Chapter 9: Queen's Orders

For a long time, she didn't understand them.

"You were created to protect us." They repeated, over and over again, but not a single time did she felt as if she was actually protecting someone.

They ordered her to destroy, to use her fists to break things apart, to shoot her cannons and make things explode.

They ordered her to kill other beings.

And she carried out those orders to the letter. She broke, destroyed, and killed, but not a single time did they see her as a protector, nor did they see her as another living being.

They saw her as a weapon, a tool to be used to fight their enemies.

And maybe that was fine; perhaps that was the meaning of serving humanity. She was a maid, after all, her whole life revolved around serving others.

Her own feelings were, to put it simply, irrelevant.

And that's what she thought, until the day she met her.

Truth to be told, Belfast didn't exactly remember what they talked about on that occasion, though she was sure it must have been about the various Sirens' attacks and their possible next move.

What she did remember was the look on her amber-tinted eyes.

Even the head maid wasn't meticulous enough to remember such specific detail. However, she couldn't help it, since it was the first time someone looked at her like that: not as a weapon or a tool, but as another conscious being.

As if she was actually alive.

At that was…curious, to say the least.

The same eyes that looked at the maid in the past, with a mixture of curiosity and amazement, now were focused on the man in front of her, the man who is said to have fought a Siren with no help other than a shield.

Her gaze might have carried the same curiosity as before, but the situation was hardly the same.

While Belfast showed some degree of loyalty toward them, she couldn't predict this man at all; his real identity, as well as his alignment, was a complete mystery to them.

And that was too dangerous to be left alone.

"Ritsuka Fujimaru, born in 1998, on Fukui prefecture, Japan. "She opened the binder and started reading. "Immigrated to the United Kingdom in 2018, as a part of a study program in London. Four years on college until graduation, as a classic history teacher. Took a job in a local middle school two years ago, and is currently working there." Her eyes went from the binder to the silent man in front of her. "Is this information correct?"

"…"

He didn't say anything, his gaze was downcast.

"Criminal history is clear, not even a single infraction in six years." Marcia continued. "No close relatives living in the country and no known partner. If you didn't work, I could almost mistake you as a hermit, Fujimaru."

"…"

"And that's all the information we could gather from you in these couple of hours. As far as we know, you are nothing more than an average citizen." She closed the binder. "However, you and I know there is more than what it's written here."

"…I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Oh? So you can talk after all? Good. Why don't we start when you tell me who you really are?"

"…Who am I?" A quiet chuckled came out of his mouth.

"Did I say something funny?" She stared daggers at him.

"No. It just that someone asked me that very same question recently." He finally looked at her, his eye showed apathy. "And the answer is still the same; I am me, nothing more, nothing less."

"That's not answer."

"It's the only answer I have, sadly." He shrugged."What it says in that report is correct, I came here when I was twenty, studied in college, and got a job in St. Benedict's School. Also, I don't have many friends." He sighed." If you find that strange, then try immigrating to another country, it's quite a fun experience."

"Is that so?" Marcia didn't believe for a second that story. "Well, for someone who doesn't have many friends, you seem to be well accompanied."

"Huh?"

The Commander took a photo off the binder and placed it in the table.

"…Tch." His eyed narrowed.

It was a picture of Ritsuka's apartment; it showed him having dinner with a woman dressed in a maid uniform.

"Who is the woman?"

"…a maid."

Marcia felt a vein starting to pop in her forehead.

"And what's her name?"

"She told me it was Sheffield."

"Sheffield, huh? That's quite a weird name for a person, don't you think so?"

"My own name is quite rare here, I don't judge."

"I see..." Marcia was really starting to get pissed. "Then, how do you meet her?"

"…why is that important? Whoever I meet in my personal life shouldn't be of concern to the police."

"That would be true if that woman wasn't a sentient weapon of mass destruction." She explained calmly. "And you are wrong, it's not of concern of the police, rather, it's a concern to the entire nation."

"…!" The man eyes opened like plates for a second. Still, he ultimately didn't say anything, choosing to regress to his previous mute state.

"Her existence is a national secret; you could easily be labeled as terrorist just by meeting her unauthorized." Her calm tone was heavily contrasted with the harsh words. "It wouldn't be unusual for you to get locked in and spend the rest of your life in a dirty cell just for exchanging a couple of words with her."

