Nanagami Rin waited in her office as the academies of Kivotos fell apart all around her. There was nothing she could do about the situation because the president had disappeared. There was no explanation as to why or even a goodbye to Rin, but a letter and document on her desk instead. The letter spoke about a person that the president affectionately referred to as 'Sensei' who would arrive in Kivotos through unknown means. The papers left with the letter gave Rin information on Sensei's full name as well as what they looked like. An adult without halo, but from their picture alone, they carried themselves with wisdom and understanding befitting the title of a teacher. This person would be in charge of an organization separate from the General Student Council. It was called the Independent Federal Investigation Club SCHALE, or just 'Schale' to keep it short.
"Vice President Nanagami." Two knocks, followed by a woman's voice, spoke on the other side of her door.
"Come in, Miss Ilda." Rin verbally granted the visitor approval to enter.
The person who walked in through her doors was not Sensei. A tall woman, who Rin likely estimated to be around a hundred and eighty centimeters, stared at Rin. The injuries on Ilda's body and damaged combat gear spoke of a long history and intimacy with battle. Ilda carried a Kivotos-issued rifle in her hands that likely did not belong to her, but a glance at her sidearm told Rin the handgun was Ilda's own possession. Rin motioned to the chair in front of her desk that she had placed before Ilda arrived. Ilda claimed herself to be a tourist to Kivotos, but offering aid raised suspicions in Rin's eyes. What Rin believed to be the more reasonable action was leaving Kivotos if Rin were an outsider. That meant Ilda had her own agendas, and Rin needed to know Ilda's intent before anything else could be discussed.
"First of all, I would like to offer an apology as a Kivotos native." Rin started off the conversation. "You unfortunately showed up during our worst crisis. We did not give you the best first impression."
"I arrived by bus and stopped a robbery." Ilda responded back and gave Rin a start as to where Ilda showed up. "I gathered information on the situation. Your president went missing, and without her authority, Sanctum Tower cannot operate what keeps Kivotos running."
A brief but concise summary of what was happening in Kivotos. Rin noticed that Ilda was to the point on matters. It was an admirable trait that Rin could respect, as there were many who approached her with far more to say than she cared to listen to. Ilda's stoic expression never faltered as Rin stared into the woman's eyes, trying to gauge for any malicious intent. Rin never found any, but Ilda's intense stare made Rin look away. There was no doubt in Rin's mind that Ilda was obviously a soldier from wherever she came from. If there was a task given to Ilda, then Rin assumed that Ilda would stop at nothing to ensure the assigned job was finished. That was both dangerous and beneficial to Rin, as she had no idea if Ilda's own agenda would ever come into conflict with Rin in the future.
That's a problem for the future me. Rin adjusted her glasses before looking back at Ilda. I need to solve the current problem in the here and now.
"I see you're already informed." Rin commented and nodded her head. "So, how exactly do you plan on helping us? I can see from your injuries that you're no stranger to firefights."
"I've had my share of battles, but that's not the ultimate solution here to just fight every instance of unrest." Ilda looked down at her gun briefly but did not stop speaking. "An organization needs to have contingency plans. I assume you must have some in place for this kind of scenario."
"Perhaps there is." Rin did not give a definite answer as she slid the letter and document about Sensei to the side of her desk. Ilda noticed but did not comment on the action. "However, you are an outsider to Kivotos. I don't mean to offend your sense of morals or integrity, but why put yourself at risk for a city you just entered?"
The loaded gun of a question and an indirect accusation was shot forth, as Rin did not want to run around the subject anymore. From the first impression given, Ilda has been very straightforward with Rin. Ilda did not show an ounce of hesitation in her answers, and Rin felt her own back was against a wall due to her own situation. So, Rin risked the question, and if Ilda did not want to answer, then there was nothing left to discuss between them. Yet, Rin also felt afraid of losing help that showed up through unknown means, which was similar to what the President wrote in her letter. Ilda may not be the person Schale is waiting for, but Rin did not want to sit around. Idle hands solved nothing, and Rin felt she watched Kivotos long enough to let it keep crumbling. Rin just needed an acceptable answer from Ilda to establish some sort of trust between them.
"You're right to not trust a stranger with government affairs. I wouldn't either if I were in your shoes." Ilda gave her answer and stood up. "I'm on a search, and it led me to Kivotos. It may not even be something I'll be able to complete, but I'm trying for another person's sake. Sorry for wasting your time, Nanagami. I'll be going now."
