Jesselton and the other operators stepped out of the eting room. When they saw Sonya leading the group of Bear girls, they withdrew their gazes without a word. Although Jesselton cared deeply about the fact that unknown Ursus had entered the King's sanctum, he restrained himself. The image Tomorrow's Developnt presented to the outside world could not be allowed to end in his hands, otherwise he would have to take his own life to atone.
The doors here were kept open at all tis so that the police could communicate freely with Tomorrow's Developnt's operators. Police officers entering was normal enough, but these young Bear girls were another matter entirely.
Jesselton gave them a brief look before turning away. After him ca Mountain, Mudrock, Qalaiša, W, and the others filing out one by one. As they passed in front of the Ursus girls, the presence they carried and the confident smiles on their faces made Sonya's eyes sparkle.
This was… way too cool.
What she had experienced at school was nothing more than childish scuffles. Only now did she realize that knocking everyone down with her fists at school ant nothing. Making sothing of herself on the land of Terra with those sa fists was what she should truly be doing.
But considering Chernobog's current situation, Sonya took a deep breath. What could she even do right now?
W glanced at Anna. Ever since acquiring drone, she liked to keep it in stealth mode and hover beside Felix. It was not because she cared about him personally, but because as a subordinate, she needed to respond instantly if he had any urgent needs.
She had heard Felix's promise to the girl nad Anna. While she was certain the King would not take an interest in an Ursus girl with neither chest nor hips to speak of, when W noticed the slightly haggard Natalya, she clenched her teeth.
She looked down. She could not see her own feet. Good, her confidence returned. After all, she was a Sarkaz woman. Her charm far surpassed that of Sankta won.
Did they even understand the value of a Sarkaz woman's… assets?
W's gaze made Natalya shrink back slightly. She had no idea why the white-haired, red-eyed Sarkaz had been staring at her for so long. Under Ines's gentle guidance, the group entered the eting room.
Before them sat a Sankta with a golden crown halo, leaning back in a comfortable golden leather chair behind the round table. A screen composed of electronic components floated before him. His short gray hair stirred slightly in the breeze from the window. Hearing their footsteps, the electronic screen folded away at once, and a pair of clear golden eyes turned toward the Ursus girls.
All of the Ursus girls present, including Sonya, flushed imdiately. Under that transparent golden gaze, they felt as though every stitch of clothing had been stripped away, leaving them completely exposed before the young man.
His presence embodied legitimacy, eternity, order, and singularity.
Perhaps even the Emperor of Ursus did not possess such an aura. Though he was looking at the Ursus girls, it felt as though he was gazing into their very essence, their souls.
Sonya's face burned red as she lifted her eyes to et his. Anna had already passed her blushing stage. She hugged her books tightly and lowered her head slightly to hide the color on her cheeks. Lada stared at the young man in a daze, looking as though she might start drooling at any mont.
A sickly flush rose on Natalya's face as her full thighs pressed together unconsciously. Rosalind blinked boldly, while Zoya lowered her gaze, feeling her heart racing too fast. If she looked any longer, it might beat even faster.
Ines sat to the side of the eting room. Faced with this scene, she felt a speechless sense of helplessness. She knew well that the King's charm was unmatched. Among Tomorrow's Developnt's leadership, the n were utterly loyal to him, willing to go through fire and blades at his command. The won were equally loyal, though that loyalty carried with it a layer of admiration toward him as a man.
As far as she knew, Luna had shown interest in Felix from the very beginning. Qalaiša and Mudrock often found themselves staring at his face after he beca King. Even W seed to be a bit… Ines pondered for a mont before shaking her head. She only hoped W would have the courage to move forward. After all, while the King appeared imposing, he was quite easy to talk to in private.
Seeing the Bear girls staring at the King in a daze, their faces filled with the fluttering hearts of young maidens, Ines almost could not bring herself to shatter their fantasies.
But as the King's subordinate, it was sothing she had to do.
"Cough."
The light cough was like ice dropped into hot water, instantly lowering the temperature, though the cup itself remained warm, much like the girls' flushed cheeks.
"Good morning,"
Ines said gently, then turned toward Felix. "This is Tomorrow's Developnt's leader, Felix. Do you have sothing you'd like to discuss with us?"
At Felix's own request, Ines did not ntion titles such as King of the Sarkaz, King of Liberation, or Pioneer. It was ant to avoid stirring the girls' curiosity. However, she seed to have forgotten that among the operators, the word "King" was already spoken constantly.
Sonya ca back to her senses, feeling a restless heat rise within her. Staring at soone else's leader for so long was completely unprofessional. Realizing this, she cleared her throat and bravely looked once more at the silent Sankta youth, whose expression carried a faint, encouraging smile.
"My na is Sonya. I'm a student at Peterheim Middle School."
She began with a simple introduction. "With Chernobog on the verge of falling, I hope to offer what help I can through student organizations. Tomorrow's Developnt saved the lives of my family and my friends, so I want to repay that debt."
"As for future plans, I haven't thought that far ahead. I just want to do whatever I can right now."
Her words were concise and direct. For a student, being able to speak fluently in front of Felix without stumbling was already proof of considerable courage.
"You're still students,"
The young man spoke for the first ti. His voice was magnetic with calm authority. "I don't want to demand anything of you. At your age, this kind of work is not appropriate. It's too dangerous for you. Tomorrow's Developnt does not force minors into combat."
"…Are you looking down on us?"
Sonya clenched her fists and lowered her head. She knew everything he said was true. They were only students. Above them were adults, grown n and won, police officers. How could such responsibility be placed on students like them? It was far too dangerous.
"Sonya…"
Anna pressed her lips together. She understood the emotions boiling inside Sonya, her sincere desire to see Chernobog return to peace. But the King's words also made sense.
