"So this was... the future colleague you mentioned?"
Himeko looked curiously at the petite black-haired girl beside Theresa, covered in injuries, and held out her hand.
"Hello, I'm Murata Himeko. It's nice to meet you. Your injuries... do you need to return to the Hyperion? There's a medical pod available there."
"Hello, Sister Himeko." Xia Ling wiped the faint bloodstains from her hand. After shaking Himeko's hand, she spoke in her calm, gentle voice, saying something that made Himeko's heart ache. "No need. I'm already used to injuries of this level."
"I-I see..." Xia Ling's single sentence left Himeko speechless. She kept glancing at Theresa beside her, her eyes seeming to ask where Theresa had picked up such a strange girl.
"Mm... I'll explain Xia Ling's situation in detail later. Let's return to the Hyperion first. Most of Xia Ling's injuries are superficial. A quick treatment in the medical pod and some bandaging from the ship's doctor should do."
Theresa's expression was difficult to describe. She sighed and said,
"Xia Ling, what about you? No objections?"
"I have no objections." Xia Ling indicated that she would follow the organization's arrangements.
"Then come on, quickly. Don't worry, my piloting skills are excellent. I guarantee I'll get the injured passenger there smoothly within ten minutes."
Himeko was as decisive as ever, leading the two of them straight onto the transport craft.
As the black transport craft slowly rose, Xia Ling finally caught a glimpse of Changkong City in its entirety, as well as the massive airborne battleship floating among the distant clouds.
It was also where her dream had begun—the Hyperion.
The Place Where the Dream Began
As the transport craft slowly docked on the Hyperion's deck, Xia Ling finally boarded the ship that had accompanied her for years.
Once the transport craft had come to a stop, Xia Ling followed Himeko's footsteps, jumped down from the craft, and headed toward the bridge.
"Come on. Cross the deck and there's an elevator up ahead. Take it, and you'll reach the Hyperion's bridge."
Himeko led the way while introducing the place to Xia Ling over her shoulder.
"You still need some basic treatment today, so I won't show you around everywhere just yet. Once you come aboard on your own in the future, you can take your time exploring."
As she spoke, Himeko led Theresa and Xia Ling into an extremely familiar-looking elevator—the very one Xia Ling had once seen on her phone every day.
As the elevator slowly ascended, Xia Ling finally heard that familiar greeting, one she often heard at four in the morning:
"Captain on the bridge."
"We're here. This is the bridge, though I imagine you'll be coming here often in the future."
"I'll arrange their navigation orders first, then take you to the medical bay. By the time your injuries have mostly healed, we should arrive at St. Freya Academy."
As she spoke, Himeko called over a crew member from below and gave her a few quiet instructions. Soon after, Xia Ling felt a slight tremor run through the ship.
"Haha, don't be afraid. The Hyperion's stabilization system is very well developed. As long as the captain doesn't mess around, even someone with severe motion sickness won't feel much shaking."
The moment Himeko said that, a chorus of jeers rose from the consoles below the bridge.
"Right, right, as long as the captain doesn't mess around. Himeko, how many times have you gone racing around Changkong City while drunk?"
Himeko's adjutant was the first to expose her.
"Exactly. And usually, she's drunk more often at night than she's sober."
Theresa ruthlessly added another stab.
"Hey, hey, there's a newcomer here. Leave me a little dignity, will you?"
Himeko coughed lightly, her face faintly red, then explained to Xia Ling, "Drinking is just a small personal hobby of mine. Don't worry, I never let it interfere with important matters."
"Alright, alright. Today was just to familiarize you with the route, so don't you dare learn bad habits from these old hands. And you lot, quit tearing me down and hurry up to prepare the medical bay. Can't you see Xia Ling's injuries haven't been treated yet?"
With that, Himeko grabbed Xia Ling's hand and hurriedly fled the scene.
The Hyperion's medical bay was located in the middle section of the ship, ensuring that even if the hull came under attack, the wounded would not suffer secondary injuries.
"Alright, here we are."
Himeko stepped forward and activated the screen outside the medical pod. After tapping it a few times, she nodded. "Mm, the parameters are fine. Xia Ling, take off your clothes and lie down inside."
"T-Take off my clothes?" Xia Ling's face flushed slightly as she shyly pinched the hem of her clothes.
