Alright, it was clear to her now. Elysia didn't need any 'guidance'—all she really wanted was a quiet audience to listen.
As for whether she'd be silenced by Durandal after hearing all this...
Well, she could only leave it to fate.
Come to think of it, the way this couple got along was truly concerning.
What in the world had Durandal done to make Elysia hold such a grudge?
Still, when it came to lovers' squabbles—where fights start at the head of the bed and end at the foot—Connie had seen plenty.
So, if you asked if she was worried? Sure, but only a little.
In any case, after listening to Elysia complain about Durandal for nearly half an hour, the pink-haired girl finally returned to her usual cheerful self, humming a tune as she headed upstairs.
Realizing her mission was accomplished, Connie began cleaning up the dining room and kitchen, all while praying she wouldn't be 'silenced' by Durandal. She wondered if it was time to hire a housekeeper.
How many years had it been since she'd last done housework?
Even back when she was playing the part of a mafia princess, she only occasionally cooked for her father on a whim, enjoying some quality father-daughter time.
Truth be told, she wasn't particularly skilled in the kitchen.
It was just her luck to have stumbled upon two people who weren't picky eaters. Otherwise, her stint as a housekeeper might not have lasted long.
Just as Connie was lost in her thoughts, Durandal's voice suddenly came from behind her.
Connie's heart sank with a thud, fearing the worst-case scenario she'd been dreading was about to unfold.
But instead, Durandal simply assigned her a rather unusual task—to set up an official website for the Flame-Chaser organization and make it appear as though it was connected to Fire Moth.
Of course, it couldn't be too obvious, or Fire Moth would surely shut it down.
The main focus should be on the organization's original purpose: to address the increasingly frequent and bizarre disaster events happening around the world lately.
But under no circumstances should words like 'Honkai' or similar terms be mentioned.
After giving her instructions, Durandal noticed that Connie had fully grasped the key points and left the kitchen.
Connie breathed a quiet sigh of relief, reassured that Durandal hadn't come to silence her.
As for why Durandal had suddenly come up with this idea...
It was because she'd just been browsing news about areas affected by the Second Honkai Eruption and came across a report about the death of a famous university professor and scientist due to an unexplained disaster.
Durandal had previously seen this professor's name listed as one of Vill-V's mentors while reviewing Vill-V's related information.
She pulled out the materials she'd compiled and cross-referenced them—sure enough, it matched.
Durandal clearly remembered that Vill-V's reason for joining Fire Moth was precisely because her teacher had died during the Second Honkai Eruption.
After the Second Honkai Eruption concluded, an investigation revealed that the mechanical genius Vill-V mistakenly believed Fire Moth had triggered the Honkai.
She began using various mechanical creations, including micro-drones, to investigate, but was quickly discovered and apprehended by Elysia.
Now that Elysia had already joined the Flame-Chaser organization, Durandal certainly wasn't going to let this mechanical genius—the creator of the Deep, the maker of multiple Divine Keys—slip away.
She didn't actually intend to recruit any talent through that so-called Flame-Chaser organization website.
It was merely bait dangled for Vill-V, waiting for her to take the hook.
As for Elysia complaining about her to Connie... well, sorry, she'd been busy with important matters and hadn't noticed.
Even if she had noticed, Durandal would only have given a puzzled look, wondering why Connie was so anxious. Did she really seem that petty?
--+--
The next day, in Class 2-A of Chiba Academy, Elysia still hadn't given up on figuring out why Durandal had transferred here.
However, Durandal remained as steady as an old hound, showing no particular interest in anyone in the class.
But just because Durandal wasn't paying attention to others didn't mean others weren't paying attention to her.
Leaving aside those who had feelings for Elysia or simply held a grudge against Durandal...
Until they could figure out Durandal's 'game,' no one dared to become someone else's stepping stone.
Aside from Elysia, Durandal encountered the first person to actively approach her since transferring.
And this person was none other than Kevyn, who had transferred alongside her—the future strongest warrior of humanity.
Of course, at this point, she was just a sunny, sporty 'ordinary high school girl' whose popularity, by her second day, already rivaled Elysia's.
Kevyn appeared before Durandal, her face flushed and slightly bashful.
It took her a moment to gather her courage before she spoke up: "Um, Durandal, could I talk to you alone?"
Before Durandal could respond, Elysia, who was nearby, immediately assumed the aura of the 'official partner' and looked at Kevyn in surprise.
"Kevyn, you're not trying to steal my girl, are you?"
Elysia's exclamation caused quite a stir in the classroom.
Roughly half the class turned their attention to the far corner, their curious gazes shifting between Kevyn, Durandal, and Elysia.
Kevyn's face turned even redder at Elysia's remark.
Though this time, it wasn't from embarrassment but from frustration.
She frantically glanced toward her seat—or more precisely, the space next to her seat.
Noticing that the purple-haired figure was still bent over those incomprehensibly complex documents, she felt a mix of relief and an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
"Sorry, Elysia, I absolutely don't have those kinds of feelings for Durandal. I just want to ask her for some advice, so... could I borrow her for a moment?"
With that, Kevyn stepped past Elysia and reached out to pull Durandal, intending to use her strength to drag Durandal out of the classroom and create an opportunity for a private conversation.
However, Kevyn, who had always prided herself on her strength, encountered her Waterloo with Durandal.
She found that no matter how hard she pulled, Durandal remained seated, completely motionless.
In the end, it was Durandal who voluntarily stood up, saving Kevyn from further embarrassment.
The two walked out of the classroom together. Elysia noticed Kevyn occasionally shooting her a suspicious, thief-wary look and pouted.
"Hmph, fine! If you won't let me watch, then I won't. Like I care~?"
Once they reached a secluded corner of the hallway, and Kevyn confirmed that Elysia or anyone else hadn't followed, she scratched her head and spoke somewhat awkwardly:
"So... Durandal, sorry for pulling you out like this. I actually wanted to ask you... how do you get a girl to notice you?"
Faced with Kevyn's sincere and earnest gaze, Durandal's reaction was: ?
--+--