"To conclude, the Young Lady is highly dangerous, potentially even pivotal to whether this era continues."
A massive elliptical dome covered the Cosmic Juggernaut and the deep pit created by the explosive release of energy. Several slender yet sturdy mechanical supports held the colossal airship aloft, while countless speck-like figures moved in and out through its gaps. The five-member research team—Zeke, Otto, Einstein, Tesla, and Mobius—observed the ship closely, while Su explained the situation to the others.
Having finished his explanation, Su subtly narrowed his eyes to glance at Zeke's back—Kiana was Durandal, and Durandal was Kiana. Considering Zeke and Kiana's positions, Su refrained from revealing this fact casually.
Seeing Zeke's lack of reaction, Su knew he had likely made the right choice.
However, being a perennial people-pleaser, Su unconsciously checked Durandal's response as well.
The blonde girl donned a sleek black military uniform that accentuated her ample bosom while highlighting her slender waistline perfectly. With one hand under her chin, she slightly furrowed her delicate brows, seemingly discontent, and occasionally glanced towards Otto nearby.
Being straightforward like Durandal, she genuinely wanted to address Otto's unreliability and seize this opportunity to advise him to be more cautious in his actions henceforth, avoiding any further careless antics. However, considering Otto had just relinquished control of Schicksal, remnants of his authority as archbishop lingered, forcing Durandal to also take into account his dignity before others.
Thus, Durandal felt quite torn.
"Bishop..."
"Ahem! Lady Durandal, I just thought of some questions regarding Valhalla's regulations and arrangements. Could we discuss them?"
"Huh? What kind of questions? Go ahead, Rita!"
"Yes ma'am! Please take a look here—Rita believes that to accommodate billions of soldiers leaving their spiritual bases for revival at Valhalla, we should collaborate closely with Commander Bronya. Simply setting up specialized teams might not be as efficient without direct orders from the Military. Then there's this part: Regarding conditions for civilians applying to revive their relatives, Rita suggests considering factors such as criminal records, remaining data volume, and application timing for dynamic adjustments. Additionally..."
As Rita meticulously presented her points, Durandal gradually became fully absorbed in contemplating the regulatory documents and plans, forgetting about advising Otto.
Seeing Durandal engrossed in the text on the projection screen, Rita gently placed a hand on her heaving bosom and silently sighed in relief.
'Lady Durandal, we've just had a change in leadership, and you don't want to leave Sir Zeke with the impression of insubordination on your first day... Although, I suspect he's already well aware of your straightforwardness.'
Rita rubbed her temples, feeling like she was fighting a futile battle yet unable to simply stand by. As always, today's head maid Rita found herself deeply concerned about Durandal's workplace conduct.
After examining Cosmic Juggernaut's current state, Zeke left the other researchers to continue their analysis while heading towards the non-scientific personnel—ahem, the less educated group...
Su promptly asked, "Zeke, what's the situation? No major issues, right?"
"It can be repaired. Actually, the original Cosmic Juggernaut had a closed spatial structure, making it quite challenging to study its internal components without causing damage. Now, there's no need for such caution; since it's already broken, we can repair and investigate simultaneously."
"Uh... my apologies, I acted too impulsively."
"Yes, it was indeed impulsive, but I must admit, I didn't consider all aspects either. Considering its potential connection to the Final Herrscher, the level of danger warrants utmost concern. It's understandable that someone like you wouldn't remain calm."
Zeke patted Su's shoulder reassuringly. Considering the equation where the Young Lady could potentially equal Finality, it was no surprise that someone like Su, who had already experienced one cataclysmic end to civilization, couldn't remain calm.
"Ha~"
At this moment, Kiana, who had been standing for quite some time, yawned audibly. Dark circles under her eyes, teary-eyed, and with a weary posture and expression clearly indicated she hadn't gotten enough rest.
Consequently, the "clueless parent duo" Siegfried and Theresa, along with the "sisterly bond squad" Raiden Mei and Seele, gathered around her, offering words of concern and handing over water and snacks.
Zeke glanced at Kiana and muttered quietly—Bronya, catching up on sleep indoors, seemed wiser indeed.
Then, he once more patted Su's shoulder, his tone unusually gentle as he said,
"Thank you."
"Huh?" Su appeared surprised and puzzled by Zeke's gratitude.
However, Zeke didn't elaborate. Due to Su's encounter with Cosmic Juggernaut, he temporarily abandoned the idea of having Kiana use the Herrscher of the Void's powers to track down the Young Lady. In a sense, Su inadvertently shielded Kiana from potential repercussions.
Zeke made a mental note of this matter, elevating it to top priority. On one hand, he focused more intensely on finding the Young Lady; on the other, he silently added points for Su's performance and decided to promptly heal his still-lacerated hands.
Next, Zeke reviewed his agenda: administrative and military reforms, establishing new citizenship criteria after granting worker bee privileges, distributing Honkai Energy resistance gene serums, global climate regulation, desert reforestation projects, promoting artificial starch technology, machinery innovations, thorough purging of remaining unstable factions, coordinating systems between the Planet Ring and Lunar Base...
Silently calculating available manpower and time requirements, Zeke spoke up:
"Durandal."
"Yes, sir!" The golden-haired girl swiftly turned, standing tall with vigor as she saluted.
"Be at my quarters by 8:15 PM tonight."
"Aye-aye, sir!" Durandal responded firmly and clearly.
With that, Zeke decisively departed without further explanation or allowing any room for questions.