A search... for someone else's sake?
Everything seemed to slow down as Ilda made her way out. The only sound Rin could hear at that moment was her own heartbeat as she watched Ilda walk away. A side of Rin agreed that this was the best course of action, as Ilda, while kind of her to offer, was not the destined Sensei of Schale. The other part of Rin felt that the moment Ilda left, it would be the last time Rin would see Ilda. Rin did not understand the turmoil she was feeling in her heart over a complete stranger leaving. Yet something felt very clear: if Rin let Ilda go right now, then her hopes for a normal Kivotos went with Ilda. Ilda's hand touched the doorknob, and Rin felt her visions blur, like this was all a dream. But it was not a dream, and a crushing reality awaited Rin's future if Ilda left now.
"Wait!" Rin's sights regained clarity in an instant. She just noticed she had shouted and stood up from her desk as well. "…Rin."
"Huh?" Ilda raised an eyebrow at Rin.
"I…" Rin felt her cheeks bloom red from mortification at her sudden action and answer. "I would prefer you call me Rin if we're going to work together to save Kivotos."
"So, that means you'll accept my help then." Ilda stated this as she turned around and walked back to Rin. "You shouldn't trust outsiders, Rin."
"Yes, that is indeed unwise. Especially given my position in the General Student Council." Rin responded as her senses returned to normal. "You're a stranger, but not a danger to Kivotos. My intuition is telling me to trust you."
"Then I'll make sure not to betray that trust."
Ilda's answer was solemn, and she held out her hand for Rin to shake. Rin still had her uncertainties about Ilda, but Rin did not have the luxury to worry about it now. What matters now is that Rin had a newfound ally who shared the mutual goal of restoring order to Kivotos. Rin grasped Ilda's hand and shook in their newfound agreement of cooperation. Ilda's eyes suddenly sharpened, and Rin found herself pulled towards the adult as Ilda wrapped Rin in her arms. Confusion and shock at Ilda's action rushed Rin's already frazzled state as Ilda threw them both onto the ground between Ilda's chair and the desk. An explosion followed, along with glass-shattering noises, and everything around them shook. When Rin's focus came back, she realized Ilda hovered over her, and this felt like a really compromising and embarrassing position.
"Are you okay, Rin?" Ilda asked before helping Rin back up on her feet. "I saw a rocket coming our way, so I just acted on instincts."
Rin turned to where Ilda looked and saw that some sort of rocket hit the building, and the explosion shattered the glass windows of her office. There were a lot of glass shards from where Rin had been standing that flew across the room. If Rin had still been standing there, she would have been seriously injured from the force of all those shards hitting her and the explosive knockback at the same time. Not even Rin's halo could protect her from that much damage without some bleeding to her back. Ilda grabbed her assault rifle off the ground and moved to the window to aim her gun outside. She looked around, and since she did not fire her weapon, Ilda did not see a target to shoot. Rin remembered Momoka saying before that air transport was impossible with criminals having rocket launchers. That must have been a stray that managed to fly far enough to hit Rin's building.
"It's not safe here anymore." Ilda told Rin. "We need to go."
"We'll head downstairs, but I need to secure some important things first. I'll be quick."
"I'll wait by the door while you do what you have to."
The windows were easy enough to replace, but the sensitive documents on Rin's desk were relatively unharmed. At least the world was not so cruel as to destroy everything on her desk, or even her desk in particular. Rin never would have thought this sturdy desk a GSC staff member recommended would be able to withstand the splash of a rocket blast. Ilda waited by the door while Rin quickly stored away important documents further away from the now windowless room of her office. Once the letter and documents pertaining to Sensei were in a relatively safer spot, Rin followed after Ilda to the elevator. When the doors closed and the lift descended, Rin knew there was no going back on her word. An explanation had to be given to Rin's new employee about their task. Rin looked back to see Ilda leaning against the elevator wall and spinning her revolver in one hand as a way to distract herself.
"There is one contingency plan that is the quickest solution." Rin gained Ilda's attention, even if she continued to spin her revolver. "Before the President's disappearance, she had finished the construction of a facility on the outskirts of the city. There is an item there that we can use to remotely activate Sanctum Tower."
"What's this place called?" Ilda holstered her pistol and held her assault rifle with both hands. "I assume the area is in deep hostile territory; otherwise, you would be there instead of here."
