Chapter 312

"I'm not afraid of trouble. Tell me, if Rita can do it, so can I."

Durandal said in a deep voice, "Even if I have to sell my Schicksal, I have to get this done for Shen Gonglin."

"Ah... okay then, it's just... never mind, I'll just come over and tell you in person. Don't hang up, okay? I'll be right there."

Since Durandal insisted, Shen Gonglin no longer hesitated. Durandal, however, was puzzled upon hearing this. He was coming over right away... Wait, wait, can't he come over now?

Chapter 76 Be careful not to catch a cold

"No, don't rush!"

Durandal quickly tried to stop him. She knew Shen Gonglin's abilities; if he said he would come, he would definitely come. But her current situation was not the best time for him to come. The girl keenly realized something was wrong. Durandal held her phone in one hand and hurriedly reached for the towel next to her with the other, but it was too late.

Shen Gonglin, that guy, can be really proactive sometimes.

Since Durandal had said so, Shen Gonglin wouldn't stand on ceremony with her any longer. As the head of Schicksal, she should have no problem with this kind of thing compared to Rita. After tracking the phone's signal coordinates, Shen Gonglin used her one trick to get rid of her. A golden halo appeared in the bathroom, and Shen Gonglin jumped out from inside it.

"I'm here... Hey, why is there water? Durandal, what are you doing?"

Just as he jumped out of the light circle, before Shen Gonglin could even speak, the water spraying from the showerhead drenched Shen Gonglin. Shen Gonglin was completely bewildered by this sudden situation, but when he looked up and saw what was in front of him, he was even more confused. Shen Gonglin's eyes widened in disbelief. What was going on? Was today some kind of special day? Otherwise, why would they suddenly give out such a huge perk?

As the water from the showerhead flowed down, Shen Gonglin and Durandal stared at each other, Shen Gonglin's clothes gradually getting wet, while Durandal had no such problem. After all, no one takes a shower while wearing clothes, unlike in TV anime. The light mist couldn't obstruct Shen Gonglin's vision in the slightest.

Shen Gonglin stared wide-eyed at the beautiful scenery before her. Schicksal truly lived up to its Schicksal, being the largest anti -Honkai organization in the world. The benefits were truly amazing. Shen Gonglin was even considering returning to Schicksal for a second term. No wonder Rita kept working here; such benefits... anyone would find it hard to resist.

What's going on? Why am I encountering this? Durandal face turned red rapidly, and the atmosphere in the bathroom became extremely awkward. In this state, it's likely that Shen Gonglin has seen her completely naked. The strongest Valkyrie's mind was in complete chaos. Maybe she should just kill him. If he dies, no one will know about this.

Durandal suddenly raised her head, and the murderous intent emanating from her lake-blue eyes made Shen Gonglin panic. There weren't many people in this world who could fight him, and Durandal was one of them. Actually, Shen Gonglin wasn't afraid of fighting, but he felt a bit guilty in the current situation. He should go back and wait for Durandal to calm down before making any further moves.

That's right, Shen Gonglin is the kind of cute person who wants to slip away after getting a good deal.

"I suddenly remembered that Kiana is waiting for me to come home for dinner. Durandal, you go ahead and do your work. We can talk again when you have time."

He decisively chose to retreat. The teleportation circle he came from hadn't disappeared yet. Shen Gonglin turned around and tried to climb back inside. But how could Durandal let him go so easily? The girl realized that he had taken advantage of the situation and wanted to run away. There was no such thing as a free lunch!

"I'm not busy, I have plenty of time, we can talk right now... Shen Gonglin, where would you like to be buried if you died? How about the Valkyrie Cemetery?"

Before Shen Gonglin could escape, Durandal Valkyrie, even in this state, she was still the strongest. Abandoning her plan to wrap herself in a towel, and knowing that if she lingered any longer, this guy would run away, Durandal pounced on Shen Gonglin and grabbed her arm. That eerie voice made Shen Gonglin suspect that she had really chosen the location of her tomb. No way, Shen Gonglin had no intention of dying now!

