[FDJ] Chapter 13: Faint Noise

The faint aroma of coffee attracts Suzuki. He could not understand the medical terms Dr. Romani was describing, nor did he understand what the staff scanning him with the instruments was trying to find. It had been a full three hours since he regained consciousness and was brought here.

There was no concept of respecting the injured and sick here. Only the highest authority of this organization, Director Olga Marie Animusphere, issued the orders. The staff who were initially hesitant now treated him as a mere "subject."

"...Can't you provide any substantial results?" Although Director Olga Marie was a girl of a similar age to Suzuki, she was a traditional magus who scrutinized every detail in her work and sought results with a volatile temper. The dozen or so adults present all nodded and promised to attend to every detail without daring to raise their heads in her presence. "A bunch of useless waste."

As the head of the medical institution, Dr. Romani, no matter how hard he tried to find possible answers in the data, could not articulate the problem. Seeing the anxious expressions of his subordinates beside him, he reluctantly gave a conclusion.

"Perhaps Suzuki-kun is naturally suited for Spiritron Transfer."

"Isn't that nonsense!" Director Olga Marie abruptly stood up and slammed the table, accidentally knocking over her tea cup and spilling coffee onto the table. "Dr. Romani, I'll repeat myself. Why is it that only Suzuki can undergo a Spiritron Transfer? You have been busy using various testing instruments here for three hours, and yet you have no clues. Are you trying to say that the other 47 candidates, who have undergone rigorous selection and extensive training, also cannot undergo Spiritron Transfer?"

Director Olga Marie's tone softened slightly afterward, but Suzuki could tell that she was still burning with anger like a dangerous substance that had just been ignited.

"But... the data from the instrument tests is consistent with Suzuki-kun's previous check-up data. He hasn't been affected by external magecraft, and there have been no changes in his magical circuits... In short, there have been no changes in his body."

"Only he succeeded in the previous large-scale Spiritron Transfer, while the other 47 all failed! These people are difficult to handle. If news of this accident gets out, our Chaldea organization, and even the Clock Tower, will become a laughingstock!"

The outside world? Suzuki's understanding of anything outside Chaldea is limited to books and information. He had never left before. Director Olga Marie seemed angry and impatient because of something very important.

"Fine, since you can't find any abnormalities in Suzuki's body, I'll wait for the experts to take over this work. What else can you people do besides treating fevers, colds, and minor injuries?!" Director Olga Marie took a half-written report and data from Dr. Romani and walked out of the medical facility alone.

However, before she officially left, Dr. Romani saw that Suzuki looked exhausted and followed her, asking, "Should not we let Suzuki-kun rest for a while? His body is quite weak right now."

"Hmph, just a...," Director Olga Marie glanced at Suzuki, her gaze not resembling that of looking at a person at all, but rather at her possession, like the teacup on the table, even if it was overturned, she wouldn't feel sorry for it. "Switch to low-intensity monitoring instruments and record his physical data here for 24 hours."

"You can't do this!"

Just as Director Olga Marie was about to continue treating Suzuki as a guinea pig, several people entered the medical facility, all of whom were Master Candidates.

The person who shouted to stop was the golden-haired man who had brought Suzuki novels yesterday, the young head of the prestigious Wodime family, and the Chairman of the Clock Tower's Department of Astromancy, Kirschtaria Wodime.

"What do you mean? Are you openly contradicting me? Mr. Kirschtaria Wodime, I am the highest authority of this organization, while you are just the honorary captain of the 48 Masters." Director Olga Marie emphasized the word "honorary," standing a head shorter than the other person but showing no weakness in her demeanor.

Kirschtaria Wodime maintained his humble attitude. As a scion of a prestigious family with a regal demeanor, he did not like to solve problems through direct violence. "Since Suzuki-kun has now been assigned to my Group A, I am no longer just the 'honorary' captain, but his direct superior. For the safety of our eighth member in Group A, I do not agree with detaining him in the medical room and using various instruments to scan his physical data."

"I am the director, and what I say counts!"

"Yes, you're right. That is why I have just made suggestions to you. As a colleague in the Clock Tower's Department of Astromancy, I suggested to you. Suzuki-kun is now our partner, and we are concerned about his condition."

Director Olga Marie's face became increasingly gloomy. No magus had ever dared threaten her.

"So, what do you think we should do? None of you can perform Spiritron Transfer, except for Suzuki Yuki. Should we not urgently search for the cause from him rather than studying the other 47 of you?"

