The Girls Each Have Their Own Schemes (Continued)

Tesla followed behind Durandal, clenching his fists in annoyance... as if he were some kind of fighter.

"By the way, do you know where they are?"

"Yes, we're having dinner at the Sky Dome Hotel," Bianka replied, putting down her communicator.

"You're quite well-informed, aren't you?"

"No, it's not me who's so perceptive, it's Mr. Gray Serpent who's so perceptive," Bianka replied straightforwardly.

Putting aside the global situation, in Sky Dome City alone, if you have any problems, you can't go wrong with Gray Serpent.

"That information broker who has absolutely no professional ethics?" Gray Serpent Tesla was also quite annoyed at the mention of his products. "That guy doesn't even offer after-sales service for his products. What kind of service industry is he in? By the way, that kid was ruined by that Rita!"

"Hmm... does being an information broker count as a service industry?" Durandal pondered, resting her chin on her hand.

"I would prefer you to focus on the second half, which is about Rita."

Tesla sighs.

It's confirmed. This seemingly serious Valkyrie does have a slight problem with her head... Although Theresa had told her about this before, she didn't believe it—after all, you would never believe something like this without experiencing it firsthand, right?

"And besides, you also broke my drone, didn't you?"

"Ah... I'm so sorry about the drone. I'll make amends."

"Tsk, I have a feeling I heard something similar more than sixty years ago." Tesla's expression was strange. "By the way, are you carrying the Abyss White Flower with you?"

"Take it with you."

"Let me see it."

Although she was a little confused by Tesla's sudden seriousness, Durandal still obediently took out the Abyss White Flower through transmission.

"He's a bit taller than you, but... well, although their personalities and appearances are completely different, they do have a similar vibe."

Tesla looked at the blonde Valkyrie standing before him, gun in hand, and nodded, stroking his chin.

"Fine, for the sake of this, I won't bother you with ruining my drone."

"?" Bianka looked confused. "Like?"

"Reanna Brigantia, do you know that name? But I bet you don't."

Tesla chuckled inexplicably, "After all, Reanna was expelled from Schicksal more than sixty years ago. That bishop's methods of blocking information and eliminating dissidents were unparalleled. After so much time, Schicksal probably can't find any written records about Reanna anymore, right?"

"Reanna... I think I've heard of her, but then again, I don't... Who is she?"

Bianka frowned.

Seeing this, Tesla didn't keep Bianka in suspense and explained directly:

"The strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal more than sixty years ago—she has held this title for more than a hundred years—was Schicksal's 'last trump card' at the time. Sixty years ago, because she couldn't stand Otto, she joined us in establishing Anti-Entropy. By the way, the previous holder of the Abyss White Flower... to be precise, was her."

"Take office the time before last?"

"Yes, before the previous one, during the Second Honkai, Reanna took the Abyss White Flower to Siberia to fight, but was tricked by your bishop. She had no choice but to temporarily lend the Abyss White Flower to Cecilia, who was a member of the Schariac clan—the strongest member of the previous Schicksal. After that... it's simple. Cecilia died, and the Abyss White Flower was taken back by that guy Otto."

"Then she..."

"Still alive." Tesla rolled his eyes at Bianka. "She just doesn't move around much anymore. After all, your bishop really wants to get rid of her. But speaking of which, fate is quite coincidental... If you think about it this way, this lance is already the strongest legacy of the three generations of Schicksal."

"Really? If I had the chance, I'd really like to meet this senior." Bianka stroked the lance with some surprise.

"Let's talk about whether we can meet or not later... But speaking of which, who knows how far the previous War of Schicksal would have gone? Both its impact and intensity exceeded our original expectations. Otherwise, you should have been able to meet Reanna back then."

Even at this point, Tesla couldn't resist complaining.

"If Welt and Reanna had been there back then, things wouldn't have turned out this way... Of course, that bishop might have made things even worse, but let's not dwell on those old stories. The important thing is to live in the present!"

"Live in the moment?" Bianka asked, puzzled.

"That's right! Take me to find that guy Liu Bai right now!"

Tesla looked at Bianka with a disappointed expression.

"Can't you be a little more serious? Don't walk! Call a car right now! Don't tell me you don't have any money!"

"I never imagined that I would be spending other people's money here."

Sitting in the magnificent hotel lobby, Raven remarked with considerable emotion.

"I thought you were going to say, 'Miss Shiora, I never imagined I'd be spending money here with funds other than public funds,'" Rita chuckled.

"...You really underestimate me." Raven glanced at Rita with displeasure. "I'm not like you, who only knows how to negotiate with a scythe. I've handled a lot of serious negotiations and transactions, and my success rate isn't any lower than that Jackal guy's. So I used to come to hotels like this quite often."

"... That's really hard to tell."

"While it may sound like I'm exaggerating, I think I'm quite good at things like business management."

"Like your bar?"

Rita seems to have learned quite a bit about Raven from the Gray Serpent.

"The bar wasn't run by me."

Raven pursed his lips. "Actually, I originally wanted to open a coffee shop, but as you know, my cooking skills are really bad. Coffee shops need to rely on things like pancakes in addition to coffee. Plus, the restaurant industry isn't doing well, so I opened a bar, which is relatively simpler."

"Then?"

"And then? Then, of course, it was a great success—unfortunately, not the kind of success I had imagined."

Raven spoke of this with some melancholy.

