[FDJ]Chapter 69: Scenery 

Suzuki Yuki stood outside the door, absentmindedly gazing towards the empty corridor. There was no one outside the room. He remembered opening the door after hearing a knocking sound, but there was no one there.

Perplexed for a few seconds, Suzuki returned to his room. He felt an inexplicable sense of discord as if he had just been conversing with someone outside the door, yet it also felt like he hadn't been outside the door. He couldn't explain the reason for this strange feeling, even when he turned his head to glance at the corridor before closing the door. Still, there was no one there. He could only believe that he had misheard earlier.

The room fell into silence, with only the rhythmic electronic sound of the monitoring device by the bedside. Suzuki Yuki picked up the copy of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" gifted to him by Kirschtaria Wodime. It was difficult to find novels in Chaldea's database; if they were available, they were mostly miscellaneous books of historical anecdotes. In Suzuki Yuki's memory, there were brief mentions of literary characters becoming Servants in the summoning process, as Chaldea had not detected any similar cases. At most, there were instances of semi-fictional characters with mythological qualities becoming Servants.

Similar to Mephistopheles, one could say he was a fictional character from a novel, but it was also possible to find similar real-life figures in history. Such Servants had low inherent strength and lacked genuine historical records, making them incomparable to the kings, nobles, and generals who had roamed the battlefield.

Suzuki Yuki opened the book's cover and noticed that it was enchanted in a way he was unfamiliar with. Each seemingly yellowed and aged page would not crumble even if the reader exerted force on them. It was likely that this book would not catch fire even if thrown into the flames for a short time. He hadn't expected a mere novel to be treated with such care by the leader of Team A.

Suzuki Yuki read until dawn, finishing the first part of "A Study in Scarlet." It was already 6 o'clock. He grabbed his phone and other personal belongings, dressed in ordinary clothes, and walked out of the room. There were still no guards outside, completely different from the last time he woke up. The lights in the corridor, following the pattern of day and night, were all lit up. Suzuki Yuki aimlessly strolled to the observation deck.

It wasn't the usual blizzard outside. Sunlight streamed through the panoramic glass into Suzuki Yuki's eyes. In his memory, he had never seen a natural sunny day in Chaldea.

The indoor temperature was maintained at a comfortable range that humans could sense, including parameters such as humidity, brightness, and air circulation, which were regulated by a dedicated system in Chaldea. Leaning against the panoramic glass, Suzuki Yuki couldn't feel the temperature changes, but the sunlight and clear sky of the polar region still captivated him.

Through the glass, he could still see the glistening snow and fractured mountains, white and pale blue. In this world of only two colors, there were only two objects that could be witnessed: ice and sunlight. The simple combination of these objects possessed a unique charm that rivaled the vibrant colors of a rainbow.

The brief tranquility amidst the blizzard was precious.

"Suzuki-kun? Good morning."

Dr. Roman approached Suzuki Yuki from behind, holding his records. He had been waiting for a few minutes, making sure Suzuki Yuki could enjoy a moment alone in front of the beautiful natural scenery. It was only a moment of respite.

Upon hearing the voice, Suzuki Yuki withdrew his gaze and turned around to see the smiling doctor.

"Good morning."

"It's another beautiful day today. Did you sleep well last night? Any discomfort in your body, such as a headache?" The doctor walked up to Suzuki Yuki and began the routine examination. After confirming that the heartbeat and body temperature were within the normal range, he took a step back, indicating that his duties as a doctor were completed.

"No, I woke up around 3 o'clock. My fatigue has been relieved, and I thought it was time to come out for a walk when it was dawn." Suzuki Yuki truthfully replied, unaware of the dangerous incident that had occurred after he woke up.

"That's good to hear." Dr. Roman, pretending not to know, didn't bring it up either. After he finished speaking, he pointed outside the window. "Hey, it looks like there are penguins out there!"

Suzuki Yuki followed the direction pointed out by the doctor and indeed saw a few black dots on the white ice sheet in the distance. The distance was too far for Suzuki Yuki to see immediately. "Are those penguins?"

One could count the number of animals encountered in the polar region with just a few fingers. Chaldea's location, in particular, was remote, perpetually engulfed in blizzards. On ordinary days, not to mention seeing small animals passing by, it was impossible to even see objects ten meters away.

Dr. Roman operated the control system of the remote platform using the tablet he carried with him. The entire panoramic glass immediately zoomed in on the black dots outside, and the camera automatically adjusted to the appropriate angle, slowly keeping up with the waddling penguins.

"I've never seen moving penguins before. They seem to be looking for food. Doctor, what do penguins eat?" Suzuki Yuki observed the penguin images outside the glass like a child, as if he could reach out and catch these wobbling little creatures with just a few steps through the glass.

"They eat fish and krill. These must have gotten separated from their colony. Don't worry, polar animals are far more adaptable to the environment than us humans." As the doctor spoke, he activated the search function on the tablet and indeed detected a large number of wild animals several kilometers away. The detection system of Chaldea was not usually used to track penguins. If they were familiars controlled by outside magus, approaching Chaldea would immediately trigger the system's alert and surveillance.

