Chapter 369 There Is No Past

In a corner of the shopping street, in a jewelry store that has been rarely visited by customers since its opening, two idle empire leaders and a dull girl named Sylvia are leisurely enjoying their coffee time after finishing work in the afternoon. .

The girl in front of me has long silver-white hair, always wears a harmless smile, and her mind is always half a beat slower than the real world. Her name is Sylvia Lustan O'Shalier, an image that sounds similar to hers. The completely incompatible aristocratic name makes people wonder if this is a princess from a certain country who lives in the palace and has no knowledge of the world and has come to experience life among the people. Of course, this is impossible. She is just a girl who needs to learn how to rent a store. Under the welfare protection of Garden City, the manager and the only clerk of a small jewelry store that has not had a few customers since its opening. His business ability and poverty level are as low as those of other imperial officers who run a flower shop but need it. The twin sisters take turns helping each other.

To be honest, although it's a bit rude, but with her laid-back temperament and off-line brain that is almost independent of the real space, she can survive until now without starving to death. I should say that Academy City's welfare system makes people feel energetic. Shocked?

"Normally there are no guests here -" Sylvia slowly sipped the coffee in her hand and narrowed her eyes, "so it will be very quiet now -"

"Uh...really..."

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead, and I agreed awkwardly. It is a very magical creature to be able to face the current situation of bleak business so calmly.

It is already a miracle that she can open the jewelry store like this.

"Ah - speaking of which, are you students here too?" Sylvia blew into the cup gently, then raised her head curiously, "It doesn't seem like it."

"Oh, we work in a certain research institute," Lin Xue nodded, half-seriously, and asked strangely, "By the way, you must be a foreigner, right? Sylvia or something, this Your name sounds British, but your face looks very Oriental, are you of mixed race?"

Sylvia shook her head slightly: "No, I don't know where I was born. It seems that I was an orphan adopted by Academy City a long time ago..."

The silver-haired woman spoke calmly, as if time could never act on her. Lin Xue and I immediately changed into a more comfortable sitting position: "To listen to Sylvia speak, you have to have a living mentality." You won't be exhausted.

"I have been living here since a long time ago~~ I grew up in an orphanage, and it seems that I was adopted by a couple of researchers~~ But to be honest, I don't remember much about that... ...Because those memories have disappeared... It seems that I have had a tumor in my brain since I was very young. Although it is not fatal, it makes it difficult for me to remember things and concentrate... It’s just frequent amnesia... and it took a long time to learn how to speak. Even if I learned it, I was still as clumsy as now. Although my parents are researchers, the tumor is very special, and even the equipment of the research institute cannot do anything about it. Then ...After my parents passed away, because they made great contributions to Academy City, I was taken care of by the council... You see, I am very clumsy. It is difficult for me to live alone. Although now I’m trying to open a small shop, but it seems like I’m going to fail... By the way, do you want another drink?”

Sylvia said this with a peaceful smile, then stood up and took the coffee cup in front of me without waiting for a reply, but I was already used to her behavior.

"Then what? Is the tumor still there?"

Lin Xue asked with some concern, and I also pricked up my ears. If it was like Sylvia said, her frequent amnesia even reached the point where she didn’t even know where she lived yesterday, then she was completely It’s just a disabled person who can’t live independently! Although she has the care of the Academy City leadership, it is not easy for this girl to survive until now...

If it were a BT-level "life support chamber", it would definitely not be a problem to treat Sylvia's brain tumor.

But it seems that our concern is unnecessary. Sylvia smiled calmly and shook her head slowly: "There is no need to worry anymore... The science and technology in Academy City is developing very fast... A few months ago, because of my parents, The research institute that has been taking care of me funded the treatment and allowed me to receive treatment, so the tumor and other things are gone... Although I still have no memory of the past time, I can only rely on those diaries and photos. I guess it’s very disappointing, but things will gradually get better in the future…”

Really, so now you just habitually speak slowly—slowly, right?

I was drowsy because I was listening to this slow girl talking, but I still had the energy to complain. Sure enough, was it because the virus had invaded my brain cells?

Everyone has a story. After listening to this ordinary and a bit clumsy girl talking about her past, I suddenly came to this realization, and then - it was getting late.

"It's already this time. If I don't go back, my family will be worried."

Lin Xue glanced at the setting sun outside, drank the coffee in the cup and stood up.

"Thank you for your hospitality. We will come here often when we have the opportunity."

Why has this girl never been so polite to me?

"Well, then goodbye -" Sylvia stood at the door of the store, smiling warmly at us, "I must come if you have the chance -"

"What a very interesting girl."

While waiting for the tram, Lin Xue suddenly sighed in a low voice, her slightly narrowed eyes reflecting the bright afterglow of the distant sunset.

"Although there is deep darkness, there seems to be a warm place in Academy City." I nodded, feeling inexplicably happy, "It's just that if I talk to that girl for a long time, it seems that I will soon... Then I fell into a slow and weird state, and now when I speak, I have to scroll through the screen in my mind for a long time before the words come out."

