In the end, he merely nodded.
His tone was flat but held no resistance.
“If the chance arises.” After that brief exchange, Columbina’s attention seemed to drift back to the cake on her plate.
She whispered something toward the empty air, something like “Alright, alright, just one more small bite.” Then she gave them both a little nod and drifted away, leaving behind a faint, peculiar fragrance that mingled moonlight and sweets.
Pierro turned to Dottore and explained, “Columbina’s temperament is rather unique, but her abilities are beyond doubt, and her mind is pure.
What’s more, she cares deeply for the comrades she acknowledges.” “I noticed,” Dottore said, withdrawing his gaze.
His voice betrayed no emotion.
“An interesting subject to observe.
At the very least, far easier to deal with than those who harbor deep schemes and say one thing while meaning another.” Once again, his words carried a pointed edge.
Pierro knew exactly who he was referring to.
His voice remained steady.
“They have their own codes of conduct and their own ambitions.
As long as they do not cross the bottom line, the Fatui permits a certain degree of internal competition.” “Competition?” Dottore gave a derisive snort.
“As long as they keep their hands out of my laboratory, I have no interest in their little games for now.” His gaze turned cold.
“But if they overstep, I wouldn’t mind giving them an early lesson in what ‘absolute terror’ really means.” Pierro offered no comment on the veiled threat, only a reminder.
“Know where to draw the line.
Her Majesty the Tsaritsa needs the strength of her Harbingers, not internal strife.” “I have my own measure for these things.” Dottore picked up his now lukewarm coffee and drained it in one gulp.
“Now, if there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.
My new ‘toys’ are already impatient to be dismantled and analyzed.” “Go, then.
Remember, this is Snezhnaya, and it is also your new beginning.” That was Pierro’s final word on the matter.
Dottore did not look back.
He simply raised a hand in a casual wave and headed straight for the hidden passage that led underground.
His silhouette receded further into the dim corridor until it was swallowed completely by the shadows.
The fire in the hearth still crackled.
Pierro stood alone by the window, watching the endless blizzard outside, a flicker of light in his eyes.
He murmured to himself, “Dottore… I hope what I’ve brought here is not a storm that will burn everything to ash but a sharp blade that can carve open the future.
Time will tell.” Down below, Dottore stepped into his exclusive laboratory.
He surveyed the fully equipped, spacious domain that belonged entirely to him, and the flames of research burned fiercely in his eyes.
The underground lab Pierro had arranged near his residence was secure and comprehensive, far more so than he had anticipated.
The broad space was logically divided into several areas: basic alchemical equipment, elemental analyzers, bio-cultivation pods, and everything he could need.
There were even some precision instruments whose designs he had only ever seen in ancient texts.
Cold metal and glass set the dominant tone.
The air carried a blend of antiseptic, old book pages, and faint traces of elemental energy.
To Dottore, this was a paradise far more comforting than any lavish palace.
He wasted almost no time settling in.
That very night, he threw himself into his work.
The first batch of resources Pierro had promised arrived early the next morning, delivered by a team of silent Debt Collectors.
The sheer efficiency gave Dottore a much more concrete sense of the Fatui’s capabilities.
His initial research focused on two main directions.
The first was the structural analysis and performance optimization of Delusions, those artificial devices that grant elemental power.
The second, and the one that interested him far more personally, was the foundational reconstruction of life alchemy theories that had never been accepted at the Akademiya.
This involved the essence of life and the transformation of forms, a dangerous and forbidden field, but it was precisely where the sparks of his intellect shone brightest.
Days flew by in a cycle of experiments, records, failures, and renewed attempts.
Snezhnaya’s bitter cold was locked outside, and the laboratory’s constant temperature made one almost forget the season.
Dottore hardly ever left.
All his meals were delivered through a dedicated channel, and he immersed himself completely in the ocean of knowledge and the thrill of creation.
He only contacted Pierro via encrypted communication when he occasionally needed special materials or authorizations.
About half a month passed this way.
Late one night, Dottore was deep in thought, studying a complex set of life-energy fluctuation patterns.
A soft chime came from the lab entrance, a non-standard procedure notification that was not an alarm but rather a polite knock at the door.
He frowned.
Who would come looking for him at this hour?
Pierro always contacted him ahead of time.
He pulled up the entrance surveillance feed and was surprised to see the figure with the closed eyes.
Columbina was “standing” outside the lab’s encrypted metal door, the crescent bases beneath her feet glowing with a soft light.
She held a little plate in her hand as usual, this time carrying some kind of cheese pastry topped with berries.
She did not appear impatient to enter but rather tilted her head slightly as if talking in hushed tones with the air beside her.
“…You say it’s very ‘quiet’ here, perfect for thinking.
But will our sudden visit disturb him?” Dottore hesitated for a moment.
He disliked unplanned interruptions, but Columbina was the Third Seat, someone Pierro had clearly indicated could be trusted to a limited degree.
Besides, her peculiar “moon spirit” abilities might provide an unexpected perspective in certain areas.
He authorized the inner door.
The heavy metal door slid open soundlessly.
Columbina sensed the change.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she drifted inside.
“Good evening, Mister Dottore.
I hope I’m not disturbing your ‘quiet.'” She “glanced” around.
Despite her closed eyes, she seemed able to perceive the general layout of the laboratory.
“Wow… the energy flow here is so orderly, yet it holds so many, many thoughts, twinkling like stars.” Dottore set down his data pad and walked to the junction between the main research area and the entry buffer zone.
He did not let her go any deeper into the core area.
“Miss Columbina, a late-night visit.
To what do I owe the honor?” His tone kept a careful distance.
“Honor?
I wouldn’t dare.” Columbina shook her head and extended the plate in her hands toward him.
“It’s just that the kitchen made an especially delicious berry cheese tart today.
The moon spirits said you probably hadn’t rested yet, so I thought I’d bring you some to try.
Staying in the lab all the time, you need a bit of sweetness to relax your mind too, don’t you?” Dottore looked at the delicate pastry in her hand, then at her veiled eyes, which still managed to convey a sincere and expectant gaze.
He was silent for a moment.
He didn’t particularly like sweets, but this kind of pure, uncalculated sharing was something almost entirely absent from his past.
“…Thank you.” He ultimately accepted the plate and placed it on an idle lab bench to the side, but he did not taste it right away.
“You said the moon spirits sensed that I hadn’t rested.
Can they penetrate the shielding here?” This raised his guard.
He had personally reinforced the lab’s protections.
“It’s not ‘penetration,'” Columbina explained, her fingers tracing gently through the air as if stroking something.
“It’s more like ripples of emotion and thought.
Intense concentration also creates a unique kind of ‘field’ around you.
The moon spirits are very sensitive to this feeling.
They say your field is very strong, and also very… lonely.” She paused, then added, “Like the brightest star in the night sky, but with no other starlight around it.” A subtle shift passed through Dottore’s eyes.
Lonely?
He had long grown accustomed to the company of his own thoughts and his equipment.
He had never thought of it as loneliness.
Yet having a seemingly dazed girl point it out so bluntly stirred a strange sense of discomfort.
“Concentration is a requirement of research,” he replied curtly.
“As for starlight, if they get too close, they only interfere with each other.” Columbina nodded in a way that suggested partial understanding.
“Maybe so.
But stars are also drawn to each other, aren’t they?”