"Schale is the facility name. It is in contested territory, but even if I were there, I would be unable to use the item in question." Rin explained as she tried to recall the name of the device. "It's a tablet known as the Shittim Chest. The device was intended for someone the President called 'Sensei'. Another adult like you, but the information that was given to me suggests you aren't Sensei."
"I may not be the person you're waiting for, but I'm what you have right now." Ilda answered and looked over at the floor indicator. "We'll push our way to Schale and try to activate this Shittim Chest. If that tablet doesn't work, we move on to the next best option. We have to do something for Kivotos."
"My thoughts exactly, Miss Ilda."
"Just call me Ilda." The woman said as she stepped away from the wall and stood up straight. "I call you Rin; you call me Ilda. We talked about trust, so it goes both ways."
"Fair enough...Ilda."
It felt awkward and embarrassing to refer to Ilda in such a way, but Rin did tell Ilda to call her Rin instead of Nanagami. This was only fair, but it did not help matters that Ilda never spoke her full name. There were more urgent matters to attend to than finding out Ilda's full name, so Rin disregarded that thought as the elevator doors opened. Upon exiting, Rin's mood instantly changed at the sight of some unexpected and undesirable academy representatives at her front door being held back by Tzidkiya and her remaining officers. They have not even talked to Rin yet, but she could hear their distant argument with the Valkyrie students to let them through. The loudest of the bunch was Hayase from Seminar of Millennium. Rin looked over to her security desk staff, who offered a sympathetic smile. There was no avoiding this, and Rin opened her mouth to allow them in until she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Let me handle this, Rin." Ilda said this before looking at the security guard. "Open the door when I reach it and close it behind me. I'll be speaking on the Vice President's behalf."
"Is that true, Vice President?" The guard asked and looked between Ilda and Rin.
"Yes," Rin answered before looking at Ilda. "I will leave this to you then, Ilda."
Ilda walked to the doors and stepped out to greet the representatives alongside the Valkyrie student. This was an opportunity to see how well Ilda's negotiation and peacekeeping skills fared against those of other students. Ilda carried herself with the attitude of a soldier who acted to complete their given orders. Rin wanted more than just a hired gun, and if Ilda's previous conversation with Rin were any indication, Ilda's words about being who Rin needed right now would be grounds for contemplation. If Ilda succeeded or failed in her personal search and she stuck around, Rin would not be opposed to having another adult around once Schale Sensei showed up. Rin would also have words with Schale Sensei about being late and having someone else pick up their work for them. At any rate, Rin watched with interest Ilda's encounter with the school representatives of Millennium, Trinity, and Gehenna.
Show me what you can do, Ilda.
Hayase Yuuka formed an unlikely group to reach the District of Utnapishtim. Two Trinity students belonging to their own peacekeeping forces and a medic from the Gehenna Prefect Team. Yuuka met the Trinity students first when delinquents ambushed her. A flashbang went off that caught Yuuka off-guard, followed by the sounds of sniper rifle rounds going off. By the time Yuuka managed to see again, Morizuki Suzumi from Trinity's Vigilante Crew appeared by her side and shot the survivors still standing from their sniper support. Their distant shooter turned out to be Hanekawa Hasumi from the Justice Task Force of the same school. The pair were representatives from their own academy, much like Yuuka herself, sent to see Acting President Nanagami. The three agreed to work together as a makeshift team since they all shared a common goal.
Their team coordination could have been better, but they made it through their firefights, which was all that mattered. The injuries they started to gain were starting to impact them until they ran across a group of Valkyrie students who were being tended to by two medics. One of the healers was not from the Valkyrie Police but from Gehenna, who introduced herself as Hinomiya Chinatsu. If Millennium's intelligence reports were accurate, Hinomiya was a support member of the Prefect Team led by Sorasaki Hina. It just so happened that Hinomiya also had her own objective of meeting Nanagami but lent aid to Valkyrie squads along the way to her destination. Yuuka had been apprehensive of her temporary Trinity allies since she knew of the bad blood between Trinity and Gehenna. In a surprising twist of fate, Hasumi suggested Hinomiya join their party since their objectives were the same. If Morizuki had any objections, she did not voice her opposition to the offer or show it on her face.
"Look, I'm sure whatever you have to say is important, but the Vice President can't see you right now."
