After being brought back to Storm Border, Hinako Akuta had remained unusually quiet.
She attended meetings, but rarely voiced an opinion. Even her stance on whether she intended to participate in the excision of the Lostbelts was unclear.
Shiomi had originally planned to leave her be. If she didn't want to take part, she could simply remain aboard as a bystander.
"No. I'll handle it personally," Shiomi said.
"…I see." Hinako Akuta looked surprised at first, then nodded in understanding.
The only one who could fight the 'Alien God' head-on at any time without falling behind was Shiomi.
If possible, they would prevent the 'Alien God' from absorbing even a single Fantasy Tree.
As for the South American Lostbelt, because of its peculiar nature, the 'Alien God' had chosen to leave it for last. Clearly, she feared that Chaldea might excise the remaining two Lostbelts in the meantime.
"But up to now, aside from what Kirschtaria relayed, you haven't shared any information about the Chinese Lostbelt," Shiomi said. "In the end, are you still unwilling to cooperate with us?"
"…"
Hinako Akuta fell silent again.
"I understand the pain of losing someone important. I do," Shiomi said calmly. "But once you stepped onto this battlefield, you had to be prepared for this outcome."
"Then why didn't you kill me too?" Hinako Akuta's brows drew together, her expression sharpening. "With your abilities, killing me wouldn't have been difficult."
So-called immortality was no longer an insurmountable problem for the current Chaldea.
"You rejected being engraved into human history," Shiomi replied. "Even if you died, you wouldn't enter the Throne."
"After all, you truly hate humanity."
"Even so—" she began to argue, but stopped.
Winning an argument here would change nothing.
Shiomi wasn't trying to defeat her in words.
Before this, Morgan had spoken with her several times as well. As beings who were not truly human—fairy and elemental—they had already discussed this matter.
"When you've sorted out your feelings, we can revisit it," Shiomi said with a shrug. "Marie didn't assign you to Team A, but she left a slot open. You can join at any time."
"There's still time. You can change your mind before we depart."
Peperoncino couldn't help but smile.
"Teacher Shiomi really is a perfectionist. If Daybit were here too, the new Team A would exceed the original headcount."
"Not perfectionism," Shiomi replied with a faint laugh. "I've told Kadoc and Ophelia before—I believe in hating the crime, not the person."
"You did commit a crime by participating in the Bleaching as Crypters. But that wasn't something you were truly free to choose."
Since they wished to atone and had not committed anything irredeemable, giving them a chance was only reasonable.
The restraints placed upon them were simply insurance.
Blind trust would only invite another disaster.
Seeing that Hinako Akuta had nothing more to say, Shiomi didn't press further. Instead, he contacted Ritsuka and the others.
Before long, Ritsuka and Mash entered the conference room, carrying freshly baked pastries in their hands.
"Oh my, you even brought snacks? Is it really okay to eat this kind of thing in a strategy room?" Peperoncino said in exaggerated surprise, and—naturally—reached for the basket. "Won't the Director get mad?"
"This was the Director's idea. Discussing operations is exhausting, so we need sugar to replenish brainpower," Mash replied seriously.
"You're kidding. Don't tell me the Director baked them herself?" Peperoncino flicked a meaningful glance at Ophelia as he played along.
Ophelia's brow twitched. "What are you implying, Peperoncino?"
"Did I imply anything?" Peperoncino put on an innocent, cartoonish face, as if Ophelia were just imagining things.
"This taste… doesn't feel like the Director's cooking," Kirschtaria said, already helping himself. "I remember Teacher Marisbury saying she couldn't cook."
He still ate elegantly, but talking with his mouth full made the casualness oddly jarring.
"At least swallow before you speak," Kadoc groaned.
Ritsuka set the basket on the table. "They're sweets Sakura-senpai made."
"Bringing food at a time like this… now the strategy meeting's turning into a tea party," Shiomi sighed. "But fine. A little breathing room is good. We've got some pretty brain-melting planning to do, and then there's coordination training after."
"Speaking of training," Ritsuka said with a wry smile, "I asked Master Scáthach about Runes again yesterday. I feel like I learned a lot, but… most of it still doesn't feel like something I can actually use."
Shiomi went quiet for a long moment before he finally said, "You weren't born a Magus of the Age of Gods, and you're only just starting out. What your master's teaching you is still a bit early for you."
"I see," Ritsuka said, taking it in stride.
She wasn't impatient. She knew Magecraft was something you built up step by step.
Besides, everyone in Chaldea knew Magecraft. If she didn't understand something, she could ask anyone.
"But if that's the case," Mash followed the thread, "then why can Teacher Shiomi learn Age of Gods Magecraft so easily? Teacher wasn't born in the Age of Gods either, right?"
"Well…" Shiomi got caught off guard. "You know… when you put it like that, I really don't know why, either."
Peperoncino burst out laughing. "Teacher really isn't normal. I was ready to show my real stuff to block Teacher, and I didn't even last one exchange."
"You lost, though. That doesn't bother you?" Kadoc asked.
"Nope," Peperoncino said breezily.
That "almost-but-not-quite" clash at the Grand Temple had made one thing painfully clear.
Even with a thousand years of Tengu Path divine arts under his belt, the gap between him and Shiomi wasn't a matter of skill. It was on a completely different level.
Among the Crypters, the only ones who could truly fight Shiomi at full strength were Kirschtaria and Daybit—and that was only if you limited it to Shiomi before his battle with Zeus.
"Back to what we were saying," Peperoncino went on. "When we were still at Chaldea, I couldn't really say this out loud, but now I think I can."
"I felt an extremely strong mandate of fate from Teacher."
"Everyone knows that already," Kirschtaria said. "If someone weren't chosen by fate, how could they become a god? After Proper Human History returns, an existence like Shiomi… would be enough to overturn—no, to change the world."
"Rather than overturning the world," Shiomi joked, "I'm more interested in overturning the Clock Tower."
"That's really not something I can take as a joke, Teacher," Kirschtaria said. "Let's enjoy the young lady's sweets first, and then talk through how we're going to tackle the Indian Lostbelt."