"Haa~..."
When Sam entered the living area of his hotel suit, the first thing that caught his attention was Zero Three yawning as she lay down on one of the sofas. Compared to Five and the other Valkyries around, she was the only one who seemed to be lacking her usual energy.
"What's wrong, Three?" He asked. "Didn't you get enough sleep?"
His question didn't make any sense as the Valkyries didn't have the same needs as humans, but looking at her state, that was the only conclusion he could come up with.
Sadly it seems his guess was off as she gave him a glare before turning away with a pout.
"It seems Ms. Ranford had kept her awake all night." Nine casually slid to his side as she spoke. "She brought a lot of clothes and asked her to try all of them."
"Oh, I see..." His brows rose a bit as he finally understood. The red haired Lieutenant was the kind of woman that would do it.
"The clothes weren't the problem." Three said, still frowning. "It's the photos that bother me. She Kept taking more and more, and before we knew it morning already arrived."
Apparently Melissa had borrowed some equipment from the reporters who came for the award ceremony and turned her room into a shooting set. She took thousands of photos all while salivating like an obsessed drug addict, and if not for Eleven showing up, Three would've been stuck with her all day.
"Now that's too much." Sam said angrily after hearing the entire story. "How dare she hold a fashion show without inviting me!!? I need to get my hands on those photos!"
His very serious response only angered the young Valkyrie even more, but she couldn't stay like that for long when he sat beside her and began patting her head.
"Sorry, Three. I'm sure Melissa didn't have any ill intent, but I will make sure to warn her either way."
"No, it's not really that important." Three replied, leaning against him as she savored his touch. "She said I can keep the clothes so..."
"I see. Then, how about I make it up for you when we get home?" He asked. "Is there something you want?"
As soon as he finished saying those words, the young Valkyrie looked up at him with sparkling eyes.
"The sea!" She said without a moment of hesitation. "I want to go swimming in the sea!"
"She's a reporter named Sara Pinkman." The silver-haired Valkyrie replied, having already figured out the woman's identity. "She was smoking in a corner before the two arrived so I don't think she knew they would be there."
"Hmm..."
Sam knew he recognized the name from somewhere so it didn't take him long to remember. Sara Pinkman was a reporter working for the Frontline Times and was very critical of the Resistance and the Valkyries.
'She's an honest reporter, though. I doubt she'll do anything stupid...'
After giving it some more thought, he turned back to Mimir.
"What does her Highness think of this?"
The Nephilim's expression barely changed, but Sam understood that she had already caught on to what he had in mind.
[Our schedule for the day is empty so she gave everyone permission to do as they please.] Mimir answered. [Though I doubt that included going off to the human city.]
The hotel they were staying at was a five stars by pre-war standards, meaning it had enough leisure facilities to keep them occupied for more than one day. Because of that, it was a mystery as to why those two decided to visit the city, Then again Juni always seemed to be the adventurous type so curiosity must've taken the better of her.
"How about we just leave them to it for the time being?" Sam eventually said, the idea putting a smile on his face.
[Pardon?] Mimir was expectedly perplexed.
"Let's just say it's an experiment. There shouldn't be any problem with allowing those two some freedom, and you don't have to worry; we will take responsibility if anything goes wrong."
The whole thing sounded like a disaster waiting to happen, but Sam wanted to proceed anyway. Mimir stared at him for a while, her expression remaining unchanged. Eventually, she closed her eyes as if to admit defeat.
[As long as it doesn't reflect badly on us.] She said. [Her Highness seems to be gaining popularity among the masses. We don't want anything that might harm her image.]
"I will warn them to avoid trouble so rest assured."
The call ended soon after. Sam gave Nana some instructions, and by the time he was done the press conference was only a few minutes away.