44. Cocolia, the Good Mother?
Cocolia—Gao Qi had experienced firsthand just how ruthless this woman could be.
After all, in the early storyline of Honkai Gakuen, Cocolia was the greatest enemy faced by the main protagonists.
The most terrifying part was that she successfully shattered Kiana's mental state, causing her to transform into the Herrscher of the End on the spot, directly destroying an entire civilization's epoch and accomplishing a feat that ordinary Herrschers couldn't achieve.
It couldn't be helped. In Honkai Gakuen, Cocolia was a woman who had lost her own daughter and became obsessed with resurrecting her daughter Natasha—she was practically a female version of Otto!
Of course, in Honkai Impact 3rd, Cocolia was purely a "civil war specialist," far inferior to Otto.
Considering that Raven was named Natasha, Gao Qi had even wondered if the two were mother and daughter—though in this world, Cocolia probably had no time for marriage or children.
After a year of interaction, Gao Qi also understood that Cocolia's love for the children in the orphanage was genuine—though this love was also deeply problematic.
"Don't joke around, Mr. Zero. As I am now, I don't deserve to be called a mother... Are you here to persuade me too?"
Hearing Gao Qi's playful remark about being "the kids' mom," Cocolia forced a bitter smile.
Although Cocolia had become a "mom," she had never imagined that a "dad" would show up later.
Besides, the two were close in age, with Cocolia being a few years older. Not only did the children think they were a couple, but even the later staff believed Gao Qi was the man of the house. They had spent a year trying to clarify the misunderstanding, to the point of exhaustion.
"I'm here to bring you food, so don't drag me into this. Here, let me give you a massage. You've been running around non-stop lately. Even if it's really some kind of sinister experiment, you must be exhausted."
Placing the meal in front of Cocolia, Gao Qi walked behind her, helped her take off her military uniform, reached out, brushed aside her smooth golden hair, and began kneading her shoulders.
For over a year, the two had often chatted like this in the evenings, mostly discussing parenting experiences.
"I wish you'd just stop me by force—you have the ability to do so, don't you?"
Leaning back comfortably in her chair, enjoying Gao Qi's massage, Cocolia looked up at him with her purple eyes. "Zero" had never concealed his power during missions, so how could Cocolia not know how strong he was?
"I still remember twelve years ago. Back then, I was a stubborn fool clinging to justice, sending my monthly salary back to the orphanage.
"I discovered evidence of Bronya's father embezzling military supplies, but he framed me and had me thrown in prison. If the Honkai outbreak hadn't killed him, I might have ended up in a military court.
"I stole a car, and inside was Bronya's pregnant mother. We couldn't outrun the Honkai and were about to be overrun by Honkai beasts. In despair, someone saved us all. He happily dropped us off at a safe location and then left.
"After that, I decided I wanted to become someone like him, someone who helps the helpless."
…Was it her?
Gao Qi recalled that Cecilia had indeed saved Cocolia and Bronya's mother.
"And now, I have to sacrifice my children... Just like Raven said, I'm utterly unworthy of being their mother."
In front of Gao Qi, this resolute and cunning woman rarely showed a vulnerable side. She glanced up at him, studied his expression, and grew even more despondent.
"Yes, I do oppose you, Cocolia. But I'm not opposing the experiment—what I oppose is your attitude toward the children."
Gao Qi smiled and reached out, tapping Cocolia's head lightly.
"Huh?"
Cocolia was taken aback.
Based on Gao Qi's experience, he could neither stop the X-10 experiment nor prevent the Third Honkai Eruption. Such major events would unfold regardless of his attempts to stop them, even if in a different form.
But perhaps a different form—one Gao Qi could intervene in—would be enough!
Gao Qi knew he could change something—people, their very perspectives.
Fu Hua, Kiana, Mobius—Gao Qi had forever changed them with love and companionship, thereby influencing the course of the simulated storyline. He needed to do the same for Cocolia and the children.
"I know everything you're doing is for the children's sake. But have you ever considered that, regardless of whether the children are willing, you've already made the decisions for them?"
"Of course, they don't understand—"
"See how arrogant and self-centered that is? You're always so stubborn, Cocolia. You're using love as an excuse to treat the children as your possessions, not truly seeing them as sensible individuals equal to you. You make the decisions, you agonize over them, and you send your children to their doom burdened by guilt."
