Finished... All finished...
You seem pretty tired, Zazie.
That delivery was 200 keels round trip, you know.
Lately all of mine have been like that.
Isn't that punishment for running off to attack that gaichuu before?
Now that you mention it...
Aria-san sure was angry.
Well, I think I've had enough exterminating gaichuu for now.
Oh, yeah! How about we go to the therapy room?
Syrupy room?
No, no... Therapy.
It's a new rest and relaxation lounge here in the Bee-Hive.
Oh? They have something like that?
I heard it was some project by Dr. Thunderland Jr.
That corpse doctor?!
Welcome, my little Letter Bees!
Tonight let loose your soul and fall deep into slumber...
And while you sleep...
I will dissect you!
No! I'm not going! Let me go! I don't wanna!
Therapy, huh? Sounds interesting.
I bet there'll be something that'll surprise us.
Hell if I'm going to that dissection freak's room!
Potpourri of Memories
Absolutely no way! I said let me go! Let me go! Let me go, damn it!
What a nice smell...
Welcome to the therapy room.
Are you Bees?
Y-Yes! After hearing of this place, we decided to come.
My name is Mana Jones. I'm the caretaker of this room.
Nice to meet you.
Ooh, soft...
The cushions are poofy...
I made the potpourri here with various herbs and flowers.
The helenseed is especially effective at relieving tension and lowering stress.
It's true... It's like all the energy in my body is slipping away...
That was fast! They're already asleep...
They must have been really tuckered out.
Lag, since we're here and all, why don't we take a nap too?
Lag!
Could you be... Lag Seeing?
How did you know my name?
Long ago, you see...
I heard from Gauche about your journey together.
Y-You know about Gauche?
Of course.
It's because of him and Dr. Thunderland Jr. that I was able to continue this research.
I'm sorry!
Shall I carry half of them, Mana Jones?
No, thank you. I'll carry them myself.
Are you okay?
Watch where you're going, please!
I'm sorry.
I think I will carry half after all. Now, let us go.
Here.
Thank you very much.
This is delicious.
Really?
It's like all the exhaustion in my body is slipping away...
It has an ingredient in it called pinewoods that I'm currently researching to relieve muscle fatigue.
But proving its effectiveness medically is difficult.
And I haven't figured out how to put it to use exactly yet...
That which is easily obtained has little value.
I am aiming to become Head Bee.
Head Bee?
There are some who laugh at such an outrageous dream.
But if I complete one delivery, then the next, no matter how difficult,
one day those paths will connect to my goal.
I am sorry. I was trying to cheer you up, but I ended up talking about myself.
This is rare, Mana.
Inviting someone into this room?
He simply helped carry the flowers.
But as usual, it's nothing that interests me.
Well that's because you specialize in living things, Doctor.
Plants and flowers are also living things, yes?
Well their internal structure is completely different!
Did you need something?
I hear you have repeatedly done all-night research.
Make sure to get some sleep.
Your brain can't function properly while sleep deprived.
I'm fine! Unlike you, Doctor, I'm still young!
Relying on your youth? You have much to learn.
Arguing with the Doctor? You have a lot of courage.
It's just me pushing back a little.
The Doctor won't accept the value of my research.
So I want to get results quick and show him good!
Aria Link!
Gauche!
What condition is Mana in?
Aria...
Her life isn't in danger.
Really?
Yeah...
Thank goodness...
But...
She's blind... She'll probably be blind in both eyes.
According to our investigation,
we have determined that Mana Jones has violated the code of conduct for the Amberground Bioscience Advisory Panel.
Continuing research through the night is commonplace for us.
Your personal practices are irrelevant.
The problem is that she is clearly responsible for an accident.
If all you do is go by the book, you'll never get results.
And yet according to the data I am looking at,
I can't find any practical results from her studies of vegetation so far.
What will... What will Mana's punishment be?
The final decision will be handed down in a week, but I'm afraid she may be terminated.
But...
She's still-
Don't you think you're misunderstanding something here?
She herself wishes her job to be terminated.
She has expressed her desire to quit her research in the Bee-Hive.
That idiot!
Hey, where are you going?
To Mana's hospital room.
You won't be able to persuade her!
Persuade her?
Is that what you think I plan to do?
What the heck is with that man?
It's been a while since I've seen him that angry.
Chairman?
