Clara had a decent grasp of her newly recruited subordinate's personality. Though she often said strange, hard-to-understand things, her simple words were always filled with genuine emotion.
Like now—though she didn't get what "show off what's in my mouth" meant, she could tell she was trying to comfort her.
Stelle tilted her body 45 degrees, staring at Sampo. "Trying to kidnap my Boss Clara? That's bold."
Sampo hurriedly waved his hands. "No way, don't slander me!"
Stelle: "Keep making excuses. I overheard your shady conversation when I passed by. You old Sampo, looking for a beating, huh?"
The score from that time he ditched them in the Snow Plains still needed settling!
Sampo took a step back. "What do you want?"
Stelle rolled up her sleeves and charged straight at Sampo!
"Hey, hey, hey, slow down!"
Sampo scrambled onto the tram, not forgetting to call out a warning.
"Slow down? You think I—"
Bang!
Just as Stelle was about to grab Sampo, the tram door slid shut. Unable to stop, Stelle slammed her forehead right into it.
Her vision went dark, and she collapsed backward, eyes swirling like a stunned mosquito.
"I told you to slow down."
On the tram, Sampo wiped nonexistent sweat from his brow and shrugged. "Sigh, I only played the bad guy because I couldn't stand watching. Don't hold it against me later, ladies."
…
"…Huh?"
Stelle groggily opened her eyes, finding her head resting on something unexpectedly comfortable—soft, fragrant, like a little cupcake. She kinda wanted to take a bite…
"Hey, if you keep grinning like that, the Silvermane Guards over there are gonna arrest you."
Clara's expressionless face appeared in Stelle's field of vision, startling her.
Wait… what just happened? Let me think… ugh, can't remember, my head hurts.
It had to be Sampo ambushing her! How else could the unbeatable 50-50 War God get knocked out so suddenly? Yeah, that's it! That sneaky Masked Fool better not let her get the chance!
From the looks of it, Clara must've carried her to a bench by the roadside and stayed to look after her.
"Boss Clara, thanks."
Stelle sat up, rubbing her head and smiling. "Thanks for staying by my side."
A ripple passed through Clara's pretty pink eyes, and she turned her face away from her gaze. "It was nothing. Any passerby would've done it."
"You can't say that." Stelle took Clara's small hand. "From the Underworld dungeon to the chaos at Qlipoth Fort… uh, let's skip that one for now. And now, I owe you a 'thank you' for all of it."
"The first day I joined you as my boss, you went through hell and high water for me. Where else can you find something that awesome?" Stelle grinned. "I overheard a lot of what Sampo said to you at the station… I'm sorry, it's my fault. I asked for your help but didn't take good care of you."
"But I don't agree with Sampo's view. Maybe it was true before, but now, you're definitely not alone anymore."
Clara froze slightly.
"Like other kids your age, I'm your subordinate, the rest of the Express crew are your friends, Bronya and the others too. Plus, Svarog will always follow you."
"Even if you don't say it, I can tell you never envied the lives of Overworld kids. You're truly strong. Whether or not you have the power to dominate the Underworld, you'd never give in."
Clara tilted her head up. "…Hmph, you get it, huh."
Stelle dropped to one knee before Clara, her face beaming with sincerity. "Boss Clara, from now on, I'll be your 'shoes.' You're the best boss in the world, and I'm ready to be your most loyal subordinate!"
Clara bit her lip. This guy was so cheesy, so cheesy she didn't even know what to say.
Was Stelle genuinely clueless or just pretending?
Tap, tap, tap.
At that moment, a Silvermane Guard approached Stelle from behind. "Miss, under Belobog's Minor Protection Law, please mind your behavior in public, or we'll have to detain you."
Stelle quietly let go of Clara's little foot.
…
Not long after, Belobog Commercial Street.
Stelle: "Wanna eat?"
Clara: "Eat… this? It's kinda big, isn't it…"
Stelle: "Big is good!"
Clara: "Alright, I've never tried it before… ugh, it's a bit hard."
Stelle: "Just lick it slowly, like that. Nice and gentle, don't be too rough…"
Ice cream stall owner: "Miss, if you keep talking nonsense, I'm calling the Silvermane Guards."
"Hey, hey, hey, I didn't mean it!" Stelle, sweating, waved her hands and left.
"Boss Clara, let me ask you something," Stelle said. "What's the most memorable thing in Belobog?"
Clara thought for a moment. "Hmm… If it were me, I'd say geomarrow. Why? You looking for a souvenir?"
Stelle scratched her head. "Well, it's like this—I need to pick out a gift for someone I'm not too familiar with."
Since boarding the Express, she hadn't spent much time with Himeko. Then they came straight to Belobog. Compared to the other three, he hadn't had much interaction with her.
And Stelle still wasn't sure if this version of Himeko was exactly like the original or if she had some hidden traits she hadn't noticed.
So, when it came to picking a gift, she was extremely hesitant.
Buzz, buzz.
Stelle took out her phone. It was a message from Dan Heng: Sorry to bother you, but I left some books at the bookstore I haven't picked up. Could you grab them for me?
Stelle: OK, I'll bring them back.
Dan Heng: [Shared a location with you]
Stelle put her phone away, noticing Clara's curious gaze. The corner of her lips curled up. "Boss Clara, know what this is?"
Clara: "A communicator?"
Stelle shook her head and handed her the phone. "This thing's a million times better than a communicator. I call it the greatest invention in the universe."
"Calls and messages are nothing. The most important thing is, it can play games."
"Play… games?"
Five minutes later, Stelle nudged Clara. "Boss Clara, let's head back and play more."
Clara: "Wait, five more minutes. I'm about to win."
Ten minutes later.
Stelle: "Boss Clara, your ice cream's melting…"
Clara: "Eat it for me."
Twenty minutes later.
Stelle sighed, grabbed Clara's legs, and hoisted her onto her shoulders. The two walked off, one atop the other.
She really wondered if she was raising an internet-addicted girl.