At the very least, his strength was beyond question.
When he went all out, his individual combat power was still enough to rank among the top five in this world, perhaps even the top three.
For you as you are now, challenging him is still too soon..."
Otto spoke with great solemnity. He even used Feather of Dust to intimidate Gwen's mind, hoping he would take those words to heart.
Otto had once allowed his own arrogance to drive a wedge between himself and Kallen, even ultimately bringing about Kallen's death. He did not want Gwen to make the same mistake he had.
Even if Gwen had wanted to mock Otto for being so shameless, hearing such earnest advice made him abandon that thought. He nodded solemnly.
"Mm, I'll keep working hard and reach the point where I can defeat him head-on as soon as possible, then reclaim Heavenly Fire Judgment for Schicksal."
Gwen clearly remembered just how furious Otto had been over Siegfried acting on his own during the Second Honkai War, so of course he did not mind showing a little loyalty—
After all, considering Otto's investment and efforts so far, he truly deserved a show of loyalty from Gwen.
Unfortunately...
"Mm, I believe you can do it."
Otto nodded with a smile, his face full of gratification, but he still corrected him.
"However, not for Schicksal.
After all, Heavenly Fire Judgment is the symbol of the head of the Caslana family."
Seeing Otto like this, Gwen could not help feeling a complicated mix of emotions—
If Gwen had not known that the gentle-smiling, kind-hearted Lord Bishop of Schicksal before him—the sort of superior who seemed to exist only in legends—was a madman whose heart contained only Kallen, who had died five hundred years ago, he might have been drawn in by Otto's charisma as well.
Otto did not say much more. After chatting with Gwen for a while, he chose to leave first.
Not long afterward, accompanied by light footsteps, You Lan Dai Er pushed open the door and entered. Seeing Gwen already sitting on the bed with his belongings packed, waiting for her, she greeted him with a smile.
"Gwen, I'm here to pick you up. Are you all packed?"
"Of course."
Seeing You Lan Dai Er arrive, Gwen rose from the bed, slung his bag over his shoulder in one motion, and said with a smile,
"My injuries have completely healed anyway. Since I had nothing better to do, I figured I might as well pack everything up."
"Mm, since you're all packed, let's go."
You Lan Dai Er, who had come to visit Gwen as soon as she returned to headquarters, naturally knew his condition. She did not say much, merely smiling as she called out,
"To celebrate your discharge, Rita prepared a very lavish feast."
"Now you've got me looking forward to it."
Gwen's smile widened at her words.
"Let's hurry back. If we get there early enough, maybe we can help out."
"Let's go..."
The two, both of whom had grown much taller, left the hospital room one after the other, just as they had before.
Only, compared to last year, they could now walk side by side. And the bag that had once been too heavy for Gwen, requiring You Lan Dai Er to carry it for him, was now something he could casually lift with one hand.
"Come to think of it, when I was discharged last year and you came to pick me up, Bianca, the weather seemed just like today..."
As they walked briskly home, Gwen and You Lan Dai Er chatted casually.
"Yeah, the sunlight was just as bright, and the sky was just as clear.
It feels like someone this tall had only just been discharged..."
Hearing that, You Lan Dai Er looked up at the cloudless sky. The smile on her lips grew warmer as she recalled last year, raised a hand to indicate a height, and said with a sigh,
"Time really passed so quickly. More than a year went by in the blink of an eye..."
"We've both been living fulfilling lives, so it's normal not to notice time passing."
Smiling, Gwen looked at the height You Lan Dai Er had indicated and pressed her hand down slightly.
"I wasn't this tall last year. I was a little shorter."
"Huh?
But I remember you reaching about here last year..."
You Lan Dai Er blinked, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Don't forget that you grew taller too..."
Seeing such an expression on You Lan Dai Er's spirited face, Gwen's smile widened further. He teased,
"You're so quick-minded when solving problems. How come you leave your brain behind when it comes to daily life?"
"Now that you mention it, it does seem like I should pay more attention to that..."
Yet You Lan Dai Er did not seem dissatisfied. Instead, she began reflecting on herself along the lines of Gwen's words.
"..."
Seeing You Lan Dai Er take it so seriously, Gwen froze for a moment before bursting into laughter, leaving her somewhat at a loss.
Rita: Hope Everyone Is Okay
After casually teasing You Lan Dai Er on the way, Gwen returned home. Before he even stepped through the door, he could already smell the enticing aroma filling the air.
"Rita, we're back!"
Pushing open the door, You Lan Dai Er called out loudly and headed toward the kitchen, intending to see whether there was anything she could help with.
Although You Lan Dai Er did not particularly like Rita addressing her as "Lord You Lan Dai Er," she knew it was one of Rita's preferences, so she accepted Rita's respectful address and service.
Even so, You Lan Dai Er was always thinking of ways to help Rita out. She had not been "corrupted" by Rita.
As for Gwen, after putting his bag back in his bedroom and coming out again, he found that the table was already nearly full—
"Go wash your hands and get ready to eat. Rita has already finished cooking."
You Lan Dai Er, who was carrying two plates to the dining table, called out to him.
"Looks like if we had come back even a step later, we would have been greeted by a lavish feast already laid out on the table."
Gwen nodded and said with a smile.
