Chapter 358

The maid whispered softly in Shen Gonglin's ear. She remembered clearly that Shen Gonglin didn't eat spicy food. As her personal maid, she definitely had to keep this in mind. Her behavior left Alvit speechless.

You can continue to spoil him. Anyway, it won't be you who gets cheated on in the future. I always feel that Shen Gonglin is like this because of their attitudes. If this continues, Shen Gonglin will become a useless person sooner or later.

However, thinking about Shen Gonglin useless state... it seems kind of exciting, doesn't it?

"Alright, enough chit-chat, we've arrived."

Rita is such a pain in the ass! Why can't I do that? From her perspective, Durandal could clearly see Rita deliberately blowing lightly into Shen Gonglin's ear while she was talking to him. She could never do that, so Durandal could only interrupt her, saying that if she couldn't do it, neither could she. And in fact, she had already done just that.

Oh, we've arrived.

Shen Gonglin looked up at the windowsill, and a quaint and quiet town appeared before him. The former Schicksal Headquarters, Kolosten, had finally arrived.

——

"Bishop, Durandal and the Immortal Blade have arrived, and Lady Theresa and the Hyperion have also set off and will arrive at the headquarters, Old Palace, at 3 PM local time tomorrow."

Near Kolosten, in Vienna's Old Palace, Otto sat listening to a white-haired girl's report. Since Rita's "betrayal," the girl had taken over the work of "secretary." After hearing her report, Otto looked up from his book. The plan was going smoothly.

"Very good, everything is proceeding according to plan. Although they know that this is a trap I set... they have to take the bait. After all, they cannot ignore the whereabouts of the Herrscher of Domination's core, and with Shen Gonglin's safety at stake, they will now have a profound and perfect understanding of what Otto Apocalypse is really thinking on the stage I have arranged."

Otto has this kind of self-satisfying personality, and now, apart from Amber next to him, no one can hear his speech. Once they realize what kind of person they really are, this realization itself is the most crucial variable in their entire plan.

"Ahem... Your Excellency, I will be in charge of the reception tomorrow afternoon..."

She couldn't quite understand what Otto was saying, but this wasn't the first time she hadn't. Amber only knew that she just needed to follow orders. No one knew what the man in front of her was thinking. She just needed to do what she could.

For example, as a greeter?

"No, I have other tasks to give you tomorrow. As for the reception of Hyperion... leave it to Durandal and let her take charge of it."

For some unknown reason, Otto's lips curled into a slight smile, while Amber beside him offered no objection to his decision; whatever he said went, which was a privilege of being a bishop.

"Alright, Amber, go and rest. This weekend is going to be a very long 48 hours, and after this long weekend, humanity will usher in a new chapter."

The secretary quietly left, and the bishop's study returned to its usual absolute tranquility. Otto looked out the window at the night sky and murmured to himself.

"The dice have been rolled, and the few remaining uncertainties can only be left to fate. Otto Apocalypse hereby confirms that in this gamble, which is more extravagant than life and death, he has prepared everything he can."

Chapter Forty-Five: Memories of the Past

They were almost at the old guard of Schicksal, and Grandpa was there... Needless to say, there were definitely a lot of conspiracies waiting for them ahead. If there weren't any conspiracies, Theresa would have suspected that it was Otto. But no matter what, they had to get there.

In the afternoon, the Hyperion streaked across the sky on its way to its destination. The girl looked at the clear sky and felt a little uneasy. Theresa sighed deeply. At a time like this, she should really talk to her companions. The little girl spotted Kiana by the deck and decided to talk to her niece first.

"Hi, good afternoon, Kiana, what are you doing?"

Feeling inexplicably flustered, Theresa went up to greet Kiana. Theresa had always been most concerned about Kiana. In the past, Kiana would always be very restless at times like this, but now, she had become incredibly quiet.

"Good afternoon, Auntie... Oh, right, in public, should I call you Headmistress? Or... Vice-Bishop? Are you here on deck to enjoy the view too?"

The girl who was leaning against the railing admiring the scenery was slightly startled when she heard Theresa's voice and turned around. Kiana smiled and joked as she looked at the girl who was a head shorter than her. "Uncle Schicksal, what a high-ranking official you are."

Of course, Archbishop Shen Gonglin has a higher rank, but why does Kiana always feel that it's not real at all?

