"So, what's this 'solution' you're talking about?"
Hearing that there was a way out, the Princess asked with curiosity.
"Simply put... it's about sealing your Reiryoku. That way, you won't be pulled back into the Neighboring World, and you won't cause damage to the real world when you manifest."
Thinking about the so-called sealing process, Shiori felt a bit embarrassed and awkward inside. But for the sake of this world, she said it anyway.
Besides, her motives weren't just about saving the world anymore.
After seeing the Princess's expression, like she'd been rejected by the world itself, Shiori genuinely wanted to help the Spirits change their fate—a life constantly spent fighting.
"Seal my Reiryoku...? Wait a moment..."
The Princess's brow furrowed slightly, a vague sense of wrongness nagging at her.
Her reaction made Shiori nervous. "Is there a problem?"
"Well..."
Though she didn't fully understand the ways of this world, the Princess hadn't actually been on a real date yet. She still held a significant amount of wariness towards humans.
After thinking for a moment, she pinpointed the issue. "If my Reiryoku is sealed, that means I'll lose my combat strength, right?"
Hearing that, Amber looked at her, surprised.
You managed to think that far? Are you really the same Tohka who only ever thinks about eating?
"Ah..."
Shiori also realized this, albeit a bit late.
She was right. If a Spirit's power was sealed, they'd essentially become ordinary humans. If something unexpected happened, they'd be completely defenseless.
Kotori chose that moment to speak up. "Ratatoskr will provide protection and housing for the Spirits. You don't need to worry about expenses; unless it's something utterly ridiculous, we'll cover the costs."
"Besides, the seal isn't some unbreakable thing. If a Spirit's emotions fluctuate too wildly, the Reiryoku can reverse and flow back."
Hearing this, Shiori relaxed a little. She hadn't considered the Spirits' situation post-sealing.
It wasn't that she didn't care, but simply that it hadn't crossed her mind—limited by the perspective and awareness of an ordinary high school student, she just hadn't thought that far.
But there was one more thing.
Truth be told, even though Shiori was now acting according to Ratatoskr's plans, she personally didn't have a favorable impression of the organization.
From Shiori's point of view, Ratatoskr was the group that had recruited her underage sister, secretly plotted to exploit her 'special constitution,' and when that failed, resorted to emotional and moral blackmail. Shiori didn't have a single good feeling about Ratatoskr.
And because Shiori was the one who had been the target of their schemes for so long, she was especially sensitive and suspicious of this kind of behavior, particularly when it came from Ratatoskr.
"Then... what about Schicksal?"
Thinking of this, Shiori couldn't help but look at Amber.
"?" x2
Both Kotori and Amber were caught off guard by Shiori suddenly mentioning Schicksal.
"Schicksal is an important partner of Ratatoskr, but our cooperation primarily concerns harassment from DEM and AST."
Kotori, unaware of Shiori's deeper thoughts, could only state the facts.
"But, Ratatoskr..."
Shiori's frown deepened.
Finally, Kotori understood her sister's meaning. Over the past couple of days, Shiori had frequently shown doubt and distrust towards Ratatoskr.
Kotori was the commander of Ratatoskr.
She wasn't brainwashed, but having been educated within Ratatoskr since childhood, she felt a strong sense of belonging and considered herself a part of it.
She had often tried to paint Ratatoskr in a positive light for Shiori.
But to Shiori, that wasn't much different from brainwashing. It was all about instilling the idea that Ratatoskr was good.
The two sisters had even had a minor argument over it, eventually agreeing to drop the subject after each conceding a little.
So, Kotori had figured out what Shiori was thinking now. Shiori probably believed that Ratatoskr's arrangements for the Spirits were definitely ill-intentioned, inevitably leading to an outcome of surveillance and research.
But for heaven's sake! It wasn't just Ratatoskr; any organization would do the same!
If Schicksal had the chance, wouldn't they? Wouldn't DEM? Anyone in that position would do it! Since the result was the same regardless, why couldn't it be Ratatoskr?
At least with Ratatoskr, everything was under her watchful eye as the commander. She herself was a Spirit, so it's not like they could pull any shady tricks right in front of her.
Unfortunately, this line of reasoning was a bit too advanced for Shiori.
All Shiori knew was that her little sister had been brainwashed, and that she herself had been under surveillance for at least five years.
With those two points in mind, it was impossible for her to think about it rationally.
In contrast, there was Durandal, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie.
She was upright to the point of bluntness, possessed a strong sense of justice, and with Durandal being Shiori's starting point for understanding Schicksal, she naturally assumed everyone in Schicksal was like Durandal.
This cognitive gap, born from first impressions, easily led Shiori to rank Schicksal's integrity above Ratatoskr's. Even if she knew, intellectually, that Schicksal wouldn't just treat Spirits as ordinary people either, she still felt it would be better with them.
"Shiori! Don't you trust me!?"
Kotori had to admit, that one really got to her.
Her own sister, the one she'd relied on all these years, trusted a virtual stranger she'd known for less than a few days more than her.
"Kotori... It's not that I don't trust you, or your Fraxinus."
It's Ratatoskr I don't trust.
She didn't say the last part out loud, but everyone could hear the implication.
What did it matter if the Fraxinus was staffed by their people? It was still a Ratatoskr airship.
Without Ratatoskr's support, it couldn't operate for long. Under those circumstances, how could it possibly provide any real security for the Spirits?
That line stuck in Kotori's throat, choking back her anger. Shiori's perspective had its own logic, but in the end, it still boiled down to not trusting her.
Shiori didn't believe Kotori could protect the Spirits within Ratatoskr.
That realization made Kotori bite clean through the lollipop in her mouth. The fury in her heart caused the temperature around her to spike rapidly.
The Reiryoku was reversing. Everyone on the Fraxinus realized it immediately.
Kannazuki quickly tried to soothe her. "Commander, the Itsuka girl is just an ordinary high school student!"
You couldn't expect a high schooler to consider all the complexities. Maybe she just had a deep-seated prejudice against Ratatoskr and never even considered the possibility that you could mediate from within.
"Kotori, don't be impulsive."
Murasame Reine's voice was calm and level. "Don't forget the Fraxinus's mission."
Not Ratatoskr's mission, but the Fraxinus's.
Hearing the reassurances from her adjutant and close friend, the wrong and anger Kotori felt from not being trusted finally subsided a fair bit. She understood what they were saying.
Shiori couldn't see the bigger picture; she was just judging things based on a high schooler's limited perspective and reasoning.
The Fraxinus's mission was solely to assist Shiori in 'conquering' the Spirits. Nothing else. Regardless of the outcome, the conquest was the priority.
Realizing this, Kotori finally managed to rein in her emotions.
Seeing this, Reine shifted her gaze away, looking back at the screen.
What did she, the one who'd masterminded it all, think about this? She'd just watch from the sidelines, of course.
Where the Spirits ended up was utterly irrelevant to her. As long as Shiori successfully sealed them, that was fine. In fact, it might even be better if the Princess was taken in by Schicksal.
That way, if Shiori wanted to visit the Princess, she'd inevitably come into contact with the other three Spirits as well.
The rest was up to how Durandal would answer. No matter where the Princess ended up, it wouldn't affect her plans one bit.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.