Inside the Coffee Cup Café, the group sat at a table, muttering amongst themselves. The once-empty shop began to fill up as the bell signaling the end of the school day rang.
"So it's settled then," Theresa declared. "Snow, you'll join St. Freya Academy as a part-time student and teaching assistant. In return, we'll help you search for any clues about your adoptive father."
"As for your status..." Theresa continued, her voice rising with excitement. "I'll pull some strings and get you an A-rank Valkyrie position! As the Head of the Far East Branch, I still have that kind of privilege!"
With a surge of enthusiasm, Theresa slammed both hands on the table and leaped onto her chair, shouting the last part at the top of her lungs.
"..."
The entire café fell silent. The patrons seemed to have overheard something utterly explosive.
Meanwhile, the other two at the center of the commotion stared at the Headmaster, who was preening triumphantly. Their expressions were the kind you'd reserve for someone who had just done something profoundly stupid.
"Lady Theresa... I feel compelled to point out... that your little speech about privileged classes and goddamn nepotism..."
"...was heard by the entire café."
Still standing on her chair, Theresa stiffly turned her head. The eyes of the entire world seemed to be focused on her.
"Gah... oh..."
A strangled, bizarre sound escaped her throat. Theresa stood frozen on the chair, her mind completely blank.
"Himeko... we need to bail. Before the café riots and buries us alive..." Snow whispered, gently nudging Murata Himeko with her elbow.
The red-haired Valkyrie nodded at her companion. She pointed to the counter, then to the main door. Then, both women glanced at Theresa and shook their heads in unison. Despite never having fought side-by-side before, they were now perfectly in sync, their minds linked in unspoken agreement.
I'll pay the bill as a diversion. You head to the door and secure our escape route. Forget about Theresa, Himeko conveyed with her eyes.
Got it. I'll draw everyone's attention to the Headmaster, and we'll just turn and run, Snow replied with a combination of eye contact and subtle hand gestures.
They exchanged a final glance and, while Theresa held the entire café's attention, quietly slipped away from their table.
Aria, the shop owner, played her part perfectly, quickly settling Himeko's bill. She gave a small, discreet wave to Snow, who had already crept to the entrance. The golden-haired girl nodded slightly in return.
The gray cat, roused from its warm perch on the thigh-high socks, was gently placed on the floor. The cold tiles startled it awake. Its emerald eyes blinked open, filled with confusion and annoyance as it surveyed the chaotic scene in the café.
The short, white-haired girl stood frozen on her seat, while the rest of the café's patrons were stuck in time, like a jammed old-fashioned film projector. The cat's little brain whirred rapidly as it pieced everything together.
The gray cat crouched on the floor, raised a paw, and waved goodbye to the golden-haired girl at the door. Then—
"Meow—!" A sharp cry from the cat snapped the jammed film reel of the café back into motion.
And from the doorway came the devil's own words:
"The Headmaster didn't bring Oath of Judah with her today—!"
The café erupted into chaos.
"Headmaster! You just said you were directly applying for an A-rank Valkyrie qualification! Who's the lucky one?!" This was a Valkyrie desperate for a promotion.
"Lady Theresa! As Overseer Otto's granddaughter, what are your thoughts on the Schicksal elite's blatant abuse of privilege?!" This was an intern from the Academy newspaper, eager to stir up trouble.
"Teriteri! I'm your biggest fan!" Hmm... just ignore this one... wait, what? A naive, pure-hearted young girl (or boy?) utterly captivated by Theresa's cute appearance, completely oblivious to the fact that she's already over forty.
"Waaah! Stay away from me!" And this, this was Theresa.
"Hope she's okay." (x2)
Having fled the café at light speed, the two looked back at the near-riot they'd left behind. They pressed their palms together and spoke in unison, then exchanged a glance and a smile, their eyes unable to hide their schadenfreude.
"But speaking of which, an A-rank Valkyrie... is that really appropriate? It's like parachuting someone who's never even met the management team into a senior corporate role..." Snow's smile faded as she cupped her chin, turning to her companion with uncertainty.
"What's inappropriate about it? Based on your achievements and strength alone, you could easily qualify for S-rank. Besides, Theresa said you're still considered a semi-student. You can learn all the necessary knowledge about Honkai that Valkyries need right here at the Academy."
"Of course, St. Freya also has the standard academic curriculum. Don't even think about skipping it."
"Huh...? Why would I want to skip it?" Snow asked, puzzled by Murata Himeko's teasing expression.
"Ahem. Remember Kiana? Theresa is her great-aunt. When the Headmaster first invited Kiana to join St. Freya, she fantasized about never having to take those academic classes again..."
"And when she officially enrolled and saw the class schedule, Kiana's face turned green... right?" Snow finished Himeko's thought, drawing the conclusion she'd expected.
"...Nope."
"Oh? Then her determination is quite commendable," Snow said with a nod.
"No, that's not it. What I mean is... the moment that brat saw the schedule, she grabbed that little girl Raiden Mei and bolted for the Academy gates, shouting something like, 'Mei, let's just elope!'... and kicked the gate clean off its hinges."
"Uh... that's Kiana for you... And then?"
"And then? Then Theresa dragged her back with the Oath of Judah... and docked her entire allowance for the month."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
"Anyway, back to the main topic. You don't need to worry so much, Snow. The A-rank Valkyrie assessment evaluates a Schicksal Valkyrie's overall strength and achievements. The fact that you took down a Herrscher in Nagazora City was witnessed by the entire crew of the Hyperion."
"Although Theresa suppressed the incident and didn't report the full truth to the Schicksal Council, the official Valkyries of the Far East Branch certainly won't have any objections to your rank."
"And under normal circumstances, the final review stage at Schicksal Headquarters won't be a problem for Theresa. Although she can't stand Overseer Otto, the Overseer himself dotes on her."
"Besides, Snow... forgive me for being blunt, but based on the information I've gathered, your adoptive father's identity points to one of the Cardinals on the Schicksal Council. I don't know which one specifically, but it's highly likely he's one of them."
"Your direct promotion application will sail through without a hitch..."
"My adoptive father is a high-ranking Schicksal official? Hmm... that's a reasonable deduction. But whenever I try to recall his face, my memories become hazy..."
"...So even if he were standing right in front of me, I probably wouldn't be able to identify him."
My memories have been tampered with... In a way, Father, your actions are truly infuriating...
When I finally meet him, I'll beat him up first. No mercy. Snow's expression darkened.
"Don't worry about it. One step at a time, you'll find the answers eventually. Besides, didn't your adoptive father tell you you'd meet again? You're in Schicksal now; you're bound to run into him sooner or later," Himeko said, trying to comfort the golden-haired girl whose mood had soured.
"Hmm... Thank you, Himeko."
Hmm... I'll beat him up twice instead!