The Real Cheat in Honkai Is Alicia! Chapter 26

At her words, Raiden Mei breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the stern expression on her father's face, she hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.

"Um... Father, actually... Gwen is also from Schicksal. He's an A-rank Knight of Schicksal."

"What?"

Hearing his daughter say this so suddenly, Raiden Ryoma found it somewhat hard to believe.

But after giving it some thought, Raiden Ryoma, now slightly calmer than he had been in prison, realized that he seemed to have overlooked certain things—

Anti-Entropy's technology was indeed highly advanced, but the individual combat armor Gwen wore did not really match Anti-Entropy's style—the Doctor preferred large automated combat units like Titan Mechs...

"Yes."

Seeing her father's incredulous expression, Raiden Mei nodded and confirmed it once more.

And seeing Raiden Ryoma's reaction, Raiden Mei gained a somewhat better understanding of her father's attitude toward Schicksal, and several thoughts could not help but arise in her heart.

Driven by those thoughts, Raiden Mei pursed her lips before continuing.

"Father..."

At the same time, the Hyperion of the Far East Branch had rushed here at top speed. Though it had lost the signal of two Herrscher-level Honkai Energy readings halfway there, upon discovering the state of this district, it swiftly began rescue operations—

While the Hyperion's captain, A-rank Valkyrie Murata Himeko, directed the rescue efforts, the Far East Branch's director, Theresa Apocalypse, left the Hyperion and arrived directly beneath the hovering warship—

"Rita?"

Surprised to see this A-rank Valkyrie whom she knew fairly well, Theresa could not help asking, "Why are you here?

Could it be..."

She had wanted to ask whether her grandfather had conducted some experiment again and caused the Honkai outbreak in Changkong City.

But with other Valkyries nearby, Theresa ultimately did not ask the question out loud.

"Good day, Lady Theresa."

Although she dearly wanted to step forward and pinch Theresa's little cheeks, mindful of the two girls beside her and of the etiquette expected of a maid, Rita merely gave Theresa a respectful bow and explained, "Today, according to a report from the A-rank Knight Gwen, who was traveling abroad, Cocolia, an executor of Anti-Entropy's radical faction, was suspected of intending to trigger an artificial Honkai outbreak in Changkong City.

At the Bishop's request, Rita came to assist Mr. Gwen."

"What?"

Theresa's face immediately filled with disbelief.

"You're saying that Cocolia intended to create an artificial Honkai outbreak here?"

"As you can see."

Rita looked toward the city, where only a few flickering fires broke up the darkness, and explained to Theresa, "Even though Mr. Gwen did his utmost to stop it, the Honkai still swept through this district.

Had that not been the case, Changkong City would likely have already been reduced entirely to ruins beneath the Honkai.

Not long ago, Anti-Entropy also dispatched Titan Mechs to attack. The transport craft I arrived in was destroyed as well."

"Cocolia..."

With no other source of information, Theresa could only temporarily trust Rita's words, and she could not help gritting her teeth—

Though she was the director of the Far East Branch, Theresa had actually handed most of the work over to her old friend, Murata Himeko.

Theresa was not entirely unaware of Cocolia's forces entering the Far East, but she had merely regarded it as an internal matter for Anti-Entropy. Having no great ill will toward Anti-Entropy, she had not wished to interfere. Yet she had never expected Cocolia to make such a huge mess on her turf.

Just then, a comet-like streak of light flashed past, and a figure so imposing that Theresa could only look up at him appeared beside Rita.

"Rita, nothing went wrong, did it?"

The moment he landed, Gwen checked on the two unconscious girls before asking Rita at the same time.

Chapter 48: Rita: So Cute, I Want To...

"Mr. Gwen, everything remained normal during the short time you were away."

Seeing Gwen arrive, Rita smiled and nodded, then stepped aside to reveal the unconscious Kiana and Bronya behind her.

"Good. Thanks for your help."

After confirming that the two little ones were still sleeping peacefully, with no sign of waking up, Gwen nodded. He did not rush to take them away, instead turning to look at the white-haired girl who was curiously examining him.

"I presume... you are the director of the Far East Branch, Lady Theresa?"

"That's right, I'm Theresa."

Though Cocolia's ridiculous stunt had angered Theresa enough that she wanted to grab Judas and smash things with it, considering that Gwen had discovered and resolved the crisis, she was not about to take her anger out on him.

Still, following her instinctive suspicion toward Otto, Theresa asked, "You're Gwen, the one Rita mentioned—the one who discovered Cocolia's scheme and contained the artificial Honkai outbreak she triggered within this area?"

"As you say, that would be me."

Gwen nodded, confirming Theresa's words.

"Everything that occurred in Changkong City during this period will be recorded as truthfully as possible in my mission report.

If you have any questions, Ms. Theresa, you may look for the answers in that report.

For now, it seems there are more important tasks awaiting us."

As he spoke, Gwen looked down at the city below.

"...Indeed..."

