"Everyone?"
"Yes," the brown-haired girl said earnestly. "Lord Bishop, me, Schicksal's Valkyries, and... Lady Cecilia. Everyone will work together with you to make your dream come true."
Because she had returned, and he... had been treating you better.
Rita thought to herself.
"As for Lord Bishop... I can't tell how passionate he is about it." Durandal brushed her golden hair behind her ear. "But you mentioned Lady Cecilia... what does that mean? Why do you think she would... help me realize my dream?"
The girl herself did not notice that, as she spoke those final words, her heartbeat quickened with joy.
She thought for a moment, then suddenly understood. "That's right, you know my dream—to drive Honkai out of this world—and as an S-rank Valkyrie, Lady Cecilia probably thinks the same way, right?"
"Ah?... Yes." Rita's smile was a little awkward. "That's exactly it."
It seemed she had almost slipped up just now...
"I know this sounds incredibly arrogant. Maybe Lady Cecilia would only smile kindly at me," Durandal said, gazing up at the sky again and imagining Cecilia smiling at her, "but I truly believe that only unrealistic dreams are worthy of becoming goals to strive for."
"So—this is Lady Durandal's New Year's wish?"
"My wish has always been this." The girl swung her fist. "I will drive Honkai out of this world!"
"May your New Year's wish come true."
Rita bowed deeply, offering her sincere blessing.
"All right. Now that Valkyrie Durandal has made her wish, it is time for the girl Bianca to make hers."
Durandal looked somewhat stunned. "Huh?"
"Please look over there, Lady Durandal... no, Lady Bianca."
Rita turned aside, revealing the flickering orange candlelight in the darkness.
"Lady Bianca—happy birthday."
The brown-haired girl pressed a switch in the darkness. Then, warm-colored backup lights illuminated the room, revealing the pastries beneath the candlelight and the two figures behind them.
They were Cecilia and Otto.
That's right, this book will be going premium tomorrow.
Please, everyone!
At least don't let my first-day subscriptions die a horrible death!
To be honest, when I started writing this book, I had already prepared myself for something like this, considering how openly I was doing a certain thing.
But honestly... I won't hide it from you all... the original reason I wrote this was because the ending of The One Who Chases Shadows stabbed me right in the heart...
Of course, that initial impulse wasn't everything. My outline, drafts, and so on are all quite complete.
This book is a semi-serious story wearing the skin of a romance novel. The emotional storyline is the main plot, Path to Godhood is the hidden thread, and there will be a bit of mind games, though I'll do my best to make everyone feel entertained rather than overwhelmed.
Whether the protagonist is smart or not is for you readers to decide. I can only guarantee that he will not lose his temper and do irrational things.
The story will scheme against everyone, including those mentioned above.
The protagonist will not be a good person, but he will bring forth many good people. He will make others believe in beauty, but he himself will only make use of it.
I want the Valkyries I love to shine brightly in this book!
What I want to create is a cunning person skilled at plotting and using everything that can be used. He is an egoist, but he respects idealists. He will not fight to protect the world, but he will cultivate Valkyries after Valkyries with unwavering convictions. You may think him hypocritical and deceitful, or outwardly selfish while inwardly yearning for light, but that is simply the kind of person he is—neither excessive nor lacking, neither startled nor disturbed.
All right, that's enough sentimental talk. If you have any questions, feel free to raise them. The author isn't perfect, and when my brain starts malfunctioning, you're welcome to kick me awake from my delusions. (Sad.)
If there are discrepancies between the plot and Honkai Impact 3rd's game story, you are very welcome to point them out. I'll do my best to patch them up without changing the earlier plot, since changing earlier plot points would affect the reading experience.
At worst, the protagonist's first cheat involves modifying time. Can't he just slip back and fix it? It could even pad out a bit of plot.
But the cheat is not omnipotent for now. Not omnipotent. Not omnipotent.
I will not allow the cheat to become so powerful that it overshadows my protagonist's charm.
And a small warning: this book is extremely unfriendly toward Siegfried. There will also be a rather unpleasant period for Theresa and Anti-Entropy, but the protagonist will not act on emotion. He will merely use them. If the benefits are sufficient, he would be happy to smile kindly at anyone, even if it meant hanging his own Soul Steel body from a streetlamp.
This writer will do his best to stay close to the game's plot, but the purpose is to exploit it, not to be led along by it.
Lastly, the author's DNA is complicated. When appropriate, there will be tributes to certain classic scenes, such as "We saved Tingen," "I can't tell, I really can't tell," "Sakura is the best," "EX-Caliburn," and other interesting memes. Anyway, I'll try my best not to affect the reading experience of readers who have not read those books, but when I want to make a reference, my hands simply cannot be controlled. I bow deeply and humbly apologize!
Oh, right. Tomorrow's base update will be twelve thousand words. For every additional five hundred average subscriptions, I'll add two more chapters that day, with two thousand words per chapter. This reward offer has no expiration date.
As for rewards involving monthly tickets, blades, tips, and so on, a big supporter told me to first see the first-day subscriptions. If they are good, I'll open those up too. So let's talk about it tomorrow.
First-day subscriptions are really important! This book's future update schedule is in your hands!
Update reminder group: 252825911. Though even if you remind me, it probably won't help much. Hehe.
Little Goose's Birthday! (4.5k, Please Subscribe!)
Several dozen minutes earlier.
"Are you sure you will not take part in her birthday celebration, Lord Bishop?"
"Of course not." Otto shrugged. "This is merely the reward she deserves. I need not use it to gain her favor."
Rita glanced at Cecilia and saw the white-haired woman wink at her knowingly. She immediately understood.
"I understand, Lord Bishop."
She bowed and entered the room.
"You see? The maid I chose for her is quite good, isn't she?"
