excu

Name, Federico Giallo.

Correct. All physiological indicators are currently normal, with no sensation of discomfort.

Ready to accept inquiries.

This is just a chat, and not an inquiry? Understood. I will answer all questions truthfully to the best of my knowledge.

Proceed.

This wasn't my first encounter with this deadpan, stone-cold new hire.

Last year, the Notarial Hall recruited three new trainee executors, but unfortunately, two of them were ultimately unable to join our ranks.

One failed the traineeship period's assessment exam, while the other suddenly discovered that inheriting the family dessert shop would be a more fitting career path and handed in his resignation the day before he was to start as a regular.

The last one remaining was this young man by the name of Federico.

Federico, I'd like to hear your account of how the mission went again.

Understood.

This mission was dispatched by the Notarial Hall, the party a deceased Lateran citizen.

The party stated in his will that he hoped to find his lost heir and bring the heir back to Laterano.

Due to the difficulty of executing this will, the commission was carried out by two executors. I have brought back the testamentary heir, whose identity has already been confirmed.

According to the report, your partner died during the mission.;According to the report, you were seriously injured during the operation.

Correct.

The executor, Bertoni, was killed in action.

The records are correct.

Three impact wounds and one puncture injury; none of them life-threatening, and already treated.

During the execution of this mission, Executor Bertoni and I entered the Bolívarian border region to locate the heir, as per the decedent's will.

The area is currently war-stricken and devoid of stable social order.

The testamentary heir was involved in a local armed conflict, which hindered the completion of our mission.

During our search, we were involved in three skirmishes, during which the testamentary heir was held hostage for a period of time, and Executor Bertoni was seriously wounded.

His injuries were severe, and it was difficult to render life-saving treatment given the circumstances and requirements.

He made his own assessment and decided on the next course of action.

He proposed that he would serve as a diversion to draw away attention, while I would act under cover to ensure the safety of the testamentary heir.

Given the situation, I determined this to be a reasonable course of action.

Up until this point, his account of the mission contained not even a single half-truth.

Our executors are dispatched to some of the most dangerous places in their line of duty. It is not uncommon for them to expire in the course of their duties.

But, Federico's situation is somewhat special.

The colleague in charge of handling this case had a number of concerns, which is why I am now standing here questioning this young man.

However, you didn't act according to his plan.

If I may be blunt, Executor Bertoni's plan conflicted with the will we were to execute.

The will, in addition to explicitly requesting the Notarial Hall to locate the missing heir and escort the heir back to Laterano, had a further implicit request.

'I hope that all Laterans may return to their homeland.'

This was the final request attached to his will.

Now that his will has been processed by the Notarial Hall, it is my duty to see it executed to the fullest extent.

'I hope that all Laterans may return to their homeland.'

A wonderful wish. But, I must say, is it truly a component of the will that requires execution?

I look into the pair of eyes before me.

They are resolute, calm, and do not betray even the slightest ripple.

How I wish I could see something beyond that expanse of pale blue.

In Executor Bertoni's plan, his course of action regarding himself was unclear.

The situation along the Bolívarian border is chaotic, and the lines of allegiance there are murky. There are many forces among them that are hostile to Laterano.

Under such circumstances, I could not abide by the plan and leave on my own with the testamentary heir.

I request your understanding.

You knew exactly what state Bertoni was in when you carried him back to Laterano, yes?

Yes, without a doubt.

Executor Bertoni was largely incapacitated by the time we tried to escape, so I was responsible for carrying out the subsequent arrangements.

The weight of a grown man was within tolerable load capacity, and did not constitute a major problem.

At the time, his blood loss had already exceeded the tolerance limit of the human body, his temperature had dropped to a dangerous level, and he had quickly lost consciousness.

On the day we broke away from the Bolívarian border, Executor Bertoni was confirmed deceased.

Not the first time I've heard of a colleague's passing, and it won't be the last time either.

What I find inconceivable is, what would Bertoni think now, were the dead capable of knowing what happened?

Would he want to see someone so young injured to the point of near death, just to bring him back to Laterano?

He certainly would not approve of what you did.

Executor Bertoni did, in fact, object.

But he could not provide a reasonable explanation for his objection, so I chose to maintain my decision.

When considering my duties in tandem with the situation at hand, the execution of the decedent's will took priority over Executor Bertoni's personal wishes.

If there are special circumstances, I will take them into consideration.

This is what I came to understand; another thing that made Federico Giallo unique––

This young man is somewhat lacking in empathy.

The decision we reached before was that this deficiency would not affect his work as an executor.

But now, I might need to re-evaluate that decision.

Federico, do you think that Bertoni's wishes were unimportant?;Why don't you try putting yourself in his shoes and consider how he was feeling at the time?

I respect Executor Bertoni's wishes.

But, I cannot say I see the point of such an action.

Executor Bertoni was one of the participating functionaries of this mission. As executors, it is our common wish to ensure the smooth execution of the decedent's will.

I do not believe there has ever been any disagreement regarding this point.

I begin to want to let out a sigh.

Bertoni ultimately decided to use himself as bait, so what do you think he was trying to accomplish?

Instead, the young man in front of me rushed into the brawl, almost paying the ultimate price, coming back with scars all over his body just to retrieve Bertoni...

Does he really not care?

Does he truly not understand... what Bertoni wanted?

Federico, can you understand how I feel right now?;Federico, do you really know nothing about emotion?

The young man in front of me does not speak.

He looks at me, as if trying to determine something. But what is there to determine?

Suddenly, he moves.

He picks up a pen, and draws something on the piece of white paper lying on the table.

It is a circle.

What you feel is grief.

The young man in front of me does not speak.

He looks at me, as if deep in thought about something.

Suddenly, he moves.

He picks up a pen, and draws something on the piece of white paper lying on the table.

It is a square.

There is doubt within our conversation.

During your line of questioning just now, you were trying to test me. You exhibited doubt, sadness, and many other emotions.

The young executor draws more lines on the sheet of paper.

I don't understand the cause of emotion, and it's difficult to grasp what emotions mean to individuals, but I do understand their consequences.

Different emotions can be substituted with lines; straight lines and curves form different patterns, which is very helpful to me.

Due to a birth defect, I am unable to empathize with others like most of my kind.

But, this does not affect my work within the Notarial Hall.

I will carry out the missions assigned to me. If necessary, I will attempt to understand the emotions of the decedent or other contractual party.

As Federico says this, he suddenly pauses for a moment.

My mood has already changed as a result of his answer, but what he says next astounds me even more.

After finishing Executor Bertoni's post-mortem processing, I submitted an application for the execution of his will to the Notarial Hall.

Before carrying out his final act, Bertoni said to me:

'If I make it back alive, I swear I'll attempt the ten-scoop challenge at the gelato shop in front of the basilica.'

'If luck isn't on my side, then I'll need you to eat a hundred scoops for me!'