Otto himself had approved the white-haired little girl's application, so he naturally knew what she was after.
Otto also knew about the recent rumors circulating among the Valkyries and trainees.
Honestly, Otto had not expected such rumors to spread so quickly among the Valkyries and trainees, nor become so popular.
They had directly caused numerous secret clubs to spring up like mushrooms after rain.
The three images on the screen naturally displayed the brainwaves of the three people under surveillance.
"Sure enough, only after K422 fell asleep did Kiana and K423's brainwaves begin to converge toward K422's."
Otto tapped the desk unconsciously.
He had previously made K423 participate in the experiment because he wanted to test the true nature of their connection and whether they possessed the ability to communicate with one another.
He had even deliberately made the experimental process terrifying.
Yet True Kiana and K422 had both acted as though they did not know K423 had undergone the experiment.
Of course, Otto believed they should have known that K423 had been experimented on. The monitors had detected a fluctuation in Honkai Energy at the time.
Unfortunately, that fluctuation had only appeared for an instant.
Even though it had been recorded by the monitors, it could not prove there was a connection between them.
After all, neither True Kiana nor K422 had behaved any differently from usual.
The only exception was how desperately K422 trained.
Otto had once thought that, after learning what had happened to K423, K422 had chosen to strengthen herself because she knew she could not avenge K423.
Yet K422's behavior happened to perfectly fit the persona he had created for her.
Honestly.
If K422's persona had not been something he created himself, all of it fake, even he could not have helped feeling sympathy for her.
He completely understood why so many people at headquarters now wanted to be her mom.
The persona had been created very successfully.
A little girl with a tragic past who worked exceptionally hard.
After only half a month of training, she had already fainted seven times during training and been sent to the Infirmary.
If Otto had not personally watched K422's growth process, he truly would have believed that this little girl training so desperately was Cecilia's daughter.
At the very least, her performance was more outstanding than the real Kiana's.
Precisely because of this, Otto had a headache. He had even lost several hairs over the past few days.
With such a successful persona and K422's own outstanding performance, how could no one have their eye on her?
Over the past few days, the Kaslana Family had expressed its willingness to bring this Kiana back into the family. They did not care that Kiana had a disgraced father, and they were willing to teach her the Kaslana Family's Gun Kata.
On the other hand, the Schariac family had also made its stance clear these past few days. Previously, Otto had pushed Kiana Kaslana and Maria Schariac into competing for the Black Abyss White Flower, causing unpleasantness. Many clan members had even taken out their resentment on the daughter of the previous Schariac Saintess.
However, after the rumors about Kiana spread to the Schariac family, the Schariac family's attitude took a complete one-eighty. They even hoped Kiana would change her name to Kiana Schariac. They did not mind her inheriting the Black Abyss White Flower at all; even if she inherited it, it would still belong to the Schariac family.
The relationship between the Schariac family and the Black Abyss White Flower was rather special. If Kiana truly inherited the Schariac surname while also inheriting the Black Abyss White Flower, then she would become this generation's Schariac Saintess.
That meant Maria Schariac, who was about to become the Schariac Saintess, would lose her position as Saintess.
Of course, the Schariac family's explanation was that they could make an exception and have two people jointly inherit the position of Schariac Saintess for this generation, with Kiana as the primary Saintess and Maria as her assistant.
The acting head of the Schariac family, Cecilia's mother and Kiana's grandmother, had even personally gone to Schicksal Headquarters to demand Kiana.
It had to be said, creating too successful a persona was also quite troublesome.
"Bishop, the acting head of the Schariac family hopes you can make time tomorrow."
"Tell her I'm not available!"
"The head of the Kaslana Family has said he wants Kiana to return to the family as a guest."
"Tell that old man to get lost."
Otto felt exhausted.
Amber had contacted him on behalf of the heads of the two great families, naturally because of Kiana.
But one should not think those two families truly cared for Kiana.
In the end, it was all because Kiana had displayed potential.
After all, before this, the two families had not known Kiana had awakened the Schariac family's Bloodline Power. They had not cared about Kiana, the daughter of a hero put forward by Schicksal.
So what if she was the child of the former head of the Schariac family and the former head of the Kaslana Family?
Cecilia was dead, Siegfried had defected, and Kiana's background had long since existed in name only.
Because of Siegfried's defection, the Kaslana Family had even been unwilling to accept Kiana.
This was also why neither family had cared during the period when Kiana mysteriously disappeared.
Even after Otto had brought out the fake K422, neither family had shown any reaction.
That was until Otto added the fact that Kiana had awakened the Schariac family's Bloodline Power while creating K422's persona.
Kiana now naturally had both potential and such diligence.
