Chapter 46: I fell from the sky and fell into the apricot tree?
「 After a moment of nostalgia, the group immediately went to look for supplies. However, they opened several boxes in a row and found them all empty. With monsters all around, there was no way the monsters could have taken them.
"Rift creatures don't need human supplies, and they wouldn't steal things so... politely."
Fortunately, footprints were left on the ground. Following the tracks, the three quickly found the person who had taken the supplies beforehand – a little guy shorter than Seele's waist – Eric.
Eric was very unfriendly towards the adults, as if he had thorns and would prick anyone who came near. Although he was young, he was a notorious thief in the lower zone, and once caught, he would use his dad as a shield, which made Seele dislike him very much.
Not only was the kid stubborn, but this time he even wanted to use the supplies he found first to negotiate with Seele and the others, planning to exchange them for two hundred Winter City coins. 」
「 .....」
~Runeterra World~
"This kid has some of the cunning of the Undercity. He doesn't forget to negotiate even at a time like this."
Silco shook his head.
"But negotiations can only happen when both sides are equal. In a dangerous place like this, the biggest fist is the hard truth."
Jinx, who was standing by, also agreed with this point.
In her opinion, as a leader of the Firelights, Seele's character and strength were impeccable... she was just too kind.
If it were her, she wouldn't have listened to this kid babbling so much nonsense. She would have just taken it and been done with it. Anyway, there were no other living people in Rivet Town besides them, so who would see?
Besides, without Seele and the others, it was uncertain whether this kid could even make it out of town alive.
—
「 Seele was quite angry and was about to scold him when she was suddenly interrupted by Bronya.
"Enough! Seele, stop talking."
Bronya slowly squatted down, unhooked a medal from her waist, and gently placed it in Eric's hand. "This medal was awarded to me by the Architects... Do you see the blue stone in the middle? That is the purest Geo-Crystal."
Bronya's tone was very gentle. She knelt on one knee and reached out to wipe away the tears from Eric's eyes. "You need money because of your family, right? Take this and use it to treat your dad."
"Mm! Thank... thank you, big sister!"
Bronya's gentleness significantly changed Seele's attitude towards her. She began to feel that this young lady from the upper zone was fundamentally different from those high and mighty important people.
Although she didn't think this kid Eric deserved a medal, she respected Bronya's opinion. Her kindness was not without reward – Eric not only contributed all the supplies he had collected but also provided a lot of information about the monsters in Rivet Town. 」
「 .....」
~Runeterra World~
"What's wrong? Vi?"
In an exquisite villa somewhere in Piltover, Caitlyn was watching the scene on the light screen with Vi.
Vi, who had just been arguing with her about how to deal with the vagrants in the Undercity, suddenly fell silent when she saw Bronya comforting the child.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
Caitlyn leaned closer with concern.
"Sorry, it's nothing."
Vi lowered her head, her eyes intertwined with threads of regret.
"It's just... I couldn't help but remember some past events."
The gentleness in Bronya's eyes was like a sharp knife, piercing her heart with pain.
If only... she could have been as calm and gentle as Bronya back then, perhaps everything would have been different?
Powder wouldn't have become Jinx, and they wouldn't have to be at odds...
For years, she had lived with the mindset of the Undercity. When encountering troublesome opponents, she would find ways to use harder fists to force them to submit. If she really couldn't win, she would run away, leaving the green mountains to worry about firewood later, and just fight back next time.
But Bronya's way of solving problems seemed to open a door to a new world for her.
"When you put on the uniform, perhaps you will fully understand Bronya's actions."
Caitlyn keenly caught the fleeting thought in Vi's mind. She stretched and looked down at her.
"Compared to fighting violence with violence, this method is more likely to solve the problem once and for all."
—
「 According to the intelligence, Xing and the others bypassed some powerful Rift creatures and successfully reached the orphanage. Natasha had stored medical alcohol here.
The group searched through boxes and cabinets but found nothing. However, looking at the desolate orphanage before her... Bronya felt the sense of familiarity rising like a tide.
It was as if some scene in her mind was gradually becoming clearer...
Finally, after Seele found a white handicraft, that sense of familiarity completely triggered Bronya's sealed memories.
"This... this is something from when I was a child." Bronya gently stroked the smooth surface of the handicraft. The surging memories instantly caught her off guard.
"I used to live here – before the Architects took me away and Lady Cocolia adopted me – I lived here! I... I am from the lower zone." 」
「 .....」
~Honkai: Impact 3rd World~
"It seems that even in another world, we are sisters from the same orphanage, Seele."
At St. Freya High, Bronya was not surprised by this. She firmly believed in her bond with Seele, that it would be closely connected even in another world – she just didn't expect it to be such a coincidence.
Despite their parallel selves differing drastically in both demeanor and appearance, an intangible thread still bound them together—something deeper than identity, resonating beneath the surface.
This could not be explained simply by the word "fate."
And this scene undoubtedly ignited the Valkyrie forum yet again.
"This plot... Wait, I'm starting to understand everything. Could this be even more amazing than the 'fated encounter' and 'childhood sweetheart' tropes... a 'fated childhood sweetheart'!"
"Woo, woo, woo! My eyes were made to see this!"
"So when are the two in the light screen going to get married?"
"...Wait! Upstairs, isn't that a bit too fast? The two in the academy haven't even gotten married yet!"
"Oh, so... when are the two going to get married? I'll go move the civil affairs bureau over here!"
—
「 Suddenly remembering her childhood, Bronya's eyes turned red. She looked up at the land under her feet, ravaged by the Rift, and even her voice choked with tears.
"Since becoming Lady Cocolia's daughter, I have no other identity, but I, I am too far behind..."
"Every day I witness the sacrifices of the Silvermane Guards in the Rift, yet I can never bring myself to change my mother's mind."
"I clearly know that the lower zone is suffering, yet I can't help at all. My former home has become like this, and I was still completely kept in the dark..."
"In the end, I can't protect anything. Why was I chosen like this? How can I be qualified..." 」
「 .....」