"No, Director Olga Marie. Do you think there may be a problem with Chaldea's Spiritron Transfer device? How can we catch an innocent person who happened to be 'accidentally connected' as the culprit?"

Neither of them would back down. Both were scions of prestigious families, young high-ranking individuals in the world of magecraft. However, Olga Marie was at least two levels below Kirschtaria Wodime, and the several Masters who came with him also had family influences.

Even the second-rate magus Kadoc, whom she had despised, had become a "loyal" subordinate of Kirschtaria Wodime. Olga Marie doubted whether Kirschtaria Wodime had incorporated more than half of the Masters into his team. When she turned and saw only Dr. Romani standing at her side, Olga Marie felt something was off. Such a serious conflict had never occurred within Chaldea before. In addition to conducting experiments, even if it involved consuming a pile of resources, the Masters in Chaldea should not have forced her into a corner.

"Everyone, please remain calm," Dr. Roman said, assessing the situation and shifting toward the other extreme. Under the gaze of Director Olga Marie, he had no choice but to step forward and mediate. "Based on the data from our medical facility, there are no abnormalities present in Suzuki Yuki. Keeping him here will not yield new results. It would be better to send him back to his dormitory and wait for the director to invite an expert team to come and make further plans."

Dr. Roman's "mediation" clearly did not satisfy Director Olga Marie, but seeing that even Dr. Roman, the only one standing on her side, had this disregard for the bigger picture, she could only choose to compromise. Power had to be recognized to be effective.

"Mr. Kirschtaria Wodime, are you satisfied with Dr. Roman's response?"

"If Suzuki Yuki's attending physician says so, then I agree."

With a mutually agreed-upon approach, the dispute surrounding Suzuki Yuki ended temporarily. He had been exhausted and had been lying on a chair for a long time.

It wasn't until both parties left the medical facility that Dr. Roman and his subordinates breathed a sigh of relief. Their small subsidiary department had the privilege of witnessing a clash between the highest-ranking magus in Chaldea today.

"Dr. Roman, how should we handle Suzuki Yuki?"

"Quickly send him back to his dorm. I will continue to personally monitor his physical condition." Dr. Roman was also exhausted after hours of heightened tension and concentration. He had no appetite for lunch and only wanted to take a nap with his newly acquired 'Magi ⭐ Mari' body pillow.

After being taken back to his dormitory, Suzuki did not wake up until evening. On his bedside table, there was a box for self-heating nutritional meals and a pill. Underneath the meal box, there was a note left by Dr. Roman: If you still have a headache, take this pill. I will come to diagnose you again tomorrow morning.

After putting the pill back into the cabinet, Suzuki felt hungry. It seemed that he had not eaten in a while, and he vaguely remembered receiving nutrient injections before. There were more than two needle marks on the wrist and evidence of blood drawn.

Having a personal dormitory was normal as everyone in Chaldea had individual rooms. Eating alone was also normal, and Suzuki couldn't recall any memories of eating with others, except for those few times with Shinji Matou...

"Shinji Matou?" Suzuki was certain that this name did not exist in Chaldea, yet he distinctly remembered it. He shared bread and ate poorly cooked canned food with that person. The one who made such unappetizing food... was Lancer, Medusa.

"How could I remember..."

Suzuki had just opened the self-heating meal pack when he experienced a headache again. Opening his eyes again, he could vaguely see the illusion of flames. He quickly picked up the pill from the bedside table and swallowed it with water.

"What's happening to me?"

Suzuki endured for more than ten minutes until the medication took effect, relieving his headache and dispelling the illusion of flames. But when he reached into his shirt pocket, he discovered a crushed packet of compressed biscuits.

"Compressed biscuits?"

"Bro, we're about to depart. Don't you collect some food to carry with you?" He then took the unopened packet of compressed biscuits from the table and placed it in his pocket, completing the mission.

Suzuki held the packet of compressed biscuits and felt increasingly puzzled. How can he remember memories outside of Chaldea? He never left Chaldea.

The packaging of the biscuits displayed the production date: December 28, 2003. Even without looking at the calendar, he knew it was now 2016. These compressed biscuits were produced 13 years ago in Japan. All basic supplies distributed within Chaldea are invariably made in the United States.

"What has happened to me?"

======================

Check My Other Work: Shinji Matou At Your Service