After a round of cordial and friendly exchange (haggling), Himeko finally agreed to Ming Yu's proposal on behalf of Theresa.
Although there were many suspicious things about Ming Yu, what he had done so far had generally been beneficial to the Far East Branch, and his qualities as a warrior were trustworthy.
Therefore, the Far East Branch didn't need to worry about Ming Yu leading a group of people to their deaths. Putting aside the lives of others, he himself was certainly not seeking death.
With this as a major premise, it wasn't out of the question to let him try with a separate group. On the contrary, it might even be a completely harmless endeavor, at least for the Far East Branch.
The analysis of the silk manuscript still required some time, and the search for Jiu You's location was like searching for a needle in a haystack. Who knew when the actual conquest of Jiu You would begin.
Compared to this steady main plan, Ming Yu's backup plan was very tempting. Although in terms of timing, Ming Yu's backup plan would have to be implemented before the main plan.
But before that, Ming Yu's promotion exam and the adjustment of his new battlesuit became matters of pressing urgency.
Schicksal's deployment in Guangzhou was not particularly rigorous. Due to an agreement with a certain unnamed Celestial, it was more symbolic than practical, merely representing the close relationship between Schicksal and Shenzhou.
But in any case, they could still find one or two B-rank Valkyries. And to gain command of an entire regional force, Ming Yu's status had to be legitimate, making the A-rank Valkyrie rating imminent.
Considering the time-sensitive nature of Ming Yu's plan, his vacation was once again ruined.
After all, if he waited until the silk manuscript was fully analyzed and Theresa was ready to attack, his proposal would be completely worthless.
For Ming Yu, both the promotion exam and the debugging of his new battlesuit would occupy the little time he had left at St. Freya. But before completing these tasks, he had to deal with a provocation from a certain white-haired fluffball.
......
"Hey! Ming Yu, you bastard, at least be a little serious. I don't want people to say I'm taking advantage of you!"
Looking at the boy opposite her, who was yawning with a sleepy face, Kiana shouted with a hint of anger, waving the dual pistols in her hands threateningly.
Looking up at the energetic white-haired girl with some exasperation, Ming Yu couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
He had pulled an all-nighter last night writing materials for his promotion evaluation and had slept very late. He had planned to get a good half-day's rest today, but it seemed that was out of the question now.
Waving his hand dismissively, Ming Yu said without a care, "It's fine, just bring it on. If we finish this quickly, I can go back and catch up on some sleep. I have to test my new battlesuit this afternoon."
Hearing Ming Yu's lazy voice, Kiana's face instantly turned red, and she said angrily, "Then I won't be polite!"
"But, are you sure you don't want to wear your battlesuit?"
Kiana looked at the White Comet on herself, then at Ming Yu's casual clothes, confirming one last time.
Ever since she heard from Theresa that Ming Yu already had the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie, she had been planning to defeat him to prove her own strength.
Since Ming Yu could represent the standard of an A-rank Valkyrie, if she could defeat him head-on, wouldn't that prove that she also had the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie? Even Theresa wouldn't be able to go back on her word, right?
Then, I'll be able to find out where my stupid old man is...
At this thought, Kiana couldn't help but reveal a dazed smile.
Seeing Kiana's foolish grin, Ming Yu sighed and covered his face, saying helplessly, "There's no need. Just make your move."
Although Ming Yu couldn't read minds, he was sure that Kiana was definitely thinking about something unrealistic.
"Hmph! Then if you lose, you better not deny it!"
Seeing that Ming Yu refused to listen to her advice, Kiana didn't insist. In any case, as long as she won, Ming Yu definitely wouldn't be able to weasel his way out of it.
As soon as her voice fell, the white-haired girl stomped her feet hard on the ground, her body instantly lunging to Ming Yu's side. Her right hand, gripping her pistol, swung viciously towards the boy's neck. Of course, out of her Kaslana pride, she didn't use the power of her battlesuit right away.
Seeing how easily she had gotten close to Ming Yu, and that he hadn't even drawn the two swords at his waist, the caution in Kiana's eyes faded considerably.
So much for the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie. I'm not bad at all either!
Seeing Kiana's raised pistol butt, Ming Yu couldn't help but complain about Gun Kata in his mind, but he still focused his full attention on this fight.
Although his current strength was enough to crush Kiana in her normal state, the situation in a battle could change in an instant, and it wasn't uncommon for people to be tripped up by carelessness at any time.
His eyes narrowed slightly. Ming Yu took half a step forward and struck Kiana's wrist with the palm of his hand, instantly neutralizing the girl's attack.
Immediately after, Ming Yu's momentum didn't cease, and his right hand clenched into a fist and shot towards Kiana's shoulder. The fist, powered by the Inch Strike technique, reached the girl's shoulder almost the moment it was thrown, completely ignoring the defense the girl tried to put up.
Bang!
Kiana's body flew backwards faster than she had come, tumbling several times on the ground before she could barely stop her retreat.
"That hurts~" the girl said through gritted teeth, instinctively rubbing her shoulder with her right hand. Her previous joy had vanished in an instant.
"Kiana, although you've passed the B-rank Valkyrie exam, the difference in strength between us is obvious. Not using your battlesuit from the very beginning was far too arrogant of you! If I had wanted to, I could have ended the fight just now."
Looking at the girl wincing in pain, Ming Yu's calm eyes showed no fluctuation.
In terms of physical attributes, he indeed had no advantage against a Kaslana. But in the eyes of the battle-hardened Ming Yu, Kiana's movements were full of openings, and her mentality was a complete mess. She didn't have a shred of a chance of winning.
On a battlefield, the current Kiana could only be considered an out-and-out rookie, even though she had fought against Honkai Beasts with Siegfried in the past few years.
Under Theresa's intentional or unintentional protection, Kiana's growth could only be described as mediocre, with no noteworthy highlights.
But this was also a characteristic of St. Freya: trading ample time for the girls to have a memorable youth.
If they completely followed St. Freya's training program, the vast majority of girls would be able to become qualified Valkyries upon graduation.
But, only qualified.
For ordinary people, this result was certainly not bad. But for a small number of special individuals, this speed was too slow, which was why Ming Yu chose to leave St. Freya.
In comparison, the plan Theresa had prepared for him was closer to Schicksal's standard Valkyrie training, and its intensity was far superior to St. Freya's methods.
"Kiana~"
Mei, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but call out in a small voice, feeling sorry for her friend. But she also knew that the current Kiana had many flaws and that Ming Yu was trying to temper Kiana's character, so she didn't interfere too much.
Glancing at the worried Mei, then at the relaxed-looking Ming Yu in front of her, Kiana bit her lip unwillingly.
Although it was only a brief exchange, she could see the difference in strength between her and Ming Yu and knew that her chances of winning were slim. But if she gave up just like that, how could she justify her efforts over the past six months?
Taking a deep breath, the girl's face was once again filled with determination, and she shouted loudly, "Neko charm!"
The next moment, the battlesuit's Honkai Energy Reactor fully activated, and the white armor began to shine with a dazzling golden light.