Kotegawa Yui's words made Kushida's heart surge with emotion. The fear that had nearly caused her to collapse was thoroughly replaced by a trance-like joy of "so I actually performed a meritorious deed."
Turns out the Strategist had seen through everything long ago! Turns out Sister Hui was so far-sighted, with such a grand vision! Her own little anxieties and subsequent fears were simply too petty!
"Then what should we do now? Sister Hui asked me to go invite Kanzaki Saku..." Kushida now obeyed Kotegawa implicitly.
"Execute the order, of course," Kotegawa said decisively. "We retreated yesterday only because the Service Club launched a sneak attack. Now the Kato Legion is at its peak state; we aren't afraid of the Service Club or that Yukinoshita at all!"
"The Boss hasn't even tasted Kanzaki Saku's flavor yet, so how could she possibly let the matter rest!"
Although Kotegawa Yui's words sounded better than a song, Kushida suddenly remembered a disgraceful matter.
Right, the spy thing.
She had almost forgotten about it—or rather, her subconscious was desperately trying to forget it.
After all, pledging loyalty to the target of a kidnapping, and even being "educated" to the point of personally promising to be a spy... no matter how one looked at it, this couldn't be considered honorable. It could even be called betrayal.
"But, Strategist," Kushida's tone carried a hint of guilt and hesitation. "Yesterday, we made a promise to Kanzaki Saku... no, to Master. To be his informants. Shouldn't we report this first?"
On one side was the unfathomable Sister Hui, and on the other was Kanzaki Saku, who had left an indelible impression on her. Caught in the middle, Kushida felt like she was about to split apart.
When Kotegawa Yui heard the address "Master," the corner of her eye twitched, but she quickly recovered her calm.
"Kikyou, you are too rigid. When looking at things, you must understand flexibility, and more importantly, look toward a longer-term future."
"We promised to be his 'informants' in order to help him acquire intelligence and safeguard his interests and safety, right?" Kotegawa guided her patiently.
Kushida nodded ignorantly.
"Then, what are we going to do now? We are going to execute Sister Hui's order to politely invite Kanzaki Saku over for a talk. What is the content of the talk? To express an apology," Kotegawa analyzed point by point.
"Does this not align with his interests? By avoiding conflict, his environment at Shuchiin becomes safer. Our Kato Legion actively releasing goodwill can only be beneficial to him, with no downsides."
"That seems to be the case?" Kushida felt there was some logic to it.
"More importantly, why does Sister Hui want to see him? Is it really just to discuss 'reconciliation'? Kikyou, use your brain. With Sister Hui's status and personality, if she just wanted to convey a signal of peace, would she need to specially invite him over for a private talk?"
Kushida recalled Sister Hui's calm face, on which no anger or joy could be discerned, as well as that phrase "politely invite him over." It did seem to carry a hint of suggestion.
Kotegawa looked into Kushida's eyes and spoke slowly: "Sister Hui intends to directly capture him! By going to invite him now, we are essentially facilitating a good thing between Sister Hui and him."
"If things go smoothly and Sister Hui gets her wish, then what will Kanzaki Saku become?"
Kushida subconsciously followed the train of thought: "Become Sister Hui's man?"
"Exactly!" Kotegawa clapped her hands. "When that happens, he will be our Kato Legion's 'brother-in-law,' one of our own. If we provide intelligence to him, isn't that just telling our own family our own news? What conflict is there?"
"Furthermore, if we help pave the way for him in advance so he can smoothly become 'brother-in-law,' aren't we over-fulfilling the 'informant' mission? We are helping him integrate into our family faster."
After being led through this loop of logic, Kushida Kikyou was completely dizzy, yet she felt the Strategist's words seemed unassailable.
If they brought Sister Hui and Kanzaki Saku together and they became a family, then the matter she promised yesterday wouldn't involve betraying anyone, because the interests of both sides would ultimately align.
"But, will Kanzaki Saku be willing? And regarding Yukinoshita..." Kushida was still a bit uneasy.
"That is not a problem we need to worry about," Kotegawa interrupted her. "We only need to execute Sister Hui's order: deliver the message and invite the person."
"As for what Kanzaki Saku thinks, or what Yukinoshita will do, that is a situation Sister Hui and he need to face. Our stance is very clear: prioritize obeying Sister Hui. Because Sister Hui is our Boss, the person who gave us everything we have now."
"Remember, Kikyou, true loyalty is not rigidly abiding by every literal promise, but understanding how to judge the situation and making the choice most beneficial to the Boss."
She patted Kushida on the shoulder, the force neither light nor heavy.
"Right now, what is most beneficial to Sister Hui is obtaining Kanzaki Saku. And what is most beneficial to us is getting this done properly. As long as we do this well, our position in Sister Hui's heart will be more solid, and the previous matters will truly be turned over."
Kushida Kikyou nodded repeatedly as she listened, taking every word to heart. With the Strategist's guidance, she felt her confidence grow significantly.
Yes, the Strategist is right. Sister Hui is the foundation. Complete the immediate task first to gain Sister Hui's trust and forgiveness.
As for Kanzaki Saku's side, if he can get together with Sister Hui, then all problems will naturally be solved. If not, it won't be too late to adjust based on the situation then.
"I understand, Strategist!" Kushida's eyes became determined again. "I know what to do! I'll go find Kanzaki Saku right now and definitely invite him over!"
"Wait," Kotegawa called out to stop her, looking her up and down with a frown.
"You're going looking like this? Your eyes are swollen, your hair is messy, and your school uniform is wrinkled. Go, tidy up first. At least don't look so wretched."
"Yes!" Kushida hurriedly responded, subconsciously combing her hair with her hand and straightening her skirt hem.
Watching Kushida's back as she hurriedly ran to the restroom, Kotegawa Yui leaned against the wall and slowly let out a breath.
That analysis just now was certainly to stabilize Kushida and get her to do the job well, but to some extent, it was also a projection of Kotegawa's own inner thoughts.
However, will that Kanzaki Saku really act as they wish?
Kushida Kikyou soon returned, fully tidied up. Although her eye sockets were still slightly red, her whole person was much more spirited, and the flame of completing the mission had reignited in her eyes.
"Strategist, I'm going!"
"Mm, be careful. Don't let the people from the Service Club spot you. Find Kanzaki Saku directly in person," Kotegawa urged. Watching Kushida's hurriedly departing figure, she felt a faint sense of unease in her heart.
So, as the center of the storm, what is the most critical figure, Kanzaki Saku, doing at this moment?
After having a 'famous scene' dialogue with Kita, he called Miura Yumiko alone to a place where many people had fought: the rooftop of the teaching building.
_____
New Story: FGO: Building a Lostbelt from Scratch, the Winner is Canon
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