Shall we?
Where were we?
I was suggesting that you needn’t perform when signing a contract
You’re only sitting here
Because your bank demanded an evaluation of the trustee
So you told a story
About a young scholar from a merchant family in Sumeru?
I told a compelling tale, didn’t I?
that makes you pay attention to it because it is so interesting and exciting
Her latest book makes compelling reading.
The post-expulsion story is far more captivating
The human experiments? Or the Elixir of Immortality?
The part where you die
Ah yes. My favorite part…
The 35-year-old Segment thought of himself as “Dottore”
Reserving the name “Zandik” for the original specimen
Of all the Segments, he was the most selfish
After his expulsion
Dottore searched for a new direction
He joined the Fatui, studied Eleazar in great depth
Secured resources…
He was rather fortunate in his career
Zandik turned to Khaenri’ahn technology and successfully created his Segments
But this was not immortality
Even with backup Segments, his body would still age
Still, thanks to Snezhnaya
Zandik found the ideal base for his experiments
Then, a perfect partnership materialized at a crucial moment
The year that both parties realized they needed more time
Fortunately, Zandik succeeded
In a miraculous turn of events
He gained the extra time he needed…
I seem to recall it differently…
Alright, it’s true. No matter how much elixir he took
Zandik remained human and continued to age
Then, on the morning he turned eighty-five…
Argh!
Help me… up… C—Call for help…
Surely, he would be rescued, Zandik thought
But to his surprise, no one helped him
Zandik was too selfish for that
Don’t forget, you’re one of… us…
Yes, and we’re all waiting
Hah… Waiting for me to die?
Pantalone arrived for a meeting, and happened to witness what followed
He found it unsettling
I never said that…
But the Zandiks were unfazed
It was a rare opportunity for self-dissection
What does all that have to do
With you depositing your data at Northland Bank?
It has made me cherish my time in this world all the more
Fair enough. So you do have a sense of self-preservation
What do you mean?
You’re hardly normal, and you don’t cherish life
You just don’t want to admit defeat in the limited time you have
Even so, don’t I deserve an interesting ending?
Hehe, I’m counting on it…
If nothing else, I expect my funeral will be a grand affair indeed