Just as expected, when it came time to distribute the merchandise to Durandal's group, there were none left—precisely those five ended up empty-handed.
Seeing this, Kevyn was just about to give Durandal a good talking-to.
It was all because of her 'noble and unyielding spirit' that she hadn't gotten any of Eden's merch.
However, before Kevyn could even open her mouth, one of the security guards—after the last fan who'd taken the final piece of merchandise had left—sneaked over mysteriously and invited the five of them backstage to meet Eden, saying it was compensation for missing out on the goods.
At the same time, the guard couldn't help but remark on how all five of these lucky girls were real lookers—pretty enough to rival the female celebrity currently backstage.
If they ever debuted, they'd definitely be hits!
Kevyn's eyes nearly popped out of her head at that.
Then, in a complete daze, she followed the guard into the backstage lounge, still in a haze as she shook Eden's hand and took a photo together.
Just as she was about to be ushered out by the guard, still floating on cloud nine, Durandal spoke up again: "Miss Eden, could we have a word in private?"
Eden raised an eyebrow.
Noticing her manager about to say something, she cut in directly, "Of course."
With that, she shot a glance at the manager.
The manager had no choice—around Eden, she was clearly the less influential one.
So, she motioned for their assistants and security to head out.
Still, the manager couldn't resist adding, "Eden, if anything seems off, just shout for help. We'll rush in right away."
Eden nodded, waving a hand. "You can go. Don't worry, I trust this young lady means no harm."
On their side, Durandal also asked Kevyn, Mei, and Su to step out.
As for Elysia, since she was already a member of the Flame-Chasers, she was allowed to stay and listen.
Besides, Durandal didn't want to keep too much from her anyway.
She might hide her own past, but for the future, being in the same organization called for more honesty—better to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
Elysia had naturally guessed Durandal's intentions.
So, after ushering the three genuine high schoolers out of the lounge, that bright, radiant smile never left her lips.
"You have a truly lovely smile, miss. If you were to debut, you'd surely be very popular."
Eden had noticed Elysia, the pink-haired girl with the sunny demeanor, right away and had taken quite a liking to her.
"Oh my~? Though I'm happy to be praised, I'm her person now~ Without her permission, I wouldn't dare go off and do other things, you know~?"
Elysia was really into stirring up a little trouble for Durandal lately.
So, in response to Eden's compliment, she linked arms with that silly goose and deliberately said something intimate, all while watching her closely, hoping to catch a flustered reaction.
But Elysia had clearly underestimated Durandal's composure.
Without so much as a change in expression, Durandal addressed Eden, who now looked slightly surprised, and said, "What Elysia said is a bit exaggerated, but it's true."
"She is one of my people, and without my permission, she really shouldn't go off doing other things casually. By the way, Miss Eden, let me introduce myself. I'm Durandal. It's a pleasure to meet you."
With that, Durandal extended her right hand—the one Elysia wasn't clinging to.
Eden saw this and also reached out her right hand, shaking Durandal's.
"Elysia, Durandal…"
Eden studied the two in front of her and suddenly remarked, "You don't seem like ordinary high school students."
"But then again, ordinary high schoolers should be like that white-haired girl from before—blank slates, adorably clueless. So then, what did you two want to discuss with me in private?"
Durandal didn't answer immediately. Instead, she pulled out her phone, opened the photo gallery, and handed it to Eden.
At first, Eden thought it might be some candid photos the other had taken of her.
After all, even though she'd never experienced it herself, she'd heard older colleagues in the industry mention it often, warning her to be careful.
As she thought this, Eden reflected that there hadn't been anything worth photographing lately, then took the phone and saw what was in the gallery.
It was completely different from what she'd imagined. There were no scandalous pictures—just news articles about recent events in Siberia.
"Unknown disasters and spreading diseases… Renowned inventor passes away… Fire Moth military blockades…"
She'd heard snippets about these news stories herself.
After all, when planning a concert, you had to scout locations and naturally avoid less suitable areas.
But she didn't understand why Durandal was showing her these reports.
Durandal didn't explain right away. She took the phone back, opened the browser bookmarks, clicked on a website, and then handed the phone back to Eden.
"A UN-certified legitimate organization… The Flame-Chasers official website? Key members include leader Durandal, member Elysia…"
Eden's voice rose slightly. Though the website didn't have photos of the members, she didn't think it was just a coincidence.
Either these two high schoolers were using fake names to deceive her, or they really were part of that Flame-Chasers organization.
Then, Durandal and Elysia pulled out their ID cards and their student IDs from Chiba Academy.
Well, that settled it.
If these two just happened to share the same names as the leader and a member of this organization and were using that to trick her… then she'd just have to accept it.
With odds like that, she deserved to be fooled!
"Alright, now that I understand your identities, what does this have to do with me, an ordinary singer?"
Eden handed the phone back to Durandal, her tone carrying a hint of distance and seriousness.
In that moment, she no longer saw them as ordinary high school students or her fans.
"The survival of humanity matters to every individual, whether they are a singer, an assassin, a thief, a doctor, a scientist, an inventor, a battle maniac, a painter, a student, a nun, or anyone else, don't you agree?"
Durandal's tone made it sound as though she really had gathered people of all those backgrounds to fight for humanity.
Of course, the reflection was fleeting.
Facing Eden's increasingly puzzled expression, Durandal finally stated her purpose:
"Miss Eden, the Flame-Chasers formally invite you to join us. Will you fight with us for all that is beautiful in this world?"
Before Eden could respond, Elysia bristled beside her.
"Hey, hey, hey, Durandal, you didn't use that line when you recruited me! If you'd said that earlier, would I have refused you at first?"
Elysia grumbled resentfully.
Durandal: ?
Eden: ??
--+--