3rd Person POV
[ORC Clubhouse]
The group pushed the door of ORC clubhouse in tiredness as the mission ended, and welcoming them was a sweet feast with theme being....tangerine.
The table is filled with orange color of the sweet citrus fruit, from small tangerine covered in hardened sugar syrup, tangerine candies, tangerine tarts, cupcakes, macaroons, with the star of the show the freshly baked cake and tea filled inside dried tangerine peels, exuding the scent that made a sweet lover like Koneko gave up on any mortality if it's not for Tsubasa to stop her from sweeping the entire table
"Welcome back, my impeccable operators!" Nami announces loudly as she stepped out of the kitchen with a huge tangerine cake, the CFO has dropped the spreadsheet and calculator, taking on apron and seemingly, the one who made this entire feast.
Nami placed the cake down in excitement before turning to the standing group "I got an exceptional batch of tangerine today at the market, and knowing you're sweeping this mission, I took it upon myself to make these for you. Sit, sit! Robin is finalizing some details about the mission you just did with the Stray Hunting Agency of Sitri clan, she'll be back in a bit"
The group look at each other, then at Nami, their bodies are reek of sweat scent, and some tars from the mission.
"Oh, right" Nami weaved her hand and suddenly, all of them are cleaned, their dampened clothes dried and exuding....tangerine scent "There, clean, now, sit down, enjoy what I made and wait for good news from Robin. Too bad Boss can't be here to celebrate with you all, you know how busy he can be"
"Did she just... tangerine-wash us?" Kiba muttered, looking down at his freshly pressed jacket, a soft, baffled laugh escaping his lips.
"Not complaining," Koneko said instantly. Her small nose twitched as she caught the scent of freshly baked sponge cake and chilled custard, her usual stoic expression softening
The aroma of warm brown sugar, bright citrus oil, and bergamot-infused black tea hung heavy in the air of the Occult Research Club, completely obliterating any lingering memory of the subterranean sewers, damp port docks, and rotting forest earth.
Akeno leaned back into her chair with an elegant, contented sigh, delicately holding a porcelain cup filled with hot tea brewed inside a hollowed-out, dried tangerine peel. The heat radiated through the citrus rind, releasing a fragrant, soothing steam that warmed her palms.
"My, my, Nami-chan~" Akeno cooed, taking a small, refined sip before setting the cup down on its saucer with a gentle clink. "To weave a spatial-cleansing vector that simultaneously strips away residual S-rank tar corruption, dries woven fabrics, and replaces foul odors with a sweet, citrus perfume... that is quite the sophisticated application of Systematic Magic. Arto-kun would be impressed by your efficiency."
"I think the mana-to-flavor ratio is mathematically perfect," Tomoe murmured around a mouthful of a golden, sugar-crusted tangerine tart. Her eyes wide with pure bliss, the Knight of Sitri looked down at her plate as if holding a sacred artifact. "The crispness of the crust against the tartness of the curd... it's completely restoring my reserves."
"Slow down, Tomoe, or Koneko's going to claim a radius around the main cake," Kiba chuckled softly, reaching for a candied skewer. He spun the glistening, sugar-hardened fruit between his fingers, admiring the clear amber shell before taking a bite.
The satisfying crunch of crystallized sugar gave way to a sudden, refreshing burst of sweet juice. "Though I have to admit, after spending forty minutes dodging hydraulic tar-jets underground, this is officially the best reward we could have asked for."
Beside him, Koneko had already devoured two candied skewers and a cream-filled macaroon, her cat ears twitching with every bite as her stoic facade completely dissolved into cozy contentment.
Tsubasa sat right beside her, acting as both a supportive friend and a gentle physical barrier to ensure Koneko didn't accidentally consume the decorative display pieces. "Don't eat the peel on the cake board, Koneko-chan,"
Tsubasa warned gently, smiling as she placed a slice of the main tangerine sponge cake onto Koneko's plate. "Here, this part actually has the chilled custard layer."
"Tsubasa... you are an angel," Koneko stated with absolute, deadpan seriousness, her golden eyes sparkling as she picked up her fork.
Reya chimed in from the end of the table, dabbing her lips with a napkin after finishing a tangerine cupcake, "Is Arto still down in the ground? We completed the mission of such difficulty—I thought he'd at least come up to judge our diagnostic combat logs."
"You know how he is," Nami chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. Before Nami could continue, the sound at the staircase caught their attention as Robin stepped down into the main clubhouse lounge.
She had traded her stern instructor's stance for a relaxed, relaxed demeanor, holding a leather-bound folder tucked beneath her arm. As she walked toward the head of the table, her blue eyes swept over the ten fed, cleaned, and thoroughly relaxed students with a quiet, maternal warmth.
"I see Nami's citrus magic worked its wonders," Robin said smoothly, pulling out a chair at the head of the table as Nami immediately handed her a warm cup of dried-peel tea.
"Robin-sensei!" Momo stood up slightly, her posture straightening instantly out of respect. "Is the debriefing with the Sitri Agency complete?"
"Sit down, Momo, tonight's formal duties are over," Robin smiled gently, taking a slow sip of the tea before resting her tablet on the table. "Let's start with the most important piece of information I've gotten from my talk with Sitri's SHA, that is your mission has been reclassified, to be more specific, up in rank"
The whole squad look at each other, none of them expected this, they started this mission knowing it was A+ rank due to the danger posed by the stolen relic, but to get their mission reassessed, how much harder has it become?
Sona was the one who stated the question that everyone wanted to know "From rank A+ to which, Robin-sensei?" To answer that, Robin turned on her tablet and let the information being displayed in 3D projection, and what they saw blew their minds.
"A+ to.....SS-!?" Rias almost shouted in shock seeing the revelation. "An SS-minus operational hazard rating?" Sona murmured, adjusting her glasses as her voice carried a rare trace of profound shock. "For a student-led field exercise... That classification is typically reserved for major Underworld faction incursions or unsealed Calamity-class stray syndicates!"
"Correct, Sona," Robin nodded calmly, folding her hands together as she looked around the stunned room. "When you first stepped into this mission, Sitri's SHA classified it as A+ based purely on the physical presence of the stray commanders and the initial regional corruption vectors. However, there were many factors that contributed to the lift, starting with..."
Robin opened the images taken by the forensic team of Sitri's SHA "The real number of stray joining this ordeal was absurdly larger than the report said, it dictated that there were only 12-15 strays. While in fact, there were 40+, maybe 50 strays spanning from rank A to S"
Hearing that number, everyone in the room lost their voice to the magnitude of the threat they just subdued, the sweet treats are left hanging either over their mouths or settled down on the plate.
Tsubasa is the first one to be able to speak "Is this number correct, Sensei? We never thought it would be.....this many, and it's A rank stray we are talking about" She said, the doubt in her gaze is clear, at the teacher's number, but more at the own power in being able to complete mission and return home without serious injuries.
But Robin's posture remained firm with no trace telling she is just pulling a joke on her students "It's that many, Tsubasa, 20 at the outskirts with 2 S-rank, 10-15 at the port twisted into that spider monster, 10-15 at the forest being the batteries for the deathly terrain with 1 S-rank being the corruption core"
Rias's fingers rested against the side of her teacup without lifting it. "We engaged that force split across three fronts, under active signature masking, with a civilian plaza as the final pressure surface... and still finished with zero casualties and a recovered relic."
"Yes," Robin said. "Which is the second factor in the reclassification. Threat volume alone can raise a rating. Threat volume plus adaptive coordination plus successful containment inside a dense civilian environment is what pushes a student-led operation into SS− territory. That's not the end of it, students....."
Sona's pen moved once across her slate, then stopped. "Then the third factor is the relic's behavior." Robin inclined her head.
"Correct. The initial classification treated the artifact as a high-risk emotional amplifier. What you actually faced was a command processor. It stripped sentience from the absorbed strays, but it kept all their powers. The front of Rias, Tsubaki, Akeno and Sona might have experienced the most of it as they fought the stray at individuals instead of a gross combination"
Tsubaki and Akeno both recalled the battle at the outskirts of the city, 4 of them against 18 strays of A-rank and up, and 2 S-rank, and for the first time in the night, the realized how absurd their victory was, 4 vs 20, yet they won
"You're confused, I know" Robin eased them down "You completed a mission that would require a much larger squad of full preparations, yet you took the mission and went on with it like it's nothing. It's because you haven't realized how heavily armed you are after 3 weeks of rigorous training and studying"
Momo and Reya are the first to see what Robin meant because they were the one being the closest to the arsenal "Systematic Magic?" A snap her Robin's fingers and she gazed at the 2 Bishops "Spot on, girls, that's right, it's the most powerful tool and no magical task forces or elite squads of any SHA possesses, Systematic Magic, the ability to create spells to order in the midst of battle"
To clear the fog in their heads, Robin continued "When facing a threat of such magnitude, SHA would have to deploy a larger, more experienced veterans with days of preparations with magical items, spells and weapons."
The students finally noticed that, they didn't prepare anything for the mission, they received it, laying out the general strategy before heading out right away.
Robin captured that enlightenment "You, however, didn't need any of that, you stood on the battlefield against 20 enemies, you needed a spell, you weave them up into reality using the formulas you learned to serve just the situation you demand, one that is too specific, too meticulous that no one, and absolutely no one would waste years or decades to make them using normal methods"
"So the most powerful and versatile weapon we are wielding...." Kiba muttered and Robin answered by a finger to her temple ".....is in here, it's your knowledge, the ones Arto and I armed you with before any of you stepped into the fray, knowledge that no one else but us could understand and use effectively"
Robin sighed as the silence settled across the room, they have finally understood the range of the power they received from their teachers, from the book Arto authored, to Robin's teach methods, giving them not just an good grasp of the world's material laws, but also how they can use those laws by magic
And a ping came in simultaneously got them back to reality, Nami's gaze lightened up "I heard that, sound of cash, they worked at quite speed, no? Rich clan" Everyone opened their phone to check, a message of payment from Sitri's SHA, and their eyes once again experienced a scene that almost made it stick to the screen "Much" Koneko said flatly.
Nami, who had been angling for a look, found the white-haired Rook tilting the phone just enough to deny her a clean read. Undeterred, the CFO brightened as if someone had just opened a new revenue stream in front of her.
"Of course it's much," she said, already shifting into professional delight. "A+ to S− to S to S+ to SS−. That is four formal tiers of reclassification after the fact. Sitri's Agency does not pay SS− rates for student exercises. They pay SS− rates for SS− outcomes. Congratulations. You are all significantly less financially fragile than you were this morning."
Kiba exhaled a short laugh that was half shock and half nerves. "We spent the evening fighting tar and despair, and the Agency just deposited a mid-sized treasury into our accounts."
Akeno's smile returned with speculative warmth. "Fufu... suddenly the unlimited dinner Arto owes us feels almost modest." Nami clasped her hands together, apricot-sweet and completely shameless. "Which brings me to a public service announcement. Sudden liquidity is one of the most dangerous battlefield conditions a young operator can face. Impulse purchases, opaque 'investment opportunities,' well-meaning relatives with opinions — tragic, preventable losses, all of them."
She pointed at herself with both thumbs. "Fortunately, this household employs a beautiful, sweet, caring, and extremely competent CFO big sister who is always present and fully prepared to help you structure, protect, and grow your newly acquired resources."
"Introductory consultation is free for squad members. Advanced portfolio architecture is reasonably priced and morally superior to stuffing the entire sum under a mattress or buying seventeen limited-edition figurines on emotion."
Robin dismissed that advertisement immediately "Not tonight, Nami, I'll have a word with you about your service later, now, there is something more important the students should know"
Robin stood up and summoned a delicate box to the center of the table, and with a flick of her fingers, the box is opened and one by one, the silver cards inside are handed to each of the students.
"This is your new ID cards as the Part-time Field Officers of your respective clans' Stray Hunting Agency, you all have been lifted from trivial tasks for young devils, you're now free to take serious missions from the Agency as individuals, or as groups"
The silver cards passed from hand to hand, catching the warm light above the table. They were thin, elegant, and almost deceptively simple. Each bore the crest of the corresponding clan, the insignia of the Stray Hunting Agency, and a discreet identification seal that shimmered when its owner's demonic energy brushed against it.
Kiba turned his over twice. "Part-time Field Officer," he read aloud. His expression remained unchanged. "Does that mean we are done with catching stray cats, cooking for lazy people, bathing for babies, cramming with students for tests, and spreading flyers for our service at the mall?"
"Yes, you're way out of that youngster's league" Robin confirmed "You're now able to access the network of all of Underworld's Stray Hunting Agencies for missions of not just your clans via your ID card. You can still stick to those trivial tasks once in a while for leisure, but you don't have to do it on mandatory anymore"
Rias and Sona's minds clicked when hearing the part about network of SHA and missions from other clans "Did the SHAs of both clans give us these to serve the coming shadow war, Sensei?" They asked at the same time.
Robin's eyes sharpened hearing that from the 2 leaders of the joint squad "Perceptive, aren't you both? You're right, this is a political move to serve the coming arrival of magic-tech on the market, which will, be default, draw attention towards Sitri and Gremory, the starting points of the innovations"
Nami nodded in agreement "I don't know much about politics, but if values suddenly came too much from a place, every side would want a slice of that cake, and in this case, it's Boss' innovations" the CFO said before a sip of tea.
Robin continued "Nami's right, they will send their spies, infiltrators, even strike secret deals with people inside the clan for their disclosure of magic-tech, there are countless ways to probe, to breach, and eventually, to steal. That's when you come in, Stray Hunting Agencies, Public Security, Higher Commands, all must work together to keep this clan safe from outside prying attempt, but remember....." she stopped, expecting her students to continue
Akeno and Tsubaki took that gap "A strike must be hard enough to draw a boundary, but soft enough to not being a cause for a higher conflict"
"Exactly!" Robin confirmed "This is not a contest for heavy hitters, it's a meticulous kind of war that requires utmost decision because it will involve political maneuvering behind all the works you do" Her words made the entire place turn heavier than usual, the weight of what's coming is unimaginable.
For a moment, nobody spoke. The students looked down at their new silver cards, their reflections faintly visible on the polished surfaces. A few minutes ago, the cards had seemed like a promotion. Now, they looked more like keys to a door that had been waiting for them to open it.
Rias was the first to break the silence. "Then we shouldn't treat these as rewards for completing a difficult mission." She placed her card on the table, her crimson eyes steady. "They're an expansion of our responsibilities."
"Precisely." Robin folded her hands. "The promotion is genuine. So is the trust behind it. But there is another reason the two Agencies approved this so quickly." Sona adjusted her sitting posture. "Because our squad has already demonstrated that we can handle threats beyond our assigned classification."
"And because of the advertisements, I'm talking about you two, Rias, Sona" Robin said, making Rias and Sona look at each other before turning back to their teacher "Us?"
The Spy confirmed it by a nod "Yes, you're the current representation of your clan's futures. You taking on the tasks of other clans doesn't only make a demonstration of power, it's also a path opener for the Diplomatic Departments of both clans to strike deals, that's when we talk about you, Rias, you should have known by now what I wanted to say"
Rias' gaze turned serious, Arto talked about this, she didn't know how it will start at first, but now, it's clear "You want me and my peerage to take on stray subduing missions from Phenex's vassal clans, don't you?"
Robin clasped her hands together, full of proudness for her students "You're starting to think like a true leader, Rias. That's right, Phenex's vassals, ones suffered the most from the war with Gremory 20 years ago following Phenex clan's lead, yet earned the least both in reputation and in economy, 6/12 has been decimated and their lands belonged to Phenex, by 'default'" the last word was said full of intentions.
Rias followed right behind "A pressure cooker fuming with insecurity and injustice towards the leader of the alliance. Us taking on straying hunting missions from their lands will act as an catalyst for my mother and Diplomatic Department to approach them with full legitimacy, to pull them towards our side by making Phenex the common enemy of us both. And when the magic-tech weapons of Arto hit the market...."
Nami's eyes brightened "The first to demonstrate the power that could level the difference between a Marquis clan and lesser nobles are them, a perfect advertisement.....you're using their own insecurity of being the next victim being consumed by Phenex and the silent resentment towards that clan to sell magic-tech weapons. Dirty, but me likey~"
Tsubaki took a bite of the sweet before raising her concern "So, we are arming the vassal clans of Phenex, but to demonstrate those weapons, won't we need a trigger to ignite the entire fire on Phenex's border? I mean, we all know how feared that warmonger Razer Phenex is, no one would rise against him, they might even sell us out out of fear"
"You're right, Tsubaki, it's a risky move, but I know there is a stage large enough for the chain reaction to start" Robin said, looking at Rias again, but the crimson-haired princess doesn't know what Robin was talking about "Don't look at me like that, I'm clueless"
With a smirk, Robin projected an image of a silver-haired woman with crimson eyes in maid outfit, her short hair tied into 2 neat braids, for them to see.
Rias doesn't seem to be able to follow "Uhm, I know that's Yelena Lucifuge , my older brother' wife and Queen in his peerage, but what does she have anything to do with Phenex?"
"But Yelena's little sister Grayfia does" Robin projected another image next to Yelena's, a woman of almost identical appearance with the Satan's wife, aside from longer hair behind and silver eyes.
Robin's smile didn't waver, it's only getting more and more malicious "I have a lead, no, a confirmation, that, Razer Phenex is being considered to be Grayfia's consort by the council of Lucifuge clan, she has been single for long enough and the clan's council is getting impatient, so they set up a conference in a few months to decide who her husband shall be for her, and Razer Phenex is leading the board"
Grayfia's name changed the atmosphere at once. Until that moment, the discussion had been about money, promotions, and the quiet struggle over the future of magic-tech. Even the prospect of approaching Phenex's vassal clans had felt like a problem that could be solved through enough intelligence, careful negotiations, and well-placed demonstrations.
But a marriage involving the Lucifuge clan and Razer Phenex was different. Sona's expression sharpening as she reconstructed the political implications. "If the council intends to select Grayfia's husband, then this isn't simply a matter of finding a suitable consort. It's an opportunity to establish a lasting connection between the Lucifuge clan and whichever faction secures her hand."
"More than that," Rias added slowly. "Grayfia is Sirzechs's sister-in-law. If Razer marries her, Phenex would gain a direct familial connection to the current Lucifer household."
"Not quite direct," Sona corrected automatically. "But close enough to carry considerable weight, especially in the eyes of the other noble houses. The distinction between formal authority and perceived influence is important here."
"Exactly." Robin tapped the table once. "And consider the timing. Phenex has spent years consolidating its position after the war. Six of its former allies have been destroyed, and their lands have been absorbed into Phenex territory. The remaining vassal clans have every reason to wonder whether their continued independence is guaranteed—or merely tolerated."
Nami slowly lowered her teacup. "So, if Razer secures Grayfia, Phenex gains another layer of political protection. And if the remaining vassals already feel threatened by their own leader, they might conclude that resisting him will become even more difficult after the marriage."
"Which means their window to seek alternative partners could be closing," Sona finished. Robin smiled. "Now you're all following." Kiba glanced between the two clan heiresses. "And where do we fit into this? None of us here is strong enough to do anything against Razer both physically and politically"
"We can't, but he can" Robin's thumbs pointed towards the door leading to the basement, making every eye go wide when noticing the one behind the door, deep underground, building the a wonder of magic-tech.
Rias gasped "Arto!? You want to pull him into this? Like, directly?" Her eyes followed Robin's finger, she knows his plan, what Robin just said is exactly what Arto intended to do when she first told him about the arranged marriage between her and Riser Phenex as a part of the armistice agreement 20 years ago, before she was even born.
It was his plan to use magic-tech to paint Razer Phenex as an incompetent leader who can't manage his lesser vassals, to make the idea of letting Rias, the sole heiress to the clan magic-tech originated from, fall into Phenex's hand one no noble houses of Underworld would agree with.
It would trigger a push back where all other houses assist Gremory in negating the agreement.
But he never mentioned the way he would frame incompetence on Razer Phenex, she thought he was keeping it hidden, but no, he didn't know how, and at this point, what Robin said, it's the igniter Arto was waiting for.
"Did Arto agree about this?" Rias asked finally, making Robin noticed she has finally cleared her head on what's going to happen "He did, Rias, Arto agreed to do this, he will be at that conference room to show the entire Underworld how substandard Razer Phenex is. But, he would need a condition done for him"
Rias leaned towards Robin, eagering to hear "What is it?" Robin answered calmly "He told me last night that he wanted a noble status in the Underworld, preferably a Baron" Momo tilted her head "A Baron?"
Robin nodded "A Baron, one high enough to enter the conference room, but low enough to make the point more staggering" said the teacher as she opened what Arto asked her to find for him
"He is going to be there, pointing out what Phenex poured in this war against Gremory, how much was lost, and how he burned through 75% of the entire army just to win a war that gained him nothing but a scorched land that hasn't been healed for 20 years. What he truly gained from that war was fertile empty lands of 6 vassal houses that was decimated in his effort to defeat Gremory"
"But again, don't think Razer is a warmonger who treated his troops like trash, no, winning against a man who could see 7 days into the future like Zeoticus Gremory was no small feat, it's a masterclass of war engineering" Robin pointed out before any of her students, especially Rias, got the wrong ideas about their opponent.
"He won spectacularly in a war that most may sacrifice 9/10 people and still lose" Robin spoke with eloquent voice, like she was teaching them a history lesson among the fray of slaughtering
"But a man like him, competent in war, a poor manager, he couldn't prosper from what he invaded. All those burden of healing from the war 20 years ago fell solely on the council behind him and his eldest son, Ruval"
Nami nodded, and raised her hand like she was in class with Robin being the teacher. Allowed to speak by Robin with a smile "So, that's the point Arto is going to drill in at the conference, a war won, but what cam after was in shamble and ruin. But I may ask, why does it have to be Arto? He said he want to hide, why risking his face being exposed to the Underworld like that?"
Robin got the question, but first, as the teacher "I'll praise you for your perception, yes, that's exactly what Arto would use to paint the negative picture of Razer before the entire Underworld. As for why it has to be Arto, he is the only one strong enough at the moment to take on this mission."
Reya's eyes widened "You're saying Arto is strong enough to defeat Razer Phenex?" She asked with disbelief, Razer Phenex is a monster on the battlefield, his healing power makes him almost impossible to lose in a battle, not mentioning Phoenix Tears, making him even harder to defeat"
And Robin answered with a firm tone "Arto said he can, and I trust him. Because...." her gaze swept a round at her students "with 3 weeks of extensive training and learning of Systematic Magic, you were able to take on SS- mission, imagine a man who has been using it for thousands of years, that's not mentioning his figure, Arto meant what he said, his body is of a living weapon"
[Timeskip: Brought to you by chibi Arto being compared to a spell shooting rifle]
Rias is standing in her room, making a call to someone, and from the other side, a tired male voice answered "Rias..." her name was called with affection, but weary, and it stopped there, nothing came along.
"Brother Sirzechs, are you done with your work?" She asked, dropping all formality of a noble before the King. The man on the other side is no longer a ruler of Hell, it's just her older brother. "I've just concluded some final work, my dear sister. What do you have on your mind, Rias? I know I haven't been of help to our family since the war..." he said, his voice shaking.
Rias sighed "You don't need to torture yourself because of it, Sirzechs, we never blamed you, your position didn't allow you, I know, parents know, our clansmen know."
From the other side, a reply came "Don't say like I've never been a part of this family, Rias, I have been, and I will always be. It's just.....if I hadn't taken this damn throne, if I hadn't been naive enough to let them tie my hand down like this, stripped away my name and origin like this, I would have burn Phenex to the ground because of there atrocities" Rias can hear the damn has broken on the other side of her phone, she can hear him trying so hard to hold back his helpless and raging tears
"Brother, please, don't blame yourself, it's not for you forcing Phenex to the bargaining table, things would have been way worse...." said the little sister trying to ease her brother, but "Worse how Rias? I allowed that marriage, I let them sign away the fate of the sister I didn't even have at that time. You wasn't even born, Rias, I...I...."
"And now, you have a chance to fix it from your position despite your own neutrality obligation" Rias said calmly. The answer came from Sirzechs' side almost immediately "Fix it how, Rias?"
"Let me tell you, but have to promise me, you're hearing this as Sirzechs Gremory, eldest son of Zeoticus Gremory and Venelana Gremory, older brother of Rias Gremory. This is Gremory's internal business, it has nothing to do with Underworld" Rias requested firmly, and Sirzechs "I promise"
"Then let's start with the clan's newest discovery that I am sure you don't know about, a man named Arto Abyssgard"
[Timeskip: Brought to you by chibi Sirzechs thinking chibi Arto is kidnapping his sister]
Rias leaned against the edge of her desk. "There's another part. Arto doesn't intend to remain behind the scenes forever. He has agreed to attend an upcoming conference regarding the consort for Grayfia, but he would require a noble status in the Underworld to be able to publicly humilate Razer Phenex. That's.....the main reason why I called you tonight" the little sister scratched her head.
And a chuckle came from the other side of the phone "And here I thought you missed your big bro, my dear little sister, so it's all about? I think I've had the whole idea of what he is going to do. He is trying to ignite the border of Phenex into wild fire"
"And a spectacle to introduce magic-tech to the Underworld" Rias added "A huge step towards recovery for our house, and you just need to sign a paper to promote a small Baron who has nothing to do with Gremory clan"
There was a brief silence. Then Sirzechs laughed. Not the weary chuckle of a man trying to comfort his little sister, nor the polite laugh of a ruler humoring a noble. This time, it was genuine amusement. "Oh, Rias. You've learned to negotiate."
"I'm taking that as a compliment." "You should. You called your older brother late at night, gave him a detailed explanation of a revolutionary technology, outlined a strategy to undermine Phenex's political influence, and concluded by asking him to sign a piece of paper."
He paused. "You even made sure to emphasize that the man has nothing to do with our clan." "He doesn't," Rias insisted, a little too quickly. "Of course not."
"Brother!" Rias gutted into the microphone "I'm listening, I'm listening." Sirzechs chuckled again. "But you must admit, if I were to sign that document without asking questions, I'd be failing as both a ruler and an older brother."
Rias sighed and rubbed her forehead. She had expected this. Sirzechs might be constrained by his position, but he was no fool. He understood the weight of a noble title, especially one granted to someone whose existence could disrupt the balance of power between the great houses. And Arto was hardly an ordinary candidate. "Fine. Ask your questions."
"Gladly." The amusement faded from Sirzechs's voice, replaced by the measured tone of someone accustomed to examining agreements before committing his name to them. "First, does Arto understand what he's asking for? A barony isn't merely a convenient invitation to a conference. Even a minor noble title carries obligations, political exposure, and expectations of service. Once he receives it, people will begin asking who sponsored him, where his territory lies, what resources he commands, and which faction he intends to support."
Rias shook her head "He didn't mention any of it, he just made a demand and left it hanging, like he was waiting for a signal to come back to start moving. It....brought me to the second request I wanted to ask of you tonight, brother" "What is it?" He replied.
Rias hesitated for a moment before answering "In 2 weeks from now, there will be an official test run of Simulation Room, at my place in human world. Can you arrange your time to come see? Millicas and Yelena will be there, the boy said it's been a while since the last time he had time with his father, and he misses you very much."
The mentioning of his wife Yelena and his son Millicas made the request hit harder than a normal invitation "It's also my chance to show you how much I've grown, also a chance for you to let off the crown, and be my brother, Yelena's husband, Millicas' father and parent's son, again. And, you haven't visited the grave of people who fell in that war, our relatives are there, uncles, aunts, cousins,....." Her voice trailed off mentioning the memorial for the fallen in the war 20 years ago
Sirzechs leaned back in his chair, the phone still held against his ear. For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling. Where the hell did she learn to negotiate like that?
This was Rias. His little sister. The girl who used to cling to their mother's sleeve whenever she wanted something, who would pout when he teased her, and who had once tried to convince him that hiding under his desk would make her disappear from her etiquette tutor's sight.
That girl had just delivered a carefully constructed argument that struck at nearly every weakness in his defenses.
First, she had mentioned Millicas and Yelena—the two people he had been spending far too little time with. Then she had presented the Simulation Room as an opportunity to witness the future of Gremory's recovery with his own eyes. After that, she had offered him a chance to set aside the crown and simply be a son, a husband, a father, and an elder brother.
And finally, she had mentioned the memorial. The relatives who had died in the war twenty years ago. The people whose names he had never forgotten, even when the duties of the Lucifer had forced him to behave as though he could put the past aside.
It wasn't an invitation....It was moral exploitation disguised as a family gathering....And the worst part? It was working. Sirzechs pressed two fingers against the bridge of his nose, a helpless smile gradually spreading across his face.
"Rias." He called "Yes, Brother?" Rias answered, her voice remained the same gentle tone. "Who taught you to bargain like that?" Sirzechs sent his question. There was a brief silence on the other end. "...What?"
"Because that was a very impressive piece of emotional leverage. You identified the assets I value, calculated my vulnerabilities, and packaged everything into a proposal that would make refusing it sound like an admission that I no longer care about my family."
"Did it work?" Rias asked back at him with a mischievous giggle. "Arto taught me that, he said words can shape reality, and when I know what to say, when to say, how to say, I can steer the situation to match my goal"
"Words can shape reality, huh?" Rias smiled. "That's what he told me." "Your mysterious inventor has been teaching you more than magic, it seems."
"He teaches everyone more than they expect." said the heiress of Gremory clan "Clearly." Sirzechs chuckled again before letting out a long sigh. "All right, little sister. I'll give you this much: if Arto has managed to teach you how to negotiate with your own brother, perhaps his influence on the clan is even more significant than you've described."
"Does that mean you'll come?" She asked with expectant "Don't rush me. I'm still your older brother, and I reserve the right to make you sweat a little." he calmed her rushing eagerness
"Brother!" She snorted "I'm joking, I'm joking." His laughter gradually subsided, leaving a gentler silence between them. "I'll arrange my schedule for the Simulation Room demonstration," he said at last. "Two weeks from now, at your residence in Kuoh."
[A week later]
Rias' First Person POV
I'm in my room, looking at the payment notice from Stray Hunting Agency, it's been a week since that SS- mission, everything is going well for me and others.
¥14,800,000
Reference: Joint Operation – A+ Rank Stray Extermination
Split: 50% Gremory Peerage / 50% Sitri Peerage
Four more missions, One A+ ranked joint operations—brutal, but we executed it flawless. 1 A-rank mission and 2 B+ ones I led my peerage in separately, the 1 B+ mission are from the SHAs of Phenex's vassals.
They displayed their doubts seeing a Gremory taking their commissions, they suspected hidden agenda. I made sure to let them know my intention was purely transactional, but I can't guarantee they would not report this back to Razer Phenex along with Phenex's higher up.
I need to call my mother to ask about this, she is the leader of Diplomatic Department after all. searching her in the contacts, I need to know if I approach this right
The familiar ringing tone filled my room. Come on, Mother. Please pick up. After several seconds, the call connected. "Rias, darling? I see you're concerned about that mission you took at Phenex's vassal land"
I can feel myself shuddered a little, it's her habit to move one or a few steps ahead in everything, but I can never get used to how much she had already knew before going into any conversation
"Yes, Mother, I want to know if I approached it correctly, how I continue from here, how it will affect your future work in getting closer to them, and....a bit of curiosity, how are you and other diplomats approach Phenex's vassal houses using the missions we are completing."
There was a brief pause on the other end. Then Mother laughed softly. "My, my. Four missions in a week, and already you're trying to understand the diplomatic consequences of each one. It seems your education is progressing rather quickly."
I couldn't help smiling. "Thank you, Mother, about my questions....." Her laughter grew warmer. "All right, darling. Let's start with your first question. Did you promise that vassal house anything beyond the service you were contracted to provide?"
"No. We completed the commission, returned the necessary reports, and accepted the agreed payment. I didn't discuss any future cooperation or make any promises on behalf of Gremory."
"Did you criticize Phenex?" "No."
"Did you ask about their grievances against their liege?" "No, Mother. I wasn't there to interrogate them."
"Good." The single word carried more weight than a lengthy lecture. "Then you did nothing improper. You accepted a legitimate commission, performed your duties, and left the client free to decide what to think of the experience. That is precisely how your first approach should look."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "But their suspicions—"
"Are not your responsibility to eliminate in a single afternoon." Her tone remained gentle, but there was a firmness beneath it. "You cannot demand that people trust you merely because you have behaved honorably once. Nor should you attempt to reassure them so aggressively that they begin to wonder why you are so desperate to be believed."
I stared at the payment notice on my phone. Don't try to convince them you're trustworthy. Give them reasons to decide that for themselves. It sounded simple when Mother said it. Actually putting it into practice was another matter. "So I should continue accepting their commissions?"
"If the missions are legitimate, fall within your capabilities, and are approved through the proper channels, then yes. Continue doing your work. Be consistent. Do not offer favors that were never requested, and do not attach political conditions to ordinary contracts." She answered
"How does your department intend to proceed?" I asked. "And let me answer you with a other question: Why do you think SHA assigned you that mission?" I'm dumbfounded again, is she saying even our mission has something to do with broader calculations?
"I...don't think I know, mother" I gave the only answer I could give, waiting for her to enlighten me. "The mission you took wasn't chosen randomly, it was to expose the weaknesses in the defense structure of their lands, ones that allowed the strays to wreak havoc, ones that caused the commission to be made in the first place" Her answer got my mind running harder on what the higher command is planning behind the veil.
"Find the problems....to sell the solution...of magic-tech? What if....." I muttered into my phone, but her voice interrupted mine. "Rias, my sweet daughter, remind me again our principal of this entire phase of ours?" She asked firmly, but still carried that maternal affection.
"Transaction, Mother, Transaction" I answered, it has been the term I've been telling myself from that meeting where we discuss Arto's plan to recover Gremory.
And she agreed "That's right, Rias, everything is about Transaction, nothing more, nothing less, don't overthink it with political agendas. What there, is already there, what bound to happen, will happen, all we need to do is do our best, and everything will be alright" She said as light as feather, like she saw the future.
"But mother, it's my fate on the line, it's less than a year until Phenex comes to collect me, it's just...just....I can't stay calm like you do" I said, flushing out what's tugging my heart.
Me being a helpless girl waiting for marry the man I don't like is not true no longer, I am stronger now, smarter now, but it made it even harder to sit still, my hands are still tied despite my growth by a sheet of paper, it's....unfair!
"Rias, Rias," Mother called my name, I can hear her worry beneath that clam voice "Sit down, take a deep breathe, drink some water, and remember what Arto told you and wrote for us in his plan document" The mention of it turned my gaze towards the shelf in my room, where his file lays solemnly like a promise from him, that he will help me out of this.
Taking steps towards it, I took down from the shelf and opened it, inside is the principal he wrote in red ink Economic Power -> Political Power.
"Economic Power creates Political Power" I read it out loud. "Yes, my girl, that's right, the belly needs to be full before the mind is allowed to think, you need to be alive before doing anything grand and ambitious. Our family right now is not cut for any big scheme or maneuver beyond calculations. All we need to do now is cultivating our financial power via....." She stopped, waiting for me to give the answer.
"...urgent orders of big houses, like that urgent order of artifact from Bael clan" I answered, that has always been the case, Simulation Room, Arto's magic-tech, everything is being focused on what this clan needs desperately, capital.
And she agreed "And with magic-tech, with Simulation Room, and with Arto's genius, that order from my original clan, and many more all over the Underworld, have finally been able to be completed. And when you can provide things that everyone wants, needs, and desires, how do you think people will treat you?"
"They'll want to maintain good relations with us," I answered slowly. "They'll want access to our products, our technology, and our services. Even houses that don't particularly like Gremory will have to consider the benefits of doing business with us."
"Exactly, darling. And what does that mean for our family?" The answer came with no delays "More income. More opportunities to negotiate. More people who have a reason to stand with us, or at least a reason not to stand against us."
"Very good." I could practically hear Mother's approving smile. "Remember, Rias, we aren't trying to convince the entire Underworld to love Gremory. That would be an impossible task, and frankly, an unnecessary one. We need to make our family valuable enough that opposing us comes with a price, while cooperating with us offers tangible benefits."
Such a simple principle. Five words. Yet the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much of our future had been built around that single idea.
For twenty years, Gremory had been recovering from the war. Our resources had been stretched thin, our influence had suffered, and the armistice agreement had left a shadow over my future before I had even been born.
We couldn't afford to challenge Phenex directly. But we could rebuild. We could develop technology that other houses wanted. We could establish commercial relationships that made our prosperity beneficial to others.
I finally understood the plan, it doesn't need any political calculation "I see, so we approach Phenex's vassals when we are done building ourselves as the atelier of impossible tasks, by servicing the highest orders from King houses like Bael, Zagan, Paimon,....Phenex vassals became less and less of political targets...."
".....and more of a normal client" Mother concluded for me, so that's what she meant by what being there, is already there, what bound to happen, will happen, even if Gremory doesn't move towards any of the vassal houses of Phenex, the expertise, and reputation alone of magic-tech, would draw them towards the clan for...Transaction
The whole board is clearer now in my head, I once thought the point Arto made about painting Razer Phenex an incompetent leader is something we do actively, like pointing it out for the whole Underworld to see. But when putting it into this Transaction principal, we don't even need to do that.
If he made any move from here like stopping his vassals from taking Gremory's service, they stand still and look others get the innovations, a stubborn, outdated shade painted.
If they moved aggressively against Gremory like enforcing the armistice agreement to bring magic-tech into their control via Rias' arranged marriage with Riser Phenex, the power of magic-tech itself would trigger a backlash from Gremory's clients.
No one would want an era-changing innovations being monopolized by a warmonger via a sheet of paper, they would help Gremory push back the armistice whether they like it or not. The Economic Power is the trap itself.
Even a war like Razer used to wage on us won't work anymore as it will disrupt the commercial flows of magic-tech to houses higher in standing than Phenex, they wouldn't dare risk their own economical relationships for something all the big houses are thriving on.
"The only course of action I could think of for Phenex to move now is.... using the agreement as the base to strike deals with other clans to gain more supports on push the deal forwards with a vision that Phenex will manage magic-tech responsibly....." I said.
"...and it led us to the conference for Grayfia's hand in marriage, where the poor management skill of a leader like Razer Phenex is displayed before the Underworld by your precious innovator." She said softly
I thought back to Robin's explanation. Razer hadn't won because the war was easy. He had won against an opponent whose foresight could have made defeat almost inevitable.
The question wasn't whether he could wage war. It was what he had done with the victory afterward. "Then Arto needs to show the audience the difference between military success and long-term stewardship," I said.
"Yes. And he needs to let the audience reach its own conclusions." I glanced at the red letters again. "Because if he simply stands there and calls Razer incompetent, he'll look like an enemy trying to discredit him. But if he presents the costs, the results, and the opportunities that were lost, people will have to evaluate the evidence themselves."
"Now you're beginning to understand why Arto wants to attend as a minor noble rather than as a representative of Gremory." I paused. "Because his arguments will be harder to dismiss as the official position of our clan?"
"Among other reasons. A representative of Gremory would be expected to defend Gremory's interests. A newly recognized baron with a demonstrated understanding of economics, technology, and military logistics might be judged differently. He could speak as an independent participant, provided his connections and interests are disclosed honestly."
I considered what she said before something came up to my mind that I need an answer immediately to "Mother, how will he prove that what he found was legitimate? A Baron is only a Baron, let alone being promoted close to the holding time of the conference, isn't that a rather....to obvious mark of malice?"
Not a word from the other side, my mother has gone silent, there is no way she didn't think of this....right? I took the phone off my ear to see of she was disconnected somehow, and she has disconnected from the call 'Mother.....'
But before I could doubt, a ping towards my tablet, my mother sent me something via.....the communication app 'ManGer' Arto made for students of his to talk to each other, and to him. Wait, how did she get her hand on this app....
Another call came through the tablet from an account seemingly from my mother because I can see her profile picture is...me as a baby "Oh, this can't be happening...." I blurted out, this can't be real, if she appears in this app, who can tell when she is going to public all my embarrassing secrets up here.
I answered the video call and from the other side, my mother's face appeared as clear as direct meeting under the stable connection of Arto's ManaNet.
"Rias dear, can you see me? This mirror-like device called 'tablet' Robin gave me is quite hard to use, let me just grab a base" she remarked while trying to redirect the front camera towards her face. Seeing my mother struggling with something is rare, and when it happens, it happens in the cutest way possible.
I sat down before the tablet "I can see you clearly, mother" She finally found a place for it to stand pointing at her face "There we go," She said while fixing her posture "I havgen't been able to get used to this, maybe I should ask Millicas to teach me how to use it when the boy is around. Anyway, check what I sent you."
I opened what she sent and what I saw is something I could never believe in my own eyes, it's the secret documents regarding the war Phenex and their vassals waged against us 20 years ago, directly from their own vault, stamped as the classified assets of Phenex clan.
Scrolling through a few pages, my fingers started shaking "How....how could you get this?" Then I remembered last week, when Robin mentioned the informations about the war as 'Things Arto asked her to find for him' "Is Robin behind this? Did she meet you at some point in the last 2 weeks and.....that tablet..."
"Yes, Robin gave me this for demonstration of Arto's ManaNet, and I quite like it. But that's besides the point, I sent you another thing, check it" She ordered, what else could she and Robin have done? It's a video, the content is someone....handing the documents to a shadow....Wait...does that mean....
"Is this real or fake? Someone within the Phenex clan betrayed them? Why?" I asked, what's going on around here? As for my mother, she tapped her chin for a few moments before answering "It's real"
"Huh?" Now my ears are playing tricks on me "What you're seeing is a real footage, of someone within Phenex clan, handing out the documents to one of Robin's secret agents, it's real because the documents are currently in my possession, it's not inside Phenex' vault."
But my mother is not done "That person you saw, it not a normal person, she is Erial Kallas, the widow wife of Reos Phenex, the late second son of Razer Phenex, one who died in the war 20 years ago in Gremory domain"
Kallas....Kallas...."Wait, isn't Kallas a vassal house of Phenex? So you're saying this woman betrayed Phenex clan? Why would she do that?"
I don't think I am ready to hear this "Because of something that Robin revealed to Erial, something she didn't know, something..... heartbreaking, Reos never volunteered to stay behind to cover Phenex's retreat in the aftermath of Inuos plain, he....was left behind, and died.....do you see the problem here?"
"Reos, the second prince of Phenex clan, could have been a great bargaining chip to stop the war.....yet he died" I muttered "Father would never overlook that chance.....so who killed him?"
"I see you're finally reaching the parts of this war no one ever questioned, it's reported from our side that Reos died after being surrounded by our army led by your late uncle Orius Gremory, yet it also reported that they didn't try to kill Reos, something....killed him before they could escort him to interrogation."
A sigh came "Orius is not with us anymore, so we can only rely on his reports to Zeoticus and your father's memories to figure out what happened, I do expect we could find something in these classified documents can help us resolve what happened, because Reos's death made the war even more bloodied from that point on"
Her silence lightened the weight of our conversation down, I know no matter what the truth is, it's not about politic maneuvering, like Erial, it seems my mother also wanted to know what caused the immense lost, no matter on what scale.
But before I could say anything..."RIAS!" The door of the room swung opened, revealing Nami with one of her legs raised like she just kicked the door opened. Arto's CFO barged in, wrapping her hand around my wrist with such strength a normal human like her shouldn't have "Come with me! We have to go....."
"What are you doing?" I pulled back from her tug, which is suprisingly more difficult than I thought "Don't you see I'm talking to my mother" Nami stopped immediately before finally looking at the tablet to see the employer of her Boss.
The attitude changed with a pace that I only saw Arto did "Lady Venelana, it's truly an honor meeting you again. Thank you so much for helping me in that negotiation with Financial Department of your clan." She bowed respectfully before the tablet, one that I've never seen her do
Nami the put a hand at her heart "I really appreciated that order you declared about letting Arto keep the completion rewards from Bael clan's commission, it meant a lot for me...I mean, for him"
Somehow, that bubbly attitude of Nami seems to have lifted my mother's spirit up, her eyes shifted as she looked at the orange-haired financial consultant who sat alone in the bargaining table against the biggest brain of Financial Department and came out with a good deal for herself and for Arto.
She let out a smile, "Nami, I see you're still that cheerful girl I met 2 weeks ago, is anything the matter? Why were you in such rush?"
To answer that, Nami brought out something from her magic pocket, a obsidian sphere she wrapped inside a clean cloth like a newborn baby, and so is how she carried it "My Lady, let me present to you, the first completed Bael artifact made by the production line Arto designed inside the Simulation Room"
The 2 phrases, 'first completed Bael artifact', and 'Simulation Room', got the entire room to go in dead silence, even me, I needed some time to process the announcement, this means...."Bring it closer to me, Nami" Venelana ordered, and Nami brought the newly made artifact towards the screen.
Eyeing the shorted artifact her original clan has been struggling to reproduce the past 500 years "You're saying....."
"Yes, my lady" Nami nodded "The Simulation Room is completed, and Arto is running the production line as the test of its simulation Power using..."
The door behind Venelana swung open, revealing a beautiful maid with silver hair braided into 2 bangs by her face, her crimson eyes and posture carried urgency, but positive one as she came closer to the matriarch of Gremory clan "Mother...." she called "Yelena...." Venelana answered "What happened?"
Yelena fixed her stance before answering "I just received the news from the warehouse, the Simulation Room's final phase Interface Layer completed just a few hours ago, meaning the conclusion of the 4 weeks of construction of Arto Abyssgard, the Simulation Room is fully functional. And the first crates of materials are being transferred into the facility for the production of Bael's urgent order."
Mother took a deep breathe, setting her tea cup down before pulling the chair for her daughter-in-law to sit down "Settle down, Yelena, let's hear it from the one who has just been there" She poured the maid a cup of tea.
Nami's gaze fixated on the woman with that icy beauty "So you're Lady Yelena Lucifuge, Sirzechs' wife, and Rias' sister-in-law? You look even more stunning than the picture I saw the other day" This got Yelena's attention
The silver-haired woman turned toward Nami, her crimson eyes studying the orange-haired woman on the other side of the screen. Her expression remained composed, but I caught the faintest hint of surprise when Nami waved at her as though they were old friends. "Thank you. You're quite charming yourself, Miss Nami."
"Ahaha, you flatter me, Lady Yelena!" Nami placed a hand against her cheek, grinning. "If I weren't already married to my work, I'd be tempted to ask you for beauty advice." I nearly choked. "Nami!"
On the tablet, Mother let out a soft laugh. "Well, it seems the two of you have already made yourselves comfortable. But we all know the priorities. Please, Nami, tell me what you saw"
"Of course, my lady!" Nami's expression changed almost instantly. The cheerful smile remained, but the way she held the artifact shifted. She carefully placed it on the table in front of the tablet, unwrapped the clean cloth, and turned the obsidian sphere so that its surface caught the light.
"As you can see, the artifact has been completed, and by running the similar test Bael clan used for the broken sample fix by Arto, the result is the same: our product ran better than the existing ones inside Bael's vault. At the moment I left, there has been 50/1000 units completed and carefully stored, ready for the first batch of delivery for Bael side's assessment." Nami explained without a single stumble like she has been practicing this speech.
"The production line has stopped for Arto's personal assessments on the simulation quality post-action, no errors detected from the production line and all products came out perfectly as designed, it could have contnued if not for Arto's order for it to stop.
The crate of product has already left the Simulation Room, and will come to you and Lord Zeoticus first for approval before being transferred to Bael domain for their final check and if they have any additional requests" Nami concluded
Yelena raised a question that I was about to ask "Why does it need to stop? It's working well with no mistake, wasn't it?"
Nami nodded "Yes, my lady, no mistakes from the production line to the quality of the simulated components and functions. But a thing that is usually forgotten is the post-action languor of the production line. Remember, we are functioning everything using simulations based on reality. Meaning it has to simulate and follow natural laws, even its natural waning.
If the components of the line doesn't wear out as intended, it's a sign that the simulation system is bugged. If we let it slide it could cause unpredictable and likely dangerous problems in the future when more materials and processes are simulated, some simulated chemicals will react incorrectly and create substances we don't know"
"Let me make sure I understand," Yelena said, setting her teacup down. "The production line has produced fifty artifacts, all of which passed the initial quality inspection. Yet Arto ordered it to stop because he needs to verify that the simulated machinery deteriorates as it should?"
"Exactly, Lady Yelena!" Nami raised one finger, her expression brightening as she realized that someone had understood her explanation immediately.
"Think of it this way. The Simulation Room doesn't simply create a picture of reality and tell the production line to imitate it. The system has to reproduce the underlying processes that make reality behave as it does.
If a machine is supposed to generate friction, its components must experience friction. If a component is supposed to heat up, that heat must be accounted for. And if a part is supposed to wear down after prolonged operation, the simulation must reflect that, too."
She paused to let the explanation sink in. "If the simulation makes a machine work perfectly but fails to reproduce the conditions that would normally make it deteriorate, then the machine isn't being simulated correctly. It's being given an artificial advantage that doesn't exist in reality."
Mother gave a small nod. "Then he has made the correct decision." Yelena looked toward her. "Even though the first delivery will be delayed?"
"Being able to manufacture 50 of those artifacts in one sesssion is miraculous enough considering how difficult making it used to be, usually took a few years to a decade. I'll personally examine that barch of product before personally supervising the delivery to my older brother's domain." My mother said calmly
Hearing that, Nami pressed her index fingers together before raising her question "Uhm, Lady Venelana, may I ask about the deadline and.....the payment time for the commission" Of course she is going to ask that, a money enthuiast at their natural habitat.
Hearing that question, Mother only smiled warmly "Lord Bael, or my older brother, dictated that the deadline for the order is quite wide considering the difficulty of this task, but the sooner you can complete it, the sooner money will come home. He hasn't fully trusted me from that time I showed him the artifact sample Arto fixed, thinking it's just one time thing, so I took that chance a place a bet on the table with him"
We all eyed my mom when hearing 'bet' "You bet against uncle?" I asked "Yes, I told him that if the comission is completed within this year, he is paying extra based on the delivery time, that's the source of the reward I ordered to let Arto keep if he can finish this production, which by now, I can be positive that 1000 units can be done in the next month. Can you three guess what he replied to me?"
Judging from Mother's expression, whatever Uncle Bael had replied must have been interesting.
[Timeskip: Brought to you by Akeno and Rias sandwiching Arto with their hug]
I am now standing at the basement of the clubhouse, looking at a door that wasn't there before, it's too modest and...I don't know, normal to be the entrance to Simulation Room, it blended perfectly into the groomly and dark theme of the basement, but. "You're saying this is it? This is....Simulation Room" I pointed at the door while looking at Nami who is so excited I can see her glowing, is this woman a walking lightbulb when she is happy or something.
Nami nodded and got ahead of me, standing in front of the door, I can see she is trying not to dance at her place "Yes, it's the entrance to the Simulation Room" Turning the door knob, she opened it and welcome me is...dirt, half a meter space full of half-digged dirt. "I can see you're quite good at joking, Nami. Where is Simulation Room?"
Nami's face turned pale "I swear, it was right here when Boss led me, Robin and Akeno in. A grand, white hall stretching inside with polished floor. We were in Sector 3: Sandbox watching him simulating the production line! What's going on?" She started closing the door, opening it again, and again, again in a hope that the facility would appear out of nowhere.
It seems this is another layer of security Arto placed, but how can we get in? "Stop it for a moment, Nami, let me just examine it" Nami turned to me with darkened eyes "B-But it was right here!" She said sadly, and I must say, it was really adorable.
"I believe you." I said, patting her shoulder "Then why is it gone?!" She whined "That's precisely what I'm trying to find out." Nami reluctantly stepped aside, though her eyes remained fixed on the doorway as if she expected the Simulation Room to reappear out of sheer intimidation.