"Look I…" The man finally started to show some nervousness. "I really don't understand what you're saying…You haven't even told me what am I accused of, and now you suddenly start calling me a terrorist? I have cooperated with you so far, but I think it's time to call my lawyer."

"There is no lawyer for you."

"What!?"

She closed the distance between them a bit and spoke in whispers.

"And even if you could have it, there will be no trial for you. As far as we are concerned, you are collaborating with an unknown species that are trying to eradicate humanity." She stared at him seriously. "No lawyer will defend you, no jury will find you innocent."

"..." He once again avoided her gaze.

"Pretending that you don't know anything won't help you either." She crossed her arms. "We already know what you did; it's useless to deny it."

The man didn't answer, but he definitely knew what Marcia was talking about. She could see it in his eyes. It was all an act; he wasn't confused by her words at all.

He knew everything, possibly even more than her.

"Your only option is confessing."

"Confessing?"

They needed to know, they really needed to know who this man was.

"Tell us everything you know about the Sirens and the prototypes, and we are willing to reach an agreement. We will let you return to your life, with only minor restrictions and constant monitoring, but only if you tell us everything."

It was a good deal, too good in Marcia's opinion.

But she was willing to make it through, as long as the man was willing to cooperate. It was her best bet of getting the information she wanted after all.

Otherwise, there were still some more unsavory methods to get the information they wanted, but Marcia wasn't an idiot; if he really fought a Siren, then she would be easily outmatched by him.

She would prefer this matter to be resolved as peacefully as possible. Still, just in case, she had posted Belfast just behind the door, ready to stop him if he made any strange movement.

He didn't instantly respond, but when he did, his voice had a tone of anger.

"…you will "let" me returning to my life?" He put a strange emphasis on the word "let."

"Yes." Marcia didn't miss that change on tone, but she had to continue pushing. "As long as you tell us your relationship with the Sirens, where to find prototype 05, and most importantly…"

She took another photo of the binder, the picture showed an enormous black and grey shield.

"The nature of this object."

Upon seeing the photo, the expression on the man's face suddenly changed for a second. The somewhat meek and detached expression disappeared and was replaced by a furious gaze.

"You…!"

The stare that the man gave to Marcia was one of absolute loathing as if the sole idea of them touching that object was enough to make him explode in rage. She briefly considered calling Belfast.

However, it didn't last.

The moment he seemed to start a rant, he stopped, and his eyes went once again to the photo of the shield as if realizing something.

Then, the previous rage-filled expression was replaced with a strange, almost mocking smile.

Marcia didn't like that.

"That's just a friend's antiquity. What of it?"

That was a lie; no one would make that expression just for some "antiquity."

"We know it already." She tried to put more pressure since it was clear that the object was important to him. "We know that you used this "shield" to protect yourself from the attacks of a Siren; it's only a matter of time until we discover how it works."

"Is that so? Go for it then."

"…Pardon?" Now Marcia was the one confused.

"You have my permission to study it if you want." Her voice suddenly adopted a defiant tone. "It was on the floor when I came here, and I presume it was still there when you goons entered my house." His smile didn't leave his face. "So, you are free to take it."

"…I will repeat my question, what is this object?"

"You tried it, didn't you? You tried to move it, but couldn't lift it at all." He started chuckling as if the Commander had made a joke. "I bet you couldn't move it an inch."

Marcia hit the table.

"I won't repeat myself a second time!" She felt herself losing the leading position in the interrogation." What is that shield? Some kind of new technology? A weapon!?"

The man laughed and shook his head.

"It's no use. Even I tell you, even if you put your filthy hands on it and try to decipher its meaning, you will fail." He stared at Marcia, his voice suddenly gained a tone of superiority. "You won't be able to use it, because you don't know anything about her."

"Her…? What does that mean!?"

"But it doesn't matter." He kept talking as if he was mesmerized with his own word. "People like you, who just want to take her power for your own gains…you don't deserve to know about her, you ignorant fool."

"…you are crazy." The Commander stood up and walked towards the door. "Maybe some time behind bars will help you understand your situation."

Marcia knocked on the door, and two policemen entered the room.

"Oh no, it's you, the one that doesn't understand! Locking me up won't change anything!"The policemen forcibly pushed him on the metal table, as they took both his arms and handcuffed him. "Her story, her sacrifice… you all… you all don't deserve it! You hear me!? You don't deserve it!"

He didn't resist as he was taken to an empty cell.

