Somewhere Between Hypocrisy and Good Deeds
I was enjoying a leisurely walk in the park on my day off.
Suddenly, an aroma of something delicious wafted through the air.
Let's create a warmer NOA together!
Come get a bowl of hot soup!
What sort of event is this?
Hello! It's gotten quite chilly lately, hasn't it?
So, we're giving out hot soup as part of a community volunteer event.
NOA may be a nice place to live, but...
There are still people who struggle to get even one warm meal a day.
Oh, and it's not just for those in need.
A bowl of hot soup can bring comfort to anyone's body and soul.
Please wait in line over there in front of Ms. Lydia.
...Ms. Lydia?
I turned and couldn't believe my eyes.
Lydia stood there holding a ladle, her face beaming with a warm smile.
Hello!
Come get a bowl of hot soup!
Miss, could you spare me a bowl...?
Oh, of course, ma'am! Just a moment... Here you go!
The weather is getting chilly, so be sure to stay warm!
Lydia, aren't you tired?
Oh, Ms. Catherine! Hehe, I'm still fine. Thank you for asking!
As a Savior, it wouldn't be right for me to complain when helping those in need.
You have such a big heart, Lydia!
Even though you're working so hard for your homeland, you're still giving your strength to those who need it.
I hope you hear good news from the West soon. I'm rooting for you.
And if there's ever anything you need, just let me know. I'll help however I can.
Thank you, Ms. Catherine!
Haha, and just call me Catherine. See you later, Lydia!
Lydia and volunteer work... Those words just don't belong in the same sentence.
...Wait a second.
Did Lydia actually take my advice to heart and decide to turn over a new leaf?
Huh...? Captain?
Why am I doing volunteer work all of a sudden?
...Heh. You thought I was so moved by your advice that I decided to help strangers?
As if.
Are you a fool, Captain? Why would I pay back your kindness to complete strangers?
...Well, that was a short-lived dream.
...Wait, do you seriously think I'm here volunteering...
She's become a kid who genuinely puts effort into volunteering.
...That's messed up in so many levels it's even making my hairs stand.
...Guilty as charged.
Only fools like you do things like that without a reason.
The main sponsors of this event are those noble ladies over there from influential families.
Sweet, naive people like that are easy to manipulate once you get close to them.
You think I'd be out here in the cold for no reason?
Oh, Ms. Lydia! You're here again today?
Hello, Ms. Victoria! Have a wonderful day today!
You too, Ms. Lydia!
See? These naive noble ladies are so easy.
...
First, I'll build connections...
And when the time comes, I'll use them when I need their influence!
Like for NOA's Western Liberators support budget allocation that's coming up in a couple of months...
Or the privately funded Western Restoration Fund...
If things go well and the West gets a little better, the Western Liberators' morale will increase...!
Which means Kuku and I will have a higher chance of absorbing the power from the Void Core.
But for that to happen, those ladies need to be in the palm of my hand.
So that's it?
That's right!
Hehe! Captain, were you expecting something else?
Sorry, but I can't be the sweet little girl you're hoping for.
By now, you should know what I'm really like, right?
Yeah. All too well.
We'd spent a lot of time together during the Journey...
But it seemed that her cunning, cynical nature still hadn't changed one bit.
...But...
Hmm?
Who knows?
Maybe if you keep hovering around me, spouting all that naive, annoying advice...
Then one day, I'll be moved to tears, change my ways...
And I'll become the good girl you want me to be. You never know, right?
Lydia looked straight at me with that same smile.
...If you're that worried about me going astray...
Then why don't you stay close and keep an eye on me?
Stick around until I get my hands on the Void Core... and watch me.
I'll try to listen to your annoying advice... as much as I can.
...Got it?
...Yeah. Got it.
Really? You promise?
Lydia's smile looked just like the one she had on the day we returned from the mine.
Anyway, since you're here, Captain, why don't you have a bowl of soup and—
...What? You want to volunteer with me?
Why? There's nothing in it for you.
Didn't you say you wanted me to watch you?
...
...Hehehe. Ahahahaha!
Captain, you're such... a fool.
Okay. Then before you put on the apron, have a bowl of soup.
It's chilly today. You don't want to catch a cold, do you?
...?!
I'm not saying it because I care or anything...!
Whatever! They say fools never catch colds, so you must be in perfect health, huh, Captain?!