The Sovereign of Anti-Entropy's throne?
Cocolia's brow furrowed slightly. She leaned forward, her eyes fixed on the image of Otto on the screen.
"I am perfectly capable of taking the Sovereign's throne on my own."
In response, Otto let out a short, derisive laugh, as if mocking Cocolia's overestimation of her own abilities.
"Ms. Cocolia, I know you have a path to becoming the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy," Otto said placidly. "But how long will that path take?"
"Five years? Ten? Or perhaps... twenty?"
"And can you guarantee that Welt won't return during that time? Even though he is not currently with Anti-Entropy, his ties to it are numerous and deep."
"Hmph. From the sound of it, you know where our Sovereign is?" Cocolia snorted. She had no reason to be polite to Otto. She was from Anti-Entropy, and he was the Overseer of Schicksal. He had no authority over her, and she had none over him.
"You need not worry, Ms. Cocolia. Welt will not be returning any time soon."
One of the reasons Welt was hiding out at St. Freya Academy was to recover in a safe place. The injuries he had sustained were not light; even with the power of the Herrscher of Reason, he could not heal them instantly.
"However, with Schicksal's help, you could become the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy much, much faster."
"And what do you seek in return, Otto?" Cocolia asked, her voice low.
"I want the data for the Moonlight Throne," Otto stated slowly.
Cocolia's expression didn't change, but her hands clenched into tight fists.
How does Otto know about the Moonlight Throne!?
Cocolia's mind was reeling, a stark contrast to her calm facade. The Moonlight Throne was one of Anti-Entropy's highest-level secrets. Before she had become an Executive, she hadn't even known of its existence. The very reason she sought the Third Herrscher's Core was to use it in experiments to activate the Throne.
The Anti-Entropy Conservatives lacked the means to activate it and were even planning to "gift" it to Theresa, letting her figure it out. Cocolia had vehemently opposed that proposal.
But how could Otto possibly know?
Could it be... there was a mole in the Conservative faction?
Scapegoat Doctor.
Cocolia frowned. She was certain the leak hadn't come from her side, which meant it had to be Tesla's. Hmph, what a bunch of incompetent fools, good for nothing but ruining things.
"You know a great deal, Otto."
Hearing her words, a smile touched Otto's lips. Possessing knowledge of the future, he of course knew about the Moonlight Throne. He even knew that if Tesla's faction gave it to Kiana, Theresa would end up dismantling it and installing its engine into the Hyperion.
To think Tesla and Einstein actually believed Theresa was capable of doing anything productive.
"I know many things, and I want many things," Otto said. "Placing you on the throne of Anti-Entropy is only beneficial to Schicksal. After all, Tesla and Einstein despise me. Our conflict is irreconcilable. But if you were to become the Sovereign, perhaps there would be opportunities for us to cooperate."
Walter Joyce had died because of the original Otto, creating the deep-seated grudge. It wasn't until Otto's death in the post-Honkai era that Anti-Entropy finally returned to Schicksal's fold.
"That sounds like a very attractive proposal," Cocolia said, her eyes narrowing. Otto surely wasn't this benevolent; he must be scheming for something she didn't know about. "But how, exactly, would you help me?"
"Schicksal will provide you with technical and intelligence support to bolster your prestige within Anti-Entropy. Furthermore, we will keep Welt Yang occupied, leaving him no time to interfere."
Cocolia bowed her head in thought. To be honest, she was extremely tempted. With Schicksal as an external ally, she would practically have one foot on the Sovereign's throne. However, if the rest of Anti-Entropy discovered her secret cooperation with Schicksal, her own position would become perilous.
Otto watched Cocolia deliberate, his gaze shifting down to Bronya, who had remained silently on the floor.
He smiled faintly.
"However, I'd like to add a little something extra to our agreement," Otto said.
"Something extra?" Cocolia looked up.
"Ms. Cocolia, I've heard you run an orphanage, one filled with young girls who possess high Honkai energy adaptability. Some even have natural Stigmata."
Bronya's head snapped up. She stared at the smiling Otto.
She suddenly understood what he had meant by his earlier words.
In Bronya's eyes, Otto's smile was like a demon baring its fangs.
He was going to force a mother to sell her own children to him, right in front of one of those very children.
But she opened her mouth... and no words came out.
Perhaps... she wanted to see what Cocolia would choose.
"I want those children," Otto stated his demand.
Cocolia's brow furrowed deeply. The existence of her orphanage was no secret, but what did Otto want with them?
"What do you want them for?" Cocolia asked. As an Executive of Anti-Entropy, it was a perfectly logical question.
But it was not the optimal response for their "mother."
As their "mother," she should have refused without a moment's hesitation.
"With their excellent Honkai adaptability and natural Stigmata, they are prime candidates for becoming Valkyries. Who knows, there might be one or two Durandals among them," Otto said with a casual smile, showing no particular desire for the orphans. He spoke as if it were a mundane matter.
Like haggling at the market and asking the vendor to throw in a few scallions for free.
And the children of the orphanage were those scallions.
Cocolia considered it, and Bronya's fists clenched.
The longer Cocolia thought, the tighter Bronya's fists became, her nails digging into her palms.
Is this... something that even requires deliberation?
Aside from Seele, Bronya cared for the other children in the orphanage as well.
Cocolia, however, was incredibly tempted. If her children became Valkyries, wouldn't that be the same as planting her own spies within Schicksal? They would be her eyes and ears.
Of course, she would never hand over the children she was truly fond of—Bronya, Sin Mal, Rozaliya, Liliya. The others could easily be replaced by random children, or she could even send in those loyal to her. All Otto wanted were children with high Honkai adaptability.
But Cocolia certainly wouldn't say this to Otto.
She looked up at him and spoke the words that made Bronya's heart plummet into an abyss.
"Otto, I am very interested in your transaction."
"However, aside from the children of the orphanage, I will only give you the other items once I am seated on the Sovereign's throne."
With a few simple sentences, Cocolia had sold the children of the orphanage.
Just like that, the two began to negotiate the specific details of their contract. It had to be said, the conversation was quite amicable.
By the time the sun began to set, they had finalized all the details.
"Otto, I hope our cooperation will be a pleasant one," Cocolia said with a smile on her face, though in her heart, she was already plotting how to deal with Schicksal once she became the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy. Cooperation was only temporary. She was already studying her next opponent.
"A pleasure doing business with you," Otto replied, smiling as well.
His objective had long been achieved.
Bronya lay before him, her forehead pressed against the cold floor, completely motionless.
As if she were a cold corpse.