Silence the Paradigmatic

[Code Name] Silence

[Gender] Female

[Combat Experience] None

[Place of Birth] Columbia

[Date of Birth] May 18

[Race] Liberi

[Height] 154cm

[Infection Status]

Originium crystals distributed across surface of body, confirmed Infected by medical examination.

[Physical Strength] Normal

[Mobility] Standard

[Physical Resilience] Normal

[Tactical Acumen] Excellent

[Combat Skill] Standard

[Originium Arts Assimilation] Excellent

Sponsor of the 'Trimounts Ethics in Scientific Research Joint Declaration' and executive advisor to Rhine Lab's Components Control Section, now cooperating with Rhodes Island in medical matters.

She has extensive clinical experience in medicine, and provides medical support to Rhodes Island as she receives Oripathy related treatment.

Imaging tests show the indistinct outlines of internal organs, obscured by abnormal shadows. Originium granules detected in the circulatory system. The subject is confirmed to be infected with Oripathy.

[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 7%

Patient has ore lesion located on the upper area of her left ankle. The spread has just slightly increased in size compared to when the patient first joined Rhodes Island.

[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.25u/L

Originium granules in the patient's circulatory system have just slightly increased in density compared to her initial test results, but her condition is currently stable.

Silence did not return to Rhodes Island with Dr. Kal'tsit and the Doctor. She spent a month in Trimounts before returning to the landship.

On her return, she immediately had a long chat with Dr. Kal'tsit that lasted an entire afternoon, and after some simple handover procedures, someone replaced her in the Medical Department. The reason is simple: her current focus is based in Trimounts and has left her no spare time to stay on Rhodes Island for extended periods as she did in the past.

As a core member of the Medical Department, Silence has played an important role in various missions ever since she brought Ifrit to Rhodes Island. She has the trust of many patients, and while she was tidying up her desk, they and her colleagues found out about the news and ended up getting together for an impromptu farewell party.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Silence is leaving Rhodes Island for good. She herself has directly expressed that she is willing to continue cooperating with Rhodes Island. However, her new position prevents her from interacting with Rhodes Island in a personal capacity—as the sponsor of the 'Trimounts Ethics in Scientific Research Joint Declaration' and executive advisor to Rhine Lab's Components Control Section, she has the entire Columbian scientific community behind her back, so working with her now will also bring a complicated connection to Columbia, which Rhodes Island wants to avoid.

Silence was on the same page, and proposed a solution—she hopes to continue her Oripathy treatment on Rhodes Island. This approach will not only let her contact Rhodes Island in a personal capacity as a patient, but also unofficially leave room for any potential future cooperation.

No doubt this is her way of showing kindness to us. Likewise, we also wish to continue this cooperation with her present self, though we have confirmed one thing while settling the matter—The Silence today is indeed no longer the same as her past self who was devoted to medicine.

Rhine Lab went through a complete reshuffling after the incident.

Saria picked a Defense Section member to replace her and officially resigned from her Section Director position.

Jara also picked a Human Resource Investigation Section member to replace her and officially resigned from her Section Director position.

With Parvis's passing, a leading figure in relevant Columbian academic circles became the new Structural Section Director.

The Energy Section Director post was left vacant for almost two months before Ferdinand returned to reassume his position.

These might sound like completely normal adjustments, but the next two have practically foreshadowed the upcoming changes Rhine Lab will face.

Kristen resigned from her position as Control, and Saria, as co-founder, took over her place as Component Control Section Director.

Silence, a former researcher from Structural, transferred to Component Control. She now acts as an executive advisor for that Section, while also serving as Rhine Lab's representative on the Scientific Ethics Consensus Committee.

Silence now has both Trimounts and the entire Columbian scientific community watching her.

The 'Trimounts Ethics in Scientific Research Joint Declaration' she initiated acutely points out the negligence and abuse of ethics in science by both scientists and their organizations. It also advocates advancing science while enriching the soil it takes root in, to create a more humane environment for scientific research.

The Consensus Committee on Scientific Ethics is another result of the declaration—members will maintain the presence of ethics in scientific research, as well as strive to further improve the current standards. It goes without saying why it's so important to have Silence on the committee as Rhine Lab's representative.

Of course, Silence was previously just a researcher, and could not have gotten the position without the support of others. Those perceptive enough can even see the various powers behind her wrestling for power.

Silence's response to this was brief, but striking:

'I will accept these chains if they are the only way to fulfill my wishes.'

Silence shared with the Doctor what she went through.

After rescuing Saria from the wreckage of the H.A.M.H.R.R., she returned to Trimounts with her and Ifrit to settle them down. Afterwards, Jara got in touch with her.

