The Bishop and the Dull Goose

From a soldier's perspective, this is somewhat dereliction of duty.

"With S-rank Valkyrie like Miss Rita here, the quest for the Serenity Gem shouldn't be something for a nobody like me to worry about, right?" Shi Hen replied with a smile, not feeling embarrassed at all because the other party was S-rank Valkyrie. "Besides, I vaguely remember encountering a girl wearing mysterious armor before I fainted. That should be another S-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal, right?"

Although Fu Hua is not actually S-rank Valkyrie in terms of her position, she cannot be regarded as an A-rank Valkyrie either.

It is perfectly reasonable that there are four of the three S-rank Valkyrie in Schicksal.

"..." With a mysterious smile, Rita didn't explain to the boy, but changed the subject, saying, "At 8:32 this morning, just ten minutes after you left the bar, Ghost was attacked by the Serpent Organization, and Dr. Maki was also taken away by them."

"What!?" Shi Hen, and his face showed obvious surprise. After a long while, he asked, "How is Miss Ghost?"

Although she is A-rank Valkyrie, Ghost is not good at fighting, so the boy should be worried about that.

After staring intently into the boy's eyes for a while, confirming that he didn't seem to be lying, Rita smiled and said, "Although he was injured, fortunately it's nothing serious. It seems that the other party's target is only Dr. Maki."

As the chief scientist of the Third Research Institute of Schicksal, Maki's value is still obvious, even in research unrelated to the Serenity Gem.

"That's good." Shi Hen his brows immediately furrowed. "But how did the Serpent Organization know that Dr. Maki was there?"

"..."

Rita watched the boy silently without saying a word.

"I'm sorry, I was not careful enough."

Realizing what was happening, Shi Hen immediately lowered his head.

During the time Dr. Maki was housed, the bar owner Ghost did not leave the bar. The only ones who could attract the Serpent Organization were him and Kiana and the others.

"Mr. Shi Hen, there is no need to blame yourself too much."

Serpent Organization have always been shrouded in mystery, so it's normal for them to have some unknown methods.

Even without you, that organization would have found Dr. Maki through other means.

With a gentle smile, Rita took the initiative to defend the boy.

In fact, the suspicious aspects of the Serpent Organization's targeting of Dr. Maki are not only the methods used, but also their motives.

According to Bishop Otto, the Serpent Organization's technical capabilities are no worse than those of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, and in some aspects, they are even superior.

If that's the case, what exactly did the other party value in Dr. Maki?

This is the most important thing when it comes to Schicksal.

However, that's something for Bishop Otto to worry about, not for these Valkyrie.

Shi Hen: "..."

Since you know it's not my fault, why bring it up in the first place and make me feel guilty?

Knowing that this was the maid's test, Shi Hen shook his head slightly, then his expression tightened, and he asked, "How is the Serenity Gem?"

With the emergence of the Serpent Organization and the unpredictable changes in the situation, he should have been worried about the mission.

"The Serenity Gem has been personally retrieved by Durandal, and fortunately, it did not cause many casualties among the people of Singapore."

With a smile, Rita wore an expression of pride, as if she herself had accomplished the task.

In fact, although Welt White and others fought fiercely, the impact on Singapore was minimal because Durandal shifted the battlefield in time.

Ironically, the one who caused the most casualties was the clone Walt.

Because of his unpredictable skills, he greatly increased the burden on the bodyguards in black, and many of them were seriously injured or even killed as a result.

"Miss Durandal has appeared too?"

Upon hearing this, Shi Hen was even more surprised.

He was just an ordinary student at St. Freya, what did he do to deserve such a big trouble?!

Observing the expression on the boy's face carefully, Rita then asked, "According to Ghost's report, Mr. Shi Hen had met with support personnel sent by headquarters before the raid on the Queen Hotel."

"Then, Mr. Shi Hen, could you explain who that support staff member was?"

"This..."

Scratching his head, Shi Hen suddenly felt embarrassed.

To be fair, Siegfried was one of the most wanted criminals in Schicksal's ranks, and any Schicksal member who discovered his whereabouts had an obligation to report it to their superiors.

For someone like the teenager to actually reach an agreement with them is already considered a serious violation of discipline.

Seeing that the boy was reluctant to speak, Rita could only sigh and say, "In this operation, the Anti-Entropy Leader also appeared, and he also possessed the holy relic Phoenix Incinerator."

"What! Mr. Siegfried has also been murdered!?"

His eyes widened instantly, Shi Hen's expression froze.

The Phoenix Incinerator is a powerful sacred relic passed down through generations of the Kaslana family, and has been kept by Siegfried, the previous head of the Kaslana family, after his defection.

This is common knowledge.

"It seems that Mr. Shi Hen has indeed met Mr. Siegfried."

Noticing the sorrow in the boy's eyes, Rita nodded gently.

Judging from the emotions expressed by the boy, the other party had not only met Siegfried, but must have established a considerable friendship with him.

It was precisely because of Siegfried's promise that this former Anti-Entropy ace chose to directly attack the Queen Hotel, right?

Rita suddenly understood everything.

Unfortunately... thinking of the almost unstoppable Anti-Entropy Leader, Rita couldn't help but sigh deeply.

"I..."

Still immersed in the grief of Siegfried's murder, Shi Hen lowered his head and did not refute.