Marcia sat again in the now-empty interrogation room, sinking her face on her hands.

That hadn't gone well.

The military had people specialized in interrogations, Marcia wasn't one of them. Maybe she had gone too far. Perhaps she should have been less aggressive so that the man was more willing to cooperate.

Either way, she couldn't help but feel that she failed.

"Commander?" Someone called for her

She raised her head to see Belfast by the door. The maid wasn't wearing her usual outfit. Instead, she wore a black military uniform, a bit similar to the one Marcia was wearing, while her long white hair was done in a ponytail.

"Belfast, has he made any attempt to escape?"

"No, he seemed to have calmed down after we locked him in one of the cells."

"Is he being watched?"

"An officer is guarding just in front of his cell. If he makes any strange move, we will know immediately."

"Good." Marcia gestured Belfast to enter and to close the door behind her. "Do they suspect something?" Even if they were the only ones in the room, she spoke in a quieter tone this time.

"They don't talk around me; it appears that they are pretty shaken about the whole situation. However, it's safe to assume that they believe what you told them, Commander."

"It was to be expected. For the military to appear out of nowhere to start giving orders would make anyone suspicious."

It was sort of a miracle she could set up the operative to arrest Fujimaru so quickly, without the help of the local police, it would have been impossible.

However, their operation must remain a secret. The local police couldn't know about the existence of the prototypes or the Sirens.

They'll need to act quickly.

"We can't let him stay here for much longer." She took her cell phone out of her pocket, an old folding one. "We should move him from here as quickly as possible."

"Indeed, but we can't be restless either, Commander."

"…? Explain yourself."

"If we move him now, the policemen might start asking questions. It would be better if we do it at night and without that many eyes looking at him."

"That would be dangerous." Marcia wasn't convinced."Who knows when he may suddenly attack? I can't let him hurt the people here."

"You think he is just pretending to be a captive?"

"I…really don't know what to think anymore."

When Marcia was told that they had a new enemy, one that possessed technology that they had never seen before and could quickly sink their entire naval fleet in a matter of hours, she thought things couldn't get any crazier.

She was proven wrong once, as she was introduced to the prototypes.

Now, it was happening again.

It was one thing being told that some guy apparently fought a Siren; it was another thing being presented with a shield that it's impervious to all their tests, as well as being so heavy that even 10 people can't lift it.

She really didn't know what to expect next. At that point, it wouldn't be that strange for magic to be real.

"I won't be taking any risks. We are moving him to a safe house now." She started dialing.

"Commander, I really think we should wait." Belfast insisted. "Only a couple of hours will be necessary until most of the personnel leave. I will guard him personally until the time comes.

"…."

The Commander's fingers stopped.

She had noticed already; Belfast had been acting strange since the whole affair with the man of the shield started. It wasn't that her behaviors had changed drastically. It was more like subtle changes like been more adamant than usual or being more forceful with her words.

Something must have happened after they talked, something she kept hidden.

…

Marcia trusted Belfast, to some extent.

The fact that she told her about Fujimaru, as well as her ueen's plan to remove her from the commanding position should have been enough to guarantee her loyalty.

However…

"Belfast, is there something about that guy that you aren't telling me?"

However, no matter how much she wanted, she couldn't shake the feeling that Belfast wasn't being completely honest.

Belfast stared at her, the silver eyes meet her own, and for a second, she was transported back to when they meet for the first time. However, they didn't show the same light as back then.

They were different now.

"I have told you everything, Commander." She finally said.

"…I see." She stood up. "Go guard him for now, I'll prepare everything to move him to a safe house tonight."

"You have my thanks, Commander." Belfast made a reverence.

Marcia didn't answer and just exited the room.

Belfast was lying. She was definitely hiding something from her, but she couldn't know what. The only thing she hoped was that whatever she was hiding aligned towards them, towards humanity.

Because if it didn't, then she wouldn't be able to stop her.

At least, not her

She took her phone once again and started dialing a different number than before.

"It's me, sir." She spoke in a stern tone. "If you don't hear anything about me by tomorrow, then the prototypes betrayed us."

The admiral closed his phone with force and silently stared at it for a couple of seconds.

"Those pieces of junk…" He exited his office in a hurry and began to walk towards a specific part of the vast military base; some soldiers saluted him as he walked past them, but he paid them no mind; as he was too focused on Marcia's words.

He knew that this day would eventually come up. The question was: Were they prepared for it?

