"NO!"
My face was wrenched in painful pleading, and I was so sure I had done a good job at explaining the merits of having Beruel on board.
However—
"I'm not working with him. He shouldn't even be back here, you know?"
—It seemed I was wrong.
We were currently in Jane Ursula's territory—the special area we were using for, Soul Project: Omega.
"You really let him waltz in like this? You must have some deep trust in him... considering his affiliations with the Nether Cult." Jane slapped her hand on her face, as she shook her head in disbelief.
I could understand her point of view. I too had initially been sceptical about Beruel's change, and whether or not to trust him.
However, I realized I could.
'My hope is that she does too, but...'
Jane wasn't budging from her stiff position of wanting absolutely nothing to do with Beruel. I felt myself grow tired as I tried several times and failed to explain to her.
Ana and Beruel were waiting outside Jane's office—of course, they were restricted from touching anything in the tubes around.
I would have asked about the project's progress, but this matter came first. I needed to secure Jane's agreement to their joint cooperation.
"I'm honestly intrigued by this Ana girl. From all you've said, she seems skilled enough, for a human teenager. I can trust that you're not overrating her true skills, right?"
When it came to accepting Ana, Jane agreed without much need for convincing. It indeed showed that she needed the help.
However, Beruel was also an indispensable person that I needed for the new project I wanted to entrust in Jane's care.
'Soul Project: Omega, should be going fine, though they'll be able to help her with it. My main concern is the other work I want to bring to the table.'
It would be too much for Jane to accomplish alone. I really wanted her to accept Beruel's assistance.
And then, all of a sudden, I remembered something very very important.
"Beruel possesses an Arcana that's indispensable for this task. [The Chariot] allows him to manipulate technology—even intricate and micro ones that the eyes can't process. It would really save a lot of time and effort on your end if you choose to work with him."
I watched as Jane's face suddenly twitched. Her eyes reflected curiousity, as she placed her fingers under her chin.
While she blankly stared into space, I prayed that she would make the right call.
'Arcana or not; if she hates Beruel enough, she still won't agree.'
Unfortunately, this was something we needed to resolve. It was also a matter of priority for the Fairies.
'If the Nether Cult attacks, I'll need something on ground that can combat them on an equal footing.'
Having three experts cook up something amazing, per my instructions, would be perfect.
"You're going to have to donate more Automatons and Golems, you know." I nodded readily upon hearing Jane's voice.
My major concern was whether or not she had—
"Haaa... fine, I agree. Having an Arcana that can do that kind of stuff changes things. I'll tolerate him until this is all over, I suppose." Jane sighed.
I knew Beruel was infatuated with her, but I couldn't understand why. This Fairy hated his guts.
'At least they'll be a team.'
"Bring them in." She added, finally ready to meet her new recruits.
I could only hope for the best from this point onward.
*************
Jane was upset.
Why?
She had been interrupted by Jared during a very critical moment in her 'side project.'
Yes, she knew it couldn't be helped, and after hearing Jared out, she could understand where he was coming from.
She agreed with him on the necessity of this new project he proposed. Unfortunately, he wasn't even going to help her with it.
Instead, he brought people to assist her—one of which was the vilest Fairy she had ever known.
Beruel, the previous Fairy King.
'He can't be serious, can he?'
She'd thought it had simply been a look-alike that walked into the project hall, but when Jared told her it was the real deal, she had nearly flipped.
Not only was she disappointed in Jared for trusting him so easily, but she was also very much upset with how insensitive he had been to just barge into her place of work with someone like that.
'He could have come alone and explained the situation to me first!'
It infuriated her to no end.
However, there was one silver lining that caused her not to flip completely. It was what Jared finally resorted to when trying to redeem Beruel.
'He has an Arcana... and it's the kind I need at the moment!'
Jane's thoughts went from being completely shut against the idea, to becoming a little open to a compromise.
The more she mulled it over, the more she realized that she could tolerate Beruel for a short while if it meant achieving her goals.
'I can solve my current predicament by making him help me with it unintentionally. That way, I won't need to spend even more time.'
And there was also Jared's project, which she still didn't know the full details about. He probably wasn't going to tell her until she agreed to bring Beruel on board.
Ultimately, she agreed.
It wasn't easy swallowing her pride, but she would do anything just to ensure the safety and success of her project.
"Bring them in."
*
*
*
As expected, the heat in her chest rose to an enormous degree the moment she laid eyes on Beruel.
He, like her, was small in size. His wings, hair, and practically everything about his physique, were just as she remembered.
The only thing missing was the haughty expression he always flashed at her.
'Tch! This guy...'
Beruel entered her office with Ana, whom she was increasingly developing a good opinion of. The fact that Beruel praised Ana's efforts—and that she was the one that built Beruel's new body for him—made Jane genuinely curious of the little girl.
'If possible, I could also...' She smiled.
In any case, she just needed to endure being around Beruel while trying her hardest to use the lemons she had been given to make lemonade.
"Nice to meet you both, team members."
