Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

From an after-the-fact perspective, Otto's decisive move to feign holding her hostage to provoke Delta, and his act of shielding Wendy from a blow in a moment of crisis, perfectly showcased the quick-wittedness and responsibility expected of an Archbishop.

That perfect halo was truly bright and dazzling, blinding to the extreme! At the very least, it was more than enough to fool Wendy.

"Miss Wendy, there's no need to worry. Regarding the former branch leader and the other damages to the Oceania branch, Miss Delta will not be punished. Bishop Otto wishes to speak with her mainly about her future treatment and arrangements, nothing more."

Following the melodious and pleasant voice, Wendy looked over and noticed Rita, dressed in a seductive maid outfit, standing gracefully beside her.

The first thing that caught her eye was her tall and elegant figure, followed by the soft mounds that made her sigh in admiration, feeling they were out of reach. This delectable body, clad in a revealing and sexy maid outfit, formed a breathtakingly stunning picture that made one's heart flutter.

She was clearly a valiant and battle-hardened S-rank Valkyrie, and it was a maid outfit meant for labor, so why did Rita... why was Rita so alluring?!

Wendy muttered to herself, but immediately asked aloud:

"Lady Rita, did Archbishop Otto tell you this? Did you perhaps discuss Delta's handling in advance? Can you tell me?"

"Hehe! Miss Wendy, you can just call me Rita. I think we're friends now, aren't we? There's no need to rush about Miss Delta's matters; she'll truly be fine... In fact, that's why I came to find you. The situation between Miss Delta and the former branch leader is far more complicated than you know."

Rita's smile dimmed, unable to hide her wistful and sympathetic feelings.

Wendy tilted her small head in confusion:

"Huh??"

About ten minutes later, in another meeting room, Wendy received Otto's "Delta's Diary" record file.

"Lady Rita, oh, Rita, what is this?"

Wendy corrected her address under Rita's disapproving gaze. Although she felt a little unaccustomed, she was more focused on the situation Rita had mentioned earlier.

Delta and the branch leader, was there a hidden story she was completely unaware of?

"You can read it first, and then Rita will explain it to you. Just please try to remain calm; everything has already passed."

Rita said with a gentle smile.

Wendy secretly thought of her as an oddity. Not only did she speak in riddles, but despite being a noble S-rank, she always wore a maid outfit and showed such great respect to two mere A-rank girls like herself and Delta—was she an enthusiastic maid cosplay fan?

Wendy couldn't figure it out and could only follow instructions, opening the file.

The writing, still bearing the mark of youth, perfectly matched Delta's naturally dazed writing style, characterized by her dead-fish eyes. Not a single word spoke of blood and tears, yet it depicted an incredibly deep and dark world.

Wendy's hands began to tremble rapidly.

The color gradually drained from her face and lips, replaced by a deathly pallor born of overwhelming rage.

"Bang!!"

After a considerable amount of time, Wendy suddenly punched and shattered the table in the room.

She raised her head, her small fists clenched, the knuckles cracking. Her eyes, shadowed by gloom, flickered with terrifying killing intent, and she trembled, unable to believe or unwilling to believe:

"This isn't... Delta's diary, is it?"

"I'm afraid it is."

"How dare they! Delta never told me any of this! She's always been so... I don't believe it! It's impossible, how could it be?"

Chapter 74: So Sweet

Wendy violently threw the file onto the floor.

Having gone through that darkest period together, being warmed, protected, saved, and brought back into the light, Delta had long since become a unique and irreplaceable existence for Wendy.

She couldn't accept that such terrifying dark experiences were hidden beneath Delta's seemingly indifferent and dazed appearance.

Wendy knew that Schicksal had a dark side; she herself had been a victim to some extent. But she couldn't accept that Delta had gone through what was written in the file. If it were true, if it were true—what kind of shattered heart must Delta have?

Rita silently sighed in her heart, crouched down, picked up the file, and placed it back into Wendy's trembling hands.

"Miss Wendy, I can understand how you feel. No one wants to see someone they cherish suffer such harm, but if you don't even have the courage to face it, how can you save Miss Delta?"

Rita said earnestly, trying to persuade her.

Wendy's heart ached, and then she tightly hugged the file to her chest, as if confessing, or perhaps talking to herself, her voice filled with bitterness:

"So, Delta came to me after experiencing all of this, which is why she always said to enjoy life while you can, and why she could talk about life and death so casually... That idiot, she actually told me proudly that she was well-connected! What kind of connection is that, you fool!"

Tears blurred Wendy's eyes.

In a daze, she seemed to see Delta's lazy and decadent little face.