Although saying this, there seems to be a quite peaceful atmosphere around Sylvia, as if it is the last piece of pure land with leisurely afternoon sunshine in this increasingly tense city, although it is only the second Meeting for the first time can make people feel as relaxed as chatting with old friends after dinner. It is rare to see such people nowadays. It is precisely because of this that after just a short while together, Lin Xue and I and Xi Sylvia has become a friend.

"There are no people in the past..."

Lin Xue suddenly sat on the railing behind him, leaned his whole body back hard, stretched his muscles and bones with a balance mastery of difficulty coefficient 9.9, and lamented Sylvia's past time of constant amnesia.

"And, wood, you know?"

Lin Xue opened her eyes, raised her right hand with the bracelet, and held it tightly against the setting sun.

"She has no future either..."

After a few seconds, I finally reacted.

"What?! Girl, you said she has no future?"

Lord Prophet waved his hand in this direction, with a look of contempt on his face: "The response is really slow, and the voice is quite loud."

"Ahem...you damn girl...you said you can't see Sylvia's future?"

"It's not that I can't see it," Lin Xue shook her head while continuing to study the bracelet on her hand, "For me, even in the invisible future, there should be chaos, but in that Sylvia What I saw on my body was a blank, nothing, not even chaos."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Is there any difference between saying it earlier and saying it now?" Lin Xue curled her lips, "Is it possible to arrest him now and slice him up for study?"

"That's true," I nodded. There are too many strange people and strange things in this world. Although it is difficult to understand the existence of an existence that Lin Xue cannot see through, but...eh? Speaking of a human being that even Lin Xue can't see through, could she be the angel that the Cross Church is looking for?

But as soon as this idea came up, I rejected it myself - it seems that I have been a little nervous due to the hide-and-seek angel these days. Although that girl is a bit special, my energy sensing ability It is still impossible to go on a business trip. Sylvia does not have even a trace of abnormal energy fluctuations on her body. She is completely an ordinary human being. And creatures of the "angel" level, even if they disguise themselves as humans, cannot live without it. The energy fluctuates, which even I, who dares to call myself a master of the energy system, cannot do.

"He's a mysterious person again," I let out a long breath, "There are so many unknown things in this world."

"What's wrong, Mu Mu, suddenly the philosopher wakes up? Has he been transported through time?"

You don't allow me to sigh about life, right? After all, the person in front of you is the head of the empire. Does the head of state understand? Three levels higher than you, the dog-headed military advisor who eats and eats, you bastard!

I just protested in my heart, and the tram I had been waiting for for a long time finally arrived.

Due to the long distance, the sky had completely darkened by the time we returned to the institute. Viska, who had lost a lot of energy due to losing control of her mind during the previous rampage incident, was already lying on the dining room table and fast asleep. Originally, her sister was going to I asked her to go back to the room to sleep first, but this girl insisted on waiting for me to come back, and ended up falling asleep at the table. To be honest, this kind of plot unfolding like a father returning home late and his daughter falling asleep because of exhaustion is really exciting In tears...

Pandora, on the other hand, bit a lollipop and sat motionless next to Huesca, looking at her sister without blinking. After learning about the incident, she almost didn't lead people to take the "Absolute" directly. All the people involved in the "Essence Person" project were slaughtered, and thanks to onee-sama's intervention in time, Academy City didn't shed a river of blood.

"Ajun! You are finally back!"

With such a cheer, Qian Qian flew into my arms like a light butterfly, gently hugging the soft body in my arms. I was deeply moved.

Are you so worried just because you went out for a while? Silly girl, it’s not a dangerous place...

"It's finally time to eat! My sister said I have to wait for you to come back before we can eat..."

I put down my girlfriend in my arms and faced the sunset with tears streaming down my face.

"Leizi has gone back?"

I asked casually as I didn't find a certain vitality girl wandering around the research institute.

"Oh, I'm back. Come tomorrow to hold the medal ceremony."

When I was about to go to the dinner table, I froze in my steps, then turned my head, confused: "Awarding of honors? What is that?"

Qianqian pointed in the direction of Pandora: "I didn't know about this before, but Pandora told me that Leizi had been recognized by some imperial soldiers and had met the standard of becoming a formal commander: withstanding the basics Commander training course, possess the ability of at least a junior commander, respond to the empire’s call to participate in an actual battle and lead soldiers to victory or complete missions, be recognized by the soldiers they lead and make certain contributions to the empire – these conditions are Saten Ruiko All of them are already in line, especially the fact that she actually led a group of soldiers to successfully fight against a leader-level officer. This achievement is considered an outstanding record even among the commanders of the Xiling Apostles - if so many cheats can be eliminated If you want to point it out, as for why Saten Ruiko should be made the registered commander, one is Pandora's suggestion from the perspective of "not leaking the empire's military power", and the other is to protect her. The power she suddenly mastered is very important to Ruizi. It's not necessarily a good thing for a child. If she is classified as an imperial soldier, it would be natural to launch a war in an emergency, right? Of course, it is impossible to give her military power...except for the necessary guards."

