A Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

Bronya: "( ? ? ? )..."

"Sigh!"

Himeko sighed, turned, and walked downstairs, her reaction one of complete unsurprise.

The three of them, stacked together, exchanged glances for a moment, then carefully separated without a sound and headed downstairs together.

"Teacher Himeko, how is she?" ×3

After sitting down in the living room, the three spoke almost simultaneously.

Kiana, having been saved during the chase, was genuinely concerned.

Raiden Mei, driven by guilt and pity, desperately hoped Anqi would recover.

Both of their intentions were easy to read, but Bronya's excessive focus left Himeko slightly puzzled.

"Speaking of which, Bronya, you actually gave up your own room for that kid, even left behind your treasured limited-edition Homonculus Doll. Isn't that a bit too proactive? Though, as a teacher, I'm glad you're thinking so much about your new classmate."

"Bronya's room has one of the best lighting angles here, and sufficient sunlight is helpful for mental health. Bronya just thought the newcomer would need that environment more. As for the Homonculus... aside from the one I have now, the rest are just a matter of money. No need to worry."

Bronya's face was expressionless, her voice cold and milky as always, and she hugged the Homonculus Doll that Seele had given her a little tighter.

Her reasoning was sound, and since Bronya couldn't show emotion on her face due to brain damage, Himeko didn't think much of it.

Chapter 10: Anqi Bears a Grudge

Himeko quickly brushed the issue aside, crossed her legs, opened the canned beer she'd just taken out, and chugged it down with a gulp before speaking.

"Ah! This is what keeps me going... That kid's fine. Still wary, but she finally agreed to eat something. Spend some time with her, be kind, and she'll probably be okay."

"That's good to hear!"

Raiden Mei patted her chest, the increasingly full curves straining her loose white casual shirt, which trembled slightly, making Kiana drool involuntarily.

"Slurp! No, not the time for that! Ahem! Good that she's okay. For Mei's sake, I'll let bygones be bygones with her. Don't worry, we'll get along fine, Auntie Hime—"

"Hm?"

"Sister Himeko!!!"

"Hmph! I told you to call me Teacher Himeko properly! And the one I'm most worried about is you, you brainless idiot who acts without thinking. You'd better keep your word, or I'll settle this semester's failing grades with you too!"

Himeko knocked Kiana on the head with a loud thwack, like hitting a hollow wooden fish.

Kiana immediately clutched her head, rubbing the growing bump, and whined pitifully.

"Stop calling me stupid all the time! I know I messed up, but it's not my fault! Who knew that slippery thing was like an eel? I tried my best!"

"You chased an ordinary person and lost them, caught up and lost them again, stumbled onto them and got your gun taken, then brawled for half an hour, almost died, and were saved by their kindness..."

"That guy's stronger than me! How is that ordinary? And if you've got something to say, just say it! Don't repeat all that stuff, you stinky Bronya!"

"Sigh, Bronya doesn't want to be rude, but she suggests Kiana start over from basic training, beginning with the entrance curriculum."

Bronya sighed, looking at Kiana with a flat gaze.

Kiana's forehead bulged with veins, and she lunged to attack, but Raiden Mei held her back.

Amid the scuffle, Himeko finished her beer, weighed the empty can in her hand, and tossed it behind her.

"Smack!"

The empty aluminum can hit Anqi on the forehead with a clear sound.

Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya looked up to see a girl with golden hair spread across the floor lying by the railing on the second-floor landing, her clear purple eyes fixed on them without moving.

Himeko tilted her head back, lazily gazing up at Anqi.

"If you want to listen, just come down. No one's going to catch you. What are you hiding up there for, little one?"

Anqi: "(??_?)..."

Anqi grabbed the aluminum can that had hit her, thought for a moment, and aimed at Kiana's forehead.

"Whoosh!"

"Smack!"

Then, everyone saw the little golden head dart back, followed by the quick slam of a door.

"Ouch!"

Only then did Kiana fall backward from the sofa onto the floor, belatedly yelping.

"That little brat!!!"

Kiana sprang up like a carp, crushed the aluminum can, and, rubbing her red forehead, stormed toward the stairs in a fury.

Raiden Mei quickly grabbed Kiana's hand, and Bronya hugged Kiana's waist.

"Kiana, calm down! That kid's just new and doesn't know anyone yet. Forgive her this once!"

"Mei-nee is right. Besides, stupid Kiana hits her head on things even when nothing's wrong. No need to mind such a small thing."

"What did you say, Bronya!?"

As the scene descended into chaos again, Himeko spread her arms over the sofa, stretched lazily, her proud curves arching even more prominently, and shook her head with a smile.

"This little one really knows how to hold a grudge!"

'Revenge for that beating, hell yeah!' ×30

All the Anqis cheered, and everyone in the theater high-fived in celebration.

After the celebration, the twenty-nine Anqis in the theater sat in a row. The heavy stone that had been pressing on their hearts for the past few days was finally lifted, and they all relaxed quite a bit.

