"Hmm…"
With a deafening roar, Welt raised a hand to shield the unconscious Kiana as he stared at the massive crater now gouged into the ground, lost in thought.
"Lynelle, don't you think… we might have caused a bit too much of a scene?"
"No worries. As long as we deal with Otto, everything else will sort itself out."
Lynelle wore a 'sunny' smile as she stowed her hammer away, then stepped into the crater and let her Herrscher of Corruption powers seep into Otto's body.
"Tch, he transferred his consciousness ahead of time again… Well, at least we scored a piece of Soulium. Can't say it was a complete waste."
"Since Otto's already gone, and it seems Cocolia also escaped through an Anti-Entropy evacuation point, Lynelle, recall the Titan units. This farce has gone on long enough."
After checking a message from Einstein, Welt looked up again. "By the way, Einstein says… she and Theresa are on their way over. Do you want to see them?"
"Hmm… I don't mind meeting them. Besides, we need to hand Kiana over to Theresa anyway."
Lynelle took Kiana from Welt's arms and began remotely controlling the Titans scattered across the campus.
Theresa and Einstein didn't keep them waiting long. Just as Lynelle was finishing up the Titan withdrawal, two figures—one in white, one in blue—appeared in their line of sight.
"Sovereign, Lynelle."
Einstein gave a slight nod. "Good evening. Glad to see you're both unharmed."
"Well, Otto wasn't here to kill anyone, so our fight was relatively… restrained, you could say."
"…Restrained?"
Einstein's eye twitched as she took in the gigantic diamond-shaped pit in the middle of the grove.
"It's fine. Anyway, Grandfather's the one funding St. Freya. We'll just put the repair costs on his tab."
Theresa didn't seem bothered in the slightest—perhaps because she'd recently learned the truth behind the Second Honkai Eruption. Her tone grew noticeably complicated whenever Otto came up.
"But… who would've thought? Lynelle being part of Anti-Entropy was one thing, but even the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy is teaching here at St. Freya… Is this some kind of mandatory training for high-ranking members?"
"Can't speak for all of Anti-Entropy's upper ranks, but it's definitely turned into a Herrscher nest."
Lynelle scratched her head and grinned. "We've got the first, second, and third Herrschers all here, plus a half-baked Herrscher of Corruption like me… St. Freya's hosting four Herrschers at once, and there might be even more in the future. If that's not a Herrscher nest, what is?"
"Lynelle—"
Theresa drew out her name in a warning tone. "Careful, or this principal might have to dock your pay, you know?"
"Eek! You can't dock something that vital!"
"Cut it out! You swiped all of Cocolia's mechs—you should be paying me at this point!"
Theresa huffed, taking Kiana from Lynelle's arms. She gazed at the unconscious girl and let out a soft sigh.
"Still… fate really does have a strange sense of humor, doesn't it?"
"What's wrong, Theresa? This wistful look doesn't suit you… Want a bitter melon snack?"
"No need… Actually, Lynelle, would it be possible for me to see Cecilia now?"
Theresa fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking.
"Of course. Let me just check with Cecilia first. But this was always part of the plan—you'll probably be seeing her pretty often from now on."
Seeing Theresa's slightly nervous expression, Lynelle gave a faint smile. Then, the Stigma on her chest began to glow.
"Theresa? Long time no see~"
In the blink of an eye, Lynelle's entire presence shifted noticeably. She wasn't particularly tall to begin with, carrying a youthful air, but as those words left her lips, she suddenly radiated the gentle warmth of a mother.
"C-Cecilia?"
Though it was hard to believe, Theresa still found herself whispering that name almost on instinct.
"Of course it's me. Or do you need me to dig up some embarrassing childhood stories like I did with Lixue and Salome to convince you?"
Seeing Theresa's stunned expression, Cecilia smiled tenderly. "For example: 'O staff that seals the dark powers, reveal thy true form now! Let miracle's light become stars—'"
"W-wait! Stop!"
Theresa's eyes flew wide open, her face instantly flushing bright red as she let out a sharp squeal. "I—I believe you, I do! Please, no more!"
"Hey, isn't that the transformation chant from Magical Girl Teriri? I used to love watching that— Oof!"
Nearby, Welt had been watching their exchange with an amused smile, a thoughtful look on his face.
But before he could finish, Einstein smoothly clamped a hand over his mouth, locked him in a chokehold, and dragged him off toward a nearby cluster of trees.
"Please talk less, Sovereign. I'd rather our newly agreed-upon cooperation not fall apart right away…"
--+--
Meanwhile, in the dormitory area.
"Well, Lixue, you were right. It's highly likely that Bishop Otto did come to St. Freya."
Fu Hua rinsed the blood from her hands, then peeled off her sweat-drenched shirt and changed into a close-fitting nightgown that outlined her toned physique.
She seemed completely unaware of the deepening blush on Lixue's face over the video call.
"However, he didn't relay any orders to me. Perhaps it's because I was tied up dealing with three clones of the Herrscher of Reason and couldn't easily break away."
"But the fact that Bishop Otto said nothing at all is what makes it more concerning… The task he assigned you…"
"Don't worry. I have my own judgment regarding Kiana's situation."
Fu Hua paused briefly before continuing, "As long as Kiana doesn't show clear signs of Herrscher transformation or loss of control in front of me, I'll ignore Otto's orders."
"But conversely, if she displays symptoms similar to those suspected loss-of-control episodes years ago… I'll have to take responsibility for the other students at St. Freya."
"After all, if a subject on the verge of becoming a Herrscher radiates Honkai energy during transformation, it could harm these children who haven't yet fully grown. If it really comes to that, taking her back to Schicksal would be the only option."
"Yes, I understand the position you're in. I won't make things harder for you, Master."
Lixue nodded. "If it does come to that, Salome and I will stay by Kiana's side every step of the way. Captain Cecilia's first daughter is already gone… I can't let her other daughter also…"
"Lixue, you've really grown…"
Seeing the determination in Lixue's eyes, Fu Hua's expression softened with a touch of pride.
"By the way, it's been a while since you last came to St. Freya to give a lecture, hasn't it? Since I'm still a top student and can sit in the front row, I was hoping to hear you—"
"Ah, well… Things have been pretty busy at Schicksal Headquarters lately. It's hard to get away. Goodbye, Master!"
The resolve on the young woman's face instantly crumbled into flustered panic before she hurriedly ended the call.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.