"Don't call me that. We all know this is definitely Otto's conspiracy. We're just here to enjoy the scenery, since we're going to face that person soon... I want to walk around on the deck, clear my head, chat with everyone, or maybe just quietly reflect on the past."

Following Kiana's example, Theresa also leaned on the railing, gazing at the distant scenery. Unfortunately, due to her height, Kiana's pose on the railing gave off a sense of beauty, but Theresa's was different. It always looked like someone had chopped off a little girl's head and placed it on the railing... If Shen Gonglin were here, he would definitely make that comment.

With such "impolite" thoughts in her mind, Kiana remained silent for a moment, while Theresa felt it was her fault; Kiana probably didn't know how to respond to such a comment.

"Oops, did I accidentally make the atmosphere too serious? I'm sorry."

Theresa tapped her head, a little embarrassed, and seeing her like this, Kiana was even more embarrassed to admit that she had been daydreaming and had misunderstood. The headmaster would definitely be very embarrassed if she said that, so it was better to change the subject.

"It's not that bad... By the way, speaking of which, the headmaster should be very familiar with European geography... That snow-capped mountain in the distance, that should be the famous Alps, right?"

Pointing to the distant mountains, Kiana's eyes flashed with a hint of memory. She had been to this place before, but it wasn't a pleasant memory.

"Yes, that's right. The former headquarters of Schicksal that we're going to is located on one of its easternmost spurs. Back when the floating islands hadn't been built, this route was incredibly busy. At that time, it carried not only the Valkyrie forces but also partners from the three major families..."

Theresa was still recounting the past, while Kiana's mind was flashing back to various images. Yes, that's right, she had been to this place before. A long time ago, her stinky old man flew over here in his plane, trying to escape. In the cramped cockpit of the fighter jet, she, her dad, and she were all crammed together. And then... Kiana rubbed her head and remembered.

"Although the floating island had already been built by then, some research equipment was still stored at the old headquarters until 2007..."

Unaware of Kiana's unusual behavior, Theresa was lost in her own memories. So much had happened back then. What would things be like now if she hadn't made that choice?

"The research equipment... also includes experimental facilities for creating K-series replicants, right?"

Kiana's sudden remark surprised Theresa, pulling her out of her reverie. Theresa stared at Kiana in astonishment. What was going on? Hadn't Kiana forgotten all these memories? How could she suddenly remember them?

"Kiana... do you remember what happened back then?"

It was a sad thing for either of them. If she could, Theresa would have hoped that Kiana would never remember it, but now it seems that's just wishful thinking.

"It's not that I remember... To be precise, I recently saw the memories left in the Herrscher Core. When I was nine years old, I was still completely clueless and naturally didn't understand what happened back then. At that time, I only remembered that my dad rescued me from the bad guys... I didn't even understand that I wasn't actually my dad's daughter."

Although the Herrscher of the Void has left, the gem she left behind records the things they once experienced. As Kiana gradually merges with the gem, she sees many things from the past, and remembers all the things she had forgotten.

"You are now undoubtedly his daughter. Kiana Kaslana. As for the past... it's better to leave it in the past."

Fearing that Kiana might have some bad intentions, Theresa solemnly warned Kiana that she was Kiana, her niece, and her proud student.

"... Yes, I understand. Perhaps this was also Dad's wish—to let me inherit that person's name and remember the kindness she left in this world. I had the exact same face as her back then. Otto stole her genes to create a vessel for the Herrscher, cloning me, this genetically modified human. But she didn't hold a grudge against me for all of this. On the contrary, she truly treated me like her own sister... Not only did she work with Dad to free me from all the shackles, but she even went to protect me..."

Thinking about this, Kiana felt a sharp pain in her heart. She had received such kindness from others since she was a child, and this kindness should not be forgotten. She should remember this kind of thing.

Chapter Forty-Six: The Most Outrageous Person in the World

Speaking of this, Theresa's mood also became heavy. Kiana in front of her was her niece, but she also had another niece who was gone forever, the girl who originally had the name Kiana Kaslana. If she were still alive, she would look a lot like Kiana now.

It sounds like a tongue twister.

Theresa shook her head. She couldn't let her emotions affect Kiana. The past shouldn't affect her current mood, at least not now.

"Grandpa used to lie to me, saying that after that incident, your... sister had been receiving his specialized treatment at headquarters; but..."

