"Sure."
Soaking in a hot spring while drinking a little fruit wine sounded like it would be wonderfully leisurely and comfortable.
After receiving Durandal's answer, Rita took out a jug of fruit wine and placed it on a rock beside them, along with two wine glasses.
"Here."
Rita poured fruit wine into both glasses and handed one to Durandal.
Without any intention of being polite to "herself," Durandal accepted the glass, lightly clinked it against Rita's, then slowly took a sip.
The spring water flowed on without end, rolling and splashing into layers of mist. A towel, a cup of fine wine—immersed in such an atmosphere, all exhaustion vanished at once.
Once they had soaked long enough, Durandal stood wrapped in a bath towel. Looking at the little girls before her, she clapped her hands to draw their attention.
"Now that the time is about right, I said before that I'd give you a gift to improve your strength. Consider it preparation for the upcoming mission."
Although the ten lolis before her were not weak, humans were different from Dangerous Species—especially those vicious bandits. They were bound to be cunning and treacherous, and might even have other tricks up their sleeves.
So before leaving, Durandal intended to raise the lolis' strength a little further. It was also preparation for wielding even greater power in the future.
"A gift..."
Hearing Durandal's words, the ten little lolis looked at her curiously. Then, at Rita's prompting, they all walked over and lined up before Durandal.
"Rita should have already told you that she wasn't training you to become assassins, but Valkyries!"
"Do you understand what a Valkyrie means?"
Durandal calmly stared at the girls before her and asked the question.
"..."
Faced with Durandal's question, the little lolis looked at one another...