Standing in front of me, in the middle of the small side lounge, were two people. Apparently, after being contacted by Chris the previous night, they had rushed here.

The first person was an elderly short man wearing a plain plaid shirt, dungarees and a pair of black boots. His beard was well-groomed, while his white hair was covered by a straw hat.

Nevertheless, the person I was interested in was the one accompanying him. I immediately recognized her, as she was just as I had imagined her to be. At this moment, my eyes were probably shining. There she was, the absolutely stunning Faye Deveraux, the person who could help me more than anyone in this world. Her raven hair, sticking out of the straw hat covering the top of her head, framed her perfect features, while her turquoise eyes were sending daggers in my direction. Her quivering athletic body was apparent, even while being covered by the same kind of attire sported by the elderly man.

My brow furrowed. Something here didn’t add up. Although the person in front of me was certainly Faye Deveraux, she was quite different from how she should have been. The Faye Deveraux I had conceived inside my mind was the smartest person on the planet, the incredibly talented young woman known only by the most important and powerful people and who alone had developed, starting from the craft of Moulding, the entire field of mana bioengineering, better known as Forming.

But the young girl in front of me was clearly a farmer. Her attire and her callous hands were proof enough of this fact and, far from being a woman, she was clearly a teenager, not older than the official age I had been attributed. Moreover, although I didn’t design her to be a powerhouse, she seemed too weak, even weaker than me.

For a moment, doubt sprouted inside my heart.

“... Are you truly Faye Deveraux?” I weakly asked, hoping for a negative answer.

“In the flesh” answered her with an irritated voice.

This situation was a disaster. Something seriously wrong was going on. Her being young could be explained by me having reached this world before the beginning of the official timeline, but why she was a farmer was beyond me. She should have been deep in study somewhere at this point in time, laying the foundations for her future craft, and not toilingin a field. This could throw a wrench into my plans, considering they relied on Faye being able to operate on me.

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The elderly man was about to open his mouth, when he was cut short by Faye.

“Pop, could you please leave us alone for a moment? You also Mr? I need to talk with this person a little bit”

It was obvious she wasn’t going to accept a no as an answer.

“Are you sure, missy? As I was explaining before, John is a victim of a mana storm and is suffering from amnesia. He needs a calm environment and you seem somewhat agitated, little lady, so…” said Chris concerned.

Although at first glance it could seem like he was worrying about me, in reality I perfectly understood he was worrying about her. From what he knew, I could have some undiagnosed mental problems which, when coupled with my superior physical strength, could prove to be a recipe for tragedy.

“Yeah, I’m completely sure. It is fine with you, right?”

“Obviously” I smiled at Faye, who addressed me directly.

“As you wish, my dear. Please be careful” said the elderly man, who was revealed to be her grandfather.

Without any excuse to remain, Chris followed Mr Deveraux outside of the room and of the guard station. Once they were far away enough so they wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop, we started our private conversation.

“Who are you and what do you know about me?” she inquired, glaring at me.

Her eyes were full of distrust and suspicion and that was completely justified. I had asked Chris to address her while referring to someone, me, knowing about her mother, who I knew was a critical point for her.

“Oooh, let’s just say I am… a friend who knows a little bit”

I was smiling mischievously. I had gotten over the frustration I had previously felt and was now completely savouring the situation: it was quite the rare opportunity, to be able to freely converse in person with the fruit of your own imagination. I knew I had struck a nerve, but she was behaving a little too aggressively, so I opted to have a little bit of fun at her expenses.

Her face distorted into a grimace.

“Do not be evasive. Did you know my mother?”

“Oh no no, I don’t know who your mother was… “

“Then what was that message about…”

“But I know what she was and, as a consequence, what you are. It would be such a pity to keep such a secret to ourselves, don’t you think?”

She instantly paled. Her body started trembling and her forehead sweating profusely. I smiled. She had tried approaching me aggressively, but the moment I threatened her, her game had changed dramatically.

“W-What d-do yo-you want fr-from me?” she stuttered.

I sighed. My intention was to play with her a little bit, but it seemed I had immediately taken it too far. I surely didn’t imagine two sentences would be enough to break her. I imagined her young age played a big role in her limited resistance to stressful situations.

“Relax, I was just joking. Getting you in trouble is the last thing I want to do” I tried to reassure her, actually with poor results.

I immediately sprinted towards her. Probably due to the stress, she lost strength in her limbs and was suddenly in need of support.