I'll be curious to see if he is able to persuade her.
Yes?
Doctor!
You recognized me by the smell of my lab coat?
That's quite impressive.
So it seems you're abandoning your research into the aroma of plants.
How do you expect me to continue research like this?
I see.
Then, would you volunteer to be my guinea pig?
Give your body to me! I will dissect it,
and you will be useful to me in my biological research!
Hey, are you completely daft?
Think about how she feels!
Sympathy is not one of my failings!
Hey, let go!
Open up!
Hey, did you hear?
Seems Dr. Thunderland Jr. barged into Mana's hospital room.
Yeah, I heard.
And he yelled out about her not being any use and cutting her up into pieces, right?
Sheesh, that's so like him.
Um...
I was hoping you could tell me...
I knew you would be here.
Suede...
I heard from your staff.
You were the one who demanded Mana pass her interview
even when she had no actual results and looked like she would fail.
You shouldn't have butted in.
You really had high expectations from her.
Quite the miscalculation, it was.
It was her sense of smell, yes?
Of course, that was part of it.
But she had something even more important for a scientist.
Something more important?
Curiosity.
Her curiosity was far beyond most people.
She would lock herself up in this room all day long, doing research.
When I looked at her, it was like looking at myself.
And so because of that, you...
She still has her sense of smell, and yet...
How about you try to persuade her once again?
It's no use.
There's no way she'd actually listen to what I have to say.
But you are the only one who believes she still has a future.
Doctor, you are the only one who can save her.
Doctor?
I know! That's it!
Doctor!
Why am I doing this?
Sympathy is not one of my failings!
Found it.
Coming!
Who could it be so early?
Brother!
Sylvette!
There's a weird person outside!
Doctor?
Sorry about being so early.
This is?
A letter to Mana.
I wish I could deliver it myself...
But I doubt that she would see me now.
Suede... Will you take it to her for me?
Yes?
Hello.
Gauche?
Did you come to visit me?
Yes. That's part of it. I also have a delivery for you.
A delivery?
It's a letter to you from the Doctor.
I don't want it!
Send it back to him!
How could he be so insensitive after what happened to my eyes?!
Please wait.
It may be simple to reject it, but at least open the envelope.
But...
Don't worry. It's a letter you will understand.
This is helenseed...
Why did the doctor send me...
She has zero experience and yet came to interview for our Amberground Bioscience Advisory Panel?
Surprising...
More like reckless.
What is in that little bottle?
Uh, right! It's a flower called helenseed!
You hardly ever find it. It's rare and quite valuable!
Open it up.
Okay!
That's a nice smell.
It's believed that helenseed has a stress relieving effect.
When someone in the village was worried about not getting enough sleep, they'd take this and sleep like a baby-
And yet you have no scientific proof.
W-Well...
Do you have the ability to uncover that proof?
I believe it is possible, and not just for a select few.
Talk is cheap.
Then test me!
Give me a chance!
No matter how tough it is, I'll succeed!
He was reminding me of that...
He said to me...
...that you still have an amazing sense of smell.
Mana Jones, it is true that you have lost your sight.
But perhaps there is a person you should take another look at... with your heart's eye.
Now we will announce the punishment for Mana Jones.
Please wait!
Thunderland Jr.! You cannot cover for your staff's lack of motivation any longer!
Please wait!
Mana!
Doctor...
I'm sorry.
I misunderstood you, Doctor.
It took you long enough.
Please!
Please let me work at the Bee-Hive again!
But you can no longer...
I may not be able to see, but I still have my sense of smell!
I ask you this as well.
Please allow her another chance.
Mana Jones.
Yes.
Your forward-looking attitude does much to mitigate your responsibility for the fire.
However!
Are you really confident you are able to contribute to our Amberground Bioscience Advisory Panel?
It's not like you have produced any results so far.
And now you've lost your vision.
W-Well...
Chairman!
Why don't you be straight with her, everyone?
Tell her we have no intention of employing people who produce no results.
Mana Jones, I recognize your motivation.
But that's the reality of this panel.
So I have a proposal to make.
I would like you to prove that your research has value to us.
However you only have one week.
If you can't convince us to our satisfaction by then, get out.
That's impossible!
Just one week?
That's as lenient as I intend to be, Thunderland Jr.
I have given you a chance.
Now what will you do, my friends?
Dream Link Notebook