Besides, didn't this perfectly explain why Durandal occasionally seemed to possess such uncanny foresight?
If Durandal truly hailed from the future, then her prior knowledge of the Third Honkai Eruption's location and approximate timing—allowing her to set the stage in Nagazora City well in advance—became entirely reasonable.
Then there was the matter of how Vill-V and Eden had been recruited into Schicksal.
The former had been lured in by Durandal using nothing more than the information on the organization's official website, while the latter had essentially been spirited away right from her own concert.
Before all this, Vill-V and Eden's professional lives had little to do with the fight against the Honkai; in fact, they were practically worlds apart.
This was especially true for Eden, who hadn't even been aware that the Honkai existed.
Was there really a need to go out of one's way to absorb such individuals into the organization?
Unless… Durandal was from the future and knew exactly who possessed the kind of "useful" talent worth pursuing.
In any case, Eden accepted Durandal's explanation. She further noted that once her upcoming album was finished, she would credit the creator as "Jay," just as Durandal had requested.
With that settled, Durandal felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her heart.
Given her personality, she truly couldn't have lived with herself playing the part of a literary thief—or rather, a musical plagiarist.
Shortly after their conversation ended, the floating warship reached its destination.
Instead of docking at a nearby airport, Durandal chose to hover the massive vessel directly above the sanitarium in the Sundown Alley. Anyone looking up from below would see a distinct black speck against the sky.
Once the warship held its position, Eden took the lead, descending into the sanitarium's courtyard using a portable urban flight device.
The sudden arrival of this strange flying craft instantly brought a flurry of excitement to the usually quiet and neglected sanitarium.
Children came pouring out of the dormitories to catch a glimpse of the novelty, though they were quickly ushered back by a woman dressed as a sister.
The woman was exceptionally tall, standing eye-to-eye with Eden, and possessed a slender, graceful figure that most women would envy.
Yet, her ascetic nun-like attire and the constant expression of sorrowful compassion on her face—her eyes slightly parted—evoked a sense of untouchable sanctity. She radiated a pure, holy maternal aura.
Even with Eden's notoriously discerning eye, she couldn't help but marvel at the woman's unique presence.
While Eden observed her, the woman returned the gaze.
She didn't recognize Eden; her life left little room for the entertainment industry, and Eden's current focus was primarily on Nagazora City and the surrounding Asian regions. Her fame hadn't quite reached the country where the Sundown Alley was located.
Consequently, the woman spoke slowly, watching the uninvited guest with a touch of caution. "And you are?"
"Eden. You must be Aponia, right? I've come ahead to let you know that a large shipment of supplies will be air-dropped shortly. You might want to prepare yourself."
Eden had only come down first to give fair warning; the actual negotiations would have to wait until Durandal and Elysia arrived.
As Aponia looked up, she indeed saw a black dot in the sky. Soon, it multiplied into countless specks that grew larger as they fell—crates of supplies, presumably filled to the brim with necessities.
Each crate was guided by an intelligent landing system designed by Vill-V, ensuring they didn't drift off course. Within moments, the open grounds of the sanitarium were neatly lined with rows of containers.
Once the air-drop ceased, two more figures descended on a shared portable flight device, touching down before Aponia.
This time, as Aponia's gaze fell upon Durandal and Elysia, her expression underwent a subtle shift—a mix of surprise and uncertainty.
Remembering that Aponia possessed the power to "prophesy the future fates of others"—an ability only further enhanced after she became a MANTIS, allowing her to see the threads of destiny entwined around every soul—Durandal guessed the reason for the woman's reaction.
It was because Durandal didn't belong to this world.
There were no predetermined threads of fate attached to her, hence Aponia's confusion.
As for Eden and Elysia, though their destinies had been altered, they were still children of this world. With Aponia's abilities, she could still catch a glimpse of their immediate futures.
"Hello, Aponia. My name is Durandal. I'm the leader of an organization called Schicksal."
Durandal took the initiative to greet her, handing over a business card as she explained, "The supplies we just dropped include clothes, food, toys, and stationery. But more importantly, they contain what these children need most: medicine to treat their conditions."
As Durandal finished, Elysia chimed in with a cheerful greeting of her own.
"Hi, Aponia! Nice to meet you. I'm Elysia, also from Schicksal. In a way, I suppose I'm the Deputy Leader? But... I much prefer to call myself Durandal's private secretary~♪"
With that, Elysia looped her arm through Durandal's in an affectionate display.
If the person standing across from Elysia hadn't been Aponia but some random internet troll, they likely would have made a crude joke about whether a "private secretary" like her was the professional kind or not.
"You already know my name, and I am with Schicksal as well," Eden added, following her two superiors—the serious one and the playful one—with a more formal introduction. "My role is the Deputy Head of Logistics."
"I... see. Please, follow me to the office so we can talk."
Aponia looked at the three of them, her eyes lingering significantly longer on Durandal.
This caused Elysia to instinctively lean a bit closer to Durandal. She had noticed from the start that Aponia's interest in Durandal far outweighed her interest in her or Eden.
Even though she didn't think those looks were romantic in nature, she just couldn't help herself~ ♪
Once inside the sanitarium's office, Aponia invited them to sit and began pouring water for her guests.
"The sanitarium's finances are quite strained, so I can only offer you plain water. I hope you don't mind."
Aponia filled three disposable cups and placed them before them.
Even though they weren't particularly thirsty, the three of them each took a sip, proving through their actions that they didn't mind at all.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL