Bai Yan didn't think there was anything inappropriate about the way the two acted. After all, people familiar with him were usually quite uninhibited, and making all kinds of jokes about him was an everyday occurrence.
"Teacher Ragna, Sister Rita, where are we going?"
"The dressing room. We'll also try on the dresses Rita spent three whole weeks picking out for you."
"Dresses?! Why dresses?! Why did you suddenly start picking dresses?! And for three weeks?!" Bai Yan turned pale with shock, completely dumbfounded.
"Hmm? Could it be that Little Yan wants to break the contract? That won't do. If you do, we'll never get to see you again~"
"That requirement wasn't in the mission contract!"
"You silly boy, the clause about 'assuming the identity and appearance arranged by the organization' doesn't impose any restrictions on gender."
"..."
Volume One: Once I Turned Back, I Was Already a Daughter
Bai Yan was pressed down before the vanity mirror and seated firmly. Three faces appeared in the mirror: one suffering, two smiling.
The vanity was covered with foundation, lipstick, eyeliner, eyeshadow, blush... everything imaginable.
Bai Yan glanced over those dazzling eighteen weapons of war and tried his best to calm himself.
"Why do I need to cross-dress to infiltrate St. Freya?"
"St. Freya does have male members, but if a handsome and cute boy like Little Yan walked straight in, even with my letter of recommendation, it would be hard not to arouse suspicion." Ragna grinned.
Bai Yan still refused to give up. "Teacher Ragna, wouldn't someone with real combat strength be more suitable for infiltrating St. Freya?"
To avoid going to the battlefield, Bai Yan had maxed out his clerical skill tree.
Though he was only a trainee now, his actual capabilities had earned Rita's approval. Otherwise, Sister Tazi would never have used him merely because of his appearance.
And because he had poured all his energy into paperwork, even though Sister Tazi had tried to find time to teach him a move or two, he had ultimately only learned how to aim a small pistol with iron sights within fifty meters.
"No need, Little Yan. Your specific mission happens to have nothing to do with combat."
Bai Yan caught a hidden meaning in Ragna's words.
What did "specific" mean?
"Sigh, I really hate to part with you, but such a hardworking child as Little Yan has never had the chance to distinguish herself, so I had no choice but to recommend you to the Bishop."
Ragna had also seen through Bai Yan's thoughts, so she simply told him the truth.
"In fact, this time your mission is to get close to someone—Kiana Kaslana. Ideally, you'll win her over."
The latter half sounded somewhat improper, but Ragna wore a very serious expression as she raised a hand and clenched it into a fist.
"..."
Bai Yan tried very hard to keep his expression from collapsing.
Clinging to a shred of hope, he asked, "What exactly does 'win her over' mean?"
"Just like what you wanted to do to Anna."
At that moment, Rita casually delivered the finishing blow.
So they really had found out about what he had done in secret. Bai Yan suddenly panicked.
He tried to compose himself. He failed.
What kind of strength do I have to be in the same line of work as Fu Hua?!
"Why get close to her?" Bai Yan asked despite knowing the answer.
"Little Yan, don't forget who we are." Ragna gently stroked the tips of Bai Yan's hair. "This is information you aren't permitted to know."
"But don't worry. I'll quietly ask Himeko to take a little care of you."
That wasn't the issue. The issue was...
"But no matter how perfect the disguise is, there will always be flaws." After racking his brains, Bai Yan finally found an excuse and seized it like a lifeline, saying anxiously,
"If I spend time with them, it'll be hard to avoid all kinds of physical contact. I could easily be exposed!"
"It's fine. I've already prepared special equipment."
Before long, Ragna took out a box from somewhere. The shipping label on top had not even been removed. She placed it before Bai Yan and opened it in one swift motion.
"A custom prosthetic. As long as Little Yan keeps Little Little Yan under control and doesn't take it off on his own, it'll be close enough!"
Rita took one look at the object and slowly turned her face away.
It was quite large, flesh-colored, and probably cool to the touch.
"Teacher Ragna." Bai Yan looked at Ragna through the mirror, their eyes meeting. "Why me? Wouldn't it be better to find a real trainee Valkyrie?"
"Of course it's because Little Yan has a special kind of charm. At headquarters, any Valkyrie who isn't blind would have her gaze drawn to you. With that quality of yours, wouldn't winning over Kiana be as easy as pie?"
Rita then spoke up at just the right moment. "According to last year's anonymous online survey, more than 95% of the Valkyries at headquarters wanted an opportunity to date Little Yan, while over 70% wanted to go even further."
Ragna looked genuinely surprised. "There are actually 5% who don't want to?!"
"Because the remaining 5% have already dated you."
"I see! Then what about the 30% who don't want to go further?"
Without changing her expression, Rita replied, "That group is somewhat more experienced and rational. They believe Little Yan is still too young."
"Oh..."
