The Girls Each Have Their Own Schemes

What kind of bad luck is this?

Shouldn't Durandal be chasing after high-level Honkai Beast all over the world? Why is she trying to capture this poor doctor who only managed to take a drone for a spin?

Tesla then noticed his poor little drone—it was being roughly held in the hand of the Valkyrie in front of him, its wings broken.

"Let me state upfront that I will not say anything."

"Uh... Dr. Tesla?"

Bianka looked at the red-haired twin-tailed girl in front of her with a strange expression, who had raised her hands in surrender but whose face was full of resentment.

What are you doing here?

"I've already told you! I won't say anything! I'd rather jump off here today... Wait, aren't you going to arrest me?"

Tesla, who had been shrinking back, suddenly noticed that Durandal's tone was off.

"You weren't sent by the bishop, why would I arrest you?"

"... Wait a minute, is that something the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal should say?"

Did you pick up the wrong script?

"But that's the kind of thing Bianka Durandal Atagina should say," Bianka replied bluntly.

After Rita's revelation, she realized that Liu Bai was indeed the Anti-Entropy Leader.

... Actually, before this, Schrödinger addressed Liu Bai as "Alliance Leader," but back then, Bianka was a bit of a simpleton.

"You finally couldn't stand that bastard Otto's oppression anymore and are ready to rise up in rebellion?" Tesla asked with a strange expression.

"Oppression is nothing to me... and uprisings are probably irrelevant to me right now."

Bianka touched her chin with her free hand, seemingly thinking about how to explain the situation to Tesla.

"However, it's possible that there was indeed a disagreement with Bishop Otto —but that's not the point. Doctor, are you here to see Liu Bai?"

"... Huh?" Tesla rubbed his temples. "Hey, repeat what you just said?"

"Doctor, are you here to see Liu Bai —this question?"

"Right, right... wait! How do you know that bastard Liu Bai?" Tesla looked at Durandal with extreme vigilance.

Could there be something going on here?

"Hmm... how did we meet Liu Bai? That goes back five years." Bianka's face showed a nostalgic expression.

"Five years?" Tesla's brow twitched, a bad feeling rising within him. "... Okay, I still have the patience to listen to a story."

"So, you, Rita, and Liu Bai entered a World Bubble five years ago and embarked on a grand adventure to save the world?"

Tesla sighs... Although, to be honest, this is pretty cool.

But the point isn't whether it's cool or not, it's that...

"That short Schrödinger was there too, or was he the Iron Mask? No, that damned shorty never mentioned this in the last few communications!"

"Hmm... perhaps Dr. Schrödinger had her own reasons?"

"What reason could that damned dwarf possibly have?"

Tesla clicked its tongue in extreme displeasure.

"I really didn't realize you were so bold, Durandal... talking about the Golden Apple and all that."

"Me? Have guts?" Bianka looked at Tesla with some confusion.

"Forehead..."

Hey, hey, hey! Isn't your gaze a bit too naive?

Is this guy the kind of person whose body acts before his brain?

"... So, if Liu Bai had given the apple to Rita back then... well, let's just say it's Schrödinger."

Tesla thought about it and realized that he was indeed more annoyed with Rita.

It was one thing for her to tie me up once before, but now she's getting involved in Liu Bai's affairs.

Moreover, and moreover, that guy's "scale" is even larger than mine and that runaway dwarf Schrödinger combined!

"If Liu Bai gave the apple to Schrödinger, how would you feel?"

Although reason told Tesla that it was best not to ask the question, humans are not purely rational beings.

So even knowing that his question might make the formidable Valkyrie realize that he had gained another opponent, Tesla still couldn't control his tongue.

"If Liu Bai had given the apple to Dr. Schrödinger back then..."

Bianka repeated, head bowed, "Then I guess I won't ask the later questions separately, right?"

"Is that really it?"

"... Maybe there will be a little disappointment? No, it could be very disappointment."

Bianka's face showed a rare look of conflict.

"What were my feelings when I asked that question?"

"How come you don't even remember what you were thinking at the time?"

Tesla's criticism brought a wry smile to Bianka's face.

"Maybe I'm gradually becoming a boring adult?"

Bianka with a hint of melancholy, "I... well, to be honest, I'm actually a little unsure how to get along with Liu Bai right now."

"Huh?" Tesla tilted his head. "Do you need someone to teach you how to get along with people?"

"It's not that," Bianka shook her head. "Perhaps to put it more directly... I'm a little concerned about how Liu Bai perceives me as 'boring' now?"

