The sun sets and the stars make their presence known. The heat coming off from the stadium could still be felt, and the ruins were still decorated with precious colored lights. This roller-coaster-like journey comes to a halt and exhaustion finally caught up to the young Valkyrie. Ah, I'm feeling tired all of the sudden. We haven't taken a break in two days, haven't we? I just want to lie down and have a good night of sleep. That sounds good. The air here is nice and the terrain has been well maintained. S-Stop it, or else I'm really going to fall asleep here until tomorrow. Should I bring a tent, then? There won't be a problem if we use one. Yes there is! Why camp outside if we have a place to stay? ..... Well, resting here doesn't sound so bad. And our quarters are a little too far away. ...The stars are beautiful tonight. This beautiful starry night has been above us every night here—— ——So why do unpleasant things keep happening? Eikenal and the High Priestess... we caused things to end the way they did... Bianka-sama... I know, Rita. I know. If we hadn't intervened, Eikenal probably would had died in a civil war and the Federation under the High Priestess' control, would had crossed lines that shouldn't be crossed. But I... can't help but feel disgusted at my own powerlessness. Please don't blame yourself, Bianka-sama. That isn't like you. I do believe those with power have a responsibility to uphold but... ...No matter how strong someone is, they can't be omnipotent like God. Not even the Overseer is able to run his organization all by himself. I know that... very well. How can I put it... It's like a obsessive compulsive disorder. If my efforts don't bring the best possible results I begin to feel depressed—— ——Agh, I hate this kind of self introspection but... I'm aware this isn't a healthy way of living. I'll probably become a very boring and depressed person in 5 or 10 years. But this is the only way I know to become stronger. ..... I have to be strong. Way stronger. Most of the people I knew, teachers, fellow Valkyries, are no longer in this world. In our world people's lives can be torn apart so easily by something beyond our understanding, as if they were a fragile piece of paper. I hate it. That's why I want to do my best—— For those who are no longer here. ...I think it's similar to the reason why you became a maid, right? Huh? ...Was I mistaken? Rank A Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse—— Tell me, why did you become a maid? According to the documents I've read your apprenticeship at the Overseer's place ended a long time ago. Hehe. Knowing you're interested in me makes me very happy. Please stop teasing me! Wanting to get to know one's subordinates better is a natural thing to do. Is it something you don't want to share? No, not at all. But... it'll take some time to explain... ...In that case, let me tell you a story. ...? ——The story of a certain Valkyrie and a certain girl. The date is 2007—— ——And the location is Manchester, England. 5 years ago, a Honkai incident occurred in the girl's hometown. From a world wide perspective it was just a small incident where no one died. Probably only a handful of people remember it ever happened. But that incident was the trigger that changed the life of a little girl who was supposed to inherit her family business and become a florist. She left her flower garden, underwent rigorous training, and became a Valkyrie. That day, a monster that indiscriminately tried to destroy everything in its path appeared. Screams and silhouettes of people panicking flooded the streets—— ——By the time the girl realized what was happening, the monster was already in the vicinity. She was just a regular first year middle schooler. All she could do was to hide between the stands, and pray to not be found. And then, as if her prayers had been answered—— A savior angel appeared. Are you hurt, little girl? An angel dressed in lace fought the monster in front of her. The girl felt as if she was watching an art performance. By the time reinforcements arrived and the Honkai beast was dealt with, the girl returned to her senses. And when she couldn't muster up the strength to stand up and walk for herself... ...! No need to be shy. You can count on this big sister in times like these. The safe zone wasn't that far away, so in reality the angel only carried her for about a minute. But to her it felt like an eternity, a moment of bliss full of light and pleasant aromas. Purity, elegance, warmth, strength. Every virtue mankind has could be felt coming off her. ...Although back then the little girl was too shy and couldn't express those feelings inside her heart properly. Yeah, you should be safe here. There's a chance the site of the incident could be dangerous so don't wander off, okay? U-Umm... Ah, are you worried about the flowers? Don't worry, I think the insurance company has you covered. N-No... U-Ummm... Hm? I-I wanted to... ...T-Thank you very much. You're welcome. As thanks, if you feel like it, come visit my shop any time tomorrow. Here, my business card. The angel put down the girl on a bench and immediately went somewhere else. ...The girl carefully looked at the card the angel gave her. She called it her business card, but it was a card for a certain cafe. 