Though spoken with genuine sincerity and no malice, Lacus clearly understood that Luo Shu now doubted her motives.
This left her somewhat helpless - after all, such personal perceptions were beyond her control. Indeed, the ability to manipulate others' thoughts was what she considered most terrifying.
"My earlier statement about SDS permitting resignations remains valid. Should you change your mind, you may approach me anytime."
Hearing this, Luo Shu finally showed hesitation: "You're absolutely serious about this?"
Suddenly recalling something, he added, "I can hardly imagine you'd actually let me leave."
"This perception stems from Kirika's behaviour, doesn't it?" Lacus's tone held quiet certainty.
It was clear she had been troubled by Kirika Tachibana's actions many times before.
"Kirika shares my desire for talent, but I've never agreed with her methods."
At this point, Lacus picked up the pink Haro resting on her lap and handed it to Luo Shu.
"I imagine Luo Shu-kun has already guessed that SDS is severely understaffed?"
"I can guess as much." Luo Shu nodded. This wasn't difficult to deduce, given that SDS only had one branch in Tokyo, Japan, and had previously considered establishing a second branch in Chiba Prefecture.
For a multinational company to have just one branch in a country might be explainable, but for an organisation dedicated to collecting Abyss Artefacts, it was rather unconvincing.
To put it bluntly, if you wanted to collect randomly appearing Abyss Artefacts, you'd need offices in every major city across Japan – ideally even staffing villages and towns if possible.
Simply put, Luo Shu had imagined SDS would be more like a postal service.
Only an organisation with postal service-level coverage could extend its influence into every corner of a country.
However, SDS wasn't even close to that currently. Without counting support from American forces, SDS in Japan was at best on par with an ordinary security company.
In Tokyo, they could still leverage the deterrence of stationed troops to maintain control and contain Abyss Artefacts appearing in the region. But outside Tokyo, their operational capabilities were extremely limited.
Today's demon containment operation had even resorted to mobilising stationed troops to seal off the city – using a cannon to swat a mosquito, so to speak.
From this alone, Luo Shu saw through SDS's actual situation.
Highly capable, well-connected, with ample logistical support – but critically understaffed, with influence that appeared broad but was actually shallow.
Reading Luo Shu's expression, Lacus understood he had discerned SDS's weakness. She sighed softly, cradling the round robot called Haro as she said:
"Although we have sufficient resources, SDS was actually founded by Kirika and me during our first year at university. It's been less than four years since its establishment."
"Wait a moment?" Luo Shu raised his hand to pause Lacus's explanation, then looked her up and down. "May I ask how old you are?"
"Seventeen." Lacus tilted her head. "I was specially admitted at thirteen through joint recommendation by three professors. Is that strange?"
"Never mind, that's very Coordinator of you." Luo Shu nodded, privately envious of Coordinators' innate talents.
After the interruption, Lacus took a deep breath to reorganise her thoughts before continuing:
"Where was I? Ah yes, due to the increasing frequency of Abyss Descent phenomena in recent years, with my father's support, I expanded what was originally a special research laboratory operating only in Massachusetts into a specialised department with offices across America and branch institutions in major countries worldwide."
"But as a result, our previously adequate manpower has become stretched thin."
"Of course, this also relates to my screening methods for recruitment."
'Screening methods...' Luo Shu thought of Chief Tachibana's somewhat threatening approach to recruitment:
"Does Chief Tachibana disagree with Lacus-san regarding personnel matters?"
"Yes." Lacus nodded gently, making no attempt to conceal their internal disagreements.
She held up the pink spherical robot Haro and handed it to Luo Shu, saying:
"For example, this Haro in my hand meets the quality requirements for personnel in the Special Defence Section."
Lacus showed the Haro to Luo Shu before slowly moving it back towards herself:
"I hope Haro joins SDS work out of its own volition, recognising and agreeing with my ideals."
As she spoke, Lacus gently tossed Haro towards Luo Shu, who caught it deftly.
"But Tachibana believes we're currently short on Haros. Considering demand, she thinks we should use existing conditions for general screening, prioritising manpower needs over so-called ideological alignment and personal conviction."
"Quality versus quantity..." Luo Shu mused after hearing this.
"Exactly." Lacus's face filled with helplessness as she continued: "Tachibana only joined SDS because she agreed with my ideals of containing Abyss phenomena to protect ordinary citizens. Yet now she considers principles unnecessary."
"Putting the cart before the horse," Luo Shu quoted the idiom, then thought wryly:
'So SDS is basically a miniature SCP Foundation? We contain! We protect! We... whatever?'
Quite fitting." Lacus smiled slightly, the Haro in her hand twitching its ear components as if in agreement.
"So why approach me?" Luo Shu already had some guesses.
Cradling Haro, Lacus spoke with slight apology: "Because Tachibana keeps boasting about recruiting excellent members in Tokyo, in her own way. I was concerned about your situation."
"Worried I might resent being forced to join and act irrationally?" Luo Shu could guess her concern, though his expression turned somewhat glum: "But you actually caught a potential Abyss visitor instead?"
Given this world's abundance of cross-dimensional travellers - commonly called abyssal visitors - Luo Shu didn't mind revealing this surface identity.
"Precisely." Lacus suppressed a laugh at his expression.
"Tch." Luo Shu sighed, deciding not to dwell on the exposure. Perhaps Lacus's gentle demeanour and their shared experience as travellers made him lower his guard slightly:
"I admit I'm not keen on frontline firefighting roles. I'm... rather attached to living. Sometimes I wonder if Chief Tachibana issued compulsory orders, whether I'd refuse."
"But equally, I wouldn't refuse opportunities to benefit from the Abyss. Having a gun and being unarmed are completely different concepts. Does that make sense, Miss Lacus?"
"Perfect sense." Lacus didn't call him selfish - this was basic human nature.
Humans must hold guns to protect the lives they cherish. She'd always believed this.
"So may I understand that Luo Shu is willing to work for SDS, obtaining Abyss-derived power to protect himself and family, provided it's safely controllable?"
After paraphrasing his stance, Lacus suddenly raised Haro: "Then might you hear my suggestion?"
Luo Shu nodded: "Agreed."