It was only then that Kiana, whose eyes had briefly gone vacant, suddenly snapped back to her senses and pointed at Bronya.
"So you actually came to catch Mei! You're a bad person, Bronya!"
"..." × 3
No, you're only just realizing this now?
Bronya covered her face, sighed, and spoke in her customary deadpan tone:
"As expected of idiot Kiana. Have you perhaps forgotten that when we first met in Changkong City, I was actually being controlled, and we even fought each other back then?"
"Ah... That's right, I completely forgot about that, hahaha!"
Kiana giggled and scratched her head, fully displaying the capacity issues of her single-celled organism brain.
This fool...
Is she doing this on purpose or is she really just an idiot?
Idiot Kiana is beyond saving, right?
At this, everyone, who had been harboring various emotions, temporarily laid their worries to rest amidst a subtle atmosphere.
Seeing that the night was growing late, the few of them agreed to continue keeping things hidden from Anqi for a little while longer, after which they dispersed to return to their respective rooms to rest and digest the information, bringing this emotionally complicated night to a close.
Regarding the setting where Uncle Yang and Himeko were once teacher and student, Himeko's storyline wraps up too early in the game, and she has no further interactions with Welt in the later stages. It remains entirely unclear whether she failed to recognize him or recognized him and chose not to report it. I'll just assume Welt used a disguise and Himeko didn't recognize him, and go with that treatment.
Publication Speech
As the title says, on Monday my editor contacted me and said it was time for publication. The date is set for Friday—meaning it starts tomorrow, as usual for publications. Tradition dictates a publication speech, but I honestly have no idea what to say. So, I'll just address what is likely the most concerning issue. Regarding the update frequency, I have a day job, so on weekdays I can generally only manage one chapter, occasionally two if my brain can actually keep up. Of course, I'll write extra during holidays, usually two or slightly more chapters like that.
Well, one hundred words is enough. Here, I want to thank all the friends who have read this far. Please continue to support the story going forward. Friends who only take a casual glance are fine too, but please don't go out of your way to leave a message telling me; it breaks my heart, really. Finally, I wish you all good health, safety for your whole family, and an early Happy New Year!
Chapter 55: Raiden Mei's Courage
The next day, Bronya's mood remained depressed. Although her expressionless, deadpan face was no different from usual, the faint, low pressure she emitted and her even more silent demeanor than usual still made people sense her distress.
Under these circumstances, as a good friend sharing the same room, the "completely clueless" Anqi naturally did everything in her power to offer comfort.
Bronya was deeply touched.
At the same time, the more touched she felt, the guiltier she became, feeling she no longer had the face to face the "innocent and pitiful" Anqi.
Bronya skipped class—a rare occurrence.
On one hand, she wanted to avoid Anqi's overwhelming concern; on the other hand, she wanted to further investigate Cocolia's movements.
However, Bronya did not dare contact the mother she had "broken the heart of" last night, fearing she would see a heartbroken expression on the other's face. Thus, she contacted An, enduring An's far sharper and more piercing sarcasm than usual, and ultimately dug up the intelligence she wanted.
At noon, in the St. Freya academy director's office, Bronya recounted the information she had gathered.
"The good news is that Mother Cocolia already regards Mei-jiejie as a complete Herrscher. She is going to build the East Sea Base, expand the Titan Legion, and research even more and stronger weapons—in short, before she is certain she has grasped the power to annihilate a Herrscher head-on, Mother Cocolia will not make a move. Moreover, she will do her utmost to avoid provoking Mei-jiejie, lest the Changkong City incident repeat itself."
"The bad news is that once she finishes her preparations, it means we will face a formidable force theoretically capable of overwhelming a Herrscher. Bronya does not believe St. Freya can withstand it, because with Mother's wisdom, surely how to deal with St. Freya is already part of her plan."
Bronya hugged her Honkai mascot body pillow and wearily rubbed the bridge of her nose. She hadn't fallen asleep at all last night, constantly thinking about Cocolia, tossing and turning, and by now she was truly exhausted.
At that moment, someone raised a crucial question: "How long will it take for Cocolia to finish her preparations?"
Bronya immediately replied: "In Mother's plan, it will take about three to four years."
As soon as these words were spoken, the heavy atmosphere instantly dissipated.
Raiden Mei: "Huu~~"
Himeko: "Huu~~"
Theresa: "Huu~~"
Welt: "Huu~~"
Hearing what Bronya had said earlier, they had thought Cocolia would trample over them in a matter of months with a mighty mechanical legion, warships, and fighter jets! It turned out there were still three or four years left. At this, although the pressure was still there, at least there was time to think of a solution, making it much less terrifying.
