9:00 AM in the morning. Hart was already in a car hurtling to join up with the rest of the Ministers, who would present their ideas on how to achieve development from their sides. It wasn't the most enthusiastic way to start a life in 'Baetyl', if that is the name of the pnet. Aside from his tiresome timetable, Hart enjoyed fresh clothes and well-cooked food each day, but to be honest, it wasn't natural to run his life this way. More necessities were handled by no one else other than Hart himself, as a servant would be hindering his ability to remain independent.

  He wasn't there alone, though. Nephilia kept a tight grip on the time taken to depart and arrive. She's not keen on losing a single minute, and if any disruptions occurred, she would scold those responsible for their time. Hot-tempered isn't the right word to expin her reason to do it, but rather the feeling of worry and nervousness of failing Hart.

  Hart assured her multiple times it wouldn't really matter, but she INSISTED that his success depends on a strict schedule without losing the slightest time. She even said, "Time is money. Unless you can buy me time, I won't give you the slightest break." To the exhausted workers, not to Hart, of course, but he still felt bad for the victims of her wrath. He has seen her soft, obedient side, especially when she was around him before, but THIS is something different. Rather than seeing her after work, he saw what she's like AT her work.

  The early morning was pnned for Hart to visit the Hall of State Members, a building that high-ranking members of the government use to address and hold certain events such as a banquet and government decrations, yet it's also a pce that acts as a ground to peacefully enjoy free time. Public access is permitted to the building, and in fact, most government buildings are open to the public as the state focuses on decentralisation and an even spread of power to the whole popution, but several areas of these structures are only permitted to members of the government, as their significance makes them a prominent target for terrorism.

  The building itself is two stories tall, shaped like the letter 'H' from above, three stories if you count the rooftop, and has an Indo-Saracenic style to it with a little bit of European descent on the external wall patterns. The walls were painted yellow-brown, the roof was built with red hip tiles, there was a great clock that hovered above the main entrance, and a garden full of pink-yellow-red flowers, sided with Kousa trees that scattered the field, all of which gave a fresh feeling to the atmosphere.

  Inside, the building consisted of a reception area and two adjacent rooms that gave the pce a more spacious feeling. Further into the building, you will encounter the conference room with a stage as a centrepiece. The two separate wings connected to the main chamber were areas where the employees stayed away from outsider's eyes and also acted as a storage hub. But between them, in the open gap to the rest of the garden, is a rge courtyard that has its own small maze-like paths followed by the bush on both sides. The second floor is a massive banquet hall that has its own dining room as well as a kitchen. In contrast to the employee room and the storage hub from the first floor, there are long balcony areas with tables and chairs on the second floor, used as a way for more outdoorsy people to enjoy the fresh air of nature outside.

  Hart was led upstairs a shiny marble staircase to meet the members of the government in the banquet hall at the connecting floor. The event was organised to a level that made sure all visitors had enough space and things to eat. Tables full of cuisines and a separate dessert table were prepared in the middle. Large decorated windows beckoned at the side, red carpets rolled across the room, beautiful yellow curtains hung from the ceiling, a crystal chandelier sparkled above everyone's head, and a band pyed cssical music at the corner.

  Hart is not much of a rich-life lover, preferring to take life more casually rather than forcing the posh attitudes to come out. However, Nephilia insisted that a meeting like this would give a great opportunity for anyone in state operations to understand the structure of the government, even if the environment may be a bit fshy.

  They sat beside the Finance Minister, Archen, who stood up quickly after seeing the President. He bowed, pcing one hand over the chest while extending the other to the side gcefully. Once they took their seats, Archen expined to Hart that he was interested in talking about the industrial workings of the state, but Hart politely refused, reminding him that they can talk about it once they meet officially as pnned by Nephilia. He agreed to it and pced his focus on enjoying the banquet, so he got up to get some food on his pte.

  During the period of silence from our table, Nephilia was going through some papers until she was approached by a bck-suited man who whispered something into her ears. She looked at Hart for a moment, giving a cute smile before getting up from her chair and excusing herself for a moment. As she walked away from the scene, Hart heard distant, frustrated yelling that echoed across the hall, which obviously originated from Nephilia. Maybe because there was another dey or mishap in the pns ahead, Hart didn't really want to get affiliated with such a matter.