That was more or less Yuuka's journey from Millennium. Now that their odd squad had finally made it to the office of Nanagami Rin, they were being barred off by Valkyrie guards. The one speaking to them was their leader, Tzidkiya Masako, who stood at the front while the others blocked the doors into the building. What made Yuuka pause from starting a rant was the most peculiar sight of the individual inside, right next to Nanagami. It was a woman, a tall one at that, whose ragged appearance showed a story of her own battles. Adults were not rare per se since there were adult robots and animals, but this was a human adult without a halo. Tzidkiya noticed where Yuuka was staring and looked back, seeing the adult woman at the doors. The other officers turned around and quickly cleared a path for the woman, who stepped out after the entrance opened up and closed behind the adult.
"Hi there." The woman greeted Yuuka and her teammates. "You all look like you have a lot to say."
"Who…are you?" Yuuka asked the first question that popped into her head.
"My name is Ilda." The adult introduced herself before continuing. "I'm a visitor to Kivotos, and I've just been hired by Vice President Rin."
Ilda pointed her finger upward, which made Yuuka look up. It looked like an explosion had happened in the building. Yuuka retracted her previous assumption as she looked at the wall more closely. Rather than an internal explosion, it looked like some sort of rocket hit the building. There were other places that Yuuka had run across that shared similar or worse damages. Yuuka then realized that Ilda referred to Nanagami as Rin, which she found really odd for someone new to Kivotos. That was suspicious in Yuuka's eyes, but she did not ask for a question since that would be rude. Yuuka had to believe something else was going on in the General Student Council that not even Tsukatsuki Rio knew about. This would have to be a written report later, when Yuuka returned to her academy.
"I just finished up my meeting with Rin before we were interrupted by a rocket." Ilda resumed talking once their eyes were back on her. "Whatever you have to say to Rin, you will need to wait because we have a plan in motion to solve the current city crisis."
"That's what we were here to talk about!" Yuuka exclaimed loudly before realizing how out of line she was acting now in the face of a calm adult. "… Sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you. Our academy's wind generator shut down a few days ago. We're in a state of panic, so can you blame me for yelling?"
"You have a right to be angry." Ilda held up one hand placatingly. "It's fine to vent, but who you're going to lash out at isn't going to make the situation better. Their hands were tied, but not anymore now that I'm here."
"You said that you and Nanagami have a plan in motion?" Hinomiya decided to speak up with her own question. "Are you allowed to speak about it?"
"That depends entirely on my new boss."
Ilda looked back and motioned for Nanagami to approach. Yuuka would have been throwing a lot of verbal complaints if the shock of seeing Ilda had not stopped Yuuka's anger. Nanagami stepped out of her building and adjusted her glasses as she looked at Yuuka's impromptu team. Tzidkiya looked like she wanted to say something but stopped herself when the arrival of a Valkyrie armored personnel car parked itself on the street. The back ramp opened as more Valkyrie units exited the vehicle. That caused Tzidkiya and her team to rush over to their reinforcements and talk to the one in charge. This gave them more privacy, as it was just Ilda, Yuuka's group, and Nanagami now.
"Rin, I'm going under the assumption that these students are envoys of some kind from other academies." Ilda spoke as she kept herself between Rin and Yuuka's group, acting as a barrier.
"The proper term would be student representatives, Ilda." Rin explained before returning her attention to Yuuka. "But you're still correct regardless."
"I told them we had a plan to solve the issue with Sanctum Tower, but I didn't give out the details yet." Ilda said as she looked to Rin for approval. "You're the boss, so you decide whether they need to be in the know or not."
"Student Representatives." Rin spoke to get everyone's attention. "It's apparent to me what brought you here. It is for the best that we do not discuss that, as it would be counterintuitive to our goal. You all want the city back to normal, right?"
"That's why we're here, yes." Hanekawa answered back. "Order needs to be restored."
"Then you would have no reason to refuse an order to join the General Student Council in an operation." Rin said as she looked at each member of Yuuka's team.
"If we don't, then you'll send us off." Hinomiya finished what was unspoken.
"That doesn't seem like much of a choice, though!?" Yuuka protested because if they refused, then that meant their trip here was for nothing. "Ugh… Fine! I agree!"
"I'll join up for this mission." Morizuki tossed in her agreement alongside Yuuka, but it wasn't as forced.
"I will lend a hand as well." Hinomiya followed before looking at Hanekawa.
"Then we are all unanimous in our agreement." Hanekawa finished off their quick voting session.
"Ilda, you can take over from here." Rin looked at the adult. "I'll see if I can gather volunteers from Valkyrie. Brief them on our mission while I talk to the new people."
