Kiana led Bella into what appeared to be the control and navigation room of the Hyperion.
Directly in front of Bella was a huge transparent glass panel, through which she could see the deck she had just been on, as well as the vast, snow-covered plains outside the Hyperion.
A massive, technologically advanced control console stood in the center of the room.
Numerous virtual screens materialized on the console, displaying numbers and information that Bella couldn't understand.
Many operators, resembling busy staff, bustled back and forth in front of the screens.
"Wow, what are these? They look so high-tech!"
Paimon's eyes lit up as she stared at the command center.
Taking advantage of the fact that others couldn't see her, the little one openly flew around the command center.
Meanwhile, Theresa stood near the control console, not far from Bella, conversing with three people Bella hadn't met before.
"Where's Bronya? Did she go off to do something?"
Bella was still wondering where Bronya had gone when Kiana pulled her in front of Theresa.
"Mei, Mei, this is Bella. She'll also join St. Freya as a Valkyrie when we get back."
"Bella, this is Mei. I'm telling you, Mei's cooking is super, super, super delicious! It's the best in the world!"
Kiana proudly introduced the purple-haired, purple-eyed girl, one of the three Bella hadn't met, to Bella.
Theresa and Raiden Mei stopped talking when Kiana pulled Bella over.
"That's too much, Kiana."
Hearing Kiana introduce her like that, Raiden Mei blushed shyly.
"Hello, Bella. My name is Raiden Mei, you can just call me Mei. We'll be partners from now on, so if you need anything, you can tell me."
Raiden Mei smiled gently at Bella.
"Okay, Mei."
Bella responded with a smile.
"This is Fu Hua, she's our class monitor."
Bella looked towards the person Kiana introduced: a gray-haired girl with red-framed glasses and a serious expression.
"Hello, I'm Fu Hua. If you have any problems with life or studies after arriving at the academy, you can come to me."
Seeing Bella look at her, Fu Hua said in a serious voice.
"Uh, okay."
Bella nodded.
This person looks so young, but why does she give me the same feeling as my elders from my previous life?
"This is Himeko a..."
"Hmm?"
Seeing Himeko's malicious gaze and slightly raised fist, Kiana immediately changed her words.
"Ahem, this is Murata Himeko. She's Mei and my teacher, and she also acts as our captain when we're on missions."
"Hello, my name is Murata Himeko. I mainly teach them about Valkyrie combat-related courses."
Himeko nodded in satisfaction at Kiana's introduction, then smiled and said to Bella.
"Hello, Teacher Himeko."
Bella also smiled in response.
"Not as strong as Theresa, but she should also be an A-rank Valkyrie."
Bella secretly sensed Himeko's strength.
"The remaining Mei should be a bit stronger than Kiana, but probably not yet in the A-rank range. As for Fu Hua..."
"She feels similar to Mei, but something just doesn't feel right."
Bella frowned slightly.
"Sigh, it seems there's no chance to escape."
Bella secretly sighed in her heart.
Her current strength should be similar to Mei's, so it seems that escaping is no longer an option for now.
What? Just stay and be a Valkyrie then?
No, no, no.
Being a Valkyrie = missions = work = not the retired life I want!
Working is impossible; being a retired slacker is the ideal I pursue.
Bella clenched her fist as if to cheer herself on.
Since going to St. Freya was already a foregone conclusion, what Bella needed to think about now was how to reasonably leave St. Freya after entering.
"Kiana mentioned something about a Valkyrie assessment. I wonder if failing it would lead to expulsion. Hmm, I can look into that later."
Bella secretly nodded.
Moreover, all her injuries would recover in just three months, and by then, she should be stronger than she was now.
Although she didn't know if she could defeat an S-Rank Valkyrie after recovering, she would at least have some confidence.
If it came down to it, even if she couldn't win, escaping should be fine, right?
Should be fine, right?
"Alright, now that everyone's acquainted, let's get back to the main topic."
Theresa clapped her hands after seeing everyone finish talking.
"Himeko, tell us, have you found anything?"
"Not yet."
Himeko shook her head.
"Yesterday, we searched south from where Benares was unsealed, but we found no trace of it until we returned."
"I just don't know why, but suddenly there are a lot of Honkai Beasts here. We encountered some small groups on our way back and forth."
"Is that so?"
Theresa frowned slightly.
"Benares?"
Bella was a bit puzzled; she seemed to have heard that name somewhere before.
Summoning her panel, she saw the code name next to her name, and Bella's eyes widened instantly.
"Then Kiana. What about you guys?"
Theresa then turned to ask Kiana.
"We haven't found anything either. Yesterday, Bronya and I searched in the opposite direction from Teacher Himeko and her team. Until today, when we met Bella!"
Kiana replied energetically.
"That doesn't make sense. A Honkai Beast of that size couldn't possibly leave no trace."
Theresa was a bit puzzled.
A perfectly fine Honkai Beast, just gone, it's illogical.
Bella, the 'illogical' one, stood expressionless at the side.
"Bella, Bella, are they looking for you?"
Paimon whispered on Bella's shoulder.
It seemed she had been flying around the room earlier and was now tired, resting on Bella's shoulder.
Bella didn't reply to Paimon.
It was a good thing she had left the place where she was unsealed early.
Listening to Himeko's words, she could deduce that they had probably arrived yesterday morning and immediately started investigating her traces.
As for herself, she had left the night before yesterday.
In other words, she had just left, and they arrived right after.
If she had left any later, she might have run straight into Theresa and her team who came to investigate.
If she had been encountered there, it would have been even harder to explain.
And, they just said 'Honkai Beast'?
Was she also a Honkai Beast, like that strange creature with the shield before?
Recalling the Honkai Beast that Theresa had turned into a mosaic, Bella shivered.
No, she absolutely couldn't let them discover her identity.
However, it seemed they hadn't discovered her traces yet, which was good.
Now that she was already at their base, there would be even fewer traces of her on the ground.
Thinking of this, Bella slightly relaxed.
It seemed that after arriving at St. Freya, hiding her identity would be of utmost importance.
But as the saying goes, the most dangerous place is the safest place.
Theresa and her team probably wouldn't imagine that the Honkai Beast they were searching for so desperately was right under their noses.
It seemed that this forced trip to St. Freya also had its benefits.
Bella secretly chuckled to herself.
"Although this manual search didn't yield any useful information, Bronya should have a way to track Benares's whereabouts."
Suddenly, Bronya's clear, cold voice sounded behind Bella.
Bella was now drenched in cold sweats.