Chapter 7 - Chapter 6 - The person that I need

Standing in front of me, in the middle of the small side lounge, were two people. Apparently, after being contacted by Chris the previous night, they had rushed here.

The first person was an elderly short man wearing a plain plaid shirt, dungarees and a pair of black boots. His beard was well-groomed, while his white hair was covered by a straw hat.

Nevertheless, the person I was interested in was the one accompanying him. I immediately recognized her, as she was just as I had imagined her to be. At this moment, my eyes were probably shining. There she was, the absolutely stunning Faye Deveraux, the person who could help me more than anyone in this world. Her raven hair, sticking out of the straw hat covering the top of her head, framed her perfect features, while her turquoise eyes were sending daggers in my direction. Her quivering athletic body was apparent, even while being covered by the same kind of attire sported by the elderly man.

My brow furrowed. Something here didn't add up. Although the person in front of me was certainly Faye Deveraux, she was quite different from how she should have been. The Faye Deveraux I had conceived inside my mind was the smartest person on the planet, the incredibly talented young woman known only by the most important and powerful people and who alone had developed, starting from the craft of Moulding, the entire field of mana bioengineering, better known as Forming.

But the young girl in front of me was clearly a farmer. Her attire and her callous hands were proof enough of this fact and, far from being a woman, she was clearly a teenager, not older than the official age I had been attributed. Moreover, although I didn't design her to be a powerhouse, she seemed too weak, even weaker than me.

For a moment, doubt sprouted inside my heart.

<<... Are you truly Faye Deveraux?>> I weakly asked, hoping for a negative answer.

<> answered her with an irritated voice.

This situation was a disaster. Something seriously wrong was going on. Her being young could be explained by me having reached this world before the beginning of the official timeline, but why she was a farmer was beyond me. She should have been deep in study somewhere at this point in time, laying the foundations for her future craft, and not toilingin a field. This could throw a wrench into my plans, considering they relied on Faye being able to operate on me.

The elderly man was about to open his mouth, when he was cut short by Faye.

<>

It was obvious she wasn't going to accept a no as an answer.

<> said Chris concerned.

Although at first glance it could seem like he was worrying about me, in reality I perfectly understood he was worrying about her. From what he knew, I could have some undiagnosed mental problems which, when coupled with my superior physical strength, could prove to be a recipe for tragedy.

<>

<> I smiled at Faye, who addressed me directly.

<> said the elderly man, who was revealed to be her grandfather.

Without any excuse to remain, Chris followed Mr Deveraux outside of the room and of the guard station. Once they were far away enough so they wouldn't be able to eavesdrop, we started our private conversation.

<> she inquired, glaring at me.

Her eyes were full of distrust and suspicion and that was completely justified. I had asked Chris to address her while referring to someone, me, knowing about her mother, who I knew was a critical point for her.

<>

I was smiling mischievously. I had gotten over the frustration I had previously felt and was now completely savouring the situation: it was quite the rare opportunity, to be able to freely converse in person with the fruit of your own imagination. I knew I had struck a nerve, but she was behaving a little too aggressively, so I opted to have a little bit of fun at her expenses.

Her face distorted into a grimace.

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She instantly paled. Her body started trembling and her forehead sweating profusely. I smiled. She had tried approaching me aggressively, but the moment I threatened her, her game had changed dramatically.

<> she stuttered.

I sighed. My intention was to play with her a little bit, but it seemed I had immediately taken it too far. I surely didn't imagine two sentences would be enough to break her. I imagined her young age played a big role in her limited resistance to stressful situations.

<> I tried to reassure her, actually with poor results.

I immediately sprinted towards her. Probably due to the stress, she lost strength in her limbs and was suddenly in need of support.