After walking for about ten minutes, he reached a metallic door. It looked no different from any other door in the base, aside from a small panel just to the side of it.

He put his hand on the scanner, and after a couple of seconds, the light on it turned from red to green.

However, the door didn't open immediately.

"Who is it?" Someone asked from behind the door after a couple of minutes.

"It's me, you idiot." He commented, with a tone of annoyance. "My hand is still attached to the rest of my body, let me in at once."

The door opened, revealing a man in a white coat, similar to that of a doctor. The man in question was a bit on the older side, his head was starting to show signs of baldness, and some wrinkles populated his face.

"Sorry, protocol; you know how it is, Admiral."

"Yeah, yeah, don't waste my time and show me your progress."

The old man smiled.

"You'll see."

Both men descended a staircase that seemed to go on forever until they arrived at a dark room. The room was completely empty, aside from a big window that occupied almost the entire wall; the dim light that came from it was the only thing that illuminated the room.

On the other side of the window, there was an even bigger room full of strange machines and people in white hazmat suits. They came and went around the two glass pillars that were the center of the room.

Inside, each pillar was a humanoid figure. Both of them were connected to a series of wires, as they floated unanimated in a strange glowing blue liquid.

The figures resembled human beings, but they were a far cry from them. Their skins were completely colorless, any kind of female or male trait was missing, and they also lacked nails and any kind of hair.

It was as if those beings were blank slates as if they were somewhat incomplete.

"They started reacting to some stimulus. " The old man said proudly. "With another month, we should be able to start testing their mobility outside the tubes."

"You have until tomorrow."

"…what?"

"You have until tomorrow, twenty-four hours at most, to wake them up and make sure that these ones actually follow our orders."

The old man couldn't contain his surprise.

"Do you understand what are you asking us? Any mistake could delay us months of work! They are simply not ready to…"

"We are all getting killed if you don't have them by tomorrow!" He took the old man by his coat. "I don't care how, but make them work! Isn't that's your specialty, Mr. creator of sentient weapons!?"

The old man wanted to say something but forced himself to remain silent.

"Last time you finished five of them in only a couple of months, you just have to do the same with these two." He released him. "Just make sure these ones don't have a personality."

The old man signed.

"I will speed the process..." He said reluctantly. "But, you know what happened last time we tried this."

"I am well aware, but I am willing to take the risk" He made a small pause. "Someone has to."

Good fucking work at staying calm, Ritsuka. Now you are in jail, precisely what you needed.

"Ahh, I want to hit myself in the guts so damn hard…" I lamented while lying on the hard prison bed.

I couldn't help it; I lost my temper when she said they would "let" me return to my life. Who the fuck do they think they are? After all I have done, they dare to…!

No, stop it.

It's no use getting angry now, especially knowing that was the cause I ended up here. Better use my brain cells to think of a way out of this mess.

"And what a mess I got into…."

I stood up, and for the first time, I took a careful look at the cell I was in.

The only living arrangements were the bed I was on, it was so small that I would surely have half of a body out if I tried to sleep on it; a dirty sink that appeared to have been cleaned a month ago; and a toilet, which I refuse to even look at it. This hellhole didn't even have windows; the nights must be pretty dark in this room.

I walked towards the rusty steel bars that prevented my escape and looked to each side of the cell. No other prisoner was being held in the adjacent cells, and the only person aside from me in the room was a policeman, who seemed to be trying his best to ignore me.

I disregarded him and focused on the bars. A soft hit revealed that despite being almost more rust than steel, they were firm, no normal human would be able to break them with just their hands; fortunately, I wasn't exactly normal.

The problem, however, laid elsewhere.

"…."

I could easily break these bars using reinforcement, and I was sure I could knock out the guard before he could take his gun.

But then what? What was I going to do after escaping? If what that woman said was true, I won't be just a regular criminal, but a terrorist. I wouldn't be able to escape from the police for long if my photo was all over the news, let alone leaving the country.

"…"

I sighed deeply.

I was beating around the bush, as I knew perfectly how to solve this situation but…Did I really have to? After all these years…did I have to do it again?

I refused to consider that possibility. There had to be another way.

Maybe it was time. I didn't want to ask for his help again but…

As I was lost in my thoughts, I could hear a voice; the guard was speaking with another person, a woman.

I didn't have to wait to figure out who it was; she walked directly towards my cell.

