Chapter 75

Kotori's mood darkened.

My words were quite clear. First, by expressing my dissatisfaction with Shiori's naive approach, I showed that I wasn't necessarily required to go. Then, I emphasized that my position in Ratatoskr was earned through hard work, demonstrating how much I valued it. Finally, I made it clear that if they wanted Shiori, they had to bring me along as well.

In summary, I'm not required to go; if you want Shiori, you have to take me with you, and you also have to give me certain rights.

But the other party didn't respond at all.

As for the fact that Yulande was Möbius's favorite student, Kotori didn't really care, or rather, she didn't believe it at all.

How could an ambitious person like you raise such an upright person? As mentioned before, cultivating similarly ambitious individuals or obedient tools is more suitable for her to achieve her goals.

I guess this is just a case of 'Valkyrie are my students, so Yulande is too.'

"Indeed, though I'm reluctant to admit it, she is one of the most trustworthy people I've ever met."

Kotori could only go along with what Kotori said for now.

Before he could finish speaking, he received a questioning look from Amber: "You don't want to admit it?"

If you're going to admit it, then admit it; if you're not going to admit it, then don't admit it. Why are you unwilling to admit it?

Kotori gave Amber a subtle glare. You may not know how you angered me back then, but I haven't forgotten it at all. This guy may be honest, but he can really True Qi people with his words.

Black Amber noticed their subtle movements and raised an eyebrow slightly. "You two seem closer than I thought."

"She is my friend."

Amber said, "Don't scare her like that."

"Friend?"

Black Amber certainly knew Amber's attitude towards her friends, and she was happy to help the two get along better. However, this did not stop her from making things difficult for Kotori, because they were two different things. Kotori disliked her, but that did not mean Kotori disliked Amber. As long as she acted properly, she would actually like Amber more in the end.

Black Amber understood that Amber felt they were the same person, and therefore didn't want her friend to dislike her thought process, but Black Amber didn't really care about that anymore.

She felt that things that are too easily obtained are not cherished.

... Okay, she admits it, she just wanted to make things difficult for Kotori.

"Yulande's friends are naturally Schicksal's friends, but... Schicksal has always upheld the concept of friendly development, and taking what belongs to others is not in line with Schicksal's consistent style."

Black Amber said with a smile, "I will send a gift to Ratatoskr in my personal capacity later to celebrate our cooperation."

Kotori now believes that the two of them are master and apprentice; one is very good at infuriating people, and the other is good at infuriating people while also liking to push them to their deaths.

Kotori felt that the woman in the painting facing her was smiling so hatefully.

It sounds nice, but the underlying message is that I should leave Ratatoskr first before they'll even consider taking me in. If that's all there is to it, I'll just refuse.

Why send a gift to Ratatoskr in a personal capacity? What will they say then? 'Celebrating our cooperation'? And why in a personal capacity?

Is the celebration of the collaboration just a pretense, and the real purpose really to expose their own secrets?

This is clearly designed to create conflict between me and Ratatoskr, so that when I can't take it anymore and leave Ratatoskr, Schicksal will lend a helping hand.

As for when they can't take it anymore, or whether they'll stay forever, that's irrelevant to the other party, because this is just a simple opening move, and who knows what other tricks they might be hiding.

Why do so much? From Kotori's perspective, it's quite clear: she wants to put herself and Shiori in the most desperate situation before they enter Schicksal. This way, it won't be a "job hopping" but an "acceptance," and then she'll have no reason to demand rights.

The girl was so angry she almost ground her teeth to powder. After learning the other party's attitude, their conversation became almost pointless, and after only ten minutes, Black Amber hung up with a smile.

Kotori took a deep breath and, seeing the blonde girl beside her looking distracted, knew that she hadn't really understood the meaning behind the conversation.

However, she couldn't bring herself to say it outright. After all, given the other person's personality, she would probably just bluntly ask Möbius directly. And if Yulande, being the straightforward woman she was, went directly to Möbius and exposed her, the situation would only become more passive.

Damn it! What started as a simple conversation to gauge someone's attitude has somehow pushed me to the brink of disaster...

We need to find a way to make this golden retriever understand on its own...

Chapter Twenty-Four: DEM's Boldness and Inward Cowardice

That's what they say, but now is not a good time. Although Yulande is a straightforward person, she is not a stupid one. Even if she doesn't realize it on the spot, she will definitely realize later that she is using Hanami to guide her. Therefore, Kotori cannot directly hint at these things.

Let's wait until Möbius makes his move, and then let Shiori reveal the information unintentionally when she counters his move.

Kotori felt a headache coming on. Schicksal, or rather, Möbius's attitude towards the sisters, was clearly determined to win them over. Kotori couldn't count on Ratatoskr to protect them; she could only hope that she could gain more authority so that she wouldn't end up with nothing when she went in.

