Tachibana Yuki, the Dark Ambitionist

Meanwhile, Himeko also contacted the intelligence department and began a comprehensive investigation into Tachibana Yuki's background.

Anqi's "unintentional action" last night left a deep impression on Himeko, who harbored a guilty conscience. This forced her to take the matter somewhat seriously, as she felt a nagging discomfort if she did nothing.

Therefore, after a luxurious breakfast, Himeko pulled out a few amusement park tickets and shooed the students out the doors of the inn.

"Eh?" Kiana said. "Aren't Teacher Himeko and Auntie coming with us?"

Theresa answered, "Of course I'm g—"

Himeko asked, "Hmm?"

Theresa replied, *(._.)* "—staying behind to work overtime with Himeko."

Himeko controlled Theresa's head with one hand, turning her toward the students. Facing Anqi in particular, whose blank face revealed her disappointment and dissatisfaction, Himeko smiled and said,

"Unlike you brats, adults live very busy lives. Alright, alright, go play by yourselves today and don't disturb us. We'll all go out together tomorrow instead!"

Himeko rubbed the top of Anqi's head and watched the students depart into the distance.

She and Theresa then returned inside the inn, heading for the upper-level private reception room.

In the quiet, incense-scented room, Tachibana Yuki knelt and waited in a Japanese brocade single-layer robe, boiling water over a red stove to brew tea in hospitality.

"Thank you both for granting me an audience."

"Alright, skip the polite pleasantries. I'd like to free up time to continue my vacation sooner anyway. Tell me directly, what do you want to discuss with us?"

Himeko cut straight to the point. She neither knelt formally like Tachibana Yuki nor reached for the cup of bitter-looking matcha on the table.

Theresa, however, grew somewhat eager at the sight of the green liquid. She picked it up, drank it down, and then smacked her lips as she muttered to herself,

"It's not as tasty as bitter melon juice..."

Tachibana Yuki promptly clapped her hands.

Soon, two beautiful and graceful young maidens stepped forward to clear away the tea set, replacing it with bitter melon juice and red wine.

Himeko and Theresa exchanged glances.

"Are capitalists always this willful? Besides, the matters on our side are generally not meant for ordinary people to know. Do you understand?"

"Please rest assured, Lady Himeko. They are both insiders involved in Anti-Entropy affairs and trusted confidantes of mine. They can be trusted."

"If you're happy with that, then speak. What brings you here?"

"I can tell you both are unconstrained by trivialities, so I won't stand on ceremony either. Simply put, I am willing to exhaust the financial, material, and human resources of the Tachibana Family in service of St. Freya, hoping in exchange for St. Freya's protection over this country."

Neither Himeko nor Theresa showed any surprise, as Bronya had already shared a great deal of information with them early this morning.

Himeko sighed and said,

"Haven't you always been cooperating with Anti-Entropy?"

"To be precise, we have always served Lady Cocolia. It's just that she has never shown any intention of treating the Far East as her territory. Perhaps she is more attached to her homeland, or perhaps she hasn't taken this country to heart at all."

"But the Far East has always been within our sphere of protection. Isn't this redundant of you?"

Himeko wore a puzzled expression.

Tachibana Yuki's smiling expression gradually faded as she asked softly,

"Is that really the case?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"If we were truly being protected, how did the incident in Changkong City happen?"

The atmosphere froze as if solidifying at that moment.

Himeko narrowed her eyes slightly, and even Theresa instantly dropped her expression.

Tachibana Yuki gave a faint sigh, looking upward as though she could see something higher through the ceiling, and said,

"Anti-Entropy has a massive foundation in the Far East, and St. Freya even floats in the coastal waters nearby. But when it comes down to it, none of you actually care about this country. Raiden Ryoma could hide a nuclear bomb in the center of the city for ten years, Lady Cocolia could also make a move to seize that nuclear bomb, and yet St. Freya remained completely oblivious to it the entire time... If any faction genuinely cared about the lives of the billions of living beings on this island nation, none of that would have ever happened."

Tachibana Yuki's words sounded like an accusation.

If she were dealing with selfish and arrogant politicians, there would be a thousand and one ways to refute such remarks—arguing, for instance, that she didn't understand Honkai at all, that the occurrence of a major Honkai eruption was inevitable, and that containing it to Changkong City was already a remarkable feat. Yet Himeko and Theresa happened not to be those kinds of politicians; both possessed a strong sense of conscience.

Consequently, the two of them were left instantly speechless.

Tachibana Yuki timely recovered her smile and said in an understanding tone,

"I am not accusing the two of you. First of all, what's done is done. Secondly, I completely lack the ability and qualifications to point fingers at you great ladies. It's just that, though I am merely a foolish and fragile ordinary person, I still wish to do something for my equally helpless compatriots."