"Presenting a lavish feast at precisely the right time when the master returns home is a maid's duty."
Hearing Gwen's words, Rita smiled as she wiped her hands.
"If possible, Rita would still prefer to present the meal after it has already been prepared when the two of you return."
"Coming home to enjoy a delicious feast really is something that makes one happy.
But since this is home, wouldn't food that everyone worked together to prepare taste even better?"
Gwen asked with a smile as he turned on the faucet, letting the rushing water splash over his hands and bring a cool sensation.
"Gwen is right, Rita!"
You Lan Dai Er immediately agreed.
"Even though the two of us are terrible cooks, even if we only help with minor tasks, taking part in it feels different from simply enjoying the result."
"Mm..."
Rita seemed somewhat reluctant upon hearing that, but when she met You Lan Dai Er's eager gaze, which seemed to carry a hint of pleading, she still let out a soft sigh.
"Since Lord You Lan Dai Er and Lord Gwen insist, Rita can only respectfully comply."
"Hehe..."
Seeing Rita agree, You Lan Dai Er immediately revealed a delighted smile, making Rita's own smile grow gentler.
As for Gwen, he only felt as though there was something more in Rita's gaze when she looked at him—
"Sure enough, although the grown-up Gwen hasn't changed much in personality, he's no longer as cute as he was last year..."
Watching Gwen, whose height had shot up over the past year and who now looked like someone her own age, Rita sighed inwardly. Yet there was no regret in her eyes.
Although Rita preferred cute children, she had been the first to notice the resemblance between Gwen's appearance and that of a certain Lord Bishop. Coupled with the unusual treatment Gwen received, the meticulous Rita had easily concluded that there was likely already an enormous plan surrounding Gwen, whom she and You Lan Dai Er had rescued from the Sea of Quantum.
Regarding that, Rita, who knew very well that she was insignificant in the eyes of her own Lord Bishop, could only silently offer Gwen what help she could.
Fortunately, Gwen had not disappointed Rita. He possessed diligence and talent comparable to You Lan Dai Er's.
In Rita's view, someone like Gwen might have hope of reaching a beautiful tomorrow.
At the very least, Rita sincerely hoped so.
Although Rita had prepared a table full of food, it would not be a problem for the three of them—
After all, with Gwen and You Lan Dai Er, one big and one small, both being enormous eaters, this amount of food was nothing.
During the meal, Gwen suddenly felt as though someone was missing and asked Rita,
"By the way, Rita, why didn't Anna come today?
Was she out on a mission?"
"Not at all. Anna told me yesterday that she was going home for a while. Perhaps something came up with her family and delayed her."
Hearing Gwen's question, Rita gently shook her head and replied with a smile.
Anna's presence was also one of the reasons Rita believed Gwen could have a bright future—
If Gwen were truly just a disposable pawn in some future plan, Otto presumably would not have specifically arranged for Anna, the most outstanding inheritor of the current generation of the Schariac family, one of the three great houses, to interact with him.
Yet Rita, thinking this, overlooked the fact that she herself was currently the closest person in Schicksal to a new-generation S-rank...
That night, the doorbell at Gwen's home suddenly rang.
When Gwen opened the door, he could not help being surprised.
"Amber?"
Over the past year or so, chance encounters like their previous meeting at the restaurant had happened more than once.
Although Gwen suspected Otto had a hand in them, he had not developed any unnecessary dislike or wariness toward Amber—
In Gwen's impression, Amber was not particularly scheming. She had a rather straightforward personality. She simply had not received the same affection as Theresa, making her seem more serious.
Furthermore, as his strength steadily increased, Gwen's confidence grew ever stronger. His keen senses had not detected any hostility from Amber either, so he treated those encounters as ordinary coincidences.
After all, Amber had lived on the Floating Island almost all the time. It was perfectly normal for Gwen to run into her a few times.
Their relationship also gradually became more familiar. Though they were not as close as Gwen was with You Lan Dai Er and the others, they could still be considered friends.
"I'm very sorry to disturb you so late, Gwen."
Upon seeing Gwen, Amber did not behave overly familiar. She looked entirely businesslike.
"Don't say something so distant. Come in first and tell me what's going on."
Knowing that Amber was not putting on an act but was simply like this by nature, Gwen sighed softly, stepped aside, and invited her into the house.
Even though their relationship had become quite good, Amber still sat with a straight posture. She placed the small case she had been carrying on the table and opened it for Gwen to see—
"Gwen, these are the documents for your promotion to A-rank. They also include the commendation for your extermination of Ganesha..."
Sitting upright, Amber introduced the items she had brought in a rigid, methodical manner, making the atmosphere between the lone man and woman in the room feel exceptionally proper.
After finishing her explanation and helping Gwen raise his clearance, Amber did not immediately take her leave as she had last time. Instead, she took a key from the pocket of her nun's habit and handed it to Gwen.
"This is?"
Gwen accepted the key from Amber. Though it had been well maintained, it still bore the marks of time. He turned it over in his hand for a moment, then asked only after seeing that she did not speak right away.
Amber's gaze had unconsciously lingered on the key, which still carried her body warmth. She immediately came back to herself, straightened her already proper posture even further, and said seriously,
"This is the key Lord Bishop asked me to give you. He also asked me to tell you to go to this address in three days."
Before you continue