Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

Cocolia and Anqi were discussing the moral issue of matricide, which left Anqi feeling rather confused.

Himeko, however, lowered her head with concern, tightening her grip on Anqi's body as she spoke softly, "What's wrong? Are the after-effects still lingering? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Oh, so you're still bothered by wetting the bed the night before last?"

"Himeko!!"

Anqi's face flushed red as she looked up, glaring at Himeko indignantly.

We agreed to keep this a secret from everyone!

Himeko tilted her head, stuck out her tongue, and pouted playfully, "Ehehe, I forgot!"

"I... I just..."

"Alright, alright! It's no big deal. For a Valkyrie, getting an erosion that's as serious as a life-or-death crisis, and you just broke out in a sweat from the pain, possibly with a bit of other fluid leakage, is already amazing! Anyone else would just be lying in bed, weak and dazed!"

"Exactly, you little brat. You have no idea how fortunate you are to have gotten through it so easily, and you're still dwelling on these trivial matters? As far as this Headmaster is concerned, you just haven't suffered enough!"

Theresa said, rolling her eyes as she popped a piece of sushi into her mouth.

Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"???" x5

The next second, the five members of the vacation group simultaneously focused their gazes on Theresa.

"Auntie, why are you here... Whoa! You almost made me drop it!"

Kiana started to ask, but quickly covered her stuffed mouth with both hands, chewing vigorously while looking at Theresa with wide, questioning eyes.

Theresa, dressed in the school's aristocratic nun-style long dress and eating sushi, said nonchalantly, "I heard my dear student encountered an extremely dangerous Honkai Energy erosion, so how could I possibly sit still? Besides, you brats who don't know any better, it's too much that you didn't even invite me out to play!"

Theresa's expression was one of great indignation as she pointed at each person, finally stopping at Kiana's face.

Especially this little rascal!

Auntie treats you so well, and you don't even tell me about good things?

Is this still my dear, sweet niece?

I raised you for nothing!?

Kiana chewed and chewed, and it took quite a while before she swallowed the food in her mouth. Then, she said blankly, "But Teacher Himeko said Auntie was very busy and didn't have time to come out and play, so she told us not to disturb you."

"Himeko!!!"

Theresa turned her head, shifting her fiery gaze towards Himeko with a fierce yet cute expression.

Himeko shrugged, holding Anqi, and said nothing, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor as if Anqi was all she needed.

Theresa glared at her for a long time, but finally decided to put aside their grievances, considering how difficult it must have been to take care of Anqi these past few days.

"Fine! This Headmaster has decided. I'm joining your vacation trip, and all expenses will be deducted from Himeko's salary! It's decided, and it's going to be fun!"

"Knock knock!"

Just as Himeko's expression changed slightly and she was about to put up a small fight for her wallet, a soft knock came from the door.

"Esteemed guests, our maiko performance is ready. Would you like to enjoy it now, or..."

Everyone's gaze then turned to Himeko.

After all, among the original group of five, she was the teacher, and she had arranged most of the trip, including this expensive hot spring inn.

"Let's do it now then."

Himeko said indifferently, blinking hazily.

Did the room package here also include a maiko performance?

Himeko tried to recall, but couldn't seem to find any relevant memory.

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Cowardly Anqi

The flute and dizi played mournfully, the strings sang out, and a graceful yet sorrowful melody filled the room, instantly calming the listeners and drawing them into an indescribably beautiful realm with its exquisite music.

Undoubtedly, it was music of the highest caliber, captivating even the most uninitiated.

In the center of the room, a maiden with hair like a black waterfall and skin like snow stood gracefully. She wore a light blue haori and a deep blue pleated skirt, adorned with cherry blossoms and flowing water patterns. She was like a blue butterfly taking flight, or a white egret standing on snow, appearing sweet and real before the audience.

"Please, look at me carefully."

The picturesque maiden said sweetly and shyly, covering her stunning face with a folding fan.

This sentence perfectly stirred the emotions of the audience.

The subsequent dance was a song of footsteps. It was not fast, but her slow movements were filled with a smile-inducing beauty, as if her physical movements and inner emotions were perfectly integrated, creating a wonderful charm.

Time ceased to matter at this moment. Even Kiana stopped her ravenous eating, her eyes fixed unblinkingly ahead.

"So beautiful..."

Kiana exclaimed involuntarily, voicing everyone's thoughts.

After an unknown amount of time, the dance ended with the lingering notes of a clear flute.

The perfect girl from the painting smiled shyly, lifted her skirt hem, and curtsied to the audience in thanks.

Another half a minute passed before applause erupted continuously.

"Himeko, Himeko, this place is expensive for a reason!"

Anqi applauded while looking up at Himeko, naturally playing the straight man.

Himeko also applauded, giving Anqi a slight smile before turning her gaze to the stunning, graceful young woman in front of them.

"Indeed, I never expected a mere hot spring inn to be able to invite the head of the Tachibana Zaibatsu to perform for guests. I wonder about the background of this inn's owner; could they be royalty?"

Himeko said with a smile, her wine-red, alluring eyes curving into beautiful crescent shapes.

Tachibana Yuki, the new rising star of the Far East who officially took over the vast Tachibana family enterprise just over a month ago, was a major event in Far East high society circles, and there was no shortage of related reports. Himeko was naturally aware of this.

And as a reasonably intelligent adult, Himeko certainly didn't believe this new Far East dignitary would come to the inn to be a dancer.

Just as Himeko predicted, the girl who finished her performance did not leave the room but sat gracefully before them. After tidying her skirt, she clapped her hands with a smile.

