"Aegirs?" Hildegard asked, her voice echoing through the vast, cold chamber of the Twin Spires. Her eyes were fixed on the images captured by their hidden surveillance.
"It can't be ruled out," Lieselotte replied, leaning closer to the screen to examine the figures. "The way they carry themselves, that strange, detached elegance... it doesn't match any of the terrestrial races we have records of."
"These people are strong!" Hildegard said again, her tone sharpening.
"How so?" Lieselotte looked toward her sister, curious as to what she had spotted.
"Look at them; every single one of them was facing the camera and striking a deliberate pose at the exact moment the photo was taken. They didn't just notice our people; they were essentially greeting them. It's laughable that none of those scouts noticed a thing. They were being toyed with." Hildegard sneered, pointing at the subtle tilt of Remilia Scarlet's head and the way Yukari Yakumo peered over the edge of her fan directly into the lens.
Lieselotte was aware of it too, of course, but she hadn't said it aloud to avoid crushing the morale of her subordinates. "Do we need to do anything about them?" an attendant kneeling below asked cautiously.
"Have they done anything since entering Leithanien that violates our laws? Or have they taken the initiative to harm anyone?" Lieselotte asked, her voice calm.
"Not really. They followed the rules perfectly while in the city. Even the one who wandered around drinking didn't cause any trouble; in fact, she even helped suppress a riot." The attendant recounted the incident involving Ibuki Suika, who had used a few sharp words to provoke a group of aggressive drunks into beating each other senseless, allowing the tavern to call the police and resolve the issue without a single piece of property being damaged.
"She has quite a quick wit," Lieselotte laughed softly. "Since they are law-abiding and polite guests, why should we make a move against them? Let's just watch for now. If they remain polite, there is no need to interfere." Seeing that she had made her decision, Hildegard did not speak further, though her eyes remained cold.
On the other side of Leithanien, Flandre's group spent the entire night resting well in Wolumonde. In the morning, Zhang Wei found the Garrison Officer from before and recounted the encounter with the Pincerbugs Swarm.
The officer was visibly startled. A swarm of over a thousand Pincerbugs was a catastrophic threat to the region. Even if the swarm had been repelled, such a number suggested multiple nests nearby. He immediately rushed to the city government to report the situation; if the army wasn't mobilized to clear those nests, another plague would appear within a month, and a village in the insects' path would stand no chance of survival.
While the city scrambled, Eirin Yagokoro and Yukari Yakumo retreated into a private room they had requested, carrying the tools and specimens they had acquired. Flandre curiously wanted to see what they were doing, but Remilia held her back by the collar.
"Those two are currently dissecting a Pincerbug. Why on earth do you want to go in there?"
"Dissecting it? Why would they do that?" Flandre asked, her head tilted in confusion.
"Naturally, to study the life forms of this world. Such a large insect is an excellent research subject for understanding the biological laws of Terra," Patchouli Knowledge answered. She was sitting nearby, her nose buried in a newly purchased book.
"Patchy, aren't you going to join them?" Flandre asked.
"Not interested!" Patchouli shook her head. It wasn't that she lacked curiosity, but the book in her hand, History of the Nations of Terra, was far too enticing to put down. Furthermore, they had already agreed to share all gathered intelligence later. Her physical help with a dissection was unnecessary.
Over an hour later, Eirin and Yukari finally returned. Eirin handed a notebook filled with dense, neat handwriting to Patchouli.
"Very interesting!" Patchouli muttered as she scanned the report. "You mean the main reason these Pincerbugs can grow to such an abnormal size is because of this Originium?"
"Exactly," Eirin Yagokoro replied calmly. "According to my examination of their skeletal and muscular structures, their bones contain Originium particles. These particles act as a reinforcement, making the bones significantly denser without increasing their physical volume. Otherwise, their external skeletons would be quickly corroded by the environment, and their muscles wouldn't possess the strength to move such heavy frames."
"In other words, the integration of Originium into the biology of this world is even deeper than we imagined," Patchouli noted, closing her book. "So, what do we do next?"
"We still head to the Reunion Movement first," Eirin stated. "I have theories about Oripathy that require a larger sample size of Infected individuals."
Ibuki Suika then spoke up with a giggle. "After that, I plan to make a trip to Higashi."
"What are you going there for?" the others asked.
"They say it's a lot like Japan, right? I'm going to check it out and maybe do a little scouting," Suika said, making no effort to hide her intentions. She planned to travel with the group to the Reunion Movement and then fly east, coinciding with the expected return of Aya Shameimaru.
With the plan settled, the group rested. The next morning, Wolumonde was shrouded in a fog so thick it felt like a physical weight. The convoy prepared to depart, despite the visibility. However, as they reached the gate, they were intercepted by the local Lord.
The pot-bellied man's eyes drifted hungrily over the convoy. His men had informed him of the sheer volume of supplies, and greed had taken hold. Although the Twin Empresses had forbidden anyone from harassing the Yan vehicles, the Lord felt he wasn't "harassing" them—he was merely looking for a "sponsorship" in exchange for his hospitality. He dropped hint after hint, but Zhang Wei was a veteran who knew exactly how to play the game; he spoke in circles, feigning ignorance, and refused to offer a single coin.
The Lord's face darkened to a deep, bruised purple. He couldn't act in front of the city gates without ruining Wolumonde's reputation, so he watched with a gloomy, murderous expression as the convoy rolled away into the fog.
During the noon break, Flandre found Zhang Wei and Dropper. "That Lord had a murderous aura when we left. And there have been people trailing us from a distance ever since. Should I deal with them?"
Zhang Wei and Dropper weren't surprised. They knew the man wouldn't let them go easily.
"Should we just scare them off?" Dropper, ever the pacifist, suggested. "Flandre, can't you just make them get lost?"
But Zhang Wei, the soldier, and Flandre, the predator, both preferred a direct solution. "They'll strike tonight," Zhang Wei said. "If they wait, we'll be too close to the Ursus border and the imperial patrols. Tonight is their only window."
The decision was made: they would ambush the pursuers. Flandre skipped back to Remilia's side, her face radiant.
"So, there's a fight tonight?" Remilia asked, daintily sipping her tea.
"Mm-hmm! I'm going to make them cry!" Flandre cheered.
Remilia reached out and flicked Flandre on the forehead. "Be a lady. Can't you be a bit more ladylike? You're a girl, Flandre; you shouldn't be so violent."
"Gua!" Flandre yelped, hiding behind Patchouli.
Patchouli rubbed the girl's forehead. "We aren't afraid of fighting, Little Flan, but you must learn to understand why you fight. Fighting and killing are not the goals; they are merely the means."
Flandre tilted her head in genuine confusion. "Fighting is just hitting hard. Hitting is fun, so I like fighting!"
Patchouli realized she had a massive pedagogical[1] challenge ahead of her. "No, Little Flan. If you only fight to kill, you are just a brute. You must understand the purpose behind the violence."
"Ah? Killing isn't the goal?" Flandre blinked her large, innocent red eyes. "But I only fight so I can kill people!"
[1] Pedagogical means relating to the methods, theory, and practice of teaching.