Itsuka Shiori wasn't the suspicious type, nor was she particularly distrustful by nature.
But even Shiori couldn't help feeling the timing of this new transfer student named Seele was a little too convenient. Plus, the fact she was a girl naturally made Shiori think of a Valkyrie.
Now wasn't the time or place to dwell on it, though. So, Shiori simply wore the same curious expression as everyone else while looking at Seele.
'What a gathering of utterly unseasoned souls, each pair of eyes shining with a clear, guileless stupidity.'
Black Amber made her internal assessment.
She had long expected this wouldn't be a comfortable environment, but this bunch of students was still giving her a slight headache.
No sooner had morning self-study ended than a swarm of boys and girls crowded around, chattering with questions she had no interest in and even less desire to answer.
Fortunately, Black Amber never went into anything unprepared. She had already compiled a list of possible queries and prepared her responses.
"Should I call you Seele or Vollerei? Vollerei is your family name, right?"
"I heard foreigners go by their first names, so we should just call you Seele, right?"
"Seele, why did you suddenly come to Japan for school?"
"Seele, your skin looks amazing! Is it foreign makeup?"
Facing the barrage, Black Amber patiently maintained the girl's shy and timid facade.
Despite the crowd's enthusiasm, she replied to each one in turn, "People around me usually just call me Seele, so everyone can just use my first name."
"My family's work brought us here on assignment. I'll probably be in Japan for quite a long time."
"It's not foreign makeup... Seele isn't old enough to use cosmetics yet."
A person's appearance directly determines the first impression they give. And Seele's exquisitely beautiful face, which could rival Tohka's, combined with her shy yet bravely responsive attitude, gave everyone a sense of warmth and friendliness.
Though they sensed this new classmate wasn't great at handling the situation, driven by thoughts like 'Her flustered look is adorable' and 'I want to get close to her quickly,' their questioning only grew more fervent.
"Seele, your Japanese is so fluent! And your accent isn't awkward at all!"
"Seele refers to herself in the third person? That's so cute! Like a little kid! Though you really don't look like a high schooler!"
"Seele, what does your family do? Being on assignment for so long... are they diplomats or something?"
The questions made Black Amber's temple twitch slightly, involuntarily reminding her of her time in the previous world facing those cursed children. Those kids could chatter nonstop all day.
Thankfully, back then she was 'Mama,' so she didn't need to say much—just smiling was enough.
Shiori had a growing feeling that letting this continue would lead to trouble.
She quickly stepped forward with a warm smile, saying, "Everyone, Seele looks a bit overwhelmed. If you want to get to know her, why not take your time over the coming days?"
As one of the 'popular figures,' Shiori's words carried weight with her classmates. After all, she was known for both good character and excellent grades.
With those two things, you could pretty much walk sideways through school if you wanted.
Everyone exchanged glances, feeling a bit disappointed, but they knew they shouldn't push the new student too far—that would border on bullying.
Finally, the flock dispersed. Black Amber reluctantly gave Shiori some internal credit, though outwardly she wore a docile, grateful smile. "Thank you... um..."
"I'm Itsuka Shiori, and this is Yatogami Tohka."
Shiori gave a brief introduction.
"Hello, Seele! So you're from Schicksal... mmmph!"
Tohka was on the same wavelength. She just didn't like using her head much; it didn't mean she didn't have one. A little consideration made the sudden appearance of a transfer student seem far too coincidental.
But before she could finish, Shiori covered her mouth.
That was not something you could just blurt out casually...
She glanced around, relieved to see everyone was just puzzled by their actions, not curious about what 'Schicksal' was. She then noticed Seele showed no surprise, so she ventured, "Um... shall we talk outside?"
"Okay."
Black Amber nodded.
The sight of the three leaving together drew the students' gazes. Only after they were completely out of sight did the discussion start up again.
"As expected of the 'Transfer Student Killer.' Itsuka really knows how to handle them, huh? Claiming the new girl on day one? How bold."
"Yatogami latched onto Itsuka right away too, becoming inseparable. Maybe Itsuka is some kind of queen of the sapphics?"
"Honestly, unbelievable."
The three didn't hear the classroom chatter. If Shiori knew how others saw her, she'd probably crack.
"Seele... so you really are from Schicksal..."
Once they reached a relatively empty spot, Shiori asked curiously.
"Mhm. Seele was entrusted by Durandal to protect her friends."
Black Amber had no intention of accepting gratitude. She didn't care for it. Better to direct that thanks to Amber. "Durandal can't move freely herself, so she had to entrust this to someone else."
"Ah, I understand. With someone like Durandal, every move draws attention, right?"
Shiori never expected Durandal herself to act as her 'nanny.'
Not only would Durandal's status make it impossible to stay under the radar, but more importantly, in Shiori's eyes, Durandal was definitely a super-busy person, just like Kotori, unlikely to have time for school escort duty.
"It feels a bit awkward to keep troubling her when we've only just met... Of course, I'm very grateful you were willing to come, Seele. You must have other important things to do right now?"
Indeed, even casually researching something as relaxation seemed more like 'important business' than being a bodyguard.
But this was a request from her foolish other self. It was the first time she'd asked for something like this in so long. Of course, Black Amber was happy to handle this small task.
"Seele doesn't really have any 'important business'... This counts. Protecting Shiori is also for the cooperation between Schicksal and Ratatoskr. So, this is important business now."
"Say, are you that Durandal's friend? You don't seem very strong."
Tohka circled Black Amber, studying her. Whether it was Ellen, Durandal, Artemisia, or even Mana, Tohka could sense an aura of strength from them—a kind of confidence. But this human girl gave off a completely different feeling.
There was no malice in her tone, just pure curiosity. But to a normal person, such words could easily be misunderstood.
Shiori hurriedly explained, "Sorry, Tohka doesn't mean any harm!"
"It's alright. But please rest assured, Seele is a qualified Valkyrie. I can protect everyone."
Black Amber's smile was sweet, but in her mind, she was already planning to find an opportunity to give Tohka a good scare.
--+--
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!
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If you guys wanna check it out.