"Hey! Why did you leave so quickly? You didn't even buy any candy!" Muelsyse was still selecting candy when she looked up and noticed Mobius was gone. She spoke in surprise.
"Really... am I that annoying?"
To be honest, this was the first time since childhood that Muelsyse had felt disliked by someone—yes, disliked.
She could clearly sense that Mobius was annoyed with her and, to some extent, didn't like her.
For someone who had always been popular, this was a new and frustrating experience. After all, anyone would feel unhappy and unwilling if they were disliked like this.
"Hmph, I'll investigate this when I get back!"
After saying that, Muelsyse looked down at the candy in her small basket.
In the end, she decided not to put it back and instead continued to pick out more candy, as if trying to comfort herself.
...
Mobius left the candy store without hesitation this time, heading directly to her office without looking back.
After such a bad day, she had no intention of going out again anytime soon. Instead of dealing with these troublesome people, it was better to dive back into her lab.
Of course, Mobius hadn't forgotten her suspicions about Muelsyse's recent actions, so she made a mental note to lock her office door and remove any excess water from the room.
'So, Dr. Mobius, do you still need to buy candy and bubble wrap? If necessary, I can purchase them for you.'
Just as Mobius was contemplating her next move and nearing the Rhine Lab Office Building, Sakura's indifferent voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
Although Sakura could easily handle such tasks, buying and placing items in the space, she decided to ask first, considering Mobius's personality.
'...If you can buy bubble wrap and it's convenient, then go ahead. As for the candy, it's just a non-essential item,' Mobius replied casually after a brief pause, surprised by Sakura's sudden inquiry.
'Understood, Doctor. I'll get the bubble wrap if I see it. As for the candy, I'll just buy the ones Muelsyse mentioned,' Sakura said seriously after hearing Mobius's response.
'Sakura, I said the candy is non-essential!'
'Yeah, I know.'
Although both sides spoke plainly, in truth, they were in tune with each other, and fully aware of what the other was thinking.
This kind of synchronization helped overcome stubbornness and arrogance...
Otherwise, Sakura wouldn't have asked about the "non-essential" candy in the first place.
'...'
'It's up to you, Sakura~ I'm going to get busy.'
At that moment, Mobius sensed Sakura's thoughts, and a glint of light flashed in her gradient snake-like pupils before she responded in a nonchalant tone.
As the voice in her mind faded, Mobius put on her work ID and walked towards the towering Rhine Lab Office Building without stopping.
---
On the other side—
Sakura was already near the candy store when she shook her head with a helpless expression after finishing her conversation with Mobius.
Although she didn't fully understand Mobius's stubborn or awkward personality, it didn't stop Sakura from helping her and assisting in completing the research task.
After all, so far, regardless of her identity, the task of [researching the antidote for Oripathy] had taken top priority and received the most resources.
This was because, over time, these identities had formed ties and found things they wanted to protect across the continent.
On this continent ravaged by Oripathy, to protect the people they cherished and save lives, "they" had tacitly placed [researching Oripathy and its antidote] at the forefront.
Among all the characters unlocked so far, Mobius is the one most likely to succeed in researching Oripathy and its antidote.
It was precisely because of this that even Bianka, whose personality and values didn't align with Mobius's, was doing her best to support her in various ways, such as with financial resources...
"..."
After finishing her brief reflection, Sakura immediately changed direction and headed toward the candy store Mobius had just left.
She now planned to buy the items Snake needed, gather intelligence about the city, and then figure out how to enter the Rhine Labs Defense Section.
Having made her decision and organized her thoughts, Sakura didn't hesitate and quickly entered the candy store to buy what was needed.
However, after politely declining the enthusiastic store clerk's help, Sakura realized she had overlooked something.
While she knew the names of the candies recommended by Muelsyse from Mobius, this candy store was enormous, with a dizzying variety of sweets.
Sakura searched for a long time, her eyes scanning several rows of shelves, but she couldn't find the candies she was supposed to buy.
Just as she was about to give up and ask the clerk for assistance, a voice sounded beside her.
"Having trouble deciding on candy? I can help you choose."
"..."
Hearing the familiar voice, Sakura instinctively turned and saw Muelsyse smiling with a small basket of candy in hand.
"Won't that be too much trouble for you?"
"It's no trouble at all! I know a lot about candy."
After hearing Sakura's concern, Muelsyse set her basket aside and confidently patted her chest.
"Thank you for your help, then."
Seeing Muelsyse's expression, Sakura didn't refuse but politely accepted the offer.
After all, she wasn't as stubborn as Mobius. If someone could help her, it was fine to get to know them and make a friend.
Of course, after the "lesson" from Mobius earlier, and since Sakura herself wasn't particularly concerned with cleanliness, she didn't use her power to remove the Originium dust around her.
As a result, Sakura's surroundings weren't as "clean" as Mobius's.
However, a few months ago, when Mobius hadn't yet reached a conclusion, all of them were still cautious about Originium to avoid infection.
Later, after Mobius discovered through experiments that Honkai energy could erode and devour Originium, "everyone" became less cautious.
After all, according to experimental research, unless the Honkai energy in their bodies was depleted, Originium, Originium dust, and the like couldn't enter their bodies at all.
As for why Mobius still allowed a small amount of her power to overflow and clean the "dirty" things around her, it was simply because she wanted her surroundings to be cleaner.