"It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. I didn't know you were taking a shower, Durandal. Let's just pretend this never happened, okay? I promise I won't tell anyone. Let's keep this a secret!"

Shen Gonglin reached out, trying to crawl towards the teleportation circle, but Durandal ruthlessly destroyed his chance of escape. With a wave of her hand, the Valkyrie produced a lance. Shen Gonglin with one hand, Valkyrie thrust the lance into the teleportation circle without hesitation. The once stable portal shattered instantly with this interference. If no one from Anti-Entropy provided the coordinates, Shen Gonglin would likely have difficulty returning.

"No one would believe such a thing as you, Shen Gonglin. We've known each other for a long time. Do you think I'd be so easily fooled by your words?"

Having destroyed the portal, Durandal discarded her knight's lance and restrained Shen Gonglin from behind, pretending nothing had happened. The Valkyrie curled her lip. This girl was always dreaming. She was pretty, but she had pretty dreams too. Why should she pretend nothing happened? Besides, Durandal didn't believe Shen Gonglin's promise to keep it a secret. Knowing her personality, she would definitely spread it everywhere. The best way to keep someone's secret was to make them an accomplice.

"I'm telling the truth... Um, Durandal ... Why don't you let me go first? Um... I think we bumped into each other."

Shen Gonglin tried to struggle, but then he stopped moving. After all, his soaked clothes offered very little resistance. Durandal hugged him from behind, and given Durandal's current condition... well, Schicksal's food must be amazing! Her figure completely surpasses Tesla and Einstein's. Shen Gonglin didn't dare to move anymore, fearing that any movement would lead him to touch something he shouldn't.

"... If you've bumped into me, you've bumped into me. Hurry up and take your clothes off. Nobody takes a shower with their clothes on. They're all wet. If you don't take them off quickly, you'll catch a cold."

As expected of the world's number one Valkyrie, her way of thinking is also number one. When Shen Gonglin heard Durandal's words, her eyes widened instantly. Did this girl know what she was saying? Was she inviting her to bathe together?

Is the folk of Schicksal really so simple and hospitable? Just now, Shen Gonglin thought she was going to kill her, but now she's turned into this... Could this girl be thinking of washing herself clean and then offering herself up as a sacrifice to the heavens?

Realizing this, Shen Gonglin struggled even more fiercely. However, how could Shen Gonglin, with her small arms and legs, be a match for Durandal? The girl easily subdued Shen Gonglin again, and then threw out her wet clothes one by one. She had already given up and was determined to make him protect this secret, so she had to drag him down with her.

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Bathing Together

Who am I? Where am I? And what's going on here? Why did things turn out this way? Why... why am I taking a bath here with Durandal?

In the bathroom, Shen Gonglin's mind was in complete disarray. Sitting in the bathtub, he stared blankly at the girl sitting opposite him. Her long, wet golden hair covered her chest, but what good was that? He had already seen everything. And in this position, if he lowered his head, the clear water in the bathtub would provide absolutely no cover.

"Don't look!"

Noticing Shen Gonglin's actions, Durandal stopped her with a sharp shout. Then, still worried, the girl took out a packet of bath salts and poured them into the bathtub. The clear water instantly filled with bubbles, Durandal Shen Gonglin lot. Although she was still somewhat deceiving herself, Durandal felt comfortable now.

"If you're not going to show me, then why did you insist on dragging me over here? Durandal, there's something wrong with you."

"What's the point of this?" Shen Gonglin thought, both amused and exasperated. She had already seen everything she needed to see, and now the two of them were soaking in the bathtub, with her feet touching Durandal's legs. If she cared so much, she shouldn't have dragged her into this. This girl was really strange.

"... If we don't do this, you'll definitely go around spreading rumors. But if you dare to say anything now, we'll fight to the death. Even Rita wouldn't let you off the hook if she found out, let alone those Anti-Entropy people..."

