So he had no intention of making a big reveal out of this and casually changed the subject:
"Maybe because those are both questions that the protagonist, Kiana, would ask."
"Mm... yes, since they concern her parents' safety."
Durandal, who had been kept in the dark by both Otto and Beichen, did not know that this referred not only to Kiana in the game, but also to herself in reality.
Unfortunately, it was still too early for her to learn about her origins.
Beichen did not dwell on the matter and quickly began clearing the next stage.
The next two stages mainly covered Kiana's training at the academy. Both Himeko and Fu Hua appeared, personally instructing novice Valkyries like Kiana.
And after the daytime assessment, Kiana still had to face the trials of a dream created by Sirin.
Within the dream, that strange voice took the forms of Mei, Theresa, Bronya, and other shadow Valkyries, attacking Kiana and accusing her very existence of being a mistake.
This kind of storyline felt fresh and interesting to the viewers in the Live Stream.
Most of them did not know the plot, so they had no idea who that strange ??? voice belonged to.
But there were two exceptions: Otto and Durandal.
"Bishop, is that strange voice... the Herrscher's consciousness?"
"Hehe, a wise judgment, Durandal."
If anyone was most interested in the dream's plot, it was undoubtedly Otto, Schicksal's Great Inventor, who loved conducting research...
"Interesting..." Otto, seated in his chair, could not help sighing. "So this is how the Herrscher's will infects its host?"
He turned to Durandal beside him and said with a smile, "You should carefully observe how that voice beguiles people. You may encounter such an attack yourself in the future."
Durandal was somewhat confused, but she still answered:
"Yes! But why are you concerned about me, Bishop?"
"Because during the Second Honkai, Sir... Never mind. A Valkyrie's duty is to obey orders and fight the Honkai. Understood?"
Otto's hesitant manner made it difficult not to grow suspicious.
As Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Durandal naturally noticed that something was wrong.
However, she did not show it and merely replied softly:
"Understood..."
Why had the Bishop said nothing at all about what happened in Siberia?
With that question in mind, Durandal focused intently on the game footage playing in the Live Stream.
At this moment, the screen showed Kiana facing the annual Valkyrie Exam...
On an elevated platform at St. Freya Academy stood Academy Principal Theresa, Rita, Himeko, and the others.
Theresa, standing at the front, cleared her throat.
Ahem, ahem~
The exam is about to begin. This practical exam will use a single round-robin format, with Valkyries paired off in groups of two. Victory or defeat will not be the sole criterion. The examiners will judge whether the Valkyries have passed based on their performance in battle. All examiners and students, please prepare yourselves.
After Theresa finished her speech, a dialogue box between Mei and Kiana appeared:
Huh? Kiana, why do you look so pale? Don't tell me you secretly ate something last night and got an upset stomach?
Ugh, these past few days, I've been... having all kinds of strange dreams. But whenever I wake up, everything from the dreams is hazy, and I can't remember it clearly... I only remember Mei leaving me behind...--
It was just a dream. You must be under too much pressure from the exam lately. I'll stay by your side and keep making you delicious food.
For some reason, Beichen could not help feeling emotional when he saw Mei's words...
If she knew what would happen in the future, what would she think of her current, still-immature self...?
Yet just as Beichen was lost in thought, a new Live Stream notification appeared on the screen.
Welcome Miss Pink Elf to the Live Stream.
"Hi~ everyone~ (*^▽^*)"
Unlike the mostly pale-colored comments from the other viewers, Miss Pink Elf's comments were a girlish pink...
The adorable girl even used emoticons in her comments...
At this point, it would have been difficult for Beichen not to recognize who she was.
Wasn't this the flawless maiden, the Hero of True Self, humanity's Herrscher, Elysia?!
The Herrscher of Thunder (Youth Version) and Fairy Miss's Destined Encounter~
Beichen was exceptionally surprised by Elysia's arrival.
Of course, he was not the only one in the Live Stream who felt that way.
"Huh? Oh, hello..."
Seele was somewhat surprised by this viewer's enthusiasm. She had watched the stream for so long, and usually only the streamer would chat with her from time to time.
The other Live Stream viewers merely watched on their own and kept a certain distance from one another.
Yet that balance was broken by this newly arrived viewer...
This big sister... Seele thought quietly. She must be very cheerful and lively, right? I wonder if Seele can become like her...
However, just as she remained silent like everyone else in the Live Stream...
That mysterious new viewer sent another comment.
"Wow, I saw two adorable girls the moment I entered the Live Stream? Hehe, especially that black-haired girl. She's truly captivating~ She reminds me of a friend of mine~"
Everyone: "..."
Miss Pink Elf: "Ehe~ o(*￣︶￣*)o"
Unlike Hua, who was at a loss, Elysia adapted remarkably quickly to the Live Stream that had appeared in her mind, as well as the voice that called itself the system.
Before long, she had settled in and begun showing off her natural talent for conversation.
