Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume14 Chapter1 (section)

===Part 5===

The Lab Chief's Room No.6&mdash;in other words, ''his'' habitat as a living creature&mdash;was still filled with knowns and unknowns. Haphazard piles of books, reference materials with densely written annotations, documents that had traces of burning for some reason. With these objects occupying the bookshelves, the floor and the desk's surface, all of the furniture had lost their original purpose of existence.

Amidst this scene, sitting on a chair, he kept his head down, reading a book, speaking in an amused manner. Perhaps it could be considered a miracle that the chair was still about to sustain a chair's function.

"So, have you two explained to them definitely?"

"My answer: yes. Appraising with self-appraisal, I have successfully transmitted the information, no more no less."

Across a twisted desk whose surface bulged upwards, Un Izoey answered.

"Excellent. But then, it can't be 'no more no less,' right? I've already said that you may tell them everything that's already known. At most, you could leave out information, but giving too much is impossible."

"My statement: regarding Lab Chief's trivial nitpicking, I am confused if I should say thanks or feel agitated."

"Woah! It feels like you're calling me a neurotic man in a roundabout way. How impressive."

While the two of them were conversing, Un Izoey saw something jump out suddenly from the corner of her eye. It was Amanda's hand while she was standing on the side. She had raised her hand, requesting to speak.

"Very well, Amanda-kun, please speak. I always greatly welcome questions in search of answers to the unknown."

"...Why? Forbid us. Direct. Assistance?"

Pakuaki raised an eyebrow as though saying "Oh?" Un Izoey first glanced at the white-haired girl's blank face as she stood beside her, then faced Pakuaki in front of her again. Un Izoey found this to be an excellent unknown to probe. She had originally intended to raise the same question at an opportune timing. Facing the leader of the organization whose goal was to understand everything about the world, there were many concerns and reservations as a subordinate. In this regard, Amanda's ability to ask directly without concern for the mood was probably because her time as a researcher was still short&mdash;As a side note, strictly speaking, Amanda was not staying here because she approved of the organization's ideology from the bottom of her heart. Hence, the sense of distance Amanda felt when confronting the Lab Chief was different from Un Izoey's.

"&mdash;Indeed that is unknown. I believe telling them all the information available to us is equivalent to assistance. But why forbid us from providing physical assistance, seems inconsistent? I question with this kind of question."

Finally, he looked up from his book and shrugged lightly.

"No no no, given that I delivered a present to these Draconians, naturally, I'd like to observe how they're going to make use of it without our interference. It would be tantamount to barging into the fitting room when someone's changing. That would be far too tasteless."

"Contradiction. Giving them, information, is that not, interference?"

"That's merely preparation in the preliminary stages of the experiment. Although this analogy might sound unpleasant, when researching how monkeys try to obtain the banana inside a box, you have to let the monkeys know the banana is in the box to begin with, right? This is essentially the same."

"Monkey... ''Kikinasu'' huh?"

"What we can do&mdash;what I permit you to do&mdash;is simply providing them with preliminary information that is conducive to observing them. I cannot allow you to assist them as actual combatants. How will the monkeys obtain the banana? Or will they give up without attempting, letting the banana rot? If you go help them, it would be equivalent to throwing saws into the mix and teaching the monkeys how to use them while I'm observing the scene with interest. Putting aside whether the saws would actually work, but that really cannot be considered a fair experiment."

In other words, to the Yachi faction, Un Izoey and Amanda were equivalent to saws.

But was that really the case? &mdash;Un Izoey wondered.

Regarding why she had doubts about not helping them directly, she believed it was not because they were classmates or reasons such as feeling duty-bound to return the many favors she owed to them. As a member of the Lab Chief's Nation, she understood the importance of observing them and was able to agree with virtually every word that Pakuaki had said.

However&mdash;She believed that the current situation was too dangerous.

Depending on circumstances, everything could come crashing to an end with this. Perhaps the inquisitive demon here might be able to accept it as an unknown result... But herself...

At this moment, she suddenly discovered that Pakuaki was watching her with great interest after shutting his book.

"We are probably not saws as rescue tools, but for survival knives as minimum necessity? &mdash;That appears to be what your face is saying."

How did he know? Un Izoey casually rubbed her cheeks, tilting her head slightly.

"...My answer: due to unable to see my face, I conclude it is unknown impossible to confirm."

"Haha, that's just my own subjective speculation, don't worry about it. I'd like to ask a question. Don't you trust them? In the past, they have defeated you, the strongest warrior of your tribe. To this date, they have prevailed over numerous formidable adversaries. Do you think that they will be defeated so easily?"

Hearing these words which seem to be challenging the tribe's pride, Un Izoey could only respond in this manner. Refusing to acknowledge their strength would be equivalent to denigrating herself as well as the power possessed by warriors of the tribe.

"I believe in them, but this opponent is a separate matter. What if&mdash;"

"Yes, it's not like I can't understand how you feel. So let me compensate you a little."

Pakuaki spoke without warning, meanwhile making a smile like a criminal who handed candy out to children and abducted them. The child gradually falling prey to abduction, Amanda, in other words, stared and asked in return:

"Compensate?"

"Or you could call it a reward. If you two are able to endure until the final result comes out, I will elucidate any single unknown of your choosing. Any unknown. If it is an unknown that I have yet to find out, I promise upon my honor that I will devote everything at my disposal to seek the answer and render the unknown known."

"..."

Un Izoey and Amanda glanced sideways at him then exchanged glances with each other. Even if Pakuaki said that... What should they do? That was the message included in their gazes.

Pakuaki grinned and then, as though testing something and also watching some kind of good show, he said:

"If you don't believe in them, then we don't need this sort of compensation at all&mdash;or if you don't have an unknown that you desire, I'm fine with it too."

The meaning of Amanda and Un Izoey's exchanged gazes began to change as a result the information conveyed by their eeys.

It turned into a feeling infinitely close to resignation.

Un Izoey lightly closed her eyes.

This was a tactful ultimatum. In other words, Pakuaki's message was:

If you are still members of the Lab Chief's Nation, prioritizing the quest for the unknown&mdash;

If you still intend to continue as members of the Lab Chief's Nation&mdash;Then obey.