Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

"Meaning she didn't see us as idiots who could be fooled by sweet talk, but was trying to prove, from the perspective of facts and logic, that she couldn't have been the mastermind behind the experiment."

"...Just speak normally!"

Tesla hated playing word games the most. If it's a yes, it's a yes; if it's a no, it's a no. What was the point of beating around the bush for ages? It was a complete waste of time!

The biggest problem was that she often got confused and tricked without even realizing it!

So, wouldn't it be better if everyone just spoke and acted honestly?

Einstein sighed helplessly under Tesla's angry glare and said, "Cocolia wasn't trying to fool us; she was presenting facts and reasoning. Logically, her reasoning holds up and is difficult to disprove. We'll be meeting the person in question next, and the information we get from that child should be more valuable than our remote investigation."

"Tch! I don't believe that vixen anyway! Even though Protocol Three was cool, and she handled this disaster beautifully... In short, I'll be watching closely. If that woman dares to desecrate Joyce, I'll make her pay!"

Tesla ran her hands through her hair. Seeing that they had arrived at the top floor exit, she quickly rushed forward and, without another word, entered the access code.

"Whoosh!"

The wind and snow on the mountaintop howled in, bringing with them a biting cold that instantly began to freeze the previously warm and comfortable passage.

Tesla and Einstein quickly put on the thick down jackets Cocolia had prepared, which offered some respite from the cold.

"Achoo! What the heck! Why is that child staying in a place like this? Cocolia is definitely a child abuser!"

Tesla snuffled, her nose and cheeks instantly turning red from the cold. She quickly tucked her smooth, silky red twin-tails into her clothes, pulled up the hood, and completely hid herself within the coat she had just mocked for being unfashionable.

Einstein rolled her eyes almost imperceptibly, made some adjustments for warmth herself, and then stepped into the vast snowy expanse formed by the base's rooftop.

They walked forward, battling the blinding snowstorm.

Finally, just as Cocolia had told them beforehand, they found the little girl at the edge of the rooftop snowfield.

She sat in a circular area devoid of snow, wearing a simple, pure white, adorable long dress, quietly gazing at the still, sleeping snowy mountains. She was like a holy, pure, and flawless little flower.

"Ninti..."

Einstein couldn't help but call out the name Cocolia had told them.

The girl then turned her head to look at them. Her clean, flawless purple eyes, however, appeared exceptionally hollow.

It was then that Einstein and Tesla got a clear look at her. Her delicate face, dreamlike golden hair, purple eyes, and skin that seemed as radiant and smooth as jade made her look exquisitely cute, almost as if she were a figment of imagination.

Then, the wind and snow suddenly ceased.

Einstein and Tesla blinked in surprise and instinctively looked around. Further away, the snow was still falling heavily.

It turned out the wind and snow hadn't stopped; rather, an invisible force had spread to where they were standing, like a circular shield. The fierce winds and falling snow were diverted as they approached. Even the snow on their clothes and under their feet had been swept away without them noticing.

Although the temperature was low, in this environment, they suddenly felt much warmer.

Such skilled control. She's not an uncontrollable experimental subject at all. She's even more proficient than a nascent Herrscher. It's almost like...

Like Joyce back then.

Einstein's heartbeat skipped uncontrollably for a moment before her heart rate returned to normal. She then offered Ninti a faint smile.

"Hello, we are..."

"Liesel, Frederica."

Ninti's small lips moved, and she uttered their first names in a soft, ethereal voice, not the surnames commonly used by others.

Einstein and Tesla were both stunned.

Tesla instinctively asked, "You know us?"

Ninti looked at them with hollow eyes, slowly tilted her head, and then blankly pointed to her chest.

"Here tells me your names, tells me it knows you. Seeing you makes here feel comfortable... but these aren't mine. I don't know you. So, who am I?"

Ninti lowered her head blankly, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. Her voice lacked any inflection, which only made them feel more heartbroken and sympathetic.

Einstein slowly clutched her chest, her legs buckling slightly in disbelief as she took a step back.

Tesla, however, quickly stepped forward, placed her hands on Ninti's delicate shoulders, and said urgently, her voice filled with shock, "Are you saying you have Joyce's memories!?"

"That is my origin. I am familiar with him, but I am not him."

"Genes... genes... and memories... No, it's impossible. He was a Herrscher, but it seems like..."

Tesla's pupils dilated. She gripped Ninti's shoulders tightly, a surge of uncontrollable anticipation growing like a tree amidst her horror and disbelief.

Ninti looked at Tesla's disheveled state with a blank, vacant stare, showing no reaction.

It wasn't until Einstein walked over, gently pried Tesla's hands away, and sat down with Ninti on the eaves high above the snowy mountains.

"What are you looking at, sitting here all alone?"

"I wasn't looking at anything. It's just very quiet here, comfortable, like it was before I left the cultivation pod."

"Are you feeling lost, then?"

"Yes. I've been wondering what I am, but Mom couldn't answer me either. I know you're very smart, so do you know?"

Ninti looked up at Einstein, who was much taller than her. Her mechanical, hollow purple eyes were like clean, clear, and fragile glass.

Einstein's lips curved upwards, and she couldn't help but reach out to stroke the top of Ninti's head. When she found no resistance, her smile deepened, and she said softly:

"This is almost the most complex and simplest question in the world. Many, many people live their whole lives without understanding it. However, Joyce understood it, so you definitely can too."

"Really?"

"Of course, I won't lie to you."

Einstein smiled exceptionally gently.

Ninti stared directly at her smile. After a long moment, she raised her hands and grasped Einstein's soft, smooth little hands.

"I like you."

Ninti said this, her light, childish words paired with a blank, expressionless face, yet it felt exceptionally sincere.

