Mood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1pOCXDrt8c

The Gungnir awaited but her to depart. The mission was pretty simple this time. Some old outpost that'd seen its handful of Glaives sent to more urgent positions. It'd be an easy in and out, but something bothered her about the source of the orders. He was just --

"Commodore! Don't tell me you're leaving right away? Without so much as a goodbye or an "I'll miss you."? Why, I'm hurt," said a man's voice playfully, advancing from behind Aranea. She stiffened, begrudgingly turning to face him.

"Chancellor. Yeah. Why?" she replied, staring the man down.

"Come now, there's no hurry, is there?"

"I've got my orders, so I'm going to carry them out," she rebuked.

"And that's wonderful! Why, I couldn't -possibly- ask for more now could I? Dutiful Aranea, ever ready to deploy, how reliable!" he said, smiling -- reaching for his hat, taking it off to take a gentleman's bow.

"What's the catch?" Aranea asked, straight to the point.

"Oh just a teensie little something. Nothing, really!" he answered.

"So what's the nothing?"

"A trite little addition to your deployment orders. A delay, more like."

"How long?"

"Ten minutes should suffice. You see, that outpost will be having... troubles, with their lights. And visitors, as it were! Guests of the utmost importance."

Aranea's frown deepened visibly. She made no secret she detested daemons, and now she was being asked to let a few do their thing to soften her target up. Yet she'd admit curiosity about these "guests".

"Anything else?" she forced herself to ask, remaining professional.

"Why yes! I know you care for your men, and our guests will probably be of the violent sort. I've taken the liberty of giving them all the night off, on the house! The general's supplied you with new men, just for this one time. Your -favorite- kind," he beamed. "Remember to thank him."

No answer came from the woman. Not cold fury, but disgust.

"Your new mission parameters, then," he continued, "Are merely to put on a show for our guests. Until you run out of soldiers or they're all dead. But I wouldn't expect the latter. Ah~ but then, one never knows. Aren't you excited?" his hat went back onto his head.

"Thrilled," Aranea answered.

"Do bring me back a souvenir if you can? Something to light up conversations around here, something exotic and new!" the chancellor requested, turning around to leave with a dramatic flourish of his coat.

"No promises," she turned as well.

No answer ever came, because the chancellor had already gone.