She was still wearing the Reserve Caster Operator uniform provided by the system, though it had become tattered during the battle. Bloodstains and tears could be seen everywhere.
"Oh? You're shy." Himeko could not help but laugh.
Along the way, she had basically concluded that not only was this girl petite, but her mental age probably was not much older, either.
Still, Xia Ling clearly looked like someone with a story, and her expression had barely changed throughout the journey. Now that she was finally showing a reaction appropriate for her age, both Himeko and Theresa found it rather novel.
"I-I'm not shy." Seeing the situation, Xia Ling felt that if she did not cooperate, she might receive even more teasing.
Her delicate hand lifted, slowly undoing the inner fastenings of her clothes. As each layer slipped away, Xia Ling's fair, tender body was gradually revealed before the two of them.
Under their burning gazes, Xia Ling felt somewhat uncomfortable and covered her chest.
"Tch. I thought Xia Ling was the petite and slender type too. Who knew she was secretly this kind..." Theresa's voice carried a trace of disappointment.
"Mm... There are no particularly serious injuries, and the wounds aren't deep. If they're treated properly, they shouldn't leave scars or marks." Himeko looked her over and nodded.
"Alright, lie down. Don't worry if the liquid covers you; just breathe normally. The restorative fluid contains a mild sedative, so don't resist if you feel sleepy. That's normal."
After giving her instructions, Himeko pressed a few buttons. The medical pod slowly closed, and the liquid gradually began to rise.
Seeing that the girl had already fallen asleep inside the medical pod, Himeko turned to Theresa beside her.
Theresa gently shook her head and signaled with her eyes for Himeko to speak outside.
"Can you explain it properly now? What exactly is going on with that child?"
The moment they reached the door, Himeko impatiently questioned Theresa.
"It's a little complicated. This little girl practically fell right in front of me while I was subjugating Yunna..."
Theresa sighed and began recounting everything she had experienced over the past two days.
Yet Xia Ling had not fallen asleep as they expected. Instead, she had entered the system space with her consciousness and watched the live broadcast alongside the system.
"See? I told you Theresa would think I came from a World Bubble. My god, why is the backstory she made up for me even more tragic than the one I imagined?"
Xia Ling sounded delighted.
"How can you say that about me? I didn't tell a single lie." Xia Ling smiled at the system. "I just didn't tell the whole truth. See? That's the charm of language."
"Yes, I did let Theresa and the others misunderstand, but can't I simply become the Xia Ling they imagined?"
Host, please stop talking. You're overflowing with Otto energy. If you keep going, I'm going to break out in a cold sweat. Just because you want to become Otto doesn't mean I want to become Void Archive. What if I get thrown onto the Tree of Imaginary and have to roll my way back myself?
Outside the door, Theresa had already finished telling Himeko the basics of what had happened.
"So, that child is a survivor from a World Bubble that was likely destroyed. Because she carries something similar to the Second Divine Key, she was able to travel through the Sea of Quantum, then somehow drifted into our world."
"That's right. And it may be quite a bit stronger than the Second Divine Key."
"Then, her world may have had an alternate version of you, one who might have died for some reason. That was why her first reaction upon seeing you was to help you defeat Yunna."
"And her strength is unknown. She may be weak now, but that doesn't mean she'll still be weak after some time."
"Mm, that was roughly it."
"Uh... Theresa, don't you think this all seems a little too coincidental?"
Arriving at the Herrscher's Premier Academy—St. Freya
"I know."
To Himeko's surprise, Theresa had considered that as well.
"Himeko, I may not be particularly smart, but after staying by Grandfather's side for so long, my knowledge and experience are enough to make up for that."
"Then why would you..."
"Should I make a homeless child wander around Changkong City just because I have doubts?" Theresa raised her head and looked into Himeko's eyes.
"Her words clearly concealed something, yes. But everyone has things they cannot speak of. Just as I have never talked about my origins, and have never pressed Bronya or Mei for details about their pasts."
"I could feel that the loneliness in her voice when she said she no longer had a home was genuine. The surprise, joy, and sorrow she showed upon seeing me for the first time were genuine as well. That was enough."
"Just as the law has always upheld the principle of innocent until proven guilty, we cannot turn a blind eye to suffering happening before us merely because we doubt someone's past."
"Heh..." Himeko chuckled. "Not bad, Theresa. I never realized you had that kind of awareness before."