Still feeling a bit unsafe, Durandal lowered her body slightly and submerged half of her face in the water after speaking. Seeing Durandal like this, Shen Gonglin suddenly had an urge to pee in the water. Oh well, I should be more considerate, since I'm soaking here too. But Durandal's thoughts... how come I never noticed how wise she was before?

"You're so clever... Come over and help me scrub my back, I'm bored anyway. Since you dragged me here to take a bath, you should have prepared this kind of service, right?"

I really don't know what to say about Durandal's thoughts. Well, what's done is done. Since I've already been thrown into the water, I might as well take a good bath. To be honest, I've been busy with the doll and the theater these past two days and haven't had a proper bath. Anyway, it's Durandal, so it doesn't matter.

During the Herrscher of Ice incident, this girl took good care of me, and she even beat up Kevin to vent her anger for me. Although it was a bit awkward... it was still acceptable to have her rub my back.

"Huh? A back rub... Okay!"

Surprised by Shen Gonglin's words, Durandal was actually a little nervous about forcing Shen Gonglin to take a bath. What if he got angry if she did this? If their relationship, which had finally improved, were to drop to freezing point again, she would be Shen Gonglin's words, Durandal excitedly sat up from the bathtub, a movement that made Shen Gonglin's eyes widen.

This girl seems a bit airheaded. Is this Durandal's true nature?

"Yes, I mean you have to scrub my back... with a towel, nothing else!"

Shen Gonglin gave a righteous and earnest warning, while Durandal belatedly looked down following Shen Gonglin's gaze. Realizing what Shen Gonglin was saying, the Valkyrie instantly turned as red as a boiled crab, and with a splash, Durandal buried herself in the bathtub again.

"Glug glug glug..."

Speak like a human.

"A towel, of course! Don't even think about anything else!"

"Wow, you know quite a lot."

"Gulp... It was all Rita's teaching, it has nothing to do with me!"

Well, it seems Rita's role is similar to Mei's; they can be blamed for anything.

"Oh, so you want to know more about the specific data of the Father Mech? No problem, I'll take you there in a bit. Do you need Schicksal's research report? And if you want to know about the mech, Schicksal also has a mech unit. The data is in the Hymir Research Lab. I'll have someone send it over later if you need it."

A white bath towel wrapped around her beautiful figure, Durandal knelt in the bathtub, scrubbing Shen Gonglin's back. The girl was now lying comfortably on the edge of the tub, her eyes half-closed, like a cat being served. Understanding Shen Gonglin's intentions, Durandal easily accepted his request.

I thought it was something serious, but it's just this? There's no need to look for Rita at all. You can decide this yourself. Not only that, Durandal even wants to buy one get one free. Mechs aren't just a privilege of Anti-Entropy. Schicksal also develops mechs, but they haven't been deployed to the battlefield because of the limited number.

And this guy's skin is really good, it feels almost the same as mine, still the same as before, not a bit thin, is the food at Anti-Entropy not very good...? But didn't I already send a lot of supplies with the wrong delivery address to Anti-Entropy? Could it be that they are withholding food from Shen Gonglin?

"If possible, that would be even better... By the way, regarding the puppets and the Domination Theater, does Schicksal have any leads?"

Unexpectedly, Durandal agreed so readily. She thought she would have to go to Rita. After all, in Shen Gonglin's memory, this girl had always been a rigid and straightforward person. But now Durandal seems to have changed a bit, as does the Class President. Shen Gonglin quite likes this change. While the two were chatting, Shen Gonglin suddenly brought up the recent doll incident. It was Schicksal who first noticed the anomaly.

"No, it's strange, but recent events seem to be leaning towards Anti-Entropy, as if they're specifically targeting them. You need to be careful and not let your guard down during this time. I have a feeling that this incident is aimed at Anti-Entropy... or rather, at you."

Durandal said that the situation was not yet clear, but her intuition told her that everything that had happened recently was aimed at Anti-Entropy. Shen Gonglin was currently operating in Anti-Entropy, and it was not an option not to remind him. If there was any need for help, Schicksal would do its best to help.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: I'll help you hold him down.

