Starting as a Behind-the-Scenes Boss in the Honkai World Chapter 37

This incident was quite straightforward, lacking any real buildup or climax.

In simple terms, it was a tragedy where a group of thuggish soldiers stormed a village, burning and pillaging.

By the time Shi Hen and Raven arrived, the perpetrators had already finished their work and were preparing to leave.

Seeing the two approaching, the soldiers, fresh off a raid, apparently felt they had gotten lucky and encountered some bonus spoils.

After all, Raven's off-road vehicle was quite impressive, and both of them were handsome and beautiful, dressed in expensive clothes, and didn't appear to be armed. They practically had "easy targets" written all over them.

Naturally, the soldiers raised their rifles at them, and then... that was the end of that.

It can only be said that these men did not die peacefully.

"What are you going to do with this child?" Raven asked, gesturing to the girl the boy was holding. "She's probably the only survivor in the entire village."

The cruelty of these soldiers shocked even seasoned mercenaries.

The cause of all this might have been a simple lack of food, as they found a large quantity of pre-packaged food in the soldiers' vehicle.

Yes, all of it stolen from the village.

"Let's wait until she wakes up. We can't just leave her here, can we?"

Shi Hen said softly, brushing a strand of hair from the girl's forehead.

Raven looked at the gentle expression on the boy's face and opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, she just nodded lightly and said, "...Alright."

Chapter 41: I Like Little Rabbits Too

"Are you awake?"

The moment Peggy opened her eyes, a pleasant voice reached her. A very good-looking man was sitting by a bonfire, looking at her.

No, perhaps she shouldn't call him a man. He didn't look much older than her, and his face was as flawless as a cake displayed in a shop window.

"...Did you save me?"

Peggy spoke, her voice hoarse even to her own ears, her throat feeling as dry as if it were on fire.

"It seems your memory is still intact." Shi Hen nodded in satisfaction and offered the girl a small bowl. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."

Peggy nodded, emerging from the blanket. As she took the small bowl, she cautiously surveyed her surroundings.

It appeared to be a hunter's cabin. The house wasn't large; besides the bonfire in the center and the handsome boy sitting nearby, there were only a few simple living supplies around.

Cupping the small bowl in her hands, Peggy took a sip of the soup. A warmth flowed directly from her throat to her heart, then quickly spread through her limbs, making her entire body feel warmer.

But soon, the memories from before she lost consciousness began to resurface, and the biting cold enveloped her once more.

"Everyone... is dead?"

Peggy's lips trembled as she asked the question in a shaky voice.

"..." Looking at the girl trembling like a frightened little animal, Shi Hen fell silent for a moment before choosing to be honest. "Yes, if you're asking about the people in that village, then they are all dead."

Even hiding in that abandoned cellar, the girl must have been aware of what was happening. A lie wouldn't fool her.

Besides, Shi Hen couldn't be bothered to weave a lie to let the girl live in a false world.

Although it was pitiful, having been born into this world, she had to face its reality.

The world wouldn't shift according to an individual's will.

At least, not the girl trembling before Shi Hen now.

In an instant, the girl's eyes filled with tears, and large drops rolled down her cheeks, falling into the soup.

But she didn't cry. She simply raised her hand, wiped away her tears, and continued to drink the soup.

Glancing at the girl silently shedding tears, Shi Hen poked the bonfire with a branch. He didn't offer words like "cry out loud" or "you have my shoulder to lean on."

He didn't intend to keep her with him.

Eventually, the girl would have to learn to face this cold world alone.

Although, considering she looked no older than eleven or twelve, it was perhaps a bit too cruel.

"My name is Peggy."

After finishing the soup, the girl sat closer to the bonfire, stealing glances at Shi Hen as she introduced herself.

"Hen. Just call me Hen."

Shi Hen said indifferently, his voice neither gentle nor cold, like the winter sun at its coldest – seemingly warm, but lacking any excess heat.

"Mm, Hen?"

Perhaps sensing something from Shi Hen's aloofness, Peggy looked at the boy tentatively and softly called out his name.

Shi Hen nodded.

He didn't want to be her brother or father. Their relationship only needed to be this simple.

He had merely stumbled upon this incident and saved someone on a whim. That was all.

"I'm thirteen this year."

Peggy stared at the campfire, her peripheral vision subtly glancing at the young man.

"Oh."

But Shi Hen simply responded with an "oh" and had no intention of sharing his age.

