Esper X Family – Chapter 623 – Falling into the Trap

Cafeteria.

Ye Yao and Silver Frost had a hearty meal together. One could say that they were bonding over food.

Xia Lian was also there to make up for the numbers.

It was rare to have a new family member, especially one from afar, so Ye Yao was exceptionally warm and welcoming.

“You said you just arrived at headquarters today. Is the food here to your liking?”

“It’s absolutely delicious, much better than anything I’ve ever eaten before.”

The satisfaction on Silver Frost’s face wasn’t feigned.

It seemed that the tastes of the Watcher Civilization weren’t all that different from those of humanity.

And the headquarters’ cafeteria was a gathering place for the nation’s top chefs. Each one a master of their craft, most with culinary-related abilities.

Calling them culinary gods wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

When it came to stimulating the taste buds, they had basically reached the peak.

To achieve an even more exaggerated sensory experience, one would probably need something along the lines of “Holy crap! Ice! ¹ Apparently the source is a Streamer shouting that while watching a LoL tournament. By the way, 溜冰liubing (ice skating) is slang for using drugs. ” or the like.

【After a brief time together, Silver Frost thinks you are a good person.】

Ye Yao could almost hear the sound of “Favorability +1.”

Perhaps due to preconceived notions, Silver Frost wasn’t particularly on guard around Ye Yao.

After all, the intel said that Ye Yao was gentle and kind, placed great importance on friends and family, and even held genuine goodwill toward her livestream audience, people she had never even met in person.

With layers upon layers of buffs and real-life examples backing that up, it wasn’t just Silver Frost, even White Comet thought that Ye Yao was easy to handle.

And after interacting with her, Silver Frost felt even more strongly that the intel was true.

Rеαd on ΚаtReаdіոgСаfe

Even if she was a god, she was clearly a benevolent one.

So, where did the risk lie?

Probably only in those around her, “Ye Tong” and “Ye Ge”, who needed to be watched.

Based on known intel, “Ye Ge” was likely the true enemy.

With that thought, Silver Frost couldn’t truly relax.

【Silver Frost still feels deeply guilty toward you. She has already foreseen the worst possible outcome.

If you were to discover that this friendship was built on a lie, she fears that you would fly into a rage and that “Ye Ge” would become a bomb ready to go off at the slightest spark.】

After sorting through that intelligence, Ye Yao was at a loss for words.

Is Ye Ge’s reputation really that bad?

In their eyes, Ye Ge had probably already become a she-demon who delighted in twisting wishes.

Ye Yao mused that Ye Ge hadn’t actually done anything monstrous.

Just obliterated an interstellar stray dog that liked to bark…

Wait, are they putting themselves in the invaders’ shoes?

Ye Yao suddenly spotted the blind spot.

From humanity’s perspective, the scariest thing Ye Ge had ever done was beat up two human heroes.

And even then, it was just “domestic violence”. She had pulled her punches and hadn’t taken any lives.

But from an alien civilization’s point of view, Ye Ge hit hard against external enemies.

And the Watcher Civilization’s expeditionary fleet had come specifically for a decapitation strike.

Rеaⅾ oո KαtRеαdinɡСаfе

It made perfect sense that Silver Frost felt the weight of that pressure.

But that’s just prejudice!

Ye Yao wasn’t xenophobic. She had even kept Sen Tong and Yi Ling by her side. All she had done was slap a “beautification mod” on them.

As long as the misunderstanding could be cleared up, she couldn’t be bothered to lay a finger on a well-behaved, decent civilization.

“Little Frosty, what are your plans next?”

“Let me see… I think I have classes. My mentor is going to guide me in further developing my ability over the next few days, so I probably won’t have much free time.”

On Silver Frost’s registered file, her ability was listed as 【Frost Current】, a classic elemental type, seemingly without many complex mechanics.

But that didn’t really matter. Lou Wei’s ability was 【Wind Rising and Clouds Gathering】, also seemingly a simple wind type.

And yet, in the end, it still connected to that big blazing red ball in the sky.

No one had said solar wind wasn’t wind, after all.

So as long as the numbers were there, even without flashy mechanics, you could still become an absolute powerhouse.

And despite her young age, Silver Frost had the potential to become a “stat monster”. She needed to be cultivated with priority.

At least, Ye Yao felt that the Countermeasure Bureau’s arrangements were getting in the way.

“Little Frosty, do you have any goals in joining the Bureau? Like becoming a celebrated powerhouse, or protecting the world, or bringing honor to your country. You’ve got to have some kind of dream, right?”

Ye Yao began laying her trap.

Silver Frost tilted her head in thought.

This wasn’t a question she could answer casually. At the very least, it had to fit the persona she was playing.

Right now, she was just a teenage girl, one who had come from the mountains, no less. She didn’t need grand ambitions, just something simple and rustic.

“If I had to say what my dream is… it’s probably to live a good life.

I want to eat food I’ve never tasted before, wear pretty clothes I’ve never worn before.

Reаⅾ οn КаtRеаⅾіոɡСαfе

I want to work hard and become someone remarkable, then go back and give my parents a good life.”

It was a simple, unadorned dream.

But Ye Yao could see the hidden thoughts beneath.

【Silver Frost wants her homeland to survive this crisis. She doesn’t want the future predicted by the Evolutionary Divine Machine to come true. She wants to return home safely with Commander White Comet.】

Ye Yao’s lips curved into a smile.

That was easy.

“Little Frosty, I know a shortcut. Want to give it a try? As your friend, I can help you out.”

“Huh? What shortcut?”

A question mark practically appeared above Silver Frost’s head.

But her confusion didn’t last long.

After a few moves from Ye Yao, Silver Frost quickly received a message from her supervisor.

It said that from now on, she no longer had to follow the standard training and class schedule.

Her time was now her own, and even if she didn’t meet her training targets, there would be no penalties.

Silver Frost was stunned.

She was free!

Although the supervisor hadn’t said anything else, Silver Frost could smell the scent of authority!

It meant that a certain far-reaching little loli had made a call to the relevant department and had openly snatched Silver Frost away.

“Wait, you can do that?”

Silver Frost suspected that she had just been “kept”.

Xia Lian watched the scene and couldn’t help but sigh.

Rеaⅾ oո ΚatRеadіոɡСаfе

“The sky’s getting dark.”

Ye Yao turned back to face Silver Frost after hanging up, a smug grin on her face.

“Stick with me, that’s the shortcut. Surprised?”

Silver Frost hesitated, revealing the essence of a good kid.

“Am I being… kept by you? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate? Actually, I’d still prefer to work hard and earn a good life on my own…”

She, Silver Frost, would not accept handouts!

“Not at all. I never said you should just slack off completely. You know what a magical girl is, right?

The moment I saw you, I knew you’d be perfect as a magical girl.

I’ve even come up with a title for you: Magical Girl Frost Snow!

How about it? Sounds great, doesn’t it?

I’m sure you’ll become a super popular character!

And then you can use that popularity to revitalize your hometown. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

With the ethereal notion of “magical girl potential”, Ye Yao erased the awkwardness of being so friendly to someone she had just met.

At least this way, Silver Frost and the people behind her wouldn’t suspect that their identities and intentions had already been exposed.

And just like that, Silver Frost had completely fallen into the trap.

Author Note

I’m begging for help from readers. I haven’t eaten a single meal since July, and my life is getting worse and worse. I really don’t know how I’m going to survive…

Text: So difficult, I can’t do it meow

Translator Note

This chapter was posted on 1st of July.