"I'm not looking down on you,"
Felix waved his hand, and the atmosphere shifted from heavy to lighter at once. "It's simply that you're too young. Handing adult responsibilities to you would be our failure. Sonya, was it?"
"Yes."
Sonya straightened her chest.
"I can feel your resolve. I'll grant you a temporary external mbership with Tomorrow's Developnt. Your duties will be distributing supplies to civilians, guiding students, and maintaining order when necessary. Is this sothing you can handle?"
Light flashed in Sonya's eyes. This was exactly what she had hoped for. While not being able to step onto the front lines was a slight disappointnt, after witnessing Operator Mountain's combat strength the day before, she understood that the other operators were on the sa level. That realization left her with a sense of frustration. With people like them around, there was no place for Sonya and the others on the front line.
"Understood. Please entrust this responsibility to ."
Sonya's voice rang with conviction.
Felix nodded slightly. After confirming with him, Ines stood up. "Please follow . I'll register you as temporary external mbers."
Sonya nodded firmly, while Rosalind beside her broke into a smile. The group followed Ines out of the room.
"Natalya, please stay behind."
Felix's words made Natalya, who was walking at the rear, stop in her tracks. Surprise flickered across her face. Sonya, walking ahead, turned back and looked at Natalya, whose complexion seed unhealthy, and said simply, "Natalya, we'll wait for you outside."
"…Thank you."
The eting room door closed once more, leaving Natalya alone facing Felix. Under his calm gaze, she had no idea what he intended to say.
"The noble quarter is currently gathering more than a thousand Infected."
That single sentence drained the color from Natalya's face. Her lips trembled, and tears slipped from her eyes before she could stop them. She was only of middle school age. Even as a girl from a noble family, she had borne far too much pressure. That she had not broken down already spoke to her resilience.
"The nobles' forces are still holding. They have equipnt that Tomorrow's Developnt supplied in the past, so they won't fall imdiately."
Felix's tone remained even. "We should all do what we can."
"…Thank you, Your Highness."
Natalya bowed deeply. She did not ask for anything, nor did she beg Felix to save her parents. Were her parents more important simply because they were nobles? Were the parents of others any less so?
What right did she have to ask him for anything? Did she possess anything that Tomorrow's Developnt valued? Did she have any bargaining chip that could move Felix's heart?
Aside from this body of hers… but how could she harbor such a sordid thought and use it to speculate about His Highness's intentions?
His Highness was right. At this mont, all she could do was what lay within her own abilities.
With that realization, resolve returned to Natalya's expression. She bowed to Felix once more in gratitude, then pushed the door open.
She was t by a row of expectant gazes. She looked at them one by one, and finally offered Sonya a faint smile. "I'm fine now."
Sonya was surprised by the change in her deanor, but still nodded. At the front, Ines turned with a smile and continued leading the Bear girls onward. As expected of His Highness. With just a few words, he had pulled Natalya out of despair and self-doubt.
As for the noble quarter, she had indeed heard rumors about it. However, the more pressing issue now was that the remaining forces of the Reunion Movent had discovered the direction in which Chernobog's residents were retreating. According to footage relayed by drones, at least tens of thousands of Infected were advancing toward the school district, including high-ranking mbers of the Reunion Movent's main force. Facial data analysis identified them as the cadres phisto and Faust.
As for where this intelligence ca from, it was said to have been obtained by adventurers who had infiltrated the Reunion Movent as undercover agents.
Sonya followed Ines into another room. There, she saw a chanical sphere floating in midair. Being new here, she knew which questions to ask and which to keep to herself.
"This is Clever. A chanical construct created by His Highness. Your data will be logged into Tomorrow's Developnt's system here,"
Ines explained. "Although you are temporary external mbers, you still enjoy certain internal permissions. You'll be able to access past data and historical records."
Sonya stared intently at the drone for a long mont before speaking. "If I want to join Tomorrow's Developnt as a full mber, what procedures would I need?"
Rosalind, standing beside her, hesitated as if wanting to say sothing, then stopped. She seed to have thought of sothing and chose not to continue. In truth, she also held a favorable impression of Tomorrow's Developnt and had been saved by its operators. She simply wanted to observe their conduct a bit longer and review their historical records before making a decision.
Ines was not surprised by Sonya's question. She smiled lightly. "There's no need to rush becoming a full mber. You don't even know yet what Tomorrow's Developnt truly aims to do. Why not first take a look at our history and the purpose behind our founding?"
Sonya and the others nodded in agreent. With Clever's assistance, they were registered as temporary external mbers and issued standard Tomorrow's Developnt combat uniforms. Sonya liked hers imdiately. Though it lacked the flashy appearance of powered armor, once she put it on, she felt her body grow lighter, as if she could swing her baseball bat faster. The chill in the air also seed less biting after she donned the uniform.
While Sonya was savoring the feel of the suit, Rosalind tested her strength with a few punches. Anna had already begun browsing Tomorrow's Developnt's history with Clever's help. Not only Anna, but Natalya, Lada, and Zoya were doing the sa.
A future where the uninfected and the infected could coexist in harmony. Tomorrow's Developnt counted both infected and uninfected among its operators. It had risen from humble beginnings. Those who followed the righteous path found many allies, while those who strayed were left behind. When Felix first founded Tomorrow's Developnt, only a handful of like-minded companions stood beside him. Step by step, he expanded, drawing in countless adventurers during his journeys. From the days of weakness, they had accompanied Tomorrow's Developnt all the way. No, Tomorrow's Developnt had also been supporting those adventurers, the two advancing together.
"…This is the kind of organization I want to join."
Sonya murmured softly.
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