"Even I'd get a little shy with you two staring at me like that~♪"
Elysia cupped her cheeks with both hands, taking a slight step back as she put on an innocent, flustered act.
After watching her for a moment, Durandal let out a soft sigh and turned to Eden.
"Miss Eden, there's no need to rush your decision. Here's our office address—if you have time, feel free to drop by. We have more detailed materials available there."
As she spoke, Durandal handed Eden a slip of paper with the address of the Flame-Chasers' temporary office.
The reason it was temporary was simple:
Mobius hadn't arrived yet, and the planned permanent office space hadn't been renovated.
After all, no one could be sure whether the original location was entirely free from… various leakage risks.
So, to be safe, Connie had rented a standalone building downtown to serve as the office—the former city hall of Nagazora. Thanks to some connections, she'd even managed to get a friendly discount.
Since it was a private building and not some busy commercial complex, there was no need to worry about information leaks.
Eden studied the address carefully before tucking it away.
"I'll be leaving Nagazora the day after tomorrow to prepare for my next performance in another city. So, if nothing comes up, I'll stop by tomorrow to take a look."
Seeing that Eden had expressed interest, Durandal didn't overstay their welcome. She smiled and said, "Miss Eden, tonight's performance was wonderful—I really enjoyed it. Well then, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow~♪" Elysia waved cheerfully.
Eden smiled and returned the gesture. "See you tomorrow."
Once they left the dressing room, Kevyn shot them a curious, slightly gossipy look.
Durandal kept her eyes forward and remarked, "Kevyn, didn't you highly recommend a barbecue place around here?"
"Huh? Ah! Right, I'll lead the way."
The moment food was mentioned, Kevyn's curiosity instantly took a back seat.
After all, three hours at a concert had taken its toll—not just on Kevyn, but everyone was starving.
So, the group of five said their goodbyes to Eden's manager, assistants, and the venue security before finally stepping out of the stadium.
Over barbecue, the conversation flowed freely.
With Durandal and Elysia skillfully steering the topic away from sensitive matters again and again, Kevyn—whether she'd genuinely forgotten or simply caught on—didn't press further about what had happened earlier.
The next day, Sunday, Connie noticed that Durandal and Elysia—who'd been missing all day yesterday—were up unusually early and planning to go with her to the Flame-Chasers' office.
For a moment, she felt a surge of emotion, like a mother watching her children finally growing up.
They're all grown now… starting to understand how hard their "mom" Connie works.
But not long after they arrived at the temporary office, a van pulled up outside. A woman stepped out—dressed modestly, but with the unmistakable aura of a star.
Soon after, Durandal and Elysia escorted her straight into the meeting room. Apart from occasionally asking Connie for documents or lunch, the three of them stayed in there the entire day without a peep.
Connie: ?
So they weren't here to help—they were here to give her more work!
Tossing her long hair, Connie grumbled under her breath, "I'm definitely hiring an assistant. No, one isn't enough—I need two!"
By that afternoon, inside the meeting room, Eden set down the documents she'd been reading and sighed.
"I never imagined the truth of this world would be revealed to me in such a way."
"Then… may I ask what your decision is, Miss Eden?"
Durandal was feeling somewhat nervous—after all, this was their potential golden sponsor—but she kept her composure.
Only Elysia, who'd grown somewhat familiar with her lately, noticed the subtle tension in Durandal's clenched fists and lightly pursed her lips.
'Did I agree too easily back then?' Elysia wondered, resting her chin in her hand.
"Of course, I'm willing to contribute to the preservation of human civilization. But…" Eden turned to Durandal, "to be honest, I truly don't understand how I can be of help to your organization."
"I'm in the entertainment industry—I've only recently debuted, gained a bit of fame, but even now, after my first concert, I'm already mired in controversy."
Eden was referring to the second half of last night's concert, where she'd performed opera instead of pop songs.
The live audience had responded enthusiastically, but by the next day, major newspapers and trending topics were dominated by criticism.
Especially from certain established artists who—setting aside the artistic merit of Eden's opera performance and her vocal skill—openly claimed that her actions had "lowered the prestige of opera" and "brought shame to high art." Some even called for the opera world to blacklist her.
At the same time, the pop music scene took its own sarcastic jabs, suggesting that if Eden felt pop music wasn't "refined" enough, she should leave the industry altogether and head straight for the concert hall.
In short, she'd managed to please no one.
As a result, Eden's scheduled engagements were now at risk of cancellation.
Her agency was buckling under the pressure and considering shelving her for a while.
Durandal was aware of the situation.
She didn't know much about Eden's early life, only that she later became one of the defining cultural icons of the Previous Era—a megastar who illuminated the world.
Model, artist, musician, creative director, designer… she'd dabbled in nearly every corner of the entertainment industry.
But thinking it over, if Eden's singing career had been smooth sailing—constantly busy with concerts and new albums—she probably wouldn't have had the chance to explore so many side ventures.
Of course, it could also just be the butterfly effect caused by Durandal's presence.
After all, her arrival had already resulted in Kevyn and Su—both in high school—losing their… ahem.
Compared to that, a little turbulence in Eden's career was practically nothing.
"If your current agency is no longer willing to support you, Miss Eden, we're prepared to step in," Durandal said frankly.
"We may not have experience in this field, but it's clear that you have vision and remarkable talent."
"We can cover the penalty for breaking your contract, and then establish an entertainment group dedicated to you—covering fashion, acting, music, and more. The Flame-Chasers would hold 70% of the shares, and you would hold 30%."
"We would only take dividends and wouldn't interfere in the company's operations.
"As for why we've chosen you, Miss Eden… it's because of what you offer. To join the Flame-Chasers, one must either have ability, or wealth—or the means to acquire it."
"You possess both in our eyes. Your Honkai adaptability is enough to make you an excellent warrior, and you personally can secure substantial funding for our organization."
--+--