Chapter 61: Past Events

Ephnel’s “crack” did exist, and the key to it was her younger sister, Shiomi Yukina. Otherwise, there was no way to explain Ephnel’s unusual behavior.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced Nishizaki Yuuki became of this guess.

Silently lowering her gaze, Nishizaki Yuuki felt a sense of emotion and excitement for finally taking another step in understanding Ephnel, but at the same time, she felt an indescribable sense of loss.

This strange feeling surprised her.

She didn’t want to dwell on it.

She took out a cigarette and lit it.

The blue smoke turned into a wisp, gradually rising, only to be dispersed by the cool breeze from the air conditioner.

Ephnel and Yukina said something else.

Nishizaki Yuuki didn’t deliberately listen.

Then, Ephnel looked at her, and upon seeing her smoking again, her gaze wavered slightly, but she didn’t say anything.

“By the way, Ephnel, besides the change in Yukina’s Erosion rate, you must have found something else, right?”

The worries in her heart could not be shaken off, but now was not the time for wild thoughts.

After a brief silence, Nishizaki Yuuki suddenly asked.

“And the change in the level of the Power of Order.”

Nishizaki Yuuki tapped off the burnt ash from her cigarette and took out another document from her side.

“Yes, for a quasi-Agent who has just synced for the first time, her data is a bit too high.”

“Could that be the reason? Something like an uncontrollable resonance?”

“I don’t think so. There are no signs of Yukina using a Beacon.”

Nishizaki Yuuki denied it.

“Besides, that’s not what I wanted to talk about. Just using this point to explain the abnormalities in Yukina doesn’t have enough credibility. It’s not unprecedented for Agents with high compatibility to have a higher retention rate of the Power of Order. Ephnel, I heard that your compatibility with ‘Ephnel’ is very high. I wonder if I’m right in guessing that this was one of the reasons they finally made an exception and chose you to become ‘Ephnel’.”

Generally speaking, the compatibility rate needed to reach a certain level to be qualified as an Agent.

The compatibility levels of the Agents in Seikyo City were mostly similar.

The only special cases were Seiran and Ephnel.

Seiran’s was extremely low, while Ephnel’s was extremely high; the two were complete opposites.

Compatibility was an indicator of an Accommodator’s “talent” for being an Agent.

The higher the compatibility, the more freely one could mobilize the Power of Order.

For example, Ephnel could concentrate the Power of Order in a specific part of her body to greatly increase her enhancement level, something others could rarely do, or rather, no one could do it as effortlessly as Ephnel.

This was an innate difference that could not be compensated for by hard work alone.

Just like how only a fraction of people had the aptitude to become Agents, it was, in a sense, very unfair.

“…You could say that.”

Ephnel did not deny it.

Just then, Ephnel’s phone suddenly vibrated.

Someone was calling.

Ephnel took out her phone and glanced at it, then paused for a moment before saying to Nishizaki Yuuki:

“Sorry, Yuuki, I have to step out for a moment.”

“Go ahead.”

Ephnel left with her phone, closing the door behind her.

In the hallway, Ephnel found a quiet corner and answered the call.

“Hello?”

A warm and pleasant female voice came from the other end.

It was a voice that Ephnel and Yukina were once very familiar with.

Ephnel pursed her lips and lowered her voice.

“Mom.”

Hearing Yanase Naoto’s voice, a happy laugh immediately came from the other side.

In this fragmented era, the Human Federation was divided into several countries based on region.

Ephnel’s parents had left this city, this continent, long ago, and went to the other side of the ocean.

Two years had passed in a flash.

They would call each other two to three times a month.

Just as Ephnel missed them, they also missed their son and adopted daughter very much.

“Naoto, do you miss Mom?”

A voice full of laughter came from the other side.

Ephnel sighed.

But missing them was one thing; Ephnel still couldn’t get used to her mother’s direct questioning.

Her mother asked this question every single time.

“Mom, did you call me just for this…”

“Hehe, of course not.”

The person on the other end seemed to enjoy Ephnel’s reaction, their smile never fading, showing no sense of urgency despite using such an extremely expensive cross-regional communication line.

Signals could not penetrate the areas affected by the White Hole Erosion, so long-distance communication could only be achieved through primitive means.

Thus, long-distance communication lines were scarce and prohibitively expensive, but it seemed the Yanase couple could still afford it.

“Actually, I called you because I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?”

The voice on the other end suddenly became serious.

Ephnel tilted her head in confusion, and then she heard the laughter that could no longer be contained from the other side.

“Your dad and I are back in Seikyo!”

“Back… in Seikyo!?”

Ephnel was shocked.

But just as she was about to be happy, she suddenly realized a problem.

