Alicia Is the Real Cheat Code in Honkai!

Gwen was no stranger to the outfit of the person before him, especially that highly distinctive mask, which had allowed him to identify the other party at once.

However, according to Gwen's persona, an ordinary volunteer would not know one of Mobius's creations.

So Gwen did not immediately reveal Gray Serpent's identity.

"Hehe..."

With a light laugh, Gray Serpent folded his black umbrella and placed one hand over his chest. Like a gentleman straight out of Rita's homeland, he bowed with impeccable courtesy and slowly said:

"I am Gray Serpent. It is my greatest honor to pay my respects to you here—the pioneer of the world, the inheritor of True Self."

"..."

After a brief silence, Gwen lowered the spear he had been pointing at Gray Serpent and slowly asked:

"I can more or less understand the first title. But where did the second one come from?"

"Without question, this is a divine miracle that can only be described as a miracle."

Gray Serpent, as ever, performed reliably—being a professional riddler:

"One day, She fell from the heavens. People looked up, and thus beheld the starry sky.

The stars and moon sent forth God's daughter, and she wished to become humanity's companion.

The long wind became her carriage, and the four seas became her garden. Birds brought the seeds of goodness, while a hundred flowers wove hymns of love.

Thus she was born into this world, walked upon the earth, grew alongside humanity, and sprouted together with the world.

When the end drew near, the time to return had come.

And now, it was already the morning of the third day..."

"..."

After a moment of silence, Gwen lightly tapped the ground with his spear.

"Speak plainly."

"A visit to the Elysian Realm will answer all of your questions."

Gray Serpent dropped his chant-like tone and said solemnly:

"When the time is right, Miss Prometheus will guide you there."

As he spoke, Gray Serpent bowed respectfully once more.

"This is the key to the truth."

Saying so, the bent-over Gray Serpent respectfully presented an object with both hands. It was evidently the "key" he had mentioned—

"For now, please allow me to make my exit."

"..."

Being a riddler was fun, was it?

Muttering inwardly, Gwen accepted the item Gray Serpent had respectfully offered without changing his expression, then turned and left.

"Then, until next time."

By the time Gray Serpent raised his head again, Gwen had already vanished.

"What an unexpected delight..."

Muttering softly, Gray Serpent opened his black umbrella once more and turned toward the darkness...

Everything that had just happened was now rapidly spreading through the Gray Serpent network, with one Gray Serpent after another swiftly learning the news.

Not a single Gray Serpent opposed his decision. No matter what, this was good news for the Serpents.

However, a debate arose over whether they should continue lying low according to plan or embark upon a new path.

But the exchanges between the Gray Serpents were no longer within Gwen's concern—

Whether it was Gray Serpent calling him the inheritor of True Self, or Gray Serpent's knowledge of the existence of Prometheus, who had remained hidden all this time, both were matters far more worthy of Gwen's consideration.

Besides, there was another major problem waiting for Gwen over there...

"So, it seemed this Miss Bronya was the true culprit behind the attack on us?"

Taking the unconscious duck from Gwen's hands, Rita looked at the little girl who was right in her strike zone. Though she still wore a smile, her expression had gained a trace of chill.

"Since she rose to power like an upstart, it was only natural that she had no capable people around her and had to send her adopted daughter into the field."

Having stripped off his armor in one go, Gwen pulled two energy potions from his pocket and drank them. Feeling the energy swiftly returning to his body, he answered casually.

Gwen's words caused Raiden Mei, standing nearby, to look at Bronya slightly differently as all sorts of scenarios instantly filled her mind.

"Haa..."

Letting out a deep breath, Gwen said to Rita:

"Rita, I'll have to trouble you to look after Kiana and Bronya for the time being. Support from the Far East Branch should arrive shortly.

As for now, there are some things I want to discuss with Mei."

"This is Rita's duty."

Rita instantly understood what Gwen meant, and a few more traces of amusement appeared in her eyes. With a slight bow, she led the two unconscious girls farther away.

Seeing this, Gwen turned to Raiden Mei, who was looking at him with a somewhat nervous expression.

"Mei, shall we talk?"

"Mm."

Raiden Mei nodded lightly. Having vaguely guessed something, she did not refuse—

From the information Gwen had given her before, Raiden Mei had gained some understanding of Schicksal.

And just now, though she had only caught a fleeting glimpse, Raiden Mei had still seen the insignia painted on the transport craft destroyed by the Titan Mech.

The two of them slowly walked across the rooftop. The surrounding district had already been plunged into darkness by the previous battle, with only a few scattered fires providing faint points of light.

Yet beyond the range of the battle, Changkong City had not been affected. Countless lights still shone from its homes, and everything remained peaceful.

