"I know. When I first straightened all of this out, I also thought it was absurd and quite comical, as if fate was toying with us. None of us wanted it, but we jointly drove the Changkong City incident."
"Then remember those regrets and make sure you do better next time... By the way, you two have been staying at Cocolia's place for a full two weeks. Aside from my contact with you last time and the data you sent me two days ago, you haven't had the heart to send me a single message in between."
Welt put on his glasses and said in a deep, brooding voice.
Einstein glanced sideways at Tesla's gloomy expression as she bit her thumb, understood Welt's meaning, and smoothly changed the subject.
"Little Ninti inherited Joyce's power and potential, and her future is boundless. It's just that she's still very ignorant and full of confusion about her life. You should find time to meet her too. You're Joyce's successor, and perhaps you can offer her a lot of inspiration."
"Fine, fine. In short, you guys only care about your little Ninti now, and it doesn't matter how I am. Hah, so much for me worrying every day that you might meet with an accident over here!"
Welt crossed his arms and said with a melancholy and aggrieved tone.
Tesla finally hurried over.
"I *** you to a ***! Little Ninti was just born not long ago, and you're even jealous of an infant? I'm warning you, you are not allowed to bully little Ninti behind our backs, or else I'll make you pay!"
"...Have I finally become the villain?"
"I ***!"
Tesla held the communicator and rattled off a stream of profanity, chewing Welt out until he begged for mercy over and over.
As for how much of this was genuine anger and how much was venting the stifling depression born from the Changkong City incident, only Tesla herself knew.
After a flurry of chatter, Tesla finally held the communicator, caressed Welt's eyes and brows on the screen, and said with a muffled voice:
"So, when are you coming home?"
"It was supposed to be soon. I've pretty much investigated things on Theresa's side and can rest easy. But isn't that child Mei enrolled again? With it concerning the Herrscher of Thunder, I have no choice but to stay and observe and guard for a while longer."
"Oh, then go die out there, goodbye!"
Tesla pouted, and with her slender fingers, she moved to hang up the communicator.
At that moment, she heard Welt's gentle, warm chuckle, along with a low and heartfelt sentence:
"Tesla, take care of yourself. I miss you very much, I miss you all very much."
"Hmph!"
Tesla let out a coquettish nasal sound, cut off the connection, then clutched the communicator to her chest and turned her head to look out the window, not letting Einstein see the corners of her mouth curling up despite herself.
Chapter 50: Yang: You Must Cherish Maternal Love!
Welt was well aware that Anti-Entropy's strength in the Far East was currently extremely hollowed out, basically consisting only of the faction under Cocolia's command. Therefore, persuading her to remain temporarily inactive was a matter of utmost urgency.
He didn't want a day when Cocolia lost her patience and led troops to storm St. Freya, only for him to step out as the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy to mediate—that would be far too comical.
Thus, he quickly found an opportunity to hold a private conversation with Bronya, directly disclosing his identity.
"I am Welt Yang, the First Herrscher, the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy. I'm currently teaching at St. Freya Academy, mainly because I was severely injured in the Second Honkai Eruption campaign and need a quiet place to recuperate. At the same time, I wanted to use my remaining energy while healing—so I came to investigate St. Freya and see if Theresa is plotting some kind of 'Far East Herrscher Lair' conspiracy."
"Ah this, uh, mm!"
Bronya's small mouth parted slightly, and she nodded in a daze.
The legendary, elusive Sovereign Lord, who single-handedly deterred all of Schicksal and spent every day saving the world in a blaze of glory, was actually her history teacher.
Though this fact was a tiny bit difficult to accept, upon seeing Welt casually materialize a pistol, rocket launcher, mini-drone, and other weapons out of thin air, Bronya had no choice but to believe it.
Then, she heard Welt's comprehensive speculation regarding the Changkong City incident, as well as Cocolia's intention to eliminate Raiden Mei.
Bronya: "???"
Seeing the girl look like a wooden duck in a daze, Welt sighed with deep understanding.
"I understand your shock. When we first saw the full picture of the matter, we also thought it was absurd. All we can say is that we were all fooled by fate, weren't we? Clearly, everyone wanted to do good, yet it ultimately brewed such bitter fruit. In truth, we can't entirely blame Cocolia either."