"Bang!"
Theresa suddenly slammed a hand on the table, pointed at Welt, and shouted aloud:
"That's not right! How do you have the face to show up in front of this academy director? You actually hid in my academy and slacked off collecting a salary for several years—aren't you afraid this academy director will smash you to death on the spot with the Oath of Judah?!"
"Academy Director, first of all, I have never done anything bad to St. Freya. Secondly, I teach properly and trade my labor for legitimate compensation. Lastly, I don't know how it happened, but the wages of us ordinary faculty and staff haven't gone up in several years, and even get inexplicably docked from time to time. Added all together, I actually haven't drawn all that much in salary."
Welt adjusted his glasses, speaking with a weariness born of a bottom-tier laborer whose pay had been repeatedly squeezed.
Theresa's inflated momentum instantly deflated. Her sparkling, bright blue eyes rolled to the left and right, and then she forcefully straightened her expression, saying with a stern face:
"Let's set these trivial matters aside for now. Anyway, this academy director is very gratified that we can now communicate honestly. Although you completely invited yourself, knowing that you were safe and sound after the Great Eruption back then makes me very happy."
"Thank you for your concern. By the way, this is a small souvenir. It's arriving a bit late, and I hope you don't mind."
Welt pulled out a beautifully bound comic book from somewhere.
Theresa snatched it instantly, held it high with both hands, and her little mouth excitedly formed a tiny round circle.
"This is... This is the The Adventures of Houm Special Collector's Edition, hand-drawn by the author himself, with even many panel layouts improved for the ultimate reading experience. It's known as a treasure-tier collection of the Houm series, limited to two hundred copies worldwide—I couldn't even grab one back then!"
"Ahem! I happen to be quite familiar with the author of the Houm series."
Welt placed a hand over his mouth and let out an ordinary-sounding, dry cough.
Right, the author's real name was Welt Yang, how could he not be familiar with him?
Still, as the dignified leader of Anti-Entropy and a mature man in his sixties or seventies, there was no need to publicize such minor matters; he always felt he would be looked at with strange gazes.
Take Bronya, for instance, whose ears were already perked up high as she frequently glanced over at Welt. If the timing weren't wrong, she surely would have pestered him to death asking for information about the author, right?
"Academy Director, as you know, I am a Herrscher with a human heart, and I have a lot of experience in controlling Herrscher powers. Therefore, I would like to stay in the academy for a while longer, both to protect Mei and to take this opportunity to teach her and help her master the power sleeping within her. What do you think?"
"Ah, it's fine, it's fine. Feel free to stay, I have my own ways of dealing with Grandpa. Hehehe, Houm, hehehehe~~"
Theresa held the collector's comic high, drool pooling at the corner of her mouth, and responded absentmindedly—she was in no mood to consider Welt's problem anymore.
The several individuals belonging to St. Freya couldn't help but twitch the corners of their mouths.
Even Bronya, whose heart was shaken by this peerless treasure, knew that business came first. Still, Theresa Apocalypse... Never mind, they were in front of outsiders, so it was better left unsaid.
Amidst the subtle atmosphere, Raiden Mei stood up with a conflicted expression and said:
"Teacher Yang... No, Lord Welt, what are your plans regarding my father?"
"Just keep calling me Teacher Yang. I like the identity of a teacher; if the Honkai weren't still threatening our world, perhaps teaching would be the most suitable profession for me. As for Ryoma, we are still working on rescuing him."
Welt said gently.
Raiden Mei frowned in incomprehension, asking in a soft, delicate voice:
"But with Anti-Entropy's strength, shouldn't it take less time than that? Is my dad's situation that serious?"
"Mei, you must understand that precisely because Anti-Entropy possesses power that surpasses the mortal world, we must be all the more cautious when interfering in normal people's affairs. Far East has laws, and Cocolia putting Ryoma in prison followed proper legal channels, so we can only use legal channels to rescue Ryoma. First, we need to scrape together the funds to fill the deficit of the funds Ryoma misappropriated without authorization, and then apply for parole... In short, it will take some time."
Welt patiently explained Anti-Entropy's principles, hoping to convey to Raiden Mei the philosophy of using power with caution.
