While Li Zihan was busy unpacking his packages, a certain five-foot-nothing, white-haired old hag whose fur was thoroughly ruffled was repeatedly confirming that the number displayed on the computer was indeed a red eighty percent, and not a system error. After which, she couldn't help but let out a wail of anguish.
Theresa, who had always received an exceptionally high salary (i.e., pocket money), now wore a deathly gray pallor on her delicate little face.
Just moments ago, she was fantasizing about using her full salary to buy HOMU merchandise as soon as the branch's funding was back to normal.
The Far East Branch's funding was indeed back to normal now.
But her salary had become abnormal.
Only twenty percent was left.
Twenty percent remaining.
Twenty percent.
Recalling that shocking red number, the beautiful blue eyes of the magical great-aunt, Theresa, gradually lost their light.
After comparing it to Murata Himeko's eighty percent salary increase, the look in the white-haired shorty's eyes changed once again.
It was as if she had died.
If her salary was only twenty percent of what it was, what kind of limited-edition HOMU merchandise could she possibly buy?
Those unique items she had her eyes on would surely be bought up in one go by some nouveau riche upstart.
Demand my salary!
The words rose up in Theresa's heart.
Instinctively, she reached a hand behind her back, calling for the S-rank Valkyrie, Judah.
The so-called "demanding of salary" was naturally an armed salary demand.
Without carrying any weapons, it was impossible to project an aura of deterrence.
And then...
Nothing appeared.
Nearly a month ago, she had secretly lent the Oath of Judah to Siegfried.
Then, due to some mishap in between, the Oath of Judah had been confiscated by Schicksal HQ.
And just like that, she had lost the right to use the Eleventh Divine Key—the Oath of Judah.
Remembering all this, Theresa's entire little face turned ashen gray.
The "armed" part of her armed salary demand was gone. What now?
Waiting online, urgent.
"Calm down, Theresa!"
Sensing that her old partner beside her was about to explode, Murata Himeko quickly grabbed the shorty, who had tried to summon Judah only to find it gone, leaving her empty-handed and her expression even more filled with grief and indignation.
"I can't take it anymore! I'm going to find that brat and settle this score!!"
Theresa, clearly not planning to abandon her salary-demanding quest, stomped her foot, walked resolutely to the front door, and jumped up to pull down her wimple, which was hung a bit too high for her to reach.
Before leaving, she turned her head and asked her friend a question.
"Himeko, are you coming with me?"
Murata Himeko, whose own salary had increased significantly and who could now probably look forward to fine dining for a long time, looked at her friend fighting for her pay and sighed.
She had a feeling Theresa's path to reclaiming her salary would not be a smooth one.
The new Vice-Commander had been air-dropped from Schicksal HQ. He was clearly on the Archbishop's side, not of the same faction as herself and Theresa, creating a clear divide.
But Li Zihan had only been officially in his post for a few days, and as Vice-Commander, not only did he not try to communicate more with Theresa, the Branch Commander, to improve their relationship, but he instead chose to make a mockery of her right off the bat...
Who would believe that the Archbishop's opinion wasn't involved in this?
Did he realize that economic sanctions against the Far East Branch weren't enough to make Theresa submit, so he chose to impose economic sanctions on Theresa directly?
Murata Himeko sighed inwardly.
If that was the case, it would be a cold day in hell before Theresa managed to get her salary back.
"Alright, I'll go with you."
However, seeing Theresa's pitiful state, she still agreed.
Regardless of the outcome, you had to at least try, right?
With that thought, Murata Himeko followed in the white-haired shorty's footsteps, heading steadily toward the Vice-Commander's dormitory. They arrived at a certain door and stopped.
Then, they discovered that the dormitory door was unlocked.
"Should we go straight in?"
Feeling as if two options—"Enter directly" and "Announce yourself before entering"—had appeared before her, Murata Himeko fell into deep thought.
"Let's call out first."
"Even though we're here to demand her salary, we still need to observe the most basic courtesies," Theresa said after a moment's hesitation, having already pushed the door open slightly.
No, only you are here to demand your salary.
Aunt Himeko, whose salary had just been increased by eighty percent and who had only tagged along because she felt it was a bit too pitiful for Theresa to demand her pay all alone, thought to herself but didn't say it out loud.
Theresa was probably miserable enough from the Archbishop's economic sanctions; there was no need to provoke her further.
The white-haired shorty pushed the door open, took a deep breath, and prepared to shout to announce her arrival.
And then—
Her eyes widened.
On the shoe cabinet in the entryway, a pair of girl's indoor shoes was placed in plain sight.
For a girl's indoor shoes to appear in the dormitory of a boy who claimed to live alone, what did that mean?
Was this... cohabitation?
Shock was written all over Theresa's blue eyes.
She... it seemed she had stumbled upon something rather incredible.
So, whose shoes were these?
After confirming that they were indeed women's indoor shoes, the flames of gossip ignited in Theresa's heart.
For a moment, the matter of her salary being cut was pushed to the back of her mind.
Is it Mei or Kiana?
Vaguely remembering that both her niece and the daughter of the Raiden family were very close to that fellow, Theresa's gaze sharpened instantly.
Her niece, Kiana, had feelings for Li Zihan.
Kiana was a culinary idiot who basically never cooked.
But after Li Zihan returned, that girl—who normally relied on freeloading meals from the Herrscher of Rice and the little girl from Anti-Entropy, just like her—had actually cooked for the first time in forever.
She had verbally declared, "Ah Li looks down on Skyfire Cuisine, I must redeem my dad's Skyfire Cuisine!" But Li Zihan wasn't the only person in this academy who looked down on Skyfire Cuisine.
Kiana had never suddenly started cooking for the same reason for all the others who looked down on her cooking.
Anyone who wasn't blind could see the real reason.
What on earth is that guy, who might as well have "I am a Sea King" written on his face, up to?
Theresa's focus had completely shifted from demanding her salary to investigating the situation. She naturally closed her mouth and made a "quiet" gesture to Himeko.
Murata Himeko didn't quite understand what Theresa was thinking, but she could still recognize the tactical hand signal Theresa was making.
As Kiana's great-aunt, she had to secretly confirm the situation.
With that thought, she pulled Himeko along, moving with the gait of a clumsy thief through the Vice-Commander's dormitory.
The living room, study, and kitchen were all empty. Desperate for intelligence to assess the situation, Theresa crept all the way to the bedroom.
Her perception was extremely sharp; she could sense a human presence in there.
Theresa made a hand signal for Himeko to stop. She herself held her breath and crept to the side of the bedroom.
Then, a girl's very embarrassed voice came from within.
"Boss, not there."