This conversation served as a wake-up call and a lesson for Kotori.

Her smooth sailing in Ratatoskr wasn't just due to her and Shiori's special identities—one being an elf and the other the only candidate to seal the elves—but also because of the power struggles in Ratatoskr, or rather, the attitude towards her was more about valuing harmony. If there was anything she disliked or didn't want, simply showing strong resistance would basically end it.

But Möbius was different. She wasn't the type of person like Ratatoskr who treated elves as objects of communication; her eyes revealed an obvious desire to study him.

Thinking of this, Kotori almost bit the lollipop in her mouth. This time she had indeed achieved her goal of testing the other party's attitude, but the result had put her in an extremely awkward position.

This is clearly a warning... Damn it...

Amber didn't quite understand the scheming between the two. In the Jujutsu World, she had become a person with absolute power, and no one below her could challenge her authority. Therefore, to say that she was proficient in political struggles because of her high position was completely irrelevant to her.

But that doesn't mean she has no intuition. Based on her intuition and understanding of Black Amber, Kotori's current situation seems to be not good.

If Rita were here.

At this moment, Amber couldn't help but miss Rita's quick wit and ability to easily explain situations.

The main events of the day were over, and they had a very bad result. Even Shiori could see that Kotori's mood had sunk to rock bottom. Therefore, Amber did not stay here for long and soon left the Itsuka Residence with Origami.

She never expected that a simple visit would cause both Origami and Kotori to become withdrawn.

Meanwhile, Rita, having finally dealt with the two largest forces in Japan, felt an itch to retaliate. She was glad she hadn't brought Yulande along, otherwise she would have been disgusted by the politicians' ugly faces.

There were three parties at this party. One party was the Japan government, which had a good relationship with Ratatoskr. The other party was the AST, which was now basically under the control of DEM. The AST was, in theory, the Japan Self-Defense Forces and an official organization, but... well, those who know, know.

Having military power doesn't guarantee stability, because soldiers need logistical support—in ancient times, this meant food and equipment—and it's the same in modern times. AST needs funding from the Japan government to survive, but... what if someone else provided funding? Like DEM.

Of course, as a legitimate organization, DEM could not openly control a country's armed forces, so it was not 'providing' but 'donating'. AST was receiving money from both the Japan government and DEM at this time, so there was nothing wrong with it.

As for how a private company manages to 'donate' things to the government, that's none of your business.

In short, although the AST is still officially the Japan Self-Defense Forces, it is actually rife with the influence of the DEM.

In other words, although this was ostensibly a tripartite dialogue between the Japan government, the Self-Defense Forces, and the Schicksal, it actually also involved Ratatoskr and DEM.

These politicians are truly adept at passing the buck and being disgusting. They're all incredibly shrewd, yet they insist on pretending to be idiots to annoy you.

This is certainly not Japan's or AST's intention, but rather that neither Ratatoskr nor DEM wants a third force to occupy this tiny island. Ratatoskr is alright; it just wants to express its resistance to imply that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. You can come, but don't underestimate me.

DEM's idea was much simpler: just go against Schicksal.

No matter what Schicksal brings, I will always go against it.

Especially after Ellen's unexpected and rapid defeat, Wescott became more concerned about Japan than ever before, and the resistance and confrontation against Schicksal in various places became somewhat radical.

Those who didn't know better might think that DEM had made some major breakthrough, Wescott hoped that everyone would think so too. But Black Amber just sneered at it, all bluster and no substance. When she felt she could contend with us, she was all smiles, but when she sensed we were a threat, she immediately turned into a mad dog, trying to show that she was not someone to be trifled with.

Rita let out another breath.

Fortunately, the outcome this time was not bad. Japan has basically accepted Schicksal's 'protection', but it needs Schicksal to give them a reason to do so. AST, on the other hand, said that it does not need Schicksal's intervention to protect its territory. The attitudes of both sides were about what was expected.

Although AST is Japan's only high-end armed force, it is still just an armed force. It is unrealistic for it to interfere in the entry of Schicksal. The only place where it can express resistance is in the subsequent Spirit incident, at which time the Blade of Immortality will likely face more challenges.

Exhausted, he returned to the Schicksal Hotel, but the fatigue finally subsided upon seeing the blonde girl in his room.

"I'm late, Yulande."

Rita asked apologetically, "Did you go to the Itsuka Residence alone?"

"No, I met Origami at the training ground, and then we went there together."

Amber glanced at Rita's expression. "You must be tired too. Anyway, you should get some rest. It's getting late. You need to maintain your energy and spirit so as not to delay your work and training tomorrow."

"Please rest assured, Lady Yulande, a qualified maid will always maintain a perfect appearance."

Rita smiled warmly at the concern shown to her, and then gave a brief report on the day's events. Although she knew the other party never cared much about these things, this was not only a handover of information, but also a way of relaxing her.

