The Transfer Student at St. Freya (Continued)

For example, Wendy, who is still a young girl, will become A-rank Valkyrie in two or three years. She will join the Oceania Branch and become the branch's best A-rank Valkyrie and S-rank Valkyrie seed.

While Wendy's exceptional talent is partly to blame, the requirements for Schicksal 'Valkyrie advancement are indeed decreasing now.

Therefore, Otto's feelings of regret are still understandable.

... Well, at least from an objective third-party perspective, that's how it is.

"... What a pointless sacrifice."

After finishing the meeting, Himeko exhaled a breath of stale air in the corridor and wiped away the tears she had shed over the past few days.

Because she wasn't truly heartbroken, Himeko was now focused on analyzing Otto's attitude.

Otto's attitude made her feel deeply wronged.

"Let's save the complaints for later, after all, this is still the territory of Schicksal."

"... That's true." Although Liu Bai was there to protect him, he couldn't let his guard down.

Himeko suppressed her resentment, quickened her pace, and began searching for someone.

"... What? Rita was transferred?"

Himeko was somewhat surprised by the news she received from the training camp.

"Yes, Rita submitted an application to the higher-ups yesterday and was taken away this morning."

The instructor in charge of training the new recruits had a good relationship with Himeko, so he didn't hide anything and even patted Himeko on the shoulder.

"Also, I've heard about what happened to your team... My condolences."

"...I see."

Himeko left after displaying a practiced expression of sadness.

Half of the commissions failed.

She has a request from Ragna —to have Himeko try to recruit Rita and Bianka.

But now it seems they arrived too late.

So, Rita has already started receiving assassin training, right?

Liu Bai pondered silently.

There's nothing that can be done in this situation—although there's still one Bianka left.

However, this was a life where it was best to have it, but not essential, so Himeko wasn't too disappointed.

She then went through the retirement procedures on the grounds of psychological problems, a reason that Schicksal people would understand. She was given the green light all the way, and in the end, the people at the office simply told her to go home and wait for the results. They even thoughtfully asked her if she needed to go to a sanatorium for a period of recuperation.

In the afternoon, Himeko went to pay her respects at the monument that Schicksal had built for the Stormtroopers. There were many bouquets on it... The most eye-catching sunflowers were obviously placed there by someone.

"... Really, why couldn't that child wait just one day?"

Himeko sighed sadly.

It's alright. They haven't lived in vain all these years in Schicksal. There are still so many people commemorating them.

After a short rest at headquarters, Liu Bai finished his work. Then, under the escort of a special person, Himeko arrived at Bianka's orphanage. However, because there were other people with her, she could only helplessly deliver the "bad news" to Bianka.

Although she couldn't bear to see the little girl's sorrowful expression, Himeko had no choice.

She really looks just like she did five years ago...

Himeko could only offer words of comfort and encouragement while leaving some hints for Bianka before departing.

... Although, given Bianka's mood, she probably wasn't even in the mood to understand these hints, was she?

Both tasks failed.

After returning to Schicksal Headquarters and telling Ragna about these things, Ragna could only sigh with regret.

With the aftermath completely resolved, Himeko and Ragna settled down and began their lives as teachers at the St. Freya Academy.

[Himeko is giving a lesson...]

One day, after class, Himeko suggested that you possess a tablet and pretend to be an artificial intelligence. You thought it was a great idea and agreed.

[And so, you begin to integrate into Himeko's class as an artificial intelligence.]

However, you later realize you made the wrong choice, Himeko starts having you substitute for her in subjects you're not good at from time to time.

At first, you didn't notice anything wrong, after all, subjects like chemistry are indeed not Himeko's forte—at least compared to physics.

But as time went on, Himeko started using you as a teaching PowerPoint presentation in her regular classes... You began to feel something was wrong—if this continued, who would be the teacher, Himeko or you?

"Himeko, I have something to ask you."

"... Huh?" Himeko, was taken aback.

What is 123 multiplied by 123?

"Why are you suddenly asking this kind of question... Let me calculate, three times three... two times three... one times three... and then..."

The PhD student from California Institute of Technology put down his sunflower seeds and started picking at his fingers.

"..."

Are you really a PhD?

Unable to contain himself any longer, Liu Bai tapped Himeko on the head.

You're even counting on your fingers when multiplying such a simple three-digit number?

Your degree certificate is crying!

"... Himeko, have you been too decadent these past few years?"

Liu Bai asked from the bottom of his heart.

While a peaceful life can be demoralizing, you've gone a bit too far, haven't you?