"Looks like you haven't been academy principal for nothing."
"Hey! What exactly did you think I was like before?!"
Ignoring Theresa's displeasure, Himeko leaned against the wall and looked up at the ship's ceiling. "I understand what you mean. Once we reach the academy, I'll contact some old friends of mine and people on the Schicksal side to investigate Xia Ling's identity and registration."
"If she truly crossed over from the Sea of Quantum, then there should be no trace whatsoever of her having existed in this world."
"Of course, if we really can't find anything, I'll have Schicksal help forge an identity for her. Consider it compensation for doubting her."
"Mm, that was what I was thinking too. Letting her live close to us was part of the consideration."
"If she really approached me for some purpose, then she will inevitably make a move."
"If not, then I would be more than happy to make a friend like her."
"Ah, come to think of it, Little Xia Ling seemed to say that she was very skilled at surviving in the wilderness." Theresa had intended to pat Himeko on the shoulder, but the difference in their heights kept her from reaching it, so she angrily slapped Himeko's butt instead. "Then her cooking should be pretty good too, right?"
"You drunkard who gets drunk every day, looks like you're in for some good food."
"Major Himeko, I'm here."
As the two spoke, a young woman in a white medical uniform arrived before Himeko, carrying a set of St. Freya Academy uniforms and a medical kit.
"Her recovery will be finished soon, but there will probably still be some larger wounds that haven't fully closed. Go bandage her up, then have her change into a new set of clothes."
"Yes, Major Himeko."
The ship's doctor nodded and promptly entered the medical room.
Some time later, Xia Ling emerged wearing a brand-new St. Freya student uniform, her face slightly flushed.
"Oh? Doesn't that look quite nice?" Himeko smiled as she leaned against the wall. "So? St. Freya Academy's uniform is pretty good, right?"
"It's impeccable in terms of comfort, materials, and breathability." Xia Ling gave a thumbs-up. "Although I haven't worn many other school uniforms, I think St. Freya's uniform is quite good."
Host, you really never forget to reinforce your character setting, do you?
Xia Ling's remark left Himeko somewhat silent, but she quickly recovered and changed the subject. "The Hyperion is almost at its destination too. Let's go take a look around on the deck and let you see the full view of St. Freya."
Taking the familiar elevator once again, Xia Ling returned to the deck she had only stepped onto a few dozen minutes earlier.
"Look, that huge cannon barrel down there is the Hyperion's orbital cannon system. There are six across the ship, used to combat large Honkai Beasts."
"What if there are Honkai Beasts that are small and agile, like drones?" Xia Ling displayed the curiosity expected of someone who only half understood this world.
"That depends on the situation. Usually, we can use the close-range weapon systems to retaliate directly. Those systems are distributed around the hull, with ten sets in total."
"And if the opponent is highly intelligent or particularly powerful, we can directly deploy Valkyries to fight."
As she spoke, Himeko led Xia Ling and Theresa to the edge of the deck.
"There are ten Valkyrie deployment hatches at the bottom of the ship. They can airdrop Valkyries directly onto the ground or onto drones."
It was basically the multiplayer battle interface from Honkai Impact 3rd that the host knew.
"Ah, I see." Xia Ling suddenly understood. "Then will I have the chance to perform airborne combat from a deployment hatch in the future too?"
"As long as your physical condition can handle it, of course." Himeko smiled and pointed toward a distant island.
"Look. St. Freya. We're here."
The sight of St. Freya from above was entirely different from the flat view in the game. Compared to all the invisible walls in the game, Xia Ling now truly understood just how wealthy St. Freya Academy was.
Reliefs, Western-style churches, teaching buildings, immensely spacious sports fields and training grounds... Everything before her reminded Xia Ling that she had truly arrived in this world and become part of the lives of the characters she had long dreamed of meeting.
"Alright, stop staring blankly. Since you like St. Freya Academy so much, have Theresa show you around properly later."
Himeko patted Xia Ling on the shoulder. Only then did Xia Ling notice that the Hyperion was gradually approaching the harbor.
"Huh? Himeko isn't returning to the academy?"
"I'm not as idle as Theresa." Himeko waved the ID card in her hand. "It's working hours right now. Only our mascot academy principal has time to accompany you on a sightseeing tour."
Before you continue