Regarding Anti-Entropy... or more precisely, it should be directed at those girls. Shen Gonglin could hear Durandal's worry for her, but there was nothing she could do about it. After all, he was in contact with these Herrscher girls all day long. Just think about it, they, who originally took it upon themselves to fight against Honkai and Herrscher, are now almost Herrscher.

Is the ultimate way to fight against the Herrscher to become Herrscher yourself?

"Phew... I know, I'll be careful."

Just thinking about it makes him feel tired. Shen Gonglin usually appears very energetic, but now he feels like he needs to relax. The girl behind him has strength no less than his own, and he should be able to relax a little with her.

Sigh, how did he just... lean on me like that?

Shen Gonglin's sudden movement startled Durandal slightly. The unexpected close contact made her body stiffen a little. What was going on? Why was Shen Gonglin suddenly acting cute? This wasn't right... But please, do this a few more times. Durandal was very excited. All her efforts had finally paid off. Shen Gonglin was finally getting close to her. At this moment, the Valkyrie so happy that she almost cried.

Although she was very shy, the blonde girl still reached out and hugged Shen Gonglin. With Durandal's help, the two lay on the edge of the bathtub, closing their eyes and enjoying the hot water. Durandal felt that she could play in this situation for a year. Perhaps because she was in such a good mood, Durandal wanted to continue to maintain this mood, so she took the initiative to start a conversation. It shouldn't matter if she told Shen Gonglin this information.

"Also, Your Excellency should... no, not should, that man is definitely not dead. I don't know what he's doing in the shadows right now, but he's definitely watching everything unfold. You should be careful about that too."

Subconsciously whispering, Durandal murmured in Shen Gonglin's ear that this matter should have been top secret, but telling Shen Gonglin shouldn't be a big deal. He probably already guessed that the man wouldn't die so easily. Sometimes disappearance doesn't mean death.

"He's not dead... I know, Little Herrscher of Consciousness only destroyed one of his Soul Steel clones. I heard from the Class President that he can have as many clones as he wants. That's good, I'll take revenge myself... By the way, you're not allowed to interfere next time I want to take revenge, or I'll beat you up too."

Shen Gonglin nodded. This was within his expectations, but he was still quite happy that Durandal had told him about it on her own initiative. Feeling the sincerity of the girl behind him, Shen Gonglin's attitude softened. He bumped Durandal's chin with the back of his head. He would not mention what happened last time, but if Durandal stopped him again this time, Shen Gonglin would really be angry.

"... Don't talk about this anymore, I'm so regretful... If something like this happens again, I'll help you hold him down and let you beat him up, okay?"

Speaking of this, Durandal's expression turned strange. She tightened her grip on Shen Gonglin's arm, whispering a complaint in Shen Gonglin's ear. That incident was the worst thing Durandal had ever done. Although it was to prevent Otto from going all-in and directly attacking Shen Gonglin, she still couldn't see through that man. Even though Shen Gonglin was quite powerful, Durandal still didn't have much confidence if the two of them faced off. That's why she made that choice back then, and that choice...

Durandal was filled with remorse. Because of that choice, she was now burdened with the identity of an ex-girlfriend. Watching Shen Gonglin being affectionate with other girls, she could only secretly bite her handkerchief and shed tears. Even the maid who had always been kind to her was showing off in front of her. Who could stand this? Whatever, she decided she wouldn't be so rational in the future.

Reason is useless when it comes to you; it's better to just go for it. Take Rita, for example. That maid usually seems quite wise, but when faced with a problem, recklessness is always her first choice, and this has brought her great rewards. Look how well she gets along with Shen Gonglin. So sometimes, thinking really is a superfluous thing.

"That's a good idea. Next time you can... Hmm? Who came in?"

Upon hearing Durandal's words, Shen Gonglin's eyes lit up. The thought of Durandal holding down Otto so he could hit her was exciting. Just as he was about to discuss the specific positions with Durandal, Shen Gonglin's keen ears suddenly heard footsteps.