"To be honest with you two, long before you arrived, I actually discussed these matters with Lady Cocolia. It's just that she truly has no heart to tend to this island nation separated by an ocean. I told her that since that is the case, I would seek St. Freya's protection for the sake of this country... and she gave her tacit consent."

"What I want to do is not complicated. I simply wish to use the material wealth of the Far East to win the favor of St. Freya—nothing more."

"I am willing to do everything in my power to provide whatever St. Freya needs. In exchange, I ask St. Freya to station troops in the Far East, establish a surveillance network, recruit personnel, and even govern this country. I want the Far East to become a vassal of St. Freya, I want St. Freya to truly step into the Far East, and then, to protect the people here!"

"The blood in Changkong City cannot flow in vain, and it must never flow again! Politicians and the Self-Defense Force cannot protect anything. The only thing that can protect us is St. Freya! Therefore, please grant my request, my two ladies!"

Tachibana Yuki prostrated herself before Himeko and Theresa, pressing her hands and forehead completely against the floor as she delivered a request tantamount to national subjugation with the most earnest posture.

This is tough; managing two chapters is too difficult. Balancing it while working a day job means time and energy simply cannot keep up. Using my brain all day and night is so hard. 2

Chapter 36: Tachibana Yuki, the Dark Ambitionist

"Gulp~~"

In the quiet room, Tachibana Yuki/Anqi sipped leisurely and comfortably on the Biluochun freshly brewed by the maids, the sweet and crisp taste spreading in her mouth.

She actually couldn't appreciate so-called Japanese matcha, as it was far too concentrated and bitter. Although it might have a unique flavor when paired with those ultra-sweet desserts, Anqi still couldn't enjoy it. By comparison, the tea commonly found in Shenzhou suited her palate much better.

Himeko and Theresa had departed moments earlier, carrying away a stack of cooperation agreements given by Tachibana Yuki that offered extreme concessions, as well as a mind full of indecision.

Inhaling the fragrance of the tea, Tachibana Yuki shifted her graceful eyes to the young maid brewing tea beside her and said,

"You look completely absent-minded. What's the matter? Do you have something on your mind?"

"This... excuse me, Eldest Miss. I simply don't understand. Are those agreements you made a bit... If we truly follow through with them, what will the Tachibana Family even earn in the future?"

"Ah, that's why people like you can only be sent to my side as assistants, rather than serving as the heirs of your respective families."

"It was my place to overstep. Please punish me, Master!"

The face of the girl in the cyan kimono turned pale with terror, and she prostrated herself beside Tachibana Yuki.

Tachibana Yuki shook her head, set down her teacup, reached out, and lifted the young maid's chin.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not like my two brothers, who are gentlemen on the surface but perverted on the inside. I have a very good temper. Haven't you all noticed that over the past few days?"

"I wouldn't dare... I wouldn't dare second-guess my master."

"Heh! I genuinely like you all—I love your beauty, I love your loyalty, and even more... I love the fact that you cannot leave me."

"Yes! This is our honor."

Listening to the girl's extraordinarily submissive and soft tone, Tachibana Yuki suddenly felt a sense of dull boredom. Then, rolling her eyes, she seemed to have an idea.

The corners of Tachibana Yuki's mouth curled upward as she leaned in close to the girl's ear, teasing her while addressing all the maids present.

"As for the matter of the contracts, you are actually more professional than I am. You're right; if we really executed them by the letter, I wouldn't actually earn a single penny, and if operations faltered, I'd even have to chip in out of pocket. But let me ask you—do I need money?"

"This..."

"I don't need money! Money is just a number to me. A hundred million, a billion, ten billion—how many zeros trail behind this string of numbers on Tachibana Yuki's asset valuation list is completely meaningless to me!"

Tachibana Yuki cupped the girl's face, gently stroking it as if she couldn't bear to let go, a smile playing at the corners of her lips while her pitch-black eyes churned with dark tides as terrifying as a deep vortex.

"Among you, there is no shortage of surnames far older and more noble than 'Tachibana.' Yet do you know why 'Tachibana' is the head family, while you are merely vassals?"

"Eldest Miss, we... we... harbor no disloyalty whatsoever. Please believe our..."

"Don't be afraid. These are all very simple principles. Even if I didn't tell you, sooner or later you would figure it out just like your parents did. I'll tell you why 'Tachibana' is the head family: it is because Lady Cocolia has favored 'Tachibana.' Consequently, the only ones who can converse on equal terms with 'Tachibana' are those surnames similarly favored by those lords; everyone else can only become vassals. The one who has always been strong is never 'Tachibana,' but Lady Cocolia herself. Isn't that a hilarious truth?"

Tachibana Yuki laughed, her light and melodious voice echoing through the room.

