It was the fourth day since the great human army occupied this city in the middle of nowhere, and the supply chain had finally caught up.
That was why, currently, while he was filing logistics reports in his office, aside from his three lovers and Seraphine's new friend, his sister was lounging in a chair nearby.
"I can't believe my brother is now my superior…" she said with an amused smile.
"What? Don't you like it? I can still transfer you to another army now~ it's not too late," Lucia replied teasingly.
"Huh? Who said I don't like it? I think it's great even!" Lapis's eyes widened, as if daring her to try.
Then she turned to her brother. "Don't listen to this vixen, bro. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be!"
"Sure..." Ashen simply nodded absentmindedly, seemingly engrossed in the documents in his hands.
In truth, his focus was elsewhere.
A faint ringing echoed in the back of his mind.
It had been persistently present since morning, and at first, he had no idea what it meant.
But just now, he finally identified it.
'It's my intuition.'
More precisely, it was the Insightful trait acting up.
Ashen pulled up the Skill's description and read through it again, hoping to find a clue as to why this was happening.
***
Insightful
The senses and instincts fuse, forming two primary consequences.
Subtle cues trigger immediate, accurate reactions, as if the body "knows" before the mind finishes thinking.
Every observed detail is processed at an accelerated rate, allowing the user to reconstruct situations, predict outcomes, and detect anomalies with near clairvoyant precision.
***
'Well… my body isn't reacting in any way, so that must mean the clues are too subtle…?'
He pondered for a couple of seconds before sighing in defeat.
'I have no idea… What about you?'
{If the reaction is this vague, it likely means the threat isn't directed at us… or that it isn't severe enough to be life-threatening.}
'That's what I thought too, but the only way my intuition would react to something not aimed at me is if it concerns someone who means more to me than my own life…'
He lifted his gaze, looking at Alice, Seraphine, and Lucia before finally settling on his little sister.
'It started just as she arrived. Does that mean she's the one at risk?'
{It's not that simple. Intuition works by picking up on clues too subtle for your conscious mind to notice. Her arrival coinciding with the trait's reaction may be nothing more than coincidence, while the threat itself could have manifested elsewhere without your awareness.}
'That's true…'
Ashen adjusted his line of thought accordingly. Narrowing his focus onto a single target would be unwise.
'Now that I think about it, Alice is going to ascend a step today. It could be related to that.'
{Perhaps. But aren't you forgetting something else?}
'What else…?'
Ashen tilted his head in thought, and that was when his ears caught the conversation between Seraphine and Maria.
"So both your parents are also participating in the war? And you belong to the same unit? Wow~"
"Yes… I don't know if it's lucky to be with my family even in this situation, or unlucky since all of us are constantly in danger."
"That's why I always say, my dear student… always think optimistically!"
Seraphine took on the persona of 'Miss Counselor' once more and started dishing out life advice, something that was becoming an increasingly common sight.
"What would dwelling on depressing scenarios accomplish aside from dulling your spirit and crippling your mood? If being pessimistic or optimistic won't change anything, then it's always better to be the latter!"
She grinned.
"At least then, you'll live with peace of mind."
"I understand, master!"
"Who is your master..."
Seraphine instantly reverted to a shy demeanor, forgetting that she was the one who so arrogantly called her 'student' in the first place.
It made Alice, who was also going through a report by her side, roll her eyes affectionately.
"In fact," Maria continued, unfettered, "I recently realized your advice doesn't apply only to romantic love, but also to parental love! And after applying it, I noticed that my parents have been much happier lately."
"It's all thanks to you, master…"
She looked at Seraphine with eyes full of worship.
"Like I said… who is your master…? I'm just your friend…"
Normally, Ashen would have watched the scene with faint fondness. But right now, his face remained expressionless.
'You think Maria might be it?'
{That is also a possibility. Keep it in mind.}
'I understand.'
"By the way, brother, I'm curious where I'll be dispatched now. Will it be on the frontlines by your side?"
Lapis, having finally caught Ashen's attention away from the papers, took the opportunity to ask.
"No," he answered almost instinctively. "You'll act as Alice's aide."
"What?"
She looked almost aghast.
"But I don't understand a thing about commanding! My skills are suited for killing… You know that better than anyone, don't you?"
She demonstrated with a few sharp slashing motions.
"You're the one who taught me, after all."
"..."
"Also… won't Jenna be much more suited for that role?"
Ashen was rendered speechless because she was actually right.
It was just that his first instinct had made him blurt that out without thinking.
"She's right," Alice added from the side. "Constantly coddling her will do more harm than good now that she's here. And having her fight by your side isn't actually as dangerous as it sounds."
"You tell him, big sis!"
Ashen turned toward Alice with a betrayed look.
"Don't look at me like that."
Softening her voice, Alice did her best to make this hopeless sis-con see reason.
"With me overseeing the overall situation, I can keep a constant eye on her and direct you if she gets into trouble."
"Besides, this will make her stronger in the long run and give her enough strength to defend herself when we aren't around."
Hearing that, Ashen looked as if he had swallowed a bitter pill. It was logical, and he knew he had to relent this time.
"Haah… fine."
"Yaay~"
Watching her little cheer, he couldn't help but wonder if he had just agreed to let her visit an arcade instead of a battlefield.
A meatgrinder, no less.
Sigh.
'I hope I don't regret this decision…'