Welt said with melancholy and helplessness.
Meanwhile, Bronya blinked in a daze, her mind completely scrambled.
What is going on?
Mother didn't intend to trigger a major Honkai Eruption?
She only wanted to capture Big Sis Mei to run experiments?
Everyone was plotted against by that 'World Serpent'?
Did I misunderstand Mother Cocolia?
Bronya's tiny little head was filled with countless giant question marks; even her IQ of 180 was unable to sort out these problems that conflicted so severely with her understanding.
After a long while, Bronya still hesitantly, uncertainly mumbled:
"Although Bronya really doesn't understand these inside details, Bronya always feels that Mother... Were you guys bewitched by her?"
"Bronya!"
Welt's expression grew stern.
Bronya instinctively straightened her back, her small face tightening instantly under the Sovereign Lord's majesty.
Frowning, Welt spoke with a heart full of pity and earnest admonishment:
"She is your mother, after all. She single-mindedly wants to save you daughters and has paid so much for you, yet your understanding and trust as her daughter can't even compare to a few outsiders like us. Bronya, do you think that's right?"
"I..."
"Bronya, ask yourself honestly: as a mother, does Cocolia love you girls?"
"She loves... us, right?"
Bronya's pink lips trembled slightly.
She thought of Seele, who had been coaxed into experiments and then vanished; she thought of the control chip implanted inside her brain; she thought of the miserable and terrifying spectacle of Changkong City.
Yet subsequently, she also thought of that crude, aged, yet very warm orphanage. She thought of how Cocolia would celebrate the children's birthdays, how she would constantly try her best to buy cheap and cheerful sweets and toys for everyone, and how she would shed quiet tears for the children who fell ill.
Past memories surfaced in Bronya's mind. Once upon a time, those days she spent with Cocolia and her sisters—just the memories alone made her heart warm, holding too many things she could never forget.
Bronya pressed both hands against her chest, her gaze flickering and wavering as she muttered to herself:
"Mother should... love us very much."
Hearing these words, Welt's gaze returned to gentleness, and he said with gratification:
"It's good that you can figure it out. She did do some things wrong, but weren't those urgent and extreme actions also born from her love for you girls?"
"What you said... is perhaps right."
Bronya blinked in bewilderment. Though she still vaguely felt something was amiss, she couldn't seem to think of any concrete problems.
The "truth" of the incident jointly pieced together by Einstein and Welt sounded reasonable, clear, and credible even to the three leaders of Anti-Entropy themselves. Naturally, Bronya also found it exceptionally smooth, just like the real history she had experienced firsthand.
What's more, the Sovereign Lord and the others were big shots who had fought against Schicksal and the Honkai for decades; their judgment must surely be more reliable than a little girl's hazy, indistinct perception, right?
Thinking this, Bronya was gradually persuaded.
At that moment, Welt sighed with deep emotion:
"A parent's love is usually the most selfless and greatest thing in the world. I support you in being a child who distinguishes right from wrong, and I even support you in bravely resisting Cocolia when she truly does wrong. But... for a selfless mother who has given everything for you girls to end up misunderstood and even hated by you daughters—such a thing, even to me, feels far too cruel."
This wasn't fair to Cocolia!
Welt felt heartbroken and aggrieved on Cocolia's behalf.
Consequently, Bronya's already chaotic thoughts became even more scrambled.
I... Did I really get it wrong?
Mother Cocolia clearly wanted what was best for us, yet I... But she really went too far! Yet she was also just trying her best to save everyone who was sick, desperately wanting to bring Seele back no matter the cost.
Seele... What on earth should I do?
Watery light flickered in Bronya's eyes, and her resolve and conviction to part ways with Cocolia were battered into a somewhat fragmented state by Welt's round of explanations and advice.
"Take some time to have a good talk with her. Clearly state your points of disapproval, explain your incomprehension and dissatisfaction, and then, earnestly listen to her explanations and hear her speak of her attachment to you."
"Lord Sovereign..."
"Bronya, blood ties are not the decisive factor in maternal love. Sometimes, it has nothing to do with maternal love at all. Cocolia is undoubtedly a wonderful mother. In this cruel world where the crisis of death is everywhere, having such a mother is undoubtedly an extreme stroke of luck."