The two strolled slowly along the edge of the rooftop. A gentle breeze brushed past, stirring the girl's hair and making it rise and fall as unsteadily as her thoughts.

"Mei..."

"Gwen..."

As though their hearts were in sync, the two, who had been silently gathering their thoughts for so long, broke the silence at the exact same moment. Yet they both stopped when the other spoke, before finally exchanging a smile.

After that smile, the inexplicably heavy atmosphere between them eased somewhat. Gwen no longer hesitated and spoke beneath Raiden Mei's gaze.

"Mei, perhaps you've already guessed.

I actually..."

"Am not some so-called Anti-Entropy field agent?"

Meeting Gwen's gaze, Raiden Mei tilted her head slightly and revealed a playful smile.

"Mm... As expected, our little Mei is very smart."

Gwen nodded with a light laugh, only to receive an adorable glare from the girl.

"Don't call me little Mei. You make it sound like you're so much older than me."

"As far as age goes, I really am much older than you, Mei."

Blinking, Gwen decisively changed the subject.

"Hmm?"

Somewhat puzzled, Mei smiled and asked, "Could it be that you're one of those legendary old geezers who knows how to stay young?"

Post-Battle Leisure Time

Raiden Mei's teasing smile froze on her face—

"I wouldn't say I know how to stay young, but as for my age... I'm already over fifty thousand years old..."

Seeing Raiden Mei freeze in place, Gwen explained with a smile, "Of course, I spent more than fifty thousand of those years asleep in the Dormancy of All Things. The time I was actually conscious and active only amounts to a little over ten years.

"Mm... You can think of it as the kind of cryogenic sleep from science fiction movies. You wake up from one nap and fifty thousand years have passed. Everything has changed..."

Smack!

Only after hearing Gwen's explanation did Raiden Mei's stiff expression finally relax. She slapped Gwen's shoulder with some annoyance.

"Couldn't you just say it all at once? Why did you have to pause like that just to scare me?"

Though she said that, there was not much resentment on Raiden Mei's face—

She was indeed a little unhappy that Gwen had deliberately paused to frighten her, but the genuine melancholy that had surfaced when he spoke at the end made her heart ache for him. She hurriedly changed the subject.

"Hehe, since Mei says I'm an old geezer, how could I not be?"

With a light laugh, Gwen suppressed the faint melancholy that had just risen in his heart and smiled, only to receive another smack from Raiden Mei's small hand—

"Smooth talker."

Rolling her eyes at Gwen's efforts to lighten the mood, Raiden Mei brought the conversation back on track.

"So, Gwen, you were sent by Schicksal to sabotage Cocolia's plan?"

"Smart."

Gwen nodded.

"Cocolia crossed the line this time. Since Anti-Entropy can't handle her themselves, Schicksal has no reason to hold back.

"After all, that was tens of millions of lives."

"..."

Hearing that, Raiden Mei looked at the battlefield nearby, where only a handful of fires remained, then at the countless lights in the distance. She nodded gently before asking again, "But did Anti-Entropy's conservative faction really do nothing?"

"I don't know."

Gwen shook his head.

"Perhaps they negotiated with Cocolia, but judging by the current outcome, they truly accomplished nothing."

As he spoke, Gwen paused and gently took Raiden Mei's small hand, which had grown slightly cold in the night breeze.

"Still, there's no need to worry. Schicksal has already narrowed down several places where Cocolia might be holding your father. We should receive news soon.

When the time comes, we'll go save him together."

"Mm..."

Raiden Mei instinctively struggled for a moment, but when she failed to pull her hand free, she gave up on the futile effort. Letting her small hand rest in that reassuring warmth, she said softly, "Thank you..."

"Hehe, isn't it only natural for a son-in-law to save his father-in-law?"

Gently squeezing Raiden Mei's hand, Gwen asked with a smile.

"But... we were only pretending to be a couple for the mission before.

And..."

Raiden Mei's voice grew quieter and quieter until she could no longer speak. Yet the hesitation on her pretty face and the struggle in her watery eyes told of what was on her mind.

"Sorry, Mei. There were some things I kept from you before."

The smile faded from Gwen's face as he slowly said, "My identity isn't merely that of a so-called Anti-Entropy conservative special operations agent... or rather, it isn't entirely that.

Beneath that identity recorded in Anti-Entropy's database, I also have identities such as a newly promoted A-rank Knight of Schicksal and an external staff member of Institute 1504."

Gwen paused as he spoke. Only after seeing that Raiden Mei's expression remained calm did he continue, "However, no matter which identity it is, I can assure you that aside from concealing my identities, the man named Gwen who has spent these past days with you was never some false deception."

"Mm, it's alright. I understand."