The Intelligence Department's Valkyrie

Kiana glared at Bronya, cheeks puffed out. Judging by her clenched fists and the creaking game controller in her grip...

Right now, she really wanted to settle this argument... physically. Xina, who had been silently grinding monsters, looked at the two teammates idling beside her and herself being chased all over the map by a monster, then finally spoke up:

"Kiana, Bronya, help! This monster's about to kill me!"

"!"

At Xina's nearly shrill cry for help, Kiana temporarily abandoned the idea of using force to decide who was better than Bronya. She picked up her controller and started moving. "Oh, oh, oh! Coming, coming! It's all that annoying Bronya's fault! If it weren't for her, I'd have smashed this monster to bits already!"

"Hmph! Idiot Kiana only knows how to brag. Remember to check the damage numbers when the results come up!"

Even though she had nearly come to blows with Kiana in the living room downstairs, Bronya still wore her usual impassive expression.

That evening, Teacher Himeko returned home after a busy day. The moment she entered, she saw the three little girls gathered around the sofa, looking as though they had spent the entire afternoon gaming. She felt her straight spine... snap!

She could let it slide for Bronya, an A-Rank ace in Culture Class, and she could temporarily refrain from commenting on Xina, a freshman who could recite the correct answers word for word on her first day of class.

But Kiana, how did you, a perpetual failure in Culture Class, dare drag those two top students into playing games all afternoon?

They might pass the final assessment, but could you?

At that thought, veins bulged across Himeko's forehead. Sensing the terrifying aura behind them, Xina and Bronya exchanged a glance, tacitly set down their controllers, and quietly slipped away from either side of Kiana.

In an instant, Kiana was the only one left in front of the game console, still completely absorbed in fighting monsters, utterly unaware that a teacher disappointed beyond words was walking toward her step by step.

"Hey, hey, hey, why did you two stop moving?" Kiana looked at her motionless teammates on the screen and glanced around in confusion.

Yet she could not see Xina or Bronya on either side, as though the two had vanished into thin air.

Only Teacher Himeko, her face dark with annoyance, stood there with her arms folded, staring grimly at Kiana and the game console in her hands.

"Gulp—"

Kiana swallowed and cautiously asked, "Teacher Himeko... if I said I'd just turned on the game console, would you believe me?"

"..." Himeko expressionlessly pointed at the conspicuous four hours, thirty-six minutes, and twenty seconds displayed in the top-right corner of the screen. "What do you think?"

"Ah!!!"

Hearing Kiana's scream from the Fist of Justice striking the crown of her head in the distance, Xina silently offered a prayer for her before retreating into the kitchen to prepare dinner with Mei.

In her opinion, since Mei had not said anything, Kiana was surely fine.

And if she was fine, there was no need for Xina to worry herself over it.

Half an hour later...

As Xina and Mei untied their aprons and brought the dishes to the table, they happened to see Kiana sitting cross-legged on the carpet, ordered by Himeko to study.

"Mei... Xina..." Kiana looked pitifully toward the two star chefs, hoping they could start dinner early and rescue her.

Xina spread her hands to show that she was powerless to help, while Mei helplessly pointed to the clock, indicating that Kiana would have to wait a little longer. After all, Theresa had not returned yet.

"Alright, Kiana, don't expect Mei and Xina to plead for you. After playing all afternoon, it's time you learned something. Don't tell me you want to come back with another zero in Culture Class like you did in the last few assessments!" Himeko took a sip from the coffee cup before her, a trace of bitterness appearing on her face.

Theresa had banned her from drinking for a month that morning!

Tch. How was she supposed to survive this month without alcohol?

At that thought, Himeko dejectedly propped her head up with one hand and let out a long sigh.

Though it had only been a little over ten minutes, to Kiana it felt like years had passed. The moment Theresa pushed open the door, Kiana's face instantly showed a complicated mix of relief, happiness, and joy. She rushed up to Theresa and spoke in an almost trembling voice, "Auntie... why are you back so late? Sob sob~"

"Huh?!" Theresa stared blankly at her clearly abnormal niece, who had suddenly hugged her, then looked suspiciously at the wall clock. "Late? Don't I usually get back at this time?"

"No, Auntie, you don't understand..." Kiana tightly wrapped both arms around the bewildered Theresa, as though she were holding the entire world.

"I don't understand? Understand what?"

Unable to move with her waist locked in Kiana's embrace, Theresa turned her gaze to Himeko. "Himeko, what's going on? Kiana, she..."

"Someone dragged Xina and Bronya into playing games all afternoon. I told her to study before dinner, but ever since then, she's been completely distracted, just waiting for you to come back so we can eat!" Himeko looked at Kiana, who had only studied for a little over forty minutes yet already looked dead inside, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. She felt like Kiana was going to give her wrinkles from anger.

"Then should I go back out for a while..." Theresa caught the resentment in Himeko's words and considered taking a walk before coming back.

"No need. Her heart isn't in the books anyway. Even if we made her sit there and read, nothing would stick. Let's eat!" Himeko stood up and slowly walked toward the dining table.

"Mei, Xina, I'm here to help!"

Hearing Himeko's words, Kiana immediately released Theresa, rushed into the kitchen in three quick strides, took the tableware from Xina and Mei, then dashed back out in a flurry.

"She really is... lively," Xina could not help commenting as she watched Kiana come and go like a gust of wind.

"Yes, she's always been like that! She's adorable, isn't she?" Mei readily agreed.

Since Fu Hua had gone out on a mission, there was naturally one fewer person at the table today. Sitting on a specially raised chair, Theresa announced something to everyone. "Tomorrow afternoon, an A-Rank Valkyrie from the Central Intelligence Department will come to our academy to teach you. The lesson will cover makeup and disguise."

"The Central Intelligence Department? An A-Rank Valkyrie... is it her?" Himeko, herself a veteran A-Rank Valkyrie, thought for a moment and seemed to recall the Valkyrie Theresa was referring to.

"Yes." Theresa nodded, confirming Himeko's guess, then began introducing that Valkyrie.

"An A-Rank Valkyrie assigned to the Central Intelligence Department, codename: Wraith. She's gone on missions with you before! She was originally stationed in Singapore, but... not long ago, the Fourth Herrscher appeared and turned Singapore into a complete mess..."