As part of a deal to stay in Schicksal and not "rebel" with Siegfried, Otto had made this promise, which is why he stayed in Schicksal. However, he also left headquarters to go to the Far East Branch to build himself, Cecilia, and their dream of St. Freya. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed, and he has finally stood on the path of rebelling against Schicksal. Perhaps it is because of the genes of the Apocalypse family?

My grandfather was once a man who spoke out for the people and was willing to defy Schicksal.

"I know, according to the memories in the Herrscher Core, she should have... been gone from this world after that incident."

Kiana hesitated to speak, and both of them fell silent. For Kiana, if it weren't for that accident during her escape years ago... perhaps she would still be on a journey of wandering, but she probably wouldn't be alone. Theresa also knew that Siegfried's whereabouts had remained a mystery since the Anti-Entropy base in Alamogordo, New Mexico, was attacked by World Serpent at the beginning of the year.

But none of these things should be reasons to stop them from moving forward.

"... We have too many scores to settle with that person, but putting a real end to the series of events involving the Herrscher of Domination is indeed a more important thing. Besides, Shen Gonglin is still there. You don't want him to see you looking so listless, do you?"

Patting Kiana on the shoulder, Theresa took on the role of the headmistress. For some reason, she had been dreaming about Himeko frequently lately, sometimes even feeling like Himeko was standing right next to her bed, pinching her nose. Now, she was the only elder left for them, so she had to work hard for Himeko's sake as well, and make sure they all became capable of standing on their own.

"Then I can act cute when I see him... I understand, Headmaster. It's just that I've seen a lot of fragments of the past in the core these past few months. When I have the chance, I really want to chat with someone who knows the situation. Please forgive my immaturity, Headmaster."

Kiana thought to herself, "Shen Gonglin is all sweet talk and no action. If I just act cute, he'll have a hard time resisting. I need to grow up in front of others, but in front of him, Kiana feel like I can stay immature forever." To avoid worrying the headmistress, Kiana smiled brightly at her, assuring her that she was fine and that everything she had been through would only make her stronger.

"No, this is precisely your progress, Kiana. Compared to the past when you used optimism to hide your sadness and were unwilling to truly open your heart to others, learning to let those around you share your sadness is a great improvement; the headmaster assures you."

Theresa wanted to pat Kiana's head, but because of the height difference, she could only adjust Kiana's cloak. Kiana was no longer the same Kiana; after experiencing all those trials and tribulations, this girl had grown into someone she could rely on. She had truly grown up.

"Hehe... Is that so? I feel a little embarrassed to be praised like this all of a sudden."

She revealed a somewhat silly smile, a carefree smile that instantly reminded Theresa of some single-celled organism. This made Theresa think that her previous maturity was all an act. Indeed, Kiana was more suited to this kind of smile. If she could, she would like to always have this smile on her face.

"Don't be embarrassed, just be proud. The headmaster has seen the students' progress, of course... Sigh, I just don't know when Shen Gonglin will finally mature. That guy is the one who should be the most mature. I used to be able to use my position as headmaster to keep him in check, but now that guy has transformed into the bishop of Schicksal, and I'm still just the vice-bishop... How am I supposed to manage him in the future?"

The more mature Kiana became, the more Theresa felt someone else's immaturity. Kiana had become like this, but Shen Gonglin remained unchanged. She would still secretly switch plates with others because she didn't like her lunch, and with her wildly imaginative thoughts... now she had added the habit of running around outside without telling her family, which was really a headache.

Just imagine, this guy will be her boss in the future, Bishop of Schicksal... Theresa felt her head start to hurt. Regardless of whether Otto had any ulterior motives, the fact that this was being broadcast live to the whole world was undeniable. Schicksal was doomed.

"... I think even if he hadn't been declared a bishop, you, the headmaster, couldn't control him. The headmaster's position doesn't seem to have much effect on him. Isn't the Class President still her guardian and mentor? Do you see her having any authority in front of Shen Gonglin?"

Kiana silently scoffed. Trying to suppress Shen Gonglin with her so-called identity was wishful thinking. If Shen Gonglin were so easy to deal with, she wouldn't be Shen Gonglin. Just look at the Class President; his identity is the most suitable, but would it even work?

"...You're right, Kiana. We'll be landing on the Hyperion in about an hour. You can stay here and enjoy the scenery. I'll go check on the others."