However, the matter was actually far more complicated than that. First of all, the mistakes Raiden Ryoma committed were laid bare before all the executioners, and even Welt could not force those executioners to understand or forgive him. More importantly, regarding the Gem of Conquest, Raiden Ryoma's responsibility was far too heavy; even if he got out of prison, he would still have to face numerous problems.
Raiden Mei bit her lip and ultimately nodded in understanding.
Welt smiled gently and said:
"You don't need to worry about Ryoma's matters. We are all working hard, and Cocolia let go of the matter a long time ago. Rescuing him is only a matter of time. The more important thing now is to hope you can master the Herrscher power. Only when you become a Herrscher like me will we have enough strength to persuade Cocolia and avoid this terrifying conflict."
"However, can I really do it?"
"Mei, humans are creatures possessing both fragility and strength. Especially the desire to protect someone precious will be a hundred times stronger than a Herrscher's heart—just like Joyce back then, just like me now. Therefore, do not ask whether you can do it; instead, ask yourself whether you want to protect the people by your side."
"Of course I do!!"
Raiden Mei said decisively.
For Kiana, for Anqi, for Bronya, for Teacher Himeko, and for all the people who had cared for and helped her, Raiden Mei clenched her fists and then bowed deeply before Welt.
"Teacher Yang, I will give it my all to learn. Please teach me!"
Raiden Mei had not yet experienced the heartache of once losing Kiana, nor had she witnessed the cruel picture of her school life shattering.
Yet the desire to protect always remained.
Moreover, Anqi's appearance and the various pieces of information she had gathered during this period served to further remind her of her responsibility as a sinner of Changkong City.
At this very moment, holding the greatest determination, Raiden Mei decided to summon her courage and face the darkness she feared the most.
Chapter 56: Marmot-Screaming Anqi
While St. Freya and Welt were discussing serious matters, Anqi and Kiana were having their meal.
Needless to say, the reason Anqi didn't join that conversation was easy to understand.
And Kiana's reason for not joining was actually quite easy to understand as well.
"Why are Himeko, Mei-jiejie, and Bronya all absent? What are they off doing?"
"Yeah, what did they go off to do? I don't know either."
Anqi and Kiana looked at each other, eating the bento boxes prepared by Raiden Mei, both tilting their heads in identical confusion.
As for which one was genuinely confused and which one was faking it, there was probably no need to explain.
Anqi briskly cleared out her food container. In terms of appetite, as a Herrscher, she was no less formidable than Kiana.
Afterward, Anqi packed up her lunchbox and turned serious.
"Kiana, never mind them for now. Have you found out Class Rep's preferences?"
"Ah? This... consider it figured out, or maybe not considered figured out..."
Kiana blinked with a naive expression, then scrunched up her face in distress.
Anqi was puzzled and asked:
"What's the situation?"
"Well, when I asked her what she liked, she said nothing in particular. When I asked her what she usually liked to do, she said she didn't do anything special. When I asked her if there was anything she really wanted, she said there was nothing she wanted either... How am I supposed to find anything out from that!"
Kiana puffed out her cheeks and irritably shook her body.
Anqi: "(????)..."
Don't panic, stay calm.
Judging from the story arc, Fu Hua was somewhat self-closing at this stage; her polite and proper exterior was merely a mask, and her closed-off inner heart wasn't something easily approached. Coupled with the fact that she was still Otto's informant, she naturally maintained even greater distance from the students of St. Freya.
All in all, gaining Fu Hua's trust and closeness was more difficult than anticipated, and Anqi was still patiently pursuing her route.
Anyway, stay calm~
"Hmph! Time to go straight in, I'm out of patience!"
Anqi patted her lunchbox and unhappily puffed out her cheeks.
The other Anqis were making steady progress, so how could she afford to lag behind?
Kiana chewed on the meatball in her mouth, looked at Anqi's sudden burst of irritation, thought for a moment, forked her very last meatball, and offered it to Anqi's lips.
"Calm down, say ah~~"
Anqi subconsciously opened her mouth.
And then, her angry little squirrel reaction instantly dissolved, and she immediately squinted her eyes in delight.
"So tasty~~"
"Right? Right? I also think today's bento is very sumptuous. Could it be some festival we don't know about?"
Kiana chuckled and packed away her tableware.
That afternoon, neither of them saw those few people return to class.
When the bell for the end of school rang, Kiana abruptly straightened her body, popping her drowsy nasal mucus bubble in the process. She grabbed her single-strap schoolbag and bolted toward the exit without a second word.
"Off to find Mei~~"
Before you continue