'Seems Commander Kotori isn't having an easy time lately.'
Sitting next to Amber, Rita couldn't help but muse inwardly.
It wasn't that Amber had put the call on speaker or that Rita was deliberately eavesdropping—it was simply that a Valkyrie's senses were sharper than an ordinary person's.
With the phone less than half a meter away from her, she could easily catch the conversation.
"Lady Durandal, if needed, I think Second Captain Origami would be a suitable candidate for this."
After her moment of reflection, Rita didn't hesitate to nominate her rival for the task.
This wasn't entirely out of selfishness—in fact, from a personal standpoint, Rita didn't want to see a Schicksal Valkyrie giving up training time for such 'side jobs.'
But since the golden-haired girl had already agreed, Rita naturally offered her best suggestion.
"Origami is around the same age as Shiori. As captain of the second squad, her abilities are quite formidable, and she's made remarkable progress under your training these past few days. While she might still struggle against a Spirit, she should be able to hold her own for a while."
"In my opinion, Second Captain Origami is undoubtedly the best choice."
Besides, this would conveniently send a rival off on an assignment—killing two birds with one stone.
Truth be told, in Rita's mind, Durandal also fit the criteria.
Though she appeared somewhat youthful, that could be chalked up to a late bloomer. But… as an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, how could she possibly go play babysitter for someone else?
"Origami is indeed suitable, but I already have someone else in mind."
Amber didn't mind Rita overhearing, but she didn't accept the suggestion either.
"Could it be a Valkyrie from headquarters?"
Rita was certain she had gone through the entire Immortal Blades roster meticulously—no one could be more suitable than Origami.
"Seele Vollerei."
When Amber spoke the name, a hint of nostalgia flashed across her face.
Though those memories had been blurred by the Fenghuang Down, they were still her own memories—it was impossible for them not to leave some impression.
"Seele Vollerei…"
Rita recognized the name and had once been intensely curious about it.
After all, this was one of the Valkyries ranked alongside herself and Durandal. Yet, unfortunately, whether it was 'Fu Hua' from the files or 'Seele Vollerei,' Rita had never met either of them in person.
She had even wondered if their existence was merely strategic deterrence—that there actually were no such individuals.
Of course, this curiosity was limited to what missions they might be carrying out. She never questioned their status as S-rank Valkyries alongside herself and Durandal.
After all, Rita was well aware that while S-rank Valkyrie strength was top-tier in this world, Schicksal wasn't the only organization with such power. Ellen was a clear example.
But even among the top tiers, there were gaps.
Durandal, who had effortlessly defeated Ellen, was proof of that. Those two were likely around her own level—nothing too unbelievable.
At best, they might be on par with Ellen, but regardless, they'd probably be nothing compared to Lady Durandal.
Judging from the file photo, Seele Vollerei certainly looked the part of a high school student. But that file was from six years ago… Could it be that she, like Mobius and Durandal, had an age that didn't match her appearance?
"I didn't expect Lady Durandal to have already met Miss Seele Vollerei."
Rita asked curiously, "What is she like?"
"Well… she's a somewhat introverted but resilient girl, and quite strong too."
After a moment's thought, Amber added, "But she occasionally shows a terrifying side."
"Even Lady Durandal finds her terrifying?"
Rita was surprised. She rarely heard the golden-haired girl comment on someone's strength.
Whether strong or weak, it had never been her standard for judging others. In Rita's eyes, this was because the girl herself was the ultimate embodiment of strength, so power levels simply held no meaning to her.
Yet this same Durandal had specifically mentioned her strength before noting her terrifying side?
"Indeed."
Amber nodded.
Though she felt a little embarrassed about it, she was essentially finding some work for her other self…
She intended the Seele character card for Dark Amber. Given Dark Amber's temperament, playing Mobius allowed her to be semi-authentic and relatively comfortable, but taking on Seele would clearly feel restrictive.
No helping it… Durandal had no reason to suddenly vanish from everyone's sight, whereas Mobius could go missing for ten or twenty days without raising eyebrows.
She couldn't ask Fu Hua to play Seele either.
Unlike herself or Dark Amber—who were born from her—Fu Hua had neither the habit nor the interest in maintaining a character card's persona.
Rather than having her act a role, it'd be better to have Fu Hua appear as herself.
But things hadn't reached a desperate point yet. Casually asking her master for help felt a bit… like taking advantage.
In any case, Dark Amber probably couldn't maintain Seele's persona indefinitely and would frequently 'release' her own emotions, so it was better to give Rita a heads-up.
"I understand."
Rita nodded thoughtfully. "Then I'll go arrange Miss Seele's school enrollment procedures."
"Thank you, Rita."
Having someone handle everything for her certainly made things easier and more convenient.
Though no matter how many times it happened, Amber still felt a bit embarrassed—after all, in her eyes, Rita was a friend, not a subordinate. But refusing such help would only make Rita unhappy.
After Rita left, Amber explained the situation to Dark Amber.
"The only person who dares to order me around so casually is you."
Dark Amber's expression was sour, but inwardly, she was quite pleased. Though she had been busy running around for Amber's sake, all of it had been her own initiative.
It might sound confusing, but being suddenly handed a task by Amber gave Dark Amber a sense of joy—finally, she was 'being of help to Amber.'
Compared to the scheming and planning she had been doing, merely playing an introverted girl and acting as a bodyguard was child's play.
Yet this request, coming directly from Amber herself, gave Dark Amber a greater sense of accomplishment than everything she had done before combined.
"Sorry for causing you trouble."
Amber said apologetically. "But in this matter, you're the only one I can entrust it to."
"Even after sitting at the pinnacle of power for so long, your way of asking for favors hasn't improved one bit."
Dark Amber snorted. "It's just playing babysitter for that girl for a while. Not exactly a hassle for me."
"Alright, then I'll leave it to you, other me."
Hearing that long-unused phrase from their previous world finally made Dark Amber's lips curve upward.
"Really, you're impossible."
--+--
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.