  Aside from that obsessive-compulsive demon, the gatherings that took pce throughout the whole ordeal happened without a hitch. The lower subordinates of the Ministers introduced themselves, presenting the importance of their roles and what they are currently doing. Some of them were the generic government personnel, tired and unmotivated, but some instantly showed unnatural traits by the aura they emitted.

  A list of them includes the Heads of the Military: Army, Air Force, and Navy. Those who brought their respective traits reting to the fields they are pying out in.

  Army Head Dersis, apparently, is the son of Eudemo. He has his father's fire in him, but surprisingly, without the gluttonous frenzy for food, like his father. Nephilia asked for another tray with pudding on it to test him, Dersis, and instead of taking the offer, he ft-out refused the whole thing, calling it a 'distraction' to his work. Another thing to mention was the extensive resilience of his posture through a conversation Hart had with him.

  "Army Head, Dersis." Hart said while offering a handshake, which Dersis happily accepted, "Head of Danburg, it is a pleasure to meet you."

  "Please, the pleasure is all mine. To see the Great Rhineheart is a gift to me, sir." Dersis thanked, bowing with his hand on his heart.

  Most people who Hart met so far would twitch or grip onto their clothes out of impulse, but Dersis kept his cool while moving his body with flow instead of uncertainty, almost as if he was born to talk in an intense environment. Personality-wise, he was gentle with others, not interested in controlling others, but allowed them to have their even share of the moment. A person with such a personality was cking in society back on Earth.

  Appearance-wise, Dersis was about '6'1" tall, a little shorter than his father, and had a five o'clock shadow, which was a direct contrast to the full beard the Defence Minister has. Short hair, smooth face, which naturally means a ck of field-combat experience, but he held a frame that had good indications of exercise and training. By Eudemo's description, Dersis wasn't an outdoors person and instead pced his head in books rather than pcing his feet on the dirt and mud. How Dersis got the position of Army Head was due to the fact he was a skilled tactician, standing more exceptional than others, as well as past records of him having out-bested others in wargames. Logically, Hart wouldn't really know much about these events since a game doesn't have details down to every single character that can be in pce, but their initial stats in-game kept him comfortable with their abilities. So if Hart ever assigned them to their post, it is either because he believes they are the best candidate or due to his own error in picking the best one for each position given. Regardless, Dersis is an excellent choice for an Army chief.

  Shino, the head of the Air Force and head of Sorum, is a female who notably has wings tucked away behind her back. It felt strange seeing a character that is usually behind the screen in real form. There was an urge in Hart to touch the wings just to know what it really felt like, but of course, for the sake of formality, he didn't. Touching somebody, especially an actual body part, wouldn't make any situation more comfortable.

  She seemed to be a person who takes good care of herself by the looks of her soft tanned skin, followed by the easy-flowing blonde hair, a reflection of her western origin. From her individual presentation, it was apparent that she is quick with the time because all her words were rushed out of her mouth when they opened. Not impatient, rather like Nephilia, speeding their work to make more room for another. But compared to Nephilia, Shino's attitude felt natural, instead of the situational requirement created by the need to be organised. Shino was naturally fast, a person who reacts without much hesitation. A feat that will be useful in the Air Force.

  A human-animal mix like this would make her and the others a 'hybrid'. But for context, Shino and Eudemo, for example, are referred to as 'beastkins' in the original game. They share simirities to animals but are mostly 'human' in their normal nature. Some of them will have obvious signs of animal traits, while the others have it more concealed. A big difference between hybrids and beastkins is the fact that beastkins can shape into a true animal beast at will, compared to the permanent physical form of hybrids.

  Scopeloid, the st head for the military, the navy, and head of Avqud. A true seaman by the presentation of his weathered and tanned skin. One of the most intriguing attributes that comes with his presence is the multitude of officers who escort him around the pce. It's a regur occurrence due to the hard-lined stance of the navy, simir to the Japanese navy from WW2, by having strict command flexibility in the event of a sudden conflict. Having relevant pieces of the navy command structure would ease the time and pressure that it takes to make a response.

