The Servant Summoning Circle couldn't save everyone in the end. Aaron knew that, of course.
Still, failing to roll Kallen's soul left him feeling a bit regretful.
After all, if Kallen's soul had returned, he could have just negotiated with Otto when the time was right.
Otto wouldn't have submitted immediately, sure, but—even so, it would have saved him a lot of trouble.
But now, all of that had turned to bubbles and burst.
Thinking about it, things really weren't that simple.
This was a place Kallen had visited. Otto must have come here more than once in the last five hundred years.
If there were any traces of Kallen's soul here, Otto would have found them long ago.
*Sigh*, no point dwelling on it. If I didn't roll her, I didn't roll her.
"Uhm..."
At this moment, Yae Sakura, embracing her deceased sister, suddenly looked up at the masked man before her. She bowed deeply and spoke.
"Benefactor, you freed this one from the Herrscher's curse and helped this one recover her deceased sister... This one does not know how to repay the Benefactor's great kindness."
"Oh, repaying me is simple."
Glancing at Yae Sakura and Yae Rin, who still hadn't figured out the situation, Aaron spoke slowly.
"Your sister is, after all, a remnant soul. She cannot maintain her existence for long. And I need subordinates who can become my hands and feet. So—if you two really intend to repay me, just relax your minds."
"This... Rin, listen to the Benefactor."
"Mhm, I understand, Elder Sister."
Upon hearing the news from Aaron that 'Rin cannot exist for long,' Yae Sakura felt a sharp pain in her heart, even though she had been mentally prepared.
But following that, knowing her sister could be saved, she immediately chose to trust his words.
If he truly harbored ill will toward them, there was no need for him to go through such a troublesome method.
She was no match for him; he could have simply used the easiest way to treat her as a plaything.
Instead, he not only helped her reunite with her sister in a special way but also immediately informed her how to solve the subsequent issues.
To doubt him at a time like this—Yae Sakura would not do something so excessive.
"Ah, let me test this out..."
Releasing the Power of Dominance and forming a soul imprint on both their foreheads, Aaron gently exhaled.
"Done. You two go squat in there for now. After all, you aren't really suited to staying outside."
Watching the imprints on their foreheads flash away, Aaron waved his hand and teleported the pair directly back into the Demon Castle.
Then, he turned his gaze to the gray-haired girl who had been wanting to speak but had remained silent.
"You've been standing there motionless, so I assume you have something to say. Well? Have you figured out how to start, little girl?"
"I... No, let me introduce myself first."
Bronya took a deep breath, feigned a calm demeanor, and spoke to Aaron.
"My name is Bronya Zaychik, a member of the anti-Honkai organization Anti-Entropy. I know Your Excellency possesses great power. And for Your Excellency to appear here, you must have thoughts of opposing the Honkai. So I thought—could Your Excellency please join forces with us, Anti-Entropy?"
"If Your Excellency agrees, I can apply to my superiors to share intelligence and some of the special technology we possess with Your Excellency."
*Hoh*, such formal language. She even put away her verbal tic of referring to herself as 'Bronya' to appear more reliable.
And during the negotiation, she corrected her attitude, knowing she was the one asking for a favor, and actively offered sufficient 'chips' after proposing the alliance.
"Ha, to be honest, if I didn't consider who the 'superior' you mentioned is, I might have actually been tempted."
Taking out a white plastic chair and sitting down, Aaron looked at the girl before him with immense calm.
"It's just a pity. If your so-called alliance means me becoming a thug for Cocolia, then forget it."
"Your Excellency..."
*Sure enough, this guy knows the relationship between Bronya and Mother Cocolia.*
*Just how much does he know about Anti-Entropy's internal affairs?!*
"Joining forces does not require you to become a member of Anti-Entropy. Besides, I do not think Officer Cocolia would be so senseless as to think she could order a mysterious powerhouse to fight for her with all his might."
"...You being so calm makes me feel awkward. And to be honest, Cocolia is way more senseless than you imagine."
Aaron looked at the girl who continued to maintain her composure and sighed slightly.
"Standing here in Nagazora City, both you and I should know what this city was like before today, right?"
"Of the millions of people in this city, certainly not all of them were good people, but the majority were innocent civilians. And now, because of the outbreak of the Third Honkai Eruption, they have all died in the Honkai Energy shockwave. Come, take a guess. Who is responsible for the Third Honkai Eruption?"
"...Of course, it is the Herrscher of Thunder."
"For a split second just now, you hesitated, didn't you?"
Although the expression on Bronya's face didn't change immediately due to her damaged emotional circuits, her heart had begun to panic slightly.
Under the gaze of those azure pupils behind the mask, Bronya felt as if her inner thoughts had been completely seen through the moment he mentioned the Third Honkai Eruption.
As one of the participants in this plan, Bronya naturally knew the truth of the Third Honkai Eruption.
It was true that the Herrscher of Thunder caused the outbreak, but the outbreak itself wasn't *only* because of the Herrscher of Thunder.
It was her adoptive mother, Cocolia, who single-handedly orchestrated Raiden Mei becoming the Herrscher of Thunder in Nagazora City.
And before facilitating Raiden Mei's transformation, Cocolia had countless opportunities to transfer Raiden Mei to another area, minimizing the casualties of the Third Honkai Eruption.
But she didn't do that.
There were many reasons.
For example, to prevent Schicksal from detecting the matter and intercepting it.
For example, because the Nagazora region was special and suitable for the 'ritual' of Herrscher awakening.
But in the end, Bronya knew Cocolia's actual reason very well.
