"How is it, Director? This genius's artificial body feels like a good fit, right?" Da Vinci asked with a proud tone.
In front of her, Olga was repeatedly clenching and opening her palms, trying to check the nerve response of her new body.
"Yes... overall there are no problems. Everything feels real," Olga answered slowly, still focused on staring at her hands. "But the joints in my fingers still feel a little stiff."
"Ah, that's normal! You just need a little adjustment. Just do some light exercise, and later the synchronization of your soul with that vessel will be perfect," Da Vinci explained casually.
The genius girl's small hands were busy feeling and patting Olga's arms and stomach, checking the density of the artificial muscles like a mechanic checking the engine of a race car she had assembled. "Umu... Everything is already a perfect fit, you just have to get used to it," she said.
Olga looked down, staring at her palms intently. Something that had long been a burden in her heart suddenly surfaced. She then turned towards Ritsuka who was busy explaining the situation to the others.
"Hey... Ritsuka," Olga called out softly.
Her tone sounded hesitant, a weakness she rarely showed.
Ritsuka stopped his explanation and turned to look at the Chaldea Director.
"Is it possible... with this new body, I..." Olga's words hung in the air. Her eyes radiated a glimmer of fragile hope that had been buried all this time by her inferiority complex. 'Can I finally become a worthy Magus?'
Understanding the unspoken meaning behind that gaze, Ritsuka smiled gently and nodded. "Of course it's possible, Director. Whatever you have wanted all this time, I am sure you can definitely achieve it now. Isn't that right, Da Vinci?"
"Hehe~ Of course I understand what you mean, Ritsuka!" Da Vinci, who had just finished checking Olga's leg muscles, immediately stood up straight and put her hands on her hips.
"Congratulations, Director! With the high-quality Magic Circuits I implanted in this artificial body, you are no longer a magus hindered by physical limitations. Now, you can be a Magus! Even much stronger and surpassing your former potential. Just consider it as you being reborn!" Da Vinci exclaimed with a wide smile.
Olga's eyes widened slightly. Her breath hitched. "R-Really?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Yes!" Ritsuka and Da Vinci answered in unison, nodding reassuringly.
Olga fell silent for a few seconds. Her brain processed the fact that the dream which had been shattered along with her death was now truly within her grasp.
Suddenly, a blush swept across her face. She hurriedly turned around, turning her back on Ritsuka and Da Vinci, hiding the happy smile she could no longer contain.
"H-Hmph! O-Of course!" Olga exclaimed in an intentionally haughty tone, even though her shoulders seemed to tremble slightly from holding back her overflowing happiness.
Ritsuka and Da Vinci only chuckled hearing that.
"Truly hard to believe..." Kagaya murmured slowly, stepping closer to Ritsuka. "Creating a flesh vessel so similar to a human body, then placing a soul that has lost its body inside it... this is like bringing the dead back to life."
Hearing that, Koko let out a crisp laugh. She folded both arms across her chest, observing Olga.
"Hee~ You're overthinking it, Kagaya," Koko replied casually, a faint smirk adorning her face. "This girl came back to life, and that's enough. No one is complaining or making an issue out of it, right?"
"You underestimate the sacredness of the cycle of life and death too much, Koko," Kagaya replied, laden with firmness.
Just as Koko drew a breath to retort to that statement—nearly triggering a second round of debate between them—Ritsuka hurriedly took a rescue measure.
"Ahem!" Ritsuka cleared his throat rather loudly, deliberately cutting off the tension that was starting to build. "It seems there is something important the Director wants to convey to both of you."
Olga, who had been turning her back to them to hide her happy smile, instantly flinched. She hurriedly cleared her throat, patted her cheeks lightly, then turned around with a facial expression that had been reset to be stern and authoritative, typical of the Chaldea Director.
"E-Eh? Oh, yes! That's right, there is something I need to discuss with the two of you," Olga said while stepping firmly towards Kagaya and Koko.
Seeing Olga approach, Koko tilted her head. The remaining adrenaline from her debate with Kagaya made the silver-haired woman's aura feel a bit dangerous.
"What is it?" Koko asked. Her tone sounded casual, but there was a threatening intonation behind her voice, enough to make the temperature around them turn cold.