After listening to Qian Qian's explanation, I was silent for a long time.

A superpower that fell from the sky. As soon as he completed training, he could box against a battle-hardened imperial officer. The boss he encountered for the first time in actual combat was a severely weakened and semi-disabled version, and there were also a group of soldiers with the name of "soldiers" around him. Bronze Saints help, after the mission is completed, a group of powerful men will go up to the pole to confer medals...

Saten Ruiko couldn't have transformed from some corner and traveled through time, right?

I sighed in my heart about the sexualized experience of the girl named Saten Ruiko, but I still listened carefully to what Qianqian told me about the award ceremony, because she just said one sentence: "I don't know, ask Your sister goes."

…I didn’t ask anyway.

In addition to our family, there is one more person at the dinner table tonight: the clone we rescued, Misaka 10031.

Although it has been confirmed that the "Absolute Ability User Project" is about to be terminated, and Sister Misaka is now safe, since she has been rescued, we have absolutely no reason to send her back to the research base. In addition, Sister and Qianqian are being raped by Sister Their misfortunes moved Ran a lot, and as a result, the Misaka sister named Misaka 10031 was unceremoniously classified as the property of the Xiling Research Institute, and according to Qianqian's wishes, in the next few days, I still have to complete the handover of the remaining 10,000-odd sisters...

Because they were mass-produced tools for experimentation, all the Misaka sisters had their growth cycles forcibly shortened and relied on learning devices to uniformly customize their personalities. This resulted in their lifespan being much shorter than that of ordinary people, and even only fourteen years of ordinary people. In the original "script", after everything was solved by the boy Kamijou, these sisters all underwent physical adjustments, thereby restoring most of the human lifespan. However, from a sociological perspective, Xiling Technology definitely It is much more reliable than Academy City's technology. Now that we have decided to intervene in this matter, it is better to let the Misaka sisters receive our treatment - provided that those unreliable scientists are not instigated by some little lunatic. Really form a clone armor regiment for me.

Although it is called a research institute, this place is basically a place where a bored family hangs out and has nothing to do. Except for the atmosphere of serious research when Ruizi comes over every day, this place is treated as a home by us. At this time, Qian Qian's foresight can be seen. Although this girl's craftsmanship is at the same level as mine, the integrated kitchen she brought has solved the problem of my sister not being used to unfamiliar kitchen utensils. Xiling Research Institute The daily dining table time has always made Misaka Mikoto and the others curious - she has never seen any research institute's work dinner party where everyone is as happy as eating at home.

In the past, it was only used as an experimental tool. Every day, I had to eat with other "tools" and eat exactly according to the accurately calculated method and portion. This must be the first time I have experienced the atmosphere of sitting and eating together as a family, right?

I thought this as I looked at Misaka 10031, who might be a little nervous, looking around.

"Okay, okay, the food is ready," Sister finally heated up the last dish and put it on the table, and then stood at the table and said with great dignity, "Go and wash your hands - Arjun, you go too! The little girls are more conscious than you."

Then the head of the empire led a group of lolis to the kitchen and lined up to wash their hands...

"Misaka 10031...is that the name?"

I turned to look at Misaka, who was washing her hands carefully. The latter then raised her head, with no expression in her big gray eyes.

"How do you feel now? The weakness should have gone away, right?"

"Everything is normal. It's really a miraculous medical technology. I'm very grateful for your help. Misaka 10031 sighed with surprise at the miraculous technology that allowed her to recover within a day, and expressed her gratitude to her lifesaver."

"Uh, that's good..."

It is indeed quite troublesome to communicate with Sister Misaka's very special way of speaking, because you have to add a language translation mechanism to yourself instead of analyzing their expressions...

There is no doubt about onee-sama's craftsmanship. The most obvious example is that Pandora would fight with Viska for a long time at the dinner table for a piece of braised pork ribs. Even Misaka 10031, who had no emotion when speaking, after tasting onee-sama's cooking Immediately after the dishes were served, her eyes widened, and then she started to get upset. I really don't know if she would be suddenly inspired to have emotions if that little ghost with extraordinary housekeeping abilities came over.

While we were eating, I also roughly told the story of today's meeting with Aleister. My somewhat strange conniving attitude towards him, and even the "deal" he proposed rashly, made even my thoughtful sister feel helpless. I understand, but it’s not bad for us anyway. Aleister’s meaning is obvious. As long as he doesn’t tear down Academy City and can help protect the city when necessary, then those of us with suspicious identities will He won't interfere too much with what outsiders are doing here. As for conspiracies and the like - there's no need to worry.

Qian Qian and her sister were also very interested in the Sylvia I mentioned casually, who had no past and no future. Although Lin Xue judged that the other party could not be an angel, this could not stop the two girls' wild imaginations at all. , when dinner started, Sylvia was still an ordinary orphan raised by Academy City. By the time we were about to finish eating, she had almost turned into a Daluo Jinxian who had been demoted to the lower world. Thanks to what we had eaten today. Quickly, if I ask my sister to serve two more dishes, I guess the topic will come to the similarities between the Queen of Blades and Faschi...