Watching this Fairy Miss freely improvise in the comments, Beichen had to admit that she truly deserved to be the Hero who maintained the Flame-Chasers' delicate balance and forged deep friendships among them.
With social skills like that, if she were admitted to St. Freya Academy... wouldn't everyone cherish her like a flower?
The question was, was it really okay to let her act so freely?
Just as Beichen was considering whether to respond...
Miss Pink Elf: "Excuse me~ Is the streamer here?"
"Huh? Oh..." Seeing that Elysia had actually addressed him directly, Beichen immediately asked, "Is there something you need, viewer?"
"Hehe~ I came here because of a friend's guidance. I hope you don't mind~"
"Hahaha, of course I don't mind..."
Beichen laughed awkwardly, inwardly wondering, Didn't you see how few people are in my Live Stream?
Now that there was one more person, that was a great thing... right?
"Oh my~ What a pleasant surprise. I thought I might not be welcomed by you~ Then please continue~"
Huh? Was that really necessary... You were worried you wouldn't be welcomed? Please, have some self-awareness. You'd be welcomed wherever you went.
Beichen could not help sighing inwardly. Who would not love such an energetic and charming Fairy Miss?
So she had merely been making polite conversation with him?
Because of your words, Miss Pink Elf felt delighted. You received Crystal x560!
Yet the system notification made Beichen realize that this Fairy Miss had not been making polite conversation at all—she was genuinely happy!
That was rather unbelievable... The friend she mentioned should be Hua. Just how had Hua described him to her?
Meanwhile, in the reception room at Moth Chasing Fire Headquarters.
Elysia and Hua sat facing each other on a sofa.
Elysia spoke in the Live Stream with a smile on her face, while Hua sat upright with her eyes closed and solemnly reminded her.
"If possible, I hope you can be a little more cautious. This man is dangerous... There are too many unknown factors surrounding him."
Hua sat with perfect posture, looking less like someone watching a Live Stream and more like a martial artist preparing for battle.
The reason she was sitting so alertly was mainly because her warrior's instincts told her she had to.
In Hua's view, rashly communicating with someone without knowing their appearance, identity, background, location, or affiliated faction was an extremely dangerous thing.
If she had not worried that others would regard her discovery as abnormal, she would certainly have reported the matter to headquarters.
"Hehe~ Hua, don't worry. My intuition is very accurate. He probably doesn't mean any harm."
Elysia pulled her attention away from the Live Stream and responded to her companion.
"Is that so... What makes you say that?"
"Mm~ A maiden's intuition, perhaps." Elysia lightly tapped her red lips with a finger, then narrowed her eyes and smiled. "If you don't believe me, then I'll have no choice but to listen to you~"
Hua opened her eyes and turned toward her smiling companion.
"Sigh, no... Perhaps your approach is the correct one, while I..."
Thinking back to what she had gained in the Live Stream, Hua could not help feeling embarrassed.
She had wanted to learn about the other viewers, but after all this time, she had never found a good opportunity to join their conversations.
There was really nothing she could do about it... Back at the academy, she had only made many friends with the help of her close friend.
And now she was expected to build a network of relationships in such an unfamiliar environment...
Hua felt that the phrase "asking the impossible" fit the situation perfectly.
"I will not restrain you, but I hope you understand our objective."
"Hehe~ All right, stop worrying! Since you've placed your hopes in me, I definitely won't disappoint you~"
Elysia replied with a smile, then focused her attention once more on the Live Stream in her mind...
Or rather, to be precise, on a long-haired girl...
Her hair reached her waist. Her deep eyes carried a hint of blue, and she wore a red dress.
Her gentle gaze and mature voice really made her look like a younger version of Mei~
With just one glance, Elysia realized that her attention had been completely drawn to the girl.
Could this be a destined encounter?
Hehe~ It made her curious what Kevin would think if he knew about her... Oh! No, no. She had already promised Hua not to tell anyone else before the right time came.
In that case, let me observe you properly, Mei~
Really? Hehe. Then will Mei go easy on me in the next match?
No, that would be cheating on the exam. Hurry up and change into your combat suit. Stop acting cute.
Sigh~ Mei is so heartless~
After the two close girlfriends finished talking, the game entered the actual gameplay screen.
"Mm... Anyway, let me welcome this viewer to my Live Stream once again. Now, let's continue clearing stages."
The moment Zombie monsters began appearing on the ground, Beichen started controlling the character to wipe them out.
The process was incredibly quick. In front of Ri Duck, the Zombies were as fragile as paper.
As the final enemy fell, another dialogue box soon appeared on the screen.
Kiana's performance today is surprisingly good.
Probably because her opponent is Mei. I always want to show off in front of Mei. So before I knew it, this young lady brought out some truly extraordinary strength!
However, just as Mei and Kiana were talking, a third person suddenly appeared in the story dialogue...
I didn't expect Bronya to be paired with idiot Kiana.
Although Bronya's tone was calm, her words were anything but polite.
Before you continue