Chapter 73

It's not that we have to ban this kind of thing. In fact, the world is not black and white. Corrupt officials are certainly despicable, but those who can be selfless while in high positions are more than ten times rarer than protected animals. If you are a person in a position who cannot tolerate any flaws or mistakes, then you can only say that you are either lucky or living in a dream to stay in your position.

Just like Kotori's previous shock, why would someone climb to such a high position if they weren't after personal gain? Are they a saint? Climbing to a high position inevitably involves abusing power for personal gain. You don't even need to do anything like deceiving your superiors or embezzling public funds. Just the most common example is when a relative who took good care of you when you were a child keeps asking you to arrange a job for their child. Can you refuse once or twice, or even ten or twenty times? That also counts as abusing power for personal gain.

One of the skills that those in high positions need to master is to remain calm and collected while satisfying the greed of their subordinates within reasonable limits.

Therefore, it's not that Yulande's title can't be borrowed, provided that... the person has the value to use that title. For example, the sisters Shiori and Kotori can use it, but politicians cannot.

Rita pondered these thoughts, but didn't explain them, not only because she felt it would offend the girl's ears, but also because... Yulande's integrity would certainly not allow her to accept such a theory, even if it was a microcosm of countless realities.

"Alright, I'll head out now. It shouldn't take long; I should be back tonight."

Rita straightened her clothes again. "If you need anything, you can ask Origami. She's a local from Amemiya City. Although she's been away for three years, she shouldn't be completely unfamiliar with the place."

"I don't have anything else to do except go to Shiori's house later. I just went through a battle and achieved quite good results. I should let Origami rest more. She fought so hard. I was thinking of giving her a vacation. It would be a good opportunity for her to return home after a long separation."

Amber had no intention of causing Origami any trouble other than finding her a job.

Hearing this, Rita smiled and said, "I respect your choice, but if you really intend to reward Origami, perhaps you would be better off finding her more things to do than giving her a holiday, such as training with her."

"No... I've already called it a reward... Although I feel that the training time is a reward, I also know that this perception is only for me."

Amber said helplessly.

After all, Yulande has the talent to become stronger through hard work, and given enough time, this talent is practically a bug.

With such talent, training is naturally a reward.

Seeing that the other person thought she was joking, Rita didn't say anything more, and could only sigh once again at how much attraction the girl, who bore the title of the strongest Valkyrie, had for other Valkyrie, completely unaware of her own limitations.

From what Rita understands, that's far more terrifying than the fandom, since fandoms can collapse, but Yulande's power won't.

After saying goodbye to Rita, Amber had nothing to do, so she simply went to the training room again.

Although she wasn't really interested in training, she couldn't miss a single day for the sake of Yulande's character.

Coincidentally, Amber saw the girl the two had just been discussing as soon as she arrived at the training room.

Origami Tobiichi.

Chapter Twenty-One: The Origami Master's Attack.

"Are you still training? I remember you were granted a rest day today."

Amber walked towards Origami, her brows slightly furrowed.

"I still have enough physical strength and energy to support me to continue training every day."

When Origami saw that it was Amber, her expression changed slightly, but she still maintained her serious and earnest demeanor. "Moreover, I believe that being on standby at all times is a sign of high quality."

"Work-life balance is also very important... although Rita usually tells me this."

At this point, Amber laughed, "I never thought I'd be advising others not to work too hard."

"Because of her talent, Yulande's training time is very important and precious, because she can become stronger every moment."

Origami has her own understanding of training. "Ordinary people like us don't have the talent to become stronger through training, but that makes us even more determined to work hard. Since people with stronger talents are constantly working hard, we should not stop."

"Your mindset is correct, but don't ignore the objective facts."

Amber gave a more realistic answer, "I can train without any burden because of my special physical condition, but for you, learning from me will only hurt yourselves."

"... But I... must become stronger."

Origami knew this principle, but she had something she had to do, and this thing required immense strength.

Thinking of that blurry figure in the sea of fire back then, the culprit who created the spirits, Origami wanted to know her identity and kill her no matter what. However, considering that the other party could even create spirits, her strength must not be weak, at least she should have the power of a spirit.

The power of an elf... she is still a long way from that level. Although wearing the Moonlight Armor made her feel much stronger, she still couldn't gain the slightest advantage when sparring with Lieutenant Rita.