"The Hover Battleship arrive at the St. Freya Academy in about half an hour. Mr. Shi Hen, please get some rest. Ms. Kiana and Ms. Mei's rooms are next door."

With a smile, Rita immediately got up to leave.

Since there was nothing suspicious about the boy, she didn't need to waste any more time on him.

In fact, if it weren't for inquiring about these matters, the Hover Battleship would have arrived in St. Freya long ago.

"Miss Rita!"

Shi Hen suddenly spoke up.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Shi Hen?"

With her hand already on the doorknob, Rita turned around and smiled, her charming face radiating a myriad of allure.

"That..."

As he spoke, Shi Hen paused, a hint of hesitation on his face.

"Mr. Shi Hen, please speak. There are only the two of us here, and no third person will know what happened today."

With a gentle blink, Rita smiled encouragingly.

Upon hearing this, Shi Hen took a deep breath before asking, "Mr. Siegfried, did he really sacrifice himself?"

The word "sacrifice" is somewhat inappropriate for someone who has already betrayed their Schicksal.

But for a teenager, this is the only appropriate word.

"There is no further news from the Schicksal side regarding Mr. Siegfried at the moment, but... please prepare for the worst, Mr. Shi Hen."

Rita's usual smile faded, and her tone became more serious.

Having dealt with many dark matters for Schicksal, she also knew that there were suspicious circumstances surrounding Siegfried's defection.

She also held such a respectable soldier in high esteem.

"I see."

Shi Hen's tone turned completely somber.

"Please accept my condolences, Mr. Shi Hen."

After saying a final, wistful remark, Rita left.

In the twilight, the boy on the hospital bed looked lonely and forlorn, his face completely shrouded in shadow.

Shi Hen has always been a professional.

Chapter 239 The Bishop and the Penguin

Shasha~

Otto shaveed off a thin layer of fruit peel with the friction of the blade, looked up at the golden-haired girl sitting against the headboard staring at him silently, a gentle smile on his lips, and said, "There's no need to stare at me like that, Bianca."

It was as if we were some kind of enemy.

Hearing the somewhat distant name Bianca, a hint of nostalgia flashed in Durandal's eyes, before she shook her head and said, "You know that's not what I meant, Bishop."

"I can see you have many questions, so I'll make an exception and answer some for you today." Looking at the girl's slight smile, Otto's tone was incredibly gentle, like a psychologist comforting a patient. "But before that, how about having a piece of apple?"

Setting aside the unbroken, coiled peel, Otto used a knife to cut off a slightly curved piece of fruit and offered it to the girl's mouth.

"Bishop, I am no longer a child."

Somewhat helplessly, Durandal did not refuse the feeding.

"Yes, you've grown into a beautiful young woman now, Bianca." Otto looked the girl up and down, her slender figure now graceful, his eyes filled with a fatherly tenderness, as if a sculptor were examining his final work. "Five years ago, when we first met as doctor and patient, you were only this small."

As he spoke, Otto gestured to his chest.

"Bibliman, does this mean you're admitting that what Bai said is true?"

Noticing Otto's choice of words, Durandal asked in a deep voice, her delicate, willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows furrowing tightly.

"Even if I said it was fake now, would you believe me?"

Otto raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with a smile.

She shook her head in response, Durandal continued, "But I thought you would be more like before, making up one lie after another."

If Otto was trying to deceive her with lies, Durandal believed she would be unable to see through it.

After all, she had lived her entire life within a web of lies woven by the other party.

"For you now, lies have no meaning."

Otto cut the apple in his hand into suitable small pieces and said calmly, without any embarrassment at being exposed for lying, as if everything was within his expectations.

"So, I really was just an experiment for you, the bishop?"

With a soft sigh, Durandal lowered her head.

Even though the cabin was well-heated, the girl still felt a chill in her hands and feet. The strength she had gained through hard training had vanished without a trace, just like her life so far, which had become a dream.

Although she appears stubborn when facing Welt White, the girl still feels panicked when she realizes that everything she has is an illusion.

"That depends on your own perspective." Without denying or admitting, Otto gave an ambiguous answer, "Bianca, in your opinion, what exactly is the difference between the [sample] and [humans]?"

"I..." Looking up at the man's gentle and deep eyes, which were as vast as the ocean, Durandal hesitated for a moment before slowly shaking her head. "I don't know."

Having been burdened by Schicksal... no, it should be said that she was subjected to the elite education set up by Otto. Although she already possessed a considerable level of knowledge, she felt utterly bewildered when faced with a question that encompassed her entire life.

"You're quite frank, Bianca." Looking at the bewildered girl, Otto shook his head with a helpless expression. "But haven't you already gotten your answer?"

"Bishop?"

Frowning, Durandal remained puzzled.

"You yourself are the answer," Otto said with a smile, a hint of pride in his eyes. "You chose the name [Bianca Attagina] for yourself and took on the responsibility of [Durandal]. You have gradually forged a path that is uniquely your own, and no one can take that away from you."

Yes, I do indeed control your life and plan your destiny.

But beyond that, you often surprise me.

Bianca, I can say without exaggeration that you are my finest creation in the last five hundred years.

Finally, Otto added, "So, does saying this make you feel any better?"

"Bishop!"

She couldn't help but exclaim, Durandal tone unusually reproachful.

"Hehehe~" Otto just smiled slightly and said, "You see, you can no longer believe anything I say, so why bother getting answers from me?"

You're a grown woman now, Durandal.