemused.

Lin Yi’s eyes were looking at nowhere in particular, then moves over to Jiang Yiyi when he chuckles.

“That is inconsequential to the discussion.” Jiang Yiyi explains quite casually, “it was only the bait with which he used to test the waters.”

“Test? What was he testing for?” Lin Yi mumbles, then realises, “testing if Doctor was actually working for anyone or not?”

“When listening to a conversation,” Jiang Yiyi glances at Lin Yi, offering some advice for free, “first, and definitely foremost, ensure that you do not believe everything wholesale.”

“Second, do not simply follow where anyone wants to take you via their words.”

“Third, even if everything that has been said was a lie, the answer lies beyond those lies. You must consider the motivation for them to lie in the first place.”

Lin Yi is in shock that he is receiving such fundamental lessons in analysis, “Doctor, I do at least know the basics…”

“The questions you have posed thus far makes me highly doubtful of that.” Jiang Yiyi pauses for a few seconds, before suddenly changing topics, “what was that look you had just now?”

Lin Yi is stupefied for a second, “what?”

“The way you looked at me.” Jiang Yiyi is staring at him, his eyes sweep all across Lin Yi, making the object of his gaze feel quite like he is being dissected——From flesh to soul. His very being is under inescapable scrutiny.

Jiang Yiyi, seeing the feedback through the Emotions Chart, is doubting its authenticity for the first time, “Fascination?”

Like something hidden was suddenly brought into broad daylight and exposed, Lin Yi is flabbergasted for once——An emotion quite distant to him, last felt somewhere around his much more prideful, arrogant days before he abandoned his real name.

Jiang Yiyi watches an ‘Embarrassment’ slowly emerge from the Emotions Chart, and furrows his brow, pondering if there is something more to this.

“You fell in love with me?”

“Cough——” Lin Yi’s cough is quite dramatic, and, too afraid Doctor will settle on that explanation before he can explain, struggles to explain while coughing, “def-cough cough cough-finitely not!”

He first staunchly defends his own innocence, then recovers his breath, “it is just…” Lin Yi has never thought that there would come a day when he has to explain this to Doctor——What sort of complete disregard for their own life would one need to possess to be able to conjure up such a delusion towards Doctor?

Yes, Doctor’s appearance is exceptional, but anyone who approaches the slightest will not only immediately retract their previous thoughts, but also firmly place Doctor in the list of people to never fall in love with.

Would you fall in love with an abyss? Would you fall in love with death? Would you fall in love with fear?

Well, strictly speaking, Doctor is not an abyss, death, nor fear. He is simply something that stands in parallel with those concepts.

What no mortals approach. For even a stay by his side will be fleeting, requiring an iron will to move past life and death, move past their self-preservation.

“Simply…” Lin Yi gives Doctor’s unchanging poker face a quick glance, “that, being as superficial as I am, I do find myself enchanted by Doctor’s appearance every so often.”

Enchanted… by his appearance?

What an odd word to use.

Jiang Yiyi stands up and walks into the bathroom, stopping in front of the mirror.

He looks at the person reflected. Just as he remembered, unremarkable and dull.

Lin Yi glances towards Jiang Yiyi, then gives him his most honest praise, “you stand out distinctly from Jian Si, who is nowhere near your equal in demeanour.”

The more fragile herbivores are in a different class to powerful predators. People will sometimes feel empathetic towards herbivores, but everyone can appreciate and praise predators and their strength.

Jian Si is nowhere near his equal?

Jiang Yiyi begins suspecting he has not only lost his memory, but has been distorted in his sense of appreciation for beauty.

“Words are too powerless to describe Doctor.” Lin Yi is expressing his emotions genuinely.