Hearing Kiana's words, Bella's eyes lit up, and she suddenly stood up, startling Raiden Mei, who was beside her.
"Kiana, is what you said true?"
"Uh." Kiana looked at Bella, who had become excited for some reason, feeling a bit at a loss, but still nodded, "If I remember correctly, yes."
Bella also realized she might have been overly excited and coughed twice to alleviate the awkwardness.
There was nothing she could do; it had been a month, and she had finally found a clue.
"Then, do you know where that Gem of Serenity is?"
Bella had a feeling that the key to the system's hint was likely on this Gem of Serenity.
Moreover, perhaps every hint represented a gem.
"I don't know." Kiana shook her head.
"During the last mission, I passed out at the end, and it was the Class Monitor who brought me back. Class Monitor, do you know?"
Seeing Kiana turn to her, Fu Hua shook her head, "I don't know either. During the last mission, this gem went missing and its whereabouts are unknown. Bella, why are you asking about this?"
"Is that so?" Bella was a little disappointed.
Alright, the clue was broken again.
Hearing Fu Hua's question, Bella waved her hand, "It's nothing, really. I just suddenly saw these four sentences in the library and was a bit curious."
"Is that so?" Fu Hua nodded, not pressing further.
And Bella, who was once again listlessly slumped on the table due to disappointment, did not notice the flicker of something unusual in Fu Hua's eyes when she heard her inquire about the Gem of Serenity.
-------
Above the Mediterranean Sea, within Midgard, the Destiny Headquarters' gigantic floating archipelago.
Otto raised an eyebrow as he looked at the glowing communicator in his hand, showing a request for a call.
Connecting the call, Otto said with a somewhat frivolous tone, "It's truly rare for you to contact me on your own initiative."
The person on the other end seemed to be silent for a while before speaking, "I've encountered a small problem here. I'm not sure…"
After listening to the person on the other end finish speaking, Otto smiled, "Is that so? It's alright. I'll arrange for someone to test her and see if your guess is correct."
Putting down the disconnected call, Otto pondered for a moment, then sent another message on it.
Before long, a young girl wearing a mask with a yellow glass-like eye patch, covering part of her face, came before Otto.
The girl respectfully said, "Your Grace, you summoned me?"
Otto nodded and said to Amber in front of him, "I want you to go to the Far East Branch to handle some matters."
After giving Amber some instructions, Amber withdrew to prepare for the relevant matters.
Otto looked at Amber's retreating figure, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"The Queen's Dependents, whose side are you on? Will your arrival become another shackles?"
"Things are indeed getting more and more interesting."
Inside the Valkyrie dormitory at St. Freya.
By the bed, a pair of red-framed glasses rested quietly on the table.
Fu Hua lay on the bed, her left hand spread on her forehead, and her right hand hanging over the edge of the bed, tightly gripping a communicator with a black screen.
Her usually tied-up gray hair was now loose, scattered across the bed.
Her pair of emerald eyes stared blankly at the ceiling.
"Did I make a mistake?"
Fu Hua knew that whether it was Kiana, Raiden Mei, or Bronya and Bella, they were all very good people.
At the most beautiful age of their lives, they should have been carefree.
However, she…
But soon, Fu Hua's previously bewildered eyes became firm again.
"But, to fulfill my promise to them, I will spare no effort."
"Even if the cost is my life!"
A night passed, and it was morning.
Bella was happily eating the breakfast prepared by Raiden Mei.
Suddenly, the communicator, which had been issued to her when she became an A-rank Valkyrie but had remained silent, vibrated.
Then a virtual screen appeared before Bella: "A-rank Valkyrie, Bella. You have a new mission."
Bella, with a bun still in her mouth, stared blankly at the mission that appeared before her.
She had just been thinking about it yesterday, and unexpectedly, a mission came today.
Bella was a little depressed; she had only just started a few days of leisurely (lazy) life.
"A mission, huh? Well, it's been a month, so it's about time for a mission."
Just then, Himeko, who had come downstairs and saw Bella looking depressed, walked over.
She glanced at the panel displayed before Bella's eyes.
"What mission? Click to see?"
Kiana, who was beside her, also curiously leaned over.
She had also gone (forced) on the last mission the Headquarters assigned the Class Monitor to investigate the Gem of Serenity in Singapore, and she felt it wasn't that difficult.
She just didn't know what Bella's mission would be like.
Bella sighed.
There was nothing she could do; the mission was right in front of her; she couldn't just pretend not to see it.
Bella clicked on the mission in front of her, and the mission details appeared before everyone.
Mission: Escort the investigation team personnel to Siberia for an investigation mission. (Note: The investigation team personnel will arrive at the Far East Branch today. Please be prepared to welcome them.)
"An escort mission, huh? That should be quite simple." Himeko patted Bella after reading the mission.
"And it's Siberia. Coincidentally, Headquarters sent word that when we went there last time, didn't we report that the Honkai Beasts there had increased for some reason?"
"Headquarters later sent people to clear them, but it seems some were missed, so they want us to clear them again."
Hearing this, Bella was a little surprised, "Teacher Himeko, are you going too?"
"Me? Of course, I'm not going. Why would I go to such a remote place for no reason? It's just snowy, and there's no alcohol to drink."
Himeko shook her head.
Bella was a bit confused, "Then what did you mean just now?"
"Isn't there still someone else?"
Himeko looked at Kiana, who was beside her.
"Huh?"
Looking at Himeko looking at her, Kiana was utterly bewildered.
How did Bella's mission involve her?
"What 'huh'?" Himeko patted Kiana's head when she saw her reaction.
"Do you know what score you got on last week's cultural theory class exam? Zero! You've completed so few missions this semester, and it's almost the end of the term. If you don't have enough credits, do you want to repeat the year?!"
Himeko then pointed at Bella, who was watching the scene unfold.
"Bella is new and a transfer student, and she got full marks on everything. Look at you!"
Bella, who got full marks, shrugged.
There was nothing she could do; it was talent.
Moreover, in the past month, to find clues for the four hints from the system, she had turned the library upside down.
She had read everything she should and shouldn't have. If she couldn't get full marks after all that, she would be letting down her title as a child prodigy in her previous life.
"I, I couldn't help it, and besides, if I go, I won't see Mei for a while again."
Kiana, who was beside her, looked a little wronged.
She always felt sleepy in cultural classes and couldn't learn anything.
What could she do? She was also desperate.
Himeko gave Kiana an annoyed look.
"You still say that? This time, following Bella's mission, Headquarters also gave us a mission to clear Honkai Beasts in Siberia."
"I can assign this mission to you so you can earn some credits. Otherwise, when Mei and Bronya upgrade, and you repeat the year, what will you do?"
No, no, not that kind of thing!
Kiana was terrified.
"Alright, thank you, Teacher Himeko."
Kiana hung her head dejectedly; it seemed she would have to leave Mei for a while again.
Himeko then turned to Bella.
"Although this time it's just clearing some remaining Honkai Beasts, the number seems quite large."
"To be safe, Bella, after completing the escort mission, you'll stay there and lead the team. You'll come back with Kiana then."
At this moment, seeing the pitiable Kiana, whose ahoge was drooping, Bella had a flash of inspiration.