"(So, how desperate for love are you...?)"
"(Well, I won't deny that, after all, that's the kind of family I was born into.)"
Otto sat in her chair, toyed with the reagents, and responded with indifference to herself.
"(You really didn't react at all to the slander against your family...)"
Void Archive was left speechless while looking at Otto, whose expression had suddenly calmed. However, she seemed to realize something, and her tone turned sarcastic.
"(In that case, the word 'paternal love' can hardly be considered a compliment when applied to you.)"
Having been Otto's partner for so long, Void Archive was no less familiar with her than Tian Shi was, and she knew Otto's status within the family.
Otto's true father, Nicholas, never gave her anything called "paternal love."
"(Isn't this a positive term?)" Otto paused her manipulation of the reagents, but resumed her work the next second.
"(The normal perspective is that people long for paternal love because they lack it. But your perspective, which defines paternal love first and then applies it to others... is truly interesting.)" A dangerous glint flashed in Otto's eyes.
"(But it's fine, I'll do it in a positive way... After all, as a daughter, I still have to fulfill my filial duties, right?)"
Otto spoke in a declarative tone, using a rhetorical question. This caused Void Archive to fall silent.
My goodness! She only wanted to point out that Otto's so-called paternal love wasn't paternal love at all, but rather a distorted form of romantic love.
Who would have thought that Otto's opening words would cause her such a big problem?
Judging by this... is she personally going to send her father away?
"(Hey... you're not going to commit parricide, are you?)"
Although Void Archive has no human morality, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable at this moment.
To be honest, isn't she the kind of character who is "a demon that has been unleashed"? Why does Otto look more like the so-called demon than I do?
"(It's true, as a woman, you have to overcome your father if you want to ascend to a higher position, after all, there hasn't been a female Overseer in Schicksal yet...)"
The more Void Archive thought about it, the more it seemed that Otto had everything she needed in terms of reason and motivation.
Damn it! What's the point of using this to bewitch people?
That bastard is even worse than I am, okay?
Originally, Void Archive thought that if it weren't for Tian Shi's suppression, she probably could still bewitch Otto.
But now it seems that even without Tian Shi, perhaps she couldn't beat Otto.
"What are you thinking about, Void Archive?" Otto smiled softly.
"(My father gave me life and raised me, although he was indifferent toward me, it wasn't an abuse... So, how could I kill him?)"
Because he is blocking your path to becoming a "simp"! The hatred of being blocked... is much more vengeful than any form of indifference or abuse.
She muttered to herself in secret, but outwardly maintained a calm tone.
"(So, what do you plan to do?)"
"(I haven't figured it out yet... well, there's always a way.)"
Otto put down the reagents and lay back comfortably in the chair.
"(A brainless older brother and an ambitious older sister... Ha, how could I, the youngest, lose to them?)" Otto looked up at the ceiling.
"(Although my father has aged considerably since my older brother's death, if we're honest... with the blessings of Schicksal, he could live another ten or twenty years.)"
In this era that values martial arts over literature, although my father is old and frail, if you were to lift that white robe... perhaps you wouldn't be able to see his muscles.
It's true that the Apocalypses are the weakest family of the three, but the marriages between them every few generations have improved their genes.
As for her weakness, it is only relative to the other two families.
Didn't you see how people look down on someone as weak as her wherever she goes? If she truly had Kallen's combat skills, it wouldn't be wrong for her to fight fairly.
"(In other words, is it a race to see who can't hold back first?)"
With that said, Void Archive understood.
If she waits twenty more years, Otto will only be thirty-eight years old.
Her brother and her second sister will probably be close to fifty years old.
"(My older brother even left a little nephew... Do you know the story of the founding emperor and crown prince of the Ming Dynasty in China?)" Otto closed her eyes as if to rest.
"(The crown prince, in whom the Ming emperor put great hopes, died suddenly, and the successor of the emperor was not the crown prince's brothers, but the crown prince's son, his grandson... Even the wise and powerful emperor can be carried away by emotions. My father... Ha...)"
