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But the next page contained a More Details section that gave additional information on the asterisks

1 The fruit they ate is commonly known as the Fruit of Knowledge It can be interpreted as the knowledge that creates a definitive division between man and animal so eating it is what made mankind into mankind 2 Eating the Fruit of Knowledge is viewed as the act of threatening god Paradise contained both the Fruit of Knowledge and the Fruit of Life and it is said anyone who ate both would become an existence equal to god 3 The latest research has traced all human DNA back to a man and woman in southern Africa There is currently no evidence that these original humans were created

Mutsuki felt like he had heard the terms Fruit of Knowledge and Fruit of Life somewhere

However this was not enough to determine the connection between the Serpent’s Eye and Adam He flipped through the book but the following pages moved onto the next generation with Cain and Abel He did not find any more information on Adam and Eve What connection was there between the original human and the Serpent’s Eye that ruled all women

The only possibility was the being that had temped Eve and led Adam and Even to commit the original sin

The serpent

The serpent mentioned there is a reference to the corruption that causes man to fall

Vengeful venomous a greed so great it swallows all else It really is the perfect word for ‘her’ I am impressed by mankind’s writing skill

Mutsuki nearly dropped the book when he suddenly heard a voice he somewhat disliked

A man had appeared next to him without warning and he smoothly reached out to support the falling book

The boy looked up as he thanked the man

Th-thanksRapha

He looked away awkwardly but the young man said think nothing of it and sat across from him

Genesis Quite the studier aren’t you

The way the young man looked at him with a bright smile made Mutsuki’s heart pound even though he was not doing anything wrong He pushed the book aside

Um uh why are you here

Don’t let me bother you I had stopped by for some business and happened to spot you here Is

Ange not with you

She’s in the classroom right now

The young man grinned and relaxed back in his chair

He apparently did not intend to leave but Mutsuki did not like being alone with him

He had trouble with this young man

Rapha was good looking enough for any woman to do a double take Mutsuki was certain of that

He really was an attractive young man

But Mutsuki had as much difficulty with him as the man’s smile was lovely

He felt like the man was not smiling in his heart

He was not showing his true thoughts Or rather he was hiding the contents of his heart with that unnecessarily pleasant smile

He was of course Micha and Ange’s trusted colleague so Mutsuki knew he was an ally But that did not help much

Genesis hm Were you reading the story of Adam and Eve

Mutsuki had fallen silent so Rapha began the conversation He pulled the book over to himself and flipped through the pages Mutsuki had been looking at

A lot of people have been calling me Adam I didn’t know what that meant so I thought I would

do some research

I see You seem interested

The boy uncertainly looked to the side but Rapha seemed to have picked up on something His smile remained but his lips bent downward for just a moment

It probably would be hard to understand with the knowledge of the human world he said Do you know the conditions for a bearer of the Serpent’s Eye to appear

Micha told me one is born every few hundred years

Correct Now why would that formula exist within human DNA

(Come to think of it)

Mutsuki hesitated because he had not once considered that during his two months worrying over all this

Why did the Serpent’s Eye exist in the first place

The Serpent’s Eye is a sign placed inside Adam by the cunning serpent It was made so ‘she’ would know immediately when he appeared However the possibilities for that array of chromosomes are nearly infinite In the long history of mankind some are born with something much like the Serpent’s Eye because their DNA just so happens to be much like Adam’s It happens with a frequency of a few hundred years Meaning Rapha paused and swept his narrowed eyes across Mutsuki’s body

The Serpent’s Eye bearers over the past millennia are nothing more than those who happened to have DNA much like Adam’s Every last one of them

Intentional or not his explanation was somewhat indirect and Mutsuki’s understanding failed to keep up

The young man continued regardless

You wanted to know what Adam is correct

He set down the book and leaned forward

Just as this book says Adam is the name of the one who bears Original Sin He is also referred to as the source of that sin He is the partner of Eve the original woman He is the perfect man

More than just lean forward he brought his face in close The boy found himself somehow unable to escape so they looked each other in the eye from a distance of less than twenty centimeters

Sin inevitably brings punishment Your existence is a clear sign from god that unavoidable punishment is coming to mankind It is

Rapha reached out a hand and stroked Mutsuki’s cheek and chin It was filled with kindness and affection yet he also seemed to be searching for something His hand moved from the boy’s ear to the nape of his neck inevitable

He finally stroked the boy’s throat and shallow Adam’s apple

Mutsuki’s broke free of his paralysis and scooted backwards

Rapha’s thin smile remained to the end and he returned the book while standing up

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Mutsuki’s brow It was a calm motion

I frightened you didn’t I Sorry about that I will be leaving now

He brought the sweaty handkerchief to his mouth narrowed his eyes in an unfathomable sticky

look and turned around

He walked away

Mutsuki’s heart pounded from an instinctual sense of danger so he could not move for a while

U-um

Just before Rapha moved out of view he called after the young man

Wh-what was that about Eve and ‘her’

He summed up what he had heard and pursued his additional questions

The young man looked back with a gentle expression

Eve is by your side and always watching you You may yet choose her again after all As for ‘her’

But due to that smile of his

It was obvious when he had trouble deciding what to say

You should probably be careful

‘She’ seems to be doing oddly well today Please be careful As that book says ‘she’ is very closely linked to corruption ‘She’ will enter your heart through the smallest crack

With that said he quickly descended the stairs

Left alone Mutsuki sighed at the fact that he had not answered any of his questions

Mutsuki did not feel like staying in the library and Ange had yet to leave the classroom He searched for Rapha in hopes of asking some more questions but he could not find the man anywhere

He decided to visit the infirmary next

He had remembered Lucia was there The demon boy may have already left but he wanted to check on him since he had not seemed to be feeling well today And

It’s justthat woman seems to be doing well

Mutsuki remembered Lucia saying something a lot like what Rapha had

If they were referring to the same person then who was it that was doing well He might be able to get Lucia to tell him