>>5547572“The surgery successfully implanted a second Crest within me, though at the cost of dramatically shortening my expected lifespan. Apparently, this was not considered a success to those researchers. After the conclusion of the surgery, they quickly left Ordelia, and never returned. It was as if the Blood Reconstruction was their goal from the start. They never cared about Ordelia for a second. It was simply a convenient excuse to use me and my siblings as nothing more than test subjects.”
>“Do you remember who they were? Their faces?”Lysithea nods. “I do. I’ve even tried looking for them. But, as far as I could find, there was no evidence that these officials even existed. For a while, I’d thought they simply used alternative names. Or possibly disguises. But, if what you’re saying is true, it would explain how they could easily vanish as though they weren’t real.”
>“The diary I’d found said experiments were continuing in Ordelia. If that’s true, it’s likely that the ones who’d performed the Blood Reconstruction on you are back. And if they’re using the same lab as before, then they must have access to the castle.”“But you said they can take the form of anyone.” Lysithea grits her teeth.
>“They can, but with limitations. They need to have killed the person they’re assuming control over first. And even then, they can only take over their physical appearance. They wouldn’t be able to copy their personality or memories. So, is there anyone you know back home that’s undergone a serious personality shift?”She bites her thumb. “No one with a ‘personality shift’ comes to mind. However, we did have several new retainers pledge their service to our house over the years since those Imperial officials left. Perhaps they’d sneak back into the castle that way? Assuming new identities that we were unfamiliar with, so that we’d be unable to notice any differences in personality.”
>“How many of these Imperial officials were there? And how many new retainers?”“There were five envoys sent by the Empire. As for retainers…it’s hard to say. We’ve had everything from cooks to ministers of state join our household.”
>“Assuming it’s the same group as before, and with Solon’s death, we can assume there’s at least four Agarthans in Ordelia right now. Tell me, is their laboratory still there?”Lysithea nods. “It’s sealed off, but it remains.”
