What was this girl even saying?
That was Felix's first reaction. And honestly, he couldn't really be blamed. The way he had always seen W… how should he put it, it felt more like how an elder looked at someone younger, or how an adult looked at a child. Not that W was actually much younger than Ines or Loughshinny, but the difference lay in how they carried themselves. Ines was composed and steady, she knew restraint and propriety. Loughshinny was gentle, considerate, and deeply understanding of others.
W, on the other hand… well, "mature" was not a word that came easily to mind. From the constant clashes and friction when she first joined Tomorrow's Development, stumbling forward step by step until now, she really had grown a lot. She could finally hold her head high as a former Babel member.
What reassured Felix the most was that she had begun to think from Tomorrow's Development's perspective. After probing Ines a little, he had also learned about W's recent situation. It even made him consider, in the future, handing more responsibility over to her. Of course, that came with a prerequisite. She needed to read more books and write more properly. There was no way someone in management couldn't even write the names of their subordinates.
Felix's rationality had never let his thoughts drift in this direction. There were simply too many things happening now, and everyone was busy. Even the idea of building a harem had quietly lost much of its weight without him realizing it.
But seeing W bite down on her little fangs, forcing down her shyness, looking like she wanted to rush forward and take a fierce bite out of him, he fell silent for a moment. Then he stepped closer.
"You've made up your mind?"
He moved in front of W, cupping her face gently. "Do you know what it means to say something like that?"
"Bullshit, you're so annoying. Just kiss me already!"
W burst out cursing, her little fangs flashing again. "I've thought this through long ago. I don't care if I'm a girlfriend or a lover or whatever. I just like you, damn it. What do you want me to do? Stand far away, watching you be intimate with other women until my heart hurts and I want to cry? Like hell I'd do that!"
"That's how mercenaries are. Straightforward. Today I kill you, tomorrow you kill me. You took away our jobs, then gave us new ones. The work may have changed, but how could our personalities change overnight?"
She bared her teeth. "I hate all that polite nonsense. Mercenaries like to say things clearly. I like you. I want you. What do you think? How do you see me? Give me a straight answer!"
Felix gently brushed W's cheek, smiling faintly. "W, if you showed this side of yourself more often in front of the other operators, you'd definitely be very popular."
"I don't care."
W snorted and turned her head away. "I don't care what other people think of me. I only care about what the people I care about think of me."
"So tell me. How do you see me? I need an answer."
Gathering her courage, W looked back at him. A faint smile appeared at the corner of Felix's lips. He pulled her into his arms, then bent down and lightly pecked her on the lips.
W's body went rigid in an instant, then melted as if she had turned into water. Even her slim waist went weak. If not for Felix holding her, she might have slid straight to the ground.
Her small face flushed bright red. She wiped her lips. "Um… that one doesn't count."
"How does it not count now?"
Felix asked, genuinely curious.
"When I saw you kiss Ulšulah, you used your tongue."
"…"
Felix fell silent for a moment, then smiled faintly. "W."
"What?"
"Setting aside your foul mouth, you're actually pretty cute."
"S-stop it!"
W covered her burning cheeks and hurried away.
Felix followed a few steps behind. "I'll give your courage a proper answer. I'll give you a love that belongs to you. From now on, I'll treat all of you equally."
He pointed to his chest.
W snorted softly. Sweetness and surprise welled up in her chest at the same time, making her heart feel as if it might leap out of her ribcage in the next instant. She felt dizzy, almost faint, and hurriedly coughed a few times. "W-who cares anyway!"
Felix watched her leave with a smile. She really was the textbook example of a sharp-tongued tsundere. In that regard, she was indeed quite cute.
With that small emotional interlude settled, Felix's expression returned to calm. He went back to the Venus, washed up briefly, and then held a short three-person meeting with Loughshinny and Anthony, who had also finished their own rest and preparations. The focus was on arranging what to do next with the displaced residents of Chernobog.
By this point, although Chernobog's army had mobilized, it had been completely wiped out. Ursus had issued no statement whatsoever regarding the city's devastation. They had not even sent reinforcements to the next city attacked by Reunion, Kursk. From the feedback players posted on the forums, Felix learned that Talulah and the remaining Reunion forces had already rushed to Kursk and ended the battle decisively. Kursk had been swallowed by black-red flames of annihilation.
From a certain perspective, it almost looked as though the clash between old and new nobles had caused the new nobles to suffer while the old ones stood by and watched. This, in turn, reflected just how fierce the internal strife within Ursus had become, to the point that even the Emperor himself seemed powerless to stop it.
"Your Highness, the number of Ursus people is simply too large. Tomorrow's Development can't absorb such a massive population," Anthony stated his view. "As for those who want to stay and join Tomorrow's Development, such as the Ursus middle-school clubs that performed exceptionally well during this operation, I think we can bring them and their families aboard the Venus. Adventurers are inherently mobile, and at this stage we still lack enough permanent, full-time crew within the ship."
"As for those who wish to leave, we can create escort missions at the assembly hall, assigning adventurers to guide them to the nearest cities. That way, their safety can be ensured."
Anthony spoke earnestly. "For you, Your Highness, this would be a force that cannot be ignored. In the future, it may also give us a legitimate reason to involve ourselves in Ursus's internal affairs."
Felix nodded and turned his gaze to Loughshinny.
After thinking for a moment, Loughshinny said, "I believe that although Tomorrow's Development has always embraced people from all races and regions, the number of Ursus operators among us is indeed very small. This has a lot to do with the fact that Ursus people are generally unwilling to leave their homeland. This is the best opportunity we have to accommodate them. Moreover, we can place greater emphasis on nurturing the next generation."
