"That... ahahaha, right, that's exactly it!" Theresa scratched her head, admitting it with an embarrassed laugh.
Bianka completely failed to notice Theresa's guilt, even though it was practically written all over her face. The words "I'm lying" were almost physically manifest.
Of course, Theresa herself wasn't usually this thick-skinned. She had been on the verge of admitting that she just wanted to take Bianka to the cafeteria to eat and hopefully break the ice.
But just as she was about to speak, she saw Rita subtly raise a hand, making a "shush" gesture. Rita then took the opportunity to give her a wink, an expression that was finally different from her usual elegant demeanor.
It was almost... cute?
This completely threw Theresa for a loop.
She wanted to tell the truth, because she didn't want to deceive Bianka.
But Rita seemed to want her to stick with the lie... How agonizing. Whose side should she take...?
After struggling for a mere one-hundredth of a second, Theresa made her difficult decision.
Of course, she'd take the glory!
And so, the scene unfolded of Theresa standing with her hands on her hips, admitting to her "deep foresight" in front of Bianka.
The moment Theresa "confessed" to her master plan, Bianka's eyes began to shine with renewed inspiration.
She couldn't help but clench her fists, her admiration for Theresa and all the veteran warriors rising to a whole new level.
Everyone is like this... I have to work hard to keep up with them.
Even when excited, however, Bianka rarely showed it on her face. She simply looked at Theresa with glowing eyes.
"Lady Theresa, where are we going next?" she asked with great seriousness, having already committed Rita's earlier analysis to memory.
Theresa snapped back to reality, striking an Otto-like pose as she stroked her chin in thought before raising a hand.
"Alright, next up, let's go see where everyone lives! The place you're staying now is different from ours, right?"
A look of confusion crossed Bianka's face.
"Um... You're right, it seems no one else lives on the ninth basement level... I just thought I was being lazy, waking up too late to join everyone else..." Bianka said, a little ashamed.
Theresa snapped her mouth shut and turned to look at Rita.
"Lady Bianka has been waking up at 5:30 AM every day," Rita said with a faint sigh.
What?! 5:30 in the morning?! Is that a time a normal human can naturally wake up?!
Bianka, are you trying to kill yourself?!
"Ahem!" Theresa coughed forcefully. "Bianka, most people don't actually get up that early. The reason you don't see anyone is because very few people reside on the ninth basement level."
"Really?" Bianka asked in surprise. "But... every time I go to the ninth basement level, it's always crowded..."
"Basement Nine is the life-simulation zone. In other words, it's the base's commercial street and recreational area... It's normal for people to go there..."
"What?!" Bianka's voice rose in disbelief. Rita sighed.
"I tried to advise Lady Bianka... but she wouldn't listen..."
Theresa shook her head helplessly. She stole a glance at Bianka. Logically, Bianka didn't seem like the type of person who would feel her efforts were wasted...
"So... we've been living in such a nice place?" As expected, Bianka didn't disappoint. The words just tumbled out of her mouth.
Theresa fell silent, deciding to wait and see what other world-shaking pronouncement Bianka would make.
Bianka took two deep breaths and looked down at her own hands.
"It's not just everyone's attitude, even Fire Moth's leadership is looking after us warriors... Not only the people I protect, but also those who protect everyone alongside me... Everyone is working hard... to provide us with the best possible conditions."
Connecting the dots is an excellent skill, and Bianka was an exceptionally brilliant person.
With the "previous example in mind," Bianka quickly understood the profound intentions of Fire Moth's leadership, of Otto and the others.
Far away, Otto—who had been sleeping soundly after a long night of work and staying up late to study Honkai energy while Kallen was at the front—suddenly woke with a start. He scratched his head in confusion before rolling over and falling peacefully back to sleep.
This time, Theresa was at a loss for words. She hadn't even shown Bianka the staff dorms on Basements Five and Six yet, and Bianka had already figured out what she was "supposed" to do?
She glanced at Rita in a slight panic, only to see Rita shake her head again, signaling her to go along with it.
Left with no other choice, Theresa once again placed her hands on her hips.
"As long as you understand, that's what matters... Let's go!"
With that, Theresa immediately pressed the button for the fifth basement level, giving Bianka no further chance to speak.
Not that Bianka needed to say anything more...
It was ten in the morning. The early risers had already been hard at work for nearly two hours. The latecomers were finishing up their breakfast before rushing off to their posts.
In Fire Moth, no one was idle. Everyone had something to do.
Even those who truly couldn't do anything else would choose to open a small convenience store or sundry shop on the ninth basement level to provide some convenience for others in Fire Moth.
So at this time of day, the fifth basement level was basically empty, save for two middle-aged cleaning ladies working diligently.
The three of them flattened themselves against the wall to let the janitors pass. Bianka looked around at the open dorm rooms.
While the conditions were certainly good—each room had air conditioning, a private bathroom, and even a small kitchenette—they were still four-person shared rooms. It was a world away from the villas on Basement Nine, where one person could have a two, three, or even four-story house to themselves.
Even Rita was a little silent as she looked at the dorms.
Shortly after arriving at Fire Moth and registering her identity on the second basement level, Otto had met with her and arranged for her and Bianka to live in a small villa on the ninth basement level.
She knew from the start that Otto had taken a special interest in her for certain abilities and that she was being given special treatment. But the level of acceptance people here had for "privilege" still astonished her.
Privilege... In other places, such a thing was universally detested. It might be acceptable if one could demonstrate abilities worthy of the privilege, but on what grounds did "parachuted in" newcomers like her and Bianka deserve such treatment?
Yet, in the past two days, Rita hadn't sensed any resentment whatsoever... No one had any objections to their sudden arrival. In fact, when they learned they were living on the ninth basement level, the respect they showed was beyond her imagination.
So... she also wanted to know, why did everyone here seem as if they'd been baptized by some mysterious power?