Jara told Silence she could help her out one last time before she retired. Silence had the opportunity to meet the Tin Man, one of the people behind the Maylander Foundation. Silence knew what that meant; she would be directly talking to the force influencing the country. The only issue was whether she felt she was truly ready yet.

'I decided to take the chance. But I had never expected to find someone else in the office other than the Tin man. Mr. Jackson.'

The Vice President of Columbia greeted her with a confusing warmth, but she also realized it was an opportunity regardless.

She elaborated to the two of them her views and conclusions on the Rhine Lab incident, and was surprised to have Jackson's eager approval.

'Mr. Jackson said that I was one of Columbia's indispensable talents. I might have believed it in the past, but at that moment my first instinct was terror.'

Everything went as smoothly as it should after that. Silence knows it was not due to the greatness of her ideals, but that she just happened to be there. Someone else would have taken her spot anyway had she refused.

But she knew at least that taking that position would let her genuinely realize her ideals that so many others saw as simply hot air.

'I know what I'm up against... so Saria is indispensable. To both Rhine Lab and to me.'

Rhine Lab losing their Control was akin to losing their backbone, and at this point, only Saria's reputation as the co-founder could assure everyone that everything was going to be fine. After all, no one wanted Rhine Lab to fall.

To Silence, her past grievances have now become insignificant. It was more important to figure out how to face the future. She knows that what Saria needs is time, so she handed over the responsibility of Ifrit's guardianship to her. She trusts that their beliefs held no fundamental contradictions, and that they will eventually end up on the same path.

Of course, the pursuit of ideals always comes at a price.

An obvious one Silence had to pay was Ifrit's annoyance.

From Ifrit's point of view, life seems to have been flipped upside down. Saria has now become her guardian, while Silence is the one who's hard to meet.

When asked about this situation, Silence pondered for a moment, but said nothing as a bitter smile emerged on her face.

I heard someone say recently that Silence has a higher position now, and acts differently from how she used to. Silence seems to feel that way too, that she isn't as pure as before.

Hmph, they don't get her at all.

It's true that she has a ton of meetings to go to, and many people to meet, so she can't be a doctor like before anymore. But she still cares about my condition whenever she comes back, and tells me about any relevant developments in medical technology.

Last week, she made a special trip to Medical when she returned to the landship, to have a long chat with Warfarin about the latest advancements, and they even did some lab experiments together... After that, she went to all her ex-patients to have a brief chat with them too.

Silence hasn't changed at ALL! She just got too busy and is too tired to treat everyone as gently now.

Also, it seems like many of the other doctors have been even more attentive to me, because they're afraid of me getting angry over Silence being gone.

I mean, Silence always stopped me from seeing Saria, saying I was young and didn't know a thing, so of course I'd be angry.

But now I know what she's working on in Trimounts, and she tells me about everything that's going on with her and the place whenever she comes back to eat with us.

I can already understand some of the things she and Saria talk about, and I know she's doing some awesome stuff, so obviously I won't get mad. I'm not the kid who wanted her to be with me all the time anymore.

I've been the captain of a few field missions now, and I know being the leader means taking on even more responsibilities. Silence never wanted to do it before, but since she wants to now, I should support her decision.

That's why I've been studying real hard recently. I'm gonna be real, I had no clue Saria was such a good teacher... But the Medical Department courses are crazy difficult...

Anyway, my dream is to stand together with both Saria and Silence. If the three of us work together, no problem in Terra will be a match for us!

——Ifrit's Diary

After spending the entire day in meetings, Silence finds herself inadvertently walking towards the Structural Section laboratories.

A familiar colleague calls to her, and seems to want to give her a pat on the shoulder, but instead his arm just hovers awkwardly in midair.

'Did you come to learn about our current experiments? I submitted the ethics review to Defense just two days ago, but since you're here, would you like me to... show you around?'

'No need to trouble yourself, Albert. I know my way to the lab.'

'Haha...ha, good to hear. Then... take it easy, I'll head off first.'

'Yeah, see you.'

'Oh, by the way... the experiments you left behind... as well as the data... *sigh* Lamy and I just want to know if you'll ever come back?'

Silence's colleagues in the Medical Department had also asked her a similar question when she left the Rhodes Island landship.

What a pity.

She reads the same unspoken words in their eyes.

Silence thinks of the drafts locked in the drawers of Saria's study. It had been almost a decade and they were probably no longer fit to publish. Scientific research is a brutally competitive field, and her time is limited. It would be a challenge to stay on the forefront even if she tries her best to keep up.

Was this the right choice?

Perhaps she will still be tortured by her self-doubt and uncertainty in the future.

When all the Structural researchers had left the building, Silence stands up from her familiar lab table, and turns off the lights as she had done many times before.

She stands in front of a corridor leading to every Rhine Section department, the lights always on and bright, just as they always have.