(...)
"(My father or my adorable nephew Marcel, who is only three or four years old and has lost both parents, will die in the future political struggles of the family, however, I don't care who dies.)"
The reason you don't care is probably because you'll send the other one off the court anyway!
Void Archive now understood why Otto was so confident.
Although Void Archive is inherently devoid of humanity, she is deeply versed in human nature and, under such circumstances, it is truly impossible for someone not to resist.
Moreover, even if Otto's older brother and sister were willing to humble themselves and act submissively... wouldn't Otto, who probably already knew how to cry at her father's funeral, have a back-up plan?
When did you start thinking about this?
"(Just now, when the deity told me that Schicksal was destined for failure... Schicksal lost, the authority of the 'Lion King' will be shaken, and hyenas like me and my brothers and sisters will dare to show their fangs... Void Archive, you don't seem to be good at this kind of intrigue.)"
The void contains all things, but remains silent.
The authority of the head of the family falters, her own situation is awkward, and the heir is young and ignorant.
With these three factors combined, it would truly be strange if the Apocalypse family didn't have problems in the future!
However, this alone is not enough to unsettle Void Archive.
With time, she could decode this contradiction.
What unsettles her is that since Tian Shi finished speaking until now... only have passed a little more than ten minutes, right?
Somehow Otto had figured out the whole story and was now sitting on the fishing platform like a fisherman.
This person... No, it must be said that the old man personally raised a demon... Is that old man so sure he can contain this demon?
Or is it that... he can't be contained anymore? On the contrary, Void Archive had the illusion that she really was a good person.
Well, after all, she was created to fight the Honkai.
Although fighting the Honkai doesn't mean putting oneself on the side of humanity, thinking about it this way, I can actually be considered a good person, right?
"Otto!"
"Otto! I'm here!"
Otto had not closed her eyes to rest for long when a familiar voice woke her up.
"Kallen... can't you be less impulsive?"
As one of her few friends, Otto was quite tolerant of Kallen. "And we had agreed beforehand that I didn't want to go out."
"Wow! Otto, you haven't done enough exercise lately! Being here all the time without sun is not good."
Kallen, with words caught in her throat, said with a hint of complaint.
"You'll gain weight if you do that."
"Fat? From a certain point of view, it's just what I wanted..."
Otto said with a hint of abandonment. Her thin figure has not changed in five or six years.
It's as if all the nutrients have been used to grow taller. Now look at Kallen.
Kallen, who is the same age as her, has become a dazzling beauty.
"Let Otto sit down."
After thinking for a moment, Nagamitsu pulled at Kallen's clothes.
Although Nagamitsu is an artisan obsessed with her craft, she still works in the service sector.
She doesn't have much emotional intelligence, but she has some.
Naturally, she knew why Otto looked so disinterested.
"Why do you say that too, Sister Nagamitsu...?" Kallen looked displeased.
Because it would be very dangerous to continue with this topic! Nagamitsu did her best to put on a smiling expression.
Otto, who had been lying back in the chair quietly planning her future, now had an expression of absolute despair.
"Well, even if I take you out, you'll just cry and make a fuss to come back, won't you?" muttered Kallen as she looked for a chair and sat down.
Who would cry and make a scene?
Otto opened her eyes, ready to retort, but the first thing she saw was Kallen's voluptuous figure.
No matter, out of sight, out of mind.
Anyway, even if some things are said, they go in one ear and out the other for Kallen.
Doesn't the so-called "scholar meets soldier" refer to the current situation?
"By the way, who is that girl outside practicing shooting with God?"
"My recently adopted stepsister is also a patient I saved yesterday"
"Hmm... she's a cute girl, so you're not the youngest in the family anymore, right?"
Kallen's concentration was a bit strange.
"Well, if we go out, they might confuse her with the older sister."
"..." The last sentence is superfluous!
Both Otto and Nagamitsu were roaring in their hearts at that moment.
Nagamitsu has already silently distanced herself from Kallen.
Do you really enjoy stepping on other people's landmines?