Einstein's smile became even brighter, but a tear unconsciously slipped from the corner of her eye.

Joyce, is this what you wanted to say to me? If you were still alive, maybe we would have had a child...

Einstein knew this wasn't the same as Ninti. Ninti's origins were tied to darker, unacceptable human experiments, but Einstein couldn't help but fantasize like this.

Tesla then casually sat down on Ninti's other side, slinging an arm around Ninti's shoulders and saying crisply:

"Don't listen to that messy-haired woman. What's the point of thinking about these damn questions? The most important thing in life is to be happy, understand?"

"Happy?"

"Yes! Be happy, be joyful, face every day with happiness, and you won't have regrets!"

"Then... how can I be happy?"

"That's something you have to find for yourself. But sitting in a place like this all day, thinking about these things, and not seeing anyone, you won't find a way to make yourself happy! Come on, let's go back to my heated room, I'll teach you how to play games!"

Tesla said with a grin, but it couldn't hide her reddened eyes – like Einstein, she had been reminded of distant memories and longing.

Then, seeing Ninti just looking at her blankly without reacting, Tesla simply pulled her up and started walking back without another word.

Einstein sat in place, watched the snowy mountains for a while, then smiled and shook her head, getting up to follow Tesla and Ninti.

Chapter 47: Welt: Tremble, Light a Cigarette

"Teacher Yang..."

"Teacher Yang?"

"Teacher Yang!"

Anqi, holding the homework she had just collected, stood beside Welt Yang. She pouted to express her displeasure at being ignored.

Welt shifted his gaze from his unresponsive phone, turned his head, and smiled apologetically at Anqi.

"I'm sorry, my family had arranged to talk to me these past couple of days, but there's been no response, and I'm a bit worried. Thank you, student Anqi, for helping collect the homework. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, I'm the class representative."

Anqi said flatly. At first glance, it sounded normal, but seeing her hands on her hips and chest puffed out, she was clearly very proud.

Welt shook his head and chuckled, feeling affection for this cute little student, and then a sense of worry arose.

This child is also an orphan from Changkong City. In the future, if she ends up like Mei or Bronya... Sigh, why is fate always so cruel to the innocent and kind?

Welt sighed inwardly and took out a box of cookies from his drawer.

"My salary is low, nowhere near what a B-rank Valkyrie like you earns. I can't afford anything fancy, so I can only give you a box of cookies to thank you for your help these past few days."

"Thank you, Teacher Yang!"

Anqi took the cookies, trying hard to keep a straight face, but her eyes were uncontrollably shining.

Clearly, the little girl couldn't resist delicious snacks.

Welt chuckled again, his gaze gently following Anqi's skipping figure as she left.

Then, alone in the office, Welt picked up his phone again, his brow furrowed.

Tesla and Einstein went to investigate the situation, why has there been no news? It's been several days, could Cocolia really dare... No, don't overthink it. Einstein is very cautious, she must have taken defensive measures. At the very least, she would have asked me for help. Hmm, the situation is probably more complicated than I imagined. I'll wait a bit longer. If not today, I'll contact them tomorrow.

Welt hesitated for a moment, then finally decided to trust those two close friends who were both elders and companions.

After all, with Tesla alone, he might have to worry about her occasional carelessness, but with the reliable Einstein accompanying her, there was no reason to worry, right?

Then, his phone remained silent all day.

Welt sat in his room until dawn, finally dialing Tesla's communication line.

"Hello! Who is it? I'm busy right now!"

"Tesla, who else could be using this channel besides..."

"Ah, yes, yes, jump, hit him! Right there! I'm coming to finish him off! Combo, combo... Woohoo! We won! Little Ninti, you're amazing, a total genius, hahahaha!"

"Beep~~"

Welt listened to Tesla's passionate and noisy voice, then watched as the phone screen went black amidst a burst of hearty laughter.

He tilted his head, completely bewildered.

"???"

Welt paused for a moment, then gave up trying to figure out if Tesla had deliberately hung up or accidentally disconnected the call. He decided to contact Einstein instead.

"Hello, is that Yang? What's up?"

"Of course I am..."

"Hey, wait a sec, the apple pie is almost ready. I need to take it out for little Ninti first. We can talk later."

"Beep~~"

Welt stared blankly at the screen that had gone dark again. For some reason, even though there was no wind in the room, he felt as if a desolate, cold wind had blown into his heart, chilling him to the bone!

So who exactly is this "little Ninti"?

Am I no longer your favorite kid... no, your most trusted and cherished family member!?

After a long while, Welt, chewing on a cigarette Siegfried had left years ago, listened calmly as Einstein and Tesla told him about Ninti.

"It can be confirmed that Ninti is a child born after a series of adjustments and modifications based on Joyce's genes. It's hard to say if this is cloning or offspring. But in any case, Ninti is a good child, and she alone is absolutely innocent."

"Yeah, yeah, she's super cute!"

"After all, Joyce was the original Herrscher of Reason, and some unique traits have likely permeated her genes. This is probably why Ninti retains a small amount of Joyce's memories. However, Ninti is not Joyce. If you meet her in the future, I hope you'll remember this and not cause the child any distress."

"She learns to play games super fast, she's a perfect match for me, I love her so much, hahaha!"

"Right now, this child is like a blank slate, but some of Joyce's memories and thoughts flow through her, causing her to be filled with confusion about the world and herself. We need to guide and take good care of her."

"Oh, and she even shares apple pie with me! Ah, she held her hands up high, brought the pie to my mouth, and looked so serious, so well-behaved and cute! Anyway, she's a thousand times cuter than you were as a kid, no, at least ten thousand times!"

Einstein explained Ninti's basic situation.

Tesla, meanwhile, gleefully continued to twist the knife into Welt Yang's heart.