— — — — — —
Itogami Island, East District. An apartment building—
Ding-dong.
Hearing the doorbell, Yukina hurried to the entryway and pulled the door open.
"Instructor?!"
Yukina stared at the woman in front of her, dressed in a light green shrine maiden outfit, with brilliant blond hair and pointed elf-like ears, and reflexively stepped back in shock.
"What? Not happy to see me?" Endou Yukari raised an eyebrow, her tone edged with threat.
"No—no, not at all!"
Yukina retreated another step, then quickly moved aside. "P-Please come in! I'll make some tea!"
"Hold it."
Endou grabbed Yukina by the collar and yanked her back, then leaned in and sniffed her.
"Instructor… what are you doing?" Yukina asked, stunned.
"Nothing…" Endou let go, sighing in clear disappointment.
"Nothing?" Yukina straightened her clothes, confused.
Endou replied casually, "No man's scent."
"?!???"
Yukina froze, then flushed bright red. "W-What are you talking about?! Why would I have a man's scent on me?!"
Even as she protested, Ryo's face flashed unbidden through her mind.
'Is she… checking for his scent?' The thought sent Yukina into a mild panic.
"Still as dense as ever, my idiot disciple."
Shaking her head in exasperation, Endou walked into the apartment and asked calmly, "Where's Touka?"
"In the bedroom."
Yukina closed the front door, hurried over, and opened the bedroom door.
The apartment had only just been rented, so the room was sparsely furnished—just a bed and a wardrobe.
On the bed lay a black-haired girl with long hair, dressed in the uniform of their Academy, sleeping peacefully.
Endou strode over and placed a hand on Touka Fujisaka's forehead. After a moment of silence, she spoke with complicated emotions. "It's her."
"To think… I'd see her again."
After saying that, Endou turned to Yukina, "Are you sure she was summoned by His Majesty, Ryo Yagami?"
"Y-Yes."
Yukina glanced at Touka, then nodded hesitantly. "I haven't finished the full report yet."
"Mmm."
Endou nodded, then paused, frowning. "Wait—where's Sayaka?"
"Sayaka… she went to a clothing store nearby to buy clothes for Lady Touka."
Yukina's gaze drifted away. She didn't dare meet her instructor's eyes.
"Oh?"
Endou gave Yukina a meaningful look, tapping her index finger against her lips with a soft laugh.
"So the one I thought would be the biggest headache actually moved the fastest. Interesting."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Yukina asked blankly.
"Nothing."
Endou brushed it off, then looked back at Touka.
"Since we've confirmed it's Touka, there's no problem."
She thought for a moment, then said, "For now, you and Sayaka will take care of her."
"But, Instructor!" Yukina protested anxiously. "Neither Sayaka nor I are good with medical techniques. Leaving Lady Touka here isn't ideal. Wouldn't it be better to send her back to the mainland and let professionals treat her?"
"That won't do."
Endou shook her head, then frowned slightly at Yukina. "You really haven't adjusted your mindset yet."
"…What?"
Yukina blinked, looking at her mentor in confusion.
Endou walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and gazed out at the distant sea, letting out a sigh. "Did His Majesty tell you to hand Touka over to the Lion King Organization?"
"N-No…"
Yukina sensed something, but couldn't quite grasp it.
"Since he didn't, then the Lion King Organization cannot accept Touka. Even if she's a former member of the Three Saints."
A chill crept into Endou's voice. "Yukina, if one day His Majesty orders you to destroy the Lion King Organization, I hope you'll pick up your weapon immediately instead of asking why."
"…What?"
Yukina's eyes widened in disbelief.
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and said, "Instructor, is this really the right time to be testing my loyalty?"
"No. This isn't a test."
Endou shook her head, "This is the Three Saints' final order to you."
"Why?" Yukina asked after a brief silence.
Endou turned around, leaning back against the window, and countered with a question. "Tell me, Yukina. When the Lion King Organization was founded, what was its original purpose?"
"To handle large-scale, man-made magical disasters within our country and conduct intelligence operations, ensuring the safety of citizens' lives and property."
Yukina answered instantly, as if she'd recited it countless times.
Endou nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Then now, who has the ability to create large-scale, man-made magical disasters that threaten Japan?"
"It's… it's…"
Yukina couldn't finish the sentence.
Fine sweat beaded on her forehead. Her face went pale as she bit her lip, unable to speak further.
"Don't worry. Say it," Endou encouraged gently.
After a moment of silence, Yukina whispered, "The Fourth Primogenitor."
Who else could pose such a threat to the nation, capable of effortlessly creating massive magical disasters, if not the Primogenitors?
"Do you understand now?"
Endou smiled faintly. "Since the Lion King Organization exists to deal with large-scale magical disasters, it can't avoid the Fourth Primogenitor."
"And with the Lion King Organization's current strength—no, even if you gathered all of humanity—it still wouldn't be enough to stop that man."
"That can't be…"
Yukina found it hard to believe. Ryo might not be gentle, but he seemed… normal. The idea that he possessed such terrifying power felt unreal.
"When you can't beat something, you join it. You understand that, don't you, Yukina?"
A trace of a smile appeared on Endou's face. "So don't do anything that might anger Ryo Yagami. As long as you stand properly behind him, that alone will be the Lion King Organization's greatest contribution."
"Back then, if he'd wanted to weaken Japan and destroy the Lion King Organization, we would have migrated here and changed the organization's name."
"Do you understand?"
"…I understand."
— — —
The Department of Foreign Affairs.
After much deliberation, La Folia finally picked up the receiver and dialed the secure line to the Aldegyr Kingdom.
.
.
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