"You... speak the truth."
"Therefore, cherish this maternal love, cherish Cocolia as a mother, rather than living to regret it in the future. Promise me, Bronya, to cherish this bond as if it were a heaven-sent treasure!"
Welt urged her from the bottom of his heart, guiding her step by step while looking at Bronya with an incomparably gentle and encouraging gaze.
Bronya tightly clutched the homonculus doll in her arms. Gradually, a wave of longing surged forth like never before. She slowly closed her eyes and nodded:
"Mhm, Bronya understands. Thank you, Lord Sovereign."
Bronya felt a deep sense of gratitude.
If Welt hadn't specially enlightened her, perhaps she really would have become completely estranged from Cocolia—yet once upon a time, she too had joyfully called out to her as Mother! Which child would truly be willing to let themselves make a clean break with the mother they once yearned for and depended on?
Bronya opened her eyes, her tear-filled gaze carrying deep gratitude.
Welt smiled sincerely as well. Being able to reconcile this pair of mother and daughter who had been separated by misunderstandings made him very happy.
"Achoo!"
At the distant snow-mountain base, Cocolia—holding Rosaliya in one arm while handling official paperwork with the other—suddenly sneezed.
She sniffed and tilted her head in puzzlement.
I suddenly felt like someone was talking about me. Is it my imagination? Do you guys have any clue?
Nope.
Must be your imagination.
Exactly, exactly! Instead of fussing over such a trivial matter, we should keep working hard! Right now, the most successful person among us is you. For the sake of a free future, you've got to cheer up and strive to take down Anti-Entropy as soon as possible!
That's true, it should just be my imagination, hahaha!
You gotta work even harder on Ninti's end! Let's make a bold assumption—we might just be able to fleece Welt's Herrscher Core right out of his hands!
Right, right, for Welt's core, charge ahead!
The Anqis laughed merrily, casting their target unsteadily toward the old good-guy gentleman in the distance, which could only be described as wildly ambitious.
Chapter 51: Anqi, Full of Question Marks
"Clack clack clack clack!"
Tonight, in Himeko's household, the kitchen echoed with its customary hurried chopping sounds. A cold kitchen knife moved with incredible smoothness in the blond little girl's hands, hammering the cutting board as she rapidly sliced ingredients into beautiful thin sheets and squares, and even crafting exquisite food carvings.
"Anqi, your knife skills are so amazing..."
Raiden Mei, who was deep-frying chicken nuggets while holding a pair of chopsticks, uttered her I-don't-know-how-many-eth remark of amazement.
Before Anqi arrived, Raiden Mei, who bore the cooking duties for the whole household alone, could make dinner flavorful and appetizing, but since she only had one pair of hands, making it delicious was her absolute limit.
After Anqi arrived, a kitchen prodigy had been added to the mix. With the two of them joining forces, the visual appeal and aroma of dinner skyrocketed, and every dish placed on the table was like a work of art.
Raiden Mei gazed tenderly at Anqi's petite back standing on a small stool, her eyes suddenly dimming.
In the past, she must have also accompanied her mother to cook every day in such an obedient and sensible manner, right?
Anqi shifted her gaze sideways, catching Raiden Mei's sudden expression of desolate sorrow out of the corner of her eye.
What a clumsy act.
If I hadn't intentionally chosen to turn a blind eye, Mei's worries wouldn't be able to be hidden from anyone around her at all, would they?
Anqi's hand paused for a fraction of a second before she continued processing the ingredients, her face maintaining a wave-less, expressionless deadpan.
She had no way to comfort Raiden Mei.
This wasn't simply because the persona of her hidden identity required it.
More importantly, on a rational level, Anqi could understand Raiden Mei's innocence—much like a hostage who had a bomb strapped to them without their knowledge being released into a crowd; you couldn't blame the disaster on the hostage. But emotionally, the Anqi of this world had suffered physical pain and couldn't completely let go.
So, for now, let it be like this. Anqi could only manage not to resent Raiden Mei; as for everything else, she would leave it to time.
"Whoosh!"
Amidst her deep contemplation, Anqi's wrist suddenly flicked, and like a flash of lightning, she whipped a chopstick through the air, impaling it right beside the hand reached out by a certain white-haired furball.
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