However, the combination of evening, Zeke's quarters, and a young, pure-hearted maiden raised eyebrows among many observers.
"Lady Durandal, I must remind you that Sir Zeke's interest in you... is not something new." Summoning all her courage and risking being found dead from seven self-inflicted gunshot wounds, Rita gently tugged at Durandal's sleeve to caution her.
Durandal tilted her head, momentarily puzzled. Then, she struck her palm with realization. "Oh! You mean how Sir Zeke once tried to poach me from Schicksal to Anti-Entropy? No worries; now we're both under his command, so it's no longer an issue!"
"No, Lady Durandal, what Rita meant was..."
"Let's set that aside for now. Your suggestions were quite good, but they significantly increase our workload. Considering efficiency, perhaps some adjustments can be made? Can you help me think through these details?"
"Lady Durandal, Rita still believes..."
"All right, all right! I know you're concerned that Sir Zeke might hold a grudge over my past refusal, but you're definitely overthinking. How could such a supremely wise and powerful individual as Sir Zeke dwell on minor matters? He must have a confidential mission to entrust to me. Let's not discuss this further; focusing on completing our current tasks is most important!"
"I..."
Rita had often heard Zeke praise Lady Durandal and witnessed his repeated attempts to poach her from Schicksal. She even conjured up countless R-rated scenarios based on Zeke's actions, imagining him as a tyrannical emperor oppressing an innocent Valkyrie. In short, she was now drenched in anxious sweat.
But Durandal's persistent questioning left Rita no room for refusal. Speculating about Zeke's intentions was one thing; voicing those indecent suspicions in public would surely lead to bloodshed!
Gazing at the girl with golden hair, seemingly immune to humanity's darker side, tears welled up in Rita's eyes.
"Lady Durandal, please make sure to bring my communicator tonight. If...if anything happens... In any case, I'll risk my life to protect you!" Rita hugged the young woman she'd raised since childhood, her voice trembling yet resolute.
Durandal blinked in confusion.
While this master-servant duo communicated haltingly on separate channels, Siegfried and Theresa, holding a drowsy Kiana by the arms, were also offering protective advice as concerned parents.
"Kiana, you need to be careful!"
"That's right! Who would've thought that little rascal Zeke is such a fickle playboy? Under no circumstances should you let him take advantage of you! Here, I recently acquired this Replica Judgment of Shamash. Keep a close eye on him tonight. If he dares step out of line, teach him a lesson using the Kaslana Gunmanship techniques your dad taught you!"
"Hmm, not enough! Zeke is too strong; better lend you Auntie's Judah as well. With your Kaslana bloodline, you should still be able to wield it! Use Judah first, then follow up with the Replica Judgment of Shamash—ensure he doesn't get any ideas!"
"Yes, yes, Theresa's concerns are valid. Don't worry, Kiana. We all have your back, and we won't let anyone mistreat you!"
As their foolish father and aunt took turns speaking, Kiana initially felt bewildered before her lips twitched uncontrollably.
"You two... seriously, stop it! Zeke isn't like that!" Kiana protested weakly.
Siegfried crossed his arms, visibly displeased as a father. "Tch! If it weren't for Bronya and Sin, I might've actually believed you!"
"You dumb old man! Keep your guns to yourself—we don't need something like that with Zeke and me! As for Bronya and Sin... Look, this is our matter; there's no way we can explain it to you properly! Zeke truly loves me deeply and faithfully—don't misjudge him anymore!" Kiana tossed back the dual pistols Siegfried had shoved into her hands, then pushed away Theresa's raised Cross weakly.
"Same goes for you, Auntie. Ignoring how much of a moron my dad is, haven't you gotten wiser over time? Why let such wild thoughts run rampant? Durandal has important matters to attend to... She told Zeke about them, and we'll handle everything just fine."
Kiana scratched her face, feeling somewhat guilty.
She knew exactly what Zeke could be discussing with Durandal—it revolved around their origins. Zeke undoubtedly aimed to reassure Durandal first, addressing the most crucial aspect, before revealing the truth publicly, thereby minimizing any potential impact on Kiana.
Kiana was deeply touched by Zeke's concern and didn't want to reject his kindness or disrupt his plans. However, this also made her feel guilty towards Siegfried and Theresa, who had spent half their lives grappling with these issues. For them, uncovering the truth as soon as possible would undoubtedly bring immense relief.
"Sigh..."
Kiana let out a deep breath, slapped her cheeks to gather herself, and then hugged her two clueless parents tightly.
"Don't worry about me; there won't be any problems between Zeke and me. Also, there's something important we need to confirm first before sharing it slowly with you. Apologies for keeping it secret a little longer, but trust me, it's fantastic news that will make you jump for joy! So stay tuned! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm starving—time to grab some food!"
With a sweet smile, Kiana released them and walked away.
The couple exchanged glances, both rubbing their chins thoughtfully.
Siegfried pondered, "Good news? Something so exciting it'll make us jump?"
Theresa echoed, "They need more time to confirm it? And still have to keep it hidden?"
Together, they asked, "Any ideas?"
"Siegfried, you first!"
"No, Theresa, let's say it together!"
Siegfried and Theresa exchanged glances, both gulping audibly before whispering hesitantly:
"Am I going to be a grandpa/aunt?" (x2)
The massive shock silently turned their worlds upside down, leaving them feeling dizzy.
Today, the team of foolish parents sank without a trace.