"Stop messing around. The operation is about to begin. You're the deputy director, at least try to look a little tense, will you?"
"With you here, Marie, what do I have to be nervous about?"
Higashino Kanade gave her a trusting look. Olga Marie's face reddened as she said, half embarrassed and half annoyed:
"I know I'm very capable, but trying to flatter me in such a clumsy way won't work."
"Flatter you? I'm telling the truth."
"Y-you-you..." Olga Marie pointed at Higashino Kanade, her ears turning bright red. "Don't say things like that at a time like this! Go get ready, the operation is about to start!"
Olga Marie lightly kicked Higashino Kanade. Seeing that the Director was angry, the staff present no longer dared to slack off and hurriedly threw themselves into work.
Soon, the pre-battle preparations were complete. Olga Marie lightly bit her thumb as she looked over the Servant roster and asked:
"Higashino Kanade, considering the difficulty of the Seventh Singularity, which Servants do you think we should send?"
"Just me, Ritsuka, Ayako, and Mash will do."
Higashino Kanade gave the answer he had already decided on.
"What!? Why send only the four of you? That's far too dangerous. One more Servant means one more guarantee of safety!"
Olga Marie voiced her confusion, and Higashino Kanade patiently explained:
"This Singularity is a special case. The enemies are all beings on the level of gods. Unlike combinations like Orion and Artemis, who only possess Servant-level strength, both Ishtar and Ereshkigal can fully wield divine authority. No matter how many ordinary Servants we send, they'll just be walking to their deaths and adding unnecessary casualties."
"...That's true, but I still can't rest easy if we don't send even one Servant."
"Do you remember Siegfried? He died in the