"Ah... really? Don't I also lead teams on missions and stuff like that?"

After all, St. Freya Academy is the Far East Branch, and it trains Valkyrie, so leading teams on missions is quite frequent.

"No, that's not what I meant..."

"I haven't missed any of my daily training sessions, and I can already hold my own against the captain."

"Hmm..."

Liu Bai knew about this, and he could also tell that neither of them held back during the simulation training.

So, looking at it this way, Himeko has actually been making progress these days?

No, isn't there something wrong with this logic?

"But you've stooped to the point where you need to count on your fingers even when multiplying two 1s, 2s, and 3s." Liu Bai went straight to the heart of the matter.

"Hmm... actually, you can figure it out without counting on your fingers... cough, but that's enough for them, they don't need to go to university."

After Liu Bai said that, Himeko really felt a little guilty.

Thinking back to when I first entered university, I could do mental calculations of three- or four-digit numbers in an instant.

Now...

Time flies, and we all grow old...

"Do you, a twenty-one-year-old, have the right to say that?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Liu Bai tapped Himeko on the head again.

You're twenty-one! That's the prime of human life!

"Well... mind your own business..." Himeko continued cracking sunflower seeds.

"... Himeko, you now have 99% of the charm of your older single female predecessors."

Liu Bai's words immediately brought Himeko to a standstill.

"Really? I'm not in such a hurry to find a man as my seniors."

It has to be said that this sentence hit Himeko's sore spot.

Once upon a time, Himeko's goal was to avoid becoming like her predecessors, who ended up in such a sorry state.

"It's not like you have to be looking for men all over the world to be considered a 'leftover woman.' There's something called 'elegance.'" Liu Bai continued to press, "Look at you in the office, legs crossed, eyes like a dead fish, eating sunflower seeds. How do you look like a 21-year-old?"

"Well..."

That's undeniable.

Himeko took out a mirror and looked at herself from left to right. She had to admit that she was indeed quite different from her younger self...

To put it simply, Himeko back then was a vibrant high school girl, while Himeko now is a college senior.

He looked completely unmotivated by anything.

"Okay, okay, the point is to get motivated, right? So we need a goal, right?"

"... For example, making that brat Kiana's grades the best in the class?"

"... Your goal is making me even less motivated, okay? Can you suggest something achievable?"

When Kiana's grades were mentioned, Himeko's eyes twitched involuntarily.

If we're talking about "falling into depravity," that brat Kiana has fallen into depravity even faster than her, okay?

To put it simply, Kiana was in the top ten of her class in the first monthly exam after entering school, but this result... well, it only applies to the first monthly exam—but it's still much better than the result in the original timeline where she had to retake the first monthly exam.

But Kiana's performance kept declining after that—clearly, the "novelty" of Kiana had worn off.

Now, Kiana's grades are firmly at the bottom.

Incidentally, Kiana's personality has also changed from a "wildcat" to a "tsundere house cat".

Himeko basically gives Kiana extra lessons every day, but Kiana really has no interest in that.

Just like a cat, Kiana is only interested in new and exciting things, and her motivation drops significantly once the novelty wears off.

Himeko's imagination of Kiana as a cat playing with a ball of yarn doesn't feel out of place at all.

"I don't care. As the Alliance Leader, my only responsibility is to issue missions, understand, Himeko?"

"Hey! This is tyranny!"

"You're right, if you don't like it, hit me."

"..."

In 2013, Wendy graduated from the St. Freya Academy and joined the Pacific Branch.

In the same year, Himeko's class welcomed a transfer student.

"Come on, everyone, let's give a warm welcome to our transfer student, Fu Hua from Shenzhou."

Himeko wrote the characters "Fu Hua" in Chinese, Japanese, and English on the blackboard.

"Hello everyone, I am Fu Hua."

A smart-looking girl with short gray hair strode into the classroom.

"From Shenzhou, skilled in martial arts and cooking, I look forward to your guidance in the coming years."

"Good..."

"So handsome!!"

The teenage girls in the classroom looked at the cool and composed Fu Hua in front of them and seemed to become infatuated with her in an instant.

These girls...

Himeko pursed her lips as she looked at her student's embarrassing state.

Although this young lady is quite cool, to be honest, I wasn't bad in that regard back in the day, was I?

And speaking of handsome... Himeko glanced at Liu Bai.

If this guy were to show up in front of these young girls, wouldn't he be completely infatuated with them?

But then again... this girl is actually A-rank Valkyrie.