Suzuki Yuki leaned against the glass, wanting to observe more closely, but unfortunately, the glass didn't provide any feedback when pressure was applied, and Suzuki Yuki didn't have the authority to control Chaldea's system permissions.

"Can this glass track automatically? Is it also magecraft?" After his curiosity faded, Suzuki Yuki casually asked the doctor. In his mind, any magical phenomena beyond his understanding were the result of magecraft. However, his knowledge of magecraft was insufficient, and he couldn't use magecraft, making it difficult for him to distinguish various magical phenomena.

The doctor was slightly surprised, but he quickly controlled his expression and answered with a calm tone. "No, this is not magecraft. It's technology. In Chaldea, we rely not only on magecraft but also on technology. Technology is an important foundation for observation, and it can even be said that technology plays a greater role in Chaldea than magecraft. The magic system used in Chaldea is considered top-notch in the world, but the technology is cutting-edge. It assists in various aspects of Chaldea's normal operations, such as food, medical care, environment, and security."

Talking about these matters, the doctor was very proud. After all, modern magecraft couldn't buy the best, but modern technology could be bought as long as you had the money. And the abundant funding of Chaldea... that was the source of the doctor's pride.

"Technology?" Suzuki Yuki knew that technology was "magic" that anyone could use, and it was also one of the reasons for the decline of the mysterious side. When everyone could ignite a flame, there was no need to praise Prometheus anymore. But he didn't expect technology to be capable of such incredible things as if a highly skilled magus had turned the entire glass into a giant crystal ball to observe the moving penguins outside.

"The combat suit you're wearing also relies on technology. It not only enhances your mobility and endurance but also protects you from harm. Incorporating basic magecraft as a backup measure into the clothing is also achieved through the analysis and reconstruction of magecraft by modern technology. However, the combat suit you're wearing this time is heavily damaged, and the stored magical energy has been depleted. I'm curious about what kind of accident you encountered."

Suzuki Yuki wanted to explain the process of the Holy Grail War he had experienced, but he heard hurried footsteps. Olga Marie, the young director, arrived at the observation platform accompanied by a group of security personnel. Without giving Suzuki Yuki any time to react, she waved her hand, and the guards surrounded Suzuki Yuki.

"Wait..." Before the doctor could intervene, he was quickly pulled aside by the guards.

"The wind protection time has been long enough. Take him back to the research lab," Director Olga Marie spoke emotionlessly as if she was dealing with a stray pet or a criminal.

However, this time she couldn't have her way, as someone immediately arrived to intervene.

A young woman with black hair tied into a single ponytail hurriedly ran up to Director Olga Marie. They appeared to be around the same age.

"Director, please wait. Mr. Wodime asked me to deliver a message."

Without waiting for the other person to continue, Director Olga Marie frowned in disgust. The mention of the person irritated her greatly. "Are you also going against me, Hinako Akuta?"

"No, I'm just here to relay..."

"That's enough! I've had enough of your 'humanity talk'! Humanity? Morality? Are we playing house here? If you can still distinguish which is more important between saving the principles of humanity and the lives of individual experimental subjects, then don't mention Wodime's name in front of me!"

"But I don't matter..." Hinako Akuta saw the impending anger on Director Olga Marie's face and immediately swallowed her words.

The doctor, who had been stopped by the guards on the side, saw Hinako Akuta rushing over and continued to stand on the periphery, waiting silently for the outcome.

With several guards firmly restraining Suzuki Yuki, although he struggled, he couldn't compare to the physically strong guards and could only obediently let them hold his hands.

"Hinako Akuta-senpai." Suzuki Yuki remembered her. Hinako Akuta was also a member of Group A, wearing glasses and enjoying reading alone in the data room. She had an elegant and easygoing nature, and her academic performance ranked among the top candidates to become Master. Suzuki Yuki considered himself fortunate to become the 8th member of Group A, but he always felt a significant gap between himself and these seniors. They must be more suitable for being a Master than he was.

"Mr. Wodime said he already knows why Chaldea's Spiritron Transfer System cannot be used, and why only Suzuki Yuki can perform Spiritron Transfers, as well as the reason for the sudden transfer in front of everyone." Hinako Akuta said in one breath, waiting for Director Olga Marie's response. She had a premonition about all of this, but she didn't care. After all, she was false, and everything she did was in vain.

"Why should I believe him?"

"Well, do you think dissecting Suzuki Yuki to investigate will yield results? Besides, haven't you wondered why Mr. Wodime wanted Suzuki Yuki to join Group A? And why did he repeatedly come forward to protect him?" Hinako Akuta's words were spoken in a low voice, not intended for anyone other than Director Olga Marie to hear.

"Send Suzuki Yuki back to his residence and take turns guarding him. Await further instructions from me." After giving the order to her obedient guards, Director Olga Marie narrowed her eyes and pondered Hinako Akuta's question. She didn't think Wodime would have the leisure to take care of an ordinary individual, and he did indeed seem out of the ordinary.