Yet the listening maids already felt their limbs grow ice-cold.

Was this something they were even allowed to hear?

Would someone in black clothes walk through the door with a dagger the very next moment and turn them into corpses?

Gripped by such terror, they remained completely motionless, not daring to show the slightest anomaly.

Acting as though she were entirely oblivious to this, Tachibana Yuki laughed until her sides hurt, then wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, casually folded her naturally flawless and pristine legs beneath her, leaned forward, and addressed the girl kneeling before her.

"In the land of the Far East, families favored by Anti-Entropy are few, yet not entirely rare—such as the Raiden Group, which was at the height of its power before the Changkong City incident... Though they have now been crushed by Lady Cocolia, you witnessed their former glory with your own eyes, didn't you?"

"Yet, among the Far East, there is not a single family favored by Schicksal!"

"This is a truly fascinating fact. The Far East is clearly Schicksal's territory, and there is even a powerful Far East Branch suspended right there in the nearby coastal waters, yet they have no interest in the Far East whatsoever... Perhaps this country, where capital and bureaucracy collude, is simply too ugly—rife with corruption and darkness like a pool of filthy mud, or perhaps a pile of dogshit—so holy Valkyries refuse to set foot here at all?"

Tachibana Yuki said with a beaming smile.

The girl remained as silent as a cicada in winter. What a daring statement! It directly compared all vested interests present—including those great figures they didn't even dare to gaze upon directly—to dogshit!

At that moment, Tachibana Yuki's smile gradually subsided as she pinched the delicate, lotus-petal-like chin of the girl before her and said expressionlessly,

"So what use do I have for money?"

"What I want is to become the first and only upper-tier figure in the Far East favored by both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy!"

"Money? Political power? Military authority?"

"What a joke!"

"Once my objective is achieved, my words will represent the will and stance of both Schicksal and Anti-Entropy!"

"By then, what does it matter if I am penniless? What does it matter if I am deep in debt? Even if the Tachibana Family goes straight into bankruptcy, so what?"

"Invincible Valkyries reside in the nearby seas, and the overwhelming Titan Legion deters across the water. Who can stop me? Who dares to stop me?"

"This country will become my plaything in the palm of my hand, and all the powerful and wealthy elites will be slaves catering to my every whim! Relying solely on myself, I can do whatever I wish, and step on whoever I want to step on! This is my goal, this is the meaning of those contracts, and this is what I am going to do!"

The girl's rhythmic and forceful words poured rapidly and fiercely into their ears and into their hearts. The ambition and imagery described in those words battered their souls like a sky-shrouding tsunami, shaking their hearts and livers so violently that they were left speechless.

"Do you understand?"

Tachibana Yuki leaned close to the girl's ear and dropped her final question like a sigh.

Naturally, they gave no reaction—partly because they didn't know how to react, and partly because they didn't dare to react at all.

Therefore, Tachibana Yuki rose leisurely, brushed off the hem of her skirt, and walked out of the room on her own accord.

Only at the very last moment before leaving the room did she look back, smiling as she gazed at the maidens.

"Ah, right. I suddenly thought of a minor matter."

"Tell me, 'Tachibana' will stand upon the heavens thanks to the favor of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy."

"Then, what would happen if a young girl, unvalued by her family, were to receive the favor of 'Tachibana'?"

With a chuckle, Tachibana Yuki left the room.

At that exact moment, the sound of breathing in the room suddenly grew heavy.

Yes, as Tachibana Yuki had stated, what did it matter even if one were penniless or bankrupt? As long as one obtained favor at a higher level, one could arbitrarily govern everything.

And what about them? As mascots whose intellect, capabilities, and connections were unvalued, could they not also achieve that if they received favor...? Of course, some girls might lack sufficient ambition, but from another perspective, since the Eldest Miss had laid the matter out to this extent, did they even have any other choice?

"Wow, we really are demons!"

"Still, compared to those family heads and young masters with all sorts of hidden twists in their minds, these delicate and helpless girls are indeed much easier to use. After all, the only thing they can rely on is me!"

"Like the relationship between an emperor and the eunuch faction?"

"Yes, just like the eunuch faction. They will be the most loyal followers of the entity known as 'Tachibana Yuki,' because once they lose 'Tachibana Yuki,' everything will cease to exist."

"We should arrange a few more monitoring measures on Cocolia's side."

"Right. Although theoretically it's impossible for them to betray us, it's best if these words don't leak out, lest they turn the persona of 'Tachibana Yuki' into a dark ambitionist."

The Anqis discussed their upcoming actions with calm and peaceful mindsets.

Meanwhile, in the amusement park visited by the St. Freya vacation group, taking advantage of a moment when no one was around on either side, Bronya pulled out the communicator she had obtained last night.