The phone rang at 7:10 in the morning.
Takeshi looked at it from bed with half-open eyes, read the name on the screen, and took three seconds to decide whether to answer. In the end, he picked up.
"Good morning."
Merwyn said without any preamble.
"I need you to go to the shrine, pick up Ophélia, and accompany her to the high school."
Takeshi slowly sat up in bed.
"Can't Nyx go?"
"Nyx has a meeting with the family lawyer about the inheritance situation."
"And Aoi?"
"Aoi has sword practice starting at seven and finishes right when classes begin."
Takeshi stared at the ceiling.
"Send her in one of your cars... I'm sure you've got one available."
"No."
Merwyn replied in the same tone someone used when explaining something to a person who should've understood it already.
