A Person in Collapse, Only Loves Valkyries

But before Otto could finish his sentence, Rita brought out a new set of clothes, with a communication device specially made by Schicksal resting on top of them.

What a thoughtful and attentive maid.

Still, this made Otto's heart tighten slightly—Rita's observational skills were too sharp. If he let his guard down even a little, she might realize he wasn't the real Otto.

A woman of this caliber—best not to get too close for now.

"As expected of you."

Otto took the clothes and gave them a quick feel, discovering that among them were even a pair of men's boxers.

Did Rita pick these out?

Preparing clothes for someone else like this—it almost felt like a married couple.

Heh heh.

"Lord Overseer, allow me to carry that."

Rita reached out toward Otto, offering to take the tachi from his hand for him.

But for some reason, Rita sensed a hint of danger from that violet blade.

Was she actually afraid of a sword?

"It's fine."

Otto shook his head and set Judgement of Shamash down on the table.

Lightning flickered across the blade, drawing the attention of both girls. Kiana even reached out as if to poke it.

"That thing's electrified. You'll get fried into a baked Bronya."

That remark was mainly aimed at Kiana. Rita, as a powerful Valkyrie, could easily withstand the surface-level shocks.

Sure enough, Kiana yanked her hand back at the warning, staring at Judgement of Shamash with disbelief.

"Does it run on batteries? Why's it flickering? Is it leaking electricity?"

Seeing Kiana's skeptical expression, Otto picked up Judgement of Shamash and extended it toward her.

As the dark purple blade crackling with lightning drew closer, Kiana quickly hopped backward.

She kept her distance, and seeing her act like a startled little animal, Otto chuckled before setting Judgement of Shamash back on the table.

He wasn't worried about this Divine Key being stolen.

"Alright, you two lovely ladies. I need to change clothes. Could you step out for a moment?"

"Yes, Lord Overseer." Rita replied, leaving the room first. Kiana, hands shoved into her coat pockets, followed behind her.

Truth be told, now that she could move freely again, she should have just bolted. Who knew what that Blonde Villain was planning to do with her?

But she'd heard the name Kaslana from his mouth. Maybe the clue to finding her Stinky Dad was right here, so Kiana couldn't leave.

If she missed this chance, she had no idea how she'd ever track down that man who left without a word.

Even if there was only a sliver of hope, she had to seize it.

She had to find her Stinky Dad and punch him right in the face!

Who told him to disappear without saying goodbye!

That was the whole reason she'd been wandering around all these years.

"Miss Maid, you seem really respectful toward that guy? And what do you call him, 'Lord Overseer'?"

Once they were out of the room, Kiana caught a faint scent of roses from behind Rita and struggled not to drool.

Man, a beauty of this caliber was the first she'd seen in years.

How could she be this pretty and this fragrant?

Still, Kiana could tell that this gorgeous maid lady genuinely respected that man.

A deep, heartfelt respect.

"Because he is the Lord Overseer. And please, just call me Rita."

Rita gave a sweet smile. She could see that Overseer Otto valued Kiana highly, clearly with some plan in mind, so she wouldn't say too much.

She couldn't afford to mess up the Lord Overseer's arrangements.

The two chatted outside the room, their voices just loud enough for Otto inside to hear.

Otto, for his part, was a little disappointed that Rita hadn't come in to help him dress, but he had hands and feet—no need for assistance.

After putting on the clothes, Otto stretched. The bluff he'd pulled on Raven earlier had drained quite a bit of his energy.

Then, he snapped his fingers at Judgement of Shamash, and it vanished instantly.

He'd simply stored this Divine Key in his system inventory. Once he'd obtained it, it became bound to the system and could be kept there.

He walked to the window and pulled open the curtains.

Otto looked out at the sunlit streets, a smile spreading across his face.

He whispered to himself.

"From now on, I am the Bishop of Schicksal."

No matter what came before, from this point forward he would have to live in this Honkai World under that identity.

Live well.

Live better than anyone else.

"First, I need to build good relations with The Big Three, Rita, Durandal, and Fu Hua."

He absolutely had to avoid a death ending.

The Bishop of Schicksal would not die at another's hands.

Wanting a maid as a wife.JPG

Chapter 8. Do you want to know which of us is your father—me or Siegfried?

"Lord Overseer, your black tea."

Just standing nearby, Otto could smell the sweet fragrance radiating from Rita.

Rita bent slightly, placing the brewed black tea before Otto.

This was a high-end dessert shop, but only Otto and his two companions were inside.

Sitting across from Otto, Kiana had a dazzling array of sweets laid out before her.

Otto lifted the teacup, gently inhaling the aroma. The mellow scent of the black tea mingled with Rita's sweetness, intoxicating.