Felix and Anthony both looked at her. Loughshinny smiled faintly. "Your Highness is still young, and so are we. Tomorrow's Development is growing and advancing. We will always need fresh blood to carry our voice forward, people who share our ideals. Seeing those Ursus middle-school students simply moved me. Those who truly believe in coexistence between the Infected and the uninfected are still a minority. If so, why not begin cultivating that belief with the next generation?"
"That was once Her Highness Theresa's idea," Felix said, nodding in agreement. "But she failed, because she looked too far into the future and overlooked the reality of survival. Without the present, what future is there to speak of?"
"That's precisely Tomorrow's Development's strength," Loughshinny replied with a gentle smile. "We have capability, military power, and financial resources. We can treat them the same way we treat the children currently studying in Kazdel."
Felix pondered for a long while before looking at Anthony. "I'll personally meet with Sonya and the members of the club she leads. As for the follow-up, you'll need to explain the situation to their parents."
"Loughshinny, please coordinate with Rhodes Island as well. Let's tentatively schedule the meeting for two days from now."
"Understood," both replied in unison, rising and taking their leave.
Both Tomorrow's Development and Rhodes Island needed time to recuperate. Taking advantage of this window, Felix first slept deeply to recover some MP, then got up and began the next day.
Anthony's efficiency was remarkable. Not long after Felix finished breakfast, Anthony asked when he would be free. The Ursus club students were already prepared.
Under Anthony's persuasion, these Ursus students were driven partly by gratitude and partly by a desire to put Tomorrow's Development's ideals into practice. The selfless act of traveling to Chernobog to save them, asking for nothing in return, had thoroughly moved these bear youths. Loyal to a fault, they were quick to commit, and after hearing Anthony's explanation, quite a few of them chose to join Tomorrow's Development without hesitation.
Some of their parents supported the decision with an open mind, while others remained hesitant. Their children were still young, and the thought of sending them into conflict at such an age naturally worried them.
Anthony assured them that minors, anyone under eighteen, would not be sent to the front lines, nor would they be allowed to accept mercenary contracts from the commission sector. At most, they would participate in training programs with Siege's action group to prepare them for the future. If they took on missions at all, it would be in logistics, manufacturing, or research. Given their status as students, most would naturally choose transport-related work.
When it came to minors taking part in combat, Felix had no intention of sending Narcissa to the battlefield. In his previous life, she had borne the codename Rosmontis. Now, she was living out a happy childhood in Kazdel. Felix did not want to force her into war. Although Narcissa harbored a desire to repay him by fighting at his side, there were many ways to repay a debt. Going to war was not the only one.
In the conference room, Felix met the young people from Ursus. They were mostly of similar age, middle-school students, with quite a few university students among them as well. These were the youths who, after retreating to the school district, had followed Sonya's arrangements to evacuate civilians, take shelter, and distribute supplies. When they saw Felix, every pair of eyes lit up with fervor.
Ursus had always revered strength. Perhaps it was etched into their blood, a pursuit of battle and a thirst for blood, or perhaps they simply believed that fighting was the truest symbol of honor. Everyone present had witnessed, outside the South Gate, the moment Felix cleaved a Catastrophe from the sky. Their admiration for this leader was absolute. Sonya and a few others had even seen, up close, how Felix drove off Reunion's leader, Talulah, with sword in hand, displaying the full bearing of a ruler.
"I hope you are prepared," Felix said, looking at the young people of Ursus before him. "You are the new generation of Ursus, the future of Ursus, and the future of all Terra."
"The tragedy of Chernobog tells us this. Even if you keep your head down and follow the rules, disasters and calamities will still come for you in the way you least desire. You must be prepared."
"There are many reasons to join Tomorrow's Development. I understand that each of you carries your own reasons. But we all fight for the ideals in our hearts. Some fight for honor, some to become stronger, and some to protect those behind them. Some of you have already found your reason. As for the rest, I hope that through your lives and your training, you will discover the ideals you believe in and strive for them."
"In the end, you will find that nothing is impossible. You are the new generation of this land of Terra. I hope you will become the foundation of this world. No matter where your future takes you, as long as you fight for the justice and ideals in your heart, you will find yourself unstoppable."
The young people of Ursus rose to their feet and applauded. Many of the boys shouted in excitement. Even the nobles looked energized. They found much to resonate with in these words. Some of them might once have been idle heirs living off their families, but Felix's speech ignited a brief blaze within them. No one knew how long that fire would last, but in this moment, they wanted to prove to their elders that they could do even better.
After that, the HR lady and her team began registering operators. By coincidence, this version of Sonya had also taken the codename Zima, owing to the title of Winter General. The remaining small group codenames matched those of the previous life as well. It was a coincidence that made one smile.
As for the parents of these youths, those willing to stay could remain aboard the Venus and apply for work, with wages determined by their positions. Those unwilling to stay would prepare to travel to nearby cities. They told their children to come home regularly. Partings were painful, but they were a necessary part of growing up.
Later, Felix left the Venus under Anthony's guidance. The nobles had been waiting for a day and a night already, nearly straining their eyes in anticipation.
At their side were the Ursus noble youths who had just received their operator codenames. Their backs were straight, their posture proud. Sitting among their families, they stood out sharply. When their gazes met, there was a shared heat in their eyes. Some, whose wings had already hardened, had long wanted to leave their parents behind and make a name for themselves.
Natalya was among them, sitting with her parents and chatting softly. When she saw Felix, a blush crept onto her face, a touch of shyness still lingering.
Count Rostov lowered his voice so that only his family could hear. "If our estate were still intact, I might suggest a marriage alliance. No, circumstances are stronger than people. Following His Highness will not lead to loss. Natalya, if you like him, then pursue him bravely."
"…I understand, Father."