Removing his fist from the wall, Ebson examined his steaming knuckles in silence.
He had lost control. As a scientist, he shouldn't have let his emotions run so wild. He should have remained calm, precise. But the moment that figure resurfaced in his mind, he couldn't stop the anger, the irritation, the jealousy—and deep down, a faint, almost imperceptible trace of guilt.
"...That bastard! How could I possibly regret it!? What did I do wrong? What's wrong with pursuing power like that of a god?" Ebson muttered under his breath.
With a violent sweep of his arm, he knocked all the reports and experimental instruments off the table in front of him. A cascade of clattering sounds echoed through the room as paper and shattered glass scattered everywhere.
The commotion inside quickly drew the attention of several figures outside the laboratory.
Chief Steward Bill stood calmly by the door, a cigarette hanging from his lips. The three people facing him, however, were anything but calm.
The brown-haired young man at the front wore a look of disdain, his tone dripping with mockery.
"Heh, what's going on? Why is the great Doctor Ebson acting like this? Early menopause or something?"
His words drew snickers from the two beside him.
One was a man, the other a woman. The woman had blonde hair and blue eyes, tall with a curvaceous figure. Her delicate features carried an exotic charm.
The other man was somewhat thin and not very tall, the type who would disappear in a crowd. His eyes were perpetually narrowed in a smile, giving him an oddly sunny appearance.
The brown-haired youth's remark amused them both. Just as he was about to continue, a towering figure stepped in front of him.
The sheer oppressive aura radiating from that massive frame made it hard for the brown-haired youth to breathe. He forced himself to look up.
Chief Steward Bill, broad-faced and expressionless, stared down at him.
Raising a hand, Bill removed the cigarette from his mouth and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke straight into the young man's face.
"Litt Bruce, mind your place. I don't want to hear a single word insulting my lord ever again. Otherwise, I won't mind crushing your bones one by one again. Understood?"
Litt clenched his fists, his face turning livid. Veins bulged faintly along his neck. He was furious—furious to the extreme.
Bill, however, couldn't care less.
Seeing the atmosphere stiffen, the narrow-eyed young man hurried forward to mediate. He raised his hands between them, forcing a smile.
"It's all a misunderstanding, Chief Steward Bill. Please don't hold it against Litt. He just has a bad temper. Please be magnanimous. Litt! Apologize to Chief Steward Bill."
Though burning with rage, Litt weighed his strength against Bill's and ultimately had no choice but to grit his teeth and bow his head in apology.
Bill responded with a contemptuous chuckle and turned to leave. Before stepping away, he glanced at the narrow-eyed youth.
"Bazel, you don't need to play peacemaker. Keep your nose out of it next time. Or I'll break your bones too."
Bazel nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes, understood."
After addressing Bazel, Bill shifted his gaze to the blonde woman who had been watching the show all along. His fierce stare sent a chill down her spine.
"N-No need to worry. I, Ivanor, respect Doctor Ebson the most," she hurriedly declared.
Only after putting the three in their place did Bill return to the laboratory door, taking out another cigarette and lighting it.
Across from him, the trio fell silent. Only Litt's tightly clenched fists betrayed his thoughts.
After an unknown amount of time, the laboratory door finally opened.
Ebson, dressed in a white lab coat, stepped out with a composed expression.
As Bill bowed, he caught a glimpse through the crack in the door of the chaotic mess inside. Though startled, he showed no emotion on his face.
Upon seeing Ebson, Litt, Bazel, and Ivanor—regardless of their true feelings—could only bow respectfully.
"Doctor Ebson!"
Ebson grinned.
These three were among the more carefully crafted works of his hands. Not perfect, perhaps, but sufficient. More than enough for him to use.
Still, they weren't trustworthy.
The only one he might trust was Chief Steward Bill.
Bill had always been utterly loyal to him.
And yet, a small thorn remained in Ebson's heart.
Before this, Bill had been even more loyal to that person.
"But unfortunately, you're already dead," Ebson thought silently.
Bill caught fragments of Ebson's muttering but couldn't make sense of it.
"My lord, what were you saying?"
Ebson snapped back to himself, glanced at Bill, and slowly shook his head.
"Nothing. Let's go. It's time we leave this place. It no longer has any value."
They immediately responded in acknowledgment.
As they departed, Bill couldn't help but wonder what had driven Ebson to such a loss of composure. The disorder in the lab had shocked him. In all his memories, Ebson had never acted this way before.
...
Ebson stopped in front of Litt and the others, smiling warmly.
"Don't worry. You three children are exceptionally talented. Trust me—your futures are bright."
Hearing Ebson's persuasive tone, Bazel and Ivanor both showed faint looks of anticipation. Whether genuine or not was another matter.
Litt, however, remained expressionless. He bluntly asked,
"When will you let me take revenge on Marley?"
Ebson raised a finger and wagged it.
"No, no, no. Not yet. Opportunities always come later, don't they?"
Litt scoffed internally, but given the current circumstances, he could only obey.
All of this was for revenge—revenge against the Marleyans who had destroyed his homeland and slaughtered his family.
"One day, I'll make the Marleyans regret it!"
...
"What? That's impossible!"
Yago held up his coat, staring suspiciously at the yellow stain on the back.
There was no way he believed Serena's explanation—that some clueless little bird had done it while they were walking.
Was she kidding? What kind of bird could produce a mess that big?
That's absurd.
But Serena stood there, face righteous and tone firm, insisting it had absolutely been a bird. She even dragged a very unwilling Airi Ambers over as a witness.
With no evidence to the contrary, Yago had no choice but to accept their version of events.
The moment they returned to camp, he immediately threw away the "fragrant" coat.
When Yago and Serena made it back, the soldiers of the Third Regiment finally breathed a sigh of relief. After all, he/she was their backbone.
But upon returning, Yago received some very bad news.