Commander Grim leaned against the window sill, happily looking down at Syuen and his two companions.
As if realizing her gaze, Mihara raised her eyebrows and looked towards the balcony.
"Have a safe trip. Commander Grim waved a gentle hand towards the black-haired beauty who was fond of enduring pain, and it wasn't until a faint smile appeared on her face that Commander Grim turned to leave: "now it's my turn."
"So, what's the purpose tonight?"
Commander Grim opens his phone.
Perhaps in view of the ongoing unrest at The Outpost, Deputy Commander Andersen still did not assign any tasks, only occasionally sending one or two warm greetings.
Andersen: "How have you been these last few days?"
Commander Grim: "All Right."
Andersen: "You did very well with regard to Jeff's terrorist attack."
Andersen: "but remember, we can't always protect you. Be it the high officials of the Ark or the terrorists from the Outer Rim, they are like hyenas; once they smell prey, they will not give up easily."
Commander Grim: "I understand."
Andersen: "it's good that you understand. This is the only support I can give you."
Andersen: "Oh, by the way, are you free on Valentine's Day?"
Commander Grim: "Eh..."
Commander Grim: "are you asking me out?"
Andersen: "want to go on a date with me? You're a greedy man, aren't you?"
Commander Grim: "..."
Commander Grim: "Deputy Commander Andersen, you remain as humorous as ever."
Andersen: "Haha, I can't compare to you. After all, you've always been popular with Nikke, right? Of course, it was a joke. He's just Nikke who works in the Central Government who asked me to ask about your schedule."
Commander Grim: "is that Privaty?"
Andersen: "since the message has already been delivered, know that I have a meeting in five minutes."
Andersen: "see you later."
Commander Grim: "wait a minute, there's one more thing I want to ask you."
Commander Grim: "do you know about Eden?"
After typing those three words.
Andersen was silent for quite a while before answering: "no matter where you get the information from, I can tell you clearly that the Ark currently does not know the coordinates of Eden, and the attitude of its inhabitants towards the Ark is still unknown."
Commander Grim: "Copy That."
Andersen: "if you want to go on a long-term mission on the Surface, maybe you can try to contact them."
Andersen: "of course, this is just a suggestion, Commander Grim."
Andersen: "whether to carry it out or not, I'm sure you can make your own judgment."
Andersen: "Well, I'm not going to chat anymore. Lastly, Happy Valentine's Day in advance."
Commander Grim: "you too."
Commander Grim turns off his messages with Andersen, about to relax for a while, but his phone is again flooded with messages.
*Unread Messages: 72
Unread Group Chat Messages: 98
Rupee: Commander brother, are you free on Valentine's Day?
Rupee: want to live stream your boyfriend's Valentine's day special with Rupee~? I've got the place!
Rupee: if you are willing to come, I will definitely return your favor well in person~★
Dolla: I booked a booth and a hotel for Valentine's Day.
Dolla: guest, you should know what I mean ^ ^ .
Yan: Valentine's Day is a good day to make money, you know that, right?
Yan: don't you want to come along and make a lot of money with me?
The three Nikkes of the Merchant Alliance looked as enthusiastic as ever. Spending Valentine's Day with these rich ladies is sure to be a festive night.
Commander Grim scrolls the message down, followed by a message from the unlimited Orbit squad.
—- Infinite Orbital Forces——
Diesel: "Commander, are you free on Valentine's Day?"
Soline: "Commander, since it's Valentine's Day, Ark has specifically given us time to rest for one day!"
Commander Grim: "rest, not vacation?"
Soline: "despite the name of the break, the place is in the train, because the day will be very crowded, and we may have to take turns at any time. But the carriage will be very beautifully decorated that day!"
Brid: "life sometimes needs to deviate from its course... If you're free, why not stop by for a coffee?"
Diesel: "I just rehearsed a new song, Commander definitely wants to hear it~?"
Soline: "Wow, gawat, Diesel will sing again!"
Valentine's day on the train?
That might be interesting, but...
Grim kept scrolling down.
—- Counterattack Squad——
Rapi invited Marian to a group chat.
Anis: "@ Grim, Commander, honestly, where do you celebrate Valentine's Day?"
Neon: "Master won't secretly run to Ark alone anymore, then hold hands with Nikke we don't even know, and finally kiss in bed, right?"
Grim: "Anis, Neon, is my reputation that bad in your eyes?"
Anis: "of course!"
Neon: "needless to say!"
Marian: "Huh? How much is Valentine's Day? Can you eat it?"
Neat: "you can't eat Valentine's Day, but you can spend it with someone you like."
Marian: "!!!"
Marian: "then I want to spend it with the Commander!!"
Anis: "Commander, this is inevitable. We have to give you a final ultimatum."
Anis: "will you celebrate the holiday in Ark with your new friend Nikke, or will you celebrate it with us, who have deep feelings and have fought alongside you many times, at Outpost? You have to make a choice!"
Neon: "Master, I know this may be a difficult decision for you, but if you keep running away and messing around with Nikke from the other squad, we will break down!"
Neon: "because it's not fair to us!"
Marian: "it's not fair!"
Anis: "it's not fair!???"
Neon: "not fair!???"
Marian: "it's not fair!???"
Anis: "@ Rapi, keep training!"
"Captain," he said, " Do you have any plans for the day?"
Grim: "I did have plans for the day, but it was different than you imagined. I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer when I return."
Anis: "Origin! Too perfunctory!"
Neal: "Why Is It Like This? We're first... whether it's holding hands, hugging, or falling in love with the guy, why is it like this? It's the first time I like someone, the first time I find someone I can be a teacher for life..."
Grim: "where did you copy it from?"
Neon: "I found it online!"
