Strata Magic School (3-1)
The moment we returned to the ship, I got a call from Armonia and held the executive meeting she had organized.
"Executive meeting?"
"Yes."
"Who's attending?"
"You and I, Su-ho."
"…."
What was the difference from our usual chats?
The venue was even my office... the same spot where we always debriefed after missions.
But Armonia's thinking was different.
"Now that our ship has official employees and more combat-ready personnel, I believe it's important to use the proper terminology."
"If that's what the CEO says, I'll go along with it. But before that…."
"…?"
"If it's that important, shouldn't we officially name the ship instead of just calling it 'the ship'?"
"…."
To my teasing grin, Armonia fell silent, then whispered so faintly I could barely hear it.
"We will now commence the NTL Corporation executive meeting."
I always thought the same thing—seeing Armonia even slightly flustered made me the happiest.
It wasn't just that she was in a tough spot; it was fun watching how she handled it.
Enough joking—down to business.
"What's on the agenda?"
"The embassy."
A issue from the place we'd just left….
I had a hunch.
"Cho Kang-hyeon, right?"
"Yes. We have too little information on him."
We moved based on missions to those worlds.
No mission, no reason to go.
But we'd already succeeded at the mission itself.
My task was seducing the women around Cho Kang-hyeon.
And as of today, that was basically a perfect success.
But that was my mission success—not the situation Zodiac wanted.
"Zodiac has requested a more detailed investigation."
"Yeah, figures…."
It wasn't a demand.
A request.
Mission accomplished, but something was missing, so dig deeper into Cho Kang-hyeon another way.
And that request….
"Fine. Let's approach it differently now."
No reason to refuse.
I'd made Seong Sua and Cho Seo-hyun unforgettable to me.
No guarantee they'd stay by my side forever, but they weren't vanishing in a puff of smoke anytime soon.
Two birds with one stone.
Manage Seong Sua and Cho Seo-hyun while digging into Cho Kang-hyeon.
Maybe the priorities were flipped, but that was my stance.
"I'll draft the official response to Zodiac. Next is the change in Enel payment structure."
"Change?"
I got Enel proportional to time spent in a world.
It was a long-term mission, and since all current ones were long-term, it felt natural—no big thoughts on it.
And the new method….
"Report achievements from each visit, and they'll promise rewards based on fitting outcomes."
From weekly payouts to performance-based per world visited.
Nothing good jumped out for me at first.
Performance pay wasn't bad, but it sounded skewed in Zodiac's favor.
"So they can pay whatever they want on a whim?"
"On the surface, yes, but there's a base salary."
"How much?"
"300,000 Enel base, plus bonuses based on performance."
300k + bonuses.
Now it sounded too good for us.
"They'll pay only after two weeks or more in a world."
"Yeah… makes sense. Okay."
Preventing abuse upfront was smart for both sides.
Thoroughness built trust.
Chasing extra profit could sour things and wreck the contract.
People blur consideration when small gains tempt them.
"I'll write and send the report arbitrarily. Naturally, omitting anything harmful to you, Su-ho, and framing it properly."
"…."
I stared piercingly at Armonia without a word.
Armonia stared piercingly back, expressionless.
A feast of silence.
And at the end of that silence, my words were….
"Any more items?"
"No."
"Okay~ Meeting adjourned!"
"Thank you for your time. Next destination is Strata. I'll notify you upon arrival."
"Yeah, rest up."
And so, Armonia and my executive meeting ended.
But my day wasn't over.
"…Should I ask Lena?"
Muttering to myself, I went to find Lena.
Lena looked at me with a puzzled expression I'd never seen before.
"What I want… you mean?"
"Yeah, wondering if she might've chatted privately while I was gone."
It wasn't about Lena.
"I'm sorry. Armonia has never asked me for personal chit-chat."
"Ah…."
What I asked Lena was no big deal.
"I have no idea what Armonia likes."
It was about Armonia's preferences.
Since arriving here, I'd spent long hours with Armonia, practically glued to her side every day in some sense.
Yet I didn't know what she liked.
Not about grand gifts—just wanted to know her better.
What she enjoyed, places she wanted to go….
Tried asking her directly, but facing her silence, my mouth wouldn't open, so I came to Lena.
But even Lena didn't know.
Just as I felt like it was a bust, someone passed by me and Lena.
I turned to the passerby with a question.
"Hello. Doing a survey—can you help?"
"Nyang? Survey? What's this all of a sudden, nyang?"
Beatrice stared at me, baffled.
I teased her with a mischievous grin.
"Planning to sneeze right now? If so, I'll wait."
"…."
"No sneeze? Oh! Were you about to, and I stopped you? Whoops~"
"Ugh…."
Beatrice turned away with a pouty face.
Why're you sulking?
Your sneezes were the problem for me.
But thinking about it, Beatrice had risked danger to help me.
Time to dial back the jokes.
I asked properly.
"Kidding. One thing: what do you think Armonia likes?"
"Dunno, nyang."
"Straight-up answer…."
I hadn't expected much, but not zero thought behind it.
As I felt disappointed, Beatrice wagged her tail and wings, telling me.
"But there's a way to find out, nyang!"
"Huh? A way?"
To my question, Beatrice poked my forehead lightly with both index fingers, smiling.
"Dream intrusion, nyang!"
"…."
"…."
Before my eyes was Armonia's serene sleeping face.
It started as just wanting to know trivial things about her.
Like her favorite food, something simple.
Armonia, unaware or not of my thoughts, breathed evenly, sleeping soundly without a ripple.
"Hmmm…."
"Must be tired."
Seeing her like this stirred dark urges.
Lena was around now, so no pushing it, but before her, Armonia had assisted me to near-exhaustion levels.
What drove her like that?
Maybe entering her dream would reveal it.
Original goal was just favorite foods, but with a 'mistake' excuse, maybe glimpse her past.
The only woman among those I'd met whose past was completely shrouded in darkness.
If not curious, I wouldn't be a man.
The woman who turned me from virtual girls to real ones.
'Weird when I think about it….'
Before Armonia, I'd never felt attraction to real women my whole life.
But from the day I met her, everything changed.
I felt attraction to other real women after Viola, but Armonia was the first to make me see real women that way.
Meeting Viola was a shock.
Meeting Armonia was a transformation.
The moment I met her, I changed, assimilated.
"…Did she hypnotize me?"
Said in jest, but my values flipped so hard after meeting her, it felt plausible.
Even if hypnotized, no big issue.
It made my life happy, thanks to her.
"What to do."
A stray lock covered her eye; I gently brushed it aside.
She twitched slightly, but no real reaction.
I stared at her on the bed for over ten minutes, then shook my head.
"No… this isn't right."
Expressing refusal, I left Armonia's office.
Heading to mine, a curious fact struck me.
'I slip into other women's dreams easily… but weirdly, can't with Armonia….'
And when she offered her body, I'd instinctively dressed her back and refused.
Because of pride?
No… pure instinct.
Staring piercingly at Armonia's office, I muttered.
"Well… someday she'll tell me herself, right?"
Satisfied with seeing her sleep, I turned and entered my office.
Whoosh.
The office door hissed shut on pressure seals, and inside… soft snores.
"Hoo…."
Armonia, pretending to sleep, sat up and blankly stared at the door.
After a dazed expression, she lay back, lips pursed, murmuring.
"Idiot…."