One sentence was enough to make Dumb Goose's gaze waver.
Bai Yan changed the subject. "Why did you suddenly think of coming to see me? Because of Bai Yan?"
"That's part of it... but mainly, I figured some things out..."
Durandal recalled some fragments of the past, her expression dimming slightly.
Probably fallen comrades.
"Don't worry about Bai Yan. She's like me."
Durandal waited for him to continue, but nothing came.
Bai Yan said, "Anything else?"
"Um, is that yours?" She gestured toward a corner.
Following her gaze, Bai Yan looked over, and his heart skipped a beat.
The wardrobe door had not been shut all the way. The fabric was rather smooth, and after being carelessly kicked aside, it had slid out of the wardrobe like liquid along that slight slope.
An ice-blue skirt hem.
It was as if alarms were blaring in his mind. His thoughts accelerated from zero to full speed, and the Thirty-Six Stratagems flashed through his head like a carousel.
"Of course not. Xiao Yan took a bath here, left it behind, and forgot to bring it with her."
Durandal walked over and picked up the skirt.
Bai Yan narrowed his eyes and watched as though she had discovered something, sniffing at it.
Then she paced over to Bai Yan and sniffed him.
Bai Yan took two steps back. "We haven't seen each other in a while. Did you pick up some weird fetish?"
"Of course not!"
"Then what are you doing?"
"...Why does it smell like you?"
"My sister was so moved to see her long-lost brother that she latched onto me the moment she arrived. I couldn't shake her off at all."
Durandal looked at him suspiciously.
"Then why does it smell even more strongly of Rita?"
"How would I know girls' business that well? Still, I'm curious. With that temper of yours, you're obviously born in the Year of the Ox, so why do you have a dog's nose?" Bai Yan said impatiently.
"Then I'll go ask Rita!"
"Suit yourself."
Bai Yan relaxed instead.
He had not fabricated much overlapping information on his end, so there was no need to coordinate stories with Rita beforehand. She could just make something up depending on her mood.
As for Bai Yan, as long as he showed that he did not particularly like Dumb Goose, he could avoid too much contact.
The moment Durandal left, Bai Yan immediately messaged Rita.
Bianca saw a skirt in my wardrobe. She's heading to you now.
The message was concise and direct.
After sending it, Bai Yan lowered his voice and feigned anger. "Riddle-speakers, get out of Schicksal Headquarters!"
Then he grinned playfully. "Ehe, I'm getting out right now."
Before his smile had faded, a fist swung toward Bai Yan's face—not fast, not slow, carrying enough force while being precisely beyond what Bai Yan could handle in his current state.
That level of control... Durandal?!
In an instant, Bai Yan only had enough time to identify the attacker before instinctively raising a guard.
His hands crossed, palms facing outward, as he gathered all his strength there.
Smack!
The instant they made contact, Bai Yan immediately dissipated the force by retreating.
But he soon looked up in surprise, only to find an equally unexpected expression on Durandal's face.
She narrowed her eyes. "In terms of reaction speed, even some B-rank Valkyries can't manage that..."
"Yeah, B-rank cannon fodder can only take one move." Bai Yan's expression returned to normal as he replied leisurely.
"Hmph."
Only then did she truly leave.
"She's getting more and more skilled at the Turning Spear... But did I get stronger?"
Bai Yan looked at his hands. Though they remained fair and slender, he could now feel a faint tingling sensation.
Could the Hyperdimensional Space have an effect like that?
As for Durandal, perhaps she had really only wanted to test him.
"Dumb Goose is way too persistent. She probably really wanted to beat me up just now.
"To her, my attitude might seem a little off...
"But whatever. I'm heading to St. Freya soon. If there are any problems then, my big sister Rita can explain them."
He collapsed onto the bed as drowsiness surged over him.
He officially departed for St. Freya the following afternoon.
Under Bai Yan's identity.
For secrecy's sake, no one besides the two people in the know came to see him off.
The flow of intelligence depended not only on a department's function, but also on one's rank.
For example, Bai Yan had no information about another person hidden within the Far East branch. As far as he was concerned, contact would remain strictly one-on-one.