"Great, now that we've joined the St. Freya faction, as long as we keep a low profile and stay far away from Otto, we can live in peace."

"Yeah, yeah. I don't want to think that far ahead for now. These past few days have been nerve-wracking enough."

"There's one thing we need to reflect on! We almost turned those corpses into clones right in front of Kiana earlier. From now on, when using power related to our authority, we really need to be extra cautious. We absolutely cannot get exposed!"

"Hiss... you're right. That would've been a disaster!"

The Anqis trembled with fear, patting their newly developed, still modest chests.

At that moment, the original Anqi, still the only one in a bathrobe, wore a complicated expression.

"Speaking of which, how long are we going to stay naked like this? Sure, we're all rare super beauties, but this scene... no matter how you look at it, it's like some kind of party!"

"Then why don't you share your clothes with us?"

"No way! I can't split this one piece, and I don't want to be that shameless. Even if it's all ourselves, that's not okay!"

"...Seriously, if you weren't also me, I'd strip you right now and spank your ass hard!"

The nearby Anqis cracked their knuckles. The original Anqi gave an awkward laugh, lowered her head, and didn't dare provoke them anymore—they were all herself, and no one knew better than Anqi how vindictive they could be.

"No choice. Since we're mostly safe now, let's start the save-point resurrection plan tonight! One person will go out first. The primary target is something like a clothing factory—just get enough clothes for everyone!"

"Agreed!"

"+1!"

A group of Anqis raised their little hands excitedly, then cheerfully discussed the action plan for the external save points.

At dinner, Anqi clung to Himeko's sleeve, following her step by step into the living room.

Since the girl's figure was very slender and petite, it was easy to overlook this little tail completely hidden behind Himeko if you weren't paying attention.

"Alright, alright, we're here! Speaking of which, I didn't notice you were this shy before?"

"It's not shyness. But right now, instinctively, I'm only sure you're a good person."

Anqi looked up, her violet eyes staring straight at Himeko. Though her expression was blank, her trust and dependence were clearly revealed.

What else could Himeko do?

Her heart just softened. Holding Anqi's little hand, she smiled warmly and brightly as she introduced the three students and future housemates.

Kiana: "Hey!"

Anqi: "Hey~"

Raiden Mei: "Hello!"

Anqi: "Hi~"

Bronya: "Nice to meet you."

Anqi: "How nice?"

An instinctive retort earned a moment of silence.

But during the meal, with Kiana leading the charge, the atmosphere heated up again.

Anqi ate quietly, soaking in the lively and warm atmosphere.

Let it be noted here: the current Anqi was a fusion of the Anqis from both worlds, with both mature and childish sides, both strength and fragility, both optimism and sad, dark memories.

In short, this kind of atmosphere made the lonely memories and emotions of this world's Anqi surface involuntarily.

"Drip!"

A tear fell onto the table without her noticing.

Anqi was completely unaware, mechanically stuffing food into her mouth.

But before she knew it, the others had piled her bowl high with food they'd picked for her.

Chapter 11: Anqi Encounters an Incident

Honkai Energy-adapted individuals all had strong constitutions, and Herrschers were even stronger, so several days of fasting hadn't caused much trouble. Anqi enjoyed a hearty, satisfying meal.

She was deeply moved.

Everyone in the theater was deeply moved too.

After all, it was a full meal after so long, and it was cooked by the beautiful, gentle, virtuous, wife-boss, cook-goddess Mei—viewers out there, can you eat it? Can you?

"Ohohoho!" ×30

But time slipped by, and soon it was time to sleep.

To maintain her self-imposed persona of being socially withdrawn, Anqi suppressed her urge to get up close and personal with the various paper-thin waifus and stayed alone in her room reading a book. And since she'd already decided to forgo using her authorities here at St. Freya, by this point, there was nothing left to do but climb into bed and sleep.

'I'll leave the save-point plan to you all. I can't help anyway, so I'm going to get a good night's sleep.'

'Got it!' ×29

So Anqi climbed into bed and lay down in the soft, cozy covers.

One minute passed. Ten minutes passed. Thirty minutes passed.

Outside, the moon was bright and clear. In the silent academy, Anqi could even faintly hear the sound of waves with her excellent hearing.

Everything was perfectly suited for a wonderful sleep, but Anqi couldn't fall asleep.

"Did I sleep too much before? Or am I just too excited?"

Anqi sat up, tugging at her hair in frustration.

She turned her head and saw that ugly-cute Homonculus Doll. She touched it, and suddenly her eyes lit up.

"Splash!"

An arm as fair and smooth as jade rose elegantly from beneath the water, trailing transparent droplets.

Himeko lay back in the bathtub in her room, a glass of red wine in one hand. She let out a comfortable, low moan, and a bewitching, languid charm that made one's blood race naturally seeped through.

"Mmm~"

"This is what life's all about. No overtime today, finally!"

Himeko narrowed her eyes, her gaze as seductive as silk as she sighed.

"Thump! Thump!"