Early the next morning, the grand expansion of Schicksal—now a group of over a hundred members—finally kicked off its team-building retreat aboard a luxury yacht.
At the masquerade ball, Elysia decided against the maid outfit she'd originally planned; she'd already worn it once, and where was the surprise in that?
On the other hand, Durandal had stayed the course, looking sharp in her full butler's regalia.
As for Elysia, she had opted for the gown of an ancient noble lady. When she made her grand entrance, she did so with her hand resting delicately on the arm of her "butler," Durandal.
Unlike the traditional galas back at Fire Moth—which usually involved stiff formal wear and the forced clinking of glasses among the high-society elite—this masquerade was, in every sense, much more down-to-earth.
Kevyn had dressed as a werewolf today. However, given the way her expression softened the moment she looked at Mei, the wolf ears perched on her head looked less like a predator's and more like a devoted puppy's.
Mei had decided to let loose for once, too. She was dressed as an "oni" from Nagazora City's local folklore, sporting two crimson horns.
Between the horns and her sharp features, Durandal did a double-take, briefly wondering if the Herrscher of Thunder from fifty thousand years in the future had somehow stepped through a rift.
Eden made for a stunning vampire. Draped in magnificent, flowing robes, she swirled a glass of red wine, her specially crafted fangs glinting occasionally as she smiled. She played the part so well that one couldn't help but wonder if that glass held vintage grapes or the fresh blood of a maiden.
Vill-V was back at her "old trade." Clad in a magician's outfit, she took to the stage, performing one trick after another to thunderous applause.
Connie also stuck to what she knew best. Coming from the underworld, she had once been a small-time boss, but today she went full "Godmother."
Wrapped in a heavy black trench coat, she looked like she was waiting for her theme music to drop so she could walk onto the set of a classic mob movie.
Emile, the soldier from Fire Moth, took the role of an assassin. He drifted through the crowd, appearing to be stalking a target.
However, if you watched him closely, you'd realize his "target" was actually the buffet. He moved from station to station, sampling everything until he found his favorite spot and decided to go completely stationary.
Ato, Blanca, and little Griseo were dressed as a family of simple farmers.
But between Ato's massive, muscular frame, Blanca's unmistakable air of a high-level researcher, and Griseo's ethereal, doll-like charm, this "ordinary" family looked more like a trio of legendary masters living in hiding after a long life of violence.
Su didn't want to play third wheel to Kevyn and Mei, so she donned a set of flowing robes as a mage. She struck up a conversation with Dystopia, who was dressed as a shrine maiden.
Sakura and Rin wore matching kimonos and fox ears, clearly portraying the fox spirits from Nagazora legends.
Meanwhile, Hua hadn't wanted to wear anything flashy, but Carole had eventually badgered her into the outfit of an ancient Shenzhou martial hero.
Carole herself was dressed as an exotic dancer; with her temporary long hair extensions, her usual mischievousness was replaced by a surprising touch of elegance.
Fuxi and Nuwa, the two researchers also hailing from Shenzhou, chose celestial maiden costumes. The moment they spotted Hua in her traditional gear, they rushed over to greet her.
Himeko stood a short distance away in a gown of fiery red, portraying a humanized phoenix. She watched with narrowed eyes as Hua was swarmed by the three younger girls. Finally, she picked up a glass of juice from a nearby table and began making her way toward them.
In a quiet corner, Mobius had tucked herself into a pair of fluffy, cartoon cat pajamas.
She was dragging Klein along, who was wearing a matching mouse-themed set. The two of them looked like they were desperately trying to avoid being seen.
From under the mouse hood, Klein's face wore an expression of pure soul-weariness. "Doctor," she sighed, "if you find this so embarrassing, you shouldn't have picked these outfits in the first place."
"Little lab rat, is that any way to speak to this cat?" Mobius hissed in a low voice, though the threat lacked any real bite.
Klein: "..."
She's really committed to the bit, Klein thought.
While the Schicksal organization was busy throwing its victory party on the luxury liner, the news of Durandal and Elysia's return—after being missing for seven days—finally reached the ears of various global powers.
Naturally, every faction that had been holding back out of caution immediately sprang into action.
The first to arrive was the local government force, led by Hayato, the Mayor of Nagazora City.
Since Durandal had previously declared her relationship with Elysia right in front of him, Hayato had crushed any lingering personal feelings. He was coming purely on official business.
However, when they reached the Schicksal headquarters, they found the place deserted.
This wasn't one of Vill-V's illusions; the place was actually empty. There wasn't even a security guard at the gate.
Of course, the base wasn't truly undefended. If anyone had tried to break in to steal secrets, Vill-V would have given them a very personal lesson on what it means to cross a mechanical genius.
After finding the place empty, Hayato checked the transit logs and realized the entire organization had headed for the coast an hour earlier. Having personally gifted Schicksal a private island recently, Hayato put two and two together. Not wanting to be a buzzkill, he decided to head home.
He also called the Mayor of Sapphire City, who was just about to depart, to explain the situation. They agreed to wait until Schicksal was back in the office before reaching out again.
Meanwhile, an airborne battleship departed from the Fire Moth main base, racing toward Nagazora City at maximum speed.
Fire Moth had sent several council members and multiple combat squads for this mission.
It was led by Chairman Eren himself, who had even brought along the councilman who had previously screwed up. Every detail screamed how seriously they were taking this meeting.
They had tried to contact Schicksal before departing. However, Durandal had strictly ordered everyone to turn off their work phones during the holiday. No one picked up.
Even the former Fire Moth "veterans" like Dystopia, Himeko, and Mobius had temporarily blacklisted any contacts who might bother them.
And so, in their grand display of "sincerity" by rushing out without waiting for a reply, the delegation from Fire Moth arrived only to find absolutely nobody home.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL