Maid Captain Ragna (Continued)

"Come on, come on, feed me while you're at it."

"... Don't push your luck."

"My limbs are sore and weak right now, okay? Don't be so shy."

"... I think you're a bit of a female hooligan."

After peeling the apple, Liu Bai cut off a piece and fed it to Himeko.

"Ah... during the surgery, even though I was under anesthesia, for some reason, my mind was inexplicably clear. I was thinking, if I were unlucky enough to die on the operating table, what would my last wishes be?"

"... You should refrain from saying unlucky things."

Liu Bai cut off another piece and stuffed it into Himeko's mouth.

"To be honest, I'm starting to regret supporting you becoming Valkyrie."

"Mmm... you're afraid I'll die on the operating table?" After swallowing the food in her mouth in a muffled manner, Himeko looked at Liu Bai with a smile, "Are you scared now?"

"I was really scared afterwards. Although I had confidence in you, when I saw the surgical site... well, I have to admit, I regretted it a little. I think this was too reckless."

Liu Bai said quite frankly

Himeko was the only person Liu Bai felt indebted to during the simulation, so Liu Bai always indulged Himeko's behavior to some extent—but the problem was that Liu Bai really couldn't find a solution to the problem at the time.

"I've started to reconsider whether I should tighten my control over you."

"Hmm... it's not nice to say it like this, but I'm actually a little happy."

"What are you so happy about?"

"I'm glad someone cares about my safety... After all, I have no one to rely on now." Himeko scratched her face. "That's a bit selfish, isn't it?"

"It's not just me, Reanna and Yang are also very concerned about you."

"That's different." Himeko looked up at the ceiling. "They're probably only looking after me because of you, right? Of course, I'm not being picky about other people's kindness, but... well, to be honest, I'm actually very grateful to Professor Welt and Reanna, especially Reanna, who's like a mother to me."

"Reanna... she really is an old woman."

Liu Bai's mood improved slightly.

Do you even know what the mother of Anti-Entropy is? (Tactical lean back)

"Speaking of which, back when we were still in school, was there something Liu Bai wanted to say to me?"

"What do you mean, what are you saying?"

Liu Bai stuffed the last piece of fruit into Himeko's mouth and casually asked.

"It's just... I always felt that you wanted to... it felt like an invitation? I always felt that you wanted to invite me."

"Why do you think that?" Liu Bai paused in his hand as he picked up the new apple, then continued peeling it as if nothing had happened.

"I'm practically a campus beauty, you know?" Himeko said with a proud look. "A bunch of people wanted to invite me out when school started, but I turned them all down, so I guess I'm practically a social butterfly too?"

"You? You're far from it. You're becoming more and more like a female hooligan." Liu Bai sneered. "You've gone astray."

"So what exactly did you want to invite me to do, or where? Were you planning to wander the world with me?"

Himeko stared at Liu Bai with curiosity.

"You're not allowed to change the subject."

"... Then why didn't you ask that question back then?"

Liu Bai asked without changing his expression.

"If you had asked me then, I might have actually told you."

"... So you mean we both lacked a bit of courage back then?"

Himeko's expression suddenly turned helpless.

"Wait, what kind of soap opera line is this... But to be honest, I was actually quite confused at the time. Although I said I wanted to become Valkyrie, I was actually forcing myself a bit. I was probably hoping you would tell me that 'Schicksal Valkyrie is not suitable for you'."

Himeko suddenly laughed again.

"It's that hindsight comment you just made, 'I knew it! Why become Valkyrie if there's nothing wrong with that?'—If you had kept nagging me like that, I might not have actually done it... Even though I had anesthesia, I still felt a lot of pain. Do you think I would have died of pain on the operating table if I hadn't had anesthesia?"

"Obviously." Liu Bai turned his head to the side.

That's really audacious of them to dream of performing this level of surgery without anesthesia.

"So it's your turn. I've already explained my thoughts, so you can't keep making excuses."

"... Did you know that the only organization in the world fighting against the Honkai is Schicksal? Besides Schicksal, there is another emerging organization that can rival it— Anti-Entropy."

"You have a way to Anti-Entropy." Himeko seemed to understand something.

"I am the Anti-Entropy Leader."

"...ha?"

"Or rather, the United States is the backyard of Anti-Entropy. Einstein, Tesla, Yang, Reanna... these people you remember are all cadres of Anti-Entropy."

"... Then why did I bother to become Valkyrie?" Himeko's eye twitched. "Now I know why Professor Welt looked at us so strangely back then. So I was penny-wise and pound-foolish?"

"... At least you chased your dream."

Liu Bai told a joke that wasn't funny at all.

"Ah... to be honest, I regret it now. I feel like I should have joined Anti-Entropy instead. If I had gotten close to the Alliance Leader, I would have been a cadre, right? So what are you hesitating about?"

"Hesitation about your dreams."

"That joke isn't funny at all," Himeko grinned. "I just can't understand your thought process."

It's best if you don't understand.

"In short, since you're here, make the best of it. Otto isn't so low as to send someone to kill you—you're not qualified."

