After a long night of rest, Levi woke with the sunrise.
His first instinct was to summon the system panel and check for new missions.
"Today's Mission: Attend the Iris Cathedral and learn the prayers under Richelieu's guidance."Reward: Physical EnhancementMission Failure Condition: If Richelieu succeeds in "claiming" you, the mission fails, and the reward is lost.
Levi: …
The mission rewards were described exactly the same as yesterday's.
It seemed the rewards were linear. As long as he didn't complete the mission once, it would keep waiting in the rewards queue.
Not bad—it meant he didn't have to worry about missing important rewards due to failure.
…And the mission failure condition was just like last time.
Looks like Richelieu, like Belfast, wasn't exactly acting with good intentions…
Levi opened his diary and vigorously crossed out yesterday's notes, writing a new goal:
"January 8thStay true to myself, defeat Richelieu!"
…
That morning, Levi received a message from Richelieu.
"Commander, could you come to Iris Cathedral? I have something important to discuss with you privately~"
Levi smirked.
With the system's hints, he already knew what Richelieu's "important discussion" meant.
The system didn't just generate events randomly—it attached mission requirements and rewards to imminent events.
Even without the system, Levi could immediately guess the intentions of the Iris Cardinal.
"Private discussion"?
Heh…
Richelieu's intentions were clear to every shipgirl in sight.
Even knowing that this was a dangerous path, he had to complete the mission to get the reward!
Not one to fight unprepared, Levi grabbed a reference book on the Iris Church from his office bookshelf and skimmed through it.
If Richelieu tried to quiz him on church matters, he'd have the answers ready on the spot—speedrun style.
—There was no way he'd fail against Richelieu's onslaught in such a short time!
In the afternoon, Levi confidently arrived at the cathedral gates.
From a distance, the leader of Iris, the flagship of the fleet, former Cardinal of the Iris Church, Richelieu, stood there in her red robes.
Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her white pleated skirt made her look like a princess straight out of a fairy tale.
But what really caught Levi's eye were the long, pale legs clad in striking red stockings.
Richelieu stood there like a living portrait, immediately drawing Levi's gaze.
The girl spotted him instantly, her face lighting up with excitement. She tiptoed forward, waving and calling softly:
"Commander~! You finally made it~!"
Levi quickened his pace and reached her. Richelieu stepped forward and hugged him, letting him feel the weight and presence of the Cardinal.
"Have you been waiting long?"
"Not too long~" Richelieu linked her arm with his, leading him inside the cathedral. "Just since after lunch until now."
Several hours…
Richelieu didn't show any impatience, only a gentle, happy smile. "Hehe, Commander, waiting for you is never a problem~"
"Apparently, you have something important to discuss?" Levi asked with a smile.
Even talking to such a cute and lively girl lifted his spirits.
Richelieu scrunched her cute nose. "I missed you—does that count as important?"
"Of course it does." Levi lowered his head, intending to kiss her forehead, but Richelieu rose slightly on her toes and pressed her lips to his.
The Iris girls were fiery and passionate.
Before Levi could fully react, Richelieu moved even closer, letting him taste her fully.
"Mm…"
Levi's hands instinctively moved, wanting to wrap around her waist.
But as soon as he tried, he realized his arms were already enveloped by her—no chance to resist.
"Commander…"
Levi followed Richelieu down the red carpet, through the cathedral hall, and into a private lounge behind the cathedral.
Richelieu quietly locked the small lounge door behind them.
Levi's eye twitched involuntarily.
You shipgirls…
Is locking the door the first thing you do when entering a room now?
Richelieu sat down next to Levi, forming a shallow indentation on the sofa. By the angle, she pressed closely against him.
Levi could feel her warmth and the subtle heat radiating from her body.
Richelieu's eyes fixed on him, lips slightly parted. "Commander, what do you think of Iris Cathedral?"
"It's magnificent, really beautiful," Levi praised. "Even from afar, you can feel the spirit and determination of Iris."
"Is that so~" Richelieu's lips curved into a smile. As a Cardinal, she was especially pleased by his compliment. "How much do you know about the cathedral, Commander?"
Levi froze.
Before coming here, he had only briefly memorized the prayer rituals—not the full details of the cathedral!
Richelieu, why must you be so unpredictable?!
"Hehe…" Richelieu's fingers rested on Levi's thigh, her expression teasing. "As Commander, you have to be thorough in every detail, you know."
"Let me give you a quick introduction, Commander?"
Levi discreetly moved her hand from his thigh.
For his future happiness, he had to endure this.
If a month passed without claiming a single mission reward, he'd be stuck in a vicious cycle…
"Of course, please introduce the cathedral to me."
You're not going to do anything else while giving the introduction, are you?
Levi employed a "time-stretching" tactic to minimize Richelieu's opportunity to act.
Richelieu, with eyes sparkling, seemed oblivious to Levi's scheming—and showed no further intentions.
Instead, she got up, walked to the nearby bookshelf, and began searching for books.
Levi's gaze followed her movements—observing without any risk.
By his logic, as long as nothing escalated, he could enjoy the rest.
Richelieu seemed to notice his gaze.
With her back turned, she smiled faintly, a teasing glint in her eyes.
Commander…
Your gaze, your movements, your thoughts—I've noticed everything.