Gao Qi locked eyes with Cocolia. The only decent thing this Anti-Entropy executive had done was raising several of Gao Qi's future wives. He acknowledged her love for the children but refused to acknowledge her as a good mother.
"'I'm doing this for your own good'—the moment you utter those words, you're not giving them a choice, are you?"
From the X-10 experiment to using artificial Honkai to destroy Nagazora, then seizing the Gem of Desire in New Zealand, during which she twice directly controlled Bronya via a chip to attack her comrades, the last time nearly frying her brain—Cocolia's initial "love" would gradually descend into obsession.
"If you keep using 'loving the children' as an excuse, you'll only keep hurting them in the future. Let me ask you again, Cocolia: Do you truly love the children?"
This time, Gao Qi's voice was no longer gentle but filled with a condescending质问.
Cocolia fell silent.
"The only reason I'm saying all this is because of the you Raven and I have seen over the past year, Cocolia. If you continue down this path, all you'll get is the children's hatred and your own madness. I've said all I have to say."
With that, Gao Qi swiftly walked out of the room, leaving Cocolia alone, stunned.
Outside, Gao Qi was unsurprised to find Raven eavesdropping by the wall.
"...You're quite the eloquent one."
Dressed in a maid outfit, Raven crossed her arms. Seeing Gao Qi emerge, she offered a rare compliment.
"Hey, I hope it has some effect."
Gao Qi was willing to persuade Cocolia because, at this point, she hadn't yet started her descent into obsession. She hadn't truly sacrificed any of the children under her care or committed terrible crimes. A couple of years later, Gao Qi wouldn't bother trying to persuade her, and it would likely be futile.
Similarly, if Gao Qi could simulate a return to five hundred years ago, he would also be inclined to help that still-idealistic young romantic, Otto.
After all, watching good people slowly slip into obsession was quite disheartening.
However, Gao Qi didn't believe he could successfully persuade Cocolia. For real success, it would probably require someone like Cecilia, who had a life-saving debt, to intervene personally.
But even a little change would be good.
Back in the office, Cocolia sat dazed in her chair for a long while before finally allowing herself a faint smile.
"Ha, I knew you wouldn't agree with me."
——————
That night, in the hallway, Bronya was walking in a certain direction while lost in thought.
From the darkness, a pair of hands suddenly reached out toward her back.
Thump!
Those hands didn't push her down the stairs, but instead gave Bronya's shoulder a gentle pat.
"Bronya, hey, stop! Listen to me!"
Bronya turned around to see Sin Mal, who had always been at odds with her, frequently mocking and ridiculing her.
"What? Bronya has important things to do. After finishing work today, tomorrow I'm going to town with Father to pick out swimsuits for everyone."
Bronya's expression remained indifferent. Although she had come to understand the meaning of joy and sorrow like a normal child, that was only reserved for those close to her. Sin Mal, whom Bronya didn't like, naturally only received her cold shoulder.
As for the important matter—it was naturally clearing the new game.
"Hey! This is really important! You promised Mom you'd participate in the X-10 experiment, right? I heard this experiment has a high mortality rate! You're so weak, you'd definitely die easily. You don't want Seele to be sad because you died, do you?—Give this chance to me!"
Holding an experimental data form, Sin Mal still wore her usual arrogant expression.
But upon hearing her words, Bronya's expression was no longer indifferent, instead turning somewhat curious.
"You... Sin Mal, you want to take the risk for Bronya?—You care about me? Bronya didn't expect that."
However, hearing Bronya's retort, Sin Mal immediately exploded!
"Who, who cares about you! I don't care if you live or die, you idiot! The reason I want to go first is because I'm stronger, stronger than you! And you're so favored by Dad... if you died, Dad and Mom would definitely be very sad..."
Though putting up a tough front, Sin Mal grew less and less confident as she spoke, her eyes even reddening.
"I... it's not like I'm that likable anyway, noisy and annoying... if I weren't around, maybe everyone would be happy..."
In truth, Sin Mal was terrified of death, more so than anyone else. This comical yet pitiful sight made Bronya couldn't help but smile.
"Hmm, about being noisy and annoying, Sin Mal, you certainly have self-awareness. But if you weren't here, Father would definitely be very sad too."