Thirteen, huh…

Looking at the small, skinny girl who appeared to be no older than twelve at most, Shi Hen could only assume she was malnourished, much like a certain Bronya whose name he wouldn't mention.

From 2012 to 2016, Durandal had transformed from a cute girl into a tall, elegant woman, yet that Bronya remained an underage loli.

This was truly a heartbreaking story.

"I like rabbits. They're fluffy and cute," Peggy continued.

"Mhm, I like them too. Their meat is delicious," Shi Hen said, expertly shutting down the conversation.

Peggy: "..."

There was no way this conversation could continue.

The girl deeply felt a pathetic, thick barrier between herself and the boy beside her.

However, despite this, Peggy was still unwilling to give up easily.

"Those… people who stormed into the village with guns, did you… did you see them?" Peggy stammered.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the girl couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance.

Isn't this just stating the obvious?

If he had really encountered those devils, how could he be sitting in front of her safe and sound?

But to Peggy's surprise, the young man simply nodded slightly and said, "Mhm, I saw them. They're dead too."

"They… are all dead?" The girl's mouth widened, disbelief evident.

"All dead. I killed them," Shi Hen said indifferently, glancing at the girl as if it were a trivial matter, as insignificant as a breeze blowing past.

To Shi Hen, killing a group of soldiers composed of ordinary people was indeed such a simple and easy task.

Crackle—

The fire flickered, and as if receiving a signal, Peggy opened her mouth and burst into tears, "Waaaaah..."

Covering her face with her hands, her body trembled uncontrollably. Her hoarse cries echoed and swirled within the small cabin, as if she were releasing all the fear and sorrow she had missed in one go.

This is so troublesome… Shi Hen thought to himself, watching the sobbing girl.

This was precisely why he didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs.

But since he had already gotten involved, Shi Hen felt he couldn't just walk away.

After a long while, the girl's crying gradually subsided.

"Here." Patiently waiting for her emotions to stabilize slightly, Shi Hen handed her a wet towel.

"Th-thank you," Peggy said softly, taking the towel and wiping the wetness from her face.

"Do you have any other family elsewhere?" Shi Hen finally asked the first question of their conversation.

Hearing the young man's words, Peggy blinked in surprise. After a moment of silence, she slowly shook her head. "I ran away from the orphanage."

"I see…" Shi Hen sighed.

No further words were needed; this single sentence was enough to describe the girl's difficult first half of her life.

Not all orphanages were called Cocolia.

In Siberia, many orphanages were actually established by the military. They were responsible for the unified training of children who had lost their families due to war and chaos, and then used them to create more war and chaos.

What kind of [servant] behavior is this? Shi Hen couldn't help but inwardly complain, feeling that these people should be in a different production.

But then again, their actions were quite reasonable. After all, what labor in the world was cheaper than orphans?

For just a piece of bread and a few rags, you could obtain a loyal subordinate.

As for the disloyal... you can choose to feed them a single peanut.

Moreover, because Honkai Energy exists in this world, even the crude training methods of the Siberian military can occasionally produce some astonishingly powerful individuals.

Take the Ural Silver Wolf, for example.

In this land, the name Ural Silver Wolf is even more renowned than Raven's.

Thus, these people became even more enthusiastic about training orphans, as everyone hoped to produce another Ural Silver Wolf.

A bunch of short-sighted fools...

This was the only evaluation Shi Hen could offer for these people.

They were still just hoping for another Ural Silver Wolf, but Cocolia had already chosen to align herself with Anti-Entropy, and had even gotten involved with World Serpent. She was no longer on the same path as these people.

That's why she could become an Anti-Entropy Executor, and later almost become the Anti-Entropy Alliance Leader.

This is the difference.

So when Bronya assassinated Cocolia, the latter immediately killed the young wolf.

In front of someone who truly mastered Honkai power, no matter how famous your Ural Silver Wolf title is, you'll only be instantly defeated.

And yet, this Bronya almost topped Charon's List, which just goes to show how inflated that assassin ranking is.

As I said before, who would become an assassin if they truly had the strength?

While thinking about various things in his mind, Shi Hen continued to ask, "What are your plans for the future?"

Making a thirteen-year-old girl think about the future might seem a bit ridiculous.

But for Peggy, this was a reality she had to face.

Shi Hen couldn't take care of her for her entire life.

"I can survive on my own."