After listening to Rita's broadcast, Amber nodded. "So, our main job in the Japan branch is... to cause trouble for DEM?"

Simply put, that's how it is.

Rita did not deny it. "Bishop Möbius was convinced that this place would become a stage for the frequent appearance of elves, so he made arrangements here. DEM will inevitably cause trouble for Schicksal as usual, but in fact, our arrangements this time do not require us to do anything."

"After all, the key figure is Shiori."

"That's right, so all we have to do is lead DEM by the nose."

Rita smiled and said, "Furthermore, Bishop Möbius will arrive in Japan today, so please be prepared, Yulande."

Chapter Twenty-Five: Miku! I'm your fan!

Rita's job this time will not be easy to complete. Just as Kotori thought, the so-called negotiation requires time for both sides to test each other's bottom lines, and to go through a series of aggressive and acquiescing maneuvers before finally reaching a condition that is acceptable to both sides.

Not to mention that at this point, it's not just the two sides involved.

While Ratatoskr dislikes DEM more than Schicksal, Ratatoskr can still gain some benefits from DEM's aggressive obstruction by taking advantage of DEM's attitude. It's better for everyone if Schicksal makes concessions.

Thinking of Rita, who had gone out early in the morning to continue putting pressure on politicians, Amber, who was taking a short rest in the training room, couldn't help but feel a little lost in thought.

Rita wasn't there, Black Amber wasn't there, Yoshino and Yamae weren't there either. The long-awaited silence left her momentarily at a loss for what to do. In desperation, she could only poke Feathered Dust.

'Master, what Xiao Shi doing?'

'As always, interstellar travel is underway.'

Fu Hua's voice was as calm and ethereal as ever, like an old monk in deep meditation. If Fu Hua when they first met in Babylon still had a distinct human touch, she now appeared even more Divinity.

However, this also means that she has a stronger elder-like presence.

Interstellar travel... is it really that fun?

Amber couldn't find any enjoyment in this behavior.

'For Xiao Shi, there's never a shortage of fun, as long as she's willing to look for it.'

Now that the topic had been brought up, Fu Hua explained her recent situation: 'She has traveled to two worlds. One of them didn't appear in your Remembrance, and the other was the Fifth Holy Grail War. Coincidentally, that was a parallel world we live in.'

'I do know that.'

Amber wasn't completely oblivious to this. In the previous world, her friends had either died of old age or were too frail to move around much, so she devoted most of her remaining attention to Black Amber and Herrscher of Reason, who were family members who were away from home.

Therefore, I am clear about these two matters.

But...

'Has Xiao Shi already left Type-Moon? I remember she wasn't very interested in the Roots?'

Six months ago, the Herrscher of Reason was still in Type-Moon, right? 'Wait, so this interstellar travel wasn't originally in Type-Moon?'

Amber doesn't know much about Type-Moon, but she does know that Type-Moon has something called UO, which is the strongest life form on a planet. Since this concept exists, it's normal that their timeline isn't limited to just one planet.

At least it lives up to its large fan base and the concept of Heroic Spirit, which is much better than those narrow-minded worldviews that treat island nations as the world.

'She's not the type to stick with things for long.'

Fu Hua wasn't surprised: 'You're familiar with the world she's in now, and you should know it too—it's Honkai: Honkai: Star Rail.'

'Ah...?'

Amber hadn't expected the Herrscher of Reason to have gone over there; that's a world where gods fight... But the Herrscher of Reason is also very strong, so as long as she doesn't provoke the Star God, there shouldn't be any problems.

She is currently wanted by the Interstellar Peace Corporation for allegedly defrauding "Diamond" of seven billion Credit Points, causing significant financial losses to the company.

'...ah?'

It's no wonder she's capable of handling such a huge project.

Amber sighed, "Luckily, the Preservation Star God won't concern himself with such trivial matters, otherwise Shi Bao could cause a lot of trouble."

'... Actually, the trouble is quite significant.'

Fu Hua paused for a moment, then said, "Although the Herrscher of Reason possesses strange powers and formidable strength, her Emanator are still somewhat difficult for her to handle. A direct confrontation would almost certainly be a death sentence."

'Hmm? Aren't Master and Shi Bao also at the Emanator level?'

'If your understanding is that being able to easily destroy a planet Emanator, then that's correct.'

Fu Hua said, "However, in reality, Diamond possess the power to influence half a galaxy. It was only after many Xiao Shi and turns, and only after becoming Emanator, that I finally gained the power to directly challenge Diamond."

'Ah?'

This passage contained a lot of information, leaving Amber momentarily stunned.

So, does easily destroying a planet not count as Emanator? But judging from the performance in the game, being able to destroy a planet should be quite impressive.

Wait, the Shi Bao Emanator?