"Ugh, this is a strangely heavy yet incredibly girly topic." Tesla's face showed a troubled expression. "Speaking of which, isn't Rita quite close to Liu Bai? We might as well ask her about this heavy, girly question."

Tesla's tone suddenly became tinged with jealousy as he spoke.

"Rita ..." Bianka hesitated for a moment, "I think Rita might like Liu Bai."

"You can simply remove the words 'maybe'," Tesla said, his lips twitching.

"And what about Dr. Tesla?"

"...Uh, I guess so?" Bianka's sudden bluntness made Tesla blush.

"Well, it's not entirely true that I like him. After all, that guy is just so-so. He's always loafing around, likes to dress up as a ghost Einstein scare people, and is always in cahoots with that guy Ai Yin. He'll steal my truffles and snacks from time to time. It's just that I haven't found anyone else I like in my sixty-odd years. Once I find someone, I'll make that bastard Liu Bai cower in a corner and cry with regret."

Tesla gradually lowered its head.

"Of course, it's not that the guy has no good points. For example, he's very tolerant of my bad temper, he helps me clean my room, and he carries me back to bed when I'm drunk. He's also... cough cough, so-so. He's about the kind of guy that I can barely find attractive. If you threw him on the street, I doubt anyone but me would want him."

Her face is very red.

Bianka looked thoughtfully at Tesla, whose face was as red as a ripe apple and whose voice was getting softer and softer.

Bianka truly felt Tesla's affection for Liu Bai.

"Hmm... and that guy is also good at praising people, although his vocabulary is rather limited... he occasionally makes me breakfast, although his cooking skills are just so-so... that guy learns things incredibly fast, I taught him all the mechanical stuff... and..."

Tesla was blushing, head down, hands clasped together and fidgeting, but he still didn't end the conversation.

Bianka felt that if she didn't stop him, Tesla might go on and on for hours.

This situation is quite rare in a certain sense.

"Is that so? -- Wait, why am I telling you all this?!"

"No, it was Dr. Tesla who said it, wasn't it?"

Bianka looked at Tesla, who had just realized what was happening, with a slightly speechless expression.

"You couldn't help but say it yourself, right?"

"Ugh... that's undeniable."

Tesla couldn't continue to be so tough on Bianka, an honest person.

Moreover, to be realistic, Bianka a very capable fighter.

Tesla hasn't gotten so carried away that it forgot its status as a "captive".

"So, to be Durandal, if you just think about it like I do, you'll know whether you like Liu Bai or not."

Is that so?

Durandal raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.

"In that case, regarding Liu Bai... well, it seems there are no flaws."

"...ha?"

"No, wait a minute, aren't you going a little too far in your imagination to romanticize Liu Bai?"

Tesla couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.

"What do you mean by 'no flaws'? Are you sure we're talking about the same person? Aren't you going a bit too far with your idealized image of Liu Bai?"

"Does it...?"

Bianka frowned and began to think.

"In my memory, Liu Bai really seems to have no flaws... On the contrary, I was quite willful back then, which caused Liu Bai a lot of trouble."

"... I bet you've completely overdone the idealization of your mind."

Tesla's lips twitched.

"That guy can be reliable sometimes, but he's not reliable to this extent... Why don't you think about it again?"

"Let me think about it again... Hmm, the Liu Bai I remember really doesn't have any flaws..."

"Well... I didn't expect Durandal to be like this."

It turns out she's the type who idealizes the person she likes; appearances can be deceiving.

"But then again, although I'm a little reluctant to admit it, how should I put it... what you're doing is probably a kind of liking."

"Is... is that so? Does this mean... I like it?"

Bianka's face showed a hint of hesitation.

"It feels a little unbelievable..."

"... Forget it, I don't have time to get stuck on this with you right now."

Tesla couldn't help but twitch his lips as he looked at Bianka was deep in thought with her head down.

"Let's get straight to the point... You said you know where Liu Bai is?"

"Ah... I'm with Rita now, and Raven, Mei, and... uh, Raiden Mei are also here?"

"...?"

The familiar name made Tesla raise an eyebrow.

Who were you referring to last?

"Raiden Mei".

"Is this the Raiden Mei I know?"

Tesla gave a slightly Honkai smile.

"Um... if I'm not mistaken, then it should be, right?"

Bianka seemed to sense an invisible pressure from Tesla, and her speech slowed down considerably.

"Hehehe... You can't come back to cook because of something, right?"

Tesla sketched a smile that was anything but genuine.

"Come, Durandal, take me to them!"

Chapter 177 Girls with Hidden agendas

"Schrödinger is one thing, but that brat Mei has really grown up, daring to play such tricks on me..."