"I run a perfectly respectable bar, but it inexplicably became a favorite haunt of gang members and information brokers. Because of this, I made a fortune... uh, brokerage fees? But it was really pointless to do it this way."

The Raven poured out its grievances.

"If you really want to make a living by working for those gang members or information brokers, you might as well go back to World Serpent. Although you can't compare to an S-class Valkyrie like yourself, World Serpent pays you well, so I left the bar to Gray Serpent to manage—it's completely different from what you're thinking about it going out of business."

"Looking at it this way, you're actually a secretary type, Shiora?" Liu Bai teased from the side.

"One maid isn't enough, Liu Bai? Do you need to find a female secretary as well?" Rita looked at Liu Bai with a smile. "Is our Alliance Leader's private life a bit chaotic?"

"Didn't you say before that you were a 'free maid' without a master?"

"That's true—so maybe I could try to get double pay for maids and secretaries?"

Rita chuckled.

"And I'm also quite good at secretarial work."

"After all, Rita, you're the kind of capable and shrewd perfect maid," Liu Bai agreed.

Tsk, this guy didn't realize it.

Rita felt a little disappointed as she looked at Liu Bai praising her so earnestly.

She had just implied that, if Liu Bai agreed, she could become his personal maid...

Was I being too vague?

Rita had some self-doubt.

"I actually have serious doubts about whether the 'secretary job' that Rita mentioned is a legitimate job."

Mei whispered to Mei.

Rita has such a seductive face, okay? Is your secretary really that decent?

According to the plot of the book, if someone like Rita were to work as a maid, she would definitely be the kind of person who hides under the desk during work hours, right?

Shameless!

Mei's question made Mei look up and glance at Mei, as if she were seeing her younger self in a new light.

"I thought you were the kind of... Yamato Nadeshiko? Is that what they call her? I thought you were that type of person." Mei pushed up her glasses.

This is indeed a rather "intense" question.

"..."

This is a really difficult question to answer.

"... Caring about one's elder brother's health is something a Yamato Nadeshiko (a woman devoted to her brother) should do."

Mei responded without changing her expression.

"... Hopefully it's just normal and genuine concern." Mei pushed up her glasses expressionlessly and said meaningfully.

"Probably as serious as Miss Rita?" Mei chuckled, then changed the subject, "Speaking of which, what have you been thinking about since earlier?"

"Me? I'm thinking about experiments."

Specifically, how was Liu Bai brought into the experiment without leaving a trace? Mei added in her mind.

Given the current situation, it would be difficult to succeed using ordinary methods, as none of the people present are easy to deal with.

Therefore, instead of honestly engaging in a "fair duel," it's better to find a way to create an environment that is advantageous to oneself and where no one can interfere.

Is there even a need to think about it? The most advantageous place for oneself is obviously the laboratory.

However, there is no concrete solution yet.

After all, I've always been seen as very capable by others, so I obviously don't need anyone's help with small experiments.

Big experiments... Big experiments, where is there time for romance?

Moreover, Liu Bai is also an insider in the industry, and even her teacher, so it's impossible for her to fool him with words.

(Does this mean I'm going to get some long-awaited mentorship from my teacher?)

Mei's previous suspicions about "secretary work" were indeed a reminder, and it seems that what Mei said can also be applied here?

But isn't this method a bit too daring...?

"I have a feeling that Mei is up to some wicked scheme." Shibao glanced at his "junior sister" with a puzzled look, then turned to look at Rita and Raven. "That Rita is bothering Teacher Liu again... Damn it."

"... That's quite popular."

Kiana glanced at Mei, then at Liu Bai, her expression quite sullen.

"It's all because of this guy that Mei has become so indifferent to me."

"I think Mei might have always seen you as a little sister," Shibao suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "She might even be the kind of person who's a bit annoying."

"Class monitor, what are you saying?" Kiana's expression instantly turned sour. "When I was around before, Mei would always smile at me!"

"Would you show a worried expression to Akong?" Shibao asked with a matter-of-fact look. "Anyway, you'd at least show a smile, right?"

"Forehead..."

"Look on the bright side, Mei's smile hasn't disappeared, it's just that someone else is showing it off. If you want to watch, you can watch to your heart's content." Although Shibao's words had a bit more logic, his emotional intelligence hadn't improved at all.

It successfully stung Kiana.

"... Squad leader, why don't you just wait for the waiter to serve the food?"

If you can't speak properly, then don't speak!

No, it hurts so much to say that!

Mei, my Mei...

(I think this is easy to understand, after all, hormones are a very strange thing, plus Teacher Liu has always been very popular.)

(And please, don't speak, even if it's just the class monitor in my head!)

"Two, two Mei? No, that's not right, the other one is..." Tesla was more observant, immediately noticed something was wrong.

"The other one is Dr. Mei, the great scientist from the Previous Era, whom I mentioned."

"... This name sounds so familiar." Tesla smirked, then used the binoculars Bianka had provided to look at Mei next to her. "You actually went out to eat behind my back... and wouldn't even order me takeout! I've been spoiling you for nothing!"

"Shall we go in?"

Bianka completely ignored Tesla's complaints and asked calmly and seriously.

"Go in... Go in... Rita isn't going to suddenly tie me up, is she?"

Despite their tough talk, Tesla still hesitated when the time came.

"Probably not. I think Rita will be more restrained when she's around Liu Bai."

"That's good then."