Amber never expected that Shido, who in the original story never once doubted Ratatoskr, would now—as Shiori—develop such a high degree of caution toward the organization.
But come to think of it, it made sense. After all, in the original, Shido had no other background or options besides Ratatoskr.
Then again... even with no other choices, his trust was still excessive.
At first, because it felt like a comedic romance series, he didn't overthink it. But as the worldbuilding expanded, thinking it over carefully, it really was a bit unbelievable...
"If Tohka is willing, she can come live at Schicksal."
Amber gave her reply. She certainly had the authority to decide something like this—after all, the head of Schicksal was Mobius, and Mobius was another version of herself.
Between the two of them, there was no need to distinguish "yours" and "mine."
"Schicksal?"
The princess didn't mind being called Tohka.
Truth be told, she didn't know much about how names were supposed to work, and she didn't dislike this human, Durandal. So if the other called her that, she had no complaints.
More than the name, she was curious about the term the other had used.
"Schicksal is an organization dedicated to opposing Spirits," Amber explained.
The princess—or rather, Tohka, who had accepted the name—frowned at these words but didn't say anything immediately, waiting for Amber to continue.
"However, the reason Schicksal opposes Spirits is because Spirits cause destruction in the real world," Amber went on.
"The Valkyries fight for all that is beautiful in this world. If Spirits no longer caused Spacequakes, then Schicksal would naturally have no reason to battle them either."
Hearing this, Kotori couldn't help interjecting, "But that would still depend on Mobius's decision, wouldn't it?"
Ratatoskr didn't revolve entirely around Kotori, and in the eyes of outsiders, Schicksal certainly didn't revolve entirely around Durandal either.
Sure, you were the strongest combat asset, but a massive organization couldn't run on fighting power alone.
Besides, anyone familiar with Mobius's reputation knew better—the Project Stigma was definitely not something achieved without sacrifices.
It was just that World Serpent hid its tracks well, so nothing had been exposed. If anyone claimed Project Stigma was completely clean, no one would believe it.
And Mobius, as the mastermind behind Project Stigma, naturally wasn't seen as a good person.
Unfortunately, since no evidence of her human experiments could be found, no one could attack her on those grounds. This made Schicksal's reputation exceptionally unshakable.
Dark Amber knew full well that the whole world was looking for evidence of her moral corruption. But in reality? In reality, there had indeed been numerous sacrifices—yet finding proof was impossible.
Because the sacrifices weren't in this world to begin with.
But that's a digression.
Kotori's point was actually simple: Ratatoskr's stance toward Spirits required her, Itsuka Kotori, to oversee and mediate.
Similarly, Schicksal would need Durandal to do the same. So why assume Schicksal wouldn't drop the ball?
Even though Durandal's strength was unmatched worldwide, Mobius was no pushover either—far more dangerous than Ratatoskr's upper management.
So why assume Schicksal was a better option than Ratatoskr?
Though this was a valid point, bringing it up now came off as somewhat childish. Clearly, Kotori hadn't fully regained her composure and was still affected by Shiori's earlier attitude.
Fortunately, Tohka couldn't hear the voices through the earpiece, so Kotori's remark only drew concerned looks from the crew on the Fraxinus, without affecting the bigger picture.
Under their gaze, Kotori could only press her lips together, her mood foul.
Amber didn't know Kotori's exact thoughts, but she could guess she wasn't feeling great.
So she refrained from adding fuel to the fire and simply said, "Regardless, I respect the choices both Shiori and Tohka make."
Shiori's heart was already leaning toward Schicksal.
After all, the slogan "fight for all that is beautiful in this world" was quite compelling. Plus, the impression Durandal had made on her was far better than that of Ratatoskr.
"So… how would Schicksal treat Tohka?" Shiori asked.
"Well… actually, that would depend on Tohka's own wishes," Amber replied after a moment's thought.
"Even if her Reiryoku is sealed, there's still a risk of backlash. So if Schicksal becomes Tohka's guardian, then as the one who sealed her powers, Shiori, you would also need to join Schicksal as her guarantor."
"What!?" Kotori's eyes widened. "You're taking everything? That's just too much!"
She had initially thought Ratatoskr's plan to bring Schicksal in against DEM was a good move—using another's hand to eliminate a threat. But now it looked like they'd just invited the wolf into the house.
She knew Durandal was giving Shiori a choice, but still…
"Join Schicksal…"
This touched on Shiori's greatest uncertainty: Kotori's situation.
"Kotori, between Shiori and Ratatoskr, which is more important to you?" Amber asked.
"Of course Shiori is more important!" Kotori answered without hesitation.
Even though she knew her recent actions might make the words seem less convincing, they were sincere.
"Then why not join Schicksal together? The entire crew of the Fraxinus can come along," Amber suggested.
"Forget whether you, as a frontline fighter, even have that authority—why should I trust Schicksal's sincerity?" Kotori immediately challenged.
"I've been with Ratatoskr for five years. Even if external factors played a part in me becoming commander, I still have some real authority."
"The Fraxinus can't survive without Ratatoskr, but Ratatoskr would also be severely weakened without me and Shiori—its very foundation would become meaningless."
"I can guarantee I have a say in Ratatoskr and can protect the Spirits here. But if I go with you to Schicksal, that's betraying Ratatoskr, and I might not even be valued by Schicksal's upper management. I'd be caught between two sides. I have no reason to take that risk."
If this were an offer from an enemy, considering all factors, Kotori might very well accept. But Schicksal wasn't a hostile organization, and Ratatoskr was a legitimate one too.
Kotori's response didn't account for Durandal's position—clearly, she believed Durandal didn't have much influence over such decisions.
After all, the decision-makers were usually the funders.
That was how Ratatoskr worked: without that financial backing, the organization would struggle to function. No matter how strong you were, without money, you were powerless.
Unless you used force to get money—but then you'd be right back where you started, still dependent on others.
Unless you resorted to robbery, but Durandal didn't strike her as that type. That was the limitation of being a "good person."
"Schicksal isn't the kind of organization you imagine," Amber said, her tone calm but her words startling.
"All authority in Schicksal rests with Bishop Mobius. There is no 'upper management' of the sort you mentioned. Bishop Mobius and I… are on good terms. She will support my decisions."
Schicksal was Mobius's one-woman show?
No wonder no one in the world had found an opportunity to sway Schicksal's leadership—no wonder investigations into its structure turned up nothing. There simply wasn't any?
But then where did the initial funding come from?
Even if you gathered substantial startup capital through World Serpent and expanded Schicksal into a major organization, a group this large couldn't possibly be managed by one person alone.
It would require a large number of capable managers. Were Schicksal's managers all workhorses? Did they demand no benefits or authority?
Capable people would inevitably demand rights commensurate with their abilities—why would they work for Schicksal for free, obeying Mobius's decrees? Were they all desireless robots?
--+--
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.