According to Lady Yulande, Lieutenant Rita's power is already comparable to that of an elf, but whether she will win or lose is still uncertain and will only be known when the battle begins.

Amber also knew about Origami's obsession with power. In just over two years, she rose from the bottom to join the Blade of Immortality, a top elite team. While Origami's hard work was an important factor, her talent was equally impressive.

Although Origami calls herself an 'ordinary person,' it depends on who you compare her to. Compared to Yulande, anyone's talent would seem less outstanding.

In fact, Origami entered Schicksal four years ago, spent a year laying the foundation, and then spent more than two years in the Blade of Immortality Schicksal Origami legendary. Many people say that she has the courage of Rita and may become the next S-rank Valkyrie like Rita's adjutant.

"Since that's the case, I can't continue to try to dissuade you."

Seeing Origami's serious expression, Amber gave her an approving look. "Preventing a warrior from becoming stronger is probably just wishful thinking. Just focus on your training. If you feel anything wrong with your body, I'll help you recover."

"Restore... you mean Black Abyss White Flower? But that..."

Origami, of course, knew about the weapon that belonged exclusively to the strongest Valkyrie, Schicksal.

However, that thing has almost never appeared in Yulande's possession, and everyone thinks that Yulande probably doesn't like that weapon very much.

"If you always think it's okay to get hurt, your combat instincts will become dulled, and your tolerance for wrong attacks will increase."

Amber explained, "So I almost never use it, but if it's used to eliminate the side effects of training, then it's definitely a great tool."

"I see."

The power of the Black Abyss White Flower is undeniable. Ordinary people might not understand why they would not use it because of such an intangible weakness, but for Origami, there is no difficulty in understanding it.

No, even if it weren't Origami, any Valkyrie wouldn't find it problematic. After all, these are the words of Yulande, and if she said that, she must have her reasons.

Because Yulande rarely uses the Black Abyss White Flower and is always seen in the training grounds, the Valkyrie all believe that their own strength is the most real thing, and that external possessions are only used when absolutely necessary.

"Since it's just the two of us today, let's have a friendly competition. Maybe it will help you see your shortcomings."

Amber extended an invitation.

"I couldn't ask for more!"

It has to be said that Origami's long white hair and blue eyes, combined with her previous appearance in Moonlight, made Amber almost hallucinate Kiana. In fact, if she tied her hair into pigtails, the resemblance was almost 99%.

However, Amber has never seen what Kiana looks like in real life, so perhaps if she did see her, she wouldn't have any more hallucinations.

Two figures, one in yellow and one in white, kept crossing over in the spacious training room. As time passed, the white-haired girl gradually became soaked with sweat, and her breathing became slightly heavy, while the other girl still looked relaxed and at ease, showing no signs of having just exercised.

Because it was just a friendly sparring match, the battle didn't end quickly. Each time Amber found an opening, she would only lightly tap Origami, indicating that Origami had already 'died' once.

Even so, Origami was sweating profusely, not only physically but also mentally.

She knew that her battle with Lieutenant Rita was already extremely difficult, and that the gap between her and Yulande would definitely be even greater, but Origami never expected the gap to be this big.

The sparring between the two at this moment was different from before. Although it was also a sparring session before, Rita was fighting with her full strength. Under the dual crushing of physical quality and magic power, the gap was huge, which was natural. But now, Origami could feel that her opponent had reduced her strength to a similar level to hers.

Even under these circumstances, in just ten minutes, he had already 'died' 400 times, meaning he would die every two seconds without even touching the other person's clothes.

"Why... is this happening? I should have a clear advantage in terms of size."

Origami's gaze became slightly unfocused, and she couldn't help but question the meaning of life.

With equal strength and speed on both sides, one having long arms and legs, and the other having short arms and legs, anyone should understand the advantage of a longer arm span in close combat.

But why did it end up with them completely helpless?

However, the other person's next words left her stunned.

"Because you're very strong."

Amber spoke honestly.

"Very strong...?"

Origami felt that the other person was trying to comfort her, "I didn't even launch a single effective attack... Am I really that strong?"

"Hmm... you misunderstood. It's precisely because you're very strong that you act this way."

Seeing Origami in such a state, Amber quickly explained, "Your every move was standard and powerful, undoubtedly you have integrated the Valkyrie's martial arts into your muscle Remembrance, and there is no hesitation when you use them."