「ABYSS ANGEL, Liverpool Street 243」 Are they trying to increase their number of customers? ——The girl thought. On the following day, the girl arranged a flower bouquet fitting for the angel, and visited 「ABYSS ANGEL」 in the afternoon right after opening time. Excuse me... Only when the words came out of her mouth she realized how careless she had been. She went as far as preparing a flower bouquet but never asked the angel for her name! Fortunately, the inside of the store wasn't so big and the angel quickly noticed the little girl. Good day, little lady. You came after all. I'm so happy! You know her, Aslaug? Yeah, we met yesterday. U-Ummm... Thank you for saving me yesterday! This is a token of my appreciation, I thought sunflowers would suit you well! Oh my, they're so pretty! Thank you. Would you like a cappuccino? It's on the house. Delicious! I am honored by your praise, little lady. U-Umm, there is no need to call me 「lady」... I understand it's part of the job, but i-it's a bit embarrassing... I am Rita Rossweisse. Um, please just call me 「Rita」. 「Rita」... Spelled like R-I-T-A? What a nice name. I am Ragna—— Ragna Lothbrok. A pleasure to be your acquaintance, Rita. Huh? Didn't the other maid call you 「Aslaug」? Yeah, that's kind of a pseudonym I was given for my work here. The name 「Aslaug」 was taken from the same source and it's way cuter than 「Ragna」. 「Ragna」 and 「Aslaug」... have the same source? ...Ah, the famous viking hero! The name of his wife was 「Aslaug」! Hehe, yes, it's that 「Ragna」. My mother wanted to raise me as a warrior so she came up with that name. My surname also happened to be 「Lothbrok」. Y-Your mother? One would think the father in the family would have those kind of ideas—— Well, she's a Valkyrie. It was inevitable. Valkyrie? Like an idol from Schicksal? No, we're not 「idols」. We're genuine 「soldiers」. My actual job is to deal with Honkai incidents like the one from yesterday. I see. So that's why you were able to beat that monster! Huh, but then... Why is a Valkyrie working as a part-time maid in a cafe? Do they also, umm, do this... Hehe, I'm sorry you had to see me like that. My part-time job is part of a two week long social activity. Actually, I'll be leaving Manchester tomorrow. Ah... is that so... 「social activities」... I understand... Speaking of that... Do you know what kind of advantages people in the service industry have when it comes to communicating with others? ...Advantage? Like being able to gather information eavesdropping? Valkyries aren't spies. They don't do that kind of work. But you weren't that far off—— What I meant was that it's easy for people in the service industry to reach the 「truth」. ...Like a customer not bothering to lie in front of a waiter? Exactly. People often live their lives wearing a mask. Specially in this country. It is said human relationships are like porcupines. They keep each other close by for warmth, but if they get too close they'll pinch each other with their needles. So what you do is to keep a low profile, and appear to not be 「obviously」 threatening—— People often lower their guard around those close to them. That way you'll be able to find out what a person is really like. ..... U-Ummm, if you don't mind me asking, were you embarrassed when you began working as a maid? Yeah, I definitely was. But if you think about it, it's a rare life experience worth checking out, don't you think so? The angel and the girl spent the rest of the day talking. They talked a lot. The fact that the girl ended up becoming a maid like her later in life was just a happy coincidence—— Ah—— You fell asleep, Bianka-sama. You didn't get to hear Ragna-sama's name, then... And here I finally mustered the courage to talk about her... Good timing, Rita. I have a job only you can do. Anything you desire, Overseer. Take a look at these documents. No matter what happens, I need you to secure the 「growth」 of this girl. Bianka Ataegina... Rank A Valkyrie... 12 years old... ...12 years old? Yes, she's 12 years old. She's the youngest Rank A Valkyrie in all of history. Speaking of age, if I recall correctly you were 13 when you joined the headquarters for training under Ragna's recommendation. Yes. I am honored you remembered. It's nothing special. I know every detail about every Rank A Valkyrie. For instance, the woman who recommended you, Ranga, was a splendid Valkyrie. Just like you are right now. ...Her death was a great loss for us. ..... Rita Rossweisse—— I ask you, the finest Valkyrie recommended by the late Ragna Lothbrok—— Please look after this kid who decided to follow Ragna's footsteps and become a Valkyrie. Your orders are my will, Overseer. But, if I may ask, do you consider Bianka-sama a 「sample」 or a 「person」? Haha, you've been trained well. Let me put it this way, Rita. I have special expectations from this girl. Not so special to the point I need to hide them—— But to talk about them requires certain conditions to be met. Hehe, it would be appropriate to quote that line from that famous novel in times like these. 「Wait and hope」.