A little brat like you is really easy to fool

However, Lin Yu has Fu Hua, a spy, by his side. If Fu Hua notices something amiss, it's hard to say what will happen to him.

This is such a hassle.

With a thorn in my side all the time, I have to keep playing the role of someone else...

Playing someone else? Ha, think about it carefully, and you don't realize it's anything difficult for you.

Ultimately, Fu Hua, despite living for 50,000 years, remains the same honest and easily deceived person she was back then. Even after joining Otto's side as a spy, her strong sense of loyalty prevents her from completely cold-bloodedly completing her mission.

[In your opinion, once you get to know Fu Hua well, you can reason with her and appeal to her emotions to make this not-so-bright-minded Crimson Heron Immortal understand—]

Understand what?

Otto is a scoundrel and can't be trusted; the world belongs to Lin Yu!

Haha, that scoundrel Otto is definitely unreliable.

Holding a few cans of ice-cold beer he'd rummaged through Himeko's refrigerator, Lin Yu went alone to the balcony on the second floor of the villa.

However, when he reached the balcony, he saw a small figure who had arrived there before him.

Hearing the footsteps behind her, Bronya immediately recognized that the heavier footsteps were clearly those of a young man.

And now, among the young men in the vicinity, there is clearly only the one she really doesn't want to face alone.

Bronya instinctively wanted to run away from Lin Yu when she thought of the questions he had once asked her.

However, the moment she turned around, her gaze and Lin Yu's gaze suddenly met.

Seeing the slight panic in Bronya's eyes, you knew that you had become a special person in her heart.

[A ruthless young soldier, upon seeing you, instinctively wanted to run away. What's that called again—oh right, butterflies in the stomach!]

She's shy! This is the perfect opportunity to press your advantage!

I'll chase you my ass.

Even if it's a five-day work week with two days off, at least give me some evening rest time.

Watching Bronya trying to escape, Lin Yu pulled a can of ice-cold beer from the plastic bag and tossed it directly to the girl.

"Alright, it's a rare opportunity to talk alone, why rush off?"

"From now on, we'll all be comrades under the same roof. As comrades who will face life and death together, I think..."

"—It's better to make some things clear beforehand."

.

Chapter 88. You little brat, you're really easy to fool.

Comrades who have risked their lives together...?

Bronya instinctively felt a sense of absurdity upon hearing Lin Yu's words.

Before coming to the St. Freya Academy, a woman named Theresa Apocalypse had a one-on-one conversation with Bronya.

In her hazy memory, Bronya recalls that Theresa already knew about her identity as a member of Anti-Entropy and Cocolia's adopted daughter.

However, knowing this information, she still took the initiative to invite herself to join Schicksal.

Does Bronya... have that right?

At that time, a confused Bronya asked Theresa this question.

Then the other party nodded directly, giving a very affirmative answer.

"Of course."

"I don't know exactly what Cocolia said to you, but what she's doing now is basically instigating a Honkai outbreak."

"Even triggering a massive Honkai in a vast, uninhabited area would create a large number of Honkai Beast that would wreak havoc on humanity. What's more, she chose Changkong City, with its millions of inhabitants, as the location for the Honkai outbreak."

"This kind of disregard for human life is clearly wrong."

Yes, such disregard for human life is clearly wrong.

However, having grown up on that snowy plain, we simply didn't have the time or inclination to think about these issues.

But now, upon closer reflection, it's clear that what Mother Cocolia did was wrong.

If her plan succeeds, it will create more children like us whose lives have been ruined by the Second Honkai Eruption.

This was obvious, but Bronya at the time...

"Of course, it's unrealistic to expect you to betray your adoptive mother right now."

Noticing the distress and helplessness on the girl's face, Theresa continued.

"But I also hope you understand that the fact that you are a member of Anti-Entropy means that we cannot send you home like an ordinary citizen."

"Does this mean... Bronya has been taken hostage?"

Facing the girl's direct gaze, Theresa spoke very bluntly.

"If you don't join Schicksal, then even if I am the Branch Leader of the Far East Branch, I have no reason to protect you."

"Not only are you a member of Anti-Entropy, but you're also a close confidant of Cocolia, especially after Cocolia caused this massive Honkai..."

Theresa didn't continue, but the clever Bronya already understood what she meant.

Yes, the two sides are hostile forces, and this time Cocolia has done something that looks like she has sided with the Honkai faction.

If their identities were switched, Bronya would never let go of someone as Cocolia as her, and would definitely find a way to interrogate her to extract all the information she knows.

As for the methods of torture...

As a child soldier, Bronya certainly understands better than ordinary Schicksal members how terrifying these methods are.

