Rosmontis's Ambition

—Sigh, perhaps it's because they've seen the changes in me that they've revealed a side of me that's different from before.

—Tsk, I feel like I'm being a bit presumptuous. The world doesn't revolve around me. To be a slightly more precise statement, perhaps it's because I've changed my perspective that I'm able to see these details that I wouldn't normally see. And if that's the case, then I should...

The girl pursed her lips, trying her best to activate her brain.

Since you see another side of the people around you, you should respect them and try to understand their personalities and preferences.

For example, Talulah. If Warfarin's tests show that Talulah isn't mentally ill, then she should act more assertive in front of her from now on—after all, she seems like she wants to be bullied. However, before actually doing so, she needs to confirm whether the only person she wants to be bullied is Alina.

As for Persephone... this guy's controlling nature... no, I can't satisfy her in that regard. She won't compromise, she'd rather die than do that, and she'll never actually like it. But besides that, Persephone also mentioned the loneliness of immortals in the early morning... Is she lonely all by herself? Hmm... maybe I could get closer to her, like sleeping in the same bed with her again tonight?

Then there's Kal'tsit —damn, has this lynx really revealed another side of herself? And I only decided on the "smiling but sticky" tactic a few hours ago, there's no reason to change it now... Oh well, I'll just change my approach. Although the goal is to distance myself from her, I'll treat her with as much sincerity as possible until that's achieved.

For example, making a loving dinner... that won't do. What if she just throws it away or pours the rice and soup all over me? Wouldn't that be embarrassing? I'll just cook dinner for Persephone, as a way of thanking her for the fried dough sticks and soy milk this morning. And for this reason, other food gifts are probably not suitable either.

Hmm... while she's resting, I'll go check on her and say a few words, then give her a massage. Anyway, even out-of-control Rosemary can't pry my fingertips off, so I'm not afraid she'll grab a scalpel and chop my fingers when she gets angry.

But Rosemary ... um, is that kitten any better? The top-grade nerve stabilizer I got from Columbia last time arrived in Rhodes Island, but I haven't heard back. Has the shipment not arrived yet, or is the medication not very effective?

The girl pondered, her thoughts wandering in all directions.

Then--

She heard light, unmasked footsteps approaching in her direction.

—Interesting, Persephone let someone in? Is it someone important?

Miss Surtr's reverie came to an end. She then turned her head toward the direction from which the footsteps were coming.

What came into Miss Surtr's view was an elegant Ursus girl. Tall and slender, with long, slightly wavy, light-colored hair that reached her knees—she looked like a high school girl still in school. And she was indeed wearing an outfit that resembled a formal dress, but was still clearly a refined variation of a school uniform.

She had a great figure, with a single blue and white highlight slightly upturned at her pale temples. Her elegant demeanor carried an air of nobility often acquired from frequenting upscale establishments—she was also beautiful, her light brown eyes and the slight smile at the corners of her mouth radiating confidence. Clearly, she was a girl from a local aristocratic family, and before she became like this in the city, she must have held a position such as student council president at some school.

Miss Surtr, I feel like I see a familiar image in my mind—this guy must be a game character from a past Arknights. I wonder if he's a Rhodes Island operator or an NPC from an event?

So she waited. And while she waited, she held a sliver of hope.

Then, she saw the girl in front of her bow slightly and greet her.

"Hello, Ms. Surtr. I am Natalia Rostov, your temporary guide."

—Natalia?

Surtr tilted her head slightly.

—Ah, I remember now. It's Rosa, the six- Hoshiguma in the Bear Guild's storage unit. Although her actual strength isn't weak, she's completely unsuitable for a raiding team's alien sniper...

—Wait! If this is her, then Rhodes Island Training Center ... uh, Ursus Bear Clan High School?

Her thoughts raced, and her body didn't hold her back. The slight turmoil within her didn't show on her face at all. But her inner thoughts had undergone a complete transformation.

—Damn, it's one of our own operators? Then I must have picked the wrong fish.

—Ugh, my head hurts so much! Why didn't Persephone remind me... Wait, could this be her reminder? No, wait! How did she know I was interested in the Bear Clan? Was it some kind of screening method like Yan Ke's? But after I dealt with the Reunion Movement, the Bear Clan didn't even exist as a prerequisite for being established, so Persephone shouldn't have been able to guess it...

—Did I accidentally let something slip to her before?