  Pinly speaking, Scopeloid is the 'Chief of Naval Operations' in US terms. While being the navy's command operator, he's never going to be commanding an individual fleet, because that would be the job of the numerous admirals, who are already assigned to their respective groups. He didn't seem to be a rushed person compared to Shino. Scopeloid is actually a calm, respectful person. The exception was his equally calm attitude toward everyone, regardless of rank, such as the receptionist, cleaning staff, and a random boy in the hallways who accidentally bumped into him, but instead of receiving a little scolding, he got a candy and a gentle wave off. A nurturing person like him can understand the hardship that the many servicemen go through in the sea.

  Now, all of this would conclude the list of heads, but one person is so distinct among the crowd that it would be impractical not to mention. Around the presentation of all three military heads, there was a girl who always appeared around the room and showed barely any sign of interest in others, always being visibly asleep on the table in front of her or leaning on the wall next to her. Her outside state was a mess. Messy, untidy, short brown hair, droopy, zy eyes with bck rings under them, the subsequently yawning that indicated a tired state, and the unprofessional clothing she had that comprised a baggy sweater and military cargo pants, all of which would never fit well in the minds of any government official. But no one told her off; instead, they showed visible fear in their eyes when she was any distance close to them.

  Out of curiosity, Hart approached her, getting worried eyes from the people around him who obviously wanted to change his direction. Upon getting in front of her, the mystery girl barely paid any attention to the President, but it was obvious she was observing his actions. To soften the tension, Hart spoke first.

  "You know, one of the things that stood out a lot in this room was you. Could you enlighten me on why that's the case?"

  She didn't say anything at first, but the message was received on her end, and an answer was given to him after a short silence.

  "Maybe because you fell in love with me or something," she joked.

  From that, it was obvious she's a comedic type who uses a couple of jokes and insults as a method of relieving herself from the pain she might have endured in the past.

  "That's new. It never came to my mind that a sloth like you would make me warm in the heart." Hart countered.

  Everyone that was close enough to hear their conversation held their breath, almost fearing the possibility of a bomb going off at any moment, but their worries were put to a halt, as the next thing they heard was a little giggle.

  "Heh, you really do know your environment, do you?" The mystery girl ughed as she held out a hand to shake. "Captain Kyrie, sir. And I apologise for the rude assumption. I'm not much of a people person, but I see you are, President Rhineheart."

  "No need to apologise. I know how it feels to not trust many." Hart waved off her rudeness, "Mind if we take a walk away from prying ears?" Hart looked at his back, catching some people off guard as they turned their eyes and ears away from them.

  Captain Kyrie accepted his offer, and they walked off to a more desote area of the building, a courtyard, bringing life to it with their echoing footsteps. Diorite balustrade railings separated the roofed floors from the open grassy floors of the garden that y still on their left as they strolled calmly.

  "I've never seen you around before until now, and by the looks of others, you seem to have a bit of a name for yourself, do you?" He questioned Kyrie.

  "Oh, that? It ain't much, sir, just a little byproduct of being one of the deadliest marksmen... or markswomen in this case, of all time."

  "Markswoman? So you're special forces?"

  "Yes, special forces. One that is closer to the... umm, what was it called again? Spets... spets-"

  "Spetsnaz?"

  "Yeah, that's the one. Not the actual thing, of course, but the closest thing to it, that is. We go by the name Orion, one of the triple O's."

  "Triple O's... Those consist of Orion, Omega, and Omicron, correct?"

  "Yes. The Orion branch focuses on external threats, carrying out espionage or taking out foreign elements that are deemed an enemy to the state. Divided into its own subdivisions, Beta and Alpha, like the Orion consteltion. I'm assigned to Alpha, just for crifications."

  "Aaand Omega... Being the personal guards for the head members of the government. I already know of their existence. They always follow me around, even at this moment." Hart pointed out.

  "Well, it isn't much of a surprise. We triple O's know one another like a family."

  "That is something, I guess."

  "It truly is."

  In synchronisation, they both, at the same time, said, "That leaves us with Omicron." They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, taken aback by their sudden union, before Kyrie ughed, looking up at him with her dark-blue eyes, showing some warmth to Hart. A slight feeling of embarrassment flushed through Hart, but he kept his cool to avoid undermining his stature as president. After a small break, Hart returned to the conversation:

  "Anyways... Omicron has 15 members, if I'm not wrong."

  "Yep, 15 members."

