"I'm sorry, Theresa-sama." Rita merely lifted her head; the movements of her hands didn't falter in the slightest, as if even looking up was a gesture of courtesy toward Theresa.
"I don't quite understand what you mean," she said, adding a small spoonful of sugar to her black tea.
Theresa's eye twitched as she watched the spoonful of sugar. She raised her glass and took another careful sip of her freshly squeezed bitter melon juice, confirming that its authentic bitterness remained unchanged.
"Ahem, what I mean is~ we can contact them through [Spark]. I can pull some strings with my connections to help you get some news about Bianka.
"That way, even if we can't leave ARC City, we can still find out how she's doing. We might even be able to get a recent photo of her from them!"
Rita's face still wore its perfect smile, but the act of pouring pure milk into her black tea betrayed the turmoil beneath her perfect composure.
Is she treating her black tea like coffee?
Theresa glanced at the cup, which was rapidly turning into milk tea, and guiltily clutched her own bitter melon juice with both hands.
"Is that so?" Rita picked up a long, thin spoon and began to stir. Now Theresa was truly lost. Honestly, she half-expected Rita to start shaking the cup like a cocktail shaker next.
Rita seemed to realize her actions had become disorganized, though perhaps she still hadn't.
She paused, looking up. "Theresa-sama, [Girl and Cat] has consistently avoided all areas with human presence. Given her condition, is it likely she would actually appear before [Judgment of Shamash and Hundred Flowers]?
"Furthermore, is it wise to let others make contact with [Girl and Cat], who possesses Honkai energy?"
Even though the name is so awkward to say, how does Rita manage to say it so smoothly, almost like she's reading an official report?
"Don't worry about that..." Theresa scratched her head, kicking her legs lightly as she lay on the sofa. "I'm sure those two will be fine!"
This time, Rita was silent for several long seconds. Her direct gaze was so intense that Theresa felt an uncomfortable urge to shift away.
"Theresa-..."
"Teri-Teri! Teri-Teri!"
Two child-like chimes suddenly rang out from Theresa's pocket. Startled, she fumbled to catch the cup she had almost flung away before curling into a ball, her face blushing as she pulled out her phone.
But a single glance at the screen made her cry out in surprise.
"A mission from Grandpa? Why would he send it through my phone?"
Usually, Otto would post missions directly on the bulletin board, sometimes announcing them over the intercom, or, at the very least, coming to get her in person.
Receiving a mission via a text message was practically unheard of, except for those few times he'd asked her to quietly bring something back from a mission...
Could it be a secret mission?!
A flash of inspiration struck Theresa. At the same time, Rita finally noticed the strange concoction in her hands. Her brow, which rarely furrowed, wrinkled in a serious expression as she seemed lost in thought.
After carefully reading the message from Otto, Theresa's expression shifted from delight to a look of strange consternation.
Finally, with a look that suggested she was pinching her nose, Theresa put away her phone, straightened her legs to slip on the slippers Rita had brought, and hopped off the sofa. She walked over to Rita and patted her on the shoulder.
"Rita, we have a mission," Theresa announced. "Grandpa wants us to go to the Middle East immediately to assist [Judgment of Shamash and Hundred Flowers] in eliminating the [Desert Emperor]."
This time, Rita was genuinely stunned. A flicker of astonishment crossed her perpetually composed face.
"Now?" she asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice. "Is this a direct order from the Lord Overseer?"
Theresa nodded. "Grandpa said this operation grants us the authority to mobilize equipment at the highest combat-readiness level, but the personnel are restricted to those he has designated.
"We're the first wave, and our goal is to ensure the Desert Emperor's disaster zone doesn't expand. Fu Hua and Himeko are the second wave of reinforcements; they'll probably arrive a few days after us since they need to withdraw from the front lines...
"As for the third wave of support..." Theresa had no desire to continue, but seeing her reluctant expression, Rita had already guessed who the third wave would be.
Gu Chu—this Herrscher whose schedule was so packed by Otto he barely had time to think. Otto now had to set aside time every day to arrange Gu Chu's itinerary, ensuring he had things to do that weren't overly threatening.
This situation had been going on for nearly two months, and even Otto could feel a significant portion of his energy being wasted on it.
Fortunately, Gu Chu was behaving himself... In fact, he was so well-behaved it was almost suspicious.
But those weren't their problems to worry about.
"Theresa-sama, may I see the personnel list the Lord Overseer has assigned?" Rita asked, putting down her cup of milk tea. Her eyes, fixed on Theresa, seemed to be shining.
"It's just me, you, and Li Sushang," Theresa said, pulling up the list on her phone to show Rita.
Over the past few months, the three of them had become a proven combination.
Rita could handle battlefield analysis and reconnaissance. During combat, she could provide covering fire from the periphery and command the flow of battle.
Theresa's battlesuit was complete. Combined with the special edition Judah from Otto, she could now stand behind Li Sushang, intercepting the vast majority of attacks that slipped past Li Sushang's impenetrable web of swords.
At the same time, Theresa could perfectly handle any battles that didn't require Li Sushang's full strength, allowing her to conserve energy for more critical fights.
Many of the key decisions were also made by Theresa. It could be said that she was, without a doubt, the true captain of this small squad.
And Li Sushang?
Rita told her where to fight, and she fought. Theresa told her who to cut, and she cut. This feeling of getting so much done without having to think was simply wonderful!
And now, standing before you is—
Fire MOTH's Anti-Honkai Squad: Jade Knight: Moon Helm of the Immortal Blades!
The Acting Captain of the Immortal Blades: Valkyrie Judah!
And the perfect maid of the Immortal Blades!
And now, they were heading out to find the true captain of their Immortal Blades