Just as he had predicted, Joyce had a terrible night.
Despite sporting two dark circles under his eyes, he downed a large cup of coffee and boarded the shuttle, jetting off to England.
The lack of sleep was rough… but considering he'd spent his last night with Teacher, Joyce felt it was worth it.
"42nd Lab… should be here."
Joyce looked up from the map at the lab's entrance. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and pressed the doorbell.
A moment later, the glass doors slid open. Standing there was a blue-haired girl, her hair slightly messy as if she had just rolled out of bed.
"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, her tone polite but faintly curious.
Joyce quickly presented the appointment papers Teacher had given him. "Uh, I'm the new director of the 42nd Lab, appointed by the Overseer. I'm still new here… By the way, miss, what's your name?"
"Calling me 'miss' is a bit old-fashioned, don't you think?" she replied with a playful smirk. Her sharp eyes scanned the papers. "But… hmm, this is indeed the Overseer's seal."
She straightened up slightly, offering her hand. "I'm Lieserl Albert Einstein. Just call me Einstein. It's a pleasure to meet you, Director."
Joyce instinctively extended his hand to shake hers. "The pleasure's mine, Einstein. My name is Welt, Welt Joyce."
-----
"So, the 42nd Lab is conducting research in two directions simultaneously," Lieserl explained, her tone matter-of-fact yet laced with curiosity.
"I believe Mr. Joyce is aware that there are currently two conflicting viewpoints within Schicksal regarding Honkai energy and Honkai phenomena. And the relationship between these two factions… is not exactly harmonious."
As she spoke, Lieserl paused in front of the main computer room. She turned back to glance at the dark blue-haired young man following her.
Though she knew Joyce had been raised by [her] since childhood—her most prized student, no less—Lieserl couldn't see even a hint of her in him.
The man before her seemed different. He was quiet, perhaps too quiet, yet there was a gentle refinement in the way he carried himself.
In just twenty minutes of walking together, Einstein's sharp intuition as a woman told her one thing: Joyce had a kind and approachable nature.
Two words rarely, if ever, used to describe [her].
[Her], the Overseer of Schicksal.
In Lieserl's limited interactions with [her], the Overseer seated upon her throne always seemed to look down upon the masses. Mortals could only bow their heads, kneeling on the ground.
Even the high-ranking Cardinals knelt before her, their reports tinged with piety and trepidation.
No one could defy her will. She was Schicksal's highest authority.
As the Cardinal had said, "In Schicksal, the Overseer's word is law, even her slightest breath."
Lieserl never doubted it. [Her] control over Schicksal seemed to seep into every cell of the leviathan organization.
The thirteen divisions that served her spanned the globe, leaving nowhere untouched. Even the most inconspicuous corners hid listening devices.
In Paris, the perpetually unlocatable headquarters of the 13th Division hummed with life. Day and night, typewriters clacked. Thousands of the world's best cryptographers worked tirelessly, decoding intercepted communications between nations.
Not even an unlicensed shrimping boat sailing from Hawaii to Guam could escape the 13th Division's gaze.
In a sense, the world was never free.
It merely existed within [her] meticulously crafted gilded cage.
After a moment of silence, Joyce gently pressed his temples.
"I know. Schicksal's internal research on Honkai energy and Honkai phenomena is divided into two camps.
One is the Loss of Control theory. This faction believes Honkai is a tool created by some external force but has gone out of control for unknown reasons. They argue that the Honkai's increasing power might not be naturally linked to the development of civilization itself.
This theory is led by Lysenko, the research director of the Black Mountain Base in Siberia, and Landau, the director of the Moscow Institute of Physics and Engineering.
Then there's the..."
"The Civilization Evolution theory," Lieserl smoothly interjected, finishing Joyce's hesitant sentence.
"This faction, led by Emma Planck and Nancy Thomas Alva Edison, posits that the Honkai naturally arises with the advancement of human civilization."
Joyce fell silent, lowering his hand from his temple as Lieserl continued.
"The 42nd Lab isn't currently involved in this conflict. So, Mr. Joyce, you can rest assured—you won't have to walk a tightrope."
Joyce gave a slightly awkward smile. His status as the Overseer's apprentice clearly complicated things.
After all, the rift between the North American branch and headquarters… was indeed widening.
While the Overseer remained indifferent to the conflict between the Civilization and Loss of Control factions, it didn't mean the two were evenly matched.
