Chapter 41: You're Truly Remarkable

Sean’s smile vanished entirely, shifting from a grin to contempt so swiftly and naturally that it seemed the very air around him chilled in an instant.

“Let me put it another way, Hester. You might believe this place is a haven, a land where justice reigns, but every place has its own rules. Some rules transcend geography. Whether in Hecla, Short鸣 Alley, or the base—it’s all the same.”

Hester’s expression tightened when he mentioned “Short鸣 Alley.” “...You’ve been to Short鸣 Alley?”

“No,” Sean replied calmly, “but I’m sure it’s not much different from Hecla. I trust you understand what I mean.”

“I don’t,” Hester lowered her head slightly. “Please explain more clearly.”

“I have leverage on you, Hester,” Sean’s voice softened. “Think about it—if Ms. Molly found out about your secret schemes, would she still protect you like before? And Liz? She’d be terribly disappointed—she’s a fanatic for procedural justice, with a heart as stubborn and lifeless as an ancient corpse. They care more about order than about you. But I’m different. In some matters, you’ll find I’m far more reliable than Liz.”

Hester smiled faintly. “...In what way?”

“I understand you—too well. You’ve simply brought the habits from Short鸣 Alley into the base. We’re all familiar with such ways; it’s the people here who don’t understand them, having soaked in the honey pot for too long.”

Sean’s eyes twinkled with amusement.

“Ha, I know you won’t like me saying this—no one would. But it’s the truth. Unlike the others, I won’t sugarcoat or deceive you with lofty words.”

Hester exhaled disdainfully.

She raised a hand to her forehead, whispering, “Miss Turan, please come out. I really... can’t listen anymore.”

In that instant, Sean’s expression froze—the faint noise from the stairwell corner below alerted him to the presence of someone he hadn’t noticed.

After a brief burst of electronic static, he heard a familiar voice:

“Has anyone ever told you your hair looks nice? ...What? No wonder people used to pay handsomely for Hester’s hair. But why don’t you keep it long? Girls should have long hair…”

The voice abruptly ceased, and at that moment, Turan stepped down the stairs, wearing the same short-sleeved shirt as before, coming into view.

“Not bad, though I didn’t catch everything... but the crucial parts are recorded.” Turan pocketed her phone, squinting as she gave Sean a thumbs-up. “You’re something else, Sean. Really something.”

“You two... you teamed up to set me up?”

“How can that be called setting you up? Hester and I went downstairs to shower. She came out first, and I followed,” Turan said coldly. “It was just a coincidence, pure chance that we happened upon it.”

---

“Ha, secretly recording someone without their knowledge has no legal standing—”

“Who cares about legal standing?” Turan laughed. “Wait until Liz hears this recording; you’ll see if she’s really a procedural justice fanatic. I suggest you book a bed at the base hospital now—when she returns, she’ll beat you so badly even your brother won’t recognize you.”

Sean frowned, briefly panicking before regaining some composure.

“Do you really think the people in the base will punish me severely over such a trivial matter?” He looked at Hester mockingly. “At our core, we’re all rare tools—before belonging to ourselves, we belong to AHgAs. The balance here is too stable—a minor offense won’t get me into real trouble. Neither Liz nor Ms. Molly can touch me.”

“Fine if they can’t,” Hester said softly, “but I advise you not to act rashly. You and Turan are both Mercury Needles after secondary awakening. If you start a fight here, it won’t do you any good.”

Sean’s throat twitched. “...What do you want?”

“The recording might never be released—as long as you agree to stop causing me trouble,” Hester said, looking at him. “Of course, if you do come after me, I have backup... I mean what I say, Sean.”

“Come on, better to start now,” Turan laughed. “A night when the main forces have left the base—two reserve Mercury Needles duking it out in the dormitory area in bullet time—it sounds thrilling. I’m really curious if my brief bullet time can leave you battered and bleeding.”

Sean glanced at them both, said nothing, and turned to run toward the other end of the corridor.

Turan laughed heartily where she stood, shouting after his retreating figure, “I know you won’t like what I say—no one would—but—this is the truth. Unlike others, I won’t lie with high-sounding words: go play games in your room, Sean—”

Hester watched Sean’s figure disappear into the darkness of the hallway and finally exhaled.

“Thank you.”

Turan waved her hand cheerfully. “It was nothing. But how did you know he’d definitely come looking for you tonight?”

Hester tilted her head slightly. “...A feeling?”

Turan gave her a thumbs-up, and they shared a smile before heading upstairs together. Soon after, Turan copied the recording and knocked on Hester’s door.

“Come in, the door’s unlocked.”

Turan pushed it open but didn’t enter, instead looking at Hester seated at her desk. “Writing in your diary?”

“Mm.”

“I brought tonight’s recording. I saved a copy for myself and this one’s for you.”

Turan extended her left hand, tossing a new voice recorder toward Hester, who caught it reflexively despite being unprepared.

“Keep this in your pocket daily. Next time you face a situation like this, even if I’m not around, you can gather evidence yourself.”

It was a silver recorder, no bigger than a regular pen, with a small electronic screen and buttons along its side.

“Thanks... Does it come with instructions?”

“No, I threw those away long ago,” Turan replied. “You’ll have to figure it out yourself. It’s not complicated.”

“...Alright.”

“By the way,” Turan crossed her arms, “are you really not going to tell Liz or Molly what happened tonight?”

“No need. Sometimes holding evidence is more useful than releasing it.”

“...You don’t believe Liz can help you get justice?”

Hester pocketed the recorder and stood.

“It’s not that I don’t trust her,” Hester said to Turan. “But I think Sean was right—the base won’t truly punish him. Fines, demotions, those measures are probably the limit—after all, it’s not something Liz can control.”

Turan looked surprised. “Why do you say that?”

“Before I came here, Miss Chiba told me there are only about four thousand active Mercury Needles worldwide,” Hester replied softly. “And in District 3, the number is especially scarce—around two hundred, roughly 5% of the total. That means every reserve here is incredibly valuable. I don’t think the base would easily give up on anyone—not for minor offenses like Sean’s, and even if he did commit a serious crime, he’d still have value.”

Turan frowned slightly—it made sense.

She was silent for a moment before saying, “Anyway, don’t listen to Sean. Liz isn’t the kind of person who values order over comrades. I think she’s just inexperienced as an assistant, so she’s a bit constrained. She’s always been a reliable ally.”