This matter, no matter which point, made one feel it was extremely absurd.
In this respect, Bilt's experience might be even deeper — Alice's speech and behavior were like a child who hadn't grown up. At certain moments, she seemed even more like a human than Admiral Amyrius, but it was only like.
But...
Admiral Amyrius looked at Alice, restrained his instinct to interrogate and preach, and said humbly:
"It seems you care a lot about your follower."
Alice uncomfortably furrowed her brow. She instinctively wanted to refute, but thinking of Evelyn, her voice circled once in her throat, and changed to another sentence:
"I'm just… just taking care of him for someone else."
Admiral Amyrius was slightly stunned. He looked at Alice, recalling the personality Alice had shown, and after some deliberation asked:
"You know, I am an admiral...
"In situations like yours, I'm supposed to report to my superiors...
"Moreover, perhaps you don't know, just today, news of the Saint Florent encountering a maritime disaster has already come back, and there are still many passengers and crew missing..."
Alice's gaze revealed a clear trace of guilt. She thought for a bit and asked:
"Did you publicize that prophecy from the ticketing company?"
Admiral Amyrius shook his head.
Even if it were made public, most people probably would just think I was creating a myth... Alice hesitated for a moment, then carefully said:
"You can tell your superiors, it was... the result of the loss of control of a level-0 sealed object belonging to the 'Life School' that caused this incident."
Admiral Amyrius finally couldn't help it and revealed a shocked and fearful expression.
Alice didn't care about his expression and continued speaking:
"Remember to make that prophecy public.
"This time it really is a threat."
After pausing for a moment, Alice glanced again at Bilt and couldn't help asking again:
"You really don't plan to let him get up?"
Admiral Amyrius was silent for a full minute before he said to Bilt in a voice with no discernible emotion:
"You can get up now."
Bilt cautiously glanced at Alice, then at Admiral Amyrius, hesitated, and tried to get up from the ground.
Then, his legs gave out and he knelt back down again.
Klein almost immediately looked toward Alice. Alice... Alice quickly vanished from where she stood, pretending she had never appeared.
...Forget it, let her be. It's not a big deal... probably not?
Klein used the corner of his eye to sneak a glance at Admiral Amyrius, then awkwardly met Admiral Amyrius's gaze head-on.
After a few seconds of speechless silence, Admiral Amyrius tentatively asked:
"...What's your name?"
Klein calmly replied:
"Gehrman Sparrow."
Admiral Amyrius couldn't help glancing at Bilt who had knelt back down.
Bilt lowered his head even more. Admiral Amyrius looked again at Klein, then said to Bilt:
"Your third mistake was being insufficiently cautious.
"A vagabond you spent immense effort on suddenly dies, and then an adventurer who can change appearances shows up in front of you. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?"
Also, an adventurer of "Pirate General" level is actually willing to act as a substitute... Thinking this, Admiral Amyrius couldn't help glancing at Klein again.
Yeah, it really is quite the coincidence... Klein subconsciously nodded, almost repeating the other's words.
Watching this scene, Admiral Amyrius inexplicably recalled Alice's behavior earlier.
...Don't say, in some aspects they're actually kind of similar.
This sentiment only passed through his heart. He looked at Bilt's repeatedly changing expression and understood Bilt had realized his mistake, so he continued:
"My father, the late Earl Levitt, once taught me a saying:
"He said, forgive the first mistake your subordinate makes.
"Bilt, you should thank his mercy."
Alice hesitated for a moment, gave up on reappearing to applaud, her eyes flickered, and she suddenly had a thought.
With his nerves slightly relaxing, Bilt felt a moment of exhaustion and a faint, inexplicable emotion.
His tear glands seemed particularly active in that moment. He was moved to the point of tears streaming down, wiping his eyes as he said emotionally:
"Admiral, I, I..."
Klein watched this scene, always feeling something wasn't quite right.
Admiral Amyrius also hesitated a bit. Before he could speak, Bilt straightened his back, raised his right fist to his left chest and said:
"Pledge loyalty to the admiral!"
Admiral Amyrius hesitated, then nodded.
This kind of dramatic ending didn't satisfy Alice. She began to somewhat regret not influencing Admiral Amyrius as well, but at this point, she could only deliberately assert her presence and asked aloud:
"Why don't you go forward to help him up..."
After two seconds of silence, Admiral Amyrius stepped forward to help Bilt up from the ground, while Klein took the opportunity to shoot a warning glance at Alice.
Admiral Amyrius, forced into the performance, didn't notice the eye contact between the two, and said to them:
"The plan proceeds as usual.
"But a contract needs to be signed."
Contract? Klein and Alice looked at Admiral Amyrius in confusion together.
Admiral Amyrius didn't explain, picked up the pen and paper already placed on the windowsill, and began writing with swift strokes.
Each time he set down the pen, it seemed golden light burst out, the scene solemn and sacred, like he was drafting some law.
Alice stared unblinkingly at this scene, slowly squinting her eyes.
That uncomfortable feeling on him, so it was due to the Pathway, or rather, authority, huh...
Alice tilted her head slightly. As Admiral Amyrius finished writing and was about to speak, she clapped while exclaiming:
"Wow, amazing!"
Admiral Amyrius suddenly didn't feel like speaking.
Klein silently looked at Alice. Alice blinked twice, then obediently covered her mouth with her hand.
Admiral Amyrius stared at the scene in silence for a moment, then held the paper and said to Klein:
"Sign your name at the end.
"If you're not satisfied with the terms, you can choose not to sign."
Alice blinked, moved next to Klein, very clearly implying — I want to see too!
Bilt knowingly took the paper and pen and handed them over. Alice leaned in to read the contents of the contract.
The terms on the paper were very simple, just a few clauses, roughly regulating Gehrman Sparrow's behavior when impersonating Admiral Amyrius Levitt, including but not limited to: not actively revealing problems, not using the admiral's identity to do things harmful to Admiral Amyrius himself, no overly intimate contact with Miss Cynthia, etc., etc.
All very normal things... Alice blinked and raised her hand to ask:
"Then what about me? Do I also need to sign a contract?"
(End of this chapter)