Evening.
Rapi, having completed her patrol mission at the Outpost, returned to the Commander's Office.
As the nominal leader of the Counterattack Squad, Rapi was always the calmest and most composed person, whether in battle or during daily duties.
But lately, Rapi had been feeling a bit uneasy.
"I'm in a bad mood."
"Is it because the Nikkes in the group chat keep teasing the Commander?"
A hint of bitter helplessness appeared in Rapi's eyes.
She had always believed that Nikkes and the Commander should maintain a certain distance; a superior is a superior, and a subordinate is a subordinate. As comrades fighting side by side, mutual trust should be the deepest bond between them.
However, lately, the content in that group chat had become more and more outrageous.
Not only were the explicit images sent by the administrator, Rapunzel, becoming excessive, but Sugar and Yulha constantly discussed more comfortable kissing techniques, and the Twin Bunnies from Unit 777 were even worse—constantly shouting about wanting to visit Grim for "dual charging" sessions.
Even someone as composed as Rapi couldn't help but feel uneasy seeing these messages over and over again.
Reading them made her feel stifled and annoyed.
Not reading them made her imagine Nikkes discussing how to "fry" their Commander daily, and that was still frustrating.
"..."
"Why am I letting personal feelings affect me like this? Rapi, you only need to follow the Commander's orders."
Standing before the Commander's Office door.
Rapi straightened the beret on her head and, after hiding a trace of jealousy in her eyes, knocked on the door: "Commander, are you there?"
Silence filled the room briefly before Anis's nervous voice came through: "Ra-Rapi?"
Rapi hummed and asked, "Anis, didn't you have a patrol mission today? What are you doing in the Commander's Office?"
"I was just consulting the Commander, Rapi. Just give me a moment, I'll go on patrol right away!"
Rapi stood outside the door, listening to the rustling sound of clothes being thrown on, suspicion in her eyes.
Anis, you really should consult properly.
After a moment, Anis pushed the door open and greeted Rapi with a smile: "Good afternoon, Rapi!"
"Good afternoon, Anis. Your vest is on backwards."
"Eh? Really? Maybe I was just too careless today. Well, I'm heading out on patrol! See you later, Rapi!"
Rapi watched Anis, disheveled and blushing, run off. Though a bit clueless, she had a general idea of what had just happened in the Commander's Office.
"Does the Commander prefer someone like Anis..."
Rapi stood at the door, falling into a rare moment of contemplation.
Only when Grim called her did Rapi snap out of it and enter the Commander's Office.
"Commander, have you been doing well lately?"
"If you're referring to my injuries, the recovery is going quite well. I'd say I'm about seventy to eighty percent healed." Grim nodded, straightened a stack of signed documents, and placed them in front of Rapi. "These are the signed documents. Please deliver them to Central Government later."
"Understood, Commander."
Rapi checked the papers, confirming that they were properly signed, but she didn't turn to leave immediately.
Grim noticed that she seemed like she wanted to say something and asked, "Is there something you'd like to say, Rapi?"
After a moment of silence, Rapi replied, "Commander, though this is a personal and unreasonable request, as your subordinate, I believe you should keep a certain distance from Nikkes."
"Are you worried about me, Rapi?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Since the Punishment battle, your reputation in the Ark has grown tremendously. As a result, more and more Nikkes are drawn to you. I worry that among them, there may be some with malicious intent." Rapi voiced her concern. "If you treat everyone with the same kindness, you may end up hospitalized again."
Grim shook his head. "Don't worry about me, Rapi."
"I know what I'm doing. Even if I seem overly kind sometimes, that doesn't mean I'm naïve. Besides, you're here with me, aren't you?"
"Even if I make the wrong decision, I know you'll be there to correct me."
"I understand, Commander."
A faint smile appeared on Rapi's lips.
Though Grim spoke gently, Rapi could still sense a certain dependence in his words.
So I really am someone important in the Commander's heart.
And Grim was right.
The Outpost could perhaps run without others, but it definitely could not run without Rapi.
As the leader of the Counterattack Squad, Rapi held considerable authority. In addition to managing the transfer of documents and materials with Central Government, logistics and base resource allocation often required her review and approval.
It could be said that if Rapi disappeared one day, the Outpost would fall into total chaos.
Could anyone else do what she did?
Probably not.
That means I must be someone truly important in the Commander's heart, right?
Rapi closed her eyes, quietly savoring a sense of joy that came from somewhere deep inside.
After a while, she let out a long sigh, and a rare smile appeared on her usually somber face. "There's still one week of leave left. Do you have any plans, Commander?"
Grim thought for a moment, then said, "Earn more money, and prepare for the next mission."
"How much money do we have now?"
"Two million credits, plus three million from the last mission, which is currently under approval and should be deposited into the account in two days. But I don't think we need that much money for now."
"You're wrong, Rapi. You can never have too much money."
Grim gently rubbed his chin.
The Ark wasn't a place to stay for long—especially after Marian's return, now brainwashed. Grim's Outpost would surely become the target of many forces within the Ark.
And it was all because Marian was too special.
As the first Nikke in Ark's history to integrate perfectly with Rapture technology as a "Heretic," who knew how many would want to dissect her and apply the technology to war—not just against the Rapture, but against humanity too. If the Ark's nobles obtained that tech, a total power upheaval was inevitable.
That wasn't something Grim wanted to see.
So even if he had to go into exile on the Surface, Grim wouldn't bow to the elites of the Ark.
As a Commander, if one couldn't protect his own soldiers, then what's the point of his position?
Therefore, what Grim needed now was strength.
Money, equipment, power.
The more, the better. The higher, the better.
But more importantly, Grim believed one thing was vital:
"Public opinion and support."
"Nikkes — I need them to believe in me and stand by me. That's why Liberation, which can eliminate Nimph, is essential." (The Nymph is a black box device in the Nikke's brain. Its primary functions include erasing memories, suppressing negative emotions, and preventing the Nikke from attacking humans. Currently, the only way to remove it is by creating Vapaus, which can be created from the blood of the Protagonist, Andersen, and The Legendary Commander..)
"As long as we have Vapaus and promise Nikkes freedom and equal rights as humans, when the time comes, no one will ever oppress us again."