Watching the message from her other self, Amber couldn't help but wonder why they were moving against Mukuro so soon.
But trusting in her counterpart's usual reliability—and clinging to the thought, 'She wouldn't do anything to harm me'—she opened the summoning page.
How long had it been since she last opened this screen?
The featured character on the banner was still Durandal.
After all, she'd only been in this world for six years; it wasn't time for the banner to change yet.
Back when she first arrived, her very first pull had granted her the Bright Knight: Excelsis character card.
Later, after gaining some recognition within the Neighboring World, she'd pulled again for the little silly goose's card, just to bolster her lineup and play it safe.
She'd been a bit disappointed not to get Palatinus Equinox back then, but the little silly goose was plenty cute too, so it wasn't a total loss.
That summoning session was already three or four years in the past now.
"Mister Navigator! I want to do a ten-pull, plus a 20,000 recognition weighting boost, same as before. No need to report the unimportant stuff."
[Command accepted]
The familiar, long-absent light shimmered before her eyes.
With all the accumulated luck she'd saved up over the years, plus the hefty 20,000 recognition investment—if she still couldn't pull Palatinus Equinox this time, there had to be some foul play involved!
[Summoning complete.]
[Items obtained: Bianka: Theatre (T) x1, Bianka: Theatre (B) x1, Bianka: Theatre (M) x1. Character Card: Theresa Apocalypse (Schicksal Overseer). Character Card: Bianka Durandal Ataegina (Palatinus Equinox). Character Card: Kiana Kaslana (Third Eruption).]
Phew…
That gave me a scare.
Thought I'd dropped twenty thousand just for the full gear set without the character…
Not that she needed it—she already had enough extra character cards to synthesize any featured character from any period—but after investing resources, she still preferred pulling them directly.
Seeing Theresa's character card almost gave Amber heart failure. Luckily, the next one was Palatinus Equinox Goose.
But… what's with this Third Eruption Paramecium? Hard to imagine where she'd even be useful…
Wait, she wasn't fully Herrscherized during the Third Eruption… but still seems pretty useless.
Might as well stash her and combine her with the extra Seele card for the next featured banner.
And… speak of the devil, a Schicksal Overseer really showed up… Even as the Overseer, it's hard to tell which period this is—freshly appointed or long-tenured.
After all, that old woman's appearance never changed; it was only when Theresa Apocalypse started sporting dark circles that you could tell she'd updated her look.
Come to think of it, Durandal really lives up to her name. Every banner seems to revolve around her for pulls.
As a Kaslana, and also an older Kiana figure, Durandal's connections are seriously solid, popping three character cards at once.
Looking back, Seele dropped a Vita card, but the Mobius and Fu Hua banners didn't drop a single other character—only their own… well… though little Senti kinda counts as Fu Hua's drop, right?
Anyway, pulling Palatinus Goose this time has given Amber a huge boost of confidence.
"I've already pulled Palatinus Equinox. Just missing her signature weapon… but using Black Abyss White Flower should work about the same."
Amber sent the message.
"Good. Come by the lab when you have time later. Just say my research had a breakthrough—that gives us a reason for your body suddenly reverting."
She did kinda want to change back. Amber herself wasn't exactly tall, but she actually preferred a higher vantage point. Whether using Fu Hua's card or big Durandal's, both gave Amber a satisfying perspective.
"Oh, and I also pulled Theresa's character card."
Amber added excitedly, "Why don't you just hand the Schicksal Overseer position back to her?"
Dark Amber didn't particularly mind, but not now:
"That'll have to wait. The Schicksal Overseer suddenly stepping down and swapping would be huge news, both for this world and for the Valkyries."
"Better not stir that up at this critical juncture. Of course, if you insist, it's not impossible."
"Never mind, then…"
Amber knew her instincts for this sort of thing weren't sharp. Plus, Dark Amber clearly had her own plans.
Even if Dark Amber considered Schicksal her own, Amber felt an amateur like herself shouldn't go around giving reckless orders.
She wasn't some spoiled brat. The foundation Dark Amber had built already gave her plenty of advantages; no need to get impulsive and cause trouble for her.
"That's how things stand for now. I'll call if I need you for anything."
Dark Amber brought the conversation to a close.
Then, she opened Westcott's message, pondered for a moment, and dialed the communication line with a laugh.
"Such bold words from DEM's esteemed Executive Director. Aren't you afraid I'll expose this and make you lose all trust from your little followers?"
Having waited for Dark Amber's response, Westcott, already prepared, replied calmly, "Just a joke. We're all comrades in the same fight against Spacequakes, allies against a common disaster. There's no 'followers' here when facing a calamity."
How noble-sounding.
If she'd only suspected before, she was certain now: this bastard definitely needed something from Schicksal—or rather, from her.
Opening with grand ideals, talking about 'no followers,' combined with his earlier text—clearly testing her stance. If she echoed his sentiment, he could smoothly make a soft plea.
If she treated him like a 'follower'…
He'd just have to plead even more softly, given the current situation everyone understood.
The difference was, if he failed to get what he wanted, he could leak her attitude too, cementing that 'Schicksal doesn't see others as partners, just followers,' while explaining away his 'Long Live Schicksal' remark as a test of her.
Regardless of whether people believed it, the fear of Schicksal was already at a hair-trigger point.
Having easily defeated Ellen, Schicksal, now unchecked, sat at a height many found intolerable.
Plenty, even within Schicksal's own ranks, were growing fearful.
But…
Dark Amber sneered coldly.
The only reason it was 'intolerable' was because they weren't high enough yet.
When an apocalyptic meteor falls from the sky, humanity will learn that only Schicksal can offer this world shelter. And when Schicksal reaches that height, no one in this world will dare utter a word against it.
That said, now wasn't the time to drop a meteor. However… this was actually a good opportunity.
After all, once the battle between Mukuro and Durandal began, DEM and Westcott would likely go completely dormant. And then she'd have no little clown performing for her entertainment.
Thinking this, Dark Amber's tone turned icy. "Of course. After all, we are all 'human.'"
Westcott smiled too, though the warmth didn't reach his eyes.
As a misanthrope who hated humanity—bent on either destroying or dominating the world—Westcott had no desire to agree with that sentiment. But in another sense, it set his mind at ease.
He wasn't afraid of Mobius showing emotion; visible emotion meant the matter was still negotiable.
What he feared was Mobius showing no reaction at all—that either meant no room for discussion, or she was already planning how to deal with him.
Endure, Westcott!
Taking a deep breath, Westcott's smile became noticeably more polished. "In that case, I wonder if Overseer Mobius might be interested in an exchange? I believe we would have much to discuss."
--+--
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.