The war on the Rhine front ended as abruptly as it began.
The Third Empire's frenzied offensive was utterly crushed by Schicksal's absolute power; the remaining forces retreated in a panic, and the border once again returned to peace. The Schicksal fleet began its orderly return.
Captain Kael returned to Schicksal Headquarters with Sirin, who was still silent but at least no longer hostile towards him.
Asgard slowly docked at the spaceport. As Captain Kael stepped off the gangway, before he could even take a breath of the headquarters' air, his personal terminal began vibrating madly.
A series of communication requests and messages from Theresa popped up like an explosion, almost filling the screen.
"Kael! Are you back?! Help me!!!"
"I'm going to die! Seriously! Drowning in documents!"
"Grandma is a devil! Absolutely a devil! She's working me like an ox!"
"Why are there so many meetings to attend! So many words to read! I don't understand anything they're saying!"
"Even bitter melon doesn't taste good anymore! Waaah!"
"Kael! Where are you! Come find me quickly! I need first aid! I need artificial respiration! (Not!)"
Every line exuded a sense of despair and frenzy, as if she were about to drop dead.
Captain Kael looked at these messages, both amused and pained. He could imagine Theresa's frantic state, tormented by the endless administrative tasks.
He immediately replied: "Just got back, I'm coming to find you right away."
He arranged temporary accommodation for Sirin, then prepared to go to the Bishop's Office to "rescue" Theresa.
However, just as he took a few steps, a gentle but undeniable voice came from beside him: "Captain Kael, you've worked hard."
Captain Kael turned and saw that Otto had appeared nearby at some unknown point, smiling at him.
He seemed to have just disembarked from his own flagship, followed by a retinue of attendants.
"Bishop Otto."
"No need for formalities." Otto stepped forward, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping in the direction Captain Kael had come from, "I heard you brought back a little girl? How is she?"
"Sirin's condition is temporarily stable, but she still requires long-term psychological counseling and physical recuperation."
Captain Kael answered cautiously, his mind on Theresa's plea for help, and couldn't help but say, "Bishop Otto, Theresa, she..."
"Oh, little Theresa."
Otto interrupted him as if suddenly enlightened, a "gratified" smile on his face, "She's undergoing very important 'training'! She's working very hard, and while still a bit green, she has a lot of room for improvement! I believe she'll be able to stand on her own very soon!"
He patted Captain Kael's shoulder, his tone "earnest": "Kael, I know you care about her. But young eagles must learn to fly on their own; relying on others won't do. This is a necessary path for her growth, so let's not disturb her too much and let her 'train' in peace."
Captain Kael: "..."
He looked at Otto's sincere expression of "I'm doing this for my granddaughter's own good," and for a moment, he couldn't refute it.
Indeed, as Otto's only granddaughter, Theresa might very well take on more important responsibilities in the future, so getting familiar with administrative affairs now seemed... reasonable?
Although the method might be a bit... He hesitated, then said: "I'm just worried she's under too much pressure..."
"Pressure is motivation!"
Otto's smile became even more "amiable," "Don't worry, I have it under control. As for you, you've just returned from the front line and taken care of that child, you've worked hard. Get some good rest, don't worry about anything else."
His words carried a clear hint, telling Captain Kael not to interfere with Theresa's matters anymore.
Captain Kael looked into Otto's deep, bottomless emerald eyes and finally nodded: "...Yes, Bishop Otto."
Otto smiled contentedly, encouraged him a few more times, then left, surrounded by his retinue.
Captain Kael stood in place, watching Otto's retreating back, then looked towards the Bishop's Office, as if he could hear Theresa's silent wails from inside.
He sighed, feeling a bit helpless. Since Bishop Otto had said so, he couldn't forcibly interfere with Theresa's "training" any further.
Perhaps... this really was for her own good?
So, Captain Kael turned and walked towards his dormitory, deciding to settle Sirin in first.
What he didn't know was that after he turned around, Otto's steps paused slightly, he glanced sideways at his back, and a cunning, triumphant curve appeared on his lips.
Inside the Bishop's Office, Theresa was going crazy over a document that required her approval, concerning "Optimization Plan for the Comfort of Standard Valkyrie Underwear Fabric in Various Branches": "What the hell is this?! Why do I have to decide even this?! I'm a Valkyrie, not a tailor!"
She lunged at the communicator, dialing Captain Kael's number again, but only heard the prompt "The user you dialed is temporarily unreachable" — clearly, a certain Bishop Otto had tampered with it.
"Kael... you big idiot! You really abandoned me!"
Theresa collapsed in despair behind a mountain of documents, feeling as if she had become a soulless approval machine, "I hate administrative work..."
From then on, Theresa lived a life of extreme hardship, like an "ox and horse."
Every day, she was drowned in countless meetings, documents, and reports. She ate and slept in the office, and even her favorite bitter melon tasted like chewing wax.
Her only solace was occasionally catching a glimpse of Captain Kael walking with the little purple-haired girl in the garden downstairs through the window, but that bit of warmth only highlighted her misery even more.
As for Captain Kael, after confirming Sirin's continuous improvement in health, he devoted more energy to accompanying and counseling her.
He helped her get familiar with the headquarters environment, patiently taught her to read, told her simple stories, trying to gradually dispel the fear and gloom in her eyes.
Sirin still spoke little, but at least she no longer resisted Captain Kael's presence.
She would quietly follow him, like a little shadow, observing the world silently with her golden eyes, occasionally showing a hint of curiosity towards the candies or small toys Captain Kael offered.
Captain Kael felt genuine relief watching Sirin's subtle changes.
He felt that taking care of this child who survived the disaster seemed more meaningful than disturbing Theresa's "important training."
He even began to plan that once Sirin's condition improved further, perhaps he could send her to the headquarters' school to study.
He had no idea that his benevolent "letting go" had led to Theresa drowning even more thoroughly in the sea of documents.
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