Nefthis cleared her throat softly before steering the conversation back.
"Well, yes—you will be working for the Dark Alliance. More precisely…" she tapped her own chest with a smug little grin, "you'll be working under me."
Jane sighed, as if she'd heard this speech too many times.
Nefthis continued anyway.
"As for what kind of work, I've been thinking about it quite a lot. At first I wondered if I should just introduce you to the world as a new Legion Commander." She paused, then shook her head. "But after weighing the pros and cons, that's a terrible idea."
She lifted a finger.
"So here's my conclusion: you'll have two identities. One as Knox Aznable—your normal self. And another as a 'pseudo' Legion Commander."
She glanced at Igris and Beru, then back at him.
"Considering you're clearly not a real Legion Commander—and you don't have an Administrator undead—calling you a pseudo one fits best. The real Legion Commanders and anyone with sharp eyes will figure it out sooner or later, so it's better to acknowledge it from the start."
Her expression softened slightly, though her smile stayed sly.
"With this arrangement, plus my explanation behind you, it'll dispel most doubts and prevent people from assuming you're hiding something bigger. So…"
She leaned forward on the couch, eyes gleaming with interest.
"How does this arrangement sound to you?"
Hearing this, Knox had an inner monologue: Great, with this, I can slip into the main story easily.
On the outside, however, he kept his usual calm smile.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, pretending to think, then glanced at the two shadows behind him.
"Well then… how is it, Igris, Beru?"
Igris stepped forward slightly, kneeling with one hand on his chest. "I will follow my liege's judgment," he replied, voice steady and loyal.
Beru clicked his mandibles, bowing his head Beru straightened his back, wings twitching with eagerness.
"I will follow your decision, my liege! Whatever path you choose… I shall tear it open for you!"
Knox said, "Here you go, then. I'll accept your recruitment."
He lifted his head slightly, offering his hand for a shake.
Seeing this, Nefthis broke into a delighted smile and shook his hand firmly.
"Good choice!"
Knox tilted his head a bit. "By the way… I get the feeling you have another reason for recruiting me, don't you?"
Nefthis blinked—caught off guard for a moment—before letting out a small laugh.
"You really do have a sharp mind, don't you?"
Nefthis, looking way too casual for a leader of the Dark Alliance, folded her arms and continued with a bright smile.
"Actually, I have a daughter. Her name is Lorain. I've been a bit worried about her lately—she doesn't have many friends her age. So!" She pointed at Knox like this was the most natural thing in the world. "I want you to meet her!"
Knox stared at her for a moment, processing.
"…That's the 'other purpose'?"
Jane quietly looked away, as if she had already given up trying to stop her leader.
Nefthis nodded, absolutely confident. "Of course! I mean, you're strong, polite, talented, easy to talk to—honestly, if someone like you becomes her friend, I won't have to worry anymore."
She paused, then added, "Ah, and don't worry. I'm not forcing you two to be friends. Just meet her first. If it goes well, great. If not… well, I'll cry for a bit but I'll accept it."
Knox's thoughts trailed off for a moment.
"Lorain, huh? Honestly… that doesn't sound bad at all. Ever since I got reincarnated here, I've been so busy grinding my own life route that I barely met any named characters. This might actually be a good chance. And—well—Lorain is really beautiful. Not my main motive, okay? Definitely not."
He paused mid-thought, suddenly stiffening like a program catching an error.
"...Hold on. Meeting a named character should give me points, right? That means I should've gotten a notification."
His expression blanked as another realization struck.
"Oh. Right. I muted the system because it kept spamming me after I got famous. It was like—nonstop. I swear, I finally understand Togawa Sakiko, the succubus, the white moonlight, the blue octopus from BangDream: MyGO!!!!! when she got drowned in messages from Nagasaki Soyo, that high-school-widow-like girl. Exactly that energy."
Knox nodded slowly, absorbing her words.
"Alright then," he said, leaning back a little. "So what do I do now? I mean, there's no way you're going to announce my existence right away, right?"
Nefthis shook her head.
"Of course not. That would be stupid," she said bluntly, then added with a grin, "Even I'm not that reckless."
She folded her arms, her tone turning more serious—but still playful around the edges.
"You'll be coming with me. From today onward, you'll train under both me and Jane. We'll sharpen your skills, polish that potential of yours, and once we decide you're ready…"
She tapped her finger lightly on the table, eyes gleaming with intent.
"I'll assign you a mission big enough for a proper debut—something worthy of a pseudo legion commander."
Jane nodded in agreement.
"You'll need control, experience, and preparation. If your identity is going to stay in the shadows, then your first appearance must be impactful."
Nefthis folded her arms, her grin turning sly.
"It's more like this—you'll have two identities. In the light, you're still Knox Aznable. But in the shadows, you'll be the Pseudo Legion Commander, working directly under me." She tapped her finger on the table. "And don't worry, it's not free labor. You'll be paid properly, and I'll help you grow your… army. In quality and quantity. How about it?"
Knox leaned back a little, eyes half-lidded in thought.
"Hmmm… sure, I'll accept the offer. But I have a condition. When the time comes—or the situation forces me—I'm going to reveal my identity myself. Not anytime soon, of course. At the very least, not until after I've already been admitted into Kizen."
Hearing this, Nefthis's smile stretched even wider.
"Deal. Absolutely agreed!"
Jane, watching the two of them grin at each other like they'd just negotiated world domination, could only sigh internally.
…These two look like foxes making a pact, she thought, expression unchanged except for the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth.
Knox tapped his finger lightly on the table.
"About this second identity… I'm guessing it'll need a name, right?"
A brief silence. Then—his eyes drifted upward as his thoughts ran wild.
Hmm… my current surname, Aznable, already stole from Gundam anyway. If I go with another name, shouldn't it be Quattro Bajeena? Should I find sunglasses too? But… when Char changed his name to Quattro, he basically got a massive debuff. And I definitely don't want to get punched by a boy with a girlish name. (Kamille Bidan… yeah, no thanks.)
Should I switch to Amuro Ray? Hmmm…
He paused.
Then—ding!—it was like a small lightbulb popped above his head.
Wait… my EX-rank skill is Shadow Monarch. Then the name "Jin" would fit perfectly, wouldn't it?
A small smirk tugged at Knox's lips.
Yeah. Jin. Simple. Clean. Strong. And—most importantly—it was the name of the original Shadow Monarch, Sung Jin-Woo, from his previous world.
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Character Voicelines · Nefthis and Jane: About Knox's Cooking
Nefthis: Jane! We have to recruit Knox at all cost!
Jane: (¬_¬) Just say that you only want his cooking…
Nefthis: Aren't you the same? (¬‿¬)
Jane: ...
Jane: I merely acknowledge culinary talent when I see it. Don't lump me together with you.
Nefthis: That's what denial sounds like.
Jane: (¬_¬#)