Chapter 4
Physical Examination
After receiving permission, several members of MOTH quickly carried a few pieces of equipment into the orphanage. Celia organized the children into a single line in the hallway, where they underwent examinations one by one.
Standing off to the side, Xiling quietly watched their every move, her head lowered as countless thoughts raced through her mind.
“Miss, could you please come over for the examination as well?”
“Me too?”
Frowning slightly, Xiling stepped onto the examination device.
A few moments later, the team packed away their equipment and bowed politely to Celia.
“Thank you for your cooperation. Please accept this small token of appreciation as compensation for the disturbance we’ve caused.”
As soon as they finished speaking, the MOTH personnel left, disappearing so quickly that even Xiling found it difficult to believe.
“…Did they discover something…?”
She wasn’t worried about herself. After all, she was nothing more than an ordinary person—if anything, she was physically frail.
What truly concerned her was the possibility that they had noticed Elysia.
As expected, a few days later, those same people returned.
This time, however, the scope of their inspection was much narrower. Aside from Elysia, only around a dozen other children were selected.
But that wasn’t what surprised Xiling the most.
Just before leaving, they drew a vial of blood from her.
Rubbing the still-sore needle mark on her arm, she frantically ran through every possibility in her mind.
“Why did they take my blood?
To develop an anti-Honkai serum? No—that can’t be it. I don’t possess any Honkai adaptability.
For laboratory experiments? That doesn’t make much sense either. MOTH is such a massive organization that obtaining blood samples should be effortless for them.
So why would they specifically choose me…?”
“Xiao Ling, what’s wrong? You’ve been absent-minded these past few days…”
Celia’s concerned voice came from behind her.
Hearing it, Xiling immediately put on a gentle smile.
“No, I’m fine. I was just wondering why they suddenly decided to give everyone a physical examination.”
“Maybe the government is simply looking out for the children. Physical checkups are a good thing, so don’t overthink it.”
Xiling neither agreed nor disagreed.
If the Previous Era’s government truly cared about these children, they would have examined them the moment they first arrived at the orphanage—not waited until now.
Besides, the unmistakable MOTH insignia emblazoned across those uniforms made one thing perfectly clear.
If someone claimed they weren’t suspicious of these children, Xiling would never believe it.
“I hope you’re right… Ah, it’s almost time to make dinner. I’d better go prepare the children’s meal.”
After Xiling left, Celia let out a quiet sigh.
The things Xiling had noticed… how could she have failed to notice them herself?
But as the director of the orphanage, she also had to think about the safety of all the other children.
“I just hope they’ll all stay safe…”
…
“So you’re saying… you want to leave and search the outside world for the Elysian Realm from the stories?”
“Mm. Is that alright, Mama Celia?”
“Of course it is. But wouldn’t it be too dangerous for you to travel alone?”
“I can go with her, Celia. Though that means I’ll have to trouble you with looking after the children here.”
“It’s alright. If you’re accompanying little Elysia, then I can rest easy.”
“Thank you. There’s a stack of cash in the drawer of my room—consider it my farewell gift. And beneath my bed are the toys I promised to make for the children. Please give them to them for me.”