"That's impressive, proving that you performed each movement in a standard and precise manner, and maximized the advantages of each movement, but... it's too rigid."

Amber was all too familiar with these Origami problems, because they were exactly the same situations she had faced in the past. Fighting Origami was like seeing her former self.

"This is..."

Origami naturally knew this was very high praise, and following this line of thought, she understood why she had lost so badly.

Because the other party is a senior who has gone further on this path, my every move is like an automatic puppet to the other party. Seeing this move, I know what the next move should be.

The optimal solution that you keep working towards becomes the best tool for the opponent to make continuous predictions.

"But... if that's the case, won't I never be able to defeat Yulande..."

This situation made Origami even more confused.

This situation can be resolved by not using Valkyrie's physical techniques. However, not using them would not only violate her physical habits but also leave her with no moves to make. Would she then have to fight purely based on her reflexes?

"You're already stronger Rita in combat skills. Continuing to train in that area might not lead to any significant improvement. What's more important is practical combat experience, physical fitness, and magical training."

Amber, of course, wouldn't just give questions without providing answers, "Try abandoning the optimal strategy from now on. Although it's very precise, you're human, not a machine. Fighting like a machine can certainly unleash your full potential, but it won't allow you to win against stronger opponents."

"However, this kind of thing can't be solved in a day or two. It requires more combat experience. I'll Rita for help in this regard."

"I see."

Origami naturally knew that the other party didn't have that much time to spend sparring with her, because this was no longer training but teaching her. Whether from a rational point of view or from a personal point of view, she hoped that Yulande would focus more on training than her.

After all, Yulande's power is what the Valkyrie are most happy to see.

"But until then, I'll leave today in your care, Yulande."

With a new plan to become stronger, Origami's enthusiasm has been rekindled.

"Leave it to me."

Amber smiled with admiration.

Origami's eyes flickered slightly before she charged at the other person again.

Time passed quietly, and as night fell, and Origami lay on the ground, no longer able to muster any strength, Amber finally announced that today's training was over.

Are you going out?

The two walked out of the shower room and saw that Amber had not changed into casual clothes, but instead was dressed in her usual outfit for going out. Origami asked her about it.

"Well, I originally planned to train while waiting for Rita to come back, but it looks like Rita will need some more time."

There was no need to hide this, Amber said honestly.

Origami wasn't usually talkative or inquisitive, but since the person in front of her was Yulande, she naturally paid more attention. "Are you going to buy something? Or are you going shopping?"

"Hmm? No, that's not it... Oh, I do need to buy some things."

Amber, who was about to say no, scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "I'm going to visit a friend, and according to etiquette, I should bring some things with me. Rita usually takes care of this, but if it weren't for Origami, I would have forgotten about it."

"Going to see a friend? In Amemiya City?"

Origami tilted her head, clearly not expecting the girl to have friends here.

"It's the commander of Fraxinus, and her sister."

Amber explained, "We became friends because of some unexpected events."

After saying all this, Amber still felt a little uncomfortable.

Thinking about it carefully, it seems that since she came to this world, no one has ever asked her such detailed questions. Rita is very good at maintaining a proper distance, and rather than asking questions, she is better at finding a reason to stay by her side and piecing together the situation herself.

Black Amber knows herself too well; she can basically know everything just by hearing what Amber says.

The others, mainly because of their title of 'Strongest Valkyrie,' have an extraordinary adoration for her, but this adoration actually creates a sense of distance.

Before Origami, the only person Amber felt comfortable with was probably Kaguya. Yuzuru wasn't distant either, but because of his consistently calm expression and way of speaking, it seemed like she was.

Thinking about it carefully, Origami in the original work seems to have an unusual aggressiveness... Now, because the two of them have never had any contact alone before, and Amber feels that she is not Shido, she has almost forgotten about Origami's attributes.

However, he was not Shido after all. Although Origami's thought process was different from that of a normal person and her sense of distance was extremely poor, she shouldn't be aggressive towards him in any way.

"In that case, take me with you."

Just as Amber was thinking this, Origami suddenly sent an invitation to join her.

"Um?"

"Although the other party is a friend recognized by Yulande, he is also the commander of another force. It would be beneath Yulande's dignity to go Schicksal."

Origami offered a reason, but compared to Rita's ability to find reasons, this reason was not very convincing.

"It's just a visit between friends. Although we might talk about some serious matters, it's still quite private."

Amber said.

"Tsk..."