Time ticked by. Otto continued to play with Kiana's hair, but a frown creased his brow.
He had been waiting here for three hours. Why hadn't Theresa arrived yet?
Hadn't he emailed her the time and place last night?
It was almost time for lunch!
Could it be...
A thought suddenly flashed through Otto's mind.
Could Theresa have been slacking off and didn't see my email?
He felt his guess was likely correct. After all, he had dangled the "Siegfried's daughter" bait. There was no reason for Theresa not to bite. In fact, she should have rushed over to see her dear grandpa overnight.
"Ugh."
Otto pressed a hand to his forehead. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
Oh, Theresa, get some work done for once!
He took his communication terminal from his pocket, about to contact Theresa himself. Kiana, feeling his hands stop, leaned her head against his chest and looked up at him.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing."
Otto smiled, using his free left hand to gently caress Kiana's cheek while his right hand quickly searched for Theresa's contact information.
But just then, his terminal rang.
"Lord Overseer, Lady Theresa is approaching our position."
The call was from the veteran A-rank Valkyrie in charge of Nagazora City.
Little Theresa, you really kept your grandpa waiting.
Otto's expression remained unchanged, but he ground his teeth slightly.
"However, Lord Overseer... Lady Theresa is arriving aboard the warship Hyperion..."
The Valkyrie's voice was cautious. Otto tilted his head in confusion. He was familiar with the Hyperion, but why would Theresa bring that thing here?
He subconsciously glanced at Kiana, the kitten whose face he was still stroking. Could it be that Theresa's rebellion arc was starting a few years ahead of schedule?
That can't be right, can it?
"Fire a warning shot at the Hyperion. Then, inform them to land outside Nagazora City and have Theresa come to see me alone."
Theresa is the cutest in the world!
Otto was already a bit resentful that Theresa had made him wait for hours, so he gave the order decisively. Still, as he ordered the attack on the Hyperion, he felt a strange sense of melancholy.
If he remembered correctly, in the world of Honkai, this was Aunt Himeko's warship.
When he first arrived in this world, Otto had once dreamed of becoming the Hyperion's captain, using the ship as his bed and the sky as his blanket, spending his days frolicking with the girls.
Unfortunately, he was Overseer Otto.
Compared to the Hyperion, Otto felt the Glorious Covenant was a more fitting vessel for him.
"Otto, are you okay?" Kiana asked, looking at him with concern.
Otto moved from behind Kiana to stand in front of her, placing his hands on the back of her chair.
"I'm fine. The person coming to pick you up is almost here."
Kiana clutched the fabric of her clothes.
The time for parting was near.
"Don't look so abandoned, it makes it hard for me to let you go," Otto said, helplessly cupping her face. "You need to be obedient at your great-aunt's place, and don't cause any trouble."
"But it's okay if you do cause trouble. The most important thing is not to let anyone bully you."
"If you can't bully them back, go find your great-aunt Theresa. And if Theresa is useless, just wait until I come get you, and I'll handle it."
"Also, if you meet a teacher named Walter, stay away from him. He's a lolicons and a lobster-con."
Lobster Doctor.
After casually slandering Walter, Otto recalled that he was currently undercover as a teacher at St. Freya Academy, a fact Walter didn't even bother to hide.
He was even collecting a salary from Schicksal to support himself.
Unacceptable. I have to find a chance to badmouth him to Theresa, get her to dock his pay and pile on more work.
As for driving Walter away, Otto had no plans for that just yet. After all, he still hadn't put Walter-01 on the throne as the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy just to spite him.
"Okay," Kiana responded in a small voice. "I won't let anyone bully me."
Otto just chuckled. St. Freya was the Valkyrie's "starter village," after all. While the trained Valkyries there weren't as strong as those at Headquarters, they were still more than Kiana could handle.
But it was fine. Theresa would take good care of her.
Otto opened his mouth to say something more, but Kiana gave him a brilliant smile.
"You kind of feel like my mom."
Nagging and fussing over every little thing.
But... Kiana didn't dislike it.
"Compared to being your mom, I think I'm more interested in being your father."
Get it?
Otto ruffled Kiana's hair, but then his gaze fell upon her soft, pink lips, and an idea sparked in his mind.
He leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers.
Kiana's body trembled slightly at his sudden movement, as if she sensed what was about to happen.
"Let me... kiss you, okay?" he asked directly, without any pretense.
Otto gazed into Kiana's eyes, his hands resting on her shoulders. The atmosphere felt just right.
A kiss before parting wasn't too much to ask, was it?
His left hand tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, giving him a clearer view of her beautiful face. The simple gesture sent a rosy blush creeping across her cheeks.
A faint mist seemed to cloud her azure eyes.
"N-No," Kiana refused in a whisper.
Honestly, her rejection was a little unexpected. Otto's eyes widened slightly, but after a moment's thought, he understood.
"Sorry, I'm taking advantage of the situation." He apologized to her. It was true; his request did have that feel to it.
He stroked Kiana's head, but she just shook her own.
"N-No, that's not what I mean."
Her azure eyes looked up at Otto. Kiana had never been one to lack courage.
Looking at the man she relied on, the man who had cared for her, Kiana spoke softly.
"It's just... as long as you come back for me."
"When you do, I want to be the one to kiss you."
Active and passive were not the same thing.
"For now..."
Kiana pressed her soft left hand over Otto's mouth and grabbed the front of his shirt with her right. She arched her supple body slightly, tilting her long, graceful neck upwards.
Chu.
Her pink lips planted a kiss on the back of her own hand.
Separated only by a small palm, Kiana kissed Otto.
Having done this, the bold young woman pulled her hand away. The act was surprisingly embarrassing, making her want to cover her own flushed face.
"For now, this is all you get!"
To hide her wildly beating heart, Kiana averted her gaze.
But the ears peeking out from under her white hair were as red as blood.
Thump!
Otto's heart skipped a beat.
It felt as if all the blood in his body was rushing to his core. His cheeks grew warm, and he pressed the back of his right hand against his left cheek.
This was the first time he had felt... shy.
This Paramecium...
She was way too good at this.