Anis: "don't be so frank and let him distract you, Neon!"
Neon: "Ah, your Commander is too despicable!"
Neon: "this time, please be honest, otherwise My Fire Soul will be sad!"
The members of the Counterattack Squad attacked fiercely.
Grim can only pretend not to see them.
If he continues to be interrogated like this, How can he celebrate Valentine's Day?
Grim closed the Counterattack Squad's chat window, and within seconds, another Nikke sent him a message.
Drone drone drone...
The noise of the Prima donna Squad sending a message.]
Drone drone drone...
The Maiden of the Extrinsic Squad sent a message.]
Drone drone drone...
'Moran Underworld Queen' sent a message.]
Drone drone drone drone drone....
Squad Cafe Sweety Sugar sent a message, Triangle Squad Yulha sent a message.]
Grim held onto his phone, calmly replying to the messages one by one.
Regarding Nikke's request, with three days left until Valentine's Day, Grim decides to tackle one group first.
Tomorrow morning, he will shoot a Valentine's day special with Rupee, then in the afternoon, he will talk to Yan about money-making projects, in the evening, he will have a drink with Dolla, and in the evening, he will visit Ark Express and spend time with Diesel and his army.
As for the day after tomorrow, he will visit Noise and Maiden.
As for Moran, it seems that he came to borrow money?
It is easily overcome. He just needed to pay dearly to hire her as a secretary at The Outpost. The current Outpost needed someone who could fight and maintain a higher position.
As for Sugar and Yulha... must be scheduled the day after tomorrow.
Only after setting all his promises did Grim breathe a sigh of relief.
A qualified Succubus Ark must be proficient in the art of time management.
As expected of me.
Even in the midst of an intense Valentine's Day, I can handle it with ease.
It's just that my kidneys may be suffering a little...
However, Grim is not afraid. With the improved physique that the system gave him, plus his energetic physique and quick recovery, as long as it wasn't a fight against dozens of Nikkes in a single day, he was confident that he could defeat them all.
He'll win!
After arranging his travel plans, Grim was about to head to the Ark simulation room when he suddenly smelled a faint scent while leaning against the balcony.
It tastes like lavender.
But it's more like a trap deliberately left by a hunter, to lure Grim into seeking the truth.
A warm yet slightly unsettling feeling flowed from Grim's feet, reminding him of a beautiful yet terrifying memory.
"Indeed."
"Isabel, it's you, isn't it?"
Grim did not turn around, speaking softly.
The next moment, he heard the balcony door move.
After a short wait, a pair of metal hands stretched out from behind, tightly hugging his chest.
"My dear, how do you know it's me?"
The reddish-purple long-haired Nikke gently sniffed Grim's shirt affectionately, then whispered softly in his ear.
"Maybe it's because our hearts are connected."
Grim smiled faintly. He remained calm, but tried to calm his tone, letting Isabel hold him tightly.
"Ah..."
"You really know how to talk. Talking to you guys like this always feels like an old married couple."
"But."
"I'm still a little dissatisfied."
Crackling...
Isabel's embrace on Grim's body suddenly tightened. Although it didn't make him sick, that terrible sense of possessiveness had been conveyed into Grim's heart.
Grim still remembered that he was walking through the ruins at the time, and because of Rapture's attack, he was separated from the three members of the Counterattack Squad.
Just as she was facing a life and death situation, Isabel appeared.
He descends from the sky, defeats Rapture, rescues Grim, and brings him back to safety. On the way home, in gratitude for his help, Grim gives this postcard from his pocket to Nikke, whose army he does not know.
""What is this?""
""It was a postcard.""
Facing Grim's gift, Isabel, who had never received a gift from a human before, showed a puzzled expression.
""Postcards, what do they do?""
Postcards have many uses. It is usually used to express feelings to important people.
"....""
After a moment's silence.
He showed a slightly charming smile.
""Then do you have one?""
""Do you have a loved one with whom you would like to express your feelings?""
""If I have to say it, not yet.""
Isabel's lips curved to form a slight smile. He held out his hand and asked hesitantly.
""In that case, may I have this postcard?""
"Of course, that's for you.""
After receiving the postcard, she blushed.
This was the first time in his life that he had received a gift from a human, and it was a very valuable item.
""This is the first time I have received a postcard...""
""So, you... to me...""
Isabel misunderstood something.
Grim thinks it was just a momentary encounter, but he accepts the postcard as an expression of love.
Even though it was just a chance meeting, he still couldn't forget Grim.
Back in the Year Of Eden, Isabel could not eat or sleep. She stared at the postcard all day, constantly remembering the unexpected meeting.
He longed for Grim's handsome eyes, his agile steps, his unbridled gaze, and his strong, well-built chest.
My beloved, who is far away on the Ark...
Why are you getting me so hooked?
Isabel eventually decides to use a similar postcard as a return gift for Grim.
He's ready to confess.
But when he arrived at the Outpost that day, all he saw was a group of Ark Nikkes chattering around Grim, and his handsome prince laughing and talking to them, seemingly having forgotten his promise to Grim.
Isabel's face turned cold with jealousy.
She immediately plans a kidnapping, imprisons Grim, feeds him, and plays 'wife games', but in the end, she can't bear to see his sad face and lets him go.
But that doesn't mean he's giving up.
Instead, he decided to conquer his beloved with the strongest love.
"Valentine's Day is coming. Who do you plan to spend it with?"
Isabel hugged Grim tightly, blowing her ears gently.
It seems to be full of tenderness, but if he answers incorrectly, he may be locked up again.
"I will save the most beautiful night for Isabel."Grim smiled faintly. He turned around naturally, and in the dim light, he gently grasped Isabel's fingers and kissed her lips passionately.