"That's the fourth. Daisuke's finally done going through them one by one." Nysia muttered while looking up at the ceiling, a slight hint of a smile on her lips.
Although she's the one who advocated for the four to become his Companions, she didn't just decide it without reason.
She had years of experience overlooking an entire organization. Observing people's habits, especially those close to her, was an acquired skill of hers. And being always with him at that time, the small nuances her husband unconsciously showed were enough for her to pick up on it.
Although Daisuke often had a calm and composed expression, he could still slip up sometimes. Nonetheless, most of those times were when it concerned her or his other Companions.
Upon knowing that, Nysia believed that it was the most glaring weakness of him. He cared too much about his Companions. Daisuke would probably even be willing to exchange his life for theirs. That's how dedicated he is to them.
That's why she just has to be strong enough to not be considered as one of his weaknesses. Most likely, even her sisters picked up on that trait of his. That's the primary reason why they continue progressing. Catching up to his quick progression was just a secondary reason or rather, a supplementary reason.
On that same note, the other times he could slip up was when it concerned those he took an interest in...
Naturally, after their wedding, she was overjoyed that he's only focusing on her and she had every reason to keep it that way. However, she couldn't help but pick up something from him. She noticed how her husband was slowly getting drawn to those four.
When he's not at her side, he would be with either of those four. She tried teasing him about it but to him, that was only him having goodwill towards them.
However, in Nysia's eyes, Daisuke was clearly denying it as if he believed that there's no reason for him to become close to them.
There was that destiny he kept on mentioning to her. That everyone was connected to him through it. Even if he didn't do anything, he believed that in one way or another, his destiny would converge with his new Companion.
When she heard that flaw in his mindset concerning who he will like, she finally came up with that idea. Apart from dropping hints to break his notion, she talked to the four and asked them what they think of him. And like she guessed, they all had hints of being drawn to him as well.
Due to that, she started advocating the four to him.
She's not a martyr who would want to give her beloved husband away but she believed that the way he's restraining himself would lead to him changing the way he viewed things.
That's why when she heard about the addition of Fleur at the World of Elements, she breathed a sigh of relief. Her husband managed to break the notion by himself.
"He's really amazing. I could understand the three Legend-rank Princesses of the three Faction reaching the threshold. They're a step away from becoming Mythic-rank after all… But for even Dannae who had just reached the Diamond-rank to reach it… it was simply a hack." Lexie sighed in amazement as a response to Nysia.
She then started thinking about his question to her earlier. Becoming his Companion.
It's a decision that will surely be called life-changing.
It's not that she's not interested in him.
Who wouldn't? Even her other Core Pilot acquaintances and most of the female members of the Aegis Battalion looked up to him hoping they would enter his eyes, especially the Minowa Triplets. However, no matter what they do, they're nothing more than subordinates.
Shaking her head, Lexie cleared her mind.
It's only an interest. She might not have any plans to settle down with someone else at the moment but she's planning to do so or find someone when she felt she already did enough for the League.
"That's just his abilities. He can strengthen anyone he chooses. He can carry one world to repel its invaders." Nysia then pointed at the one-way glass mirror where Krond was being interrogated by Leianne. "Look at how eager that princess is… Becoming his Companion reinvigorated that ambition of hers. Now, she's performing excellently for her goal to continue becoming relevant to him."
"If I… accepted his offer, will I also become like her?" Lexie wondered.
Upon hearing that, Nysia's eyebrows raised, 'I see. I made a bad example. Lexie was now thinking that by becoming his Companion, our minds will be influenced to serve him… True, it might possibly appear like that to the others but that's not the case.'
"Do you think she's doing that because she's influenced by that status?"
"Isn't that the case?"
"Not really. That girl loves him even without that status. It just got strengthened or should I say cast into a deeper bond now that she's his Companion."
"Then… if I become his Companion, will I slowly fall for him? Because honestly, I still feel that you two are the better fit."
Lexie witnessed first-hand how the new recruit became Nysia's lover and husband. It was unthinkable at first but as she continued observing their relationship, she found how natural it looked as if the two had already known each other years ago.
"I don't know, Lexie. There's no precedent yet to prove that. There are those two girls who arrived with them, Caila and Noelle didn't have the same relationship with him as me. However, you heard his words earlier, he's also unsure if it will stay that way." Nysia paused for a while to look at this trusted aide of hers. She's aware that she's not like the four she advocated for him. Daisuke treated her as a colleague and Lexie's the same, a romantic relationship with those two was impossible at the moment.
"That's why he's giving you the time to choose. If you don't want that kind of prospect in your life, it's fine. You have the right to decide for yourself. Knowing your talent, your probability to become one is at the highest tier. Don't push yourself to choose something you're not entirely convinced about."
In the end, Nysia could only advise Lexie. The women that were connected to him could be said as his lovers at first but now that there's an addition of the three who were different from the rest, only time could tell whether it would evolve to something else.
Lexie nodded at Nysia, taking in her advice. Whatever her decision would be, she told herself that she would think about it carefully.
After a few minutes, the interrogation room opened, Leianne went out to ask the two to bring her to the other detained Anzeans. She already got the gist of the situation to Krond so she also told Nysia that it's now fine to release him.
Leianne didn't torture him. She used words to make a Transcendent talk and had him accept that his ideals would not be realized without some sacrifice.
-
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Putting back the communicator after reading the content of the message, I relayed what I read to the girl in my arms, "Nysia sent me an update, Krond finally gave in. Leianne, that girl really did it."
"Did he really betray us?"
"Not necessarily him. However, he couldn't deal with the traitor. He wanted to protect every Anzean."
What Leianne gathered was that some of the Anzeans wanted to merge with the Healing Faction again. They're urging him to also help the enemies conquer this world as it is not ideal for them to fight against each other.
Apparently, a detachable part of the mothership's hyperdrive engine could be used as a bomb. It's a bomb that could decimate the whole Free City of Nysia. If it was released at the right timing, the possibility of us dying was high.
The Healing Faction was actually thinking of using that to rid this world of the Transcendents of the United Alliance. With us out of the picture, those Darkbugs would be able to conquer this world easily.
To reward them for their service, they thought that those Darkbugs would allocate them one territory and one regeniun mine for them to rebuild their Civilization. Apart from that, their promise of healing their world would be realized.
That's a sinister plan but without Krond's approval, those from Healing Faction couldn't go through it.
Thinking about that, that's most likely the reason for the Principal's warning...
Leianne needed a little more information from the other detained Anzeans. However, she already advised us to move out already and get rid of the Healing Faction's Transcendent and its higher-ups.
They were still unaware about the loss of the Darkbugs during today's operation. Perhaps there was a gap of communication or they were purposely not informed.
After she told Krond how we magnificently won and killed a lot of their Transcednents, that was the last chip for him to give up completely on that plan. And in turn, he also gave up on his ideal to save every Anzean.
He's a commendable but na?ve leader. This is war. Why save those against your views? No matter what, lives will be lost for this war to end. We presented them a choice and that's what the Healing Faction had chosen, in our eyes they're through and through a target for eradication even if they didn't present that plan.
Either way, I still have one more thing to do before going out to deal with them. It's to hear what's in this half-anzean's mind. She's my Companion. I may not necessarily listen to her if she's against it but I still want to hear her views. It's not about checking her loyalty. It's my selfish desire to know that I will not be hated by her…
In the end, the Healing Faction still has to go and disappear.
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