Olga's steps briefly halted, her body flinching back slightly feeling that intimidation. However, her pride and dignity as an Animusphere forced her to swallow hard and keep her chin held high.
"Look here..." Olga began her explanation in a formal tone while folding her arms across her chest. "Honestly, based on all the laws of magecraft I've studied, I still find it very hard to believe the claims about the existence of your two worlds."
Olga glanced briefly towards Zelretch who was standing not far from them, then looked back at Koko and Kagaya.
"However... since the Wizard Marshal himself has guaranteed that your worlds are truly outside the bounds of the Root... then, as a magus who upholds the hierarchy, I will believe in your existence."
Seeing how the girl in front of her managed to maintain her composure despite having just received mental pressure, Koko's smirk faded, replaced by a genuine small smile. As someone who operated in the underworld, Koko always respected people with guts.
"Well, from the beginning I didn't really care whether you wanted to believe in us or not either," Koko replied casually. She put both hands into the pockets of her coat. "So, in essence, what do you want from us, Miss Director?"
Olga was still trembling slightly, but she clenched her fists tightly to drive away that fear.
"It's like this... I've heard the report from Da Vinci regarding the current condition of our organization," Olga said in a tone of voice she tried hard to make stable and authoritative. She then turned towards the genius girl near her.
Catching Olga's gaze cue, Da Vinci nodded slowly. Her usually cheerful facial expression now turned very serious.
"That's right," Da Vinci chimed in, taking over the explanation. "I have received the detailed report from Romani. Chaldea is currently in a state of total paralysis after that sabotage explosion incident. Our facility's functional capacity has plummeted drastically to well below 50%."
Da Vinci let out a heavy sigh, her eyes reflecting deep bitterness. "...And worst of all, the staff who survived the incident now only numbers 19 people."
Hearing Chaldea's critical condition, Koko immediately smiled widely. Her business instincts as an arms dealer instantly rang out. She stepped quickly towards Olga, her eyes flashing enthusiastically, radiating the aura of a predator that had found an easy prey.
"Oh, I completely understand what you mean, Miss Director! In that case, let's discuss this one-on-one," Koko said in a cheerful tone.
Without waiting for approval, Koko immediately grabbed Olga's arm and half-dragged the girl away from the crowd, heading towards a quieter corner.
"E-Eh?! Wait a minute! Let me go! W-What are you doing?!" Olga protested in panic while being dragged ridiculously by Koko's strength, which was far greater than hers.
Standing in his place, Kagaya felt restless. His sharp instincts immediately caught on to the suspicious behavior. He knew very well Koko's nature when dealing with someone who was in a desperate position.
"Amane, please guide me to where Koko took Miss Olga," Kagaya requested.
His voice remained calm, but there was an urgent tone in it. "My premonition tells me something bad will happen—or at least a very dangerous agreement—if that woman is left alone with her."
"Yes, Oyakata-sama," Amane answered obediently. She immediately supported her husband to walk, catching up with Koko and Olga.
Rikka and Mash, who were still left behind, could only look at each other with faces full of question marks.
"Brother... why did those two suddenly leave like that? And why did he look panicked following them? Should we go over there too?" Rikka asked anxiously. Beside her, Mash nodded in agreement, her facial expression looking equally confused.
Ritsuka let out a long sigh. "No, you two just stay here," Ritsuka decided quickly. "Let me be the one to follow them there. I have to prevent the Director from agreeing to whatever weird contract Koko might offer."
Ritsuka then jogged to catch up with Koko, Olga, and Kagaya's group. Behind him, Da Vinci and Nobunaga exchanged playful smiles. Feeling like there was going to be a very interesting spectacle, the Genius and the Demon King casually walked, trailing behind Ritsuka.
. . .
"Alright, it's a deal," Koko snorted. There was a clear tone of annoyance heard in her words, as if she had just lost the opportunity to monopolize a gold mine.
Beside her, Kagaya breathed a sigh of relief and radiated his gentle smile again. "You really cannot be left alone when it comes to negotiations, Miss hekmatyar. Luckily, I was on time catching up here. Otherwise, you definitely would have monopolized and extorted this poor girl with a one-sided contract."
