Carrying the deep-sleeping Kiana onto the battleship dispatched by Schicksal HQ, Otto estimated that she wouldn't wake up for at least a few hours.
After all, far too much had happened.
She was completely exhausted, both physically and mentally.
And this pocket of free time was the perfect opportunity for him to handle the remaining matters at St. Freya Academy.
So, he went to find Yae Sakura, who was currently busy moving bricks.
"Lord Overseer."
Yae Sakura had already adapted to addressing Otto this way. She had probably just gotten used to it.
No one had disturbed Otto and Kiana last night. Even though the sun was now high in the sky, no one had noticed that the Overseer of Schicksal and a certain white-haired girl had spent a very long time alone together.
Because St. Freya Academy had been severely damaged yesterday. Although there were no fatalities, the number of injured personnel was not small, and the number of destroyed buildings was even greater.
Theresa and Himeko were both swamped with work, so after Yae Sakura finished her rest, Otto had dispatched her to assist them.
Mainly because Otto hadn't wanted anyone bothering him.
However, seeing a thoroughly refreshed and invigorated Otto approach, Yae Sakura set down the work in her hands and fell into step beside him.
"Lord Overseer, did something wonderful happen?"
Looking at the radiant, glowing Otto, Yae Sakura felt that something about him was different today, prompting her curious question.
"Indeed, something wonderful happened."
Otto nodded.
A sweet rain after a long drought; meeting an old friend in a distant land; the wedding night; passing the imperial examinations.
Of the Four Great Joys of Life, Otto had absolutely no interest in rain or old friends, and as the Overseer of Schicksal, he certainly had no need for imperial exams.
But really, was there any man alive who would hate the wedding night?
Men were the type of creatures who wished they could be a groom every single night.
In fact, some wouldn't even mind skipping being the groom as long as there was a bride.
However, thinking of Fu Hua, Otto realized he needed to carefully manage the relationships between his girls, lest he end up getting stabbed in the back one day.
Yet, whether it was Kiana or Fu Hua, neither seemed like the type of girl willing to share her love.
Otto felt a slight headache coming on.
Whatever. They'll be put in the same squad in the future anyway. Their relationship will naturally improve over time.
As for Kiana's desire to stay at St. Freya Academy, Otto understood her reasoning perfectly, but he did not agree with it.
What could she possibly learn at St. Freya Academy?
Even if she went to Schicksal HQ, wouldn't Firefly still be able to teach her all the same?
Moreover, the vast majority of capable, promising individuals were currently stationed at Schicksal HQ. Rita and Durandal were roughly Kiana's age; they could compete with each other and grow together.
St. Freya Academy was nothing more than the Honkai world's novice village. Girls would eventually graduate from their sailor suits, boys would eventually bid farewell to their drills, and heroes would inevitably graduate from the starter village.
Strolling through the academy grounds, Otto deliberately avoided seeking out Theresa. He knew she was still dead set on keeping Kiana at St. Freya.
He was planning to secretly spirit Kiana away. If Theresa found out and started throwing a tantrum, it would be annoying to death.
Instead, he stopped in front of a fiery red-haired Valkyrie.
"Miss Himeko."
Hearing her name called and realizing it was the Lord Overseer, Himeko hurriedly dropped what she was doing, saluted, and spoke respectfully.
"Lord Overseer."
She absolutely did not dare to slight Overseer Otto.
Overseer Otto held the power of the purse for the Far East Branch. If she left a good impression on him, he might just increase their budget, saving Theresa from having to run to HQ and act spoiled every time they ran out of funds.
"What is the situation in the academy?" Otto asked.
Himeko didn't hide anything. "Although many Valkyries were injured, thankfully there were no fatalities. The destroyed buildings can also be repaired in a short amount of time."
"I can only say it was a great fortune amidst misfortune."
Of course it was! The entire Sea of Japan couldn't compare to how much water this Overseer intentionally let out for you people last night!
