Chapter 304: with translation of chapter title

""This lady, tell me—'what did you do the last time you saw that doll?'"

""…Running errands for Heita? » Xing struggled to recall."

""Don't play dumb, think carefully." Laatio looked at her seriously."

Xing struggled to recall, she vaguely remembered that before helping Ruanmei with a few systems, Heita had indeed sought her out.

She had lost an important oddity, and asked Xing to help look for it. Xing couldn't recall the specific name; the only thing she remembered was that Heita had emphasized the oddity's feature: no physical form, yet possessing life. If she wanted to find someone to help, Xing could turn to Aisiduo.

Through Aisiduo, Xing launched a series of inquiries and investigations, eventually piecing together a vague memory from fragmented recollections.

Since the space station came under attack, many people have developed a crisis of trust in its security system; unfortunately, bad luck struck again, as the space station has recently seen another series of secret staff disappearances—four in total.

From Alan and Adler we learned: around the time of the disappearances, the space station's automatic fire‑suppression system showed brief activation records; that oddity seems somewhat like the Sun of the Divine Vessel, and each victim was accompanied by an inexplicable spontaneous combustion.

After recounting this to Laatio, he thought for a moment and then countered: 'So, among the things you just said, is there anyone who can confirm this?'

Luosi Gugumu suggested they could seek confirmation from Heita, but Laatio merely shook his head calmly: 'Well, if you start running now, you might catch the company's shuttle ship after four systems—but for now, there's no third party who can vouch for her.'

Luosi Gugumu: 'Mr. Laatio, your questioning always carries a presumptuous tendency.'

"Sorry, this is my bad habit. People engaged in academic research always find it hard to believe something; on the contrary, doubting it comes much easier."

——

Crimson Red Eye.

Imperial capital, Hunter Unit.

Wil stared at the scene on the skyscreen where Xing was being pressed step by step by Professor Laatio, his brows knitting tighter and tighter. He slapped his thigh hard, indignant: 'What's the deal with that plaster‑head professor? Clearly Xing was the one accidentally dragged in, yet she's being interrogated as a criminal.'

"This man's way of speaking… also makes it hard to breathe."

The black‑pupiled figure narrowed his eyes slightly, fingers unconsciously rubbing the hilt of the eight‑direction sword, as if recalling a similar oppressive feeling—back when General Aisides interrogated those revolutionary troops, the atmosphere was exactly this cold and suffocating.

But Aisides achieved this through killing intent and brutal means, whereas Mr. Laatio accomplishes it merely by questioning—like a predatory species that closes in step by step, a careless answer and he'll swallow you whole.

"And Miss Aisiduo… why is she just standing there watching? She ought to know the truth too! » Wil grew angrier the more he thought about it.

Lan clasped his hands, thoughtfully recalling the memory‑bubble fragments on the skyscreen, and let out a soft sigh: 'Wil, Miss Aisiduo isn't unwilling to help—she simply can't.'

"Huh? Why? » Wil turned his head toward him, puzzled.

"Do you still remember, in Xing's recollection, when Miss Aisiduo mentioned to Xing the space station's disappearance incident… her expression? » Lan asked.

As the space station's commander, she ought to be responsible for the safety of all staff—but before that, the antimatter legion had attacked the station; after painstaking months of reconstruction, another clueless disappearance case arose, and the growing mistrust within the station… her anxiety and unease are practically written on her face.

"But isn't it fine to just speak openly about such things?"

Lan shook his head with a smile: 'Of course not—if even the station commander shows unease, that would prove the station truly has a safety problem she can't control.'

""…The reason it's a trust crisis is because, as station commander, she must make the staff believe they are protected by the Defense Department. If that trust ever cracks—even if the fissure stems merely from a fleeting hint of panic she inadvertently shows—it will lead to collapse. »

Lan's voice was calm and steady, carrying the patience he once had as a teacher: «Take General Aisides as an example… even if she shows a stern expression on the battlefield, we subordinates, even without experiencing combat, can roughly guess the situation is unfavorable; and what about those soldiers below? … in the camp only rumors keep sprouting, eventually leading to mutiny and desertion. »

"For Luosi Gugumu and Xing, Miss Aisiduo places great trust. But Mr. Laatio is the biggest variable—until she knows him well enough, she certainly won't speak."

——

Luosi Gugumu looked at Aisiduo, who understood and gave a slight nod.

"If she is truly innocent, let her answer clear herself of suspicion. » Laatio looked down at Xing from above and questioned: 'According to your statement, your meeting with Heita was due to a named commission, yet the commission's content is an oddity whose name you don't even know.'

"Heita's collection is as numerous as the stars; it's hard to imagine she would treasure a mundane oddity so dearly."

"Xing: «That's right, but the premise is an «ordinary» oddity. »"

Laatio frowned slightly: «Why not speak plainly? »

"The oddity isn't the point; it's merely because it's related to the Genius Club that Heita places special importance on it."

Beside him, Luosi Gugumu added: «That oddity must be the creation of some genius. Logic: it carries extraordinary significance. »

Laatio accepted that reason, but immediately he turned to Xing's appeal to Aisiduo for help; on this point Aisiduo chose silence. Laatio also keenly noticed this, wondering whether Xing was lying or Aisiduo was concealing something.

"Mr. Laatio, this is because…"

"Aisiduo was hurriedly trying to explain something, but Laatio ruthlessly cut her off, glancing toward the pink‑haired girl beside him: 'I'm questioning her, Miss Aisiduo. From the moment you showed an ambiguous attitude, your testimony is no longer credible.'"

——

Teyvat.

Inside the Mermonia Palace, Neuvilette stood calmly gazing at the scene on the skyscreen, his hands clasped before the window, feeling the oppressive weight of Professor Laatio's every word—as the highest judge of Fontaine, the embodiment of Fontaine's "justice," interrogating others has always been his prerogative, yet he had never before observed, as a spectator, an interrogation of such immense pressure.

""…This feeling struck him as quite novel. »"