Standing before the door, I immediately noticed something about the door knob, touching the texture on the back side, I felt it, a spell carved onto the door knob, it's so subtle I almost didn't notice it "So this is the the authentication method, I should have guess him picking it from that movie. But what is the code?"
I can feel Nami's chin resting on my shoulder "So, did you find it?" I took a step back "Nami, have you watched Howl's Moving Castle?" She lifted her head from my shoulder. "Huh? The movie with the walking castle? Of course I have! Why?"
"Do you remember the scene where Sophie enters the castle and finds a door with a dial that changes where it leads?" Nami stared at me. Then she looked at the dirt-filled doorway. Then she looked back at me. "...Boss didn't."
"I'm not saying he did. I'm saying that the idea of a door leading somewhere other than the space behind it isn't exactly new." I ran my fingers along the door knob again, feeling the faint magical inscription hidden beneath its ordinary surface. "Arto has a habit of borrowing inspiration from movies he watched with Akeno. If he wanted to hide an entire facility, a door with a spatial authentication mechanism would be a rather elegant solution."
Nami grabbed the knob again "So how do we get in?" I plucked her hand off "Don't need to rush, we need to think first...." Something glowed up in my mind, something that only Arto does "Nami, I think I know how to open it. We open the door like how Arto usually does"
The CFO's face became dumbfounded "You're saying my Boss has a particular way of opening doors?" I nodded "Yes, you haven't been with him long enough to notice, but Arto's hands are impaired. Normally, he can't stretch his index finger and little finger fully. So when opening doors, he does it like this"
I reached my hand towards the door knob and grabbed it with my thumb, index finger and little finger while keeping the others straight, that's how Arto makes use of his own hand deformation in the most trivial and meaningless thing possible, but this stance created an interesting thing.
"This hand formation is also called Mark of Challenger, one traditional handsign of Abyssgard Legion used in training duel, when 2 combatants give their consent to battle via this handsign, when I spar with Arto in hand-to-hand combat, we used this all the time." I explained to Nami while turning the knob.
I can feel the second authentication mechanics hidden inside the knob has started working, checking my mana signature to see if I am the real one, and apparently, I am Rias Gremory. A click, and white light started coming out from behind the opening door, signalling we're right
Beyond the threshold stretched a vast, pristine corridor, its white walls reflecting the soft illumination of countless embedded mana crystals. The floor was polished to such a degree that I could see the faint reflection of my own face in it. Farther ahead, the corridor widened into a spacious hall, with several passages branching away toward destinations I couldn't see.
"It's here, it's here!" Nami almost shouted from behind me as she pushed me inside with her, our feet hit the prestine floor as light passage glowed under our feet in bright blue shade, signalling the path forwards, taking turns into each door, sectors. "Welcome to the Simulation Room, Rias!" Nami announced happily.
I can feel my hand being tugged again before I could marvel any of the design Arto made, not the architecture ones, but the spatial manipulation magic she used to make this place so spacious "Let's head to Sector 3: Sandbox first to meet Boss, you're probably missing him like crazy right now"
That got me realize, I haven't had proper time with him for the past month, he only came home once a week, spending most of his time to assess his students's advancement in studying and training, consulting Robin and Nami about the coming strategic moves.
He didn't even allow me and Akeno to sleep with him like before, saying the training the studying was stressful enough, he didn't want us to spend their dreams fighting with him inside Dark Arena also, it's not healthy for us, and I understood his intention.
But I couldn't help but feel the dettached from the man who gave me power, strength, resilience, and most importantly, hope, hope that I can be better, that my family can prosper out of ruin, that I can decide my life.
To me, he is more than just a warrior I took in, more than an ally I contracted with, he is a friend who listens, a teacher who guides, and an innovator who invents
To me, he is more than just a warrior I took in, more than an ally I contracted with, he is a friend who listens, a teacher who guides, and an innovator who invents, maybe.....something beyond that "Blushing hard~?"
I snapped out of my thoughts to see Nami is looking at me with that smuggling face of hers and that wicked grin like she captured materials to extort me. I immediately straightened my back. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Oh? Really?" She leaned closer, her orange hair swaying as she tilted her head. "Then why were you staring into space with that dreamy expression? Your cheeks are red, Rias. As red as your hair. Though I must say, a man like Boss is really hard not to fall for.
His look can be decent, but his intellectual charisma is one-of-a-kind, not the kind of cheeky boys who talk honey words, you can sit with him, hearing him talk about all kinds of matters in the world with deep understanding without being bored: science, technical, diplomat, logistic, politics,....I particularly like his talk about economic. He has this mindset of a man who runs an entire country instead of just a normal investor"
"—and don't even get me started on his ability to connect economic incentives with political stability. Most people see money as a resource to spend or accumulate. Boss sees it as a way to shape how people interact with one another. He doesn't need to force someone to cooperate if he can make cooperation the most reasonable choice available."
Nami sighed dreamily. "Honestly, if he ever decides to write a book about his economic philosophy, I'm reserving the first copy. I'll even pay full price."
I stared at her. "You're his CFO. Shouldn't you be the one helping him write it?" "Rias, dear, there's a difference between helping someone write a book and being the first person to purchase a signed copy from a man you admire."
She winked. I felt my cheeks growing warmer. This woman is dangerous.
Not because she could negotiate a contract with a devil noble until they were practically thanking her for taking their money, but because she could casually say things that made me question whether she was talking about Arto as his employee, his friend, or something else entirely.
And, judging by the mischievous look on her face, she was enjoying my discomfort far too much. "Besides," Nami continued, hooking her arm around mine as we followed the glowing blue path, "I think you'd agree that Boss has a certain charm. He doesn't need to make a grand entrance or dress himself in expensive clothes. But once you sat down with him, standing was only to fetch a drink before sitting down with him again"
"That sounds more like a frustrating habit than a charming one." Nami's mow "Oh? Then why are you smiling?" I immediately stopped smiling. Nami burst into laughter. "Ahahaha! You're adorable, Rias! I really should have brought a camera! Wait....I did!"
Out of nowhere, she snapped a picture of my face with her tablet before making a run down the hall. It took me a second to recover from that sudden move "Hey, Nami! Get back here, you won't get away with this" I warned, but she answered me by a stuckout tongue as she made a turn.
Bursted towards the that place, I saw a door and a label 'Sector 3: Sandbox'. Noticing me, the door opened automatically, leading into a place that I have to remind myself 3 times that I am still underground. The sky above is bright blue with clouds passing by and the Sun is shining warming light that feels.....real, the wind breezes hit my skin shared the same trait, 'It's simulation, it's simulation.....'
I reminded myself again as my shoes interacted with the 'floor', the sensation of earth, the smell of grass, and the sound of some insects passing by 'It's simulation....'
"Rias" That voice called me, snapping me out of my own confusion between simulation and reality to meet him, Arto, he is standing at a distance with Nami hiding behind him, still wearing that stupid smug.
"Buchou, what took you so long? This place is amazing, just like its creator~" Akeno perked from behind Arto, wrapping her arms around his neck. Next to him is Robin, her hands are still on the control panel running diagnosis for what I saw behind them, the production line of Bael's urgent order, now has stopped for post-action examination. But my focus shifted back to him when he called me again with a request I don't think I can refuse "Hug?"
It's been a month without his constant presence, a hug has been how I reconnect with him when he resurfaced after a week of work, and he always asked that when he came home on every Sunday, only this time, it's completed, he is home for real.
Dropping all the questions about how real this place is despite being simulation, I ran towards him, knowing for certain he is as real as it can be before burying my face in his chest, hugging him like he might disappear at any moment "Welcome home, Arto"