Theresa had no grounds to refute Kiana's statement. Rin Shen Gonglin of fearlessness in the face of power. He dared to draw his gun on the sight of the Bishop of Schicksal, and he dared to instigate Schicksal's strongest henchman to take action against the World Serpent leader. He was also a frequent visitor to the bedrooms of the Anti-Entropy executors... He must be the most outrageous person in the world.

Thinking about these things made Theresa's head start to ache again. She waved goodbye to Kiana. The Hyperion still had some time before landing, so she should use that time to talk to someone.

Chapter Forty-Seven

The White Tiger listens to the wind, the Azure Dragon emerges from the water, the Vermilion Bird treads on the clouds, and the Yellow Dragon breaks through the sky... Ah Fu beats up Shen Gonglin!

On the other side of the deck, Fu Hua was practicing her moves, each one beautiful and graceful. The last move was the one Fu Hua was most satisfied with. She would use it on Shen Gonglin when he returned, so that the kid would leave without saying goodbye again. This time, he went straight to the Schicksal Headquarters. Didn't he know that Otto was full of bad intentions?

What if Otto schemes against him? Does this guy even care about me? He went out without telling me. Is it because I spoil him too much?

Thinking of this, Fu Hua sighed helplessly. Actually, this wasn't the first time someone had said something like this to her, saying that she spoiled Shen Gonglin too much. Fu Hua knew that she did have this problem, but... she just couldn't help it.

After all, Shen Gonglin, and the way he tries to take advantage of her when he's close to her is so adorable. Who could resist that? Those guys are all just talking, but they still dote on Shen Gonglin. They only talk about themselves. They're all the same. Everyone is responsible for Shen Gonglin becoming like this. How can you blame yourself alone?

Fu Hua didn't believe that they could bear to refuse when Shen Gonglin asked to touch her so eagerly. Putting aside others, Kiana, Einstein, and Bronya would definitely not have any objections. After thinking it over, it seemed that Tesla was the one who could maintain his stance the most.

After all, it's a tsundere twin tail, those who know, know.

Thinking of this, Fu Hua felt a little irritated again. The girl took a deep breath and prepared to unleash another combo. Just then, Theresa suddenly walked over. Fu Hua quickly stopped her stance, realizing she had almost punched Theresa.

"Good afternoon, Fu Hua. Are you... doing your morning exercise?"

As the wind blew towards her face, Theresa's silver hair was blown around. Theresa took a step back and looked at Fu Hua curiously. It wasn't that she was afraid of being accidentally hurt by Fu Hua. Theresa just felt that Fu Hua's mood seemed a bit complicated. What was wrong with her?

"Hmm... It is indeed afternoon now... Have I disturbed others?"

Withdrawing her fist, Fu Hua asked somewhat embarrassedly, "I was just imagining Shen Gonglin as a punching bag. After all, I can't actually hit Shen Gonglin, so I can only imagine it to satisfy my urges. Is it because I made such a commotion that Theresa came to find me? I'm really sorry."

"No, no, I was just asking. Besides, you've been training in the simulator lately, so you haven't been outdoors for a long time, have you?"

How could she possibly disturb others? Fu Hua is such a quiet person. Theresa shook her head. She was just curious about Fu Hua's recent condition. She had been training ever since leaving the Domination Theater. It seemed that she hadn't performed well in the Domination Theater, so Theresa was a little worried about Fu Hua's condition. She had a feeling that the upcoming trip might not be very safe, so everyone had to be in the best possible condition.

"The headmaster is indeed very observant. Moreover, rather than saying that what I am doing now is some kind of training, it is more like a practice to calm my mind. You know... Bishop Otto, I have known him for more than five hundred years."

Fu Hua tidied her hair and said, "I'm about to meet my 'old friend,' and even I need to maintain my composure. Otto, what exactly does he want to do?"

"I've witnessed his good deeds, seen his evil acts, suffered his betrayal, and accepted his kindness. Although these grudges are incomparable... it still leaves me with mixed feelings... Anti-Entropy has once again been able to lend its full support, which we all appreciate—but Headmaster, don't you think their forces left at the Salt Lake Base are far too weak? After all, the core of the Herrscher of Reason isn't currently with Mr. Welt..."

Recalling everything she had experienced, Fu Hua didn't know how she should feel about Otto. He was a very contradictory person, and the events that had happened to him prevented Fu Hua from making the right judgment. She really couldn't figure it out, so she could only take it one step at a time. However, Fu Hua was more worried about other things now.

