Why it never ends

Chapter 409 The Forest
Mantel took the two to get a wheelchair, and when they passed the corridor, it was already raining on the sea, so Mantel closed a window in the corridor.

"What are so many people doing down here?" She looked at the dozen or so black umbrellas that were stretched open on the open deck.

"Didn't you hear the explosion? It was about half an hour ago."

Mantel's face changed: "Is there another explosion?"

"And there is one more dead person, the Briar Monk."

Mantel sighed and murmured a prayer.

"Didn't you really hear it? The place where the incident happened is quite close to where we met."

"Really, I don't have to lie to you, I went to Ms. Anna's museum after breakfast - have you been?"

"She has been there." Li Ke looked at Jane, "It seems quite interesting, doesn't it?"

"...Well," Hester replied absently, and she spoke thoughtfully, "Is this the first time you've seen Anna, Ms. Mantel?"

"Yes," Mantel replied, "I was on vacation in a small town in the south of the third district, and I heard that Anna lived in a certain manor over there. I originally wanted to visit, but when I arrived I know that he has been away for more than a week."

"It's a pity, then you—"

"Isn't it! But who would have thought that we would meet today, there is a huge gap between her real person and the photo—oh, don't tell her about this, it doesn't feel good for me to talk behind her back—"

"No." Hesta adjusted her sitting posture, "But I'm curious, since you haven't seen her before, why do you like her so much?"

"I read her book," Mantel said slowly, "Have you two lived in the forest?"

"I lived there, but not for a long time, so I can't talk about 'life'." Li Ke replied.

"Where?"

"The Yalina rainforest in the east of the seventh district, the central forest in the ninth district, and the North Cape Snowfield area in the fifth district—"

"Have you ever been to North Point!?" Mantel opened his eyes wide, "I am from there! Have you all been there? When did you go?"

"I haven't," replied Hesta. "I rarely go to the Fifth."

"My words...it should be a few years ago," Li Ge recalled, "there was a place that was designated as a quarantine zone a long time ago. A few years ago, when the critical time was reached, I was responsible for protecting a group of scientific researchers to investigate the area. The concentration of chelating bacteria - should have returned to a habitable place by now."

"That's right," Mantel's eyes became brighter, "I haven't been back for a long time, I grew up there until I was 12 years old, but because someone was infected with chelation, our entire town was relocated elsewhere..." She let out a sigh of relief, "...I will always miss the forest."

Hesta looked down, "So, is it because she wrote a book about forests?"

"Many people are writing about the forest, but no one has ever written as well as her." Mantel looked at Rico, "When did you go to North Cape?"

"Early summer."

Mantel's expression became a little regretful, "That was not a good time."

"It's also very beautiful, but there are many mud pits, and you will fall into it if you are not careful."

Mantel laughed, "Yes, because some glaciers will melt in summer... When I was a child, I often took my dog ​​to patrol the mountains to see if any travelers got into this kind of trouble. Some people are inexperienced, and it is quite dangerous to fall. .”

"are you alone?"

"And my dogs," Mantel replied, "and if there was a problem, I would send one of them home to my aunt, and she would come with a shovel and a rope. Some fell very deep, She has to shovel away the surrounding soil before she can start to rescue... Have you ever shoveled soil in the forest?"

Li Ke shook his head, "We generally live in ready-made workstations, so we don't really need to do this."

"...Then you missed a lot," Mantel said with a smile, "you don't need to dig very deep, you will see the underground root system, they are intertwined, with a lot of white hyphae, and digging down is Mineral soil, and big trees will put their roots down deep, deep."

Mantel stopped in front of an iron gate, "Wait for me here for a while, I'll go in and get the book."

Hesta and Rico raised their heads and found that they had arrived at the crew rest area on the third deck. The two watched Mantel disappear into the corridor behind the iron gate. Hesta turned his head and said, "Rico."

"Ok?"

"If there is a person who has left a very good impression on many people, but you find that this person is very bad—or in other words, she wants to do some bad things to you, what would be the reason?"

"You mean Anna?" Lico turned his head sideways, "Who else said she's alright except Mantel?"

"Slei." Hesta leaned on the wheelchair, "She also didn't recognize Anna before boarding the boat, but after hearing Anna's name, she went over to say hello in the same way."

"...Uh," Li Ke fell into deep thought, "Does that mean...she hates you?"

"I've never provoked her, why does she hate me?"

"That's not good, sometimes people just have some intuitions about other people." Li Ke frowned and thought for a while, "Is Anna treating you badly? Didn't she invite you to visit her collection before, and also Let me borrow your book..."

"but she--"

Thinking of the conversation with Anna last night, Hesta stopped abruptly after speaking half a word.

She couldn't tell Li Ke what happened last night, because once she opened her mouth, it would be tantamount to telling Li Ke that Miss Qianye intentionally let herself out last night.

"I agree with you," Li Ke continued, "she is quite annoying sometimes, but maybe she is just like that, and it's not aimed at you?"

"...She is targeting me." Hesta replied firmly, "I know."

Footsteps sounded again, and Mantel came out with a book wrapped in cowhide, "Here."

Hesta took it with both hands, "Thank you, when will I pay you back?"

"One week. This is a bound volume of the first and second volumes. Although it is well written, it will take some time to finish reading it."

Mantel closed the door behind him, "Then you guys go back, I should also go to the kitchen warehouse to have a look."

"Are you going out next?"

"Of course, it's my working hours."

Hesta looked down and flipped through the book, "Aren't you worried about that 'chelate' on the boat?"

Mantel's expression froze for a moment, but neither Rico nor Hesta saw it.

"...How can you not be worried?" Mantel quickly returned to nature, "but it is a chelate. If you are targeted, it is useless to prevent it. It is better not to think about these things." No."

"Good attitude." Hesta raised his head, "Thank you."

(End of this chapter)