She was Yanase Naoto, and she was also Ephnel.

If she could hide her identity from others, what about her parents?

…

On the other side, Yukina still didn’t know that her aunt and uncle were coming to Seikyo City.

Yukina remained silent, looking as if she had something to say but didn’t know how to start.

Nishizaki Yuuki lit another cigarette, glanced at the slightly anxious Yukina, stood up, and rummaged through a drawer, finally pulling out a bottle of fruit juice.

“Here, your sister brought this for me once when I went to see her performance. She said you like this.”

“Eh? Th-thank you…”

Yukina quickly took the drink with both hands.

“Don’t be so formal.”

Nishizaki Yuuki sat down next to Yukina, put out her cigarette, and smiled.

“Do you want to be an Agent?”

Yukina didn’t know why Nishizaki Yuuki suddenly asked this, but she answered honestly:

“Yes.”

Nishizaki Yuuki suddenly teased:

“Do you really want to? You’re actually doing it for your sister, aren’t you?”

Having her thoughts hit spot on, Yukina gave an embarrassed smile.

“Um… actually, since I was little, I’ve always wanted to stand by my sister’s side, to be with her, but… I never knew how… and she seems very reluctant.”

“She doesn’t want you to get hurt, so she’s unwilling for you to join such a dangerous profession.”

“I-I understand… that’s just the kind of person my sister is…”

Seeing Yukina’s disappointed expression, Nishizaki Yuuki didn’t comfort her, but changed the subject instead.

“Actually, just as your sister said, becoming an Agent is not something that can be achieved overnight. Besides the body’s adaptability to the Power of Order, carefully considering and exploring your own resolve is also a very important part of being an Agent. If you want to walk the same path as your sister, her advice will be your guidepost.”

She glanced at Yukina and continued.

“However, since you’ve chosen to move forward, trusting your own judgment and decisions will surely be a necessary part of your journey. When you’re lost, you might want to look at your own feet. I think that not regretting what you do is just as important as what you want to do.”

After speaking, Nishizaki Yuuki smiled slightly and returned to her office chair.

Yukina didn’t say anything right away, and Nishizaki Yuuki didn’t mind.

Although for the two sisters, what she was doing might seem a bit meddlesome, these were also the words Nishizaki Yuuki wanted to say to Ephnel and herself.

Just then, Yukina’s voice was suddenly heard.

“Um… Nishizaki-san, there’s actually something I’m a bit curious about.”

“Hm?”

Nishizaki Yuuki looked at Yukina.

“What is it? If I know, I’ll answer you.”

“It’s about my sister.”

Yukina hesitated, pursing her lips, as if wrestling with some internal conflict.

She asked.

“You just said my sister was chosen to be ‘Ephnel’ as an exception. Does that mean the original ‘Ephnel’ wasn’t my sister?”

Because it was about Ephnel’s past, Yukina showed a high degree of interest, her eyes wide with curiosity, afraid to miss a single word.

Nishizaki Yuuki was taken aback for a moment.

“Your sister didn’t tell you?”

“No…”

Yukina showed a hint of sadness, shaking her head.

“She doesn’t talk much about herself…”

“I see…”

Nishizaki Yuuki also knew Ephnel’s personality and didn’t ask any further.

“That’s right.”

Nishizaki Yuuki paused, her gaze drifting away thoughtfully as she spoke.

“As far as I know, there was indeed someone else for ‘Ephnel’ before your sister was finally chosen.”

Nishizaki Yuuki glanced at the closed door, hesitated for a moment, and continued.

“Although neither your sister nor the organization has disclosed this information, if I’m not mistaken, the original Accommodator was probably… you.”

“Me?”

Yukina was stunned.

“Sorry… your sister probably hasn’t told you about this yet, but you’ll probably find out about these things sooner or later. I’m sure your sister’s statement had this meaning in it… She’s not a reckless person.”

Seeing Yukina’s expression become complicated, Nishizaki Yuuki smiled.

“Of course, I’m just guessing. The credibility is only about ninety percent. But at this point, these things can probably be figured out with a little thought. It’s not something worth hiding. In the past, it was probably a secret that very few people knew.”

Nishizaki Yuuki’s words were suggestive.

Precisely because Ephnel had issued that confession, combined with the information she knew, the identity of the mysterious original “Ephnel” could be easily guessed.

But, there were still many things she didn’t understand.

For example, why did the organization yield to Ephnel?

Merely being an “Accommodator with extremely high compatibility” was definitely not enough to make the organization keep quiet, unless there was something else that was hidden…

But Nishizaki Yuuki trusted Ephnel.

If Ephnel didn’t talk about it, she wouldn’t ask.

“Then… why was my sister injured back then?”

Yukina asked softly.

…