Then, Bronya reached out and, mimicking Gao Qi's manner, gently patted Sin Mal's head. The gesture instantly made Sin Mal's nose sting.
"Wah— I... I don't want to die either, and I don't want you to die, Bronya... I don't want Dad to be sad..."
"There, there, don't think about it. In a few days, we're going to the beach with Father to play—no matter the outcome, let's enjoy the present life, Sin Mal."
Neither of them noticed that, not far away in the darkness, Gao Qi and Raven were hidden, watching the scene before them, their faces filled with the relieved of an old father and a big sister.
Not to mention Sin Mal, at least through Gao Qi's efforts, Sin Mal had become a pretty good kid.
"Then... what about Seele?"
Lowering her voice, Raven pointed to a blue-haired girl not far away, peeking out from the shadows. Although she had gotten along quite well with the Seele inside her body over the past year, without entering the Sea of Quanta, she could still only utilize weak Stigmata power.
"That's her own choice—and Cocolia's choice."
Gao Qi shrugged and silently followed. Seele took a deep breath, clenched her small fists at her chest as if steeling her resolve, and ran towards Cocolia's office.
[You've decided, Seele? I know much more than you humans do, and I understand how dangerous your experiment is. Ordinary children would almost certainly die. Even with my protection, it's likely you won't succeed. A greater possibility... is opening the door to that Sea.]
As Seele ran, another voice in her mind stated a cruel truth.
[The result? Maybe you'll survive, but you'll go to another world, never to see Big Sister and... that guy again. Are you really willing?]
Hearing her friend's words, Seele hesitated for a moment as she ran but didn't stop.
"Yes, yes, I know. If I'm gone, Daddy and Bronya Big Sister will be sad. But... but everyone has always protected me. Seele... Seele wants to protect them too!"
In that instant, Seele's expression became resolute.
"After all, going to that so-called Sea is always better than really dying. And... Seele has never seen the sea before..."
Thus, Seele strode with determination towards Cocolia's laboratory.
Bzzzz—
When Seele entered Cocolia's office, Cocolia was standing before a buzzing machine, watching a stack of papers slowly feed into it.
"Um, that... Mom, I—I never told you, my Honkai energy adaptability is stronger than everyone else's. I... I want to take Bronya Big Sister and the others' place in the experiment!"
Pulling open her collar to reveal the crimson Stigmata of Death, Seele made her request to Cocolia in the loudest voice of her life.
"Hmm? Seele, you... the Stigmata, it really is."
Cocolia turned around. Though somewhat surprised, her face wore a relieved smile.
"There won't be any experiment, Seele. There won't be. There will always be ways to solve Honkai erosion, but until then, I won't sacrifice a single one of my beloved children... Thank you."
Watching the shredder reduce the X-10 plan to pieces, Cocolia reached out and hugged the stunned Seele.
Then, she brushed back her blonde hair, wearing a somewhat proud, even slightly provoking smile as she looked at Gao Qi, who stood at the door looking slightly surprised.
"So, which guy was it who just said I was a selfish and stubborn person?"
And Gao Qi, wide-eyed, looked at the woman before him who seemed somewhat unfamiliar.
Cocolia—turned from a radical to a conservative?!
[Just like that, in a way you hadn't anticipated, Cocolia abandoned the X-10 plan. She told the children of her decision and vowed never to harm them again for any reason.]
[Cocolia's transformation surprised even you, but she said she could finally sleep well at night.]
[Anti-Entropy's experiments would continue, but never at the cost of the children's lives. This didn't mean Cocolia was no longer cold, but it raised her bottom line a little.]
[You weren't sure how much impact this change would have on the future, but you knew your simulation rating this time would be very high. You also understood that, this time, the Will of the Honkai would definitely throw you a huge curveball—you had to be prepared for it.]
[But regardless, you were happy to see Cocolia truly become an excellent mother.]
[Two weeks later, as promised, you went with the children, along with Raven and Cocolia, to play at the nearest Sea.]
[Then, as if on purpose, the door to the Sea of Quanta opened at an Anti-Entropy laboratory on the seabed.]
[The entire research institute was almost instantly swallowed, and within it, some kind of twisted creation was released.]
[They had come to kill you.]
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?