Hearing Nia Honjo's request, Luo Shu seriously doubted his ears:
"You want me to be Miku's manager?"
"Yep~"
"The same kind of manager I'm thinking of?"
"Exactly!"
Facing Nia's confident expression, Luo Shu didn't respond directly. Instead, he turned to the blushing Miku Izayoi, fidgeting with her hands:
"Miku, though it might be unnecessary concern - if Nia's threatening you in any way, just tell me. I'll avenge you!"
"Threatening?!" Nia protested indignantly, slinging an arm around the girl's shoulders. "I'm practically a saint, you know?"
Meeting Nia's rebuttal, Luo Shu silently stared at her for several seconds before sighing and turning away:
"Sorry, I really can't associate you with the concept of 'good person'."
Nia's eye twitched: "Even from you, Luo Shu, that hurts... well, actually it's still acceptable."
With another sigh, Nia cheerfully continued:
"But the manager thing isn't a joke, you know!"
"I've properly discussed it with Utaha-chan~"
'Utaha-chan?'
Luo Shu immediately grew wary at the term - even he rarely called Utaha Kasumigaoka so familiarly:
"So your discussion concluded with me debuting as a manager?"
Luo Shu smiled thinly at Nia. While he could guess the girl was scheming something beneficial for him, he sometimes genuinely couldn't follow Nia's train of thought.
Faced with Luo Shu's ominous smile, Nia pitifully leaned on Miku's shoulder, whimpering:
"Miku, control your Luo Shu~"
"I went through all this trouble to create alone time for you two, and he treats me so cruelly~"
"Nia!" Miku Izayoi exploded at those words, immediately pushing Nia Honjo away as she denied to Luo Shu, "No, Luo Shu, that's not what I meant."
"Not what you meant?" Luo Shu's expression turned somewhat odd.
At that moment, Nia Honjo smirked mischievously beside them. "Ah, so Miku doesn't want Luo Shu to be her manager, is that it?"
"That's not it!" Miku Izayoi panicked, waving her hands in protest.
Nia Honjo let out a cackling laugh. "Haha~ So she just doesn't want to be alone with Luo Shu then?"
"That's not it either."
Miku Izayoi's face flushed red, utterly at a loss for how to counter.
To this, Luo Shu offered a decisive suggestion:
"Miku, I think it'd be best if you just made Nia shut up."
"Oh, right!" Miku Izayoi instantly realised and turned to look at Nia Honjo, whose expression had turned unnatural.
In the next second, the girl decisively activated the power of her Angel Gabriel:
[Nia, could you please not speak for a while?]
From the moment those words were uttered, Nia Honjo opened her mouth but found she couldn't produce even the slightest sound.
Clearly, she'd been silenced by Miku Izayoi!
The Angel Gabriel, derived from the fundamental evolution of the Ninth Sephirah in the Kabbalah Tree of Life.
Its essence was the Angel of Sound that manipulated voices.
Though she hadn't become a Familia member and wasn't a Demigod who had awakened a Class, facing Nia Honjo, who similarly wasn't part of the Familia, she could naturally impose such restrictions.
After silencing Nia Honjo, Miku Izayoi sighed in relief before turning to Luo Shu with flushed cheeks to explain:
"Now it's quiet."
Luo Shu nodded in acknowledgement, then looked up to examine Miku Izayoi before him.
Whether it was her pale purple princess-style long hair, her sweet and elegant demeanour, or her gentle tone that remained measured even when urgent - everything spoke of her mild temperament.
To drive such a girl to desperation... Nia really had a special talent in some ways.
Thinking this, Luo Shu sighed before smiling gently at Miku Izayoi:
"Though I know nothing about being a manager and have my own daily commitments, I should still be able to spare an hour or two each day to help."
"Eh?" Miku Izayoi blinked, seemingly not expecting Luo Shu to actually agree to Nia's outrageous request.
"Speaking of which, a manager's main job is arranging work, right?" Luo Shu stroked his chin thoughtfully. "The SDS seems mostly involved in industry, not much in this field. Maybe I should consider acquiring some idol agencies?"
Hearing Luo Shu seriously considering himself as her manager, Miku Izayoi panicked and quickly explained:
"It's not actually being a manager, just in name only."
Before Luo Shu could respond, she rapidly continued:
"A couple of days ago, Nia told me some organisations were targeting idols, wanting to use the unattached faith surrounding them for some terrible rituals."
"So Nia suggested I don't renew with my agency but join one controlled by the SDS instead. And as a safety precaution and deterrent, to have you, Luo Shu, serve as my manager in name only."
After quickly explaining, Miku Izayoi caught her breath before adding awkwardly:
"So the manager role is just nominal - hired professionals would do the actual work."
"It's completely different from what you were thinking..."
Moreover, having the Director of the Hidden Management Department, a Demigod no less, serve as an idol manager was even more absurd than her, a Spirit, being an idol!
And at least she'd been an idol before becoming a Spirit - Luo Shu's situation was completely different!
"I see..." Luo Shu's expression seemed faintly disappointed.
Miku Izayoi wondered if she'd imagined it - did Luo Shu actually want to be her manager?
'There's something wrong with you.'
Understanding the reason, Luo Shu pondered for a moment: "But as for being a nominal manager, I don't mind at all. After all, you coming here today has been a great help to me, Miku."
Though no mishaps had occurred, Miku Izayoi's support during his advancement was a gesture Luo Shu naturally acknowledged.
"In any case, I agree to this matter."
Hearing this, Miku Izayoi let out a sigh of relief, though a faint trace of regret lingered in her heart.
If she hadn't explained earlier, would Luo Shu have had to spare an hour or two each day to stay by her side?
The moment this thought surfaced, Miku Izayoi felt a shameful flutter in her chest.
But it was just that—a fleeting flutter. Soon, this excessive notion was suppressed by her.
The Spirit, untainted by darkness, remained pure and flawless at her core, embodying angelic kindness.
Knowing Miku Izayoi's character well, Luo Shu was willing to offer her his protection. Hence, that so-called organisation aiming for idols...
"Since we've reached a basic agreement, Miku, lift Nia's silencing now."
Luo Shu's smile faded as his gaze shifted to Nia Honjo:
"There are many things I wish to ask her now."
The so-called Great Sin witch, the organisation targeting idols, and the unclaimed faith surrounding those idols—these were matters Luo Shu was intensely curious about!