I didn't actually have a choice from the beginning.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that Theresa Apocalypse's actions have made Bronya go too far in being gentle.

"Why..."

"Ah?"

Seeing Bronya's melancholy and puzzled expression, Theresa asked curiously.

"What's wrong?"

"At first you treated Bronya as a commoner. As a Schicksal one, you saved Bronya, Bronya could understand that."

"But after knowing that Bronya is Cocolia's daughter, why... did you continue to help Bronya?"

"Ah, well... do you need a reason to help others?"

Theresa was speechless as she listened to Bronya's speech.

"Especially a kid like you, who was tricked into becoming a terrorist by Cocolia at such a young age, I don't think the main problem with what you did lies with you?"

"You once embarked on a bloody path because of the teachings of your homeland, and Cocolia, as your foster mother, did not guide you onto the right path."

"You have indeed done shameful things, but you are just a pathetic person to me."

"I created St. Freya Academy so that Valkyrie would no longer be used as tools by others. In that case—do you think I would leave a lost sheep like you unattended?"

"Don't worry, after joining St. Freya Academy, I can tell them that you have turned over a new leaf."

"As for information about Cocolia, I won't force you to reveal it. I can grant you special permission not to participate in missions related to her."

Hearing these generous terms, Bronya paused for a moment before gently shaking her head.

"Bronya is not worth your efforts to win her over."

"Ugh, so annoying—you little brat, why are you so greedy?!"

Seeing Bronya's expression, Theresa said angrily.

"If you don't object, then it's a happy decision."

"Come with me to the Far East Branch tomorrow. We'll talk about the rest later."

And so, Bronya followed Theresa to the Far East Branch.

Here, Theresa did not reveal her identity for some reasons.

Originally, Bronya felt that her mood had calmed down a lot after Theresa's words, which were half coercive and half comforting.

But today, after seeing Yuno's expression that suggested she might burst into tears at any moment, she deeply felt...

Sin doesn't disappear from her just because others don't know about it.

After her emotional circuits returned to normal, Bronya realized that she had become 'weaker' than before.

Even when she was walking on the street, she kept getting distracted by her past actions.

After the gathering ended today, Bronya came to the small balcony on the second floor. To be honest, she was feeling very agitated and uneasy because of all these things.

But now, after meeting this man, Bronya discovered...

When I was alone with the other person, my negative emotions unsurprisingly began to intensify.

"Ha, why are you so scared of me?"

Seeing the girl becoming alert due to her body's instincts, Lin Yu opened an ice-cold beer and took a small sip.

"Don't worry, I'm in a pretty good mood today, I won't suddenly make a move."

"I really just want to talk to you."

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Bronya, who had caught the ice-cold beer, followed suit, opened the beer, took a small sip, and then frowned.

"... It doesn't taste good."

"This thing is a cheap consumable."

With a sneer, Lin Yu shook the can in his hand and then downed the beer in one gulp.

"Just like our lives, to those in power, our lives are like this can of ice-cold beer—just cheap consumables."

"... Mother Cocolia truly treated Bronya like a daughter."

Bronya, who understood the hidden meaning in Lin Yu's words, immediately retorted angrily to Lin Yu.

"Even if she did something wrong, Bronya believes that this feeling is absolutely genuine!"

[Ha, listen to this, what a touching mother-daughter relationship! But knowing what really happened, you really want to say something right now—]

"Ha, that's why I said..."

After leaning against the balcony railing, Lin Yu put away his sneer and looked calmly at the scenery outside the villa.

"You little brat, you're so easy to fool."

"Bronya has a very high IQ."

"Yes, you are very smart."

Without denying the girl's rebuttal, Lin Yu continued speaking, following Bronya's words.

"But it's precisely because you're so clever that you've fooled yourself."

"I've seen the intelligence our organization has gathered, so I know exactly what Cocolia is doing."

...!

Could it be that Schicksal knew all along what Mother Cocolia did?!

"The X10 Experiment was a project she announced was ending last year. To put it bluntly, this project involved using young children who didn't know much about Honkai to conduct quantum-related experiments."

As expected, Schicksal really knew about these things. Was there already a mole among the radicals?!

"Cocolia may really have feelings for you, or perhaps that's how you see it."

After opening another can of beer, Lin Yu looked at the bright moon hanging in the sky and continued speaking to Bronya.

"And it was for this reason that you believed ' Mom wouldn't hurt me,' so you chose to participate in the experiment."

"I saw the name of the friend you mentioned on the list I got—that little Estonian girl, Seele Vollerei, right?"

Upon hearing Lin Yu mention her best friend's name, Bronya instinctively felt a pang in her heart.