"Durandal, are you there...? Honestly, forgetting your phone is so unusual for the world's number one maid. It's probably in the bathroom..."

The sound of footsteps was accompanied by Rita's muttering to herself, which immediately alarmed Durandal in the bathroom. Durandal and Shen Gonglin were both very perceptive and heard Rita's voice clearly. Oh no, the maid was about to come in. If she saw this scene... No, she absolutely couldn't be allowed to see it. For the sake of her dignity as the strongest Valkyrie, she absolutely couldn't be discovered!

"Inhale."

In that critical moment, Durandal narrowed her eyes, and her speed as the strongest Valkyrie was immediately apparent. Shen Gonglin only heard her utter that one word, and before he could even understand it, Durandal grabbed Shen Gonglin's head with both hands and shoved him into the water. "I'm sorry, Shen Gonglin. I'll let you hold my head down like this in the future, but for now, I can only ask you to do it."

The girl's sense of shame wouldn't allow others to see such a scene, but Shen Gonglin was being held down in the water, was in trouble. Why didn't you stop Rita from coming in? What do you mean by holding me down? This Durandal seems quite smart, but she's really stubborn. And why does this kind of thing feel strangely familiar to me? Have I experienced something like this before?

She couldn't remember, but her experience was truly rich. While thinking about this, Shen Gonglin tried to struggle. This guy couldn't swim at all, and being held underwater like this would drown him. However, as soon as she moved, her arm touched a warm and soft body. The surface of the water was covered by bubbles, so she couldn't see anything, but underwater... well, it didn't feel too uncomfortable. Shen Gonglin felt that she could hold out for a while.

Chapter 79 Why are you showing him these things?

Quickly adjusting her mindset, Durandal turned on the tap and splashed cold water over her head. The icy water immediately calmed her down. Through the frosted glass of the bathroom, she could see the figure outside the door. Good, she was sure there wouldn't be any slip-ups. Durandal, attack!

"Is that Rita? Wasn't she supposed to be gathering intelligence? Why is she back so soon?"

Durandal composed. Upon hearing her voice, Rita pushed open the door and walked in. The two of them were very close; they had even bathed and scrubbed each other's backs together before. There was no need for formalities in this private setting. Durandal had thought of this, which was why she didn't stop Rita.

This woman is very cunning. If I try to stop her, who knows what she might think? So it's best to act as usual. Fortunately, Shen Gonglin is quite well-behaved and sensible now. She was moving around a moment ago, but now she's quietly hiding in the water. With the foam on the surface, she should be able to fool me.

"It's because I forgot my phone. I'm so sorry, it's my fault. I only realized I forgot my phone halfway through the walk... It's quite rare to see Lady Durandal taking a bath at a time like this."

Finding her phone on the shelf next to her, Rita looked at Durandal, who was submerged in water with only her golden head showing, with some curiosity. Taking a bath during the day was not strange, but this bath... Generally speaking Durandal would choose to take a bath before going to bed at night because it would be more comfortable to sleep that way, while during the day she would just take a quick shower after training.

"Because... because I suddenly felt like taking a bath, so I just took one on a whim. Rita, hurry over as soon as you get your phone, finish the summary and come back sooner."

Durandal was dealing with Rita in this way mainly because there was still Shen Gonglin lurking underwater. This guy was really trying too hard; he was still lying motionless at the bottom of the water. Valkyrie need to do those breath-holding training exercises to prepare for various combat situations, but Shen Gonglin isn't Valkyrie. His lung capacity is limited, and he seems to be naturally afraid of water. Durandal already thought he was amazing for persevering this long... Speaking of which, why is Shen Gonglin being so obedient this time? He doesn't even seem to be surfacing without Durandal holding him down.

The slightly dazed Durandal had no idea what Shen Gonglin was doing. Underwater, his vision was incredibly clear. Durandal's figure was simply amazing; even sitting like this, there wasn't a pound on her waist. Perfect.