And in Wendy's eyes now, those indifferent words, those helpless declarations of being a slacker, were actually hiding countless bloody scars!

"Delta..."

Wendy sobbed, unable to hold back any longer, and let out a heart-wrenching cry.

Rita also sighed softly, quietly accompanying Wendy, waiting for her to vent her grief.

After a long while, as Wendy's tears gradually subsided, Rita began to explain:

"That's why I said Miss Delta would not be punished, because she was innocent from the start, and the branch leader and his accomplices were already deserving of death."

"Rather, it was beneficial for her to successfully complete the experiment in the end if she could vent some of her hatred by killing them in that situation. In that sense, Miss Delta merely used the lives of these sinners in the most valuable way possible. What crime is there in that?"

"The only pity is that the experimental base mentioned in the diary was destroyed two years ago, and the relevant lower-level personnel were silenced. These high-ranking officials of the branch, who were deeply sinful, were too eager to show off in front of Headquarters and all gathered at the scene. There wasn't a single person present who wasn't an accomplice."

"Although they deserved it, it's now impossible to fully list their detailed crimes."

Rita shook her head helplessly, feeling a slight regret. But with the most important experiments having already succeeded, no one cared about these trivial regrets anymore.

Wendy listened quietly. She was no longer interested in the fate of the branch leader and the others. She only felt a tiny bit better upon hearing that Delta had personally avenged herself.

Then, she wiped her tears and opened the file again.

"You're right, I need to understand all of this. I need to know all the pain Delta endured, and then, I can help her!"

With resolute determination, Wendy gritted her teeth solemnly, then firmly opened the file and began reading the latter half of the diary.

The entries continued up to a few months ago, when Delta first met Wendy. The writing after that felt like a different world.

[October 26, 2014, Sunny: Arrived at the Oceania branch. Saw the real ocean, it's super big, startled me a bit. One of the people who underwent experiments before me is still alive, her name is Wendy. She uses a wheelchair but moves incredibly fast—I'll call her Wheelchair Sprite. Wheelchair Sprite has peculiar hair, black on the outside and green on the inside, with eyes like deep green gems. She looks silly when she smiles, completely unaware that those people have already given up on her.]

[October 30, 2014, Sunny: Wheelchair Sprite stood up! Well, she's trying physical therapy. It's actually pointless. The gem is on me, so physical therapy won't help her. But since the gem was transferred to me, she can get better. Still, those stubborn eyes are kind of cute, I like them.]

"Pfft! What do you mean, Wheelchair Sprite! You really don't know how to talk! But 'cute' and 'like'... Hmph, you can still write like a normal person, why didn't you write more?"

Wendy wiped the corners of her eyes, complaining with a mix of tears and laughter.

Rita looked at her gently, knowing Wendy was trying hard to adjust her emotions, so she said nothing. In her heart, however, Rita also felt deeply fortunate for Delta in the latter half of the diary.

[November 7, 2014, Cloudy: Physical therapy is indeed useless, so Wheelchair Sprite cried. I felt a bit uncomfortable, so I tried to comfort her. She's clumsy, but maybe she's a bit stronger than I thought?]

[November 9, 2014, Cloudy: Moved into Wheelchair Sprite's room. Saw a lot of wheelchair accessories. Is she a legendary craft master? Found cute pink cartoon stickers under the cabinet. They were probably meant for the wheelchair, but anyway, black history acquired! Slept with Wheelchair Sprite tonight. Her hair smells nice, and her body is soft. More comfortable than I expected.]

[November 13, 2014, Sunny: Received a thermos from Wheelchair Sprite. Including the flowers on the 14th, this is the second gift I've received from someone. Anyway, the cup is very nice.]

[November 21, 2014, Sunny: Secretly added sugar to the thermos and then tricked her into thinking it was high-quality goji berries bought overseas. She believed me! Hahaha, she actually completely believed me, so stupid!]

"Delta! So those 'high-quality goji berries' were a lie? Sniffle! Fine, I'll forgive you for now, you heartless thing!"

Wendy's crying hadn't completely stopped, and this time she couldn't hold back, a snot bubble even forming.

Rita thoughtfully handed her a tissue.

Wendy didn't care about her image at this point, just wiping her face as she continued to read.

[December 3, 2014, Sunny: Don't want to get up. Ordered Wheelchair Sprite to buy me breakfast. Since her wheels turn fast, it's like morning exercise for her. But I suddenly remembered that she seems to be ostracized in the base, so I got a bit worried and followed her quickly... So angry! Even I only dare to play occasional pranks, and those people dare to mock her? I cursed them all out! I remember all their faces, they'll all pay!]