Bai Yan had a natural advantage when enrolling at St. Freya Academy: Ragna could write Murata Himeko a letter of recommendation.
And a pitiful, weak, helpless, and especially pretty "girl" was extremely suitable for St. Freya.
Sakura blossoms drifted down like spring rain in the wind. A graceful figure in an ice-blue long dress and white beret approached.
Yet before the gates of St. Freya Academy, Bai Yan lowered his head to check his messages.
Rita: Are you there yet?
Bai Yan: I'm here. Everything's normal.
Rita: Lady Durandal is asking me about your whereabouts.
The message ended there. Clearly, Rita was asking him how she should coordinate their story.
He had been around for the past two days, then suddenly left on a business trip today. No matter how one thought about it, it would seem suspicious.
"The Kaslana family is such a pain. I have to win one over here and fool one over there.
"I'll just fool her for now. If she finds out..."
Bai Yan shuddered, and his toes began renovating a three-bedroom apartment again.
It was too embarrassing!
He hurriedly replied.
Bai Yan: Long-term infiltration mission. Southern Shenzhou. Classified.
Rita replied with a "rest assured" emoji.
Bai Yan sighed. "Annoying."
Suddenly, a fierce wind rose. The white cap was swept away, catching Bai Yan off guard.
"Tch! What a pain!"
The white cap flew higher and farther away. He was clearly never going to catch it, and it was even about to drift over the wall.
Just as Bai Yan was about to give up on the hat, a figure appeared like a ghost, sprinted forward, then leaped high into the air.
"Hey!"
Two braided pigtails flew upward, soon reaching the same height as the white cap.
Kiana intercepted it just before it could fly away.
The girl landed steadily, raised the hat, wrinkled her little nose, and smiled smugly.
"Got you at last."
Kiana's gaze quickly locked onto Bai Yan. Her eyes lit up, and the white-haired girl strutted over with a hint of smugness on her face.
"Here!"
"Thank you. May I ask what this classmate's name is?"
As he greeted her, Bai Yan discreetly observed Kiana.
She had been here for a while already, and it was only recently time for school to begin.
If possible, Bai Yan did not want his first meeting with the future god of Earth to take this form.
Looking at Kiana, aside from her hairstyle, she had the personality of a complete tomboy. Looking at Bai Yan—now Bai Yan—she was the very image of a delicate young lady from a Jiangnan water town.
When would these days ever end?
White hair...
That's right, I still have Master Jingliu!
As long as he extended the time limit of the Hyperdimensional Space, he could receive more one-on-one instruction from Jingliu.
Whenever he thought of that swordsmanship refined over a thousand years, Bai Yan could glimpse a sliver of dawn through his bleak and conflicted circumstances.
Coming back to his senses, he found Kiana staring at him with sparkling eyes.
Bai Yan felt a little uncomfortable and smoothed his shoulder-length hair.
He had nearly forgotten that Kiana was obsessed with looks.
"By the way, Bai Yan, which class are you in?" she asked expectantly.
"Um..." Bai Yan looked down at the screen. "Murata Himeko's class."
"Then we'll be classmates! Hehe..."
"What a coincidence. Please take care of me in the future, Kiana."
"Piece of cake."
As they chatted, Murata Himeko suddenly appeared and spotted her target immediately.
Bai Yan had been waiting for her in the first place. With a letter of recommendation, why go through the ordinary channels?
"You're Xiao Yan, right? Ragna told me all about you. Come with me."
Then she looked at Kiana. "Out playing at a time like this? Have you finished your homework?"
Kiana shrank back. "I-I finished it..."
"Hm?" Himeko frowned. "Don't tell me you had someone write it for you again?"
"What are you saying? What do you mean, had someone write it? It was clearly a fair—"
She abruptly covered her mouth, realizing something was wrong.
"Oh! You even know how to bribe your classmates now?! Just wait until I tell the principal about this. Let's see how she deals with you!"
"Hey, hey, hey, Auntie Himeko, don't!"
"Don't hold onto me, I have things to do! If you don't want to suffer, rewrite your homework properly yourself."
Kiana immediately wilted and silently drew circles off to the side.
"But it's good that you spend more time with Xiao Yan. After all, she's a genuine top student."
Before you continue