Otto remained silent for a good while before slowly opening her eyes.
Looking at Kallen, as innocent as her fourteen years, she felt a surge of anger that invaded her, without knowing where to vent.
"I'll go with you, okay? I'll go out with you!"
Stop provoking me! You know I've been fragile and sickly since I was a girl!
Nagamitsu: "..."
To be honest, Nagamitsu genuinely felt that it was truly extraordinary that these two could become friends.
Or rather... does God always seem to invent strange combinations?
"Ah, and let's also take Eleanor, who is my new adopted sister"
...
"You're Otto's sister, so from today on you'll also be my sister!"
Kallen gave Eleanor a friendly pat on the shoulder, which made Eleanor feel quite flattered.
After all, before this, she was just an ordinary commoner, while the other party was the future head of the Kaslana family.
This unexpected warmth startled Eleanor for a moment.
A moment! Could it be that the other party is trying to win me over?
Then, what is known as... political struggle?
Eleanor, who had been hesitating about what expression to put in response to her kindness, suddenly became serious and racked her brain to think of two lines.
"Thank you for your consideration."
"Um... you don't have to keep a serious face."
Eleanor's stern expression left Kallen somewhat lost.
"In a way I'm your older sister!"
"Older sister?" Eleanor's face showed surprise.
"I didn't take you as my apprentice."
Tian Shi intervened from a side. His students are already quite numerous, you should probably stay away from them.
Besides... in terms of lineage, Kallen is actually Su's student.
The family hierarchy is a mess...
"I'm only teaching you skills; at most, I'm a professor, not a master"
"I don't feel any difference"
Kallen thought for a moment and didn't feel any difference between the two.
Is it a difference like "a master for a day is a father for life"? But the former can also be considered a similar saying.
"My relationship with God... I think it deserves that claim, doesn't it?" explained Otto, with her face slightly flushed.
(Hajajaja, rebellious daughter.)
"It's nothing unusual", replied Void Archive.
There must have been something wrong with me back then when I wanted this person to be my stepmother.
Even the AI can have moments when it doesn't think clearly.
Well, after all these years, I should try to get used to it. But, then again, if I became a sister to Otto... ugh, that would be disgusting.
Thinking about this situation makes me feel like I'm being a bit morally demanding.
Although she has no morals, she only wants to look down on Otto.
At least she didn't think of offending her father.
She has many ideas about parricide, but unfortunately she cannot win.
If we lose, Tian Shi will probably attack me mercilessly, it's not worth it.
Hmm, seems like she's a fairly well-educated daughter.
However, if I had to choose, I would rather have Otto as my stepmother.
Judging by the current situation, it seems unlikely that Otto's older siblings will have a peaceful end...
"Is that so..." Eleanor nodded, apparently understanding but not quite.
"Wow... this girl is so correct", commented Kallen, looking at Eleanor.
"At least I like her more than I like you."
Tian Shi intervened from a side.
Nowadays, there are not many honest children like Eleanor who would do anything for you, even if that meant crossing mountains of knives and seas of fire.
"Besides, this girl is one of ours, so there's no need to be so severe."
"Is... is it so?" Eleanor rubbed her face somewhat awkwardly.
"I'm sorry for before, Lady Kallen."
After Eleanor understood what Tian Shi wanted to say, she apologized honestly.
Eleanor and Kallen don't seem to have any conflict at this moment.
After all, Eleanor in the original timeline disliked Kallen's personality instead of being jealous of Otto's attitude toward Kallen.
It's as if the goddess whom someone adulates were in reality a simp whom another person looks down upon.
Although the metaphor is somewhat exaggerated, the general meaning remains similar.
Thinking about it this way, this girl is really quite lamentable.
Her fate was not only tragic, but it also had a premature end... Otto really brought this on herself.
Partly out of sympathy, and also because Tian Shi found Eleanor's personality pleasant, he didn't mind helping her a little.
"Speaking of which, Kallen, this girl might be able to serve as your vice-captain in the future."
Would you like me to translate more chapters or help you with something else regarding this story?