"That reason is really infuriating." Although she was annoyed, Himeko couldn't refute it at all.

"Believe me, you don't want to be on Otto's kill list."

Liu Bai kept stuffing apples into Himeko's mouth.

"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"

"The next step should be to assign you to a unit. Strictly speaking, I would prefer you to be assigned to a local post. Although the treatment is not as good, it is safe most of the time."

"But that's impossible—right?" After swallowing the apple with difficulty, Himeko roughly understood. "So, I'll be assigned to the most dangerous kind of unit? A suicide squad?"

"Almost."

"Knock knock"

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Who?"

"Is this Ms. Murata Himeko? I am Ragna Rodbrok, the captain of the Valkyrie Stormtroopers, and your future captain."

A gentle voice came from outside the door.

"May I come in?"

"... Please come in."

After watching Liu Bai put the fruit knife away, Himeko finally answered.

"Sorry to bother you."

A beautiful woman with black hair and red eyes, dressed in a white silk maid outfit, walked in.

Ragna Rodbrooke, who shares the same name as the legendary pirate Ragna Rodbrooke in the normal history, is the mentor of Rita, Bianka, and Himeko.

"... A maid?" Himeko was taken aback as she looked at Ragna walking in.

Why would the captain of the Valkyrie Assault Team, a team that clearly aims to overcome difficulties, be a maid in white stockings?

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just doing social practice and Miss Amber called me back."

Ragna scratched his face slightly embarrassed. "I really didn't have time to change my clothes, I'm very sorry."

"... A maid café?"

The first maid café was established in Akihabara in 2001, which Himeko, being from the Far East, had naturally heard of.

"... No, proper maid work, like sweeping, weeding, and feeding cats."

This was the first time Ragna had suffered such a strange misunderstanding.

"My official position is still the captain of the Valkyrie Assault Team and the combat instructor directly under the Schicksal Headquarters —I am Schicksal A-rank Valkyrie, you know."

In a sense, Ragna was also the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards...

"... But no matter what, it's really strange to go out and work as a maid, isn't it?"

"It's just one of my social practice experiences," Ragna, trying to salvage his image in the eyes of this newcomer. "Besides that, I'm Schicksal a volunteer and adjunct counselor at a French orphanage."

"... Isn't this also quite unproductive—although it sounds much better than being a maid."

"Yes, right? Here, this is a gift—it was given to me by the old lady from the family I did my social practice with."

Ragna handed over another basket of fruit.

"From now on, you're one of my team members, Miss Himeko... or rather, Himeko?"

"Starting as a corporal... Please take care of me, Captain Ragna."

Although the "maid captain" in front of me is a bit strange, she seems to be a good person without a doubt.

"He's a super nice guy," Liu Bai added from the side, "And he's exactly the kind of combat instructor you need right now."

"Please take care of me... But I didn't expect the bishop to send a recruit like you to our unit... Did you offend the bishop?" Ragna sighed as he looked at Himeko lying on the bed.

"This..." Even Himeko herself couldn't figure out the answer to this question.

"Fortunately, you survived the Artificial Stigmata transplant."

Ragna didn't care whether Himeko had really offended Otto, but instead reached out and patted Himeko's head.

"As long as you recover properly during this period, and then receive intensive training, you should be able to reach the B-level within two or three months."

... Could you please refrain from saying such cruel things when it's a gentle gesture like patting someone's head?

Ragna's expression turned serious.

"Himeko! You need to understand that our Valkyrie Assault Team is responsible for the most arduous missions with the highest casualty rates, but I don't want to see you die in vain—two weeks. Artificial Stigmata transplants can be fully recovered in about two weeks, and after recovery, you will immediately begin intensive training!"

"Yes, I understand!"

Himeko was startled by Ragna's sudden change in demeanor.

"No, no need to take it so seriously." The next second, Ragna transformed back into a gentle maid. "The most important thing is to recover from your injuries... I have other work to do, so I won't bother you any longer."

Ragna bowed slightly to Himeko, then slowly withdrew.

—Isn't this just like a maid?

"Do you think Captain Ragna's job is Schicksal or her social practice?" Himeko asked Liu Bai curiously.

"... I think the social practice aspect is probably more important?" In a way, he truly deserves to be Rita's idol; in terms of being a maid, he is in no way inferior to Rita.

"I feel the same way. It seems like my team leader has turned social practice into a hobby."

Himeko was also a little unsure of what to say at this moment.

"I don't think the Valkyrie is as rigid and boring as I thought?"

"Obviously."

Liu Bai nodded.

"Or perhaps it's because it's a high-risk, high-pressure profession that everyone is quite relaxed when they're not working? So most Valkyrie probably have some weird quirks to relieve stress?"

"That's a surprisingly reasonable explanation... By the way, Liu Bai, you stared wide-eyed when Captain Ragna came in, didn't you? You like those maid outfits?"

Himeko said in a teasing tone.

"No, I just wanted to take a look at Captain Ragna."

Liu Bai said irritably.

"Among the people I know... there are quite a few who have a connection with this captain."

"... That captain is really quite helpful."