This time, the two didn't go through the backyard again but instead took the main entrance.
At the entrance of the inn, members of Schicksal had gradually mingled with nearby tourists, so much so that even Connie hadn't noticed Durandal and Elysia leaving.
Now, seeing the two return from outside—especially Durandal still clad in combat armor and Elysia having changed into more practical attire—everyone jolted to attention.
They quickly tossed away the sparklers in their hands, apologized to their newly-made friends, tipped the staff to handle the messy aftermath at the entrance, and then, with solemn expressions, over a dozen people followed Durandal and Elysia back inside.
Originally, Durandal and Elysia had intended to gather everyone in Room 8, but they reconsidered—wouldn't that reveal they'd slipped back earlier to enjoy the hot springs?
So, they turned to Ato and Blanca: "Room 1 is more spacious. Mind if we borrow it for a quick meeting?"
"Of course not."
Ato waved his hands repeatedly, fished the key card from his pocket, and opened the door to Room 1.
Meanwhile, Sakura approached Blanca with her own key card for Room 2.
"Sister Blanca, please take Griseo and Rin to Room 2. The children shouldn't be part of the discussion that follows."
With that, Sakura gently patted Rin's head as the girl seemed about to protest, softening her voice. "Rin, be good. Go back, take a bath, and get to bed. Big sister will join you soon."
Rin pouted but ultimately said nothing, obediently following Blanca, who carried Griseo, into Room 2.
Inside Room 1, every Schicksal member except Blanca was present, along with two outsiders: Mei and Su.
Durandal had never planned to let them off the hook, so she offered no objection as they followed the group in.
She simply looked at everyone and said gravely, "Just now, Elysia and I found Honkai zombies in the semi-abandoned factory district not far from here."
Apart from Mei and Su, who hadn't yet accessed Schicksal's internal files and thus lacked a clear understanding of zombies, everyone else's expressions shifted dramatically.
They knew all too well the origin of zombies and what their emergence signified.
Durandal glanced at their varied faces and continued solemnly, "That's right. If I'm not mistaken, another Honkai eruption is approaching, and this time, it will land dangerously close to us. But there's no need to panic."
"I'm confident I can lead everyone through this. However, our vacation ends here. At first light tomorrow, we must return to Nagazora."
"Everyone, get plenty of rest tonight—we'll all be extremely busy from here on out."
With that, Durandal left Room 1 with Elysia.
The others in the room dispersed silently to their respective rooms.
Back in Room 5, Su turned to Mei, who clearly knew more than she did, and Kevyn, who seemed to know even more, asking softly, "So, could you tell me what's really going on? The zombies, the Honkai... Of course, if it's too sensitive, you don't have to say."
There was little panic in Su's tone. She understood clearly that panic solved nothing. She simply wanted the truth so she could prepare accordingly.
If Kevyn refused, she wouldn't press—she could always ask Durandal directly tomorrow.
Hearing this, Kevyn shook her head. "Schicksal doesn't strictly forbid sharing information about the Honkai with outsiders."
"Besides, the leader just mentioned it openly in front of you both, so there's no harm in telling you."
Kevyn then briefly explained what she remembered about the Honkai and the origin of zombies.
After listening, Su furrowed her brow.
She had never imagined learning the so-called truth of the world under such circumstances.
Yet, her face showed little fear.
She simply looked at Kevyn and asked earnestly, "Kevyn, do you really think Schicksal can overcome the Honkai?"
Kevyn answered honestly, shaking her head. "I don't know. But I want to believe we can."
Seeing the look on Kevyn's face, Su fell into thoughtful silence.
Returning to Room 8, Durandal and Elysia each took a quick shower, changed into sleepwear, and slipped under the same blanket.
Without a word, they held each other quietly and drifted off to sleep.
Just as Durandal had said, they needed to conserve their strength for the challenges ahead.
The next morning at five, while the sky was still dark, all Schicksal members were already packed and ready. Ato and Emile drove everyone back to Nagazora in the business vehicles.
Upon arrival, Durandal immediately tasked Connie with liaising with the Nagazora municipal government.
She had already reached an agreement with Mayor Hayato: for the coming period, Nagazora's security system would be made available to Schicksal, allowing them to handle sporadic zombie incidents throughout the city through that network.
Additionally, Connie needed to plot the locations of zombie appearances on a map based on the security system's data, aiming to predict the epicenter of the eventual Honkai outbreak.
With Connie busy on that front, Durandal then checked on the progress of Vill-V's engineering projects.
Vill-V reported that one biological laboratory and one Spiral Workshop were already complete, with remaining facilities progressing steadily.
Hearing this, Durandal instructed Vill-V to halt further construction and focus entirely on designing combat armor and Moon Rings.
The two physical Moon Rings previously withheld from Vill-V were now handed over to her.
Next, Durandal directed Mobius to enter the lab immediately and begin analyzing her blood and genes, aiming to devise a plan for mass-producing combat personnel as soon as possible.
Additionally, anti-Honkai vaccines and serums needed to be developed into usable samples promptly.
Eden, too, was urged to start generating profits quickly, as Schicksal would soon face substantial expenses.
However, Durandal also reassured Eden not to feel excessive pressure.
If necessary, Schicksal could seek investment from the Nagazora municipal government—or even from the neighboring country of Shenzhou.
--+--