Seeing the topic about to go completely off track, Bai Yan hurriedly objected. "That's my appeal as a man—it's attraction between the opposite sexes! It'll be completely different if I dress as a woman!"
However, his objection had no effect at all. Before he had even finished speaking, Rita had already fetched hot water and returned.
"Try the dress on first." Rita set down the hot water, then seemingly pulled an ice-blue dress out of thin air and gave it a light shake. "After that, we'll consider the makeup and hairstyle."
Bai Yan's protest was completely ignored.
Ragna nodded at those words, highly satisfied with this student whose perfectionism bordered on obsession.
To deal with Little Yan, it really had to be Rita!
Next, teacher and student worked in perfect coordination, fussing with Bai Yan like he was a life-sized doll for half the day.
About three hours later.
Inside the dressing room, Bai Yan stared at the nearly perfect young woman in the mirror, his face utterly lifeless.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, with a slender figure and cold, proud eyes. She was simply too beautiful for words... If Bai Yan had encountered such a girl at headquarters, he might have already gone over to strike up a conversation.
But now, he pressed his lips tightly together, filled with boundless resentment, because that beautiful girl was himself.
Seeing that the person in the mirror was so beautiful was truly despairing!
The moment he felt that way, the person in the mirror immediately responded with a delicate, pitiful expression.
Bai Yan cursed inwardly at the sight. I really should slap myself. I actually find even myself so pleasing to look at!
There was no escaping this disaster...
Ragna clicked her tongue in admiration as she touched up his makeup.
Meanwhile, as the look gradually came together, Rita's gaze became increasingly smoldering.
Perfect!
She finally understood why she had always felt that Little Yan still had the faintest flaw in the past.
He was obviously already so beautiful. Why had he always seemed just a tiny bit lacking?
Only now did she learn the truth.
As expected of Teacher Ragna. She had so easily come up with an idea that Rita had failed to think of despite racking her brains.
Sure enough, her own eye for beauty still wasn't perfect enough!
Once the touch-up was complete, the two Valkyries circled Bai Yan several times, unable to tear their eyes away.
"Two beautiful Miss Valkyries, three hours have already passed. Could you please show some mercy?"
"Don't speak!"
Ragna lightly covered Bai Yan's mouth—afraid of smudging the lipstick—and her tone was slightly stern.
"From now on, you are strictly forbidden from speaking in your male voice!"
Rita nodded gently, deeply agreeing.
"Then is this okay?"
Bai Yan switched to a clean, cool false voice. It sounded seventy percent similar to a certain fox who loved wishing people guaranteed pulls worth one hundred million.
"That's more like it."
Yet he still was not granted his freedom, because that British maid was still striving to perfect every last detail.
Bai Yan could not help but smile bitterly.
At the same time, the person in the mirror immediately revealed a smile capable of toppling nations, leaving even Bai Yan somewhat dazed.
When he came back to his senses, he cursed inwardly again. A calamity!
Volume One: Dumb Goose: Can We Form a Team for Life?
Rita moved back and forth, sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right, as though she wanted to refine every angle of the person in the mirror to absolute perfection.
Judging by her gaze, she was clearly already extremely satisfied, yet her hands showed no intention of stopping as she repeatedly fussed with the beauty.
Bai Yan seriously suspected she was taking advantage of her position for personal gain again...
"Sister Rita, it's enough already, right?" Bai Yan asked tentatively.
Only then did his female superior reluctantly let go, looking somewhat lost.
"Then, let's go see the Bishop."
The two left the dressing room. Bai Yan instinctively hid behind Rita, afraid of being seen.
But then he remembered that he had already completely changed his appearance. With a disguise personally designed by Rita, coupled with the gender confusion, he was basically using an anonymous alt account!
In that flash of insight, Bai Yan understood the key point.
At that instant, a strange feeling welled up in his heart.
There was no resisting it anymore.
Since that was the case, what was he worried about? What was he hesitating over?
It was merely the Bishop's mission!
Bai Yan could not help lifting his chin, allowing the breeze to stir his loose, beautiful hair as his ice-blue gown danced freely.
From now on, she was Bai Yan.
The strange feeling grew stronger and stronger as she raised her head.
By the time it became strong enough for Bai Yan to realize something was wrong, it had already begun affecting her body.
Strength.
Though she had not tested it, Bai Yan could clearly feel that her entire body seemed filled with strength at that moment.
Her fist tightened slightly as her gaze fell upon the metal door they had just passed.
One punch might crack it.
What was going on? Why did she feel this way?
Could this dress actually be some new model of Valkyrie battlesuit?
No, she had checked it while putting it on. There was no electronic equipment at all.
Could Otto have secretly added something to her during the last test?
If that was the case, then please allow me to kindly greet the ancestors of the Apocalypse family!
Her expression gradually turned cold, each step harder than the last.
Before you continue