She rose from the bench, and Laevateinn followed quietly behind her. Her gaze swept over the girl from head to toe. She easily detected a hint of unease beneath the girl's composure and elegance.

This is normal; the more knowledgeable a person is, the more afraid they will be of the capabilities that Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals has demonstrated in the past few days. But the girl's fears seem to lie elsewhere.

"Natalia." Miss Surtr's voice automatically switched to a mature and composed older sister tone. "May I call you that?"

"It's my pleasure. You can also call me Natasha, it's shorter that way." The Ursus girl, who hadn't yet received the operator codename Rosa, bowed twice to her. Then she answered.

"You are Rhodes Island Training Center ... I'm sorry, you are the director of the Rhodes Island training center. It is an honor for the Rostova family to be at your service. Ms. Persephone has already given me many pointers—may I ask you, are you planning to go to the training center now?"

—I see. Were you 'educated' by Persephone? Hmm, I remember that Rosa came from an Earl's family, and a newly risen nobleman at that...

"The Rostova family, I've heard of that name." Surtr nodded, noticing the white bandage on Rosa arm and the black hem of her skirt. "Your family..."

"They betrayed the honor of their family, madam," the white bear calmly responded to Sarkaz's words. There was no sadness or mourning on her face. "Before that group of...infected approached Chernobog, the nobles fled. My family abandoned me and joined the first evacuation. Unfortunately, their caravan encountered some trouble on the way."

"Now, I am the last remnant of the Rostova family. Perhaps soon, a decree from the capital will strip Rostov of his titles and peerage. But until then, please allow me to preserve the last vestiges of the family's glory."

"Is that so?" Miss Surtr stepped forward. "Then thank you for your trouble, Natasha."

She spoke, using the form of address given to her by Rosa —she could, of course, sense the inherent strength, or rather, stubbornness, hidden in this Ursus girl's bones. But vying for the initiative in such details would only serve to elicit a smile from her.

But she didn't laugh—what was so funny? Effort and self-expression are signs of courage. Although she always felt something was a little off.

Something's off... Where's the incongruity? She shifted her gaze slightly and noticed that Natalia hadn't answered her earlier question. Instead, she had taken the lead and fulfilled her role as guide, leading her forward towards the school.

Interesting.

The Flame-haired maiden thought to herself.

She felt that the future operator in front of her was about three Mephisto- sized differences from the character of Rosa in the game... Ah, that made sense. After Rosa was born into nobility; if it weren't for the Chernobog turmoil, she would never have crossed paths with Rhodes Island, nor would she have changed her personality as a young lady. And now, the Chernobog incident had been nipped in the bud by her own hand. Many bad things disappeared, but many good things also lost the soil to grow.

Wait, being forced to grow up... is that really a good thing?

Miss Surtr raised an eyebrow.

She suddenly had a novel idea.

I can't play 2077 tomorrow _(:з"∠)_

Updating at this hour will kill me sooner or later _(:з"∠)_

Chapter 77 The Young Girl's Rosa Ambition

Becoming a headmistress... or rather, the head of the education center, wasn't a new job for Miss Surtr. She vaguely remembered the happy times she spent at Hogwarts, from assistant teacher all the way to acting headmistress—of course, she could use the word 'happy' because she had effectively killed off the main villain of Harry Potter in the prologue. After all, compared to the various monsters and demons in many worlds, Voldemort and his Death Eaters, whose weaknesses were completely exposed, seemed like children playing house.

Of course, this is just an isolated case. An isolated case is not conclusive evidence. But apart from this, Miss Surtr has visited quite a few different dream worlds and had dealings with things like schools.

She used to be a teacher at Carle College. When she stood on the podium, everyone, whether they were A-class, S-class, or even the little monsters in human skin that she had brought back from Japan, had to obediently tuck their tails between their legs.

She had been a professor at Miskatonic University, and the watchdog that killed Bubble's son was registered under her name—but that wasn't a big deal. After all, Bubble never really cared about her adopted son, but she adored her daughter. As long as she wasn't a little girl with a keyhole on her forehead, she wouldn't mind if she was killed by a dog.

She even lectured on behalf of Hongjun in the Purple Cloud Palace —damn, although the idea of being thrown onto a futon by an old man the moment she opened her eyes sounded very strange, and she herself had no idea what she was babbling about while sitting on the platform. But at least the group of people listening below seemed to have gained a lot.

In short, Miss Surtr was quite adept at teaching and managing educational institutions.