Landau and Lysenko, though often at odds with each other, were united against the North American branch.
More importantly, compared to the North American branch, Landau's exoskeleton armor and Lysenko's Honkai adaptation technology could be rapidly deployed on the battlefield. As a result, the Loss of Control faction consistently received more resources.
Joyce had spent considerable time at Schicksal HQ, so he wasn't a stranger to these tensions.
He knew Lysenko's personality and academic cronyism were detestable. But he couldn't deny the man's unparalleled genius in genetic bio-engineering.
And that…
…was precisely why Joyce had been called back.
"So, can you tell me what the 42nd Lab's current research focus is?" Joyce asked.
"Previous Era technology… like Moscow and Black Mountain Base."
Lieserl hesitated noticeably before answering.
Joyce didn't press the issue. Instead, he gave a small nod. "I see. In that case, my role will be handling daily administrative tasks. I'm not very experienced in that area."
"Actually, the lab's administration runs quite smoothly…" Lieserl started, then glanced over her shoulder. "Ah, Dr. Tesla is here."
From the wooden stairs on the second floor, a red-haired girl stumbled down, her loose shirt hanging off one shoulder. She rubbed her eyes, her steps sluggish.
"What time is it… Ugh… Another late night…"
She stopped midway, squinting at Joyce.
"Huh? Mophead! What's going on? Who's this pretty boy?"
Seeing the handsome, gentle-looking young man beside Lieserl, Tesla's voice grew agitated. Unpleasant words like "kept man" and "boy toy" popped into her head, making her face flush slightly.
"Dr. Tesla," Lieserl said evenly, "please dress properly next time you come downstairs."
She gestured toward Joyce. "Allow me to introduce the lab's new Director, and the Overseer's apprentice, Welt Joyce."
Hearing the word "Overseer," Tesla snapped to attention. She hastily adjusted her slipping glasses.
"Y-y-y-you… you're the Overseer's student?"
"Um… yes, I'm Kall…" Joyce's voice caught mid-sentence.
He paused and swallowed the name. "The Overseer's student."
Finally, he had a chance to say her name. Yet, he couldn't.
Even when she's not around, I still can't say it.
Her heart will never belong to me.
After all, that's five hundred years of devotion.
"Why would the Overseer…" Tesla started.
Lieserl discreetly pinched Tesla's side, cutting her off. Her faint smile didn't falter.
"Mr. Joyce, please ignore Dr. Tesla. She's so engrossed in her research, she's forgotten how to interact with people."
She leaned closer to Tesla and whispered, "He's the Overseer's student. Don't forget, the 13th Division is always watching."
Tesla froze. Realizing she'd spoken out of turn, she fell silent, her lips forming a pout as she glared at Joyce.
Lieserl, unbothered, quickly stepped forward, placing herself between them.
"How about this, Mr. Joyce?" she suggested with a calm smile. "The 42nd Lab doesn't need any immediate changes, so… perhaps your responsibility could be organizing recreational activities?"
"Recreational… activities?"
Joyce blinked, pointing at himself, clearly surprised.
Lieserl nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. We're so busy with work, we barely have time for leisure. I think someone should encourage us to have some fun. It would do wonders for stress relief."
"Well… alright…" Joyce agreed hesitantly.
After all, the Overseer hadn't given him specific instructions. Following Lieserl's suggestion seemed reasonable, and it might help him familiarize himself with the 42nd Lab.
With that thought, Joyce extended his hand. "Then, it's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Tesla."
"Um… Thank you, Mr… Joyce."
Tesla's tone was stiff—perhaps even fearful.
After all, she had witnessed the Overseer's methods firsthand.
To fight the Honkai… Was such a sacrifice truly necessary?
So many lives…
Tesla closed her eyes, her expression heavy.
Far beyond her sight, a blonde young man pushed open the door to the Overseer's study. He stepped inside, bowing slightly.
"Speak, Landau. What new discoveries have you made?"
The young man, Landau, smiled faintly and presented a document.
"Overseer, we've made a breakthrough in our research on the black box. We can confirm it's beyond the technological capabilities of the previous era. The material strength is too high, and the specifications don't match. It might be a recording device. We've discovered a form of writing inside… A very peculiar script. It will take considerable time to decipher."
A long moment of silence passed.
The Overseer nodded slowly.
"The 13th Division will assist you. The Dead Sea Scrolls are yours."