Miku gulped, her heart filled with fear, yet she couldn't help but find the person before her—wearing a teasing expression with a slight smirk—damn good-looking.
Knock, knock, knock.
A somewhat muffled knocking sound came from the door. Dark Amber lightly lifted her chin, gesturing for Miku to go and answer it.
'She really treats me like an assistant?'
Grumbling inwardly, Miku felt she hadn't come here to be an idol at all, but to be Mobius's servant.
Where was all that promised support from Schicksal? She hadn't seen much of that, but the punishments? Those were handed out in spades.
Though she thought as much, Miku didn't dare question her superior to her face. She obediently walked over and opened the door.
The person standing there wasn't the greasy middle-aged man or some old geezer past his prime that Miku had expected. Instead, it was a girl with vibrant red twin tails, appearing both adorable and dignified.
She seemed familiar from the earlier meeting… wasn't she from Ratatoskr?
"Well, if it isn't the executive from Ratatoskr, the commander of the Fraxinus, Itsuka Kotori."
Seeing who had entered, Dark Amber was genuinely taken aback this time. She had expected someone from the Japanese side, or perhaps from Shenzhou.
After all, despite Shenzhou and Japan's swift agreement, she really hadn't given them any prior notice this time.
"Mobius…"
Kotori looked at the green-haired girl lounging lazily in her chair, her expression complex, but she still took a seat on the sofa meant for guests.
"You always manage to bring the most unexpected shocks."
"Rather than sighing over here, don't you have more important matters to attend to?"
Dark Amber couldn't be bothered with small talk and got straight to the point.
"What's the point of continuing your little games at Ratatoskr? Or do you truly believe Ratatoskr can protect you and your sister?"
Her words hit a nerve.
But…
"Staying at Ratatoskr might come with risks, but at least those dangers are tangible. What about Schicksal?"
Kotori was well aware of her own awkward position. Ratatoskr couldn't offer her real protection; Elliot probably even knew she was considering jumping ship.
But again, if she went to Schicksal and ended up with no real authority, who knew what might happen then?
"I have no interest in forcing anyone. Spirits aren't exactly rare creatures to me—isn't that pervert one too? If Durandal hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have even bothered paying attention to you sisters."
Dark Amber said impatiently, "If you still can't make a decision by our next meeting, don't waste my time."
Kotori didn't feel offended; instead, she took it as a warning.
If she kept hesitating and playing her 'little games,' her evaluation in the other's eyes would undoubtedly keep plummeting.
"The Fraxinus is equipped with the pinnacle of Ratatoskr's technology. It can not only detect spirit waves but also analyze a Spirit's emotions through them, generating 'responses' tailored for different scenarios to assist Shiori in her… conquests."
"It also comes with a compact Realizer unit that allows Shiori's mind to perform hyper-frequency calculations."
In other words, by interfering with one's personal timeline using the Territory, it achieves a self-acceleration of thought. This allows Ratatoskr and Shiori to finalize their 'responses' within a single second.
"These things… Ratatoskr most likely won't be giving them away."
Kotori stated.
Actually, it wasn't 'most likely'—it was virtually impossible.
Analyzing Spirit emotions via spirit waves was one thing, but the rest represented Ratatoskr's core technological secrets.
"We don't need those things. Even if we did, replicating or even surpassing them would be trivial for me."
Dark Amber let out a cold laugh. "Do you think only Ratatoskr and DEM understand the Territory? In the end, it's merely an application of power from the Neighboring Realm."
"Schicksal's foundational knowledge in this area exceeds your imagination. The reason Valkyries don't use it is simply because they have no need to. Don't forget how the Schicksal Headquarters was built."
The First Spirit appeared thirty years ago. Schicksal's floating island ascended into the sky twenty-five years ago.
Without the ability to freely alter physical laws using the Territory, how could such a colossal structure have been created in just five years?
Schicksal hadn't deployed the Territory on the battlefield like DEM did, but its mastery in other applications was unparalleled.
"I was using this technology before it even had the name 'Territory.'"
"…Alright then."
With the other party putting it like that, what more could Kotori say?
"Speaking of which, is this one actually a Spirit?"
Kotori, whose heart was gradually leaning toward Schicksal, glanced at Miku, who wore a rather foolish expression.
Izayoi Miku was quite famous in Tengu City. A school idol, yet every one of her concerts had the drawing power of a top-tier star. Her singing voice was truly beautiful—even Shiori listened to her songs. But… she seemed quite different in person from how she appeared on TV.
She didn't look all that bright.
"This one?"
A vein twitched at Miku's temple, irritated by Kotori's arrogant and dismissive attitude.
Had she known what Kotori was actually thinking, she'd have been even angrier. But it wasn't entirely Miku's fault.
Her activities and social circle had always been confined to school and the idol industry. She'd never attended a meeting of this level, didn't know any genuinely influential figures, and even the person she'd rejected for a shady proposition was just a small-time businessman.
Terms like "Territory" or "conquering Spirits" were completely new to her.
Though it was her first time hearing them, she found herself strangely drawn to those two words: "conquering Spirits." Detecting a Spirit's emotions? It all sounded very much like… romance.
Was Ratatoskr's cooperation with Schicksal about conquering Spirits? And now Schicksal was developing its own technology for it?
Then… who would be doing the conquering?
Miku's mind immediately went to Durandal.
If they were talking about conquering Spirits, and Spirits were all beautiful girls, then logically, the one doing the conquering should be equally stunning, right?
Combined with the mention in the earlier meeting about Schicksal protecting Spirits, it seemed this was already happening.
Power strong enough to protect Spirits, plus looks on par with them… that had to be Durandal, didn't it?
Without even considering the possibility of a male candidate, Miku's thoughts instantly settled on the golden-haired girl.
If she were to be conquered by someone like Durandal… joining Schicksal really wouldn't be a loss…
Letting her imagination run wild, picturing herself being princess-carried by the larger-than-life Durandal from the photos, Miku couldn't help but feel a little intoxicated.
But then she remembered Mobius's punishments and instantly 'deflated,' a look of utter despair settling on her face—which explained the vacant expression Kotori saw.
"Like her, we have four more back at our place, all currently at the St. Freya Hotel."
"Schicksal has five Spirits?!"
Kotori's eyes widened in shock; this was the last answer she'd expected.
Wasn't Schicksal the world's largest anti-Spirit organization?
Wasn't the St. Freya Hotel the lodging for Schicksal's most elite Valkyries?
How did so many Spirits end up in a place packed with top-tier Valkyries?
Was this a Valkyrie hotel or a Spirit hotel?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.