"So you're saying you just encountered a Spirit, and she threatened to get revenge on you?"
Having just returned to the Fraxinus and pondering whether there was anything she could offer as a pledge to Schicksal, Kotori was thrown off by Shiori's statement.
She then frowned and said, "Shiori… do you realize what you're saying?"
Her expression clearly read, 'We're supposed to be winning the Spirits over—how could you make such a terrible first impression?'
But Shiori felt just as wronged. "The whole situation was baffling to me too. Originally, I was getting along pretty well with Natsumi, and then the AST suddenly launched an attack. Right after that, Natsumi transformed all of their combat suits into teddy bears."
"Cut to the chase!"
Kotori patiently listened to the preamble, but seeing that Shiori wasn't moving on to the main point, she immediately prompted her.
"That's all there is!"
Shiori said, "After that, she suddenly declared she'd make my life a living hell…"
"Huh?"
Kotori couldn't find any logical connection in that at all. She simply turned to Reine and said, "There's footage from the scene, right?"
"Yes, but unfortunately, due to the combat conditions, part of the recording fails to capture specific details."
After Murasame Reine finished speaking, the large screen ahead began playing the scene.
The events indeed unfolded just as Shiori described. After the green-haired Spirit dealt with the approaching AST units, the visual feed became unclear, leaving only the audio from their headsets.
"You startled me. Are you alright, Natsumi?"
"You saw it… didn't you?"
"Huh?"
"Don't play dumb! You saw it just now! Unforgivable… I'm not done with you!"
"Itsuka Shiori! I'll make your life a living hell!"
"…Huh?"
The conversation between the two ended there.
Kotori: ?
"So… what exactly did you see back then?"
Kotori was also somewhat at a loss. Based on the dialogue, she could only infer that Shiori had seen something she shouldn't have.
"I didn't see anything at all!"
Shiori felt wronged. "The dust was so thick at the time, I could barely keep my eyes open. I couldn't see a thing. By the time I could see anything, the dust had already settled."
But that recorded conversation happened while the dust was still thick.
Kotori's frown deepened, but with so little information, she couldn't make any judgment… Plus, once this meeting ended, a bunch of opportunists were bound to gather around Shiori…
"…Regardless, until that Spirit makes a move, all we can do is wait and see. I'll explain the situation to Durandal later. Speaking of which, wasn't there a spacequake warning this time? How did the AST get close to the Spirit?"
"The Immortal Blades was holding off DEM, while Durandal single-handedly kept Artemisia and Takamiya Mana occupied."
Murasame Reine said, "The AST and DEM did not launch a joint operation."
"I see."
Kotori nodded. "Shiori, you should head home first. If we don't start cooking soon, Tohka's going to be starving and seeing stars. I'll come back once I finish handling things here."
"Understood…"
Seeing Kotori lacking her usual vigor and clearly looking tired, Shiori wanted to say something but could only nod in the end.
This feeling of her little sister constantly being busy while she couldn't help made Shiori uncomfortable. Usually, she was the one always taking care of Kotori, yet now she realized Kotori had also been worrying about her affairs all along.
Rubbing her temples, Kotori left the command room and, alone, dialed Amber's number.
"What's happened, Kotori?"
Hearing that steady voice as always, Kotori's weary mood eased somewhat.
She then said, "Durandal, I need a favor… it's about Shiori. Of course, if it's not possible, that's fine. I'll make the request more formally later."
This was a private number, meaning the two speaking now were not Valkyrie and Commander, but friends setting aside their positions.
But Kotori's words subtly implied this favor wouldn't be easy to grant and would be hard to separate from their respective stances.
"If I can help, I'd be glad to."
Though Amber didn't know what it was about, this was the first time she'd seen Kotori lower her stance like this. Personally, she felt some sympathy.
"After today's Spirit made contact with Shiori, she declared she'd 'make Shiori's life a living hell.'"
Kotori first explained her concerns, then made her request.
"Even Ratatosk can't protect Shiori airtight forever—we can't keep her indoors for a lifetime. So, I wanted to ask if your side could provide protection for Shiori."
"But… it's the same for Schicksal."
Amber said, "Unless you restrict someone's social interactions to a specific range, absolute safety is impossible once they step outside."
Whether it was Ratatosk or Schicksal, they could get Shiori excused from school indefinitely, but that would only be a temporary fix.
"So, I was wondering if you have any Valkyrie friends around the right age, with decent strength…"
As Kotori said this, she felt her face grow hot, finding it awkward herself. "Who could… stay with Shiori during school hours… Of course, I'd offer the highest-level bodyguard compensation as thanks."
After all, her request essentially asked a Valkyrie to abandon training and waste their time.
To put it more vividly, it was like a small business owner calling a friend in the military, asking if they could send a young elite to protect a family member—having that soldier experience quasi-retirement during their crucial career ascent.
Such a request would indeed be more suitable as part of an official cooperation agreement.
Kotori couldn't possibly not know this; her earlier words clearly showed she was aware her current request was somewhat… overstepping.
"Kotori, has something happened between you and Ratatosk?"
Amber asked with a frown.
"There have been some issues…"
Kotori smiled wryly. The friction between her and Mobius couldn't possibly be hidden from Elliot, the boss.
With her actions being so obvious, it was already restrained of Elliot not to confront her directly; he had only revoked her authority to negotiate cooperation with Schicksal.
After all, she was already leaning somewhat toward Schicksal, so they couldn't let someone who might flip at any moment handle negotiations—what if she quietly handed over the Fraxinus warship to Schicksal?
Her earlier remark about 'making the request more formally later' was just the most optimistic thinking.
"I understand."
Amber also vaguely sensed Kotori's awkward position.
Or rather, ever since her conversation with Mobius last time, after which she made a major blunder in a daze, Kotori's stance had been consistently awkward.
No, even earlier—ever since Shiori learned about Ratatosk and clearly expressed aversion, Kotori had been caught in the middle.
"I'll make arrangements. Don't worry, Shiori will be fine."
"…Thank you, Durandal…"
Kotori finally let out a sigh of relief.
Having someone to rely on at a time like this… she really had to thank Shiori for that chivalrous act while grocery shopping back then.
--+--
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.