  "15 members who carry out the internal intelligence against foreign spies. I believe they report directly to the Internal Affairs Minister, Helina. That's a bunch I personally wouldn't really mess with."

  "You are not alone, sir. Had some problems with Omicron in the past. They're all bitches. Maybe I'm being too harsh on them, but they know how to do their jobs. Injecting sedatives that heighten their survivability in order to torture them for longer periods of time, allowing them to easily drag the information they need out of their victim's mind. The way they torture their victims scares me. Even I see death as a blessing because of them."

  "Heh, that's one way to put it." Hart wondered before realising a small crack in her words, forcing his small smile to drop. There was a bit of detail that didn't add up. He jolted his head to Kyrie and questioned her about it:

  "Wait. Aside from a couple of government members, I thought Omicron kept their operations completely silent from their inner circle. How do you even know about their torture methods?"

  This immediately opened Kyrie's eyes, now showing shock and intense nervousness. She started to clench her pants and avoided eye contact with Hart as she tried to answer his question.

  "Well... umm... like I said, we... uhh... O's know each other well. Haha..." Kyrie cleared her throat, slowly stepping back.

  "The only intel that is shared between the O's, especially Omicron, are the results of their works, but never what happens during them. So tell me, Kyrie, how or who gave this information?"

  Suddenly, in the distance, Hart saw a group of well-dressed, bck-suited people in front of them. Knowing that they probably needed someone's attendance and Hart not having any expected guests, it was guessed those men were here for Kyrie.

  "I guess you have to tell me ter, then?"

  "Wow! Heh... uh...It appears so." Kyrie sighed in relief, "Well... I'll see you in the days to come, sir. I enjoyed our little time together." She then abruptly waved off and ran off quickly to the men in bck, disappearing from view as they turned a corner. As she disappeared into the distance, Hart saw a little reflection on a nearby window of a woman with jealous eyes looking at him from a doorway.

  "Come out, Nephilia. I can see you hiding behind that wall." Hart pointed out.

  "Are you chasing after someone, sir?" confronted Nephilia.

  "Says the person who's been spying on me this whole time."

  "It's my job to keep an eye on your every movement, sir. Taking off from the meeting room with that woman isn't the best look for you, especially with the 'Huntress of Hell'. She is trustworthy in carrying out orders and serving her nation, but as a person, she's the opposite."

  "The 'Huntress of Hell'? That's what people call her? Don't you think it's a little ironic when you take into consideration that she seems to have slipped up in her story?"

  "Mistakes are expected from basically everyone, sir. But that doesn't mean she isn't capable. She has a record of successfully assassinating several high-ranking officials in the past, leaving no evidence of her existence except for the bloodied world she left behind. Not only foreign enemies, but even some of her own superiors with records of attempting to kill and actually killing them, sir. And apparently, the only reason she still has her position is because no one else has the same level of attributes as her. So I'd advise you, sir, against getting too affiliated with this rogue female."

  "I'm not saying she hasn't done anything wrong, but I also haven't mentioned anything reted to me liking her romantically. Maybe YOU are overthinking this. So tell me... Why did you ever make the conclusion that I was into her?" Hart interrogated her, leaning forward, nearby pressing his body against Nephilia if she didn't take a step back. He gave off an unliking face, making sure she understood her mistake. Nephilia looked at him with widened eyes, realising she unnecessarily thought too deeply into the subject.

  "Apologies. I never meant to insult you, sir, or Captain Kyrie. My only intention was for you, the president of this nation, to take individual retions more carefully." apologised to Nephilia as she lowered her head.

  "I understand your worries over me, but I know if someone is worth my time or not. Captain Kyrie may have an unsettling past record and secrets that she wants to hide, but up close she's still another person who wants to go by her day, and I don't intend on forcing any orders or requests on her."

  "Mhm..."

  "If we're settled with this matter, do you think it's time for us to get back to our scheduled departure?"

  Nephilia looked back up and nodded in acceptance and led the way back to the meeting hall, where Hart was issued to make a couple of farewells before leaving the scene. Along the entire way, he couldn't help but wonder about what Kyrie would be hiding, which made it too unsettling for her to openly admit to him. Even so, she's still an NPC from his game. There has to be some kind of expnation about who she is and who created her, because how could he have missed out on her after all those years?