"There's no need to rush. We can finish it by working a little overtime tonight. Durandal, this is a rare opportunity. Would you like me to give you a back rub? Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've rubbed your back."

The maid spoke so kindly, for as a qualified maid, serving was her most important duty. Moreover, she wanted to try out her newly learned back-rubbing technique on Durandal. After all, it was a new technique, and Rita was afraid she wouldn't be able to control the pressure well if she didn't test it on Durandal. What if she hurt Shen Gonglin? Although Shen Gonglin could be seen from his various lifestyle habits to be from the northern part of Shenzhou, that didn't mean he could accept that kind of back-rubbing technique.

Shen Gonglin has very delicate skin, while Durandal has thick skin... Anyway, that's the gist of it, so experimenting on her shouldn't be a big problem.

"No, no need. Anna helped me scrub my back when we went to the hot springs last time, so I don't need to now... Rita, you should go first. Try not to work overtime if you can, so you can get some rest."

Durandal sensed something was wrong. Why was Shen Gonglin completely silent? Anxious to check the situation, she couldn't wait to get rid of Rita. This breath-holding time was definitely not something Shen Gonglin should be doing.

"Alright, then I'll go to Durandal's place... Eh, is this... Lady Rin's clothes?"

Since Durandal refused, Rita had no choice but to try her luck with Alvit. It seemed that learning a skill was really difficult. Without saying anything more, Rita turned to leave, but just then she caught sight of the clothes thrown in the laundry basket. These were clearly not Durandal's things. A green cat hoodie—wasn't that what Shen Gonglin often wore? It looked like Kiana's clothes from before. How could it be here?

The maid's clever mind suddenly realized something was wrong. She quickly turned to stare at Durandal, who was in a bad Durandal could only give an awkward but polite smile. How could she have forgotten about this!

"Durandal, I need a... Eh, Durandal, are you... feeling unwell today?"

Rita's eyes were fixed on Durandal, or rather, her gaze was actually on the bubbly bathtub. But then, Rita noticed something strange. A red line suddenly emerged from the water. The bloodstain was very clear in the white foam. Was it Durandal?

"Huh? No way, it's not time yet... Shen Gonglin, are you alright!"

Having understood what Rita was saying, Durandal was completely bewildered. This wasn't her day! Suddenly realizing something, Durandal disregarded everything else and quickly pulled Shen Gonglin from the water. He had been unconscious for some time, and now he had a strange smile on his face, blood coming from his nose, and water coming out of his mouth. What was wrong with him? Was it because he had held his breath for too long?

He's really going all out! Durandal was almost moved to tears. The girl had no idea that her nosebleed was because of her. What should she do? Should she be taken to the infirmary? For a four-core Herrscher to drown like this, if word got out, even the Honkai Gods would laugh themselves to death.

"Rita, come quick, what's wrong with him?"

She hurriedly dragged Shen Gonglin out of the bathtub, completely flustered and at a loss as she looked at Shen Gonglin's state. Rita, on the other hand, could roughly tell what was going on. The maid rolled her eyes and couldn't help but complain, "I never expected that Durandal, this girl with thick eyebrows and big eyes, would do something like this. You really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Leave it to me. Durandal, you should put on some clothes first, otherwise I'm afraid he might bleed to death from his nose. Honestly, he's still a child. Why are you showing him this kind of thing?"

Chapter 80 Quiet down, don't talk

Seeing the flustered Durandal, Rita couldn't help but complain. Why was he unconscious with a nosebleed? Didn't she have any self-awareness? As a girl herself, she felt a surge of excitement seeing Durandal like this, let alone Shen Gonglin. He was still a child; was it appropriate for him to be shown this kind of thing?

Unable to bear it any longer, Rita reached out and grabbed a towel from the side, tossing it to Durandal before the maid began her work. This girl must have seen something good and momentarily forgot she couldn't swim or hold her breath; she'd definitely choked on water. Luckily, as a good maid, she knew how to handle such situations. "Sorry, Rin-sama."