Otto turned around and showed off to Cecilia like a child.
"Thank you for your consideration, Lord Bishop. It's just that in the future..."
The white-haired woman smiled gently, though there was a trace of worry in her eyes.
"Their compatibility... is a little too good."
"Worried little Bianca won't be able to get married?" Otto teased.
"Yes." Cecilia's voice was somewhat helpless. "If things go on like this... my child truly won't need a partner."
"Perhaps this is the difference between the sexes." The man smacked his lips. "As her mother, you want her to date, marry, and wear the most beautiful wedding dress. But when I think of the cabbage I raised being rooted up by a pig—do you know how many Divine Keys Schicksal has?"
"Pfft!"
Cecilia could not help but laugh.
"That really is... I remember that at my wedding, you even threatened... that person."
She seemed to think of something, and her gaze dimmed.
"It has already passed." Otto lightly patted Cecilia's fragrant shoulder. "You can sever your bond with him at any time, and little Bianca—her path has not lacked fatherly affection."
"In a few days, we will go to St. Freya and tell Theresa. That way, there will be one more person who loves her."
"That's true." Cecilia nodded. "There is no need to talk about unhappy things at a time like this."
Her feelings for Siegfried had never been that deep to begin with. Causing her daughter's plane crash and taking her daughter's name—those two terrible offenses had already worn that affection away completely.
(In Honkai Impact 3rd's story, the reason Cecilia had deep feelings for Siegfried was that she was confined within Schicksal Headquarters and could not leave. Then, after failing a mission, she was found by Siegfried. He accompanied her shopping and bragged that he would take her around the world, which was when Cecilia fell for him. But here... hehe.)
From now on, she would just pretend little Bianca never had such a thing.
Cecilia sighed, forcing a smile as she changed the subject.
"Ah, what a pity. If that is the case, under your tyranny, I may never get to see little Bianca in a wedding dress..."
"Tut, listen to yourself."
Otto laughed and flicked the white-haired woman on the forehead.
"Your daughter does not need a male companion at all—her lethality toward girls is no less than toward boys."
He began counting on his fingers.
"Come, let me think. Dr. Changguang, director of Schicksal's Saint 1504 Research Institute, dreams of helping her realize her dream. All of Schicksal's Valkyries see her as an idol. Rita, a prospective S-rank Valkyrie, is her maid. Even the sentient consciousness of the divine artifact at her side chose to serve her because she is a beautiful girl..."
Cecilia: ...
As expected of my daughter.
She looked at Otto, a trace of determination flashing through her eyes. At last, she said, "From now on, she will be little Bianca—Bianca Durandal Atagina."
A bitter smile appeared at the corner of the white-haired woman's lips.
"At twelve, she already bears the weight of a world... I truly do not know how great a sense of responsibility she will feel toward this world if she takes the Kaslana surname, if she learns of her dual identity as Saintess and knight."
"Yes. The Kaslanas' duty to save the world can influence someone even if they do not bear the Kaslana name." Otto could not help sighing as well. "Bloodline as a bond, strangling generation after generation—what a Kallen mess."
"This is also... a small selfish wish of mine as a mother." Cecilia's eyes were full of helplessness. "I am truly afraid that, at a critical moment, she will make the same choice I did."
Otto said nothing. He merely looked at the white-haired woman, his eyes slightly slanted as though teasing her.
Oh, now you know to be afraid, do you?
"Yes. Of course, I do not regret it either." Cecilia understood the meaning in Otto's gaze and smiled awkwardly. "But who would not want their child to be safe and sound?"
"It is just that that child will have to suffer..."
For a time, the two fell silent. Finally, Otto said:
"Just love her back as if she were your own daughter in the future. You know, from a psychological perspective, no matter how much you like children, you will always subconsciously feel a certain estrangement toward the child who took your biological daughter's name. This is not your fault; it is simply maternal instinct."
"However, if this benefits Little Goose, you will naturally feel guilty toward that child. That will make your love for her warmer—and that is not a bad thing for her."
He just did not know how foolish that little bug would be raised to become... With a father—of course, that shameless father-fan was him—a mother, and a sister, all of whom held power, she would be Schicksal's beloved little princess...
"Ah." Cecilia's expression was complicated, eventually turning into a sigh. "It is all because of Honkai..."
"By the way, Lord Bishop," the white-haired woman recalled something else. "What is your New Year's wish?"
"Mine?" Otto tilted his head. "What wish could I possibly have?"
But the white-haired woman merely looked at him, her saintly blue eyes sparkling.
"All right, little Cecilia."
The man let out a long breath, his eyes becoming somewhat distant.
Then, with his hands behind his back, he gazed into the night sky and answered as casually as if it were nothing:
"I want to give you an era—you, and all of you."
"That is all."
That was all... that was all?!
Cecilia could not help but freeze. There was not the slightest trace of impassioned grandeur in those calm words, yet the man's tall figure and tranquil green eyes gave them a vastness that encompassed all things, a solidity that needed no proclamation.
It was as though he was not speaking of a vision, but of... something about to arrive.
The white-haired woman suddenly felt somewhat intoxicated. She stared dazedly at her Lord Bishop. There was too much depth in those emerald eyes; within them, she saw everything familiar to her, and countless things she could not understand.
It was as though... the stars filling the sky had all fallen into his eyes.
"Next, it is your turn to appear."
Otto timed it precisely and took a step back.
"Go celebrate with our little Bianca."
But Cecilia caught his wrist, smiling sweetly as her beautiful eyes shifted.
"Since you planned this birthday," the woman said with a smile, "why not take part in it as well?"
"This is a mother's gratitude, and a little sister's plea. Brother, can you refuse?"
The man's brows rose slightly. He paused, then finally revealed a helpless yet utterly indulgent smile:
Before you continue