"Take on the crisis myself?"
Hearing those words, Kiana paused.
She couldn't help but look at Li Zihan with a hint of suspicion.
Was this guy's moral compass really that high?
"Mhm."
Li Zihan's reply was concise.
For him, it truly was a great crisis.
In the Herrscherization experiment, Wendy and Ana would undoubtedly be affected to some extent.
Following that, he would probably become even more popular with girls than he already was.
This was a fringe benefit of the experiment.
As for the third test subject, Chen Tianwu—the second known male Herrscher, the Herrscher of Rock—his situation was also easy to handle.
Chen Tianwu was a hopeless sister-complex.
Li Zihan had revealed the truly terrifying side of the world to him, making him understand the dangers it held. He then told him that he had the potential to become a Divine Apostle and frankly laid out the entire Artificial Herrscher plan.
Then, he gave him three choices.
One, voluntarily become the Herrscher of Rock, but he would be turned gay in the process.
Two, voluntarily become the Herrscher of Rock, then abandon the Herrscher body and have his soul transferred into a modified spare body from Otto, becoming a warrior with combat power no less than an S-rank Valkyrie.
Three, refuse the experiment and, when disaster strikes, pray the Valkyries aren't late.
Chen Tianwu, who wanted power but had no desire to become gay, chose the second option.
Power equivalent to an S-rank Valkyrie was enough to protect his younger sister and parents. Gambling his own ass for the sake of even greater power was clearly not within his realm of consideration.
The crisis he was referring to was, in fact, the kitchen knife crisis.
When used on someone with low favorability, Jizo Mitama was a favorability cheat code.
When used on someone with extremely high favorability, it was a kitchen knife summoner, a death warrant.
"It is a crisis I cannot escape, a trial that belongs to me alone."
Li Zihan nodded, his face a mask of solemnity.
To enhance his lovers' combat strength, the best method was to implant the Gem of Conquest and the Gem of Serenity into Raiden Mei and Seele, respectively. Then, he would trade the Herrscher of Rock's core and the possibility of saving Joyce for the Core of Reason from Welt Yang, implanting it into Bronya.
And that Herrscher modification process of his, like some kind of assembly line, could, with a single misstep, turn a newborn Herrscher into a yandere.
For Li Zihan, that kind of outcome was indeed a bit dangerous.
"I don't really get what you're talking about, Ah Li, but since it's something you've decided to do, then go do it."
Kiana let out a satisfied burp, then picked up the bottle of Otaku Happy Water, pouring some into her own glass before filling one for Li Zihan as well.
She couldn't be bothered to think about something that sounded so complicated.
"Once I've dealt with the Artificial Herrscher Experiment and the Chaldea experiment, it'll probably be time to help you look for your sister (sister/mother)."
The boy, who had once promised K423 he would find her "illegitimate daughter" abandoned by her father, took the Otaku Happy Water and downed it in one gulp.
Instantly, K423's gaze sharpened.
That sharp look, like a husky staring at an empty food bowl, made Li Zihan a little nervous.
"What's wrong?"
"You're not allowed to make a move on my sister."
The white-haired dango bared her small, neat, and pretty white teeth, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
This bastard Ah Li had said before that he wanted to take advantage of her sister's moment of emotional vulnerability to win the beauty's heart.
"…You suddenly made that face just to say this?"
Startled by Kiana's expression, Li Zihan was silent for a moment before speaking.
"What else?"
K423's expression was extremely unfriendly.
"Fine, fine. I won't pursue her."
He had already provoked enough girls as it was. Li Zihan felt that getting any more involved wouldn't be good for his health, and he rolled his eyes.
"Good, you know what's best for you."
Receiving Li Zihan's definitive answer, the hostility on Kiana's face gradually faded, replaced by a lighthearted smile.
It was clear that she was in a very good mood.
Then, she picked a particularly plump-looking piece of roasted meat from her plate and dropped it into Li Zihan's bowl.
"A reward for you."
"Hey, hey, hey, this is an all-you-can-eat buffet."
Li Zihan picked up his chopsticks and lifted the piece of meat. On one edge, he could see a very small, delicate mark left behind by teeth.
He raised an eyebrow.
"And… you've already taken a bite out of this, haven't you?"
"Not to mention, I'm the one paying the bill. Are you sure you should be using the word 'reward'?"
"Is there a problem?" the white-haired girl asked, narrowing her eyes.
"No problem at all."
Li Zihan very decisively tossed the piece of meat into his mouth and began to chew.
Then, he delivered his verdict.
"First-class flavor. Thank you for the treat."
"That was a prime piece of meat that this young lady took great care in selecting. Of course it tastes good."
The white-haired dango hummed, a hint of pride in her voice.
"Well, thank you very much then."
The boy, who had eaten plenty of prime roasted meat in his life, smiled. He casually turned his head, intending to look at the streetscape outside through the semi-transparent glass wall.
Then, a stunningly beautiful maid entered his line of sight.
She was a graceful and charming girl. The ash-gold short hair he remembered had now grown to shoulder length, but her long bangs remained unchanged, still covering her left eye.
Her exposed right eye was like a wine-red gemstone, with a charming beauty mark just below the corner.
She wore a black-stockinged maid uniform, adorned with rose accessories. A decorative garter circled her right thigh, and on her head, she wore a katyusha headband with sheep horns and roses.
The woman's name was Rita.
One of Schicksal's three S-rank Valkyries.
"Alright, I should get going."
Sensing that Rita was looking for him for something, Li Zihan stood up and said.
"Leaving already? You don't want to play some arcade games for a bit?"
Kiana, who had wanted to go to the game center with Li Zihan, looked somewhat surprised.
"Someone's here for me."
"It's probably about the experiment."
Li Zihan nudged his chin, then extended a hand and pointed towards the transparent glass wall.
Through the glass, it wasn't hard to see a very charming maid standing there, quietly waiting for someone.
"Well, I guess it can't be helped then."
Kiana, who had actually wanted to spend a little more time with Li Zihan, felt that the current situation was a bit of a letdown.
"Remember, you still owe me a grand meal."
"Didn't I just treat you to one?"
Li Zihan, who had just used Theresa's next month's salary to treat Kiana to kaiseki, looked baffled.
"That meal was very expensive. Even Theresa would feel the pain."
"Ah Li, are you made of wood?"
The white-haired girl pouted, her azure eyes fixed on the boy's.
"Sometimes, you just need to listen to what a girl says."