The door slowly opened—
A petite girl appeared, carrying a bag that was even taller than her own body.
She wore a military uniform and an eyepatch over her left eye. Her cyan-colored hair was hidden beneath a military cap, casting a shadow over her cold green eye.
Rather than frightening, she looked… adorable.
"Ah…?"
Lyxander stood frozen, unsure of what to say.
He turned his head and looked at Simon.
Simon smiled.
"Let me introduce her to you. Vivi Amo. Fifteen years old, third year of middle school, one hundred fifty-six centimeters tall. Starting today, she will be both your senior and your partner."
Lyxander could only stare in shock.
"Vivi," Simon continued, "this is Lyxander. From now on, he will be under your supervision. Don't hesitate to beat him up if necessary."
Lyxander frowned.
"Was that last part really necessary?"
Simon ignored him.
"Alright, you can take her with you now."
"Let's go," Vivi said as she walked out.
Lyxander followed behind her, but suddenly—
"Wait!"
Lyxander turned toward Simon.
"Haha, sorry. I forgot one more thing."
"What is it?" Lyxander asked.
"What kind of weapon do you want?" Simon replied.
Lyxander's eyes lit up instantly.
"If possible, I want a weapon that can enhance my punching power. It'd be great if it were light and usable at long range, and also—"
"Hold on," Simon raised a hand.
"Don't you think your request is a bit unreasonable?"
You could just make Spider-Man's web shooters for me, a suggestion popped into Lyxander's mind.
"So… it's not possible?"
"It's not impossible. I'll see what I can do. You may go," Simon replied.
He can really do it?
Even though Lyxander was the one who asked for it, he still felt that such a weapon was impossible to create.
In the end, he left the matter to Simon and headed to the parking lot with Vivi.
Throughout the entire walk, neither of them spoke a single word.
It was painfully awkward.
Lyxander tried several times to start a conversation, but lost his courage each time, as Vivi's cold demeanor reminded him of Natanael.
Finally, at the parking lot, Vivi spoke.
"Do you have a driver's license?"
"I do."
Both in his previous life and now, Lyxander indeed had one.
"Good."
Vivi tossed him the car keys.
"Drive."
Her small finger pointed toward a black military vehicle.
They both got into the car. Lyxander started the engine, and his confidence to joke slowly returned.
"Please state your destination, miss."
"City center," Vivi replied while struggling to fasten her seatbelt.
—
They drove along a quiet road flanked by wide rice fields. The blue sky stretched endlessly above them, and the blazing summer sun poured down as Vivi and Lyxander headed toward the city center.
"Even though it's this hot, the ventilation on these military uniforms is surprisingly good," Lyxander tried to start a conversation.
Unfortunately, he was completely ignored.
Damn it, someone please save me from this awkwardness.
Lyxander wasn't bad at socializing—he was actually quite good at it. In his previous life, he had been a fairly well-known athlete.
"By the way, Senior, what are we going to do in the city center?" Lyxander refused to give up.
"Patrol," Vivi answered.
Extremely short.
Daaaaamn it.
Lyxander felt like he was starting to lose his mind.
In the end, he gave up and focused on driving in silence.
—
After what felt like an oddly long journey, they finally arrived in the city center.
"Turn left there," Vivi instructed.
Lyxander followed her directions.
"Now park over there."
Lyxander parked in front of a large, towering hotel.
This was the Graham Hotel, owned by the noble Graham Family that ruled the city of Faulust.
"Isn't this parking lot for guests only?" he asked.
"Don't worry. This hotel belongs to the Empire," Vivi replied.
"Alright then," Lyxander said as he got out of the car.
Vivi stepped out beside him and picked up the long bag that had been placed on the middle seat.
"So where are we going now?" Lyxander asked.
Instead of answering, Vivi threw him a wristwatch that looked suspiciously like a time-stopping device.
Lyxander caught it.
"Senior, you know throwing things like that isn't very nice," he complained.
"Oh, I see. Sorry," Vivi replied.
She apologized?
Lyxander was genuinely surprised. He had thought she would simply stay silent and not care.
Damn it, this feels like lecturing my little sister.
In his previous life, Lyxander had a younger sister.
"It's fine, as long as you understand," Lyxander replied awkwardly.
"By the way, what is this?"
"A communication device," Vivi explained.
"The left button adjusts the time on the watch."
"The time?" Lyxander asked.
"The time displayed is a code. When you want to send a message, you adjust the time to the appropriate code. If you're receiving a message, the watch will display the sender's code."
"The middle button records a message. The right button sends and receives messages."
"I see… then where's my code?" Lyxander tried to find it.
"It's on the expiration date. My code is 09:12," Vivi answered.
Expiration date? That sounds funny for a watch.
Lyxander checked his own.
"11:11… that's a lucky number."
Eventually, the two of them wandered between towering skyscrapers, walking beneath the shade of trees. They stopped occasionally to rest, letting time pass as they patrolled—until lunchtime arrived.
They entered a café.
Lyxander finished his meal much faster than Vivi, mainly because his throat was far larger than hers.
In the end, he could only wait with a cup of black coffee.
"By the way, Senior, what's your identity?" Lyxander asked.
"An identity represents one's power. It's something that should be kept secret," Vivi replied briefly.
Ugh, she's right.
Lyxander could only apologize internally for his foolish question.
Ding!
Several students entered the café, catching Vivi's attention.
"Don't you go to school, Senior?" Lyxander's bad habit from his previous life resurfaced.
Vivi remained silent.
Damn it.
I really regret always provoking my opponents back then.
Lyxander could only curse himself.
Beep!
The watch in Lyxander's pocket vibrated—so did the one in Vivi's.
Vivi looked at Lyxander.
"It seems this is an emergency call."
"Emergency call!?" Lyxander clearly had no idea.
"Pressing all three buttons at the same time sends a call to all nearby crows. That's what an emergency call is," Vivi explained—something she had forgotten to mention earlier.
Vivi pressed the right button on her watch.
"Calling, calling, to all nearby crows."
"Please proceed to Albert Street, Bell Apartment, Room 157."
"A suicide involving an Entity has occurred."
Suicide!
Lyxander froze, memories of himself flashing through his mind.