And there she was, the woman I first thought was just a normal human buying things in the store, wearing a black military uniform.

"You again… "

"Fujimaru Ritsuka." She made a reverence as if she was saluting a superior. "After what happened between us, I really would have wanted for our next meeting to be under better circumstances."

"Alas, I am in jail, not the best circumstance for a conversation." I got as close as possible to her, gripping the bars. "Why are you here, anyway? And that uniform…you must be one of them."

"Marcia Haydes is our acting Commander; she leads the first line of defense against the Sirens."

"So that woman is your Commander….that explains why she seems to know about everything. However, that doesn't change anything; I am not telling you anything about the shield."

"I am not here for that, rather I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize?"

"Since we meet, I haven't caused anything but trouble for you, and that's unforgivable for a maid." The maid sounded genuinely sad. "You even ended up here because of me."

"Because of you? What are you-?" At that moment, I remembered something. "Wait…That woman, she showed me photos of my apartment, photos of Sheffield and me having dinner. I didn't overthink at that time, but…how did she know that we were together in the first place? Someone must have told her that I was with Sheffield."

"…" She didn't answer, but it was clear.

"All this…was your doing?"

"Due to some circumstances, I was forced to tell the Commander." Belfast lowered her head again. "Again, I am deeply sorry."

"I don't want your apologies!" I shouted furiously. "Nor do I want anything to do with you! Leave at once!"

"If that's what you want, I will." She looked at me seriously. "But I won't leave alone."

"What?"

The maid took a key from one of her pockets and walked towards the door.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I instinctively looked at where the guard was a few minutes before, he wasn't there. Did Belfast make him go away?

"The Queen doesn't approve for her chosen Commander to be a prisoner. You are to be released immediately."

Belfast opened the door for me.

"And you will let me go, just like that?"

"I am partially responsible for your situation; this is the least I could do."

"…."

The door was open, but I didn't move as I was baffled. Why would they go all the way to lock me here, just to release me a few hours later?

Something didn't feel right about this…

"If your Queen ordered for me to be released, then why you are the one letting me go instead of that woman, Marcia, was it?"

"Marcia Haydes acted on her own, ignoring Her Majesty's wishes."

"It feels like the opposite, actually. It's like you are acting on your own now."

Belfast didn't answer immediately, as if she was meditating her response.

"There is some friction between Her Majesty and our humans' allies, that's one of the reasons we wanted a human chosen by the Queen to be the Commander, however…" She suddenly went quiet.

"However?"

"It's nothing." It didn't continue. "We should get going now, once you meet the Queen, this misunderstanding should be cleared up."

She seemed to want me to follow her, but I didn't move.

"I am afraid I am not going anywhere." This might have been an excellent chance to get out of here, but I still didn't trust her. "Not until I am formally released."

Belfast stared at me for a second and released a deep sigh.

"They aren't going to let you go easily, Ritsuka. Commander Marcia is convinced that you know something…."She entered the cell. "…and she is correct, right?"

"…"

"Pardon me." Suddenly, she took one of my hands between theirs.

"What are you-?"

"Sheffield noticed that sometimes, green lines appear in your arms, and you seem to become stronger when that happens." She looked at my hand as if she was examining it. "You aren't like the other, are you? You are different."

"That has nothing to do with you." I took my hand away.

"Now that Marcia knows, she isn't going to leave you alone until she discovers what your involvement in this is. And even if you decided to tell her your secrets, you may not be able to return to your normal life, you may remain a prisoner for the rest of your life."

"And that would be different if I follow your Queen?"

"As a commanding officer, the Royal Navy will support you. By accepting her majesty proposal, you will get a rank similar to that one of her knights; you'll be above all other humans, and no one will be able to tell you how you should live. You won't have to hide what you are, you'll be free."

Above…all other humans?

"Are you saying that the will of the Queen is above human law? That I can do anything, I want as long as I follow her? That doesn't make any sense."

Even if the United Kingdom was under a monarchy, she shouldn't have that much power; there were a parliament and a prime minister, we weren't in medieval times anymore.

"Her Majesty's will is absolute. Once she regains her throne, some things will surely change, but it will be for the better, you don't have to worry about it."

Regains the throne? What is she talking about…?

At that moment, something in my mind clicked, and everything began to make sense.

Could it be…that I was mistaken from the start?

"Belfast...who…who is your queen?" I asked, with a bit of fear.

"Queen Elizabeth I, the rightful owner of the throne."