Koko rolled her eyes lazily. "Yes, yes, yes, Mr. Kind Heart. Just consider me the greedy villain here and you the hero defending justice. To be honest, Oyakata-sama, it's your overly holy side that sometimes makes me resent you," she grumbled sarcastically.
Seeing Koko still sulking, Ritsuka could only smile awkwardly. He stepped forward to mediate between them.
"Come now, Koko. Kagaya-san is just being careful. But with this agreement, isn't the result much better and balanced?" Ritsuka persuaded. "Kagaya-san and the Ubuyashiki clan will handle the logistics supply of food, drinks, and raw materials. Meanwhile, you, Koko, will focus on supplying tools, technology, and weaponry. The supply load is divided in two, perfectly fitting with your respective resources and eras."
Koko let out a long sigh, her annoyance slowly fading. She looked at Ritsuka and smiled faintly.
"Fine. Since this is a direct suggestion and decision from you, I will accept it without much complaint."
Suddenly, a pat landed on the top of Ritsuka's head.
Zelretch, who had been listening all along, laughed softly. "I didn't expect you to suggest a logistics management strategy like that, my Disciple," the Wizard Marshal praised while patting Ritsuka's head proudly.
"A smart division of risk. Is this a tactical teaching from one of those who followed you before?"
Ritsuka smiled faintly, letting the old man ruffle his hair.
"Hmm, I'm just trying to make the safest decision," Ritsuka answered calmly. "By dividing the main suppliers, if one day one of the parties has a problem or their access is cut off, Chaldea still has a backup. In a crisis condition, we must not rely entirely on just one party. We cannot put all our eggs in one basket."
Hearing the mature thoughts from the young man in front of her, Olga looked at Ritsuka with an admiration she couldn't hide, while Da Vinci and Nobunaga nodded in agreement.
The long conversation and tough negotiations regarding Chaldea's logistics fate finally ended with an agreement that benefited all parties.
"hahaha! You really are a great Master!" Nobunaga's laugh boomed. The Demon King slapped Ritsuka's back hard and enthusiastically. "You have a natural talent as a leader!"
"I will take that as a compliment, Nobu," Ritsuka replied, wincing slightly while holding back the pain in his back.
Seeing the atmosphere had calmed down, Olga returned to her rational and practical Director mode. "Alright, since the agreement is official, we can start right away, right?" She swept her gaze towards the people standing there with a furrowed brow.
"But... technically speaking, how are we going to do it? Have any of you ever conducted cross-dimensional logistics trade like this before?"
"Oh, that's right too. We haven't discussed the technical issue of delivery." Koko smirked then turned towards the entity owning the place. "Hey, Kid. What about your promise back then? Are the travel access and delivery routes to other worlds usable yet?"
The boy of light waved his hand casually. "Ah, about that, you can't do it right now. But don't worry, after I invite two more people to this place, the travel gates and inter-world routes will be fully open."
"And exactly when will you invite these two new guests?" Kagaya asked in a gentle tone.
"Just wait. It won't be long before our new friends join us," the boy answered, smiling secretively.
"Alright, I'll be waiting for it," Koko muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "It's best that the people you invite this time are interesting people... and of course, profitable."
"Don't worry, you won't be disappointed." The boy of light then spread his arms wide. "Now, since today's business is done, let's end this first meeting."
Along with his words, the space around them began to hum. The bodies of the people there slowly glowed, fading into particles of light as the boy of light prepared to return them to their respective worlds.
Seeing his body starting to turn transparent, Ritsuka suddenly remembered something. He immediately turned towards the Chaldea Director.
"Oh yeah, Director! Is there still a little meat, vegetables, and bread left in the Chaldea food storage warehouse?!" he asked, shouting slightly.
Olga, whose form had almost completely disappeared, looked at Ritsuka with a puzzled look. "Huh? There should still be a little left, I'll check later. But what for? Don't tell me in the middle of a crisis like this you're suddenly hungry?!"
"It's not for me! I just want to cook something... to fulfill my promise to a King!" Ritsuka replied while giving a small smile.
Right after those last words were spoken, all of their forms vanished into light, pulled back to their respective worlds. The room with the water mirror floor that stretched boundlessly returned to being silent and empty, waiting for the next guests to arrive.