"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised."
Himeko suddenly spoke.
Durandal: ?
"Surprised about what?"
"Surprised that your first words upon seeing us weren't 'Schicksal welcomes your arrival,' but rather 'Nagazora City welcomes your arrival.'"
Pausing briefly, Himeko continued, "After all, my orders are to assist Schicksal in combating the Honkai, not to help Nagazora City fight it."
Durandal didn't reply immediately.
Honestly, this was probably the biggest difference between Schicksal and Fire Moth.
From Fire Moth's perspective, they place themselves on a higher plane.
Now, Schicksal is barely considered their equal.
But Nagazora City? Or the countless ordinary people?
Isn't what Fire Moth does ultimately about protecting them?
Those who see themselves as lofty protectors—couldn't they just as easily become lofty dictators, indifferent to the fate of the masses?
Just like... that Overseer.
Or even the Honkai itself—is it not the same?
But it's fine. She'd shatter the thrones beneath each of them one by one, then drag them down to stand among the masses, to be judged by them.
Thinking this, Durandal finally spoke slowly, "In the end, whether it's Schicksal or Fire Moth, the ultimate focus must be the land beneath our feet and the people living on it. So, whether Schicksal exists or not, it would only ever be Nagazora City welcoming your arrival."
Himeko nodded, saying nothing more.
As a top student, she naturally understood the logic in Durandal's words. It's just a shame that the higher-ups in her organization didn't seem to share that view.
Dr. Einstein—her teacher—was different, of course.
But precisely because of that difference, Dr. Einstein remained in the Mu Continent instead of Fire Moth's main base, right?
Himeko fell silent, and Durandal didn't force further conversation.
Though their exchange was brief, Durandal knew her goal had been achieved.
At least for now, Himeko's first impression of Schicksal was likely quite positive.
Meanwhile, thanks to Elysia's relentless efforts, Dystopia had also let down her guard, revealing a softer side beneath her cool, hardened exterior.
And a shared love for shopping became their greatest common ground.
After arriving at Schicksal's temporary office, Elysia ran up to Durandal to boast, "Dystopia and I made plans to go shopping together once the Third Honkai Eruption is dealt with~"
Durandal was taken aback, thinking, 'Only Elysia could pull this off,' managing to win someone over so quickly.
She had only just begun working on Himeko.
Seeing Durandal's slight daze, Elysia narrowed her eyes and suddenly said, "Durandal, you're not jealous, are you?"
Durandal: ?
Just as she was about to explain, Elysia leaned in and gave her a soft peck on the lips.
Then, like a mischievous child who'd pulled off a prank, Elysia flashed a sly smile. "There! Now even if you weren't jealous before, you definitely are—after all, I've already comforted you~"
Watching Elysia radiate lively, cheerful energy from head to toe, Durandal felt the irritation that had been building inside her lately—due to the frequent incidents with zombies—gradually ease.
She was beginning to understand why Elysia stood out so distinctly among the Flame-Chasers. In fact, it seemed the Flame-Chasers could manage without Kevin, but not without Elysia.
In an apocalyptic world like this, Elysia's very existence brought a glimmer of hope to everyone.
Because humans, after all, yearn for beauty.
Just like Schicksal's current motto: Fight for all that is beautiful in the world.
Even someone like Mobius, whose moral and ethical views differed from the norm, couldn't argue against that.
Because even someone like Mobius held her own definition of beauty.
Need proof? Just look at the blue arrow pointing from Mobius to Elysia in the Flame-Chasers relationship chart, or how Mobius sometimes mimicked Elysia's way of speaking.
And now, that beauty, while shining on everyone, seemed to focus especially on Durandal.
To be honest, even though the two had confirmed their relationship and started dating, Durandal still didn't quite feel it was real.
Not out of insecurity—it just felt surreal.
But this dreamlike sense of unreality would vanish every time Elysia appeared before her.
Because Elysia possessed a magic that made you wish the dream would never end, even if you knew it was one.
Durandal and Elysia's interaction didn't happen inside Durandal's office.
They had just parked the car and escorted Himeko and Dystopia's team to the entrance of Schicksal's temporary office, so this scene unfolded in front of ten Fire Moth members.
Connie, seated at the entrance acting as receptionist, thought to herself, 'The 'kids' have grown up. They don't need their 'mom' to painstakingly 'preach' to newcomers anymore.' She felt a mix of pride and a slight, lonely wistfulness.
As for Himeko and Dystopia, they were thoroughly stunned.
After all, this wasn't the world 50,000 years later, with its all-girls academy, St. Freya, or its all-female organization, Schicksal. This wasn't that 'lesbian paradise,' the Elysian Realm, crafted by Vill-V and others.
Generally, society still leaned more toward male-female partnerships, and Fire Moth was no different.
Yet, watching Durandal and Elysia interact, neither felt any disgust.
After all, two beautiful girls being affectionate—what a delightful sight!
On the contrary, if two grown men were being that close, unless Himeko and Dystopia were fujoshis, they'd probably feel somewhat uncomfortable.
This was perhaps one of the few gender advantages girls had.
"I really didn't expect you two to have that kind of relationship."
Himeko, always blunt, couldn't help but remark.
Hearing this, Durandal finally realized the setting they were in.
She'd been so focused on Elysia that she'd completely blocked out everyone else.
Shooting a completely non-threatening glare at Elysia, Durandal flushed and said, "That's right. Elysia is my girlfriend. I didn't get a chance to mention it earlier, but I didn't think it would affect our collaboration."
Elysia, who'd expected Durandal to say something like 'sorry for the scene,' instead stepped forward and linked arms with her, silently showing how pleased she was with being introduced as Durandal's girlfriend.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.