"Will do."
The group standing before Ilda was an interesting cast of individuals. Their uniforms were different, so that meant their team-up was not planned. Despite that, the group made it here to Rin's office, which spoke of some degree of teamwork. The only issue with them was the lack of a leader to give the final say in matters. They all had to come to a vote before agreeing to join Ilda and Rin in their operation to take Schale. Ilda preferred being given a direction, but that was in the past when she was part of a squad. Times had to change, and Ilda needed to be a leader for this makeshift team. The first thing she needed to know were their names and abilities, so that was a good place to start.
"You all know my name, but I don't believe I caught yours." Ilda started off as she looked at the twin-haired girl, who had been the most vocal of the bunch. "I'll be your designated leader for this mission, so I need to know who you are and what you can do. Let's start off with you."
"Me?" The girl with twin-tails looked flabbergasted at being forced to be first. She sighed before eventually speaking again. "I'm Hayase Yuuka, treasurer of the Seminar from Millennium."
Ilda raised a brow at Hayase's occupation. It was odd that out of all the people for a faction to send, they sent the one who managed finances. Hayase was armed with two submachine guns, which were heavily customized in comparison to Ilda's own weapons. Actually, a lot of these kids seemed to have weapons that were heavily modified to suit them personally. The bandits didn't seem to care for customizing their weapons, so Ilda had something in common with the Kivotos crooks. If Ilda were as young as them and lived in a world where kids could openly carry weapons, she might have done some painting to her weapons too. Hayase then proceeded to take out a calculator and hold it out proudly to Ilda. It was a fitting item to have for her occupation, but unnecessary for a firefight.
"This may look like a normal calculator, but I've modified it to activate a temporary bubble shield around me." Hayase stated this when she saw the look on Ilda's face. "Pretty impressive, don't you think?"
"You'll be on the frontlines with me then, Hayase." Ilda ignored the fish for a compliment at Hayase's question, who pouted in response. "How long can the shield stay up?"
"Thirty seconds max, or it takes too much damage." Hayase continued before storing the calculator away. "Best I can do with its limited space as a calculator."
"We'll make it work." Ilda looked at the woman carrying the big bag of medical supplies. "I can tell you're the team medic; don't worry."
"Yes, I'm the support member for the Prefect Team in Gehenna." The medic nodded her head and patted the pistol on her holster. "Hinomiya Chinatsu. Nice to meet you, Miss Ilda."
Hinomiya was another girl with long, pointy ears like Rin. In the realm of talking animals, robots, and students with floating halos, elves were not out of the realm of possibilities. Ilda always heard about them in fantasy novels, but it seemed they were a reality here. Hinomiya mentioned being a support member for a Prefect Team, so that sounded like a disciplinary group. Ilda once again found it odd that, like the treasurer, a medic was sent alone without extra people to see them safely to their destination. Perhaps Ilda was thinking too hard about their individual situations, so she stopped herself.
"You'll be hanging back with Rin, Hinomiya. You know your role, so I'll defer to you whether you want to support us in battle."
Ilda looked over to the last two and noticed emblem patches on their shoulders. They both carried the same symbol, so Ilda had it on the good assumption they were from the same academy. One seemed to be a sharpshooter, judging by their bolt-action sniper rifle, and their uniform color was shades of black and red. The other one carried an assault rifle, and their uniform consisted of gray to white colors. Ilda could only surmise there were different factions within the school district. Before Ilda said a word, the sharpshooter of the unnamed pair spoke first without prompting.
"I'm Hanekawa Hasumi. Second in command of Trinity's Justice Task Force." Hanekawa introduced herself. "I'll support you against shooters in the backline. I can also specialize my rounds to penetrate vehicle armor if I need to."
"Specialize?" Ilda was confused by Hanekawa's wording. "Do you mean you'll load a different type of round into your rifle?"
"Not exactly." Hanekawa shook her head. "You're not from Kivotos, so allow me to explain: Our halos come with resistance to bullets, but it also lets us enhance aspects of our abilities. Mine allows me to hit vehicles harder should we run into one we have to take down."
"I see. Thanks for the explanation."
So, it's a form of Kivotos magic.
That was Ilda's simplified answer to what Hanekawa explained. Ilda was curious about the properties of a halo since they were different from the enemies she faced in the past. The halo above a person's head in Ilda's home world was just a symbol of affiliation to one faction. In Kivotos, there was more to it, but this wasn't the time or place to get a whole history of it. Ilda just needed the important bits of information, which Hanekawa explained.