"Why aren't you eating? I thought a cute girl like you would enjoy these things."

Otto took a light sip, then set down the cup and spoke to Kiana in front of him.

Though the table was piled with desserts that looked incredibly delicious, Kiana hadn't touched a single one. She sat awkwardly on the chair, uncomfortable with the atmosphere.

She was a child used to running wild.

"Even if someone like you compliments me, I won't be happy."

Kiana muttered quietly.

From the moment they met, this Blonde Villain had been praising her cuteness nonstop.

No one had ever complimented her like this before.

"Is that so? I thought you'd like hearing that." Otto chuckled lightly, then continued. "But I suppose you're right. A cute Little Kitten like you must be tired of hearing such praise."

Otto never stinted on sweet words.

Because if even one of them sank in, he'd already won.

"I imagine you have many questions, but please allow me to handle some work first."

Rubbing the smooth tabletop with his right index finger, Otto turned to Rita.

"Rita, after you go back, start investigating the organization known as World Serpent."

"I have a rough grasp of intel on some of World Serpent's cadres. The underground intelligence broker Gray Serpent, Kamijou Pharmaceuticals founder Clio (Jackal), and the mercenary Raven are all World Serpent cadres. You can follow the Kamijou Pharmaceuticals lead to dig deeper."

This was the advantage of knowing the plot—no fear of World Serpent scheming in the shadows.

Though that guy Chen Tianwu probably hadn't joined World Serpent yet, since he and Anna wouldn't meet until next year.

"Kamijou Pharmaceuticals? Isn't that the medical company we have close cooperation with?" Rita asked, puzzled.

"These days, what medical company is legitimate? Kamijou Pharmaceuticals is actually a subsidiary of World Serpent. Some patients are used for World Serpent's human experiments."

"Hmph, fawning to my side while shaking their tail for World Serpent in the shadows—what an unscrupulous enterprise."

Since he knew the script, he couldn't let those people run wild.

Besides, he had the main mission of capturing World Serpent and Anti-Entropy cadres.

Suddenly, Otto remembered that Raven was a World Serpent cadre. Damn, he could have completed the mission right away.

Huge loss.

He felt a pang of regret. Why did he have to show off back then? Why did he let her go?

"Oh, right." Otto added, "While you're at it, head to the Far East. Raiden Ryoma of ME Company should be in prison now. He's an executor of Anti-Entropy."

"Rita, go rescue Raiden Ryoma."

"Are you trying to curry favor with Anti-Entropy?" Rita guessed. Now that a mysterious organization had suddenly appeared, was the Lord Overseer worried about being stabbed in the back by Anti-Entropy while confronting World Serpent?

"No. It's to imprison Raiden Ryoma here at Schicksal."

Otto said flatly.

Otto was always the one to stab others—there was no way others would stab Otto.

Raiden Ryoma was Mei's biological father. If he wanted a Herrscher to join Schicksal, Mei was the first choice.

The system required Herrschers awakened by a Herrscher Core. The danger of awakening the Herrscher of Thunder was far less than that of the Herrscher of the Void.

Because the pufferfish would inflate, be hard to control, and might shatter his Soul Steel face.

Otto didn't want his face shattered by Black Tiger Fu Hua, nor did he want his neck squeezed by the Herrscher of the Void.

And as long as Mei's biological father was in his hands...

She couldn't do a thing.

She'd have no choice but to obediently come to Schicksal to make lunch and dinner!

"Yes, Lord Overseer. Then Rita will return now to handle these matters."

The perceptive maid could tell that Bishop Otto and the Kiana before him had things to discuss, and that her presence was no longer convenient.

"Mhm." Otto acknowledged, and Rita gave a slight bow before departing.

The fragrant breeze at his side was gone, but after Rita left, Otto let out a sigh of relief. The pressure Rita put on him was immense—she knew exactly what the original Bishop Otto was like, so he had to keep up a constant act.

It was a torment.

Thus, he turned his head and smiled at Kiana, who had been sitting there for a while. His relaxed smile was genuine.

This Bronya had no idea what the original Otto was really like.

So he didn't need to pretend; he could just get along with her normally.

"By the way, Little Kitten, it seems I haven't introduced myself yet."

"My name is Otto Apocalypse."

"Th-this young lady's name is Kiana Kaslana," Kiana said.

Otto nodded. "Mhm. A very lovely name, perfectly suited for a cute girl like you. Your white hair is like the radiant moonlight."

A perfectly ordinary compliment—Kiana was already used to hearing them.

If Otto hadn't said it, she might have found it strange.

"So, is there anything you want to ask me? If you're wondering whether I'm a butt guy or a boob guy, I'm a butt guy."

Otto said with a smile, then reached out and pulled the plate of tiramisu in front of Kiana over to himself.