Why are you yelling so loud?

"Don't let her small appearance fool you. She's actually a woman in her forties, but due to certain reasons, her body has remained at the age of 12." Murata Himeko patted Yu Luo's shoulder, looking at him with pity. "That little shrimp often likes to tease people she doesn't know like this. You'll get used to it."

"Huh?!" Yu Luo suddenly snapped back to attention and asked excitedly, "Headmaster Theresa is really in her forties?!"

Murata Himeko felt Yu Luo's reaction was a bit off, but she figured he might be too shocked to accept it. With a mindset of watching Yu Luo's drama, or rather, shattering Yu Luo's fantasy, she nodded and added, "She was already active ten years ago. She's one of Schicksal's three S-rank Valkyries, and she's forty years old this year!"

"Isn't that even better?!" Yu Luo excitedly slammed his right fist on the edge of the bed. "A legal loli, and a white-haired one at that. She can fight and… oh, she's a feast for the eyes. She's practically a dream come true!!!"

Yu Luo's words severely startled Murata Himeko. She looked at Yu Luo with an expression that suggested he was inedible garbage and unnaturally stood up from the bed, putting distance between them.

"I'll go call those three worried little girls over." Saying that, Murata Himeko opened the door. Before she could even step out, Theresa's voice reached her ears like a devil's whisper:

"Himeko, because you were drinking during work hours this month, your salary for this month is gone."

"No way, Headmaster! I've already had my salary deducted for three consecutive months. If I don't get paid, I'll have to sell myself!"

The sound of their argument gradually faded. As Yu Luo was about to lie down and check the system notifications, he saw a pair of yellow bunny ears and a silver-gray drill.

"It's Bronya. Come in, why are you standing outside?" Yu Luo recognized the distinctive features and knew who it was. He smiled and said.

As expected, Bronya cautiously poked her head around the door. "No dangerous individuals detected. Safety confirmed." She floated into the room with the help of her leg-mounted augmented armor and sat beside Yu Luo.

Yu Luo patted Bronya's head and asked with a smile, "Why are you alone? Where are Mei and Kiana?"

"Wow, Bronya, you snuck ahead! We agreed to come together!" Kiana's loud voice could be heard from afar. She then rushed in, tripped over something, and fell heavily onto the floor, sliding all the way and crashing into the edge of the bed.

Thump! With a dull thud, Yu Luo felt his whole body shake. He poked half his body out and looked at Kiana, who was rubbing her head and getting up from the floor. "Be careful. You're not very bright to begin with; if you get hit, you'll be even dumber."

"I'm smart and clever, not stupid! It hurts so much…" Kiana retorted, tears welling up in her eyes.

"According to Heavy-duty Rabbit's detection, Kiana's IQ is on par with that of a paramecium."

"Are you little brat picking a fight on purpose?!"

"Heavy-duty Rabbit's detection results are authoritative and trustworthy."

Watching Kiana and Bronya argue, Yu Luo felt completely relaxed. Wasn't this kind of happy and cheerful daily life what he had desperately wanted to protect before?

Just as he thought this, Mei Raiden's figure appeared at the door. Holding a fruit basket, she walked in, stopping Bronya and Kiana's bickering.

"Alright, Teacher Yu Luo just woke up. If you act like this, you'll disturb his recovery."

Seeing Mei Raiden's demeanor, Yu Luo asked with concern, "Mei, how are you feeling? Did they give you a hard time?" As he asked the last part, Yu Luo glanced outside. Mei Raiden immediately understood who "they" referred to. She shook her head, took an apple from the fruit basket, and began peeling it, replying gently, "No, Teacher Himeko didn't give me a hard time. Starting tomorrow, I'll be attending St. Freya Academy."

"I'm going to St. Freya Academy too! I hope I can be in the same class as senior Mei then," Kiana said hopefully. Then she glanced at Bronya, who was enjoying the head-patting service in front of Yu Luo, and said unhappily, "It would be best if this little brat were in a different class."

"According to Bronya's deduction, the probability of Bronya and Mei-sister being in the same class is 100%," Bronya said in a flat tone, tilting her head.

"Headmaster Theresa is my aunt! I'll tell her to separate you and senior Mei right now!"

The energetic Kiana could indeed make one's mood lighten unconsciously. Mei Raiden smiled as she watched Bronya and Kiana interact, her mind drifting back to yesterday:

"That man named Yu Luo is out of danger." In a special containment room on the Hyperion, Mei Raiden sat on the only single bed, hugging her knees, lost in thought. Murata Himeko suddenly walked in and said to her, "He should wake up tomorrow."

"That's great," Mei Raiden's voice sounded relieved. Her head remained buried in her knees, and a muffled voice emerged, "From now on, you can do whatever you want with me."

"Kill you? That would be for the best. If there's one less Herrscher, the world might escape the prophecy of destruction, right?"

"Is that so… That's good. If I keep living, I'll only end up hurting others, so if I die…" Before Mei Raiden could finish speaking, Murata Himeko angrily strode forward and pulled her off the bed.

Slap!

Under Mei Raiden's astonished gaze, Murata Himeko delivered a heavy slap, her voice filled with rage. "Don't joke around!"

"I am a warrior fighting the Honkai, not a murderer of young girls! Moreover, that person risked his life to save you from the Herrscher. Are you worthy of him if you seek death like this?!"

Murata Himeko's words struck Mei Raiden's heart like heavy hammers. "If you truly don't want this life that was saved for you, then give it to me. I will train you into a warrior who can control your own power!"

"What if I can't control it? What if I go berserk again and hurt more people, hurt him…" Mei Raiden retorted emotionally, tears streaming down her cheeks. Being controlled by the Herrscher and hurting the person most important to her was a pain that would forever linger in her heart.

Murata Himeko approached with an imposing aura and sternly placed her right hand on Mei Raiden's left chest. "Then I'll add an extra failsafe for you!"

"I will implant a small bomb next to your heart. Once the Honkai Energy in your body becomes too high, the bomb will detonate! How about that? You can rest easy now."

"Then please, carry this life that was saved for you, and live on with all your might!"

Watching Murata Himeko walk out of the containment room with a cool demeanor, Mei Raiden felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She placed her hands on her chest and softly whispered in gratitude, "Thank you…"

"Mei, Mei…" Yu Luo's call brought Mei Raiden back from her memories to reality. Mei Raiden asked strangely, "What's wrong, Teacher Yu Luo?"

Yu Luo took the significantly smaller apple from her hand and asked with concern, "If you keep peeling, there'll only be the core left." He then took a big bite of the apple and asked indistinctly, "What's wrong? What were you thinking about? Is it the Herrscher Will acting up again?"

"No." Mei Raiden shook her head and answered Yu Luo's question. "The Herrscher Will shouldn't appear again. I was just thinking, St. Freya Academy is a girls' school, so will Teacher Yu Luo not be with us?"

"That's right! Teacher Yu Luo, where were you assigned? Will we be separated?" Hearing Mei Raiden's words, Kiana suddenly realized and asked Yu Luo with some nervousness. Even Bronya stood up from the bed, her emotionless silver-gray eyes fixed on Yu Luo, awaiting his answer.

"Blind monk, you found the key point!" Yu Luo snapped his fingers, thinking he looked cool, and smiled at the three girls waiting for an answer. "Although St. Freya Academy is a girls' school, teachers can be male."

"Although I don't know which subject I'll be teaching yet, I'll be your teacher from now on." Yu Luo said with a mischievous smile.

"I look forward to working with you, Classmate Kiana, Classmate Mei Raiden, and Classmate Bronya!"