"Morizuki Suzumi. Trinity Vigilante Crew." The last student introduced themselves and showed a flashbang grenade to Ilda. "I use these to stun the enemy."
"You're battle utilities." Ilda nodded her head in approval that they had something to tip future battles in their favor. "We'll put those to work when we run into trouble."
"Now that you know all our names, can you tell us what we were recruited for?" Hayase asked the question that was likely in all their heads.
"Here's the current situation..."
Ilda began her explanation of what she knew about their job. Schale was an organization created for another adult, known as Sensei. They were supposed to show up as the replacement for the dead General Student Council President. Ilda obviously left that detail out since everyone referred to Pres as missing rather than dead. It was not like Ilda could tell the truth without evidence, since what happened in that weird realm on the train was a supernatural phenomenon. That secret would have to be forever buried with Ilda until her next death. Moving on from that personal issue, Ilda told them that Schale had access to Sanctum Tower, but the area was in hostile territory. Their job was to secure Schale and activate what was inside the building to bring Sanctum Tower back online.
"Wait, if Schale is meant to be used by this Sensei person, then why are you and Nanagami heading to it?" Hayase stated the obvious flaw in their mission. "Would you even be allowed access to what's meant for them!?"
"That doesn't concern you." Ilda answered bluntly, startling Hayase. "Sorry, but that's up to Rin and me to figure out the activation part. We need backup to help us push to Schale and secure the area. Schale Sensei is not going to have a workplace if the rioters decide to break into the building and wreck the place."
"That's…a fair point." Hayase accepted Ilda's explanation. "Acting President Nanagami would be sure to draw a lot of attention to you."
"The GSC uniform isn't exactly subtle." Hinomiya commented, and Ilda agreed with the elf medic.
"Flying there would be out of the question too." Morizuki looked back up at the damage done to Rin's building. "A stray rocket hit her building, so a helicopter is a floating giant target."
"You all now know what you signed up for." Ilda finished after her briefing on their mission. "I know you all are durable, but if you sustain too many injuries that Hinomiya cannot patch up, then I'm sending you away."
"Does that apply to you?" Hayase asked as her eyes roamed over Ilda's injuries. "You're injured too, you know."
"I've been meaning to ask if I could try treating you." Hinomiya added as she reached into her medical bag. "But I'm also concerned that your body may reject the healing syringes. I don't know how different your biology is from Kivotos natives."
"Rin and I are the exception to being sent away. Regardless of our injuries, we are the ones who cannot back down, no matter how injured we'll end up. It shouldn't come to that, though." Ilda answered Hayase before holding up a hand at Hinomiya. "And let's not try those syringes of yours, Hinomiya. I'll find a way to heal these old wounds eventually."
"That's not assuring in the slightest, Miss Ilda." Hinomiya looked exasperated at not being given a plausible excuse. Nevertheless, the medic stopped sifting through her bag and sighed. "But you're the leader."
This was a balanced and versatile team, all things considered. Ilda noticed Rin returning, and some Valkyrie students passed by them. The doors opened up, and the officers helped carry out the injured in the building. From the look on Rin's face, it seemed like the request for reinforcements from the new arrivals fell through.
"I'm afraid the Valkyrie here are just relief effort squads." Rin explained this, looking back at the parked Valkyrie APC. "They're here to round up their wounded, secure prisoners, rearm, and reinforce their position here. We'll still be on our own, but they told me that there are other units advancing in the direction leading towards Schale."
"They will not be under our command, but if we're in the area, they'll assist us." Hanekawa spoke up, to which Rin nodded. "I suppose that's fair. They're already stretched thin as it is."
"Rin, you'll be directing us to Schale." Ilda told Rin before pointing to Hinomiya. "If we run into a conflict, you retreat to the backline with Hinomiya."
"Very well. If you'll follow me, then."
Ilda had a new side objective, in addition to finding Schale Sensei. Whoever this Schale Sensei was needed a place to be a teacher for these students. Ilda now needed to lead a team of kids into battle and protect her new temporary employer. Helping to save the city of Kivotos would certainly involve a payout. Unlike Ilda's home world, this place was civilized, which means that Ilda needed some money to do anything here. In short, Ilda still retained her mercenary profession, just like in the past. That meant this job needed an operation name like all the others she was involved in before.
Operation Schale Recapture will do.
It was as good a name as any.