The forces left at Salt Lake Base are too weak. If this is Otto's plot to attack Salt Lake Base while they have all been mobilized to the old Schicksal forces, then there is a problem.

"Yes, after the previous operational meeting, I also expressed such concerns to them privately. However, according to Mr. Welt, most of the previously independent Anti-Entropy executors have accepted his call and are currently converging on the Salt Lake Base. This includes Mr. Mei 'Ryoma father, Annie Mar from the Cocolia Orphanage, Aida, the general artificial intelligence in charge of the Alahato restoration project, and so on."

Theresa had also worried about this problem, and she even consulted Welt about it. In a way, it was Schicksal. Anti-Entropy had already helped them a lot, and now they were spreading their forces even further. Einstein and Tesla practically took the entire Salt Lake Base's mechs to the Hyperion... Speaking of which, Theresa felt like they were leaving home with their dowry.

That's really strange.

"... It still sounds a bit far-fetched. These people have probably never trained together, let alone fought together. However, the conclusion of the operations meeting is indeed undeniable: splitting forces for defense will only lead to passivity. We must concentrate our limited combat power in one place as much as possible."

Although Theresa rattled off a lot of names, Fu Hua felt no sense of unease. These people... though it might sound a bit impolite, Fu Hua genuinely didn't believe they could work together. Not to mention others, there was that Xing Mar ... who Bronya and Seele had mentioned, right? These people uniting to defend Salt Lake Base, tsk tsk.

However, this is an unavoidable situation. High-end combat forces must be gathered in one place, and no one is indispensable, especially when Shen Gonglin is not present.

"That's right. Fortunately, satellite and radar monitoring shows that neither Schicksal nor World Serpent has shown any signs of deploying troops, so Salt Lake Base should be considered safe."

Theresa pondered for a moment and said, "Although it's a bit risky, it's worth the risk."

Chapter Forty-Eight: Students I'm Proud Of

"The headmaster is right. At this juncture, we can only trust our own assessment of the situation. Tactical actions always involve some unavoidable risks."

There's no good solution to the current situation, "Fu Hua said, adjusting her glasses. "Nothing is guaranteed. Right now, we can only rely on intelligence to determine the most suitable course of action. From any perspective, this trip is absolutely necessary."

"Fu Hua, don't worry so much, because I believe... because Mei is there, the probability of World Serpent taking advantage of the situation to attack Anti-Entropy should be very low."

Theresa comforted Fu Hua, and this was the reason why she was so at ease. Although Mei was not by their side at the moment, with this girl there, she would never allow the World Serpent to attack Schicksal at this critical juncture. Although they were not together, their hearts were always connected. This was the confidence Theresa should have in her student.

"Yes... Principal, you're right. Mei must have grown a lot in her new environment. To be able to venture out into the world so resolutely... she's really strong."

The image of that girl flashed through her mind. Fu Hua shook her head slightly. In the past, she only thought of her as a gentle girl who would dote on Shen Gonglin and Kiana so much. No matter how late they came back from playing, she would always serve them hot soup. But who could have imagined that she could now resolutely embark on the path she had chosen? After Mei became the Herrscher of Thunder, she hadn't really met her properly yet. That girl had really grown up a lot.

"Just like Fu Hua, you've grown a lot too. You've really started to emerge from the invisible shadows left by your long life, haven't you? To be honest, I was mostly just an unqualified headmaster in the past, but because I have a group of good students like you, I believe that one day, I will be proud not only of you—but also of the mark I have left on the world."

At this point, Theresa's face beamed with a smile she had never seen before. They were all her proudest students, each of them striving for their dreams. Seeing them like this, Theresa couldn't help but feel proud of her choice. Everything she had done so far had not been in vain; it had all been worthwhile.

"Headmaster... what you're saying is so cheesy."

Slightly embarrassed, Fu Hua turned her gaze away. Having lived for so many years, and now being lectured like this by such a "little girl" as Theresa, Fu Hua scratched her face awkwardly. Perhaps because she had spent too much time with Shen Gonglin, Fu Hua had also learned the true art of creating atmosphere. She bluntly said such words, and these lines successfully brought the Theresa down.

What did I just say?

"Ugh! Honestly! Saying such cheesy things gives me goosebumps! Alright, Headmaster, let's not disturb your students' training any longer. Let's talk later!"