Big Job Hunting [Alastair/Natsumi]

It was rare that Alastair received a call directly from one of the other offices, there were teams dedicated to managing infrastructure which kept him separated from these branches by several degrees, but after the third ring, he decided that it could not be a simple mistake.

It didn't take long for him to arrive after that, a curt briefing on the situation was given before he headed to the lobby to meet with this familiar trespasser. She'd been told that a message had been sent to Alastair, which might have eased her worries just a little, but the guards had still insisted she return to the entrance to wait for him. Hopefully, they had not needed to get any rougher than that.

"You have quite a unique way of getting my attention, Miss Sumi. Asking the receptionist to pass on a message might have been a little less invasive." He appeared as grumpy as she clearly remembered, a dour frown on his lips as he dismissed her escort with a stern gaze, arms folded in front of him. "But I will spare you further lecturing, as I would rather we discuss what you were hoping to achieve."

"I hope this a matter that we can discuss like civilised folks. I have to walk back across the town, if you would like to accompany me?"

Seeing that Natsumi was as chirpy as ever did at least ease any of Alastair's concerns that this was something serious, though it quickly became apparent that his caution was not entirely misplaced. An errant glance wandered down in her direction rather than straight forward, musing upon that request before responding. He remained silent for a few more moments before his gaze turned away from her to look into the distance.

"The Vandenreich is more than a simple job. Even outside of explicitly combat roles, this is still a military organisation and every enlistee is expected to act as a soldier would when called upon. We are working to make the world a better place, to put broken things back together, but that cannot always be done with diplomacy and tact."

He stopped and turned to face her, stern gaze remaining but any hint of annoyance replaced by a burning intensity. It was a serious matter, and it demanded a serious response, after all.

"I know that you can handle yourself, but you will also have to be disciplined. Following orders and respecting those ranked above you are key values, and I would not wish to force them upon you unless that was what you truly wanted. If so, then I fervently believe that you could thrive here, but the choice remains very much your own."

"I am gladdened that you view me as a good person, and would follow my commands if I gave them to you, but you must also have faith in your comrades to act with similar intentions. I cannot know the mind of every person in the Vandenreich to attest to their dispositions, and yet I trust each and every one of them to act as I would when it comes down to it."

Whatever the it was that Alastair had implied, he seemed only further galvanised by his words as if they touched upon fond memories. He wanted Natsumi to stand alongside him, truly, but he could not always be here to manage her discordant nature if it was required. After all that she had been through, he could not blame her for it, but the seed of doubt lingered in the back of his mind.

"This is a commitment, not just to me but to the people of the world. They are who we truly serve, and every action I take is for their betterment. If that ignites a fire within your chest then I will do everything in my power to make this request a reality, but be sure of yourself first of all. I will hold nothing against you for walking away, nor for trying and failing, but walking this path halfheartedly is a recipe for disaster."

It was true that Alastair expected some level of blind faith from those he worked with, it was something that he had carried with him since his induction into the Vandenreich. That was the difference between a good soldier and a volatile one, but a measure of self-evaluation was also necessary when one progressed to a certain stage within the organisation. It was a trait he valued in his coordinators and administrators, even if it made them occasionally err from the path that he believed in, but not everyone could be afforded such a luxury.

"There are many times when you may not understand the reason behind an order based on your current perspective, and it may seem counterintuitive to what you intend to achieve, but that is a part of doing this job. I would be a poor Grandmaster if I enabled you or anyone to cause more harm accidentally, attempting to do what they believe is right, even though that may be a tough pill to swallow."

For all the sacrifice and the suffering that he had watched unfold before his very eyes, he had to believe that there was a higher purpose. That each victory came at the smallest cost to innocent lives possible, and that each of his colleagues that had fallen had done so in service of that noble goal. There was not a shred of doubt in his mind of the truth in that belief, though an outsider might view such a thing as folly, for he was kept here to carry on their legacy and that was something he would die to protect.