Though she dearly wanted to question him in detail, Theresa's expression grew more solemn at Gwen's words, and she nodded lightly.

Having managed to brush Theresa off, Gwen did not continue chatting with her. Instead, he turned to Rita again.

"Rita, I'll take you to Mei's former home shortly. Please keep watch over these two and those two there.

Once the matters here have been dealt with, I'll come find you and rendezvous with you all."

"Yes."

Although they were now of equal rank, Rita had already accepted her role as his assistant. She raised no objection to Gwen's orders, merely nodding calmly as she accepted this temporary assignment.

"Wait, wouldn't it be safer—and require less manpower—to keep them detained aboard the Hyperion?"

Hearing Gwen's words, Theresa wore a somewhat puzzled expression.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Theresa, but these two are in a rather special situation. Keeping them aboard the Hyperion would be irresponsible both toward them and toward you."

Gwen explained, "Once I help the Far East Branch resolve the situation here, I will immediately take them back to headquarters."

"..."

Theresa had wanted to say more, but Gwen had already turned away. Taking two steps forward, he approached Rita and the two unconscious little ones behind her—

Under Rita's faintly expectant gaze, Gwen activated his armor's barrier as before. He then personally took over the energy circulation, carrying Rita and the two little ones away in a flash from beneath Theresa's watchful eyes.

"..."

Watching that blue light vanish into the distance, Theresa could not help frowning—

Though the nighttime lighting was poor, she still vaguely felt that the white hair of one of the two unconscious people behind Rita seemed strangely familiar.

However, Gwen had given her no chance to press him for answers, and she had no reason to pry further. In the end, she failed to identify the source of that familiarity.

She could only look for the answer in the mission report later...

With that thought, Theresa shook her head, casting those strange thoughts from her mind. What mattered most now was disaster relief.

"It really is beautiful..."

Within the sphere of light controlled by Gwen, Rita looked at the mysterious, beautiful barrier surrounding them all like a starry sky and softly praised it.

"Ha... Would this be called great minds thinking alike?"

Gwen chuckled and asked with a smile.

"You aren't being modest at all this time."

Looking at Gwen with a hint of surprise, Rita said with a light laugh, "When Rita praised you before, you always humbly brushed it aside."

"I'm merely stating the facts—"

Gwen shook his head lightly.

"I declined your previous praise because, compared to the rewards I received, my efforts were hardly worth mentioning.

But what you are praising now is beauty that objectively exists. What reason would I have to deny it?"

"Mm..."

Rita blinked at that, and her gaze upon Gwen took on a few more layers of inscrutable meaning.

"What is it?"

As he guided the sphere of light down to the ground, Gwen asked casually.

"Hehe, nothing. I simply feel that you have become a little more adorable..."

With a flawless smile on her face, Rita said with a soft laugh.

"Hmm?"

Completely unable to understand why Rita would say that, Gwen blinked and looked at her.

"It's nothing..."

Rita merely shook her head gently. Supporting one unconscious girl in each hand, she led Kiana and Bronya into the villa before them.

"Just take it as Rita misspeaking for a moment."

"..."

Watching Rita's retreating back, Gwen could only take her words as a joke.

After all, being adorable had nothing to do with a man who was currently 1.6 meters tall and would surely be at least 1.8 meters in the future.

After introducing Rita to Raiden Ryoma and receiving his still somewhat dazed response, Gwen prepared to return to the disaster zone and join the rescue efforts.

Before leaving, however, Gwen had a private conversation with Rita—

"Although it's unlikely that anything will go wrong here, there's no absolute guarantee."

As he spoke, Gwen took Rita's slender, well-proportioned hand and said solemnly:

"If anything feels wrong, don't hesitate. Activate the mark immediately, and I'll be by your side before danger reaches you."

"Mm..."

Looking at the back of her hand, which showed no abnormalities after the light faded, Rita slowly nodded after receiving the method to activate the mark, indicating that she understood. Then she added:

"Please rest assured. Rita is not the type to stubbornly push herself. If there truly is danger, I will notify you at once."

"Good. Then I'll leave this place to you."

Releasing Rita's hand, Gwen turned and left as he spoke:

"When I get back, I'll treat you to a feast."

"Heh... then Rita will look forward to it."

With a soft laugh, Rita watched Gwen depart, gently stroking the unmarked back of her hand as a faint curve appeared at the corner of her lips.

In Gwen's memories, during Paramecium's time wandering alone, Siegfried should have been following nearby in secret, protecting her.

Therefore, although he had yet to discover any target resembling that man—whether through Ultra Telekinesis after transforming, the scanning system of the Moon Empress armor, or the senses of his own powers and qi—Gwen still left Rita with a safeguard, just in case.

After parting ways with Rita, Gwen swiftly returned to the disaster zone and began taking part in the relief efforts.

Although Schicksal's Valkyries were primarily trained for combat, post-battle search and rescue was also part of Valkyrie training.

Likewise, Gwen's curriculum included related training as well.