Kurumi gazed at Luo Shu with crescent-moon eyes, her face all smiles.
Yet while she appeared delighted, Luo Shu couldn't muster any cheer.
In fact, if given the chance, he'd have loved to spam the system group chat with: "What do you do when the girl you secretly bullied catches you red-handed?"
Though his inner embarrassment showed, Luo Shu forcibly changed the subject:
"Can we table this for now? The immediate priority is that prophecy you mentioned earlier, right?"
Luo Shu knew perfectly well that while Kurumi possessed spacetime abilities, divination and prophecy weren't among them.
However, that didn't mean she couldn't achieve similar effects.
For instance, the Sixth Bullet of Kurumi's Angel Zafkiel could transfer her consciousness to her past self days earlier.
Additionally, the Fifth Bullet enabled future foresight, while the Ninth Bullet connected consciousnesses across different timelines.
All three bullets could mimic prophetic effects through temporal manipulation.
"If Luo Shu insists, I suppose I can temporarily forgive you."
Kurumi couldn't help but laugh at Luo Shu's nervous expression.
'So he only realises he should be scared after having so much fun bullying me in the Dream Simulation Chamber?'
And she'd been wondering why the enhanced Kurumi versions she'd challenged recently had become expressionless - turns out the previous emotive ones were all under Luo Shu's control!
'Throwing tantrums at me after failing against simulated versions of myself? What a petty man.'
After this mental grumbling, Kurumi turned to Lacus:
"Does Miss Clyne have nothing to ask?"
Lacus shook her head in response:
"There's much I wish to inquire about, but right now, facilitating your information exchange takes priority, no?"
"Quite right. There are matters I must clarify for my own peace of mind, so Lacus, if you wouldn't mind waiting briefly..."
Relieved by Lacus's compliance as she nodded and stepped back to grant them privacy, Luo Shu turned to Kurumi:
"So... did what I was hoping for actually succeed?"
"If you're referring to recruiting Miss Clyne into your Familia, then yes, it succeeded."
Kurumi answered bluntly. Having witnessed future events through her temporal abilities, she knew exactly what Luo Shu was asking.
His expression darkened at this:
"According to you, I succeeded but caused major trouble. Why?"
"Unknown." Kurumi shook her head. "I merely received a future warning this morning, hence why I deliberately gathered the others. Fundamentally, I don't know the immediate circumstances."
"I only know that while you successfully recruited Miss Clyne into your Familia, she simultaneously... died."
"And due to this incident, Luo Shu, you were identified as the murderer by the SDS and attacked by security personnel on-site."
"I received your urgent command through the system forum while at the station, instructing me to gather all Familia members at the Hidden Management Department to prepare for an attack by the SDS forces."
"That's all the memories I received."
"I think it's highly likely that my future self sensed something amiss and sent these memories back to investigate."
Hearing Kurumi Tokisaki's words, Luo Shu frowned, running a hand through his hair as he said:
"The Familia recruitment succeeded, but Lacus suddenly died?"
At this thought, Luo Shu looked gravely at Kurumi Tokisaki:
"So that's why you brought us to the Hidden Management Zone?"
From Kurumi's account, his earlier worries—about Lacus refusing or leaking secrets—weren't the real issue. The true problem was Lacus's sudden death.
Extrapolating from this, the timeline Kurumi experienced likely involved Luo Shu successfully dating Lacus, with Meer and Kirika Tachibana handling security covertly.
During their date, he would have explained the Familia to Lacus and invited her to join. Judging by the outcome, she presumably agreed.
The critical point was Lacus's abrupt death after the Familia contract.
With just the two of them on a date and security patrolling the perimeter, Lacus—whose health was constantly monitored—suddenly dying would make Luo Shu, the only person nearby, the prime suspect, whether guilty or not.
Hence, Kurumi deliberately arranged for them to discuss matters within the Hidden Management Zone.
After all, no matter who was scheming behind the scenes, they couldn't possibly attack Luo Shu's Familia within his Divine Kingdom.
Though Kurumi didn't know about the Divine Kingdom's auto-counter mechanisms, her judgment that it was the safest location wasn't surprising given Luo Shu's prior demonstration of suppressing the Kabbalah Tree.
'But then again—who's trying to frame me?'
Luo Shu pondered. Recently, he'd only made enemies with the Knowledge Faction of Truth Astronomy and the Ghouls.
Yet the Knowledge Faction's leader, the Demon God Vassago, had suffered a covert setback at his hands and recently withdrawn forces back to Europe—hardly in a position to trouble him so soon. As for the Ghouls, they were already extinct, incapable of such actions.
Thus, the issue most likely lay with—
At this realisation, Luo Shu couldn't help but glance at Lacus.
Blinking, Lacus then said with perfect innocence:
"Though I'm not entirely clear on the situation, it seems you think I'm the key to this problem?"
"The probability is very high." Luo Shu didn't deny her words.
If the issue wasn't with him, it had to be with Lacus—a perfectly logical conclusion.
After a moment's thought, Luo Shu explained to Lacus:
"Today, I intended to confess certain matters and invite you to join an organisation I founded. The recruitment method involves a dual contract binding both soul and body."
"In terms of effects, it essentially makes us closer than family. For me, the most crucial aspect is that the contract ensures I needn't fear betrayal from you."
"Can you understand this, Lacus?"
Hearing this, Lacus tilted her head slightly, replying with some surprise:
"So... Luo Shu was actually planning to propose to me today?"
Luo Shu: "..."
Damn that enchantress Lacus, what's with the lovestruck act at a time like this!!!