Two girls walked through the halls in the subterranean lab. One of them had a confident smirk while the other, who followed her close behind, had a somewhat troubled expression.

"Your Majesty…"

"Yes, Warspite?"

"Are you sure this is going to work?"

The Queen smiled.

"It's Belfast, the one we are talking about; I have no doubt in her performance."

"Ah, don't take me wrong, I trust her too. But the human…."

"Fujimaru Ritsuka, what about him?"

"Are you sure he will side with us? We haven't even talked directly with him yet." Warspite couldn't hide her worry; all they knew about that man was through the maids after all.

"Belfast will convince him, I am sure of it. Besides…" She looked around the base, all she could see around her were the steel and concrete wall, the same one that prevented her from seeing the light of the day. "He has a reason to choose us now; it's unthinkable for someone to side with their captors, with the people robbing his freedom." A sad smile appeared on Elizabeth's face.

"Your Majesty…"

Warspite wanted to say something, but someone interrupted their conversation.

"You two…what are you doing roaming around the base!? Who let you leave your room?" A furious soldier shouted as he began to approach them.

"Don't talk like that to her Majesty!" Warspite tried to put herself between the man and the Queen.

"It's okay, Warspite." Elizabeth, however, walked past her to face the man directly. "Let me handle this."

"You'll have to return to your-"

"Hear me out! Oh, dear citizen!" Elizabeth interrupted him, shouting with her characteristic commanding tone. "What you are doing is incredibly disrespectful! However, I, the Queen, in my infinite benevolence, will forgive you!"

The man remained speechless for a second, but starting shouting again once the initial shock had passed.

"You defective weapon. Who do you think you are!?" The man tried to force Elizabeth to return to her room, but he stopped before his hand could reach her.

No, he didn't stop. He was forced to stop. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't lay a finger on the shipgirl, as if an invisible force was preventing him.

"You, and this entire base, are misguided. But it's not your fault, no, you only lack good leadership." Elizabeth nodded to her own words.

The man's hand, a few centimeters away from Elizabeth's face, started trembling, as he suddenly felt a freezing sensation going through his body. What was happening to him? Something like that never happened before.

"Soon, you'll see how wrong you are, and when that time comes, I'll be there to gladly accept your apology!"

He felt strange…he felt like the sole idea of touching her was forbidden, as if laying a hand on the shipgirl would be the most nefarious of the crimes.

He felt, for some reason, that he mustn't touch her. Instead, he must…

"This…this isn't going to stay like this…" He quickly withdrew his hand and went away, leaving the two shipgirls alone again.

As he walked away from them, he began to feel like his old self again. All those weird sensations started to disappear.

But what was that? Why did he feel that he must kneel before her? She was a weapon, a tool, he couldn't possibly….

The man quickly erased these thoughts of his head. He was just tired, he thought.

That was the only explanation.

"Your Majesty…? What was that?" The knight couldn't help but ask.

"I told you, Warspite." The queen continued walking as if nothing had happened. "They are beginning to understand."

"Eh..?"

"They finally see it, who the real monarch of this country is."

My heart almost skipped a beat as I heard Belfast's answer.

I was wrong, I was wrong all along.

I thought the Sirens as the only enemies, but these maids, this…"Royal Navy", they weren't exactly the good guys either.

This "Queen" Belfast speaks of wasn't the current queen of the country; instead, it was someone who thinks she was the Queen or someone who wanted to occupy the place of the Queen, possibly one of these "weapons."

And if Belfast words were the truth, they were likely planning a coup d'etat.

Things were far grimmer than I thought. I could no longer remain passive in this situation, who knows what could happen if that person really overthrew the government.

It was time to play my own cards in this whole mess.

"Belfast." I suddenly put my hands on her shoulders. "I accept your proposal."

"Eh?"

I couldn't fight both of the Sirens and these maids by myself, but maybe there was another way, a way to put one of these two forces against the other.

"I have decided, I'll be you Commander…no, I'll be your Master."

END OF CHAPTER 9

AN: Exams are fun, especially when you have 3 in the same week.

So yeah, I am sure you must be tired of reading about me complaining about my classes. On the bright side, I did pretty well on my exams, so there's that.

About the chapter, my proofreader did say it feels a bit slow and I kind of agree with him. Maybe I am setting too many things and delivering too little, hopefully next chapter should feel less slow.

See you on the next chapter.