"Silly, I don't even care anymore, why are you getting so worked up?"

Wendy stroked the words, as if she could feel Delta's anger at that moment. A warmth surged in her heart, greatly soothing the anxiety and heartache she had felt so far.

[December 14, 2014, Cloudy: The researchers said the gem transfer will happen the day after tomorrow. I told them to keep it a secret for now, I'll give her a surprise then!]

[December 16, 2014, Cloudy, Windy: Wendy, I will descend into deeper darkness so that you can return to the light.

Late night addendum: Why did you suddenly crash into me? It hurt so much, my wheelchair fell apart. I'll remember this grudge!]

Wendy froze for a moment, her heart trembling.

Then, the tears that had just stopped welled up in her eyes again.

"Silly, you just need to take care of yourself..."

Wendy complained verbally, sniffling, but a warm smile bloomed on her tear-streaked face.

[Grandly held the 1st Wheelchair Race. Tampered with things a bit in the middle of the night, so I won!]

[Received the Salty Fish bolster pillow. Feels… not as good as Wendy's hand.]

[Today's sunset is golden. Took a peek at Wendy's expression, she looked silly, but kind of cute.]

[Wendy's fifth day of physical therapy. Holy crap, she's so agile. So S-rank Valkyries aren't given out of pity because she looks silly? Petite and delicate, professional movements, perfect smile… I'm impressed. Wendy is really super cute, I like her, hehe!]

Each entry, each event, these records all painted a picture of Wendy's past memories. Some made her grit her teeth, some brought a knowing smile, and some made her laugh and cry at the same time.

But ultimately, these words were incredibly warm for Wendy.

"Me too, I like you a lot, Delta..."

Wendy's vision was blurred by tears, but she smiled incredibly gently. She had even momentarily forgotten Rita's presence, as if the lazy person from her memories was right in front of her.

She continued until the very end, seeing these words:

[(Reporting to Archbishop, the main text of the diary ends at the previous section. This section is a message from the last page of the diary, please be aware.)]

[Hey, Wendy, if you ever get to read this diary, no matter where I am right now, I want to tell you: You are the only, best friend in Delta's life. I hope Wendy can live happily forever. If you do, then Delta will be happy.]

"Drip!"

Crystal tears, one after another, soaked the document.

Wendy smiled. At this moment, she desperately wanted to meet the owner of these words and tell her:

"You are too, Delta! You are also Wendy's only best friend!"

Chapter 75: Dry Weather, Beware of Fire

"…That's about all I have to say regarding the higher-ups in Oceania and your current physical condition. You don't seem very interested, so I won't bore you further. Now then, shall we discuss your next steps?"

In the dry, crisp air of the office, Otto clasped his hands on the desk, a smile on his face.

Having personally witnessed the Human Heart triumph over the Herrscher Heart, his ultimate plan had gained more confidence and acquired a crucial piece.

Furthermore, with Wendy still alive, Delta, the newly ascended top-tier combat power, was easier to control.

Otto genuinely felt the trip was worthwhile and was in an exceptionally good mood.

So, Otto smiled as he watched Delta, who appeared relaxed and listless, unbothered by her inattentiveness. Little did he know, in a place he couldn't see, over a dozen Anqis were holding their breath, listening intently, wishing they could dissect his every punctuation mark for analysis.

"Huh? Oh, I'm listening…"

"What do you think about assigning Wendy to Durandal's team? With the current strongest S-rank Valkyrie leading her, I'm sure Wendy will quickly regain her talent and reach the S-rank tier."

"...What are the benefits of that team? Do they work long hours? How much annual leave do they get? What's the quota for sick leave and personal leave? Do they still need artificial Herrschers?"

Delta's eyes suddenly widened. Though still slumped in her wheelchair, her sleepy expression instantly became alert.

Otto chuckled in amusement and shook his head:

"I see now. The only thing you're interested in right now is anything related to Wendy, isn't that right?"

"Ah, not entirely. For example, I'm also concerned about where my thermos has been mailed to."

Delta's gaze shifted to the side, saying guiltily.

Otto's lips curved upwards, feeling he had a general grasp of Delta's personality.

A fragmented personality shaped by inhumane experiments, indifferent to everything around her, not even valuing her own life. Especially after her sole grudge had been settled, she was like a ghost drifting outside of humanity. Perhaps this abnormal psychology, different from ordinary people, was also a contributing factor to her successful victory over her Herrscher persona?

In any case, the only thing that currently maintained Delta's humanity was Wendy—the first and currently only friend in her life.