"Clap! Clap!"

After the clapping, several servers tiptoed in, efficiently clearing away some empty plates and replacing them with noticeably more upscale and attractive food and wine.

"The royalty of the Far East is merely a symbol now; they hold no power to command me. As for the owner of this inn, it has been me for the past three days. I know that my unannounced visit is very impolite, so the music and dance, the exquisite food, and all your expenses here are merely a small token of my apology. Please forgive my rudeness."

"Just speak plainly. We're not some stuffy nobles; we don't understand."

"I am very sorry, but I have important matters I wish to discuss with you all. Please listen! In return, I'll cover your meal—no, a lifetime of free meals! I'm truly sorry!"

Young Lady Anqi, or Tachibana Yuki as she was now known, prostrated herself on the spot, bowing her head to the ground with no regard for her dignity or shame.

Himeko's mouth twitched.

"Uh, it's not that serious. We're not that scary, are we? Anyway, get up. You're making us look like terrorists."

Tachibana Yuki looked up, touching her reddened forehead, and breathed a sigh of relief. She then timidly said, "You're really willing to listen? You won't pull out an AK and shoot me the moment I turn around?"

"...What exactly do you want?"

Himeko hugged Anqi tightly, rolling her eyes speechlessly.

Tachibana Yuki blinked, looking innocent.

"To be honest, our Tachibana family has always served Lord Cocolia of Anti-Entropy. From the information we received, everyone at St. Freya is a major figure who can decide the fate of the Far East, so of course... I'm scared."

"Anti-Entropy? Cocolia!?"

Himeko leaned forward, her eyes instantly sharpening.

Theresa, Raiden Mei, and Bronya also changed their expressions in unison.

Only Kiana and Anqi showed no reaction. Anqi was, of course, faking it. As for Kiana, she had probably completely forgotten the name Cocolia from the Changkong City incident.

At this moment, the few who knew exchanged glances and unanimously deferred the decision-making power to Himeko.

Himeko took a deep breath, calmed herself, and said calmly, "Cocolia's reach is quite long. However, has she forgotten what she did before?"

"My visit has little to do with Lord Cocolia. Also, I only learned about concepts like Honkai, Schicksal, and Anti-Entropy a month ago when I inherited the family business. I truly don't know about Cocolia's grievances with all of you. Please believe me!"

"Whether we believe you or not will be known after we investigate. You'd better not be lying, or else..."

"No, no! I gathered the courage to come before Lord Theresa and Lord Himeko, so I naturally wouldn't hide anything now!"

Tachibana Yuki said with a serious expression, deliberately stiffening her face, as if "sincerity" was written clearly on it.

Himeko remained composed, not dwelling on whether she was telling the truth, and directly asked, "What do you want from us?"

"Well, this topic is quite broad. I don't know how much I can achieve with my current abilities, but I want to ask your academy to save the people of my Far East!"

"Alright, understood. You can leave now."

"...Huh!?"

"What? We're here on vacation, a vacation, do you understand? I don't want to suddenly work overtime. Let's talk about this another time. The door is over there. Have a nice day."

Himeko pointed to the door, saying with a blank face, showing no intention of negotiation.

An·Tachibana Yuki·qi stared blankly at Himeko, then at Anqi, who was snuggled in Himeko's arms.

After seeing Anqi wink at her, Tachibana Yuki pouted and nodded aggrievedly.

"Okay..."

She walked out of the room lightly, and at the end, she slowly and silently closed the door for the people inside, showing extreme politeness.

After Himeko heard Tachibana Yuki's footsteps fade away and confirmed no one else was nearby, she said:

"She gave up so easily, which means it wasn't an extremely urgent matter. And she's a businesswoman, a major capitalist. While I don't believe she could find out much about us, she's definitely prepared a lot of rhetoric. We, on the other hand, know very little about her."

"In any case, we can't play by her rules. None of us are skilled negotiators, and we could easily fall into a linguistic trap. Whatever it is, once we've investigated, we can see if we want to have a leisurely chat with her then."

Himeko slowly explained her reasoning.

She was mainly explaining it to Theresa.

Theresa nodded understandingly and patted Himeko's shoulder with a raised hand.

"I trust you to handle things, so let's do it your way. We'll keep eating. It's a shame there's no bitter melon dish, but these are all rare, high-class dishes we don't usually get. Besides, she said it was on the house, so not eating it would be a waste!"

Theresa rolled up her sleeves, licked her lips, and unceremoniously picked up her chopsticks.

By this time, Kiana had already stuffed her mouth full.

The others exchanged glances, shrugged, and continued to enjoy their dinner.

Only Bronya glanced at the door Tachibana Yuki had left through, then swept her gaze across Raiden Mei and Anqi's faces. She frowned, a hint of heaviness flashing in her crystalline gray eyes.

Mom Cocolia, what are you planning this time?

—

Regarding Xing's eyes, the Honkai Gakuen 2 and Honkai Impact 3rd manga did indeed establish that she could see into people's hearts, but this was completely absent in the Honkai Impact 3rd gameplay and had no subsequent plot development. I've ignored this point, treating it as if the setting doesn't exist. But I didn't expect you all to be so observant; I'm impressed you could even pick up on that~~7

Chapter 34: Little Duckling~So Cute~~

"Sigh, I expected it wouldn't be that simple, but she really didn't hold back... Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, why do they have such a major conflict?"

On a starry night, in the hot springs, An Tachibana Qi sat in the warm water, half her small face submerged, blowing bubbles.

Here it comes, here it comes! Top right corner, above that pavilion!