Arknights' Lock of Heaven

Hearing this, Ceylon, who was hiding in the corner, finally couldn't hold back anymore.

He let out a gasp.

"Miss Ceylon, you don't have to hide and eavesdrop."

“Mr. Herag,” Ceylon emerged from the corner, her eyes red, “when did that mercenary begin his activities, and when did he disappear?”

"Her deeds began to become known, even before I was discharged from the army, but she disappeared a year ago, along with the destruction of that family."

Helag answered calmly.

"...Until six years ago, Hei took care of my life in Victoria."

Ceylon said in a daze, "But one day, she suddenly said that her father needed her to go back to work, and then she left, only coming to pick me up at Christmas every year."

"But, but, she was just rude and was following orders. How could she possibly be the kind of killer who kills without hesitation!"

Ceylon was unable to accept the facts for a time.

"Furthermore, according to your logic, are you implying that my father was behind Kronin's actions?!"

"I do not believe!"

To be honest, she was quite devastated when she heard this.

It wasn't because her sisters were assassins, but because her father... and she herself had absolutely no idea!

"I won't speculate. But as I've said before, even the most trusted person may not be completely open with you."

Herag sighed. "Whether you believe it or not, I don't care. But I'm absolutely certain that the scars on her body from the Ursus standard weapon are genuine."

Hei was wearing a swimsuit, which naturally revealed the scars on her body.

"...Could you accompany me for a walk, Doctor?"

Upon hearing this, Ceylon became very depressed.

“I’d be happy to oblige,” the doctor replied, of course.

“Mr. Herag, thank you for the news,” Ceylon said politely, bidding Herag farewell. “I’m sorry, I need to calm down now, so I’ll have to take my leave for now.”

“No need to be so polite,” Herag smiled slightly. “I’ve done what I needed to do.”

"The rest is up to the Doctor."

After saying that, he waved casually and walked towards the concert.

"..."

"Doctor, you know, when I was little, this beach wasn't this crowded. I loved building sandcastles there all by myself."

On the cool sea breeze and soft sand, the Doctor and Ceylon strolled side by side.

"...Under my father's leadership, this city has been getting better every year."

Ceylon sighed, and as she spoke of her father, a glint of something unreadable flashed in her eyes.

"My father and I, well, we don't talk much."

“I’ve been thinking that the city and making money are more important to him than talking to me more.”

“My mother died when I was born, and sometimes I wonder if that’s why he doesn’t like me.”

At this point, Ceylon lowered his head, his tone somewhat melancholy.

"Ha, just like a cliché drama, right? Love turns to hate... That's a good way to use the phrase, isn't it?"

"Well, I'd say it's a case of hating the house because of the crow," the doctor smiled slightly.

"Alright, I hate the house because of the crow."

“Father… He didn’t seem to care whether I liked him or not. Ever since I can remember, he was often not at home. Rather than father and daughter, we were more like strangers living in the same house.”

294 You know her, don't you?

“He…” Ceylon murmured helplessly, “If it really is him… what should I do?”

“Actually, I don’t believe it was your father’s doing either,” the doctor said upon hearing this. “The reason is simple: it’s not worth it.”

Clearly, the news that Ceylon had been blackmailed into becoming an assassin had shocked him so much that he no longer trusted even his own father.

She could also mislead Ceylon by following his words, and then easily become Xia Yu's station director. Although the doctor really wanted to compete with Xia Yu, there was no need to joke about the relationship between the father and daughter.

So she chose to offer guidance.

“He is now the most powerful person in Siesta. As you said, he has dedicated his life to this city.”

"Then there is even less reason to sit idly by and watch this city, and watch my life's work go to waste."

The doctor shrugged at this point, "It really doesn't make sense."

"And even if there were some compelling reason for him to do this, his bodyguards wouldn't be so gentle with you."

"Your father is the kind of person who, well, how should I put it, I know a little about him. He's capable of locking up his daughter for a period of time to achieve his own goals."

"Moreover, in order to keep the plan from being exposed, Mount Siesta should be heavily guarded now, and no reason is needed, just an excuse to ensure the safety of the Obsidian Music Festival will suffice."

"But you saw it yourself, even a young lady like you could climb up there..."

"In conclusion, your father is probably innocent and likely genuinely didn't know."

"He definitely wasn't involved in causing trouble, otherwise he wouldn't be so stingy."

The doctor chuckled as he said this, "At least have some confidence in your father."

“Thank you for your guidance, Doctor,” Ceylon said with a sigh of relief.

As the saying goes, concern leads to confusion. Today's news was too stimulating for her to calm down and think things through.

If it weren't for the doctor's advice, she probably would have gotten stuck in a rut long ago.

“I know some of his methods are not exactly honorable.”

Ceylon covered his face as he spoke.

"But I'm not that naive; I don't believe that being upright and honest is the only way to be just."

"It's just...dark..."

At this point, Ceylon suddenly became excited.

"He shouldn't have turned Hei Ye... into that kind of person!"

"He knew perfectly well how important the color black was to me!"

"It's fair to say that being surrounded by darkness is an integral part of my life."

At this point, Ceylon walked to a bench by the roadside and sat down, recalling his childhood self.

"Why?" That's what I used to ask Black.

“Because I have Oripathy, Miss,” she always said, looking at him with the same doting gaze as an older sister, “it’s not good for your health to be near me. You can just call me when you need me.”

"Does it hurt?"

"...It won't hurt much, but you will die," Black replied seriously. "This disease is incurable, Miss."

"I'm determined to cure it!"

"Hmph, just you wait! One day, I will defeat it and take Black back from it."

As a child, I said this, and then went on to study, eventually graduating from Victoria National University with a degree in Originium Studies.

At the same time, we also learned what mineral disease actually is.

Although he was filled with resentment, he could no longer bring himself to say the words about taking Black back from Oripathy.

Ceylon lowered her head, hugged her legs, and looked helpless.

"The reason I want to study Originium is because she is an Infected, and I want to cure her."

"This has always been my motivation. I even went to study at Victoria University for this dream."

Ceylon curled up on the bench. "The research on Originium was so obscure and difficult that I couldn't understand it at first. I wanted to give up several times, but I persevered in the end."

"Victoria is so far away. I wasn't used to it at all at first."

"Unfamiliar land, unfamiliar people, unfamiliar food, unfamiliar scenery... and that knowledge that seemed like an incomprehensible book, but I persevered through it all."

Ceylon said in a low voice, "In the end, I'm more of a Victorian than a Siesta..."

"Doctor, does that mean everything I have is fake?"

What happened today has been a huge blow to this girl.

His cherished hometown has become a chessboard for conspirators, and he now realizes that his past understanding of the person he cares about most was like looking at flowers through a fog...

While she was enjoying the warm spring breeze of Victoria, she might have been fighting for her life in the muddy wilderness of Colombia.

“If you ask me,” the doctor sighed, “I can’t prove anything with just a few conjectures. Things in the world are not as simple as people imagine. There are too many things involved behind the scenes.”

Why not go and ask?

The doctor said to Ceylon, "Ask your best friend what she did during the years you were studying, and whether it was out of her own free will."

"You trust her so much, so there must be no problem with her."