Naturally, the two families did not mind Kiana bearing their family name. Once Kiana became the strongest Valkyrie, she could even strengthen the family.
Even Otto had begun considering the possibility of changing K422's name to Kiana Apocalypse.
"Bishop..."
"What is it now?"
Seeing Amber contact him once again, Otto could only respond helplessly.
It was probably that stubborn old man from the Kaslana Family demanding that he return Kiana again.
He acted like such a good grandfather now, yet Otto had not seen him mobilize even a little influence to search for Kiana when she had disappeared.
It had to be said, even the Kaslana Family had been corrupted by power and become so pragmatic.
"I wonder what Kallen would think if she saw the Kaslana Family as it is now."
Thinking this, Otto waited for Amber's reply.
"The Medical Research Group brought by Theresa has just passed its review."
"Send me the list..."
His granddaughter was troublesome too.
In fact, if he truly changed K422's name to Kiana Apocalypse, K422 would definitely be abducted by his granddaughter.
Even this Medical Research Group existed because Theresa did not trust the people at Schicksal Headquarters.
She did not even trust him.
However, the Medical Research Group Theresa had found did indeed include many exceptional people.
Many of its researchers had once rejected recruitment offers from Schicksal. However, Otto's gaze quickly fell upon the portrait of a man with dark blue hair.
This man was a professor at the California Institute of Technology and the assistant of one of the researchers in this Medical Research Group.
"...Joyce."
Otto rubbed his aching brow.
He seriously wondered whether the other man's brain had gone bad. Did appearing in this guise truly count as hiding his identity?
"Welt Yang, are even you curious about K422?"
"Or... did you come to see the Second Herrscher?"
The appearance of such an "old friend" truly surprised Otto.
"Bishop, is there a problem?"
"No, there isn't. Give them visitor access, then assign them a laboratory."
After giving the order, Otto's gaze remained fixed on that portrait.
Know How to Make Good Use of Your Current Cute Appearance
On the second morning without a little maid waking her up—
She woke up on time, but before she could get up, the little hand hooked around her neck suddenly tightened.
"Cough—ugh!!"
Her eyes flew wide open, and her hands instinctively grabbed the little hand clamped around her neck.
Heaven knew how that little hand around her neck could have such strength. It had nearly forced her breathing to stop.
Because she had never imagined she would be attacked in her own room, she had no idea how to react in that instant. Her mind felt like a mess of mush.
Only after she managed to pull the little hand around her neck slightly away, allowing her to breathe freely, did she understand her situation.
She had nearly been killed by Aunt Theresa.
Even now, that little hand around her neck was only unable to choke off her breathing because she was holding it back with both hands.
She truly had not expected the first crisis she encountered to come from Aunt Theresa.
Faced with the little hand still exerting more force, she could only shout loudly, hoping to wake Theresa, who was currently sleeping soundly.
"Hm? Kiana? You're awake?"
Under her shouting and struggling, Theresa quickly opened her beautiful blue eyes, and the strength in her little hand abruptly disappeared.
"What happened? Why does your face look so frightening?"
The moment Theresa, awakened by the shouting and struggling, opened her eyes, she saw the little girl beside her wearing a terrifying expression. Naturally, she was startled as well.
Her drowsy eyes immediately became alert.
"...Because Aunt Theresa nearly killed me."
She answered expressionlessly.
Even though she believed she had a good temper, after the danger just now, she still could not help giving Theresa a dark look.
"Sorry, Kiana. I may have been half-asleep."
Fully awake now, Theresa hurriedly apologized as she looked at the little girl who had gotten up with a frighteningly dark face.
"Although it sounds like an excuse, I really dreamed about your mother last night, and I got a little carried away..."
In that dream, Cecilia had not perished together with the Second Herrscher.
Seeing a figure exactly like the one in her memories, Theresa truly could not control her emotions.
She had involuntarily wanted to give Cecilia a hug.
"..."
Theresa's answer did not put her at ease.
If anything, it left her even more confused.
What kind of dream about her mother could lead to a scene where Theresa had nearly strangled her to death?
What the hell do you mean, got carried away!
It felt like True Kiana's dad was wearing a very nice hat.
She knew the saying about guarding against fire, theft, and best friends... but she had not expected it to apply to husbands too.
"Kiana, really, I only wanted to give your mother a hug."
"...A murderous hug."
After hearing that answer, she muttered quietly again.
She would not hold this against Theresa. It was only a minor accident, and there had not truly been any danger to her life.
But it did strengthen her resolve not to sleep with Theresa again.
After all, Theresa did not have much padding on her. Even hugging her to sleep was not particularly comfortable. When she slept hugging several Little Maids, they all came with soft pillows.
"I'm really sorry. Um... as an apology, let me comb your hair."
Before you continue