In Cocolia's eyes, to accomplish great things, sacrifices must be made.
And the lives of these millions of people in Nagazora City were the things she sacrificed after weighing the options.
Perhaps in Cocolia's view, there was no need to take the risk of her plan failing by taking extra actions for people who could be discarded.
That was why Bronya hesitated before speaking.
"See, you actually know it very well in your heart. If the Herrscher of Thunder is the direct cause of this massive Honkai event, then Cocolia, who fueled the flames from behind, is the mastermind."
"I'm not blaming you. After all, in your position, you couldn't possibly stop Cocolia's actions. But, little friend, put yourself in my shoes—if it were you, would you be willing to cooperate with someone who just sacrificed millions of lives to execute a 'plan'?"
Thinking rationally, Bronya couldn't come up with any words to refute him.
She wanted to tell him about everything Mother Cocolia had done for the children of the orphanage, and the warmth she felt from her adoptive mother.
But the problem was, Bronya's emotional circuits were partially damaged. In this state, her rationality outweighed her emotions.
Rationality told her that even if she shared her feelings, he wouldn't change much.
Judging from the words this man spoke, he had actually already investigated quite a bit of Anti-Entropy's classified intelligence.
Under these circumstances, trying to move him with her emotions... that simply wouldn't happen.
*Think. Think about what other cards Bronya has to move him.*
*The intelligence source is right in front of me. If I miss this source and lose the chance to save Seele, Bronya will never forgive herself in this lifetime.*
"Even if you don't join forces with Anti-Entropy, it doesn't matter. I need Your Excellency's assistance, so I will fully assist Your Excellency as well."
"Oh? Okay, tell me, what can you assist me with?"
"I am very good at making money."
"I don't lack money."
"I... can become your subordinate. You just said you needed 'subordinates who can become your hands and feet,' right? I won't let you down!"
"No thanks. Apart from Yae Rin, who among those squatting in the Demon Castle isn't better at fighting than you?"
"This... Bronya's hacking skills can definitely help you!"
"Oh, that is indeed useful. But..."
Slowly standing up from the chair, Aaron strolled in front of the girl and looked down at her.
"Why should I trust you? You want my assistance, but in the end, all you're offering are empty promises you can renege on at any time."
"If there's no sincerity in the trade, then the deal is off."
*Trade... Yes, a trade.*
*Bronya is such a fool. Why keep thinking in terms of a trade?*
*This gentleman doesn't need money and doesn't look highly upon Bronya's abilities. Under these circumstances, Bronya simply cannot produce chips that would tempt him.*
*The path of trading is dead, then...*
"Ugh, I... I just want to save a friend..."
Recalling Seele's smile, Bronya combined her excellent acting skills and immediately let crystal-clear tears well up in her eyes.
"I just want to find a way to save my friend. Sir, is this wish too excessive?"
"Not excessive, but what the hell does that have to do with me?"
*Although I might save her if I have the chance, that's strictly 'if' I have the chance.*
*Wow, this brat is actually crying. If I didn't know your personality, I might have actually panicked.*
"But... but..."
Although plotting against her savior filled Bronya with guilt, the thought of the intelligence source slipping away from under her nose made her genuinely anxious.
And when people get anxious, they naturally don't have the leisure to care about things that are relatively secondary to them.
*No, Bronya cannot let this gentleman slip away.*
*If there's really no other way...*
In the next moment, Aaron felt a soft sensation against his body.
"Sir, please, help me. As long as you are willing to help me, I will do anything."
"Let go."
"No!"
*Ah, how did things turn out like this.*
*If I didn't know this brat's personality and background, I probably would have agreed to her by now.*
*But thinking about her personality, the chip in her brain, and the specific breed of bitch that is Cocolia—whom she hasn't broken away from yet—I really don't want to get involved with this brat at this stage.*
*Sigh, I should have just turned around and left at the start. Why did I have to stay?*
*Now the trouble is getting bigger and bigger—and I feel like I'm being morally kidnapped.*
*To be honest, I'm a little annoyed.*
"You'll do anything, right? You said it."
Taking out Jizo Mitama, Aaron unsheathed this Divine Key tachi before Bronya could react and stabbed it directly into the girl's body.
"You...!"
Stabbed by the tachi, Bronya instantly felt a wave of dizziness in her head.
"Why..."
*He clearly just saved Bronya, so why...*
"Sigh. Can't be helped. You are indeed pitiful, but I can't trust your mother who has a sickness in her brain."
"We just met; I can't expect you to cut off contact with your mom immediately and swear true loyalty to me. Under these circumstances, I can only choose this method."
"Relax, this strike didn't hit your vitals. As for other matters... ah, you probably can't hear me anymore. We'll talk about the rest later."
Watching the girl fall limply to the ground, Aaron immediately mobilized the power within him and used healing magecraft to treat the wounds on her body.
His strike wasn't meant to kill, so in an instant, Aaron's healing magecraft had already healed the girl's wound.
As for why he used Jizo Mitama, it was purely because the Authority of Erosion is a hard counter to technology types.
Although Bronya's abilities weren't particularly important to him, they did have some use. Plus, if this little girl went back to Cocolia today, Cocolia might infer some deeper intelligence from what Bronya knew, which could lead to new trouble.
Rather than letting her go back, it was better to think of a way to keep this brat by his side.
Of course, using the Authority of Erosion to manipulate her was indeed a bit despicable.
But well...
She actively requested to stay by Aaron's side to obtain intelligence from him to save her friend.
So it's not strange for Aaron to take some self-protection measures, right?