Because he had been terrified of accidentally beating the Valkyries into Valkyrie fragments, Otto had worked incredibly hard to multitask, manually micromanaging every single Titan that attacked the academy.
Otherwise, given the utter chaos when the academy was initially breached, Otto felt that the sheer number of Titans could have easily wiped out more than half the population of the school.
After all, while the mechs might not have been able to defeat an A-rank Valkyrie like Himeko, massacring helpless students would have been a walk in the park.
And if it had actually been Cocolia at the helm, she absolutely would have done exactly that.
"St. Freya Academy's defenses... are severely lacking," Otto commented flatly.
Himeko lowered her head, realizing this was the Overseer expressing his profound dissatisfaction. After last night, she also knew perfectly well that St. Freya's defenses were riddled with holes.
The academy had been peaceful and quiet for years. The moment they were struck by a sudden attack, they shattered like fragile glass.
This was their negligence.
If this were the old Far East, they would have been expected to commit seppuku to apologize. Fortunately, nowadays a deep bow was sufficient.
"However, Himeko Murata, have you ever considered taking up a position at Schicksal HQ?"
Otto didn't dwell on the issue of St. Freya Academy. Ultimately, this place was just Theresa's oversized toy box.
"Eh?"
Himeko, who had been bracing herself for punishment, looked up in confusion.
"Would you like to come work at Schicksal HQ?" Otto repeated.
He was overtly poaching from Theresa's corner.
This was a surprise prepared specifically for Firefly, and also a hostage to be held firmly in Otto's grasp.
With Mei, Bronya, Fu Hua, and Himeko all stationed at Schicksal HQ, Firefly would have absolutely no reason to demand Kiana return to St. Freya Academy, nor would she dare to act rashly and tear up her unspoken truce with Otto.
This was an overt, transparent scheme.
Otherwise, having someone constantly sitting inside his wife's head trying to incite marital separation would be incredibly annoying.
"Lord Overseer, I am very sorry, but I wish to remain at St. Freya Academy to help Theresa."
Despite her slight trepidation, Himeko politely declined.
It was impossible for her to just abandon her best friend.
"Actually, even without you and Theresa, St. Freya Academy would probably run just fine, wouldn't it?" Otto remarked mildly.
Himeko thought about it for a moment. Setting herself aside, if St. Freya suddenly lost Theresa... it actually seemed like nothing would really change at all.
Otto had deliberately brought up Theresa to give Himeko the subtle illusion that Theresa might also be heading to Schicksal HQ.
"Besides, your physical condition isn't very good, is it?"
Himeko wasn't a genius like Kiana or Mei; she was just an ordinary human. The only reason she could become a Valkyrie was thanks to an artificial stigmata.
But while the artificial stigmata granted her power, it was simultaneously eroding her body. It was the reason she had been forced to leave the Assault Squad at such a young age and come to St. Freya to teach.
Her body had long since been battered to pieces by the artificial stigmata.
"Headquarters has a method to cure you. You can treat it as taking a long vacation," Otto offered with a smile.
"Furthermore, if you possess the resolve to learn the truth... I can personally include a bonus gift for you."
"I will tell you everything regarding Ryusuke Murata."
Originally, upon hearing that her body could be cured, Himeko hadn't felt much. She believed her life had already peaked, and any cure would surely consume incredibly precious resources. She would rather leave such valuable opportunities for the younger generation. She was content to just grit her teeth and burn away the last of her remaining warmth.
But the moment she heard Otto's final sentence, her eyes blew wide open.
Because Ryusuke Murata was Himeko's father.
His mysterious disappearance many years ago was the primary reason Himeko had joined Schicksal in the first place.
Yet, despite searching desperately for years, and even after befriending Theresa, she had never been able to find a single trace of her father's whereabouts.
So why was her father's name suddenly coming out of the Overseer's mouth?
Overseer Otto... he knows about my father?!
"Himeko Murata, you are someone I hold in high regard. If you are willing to come to Schicksal HQ, you may ask me one question right now."
"However, do you truly possess the resolve to know the truth?"
Otto looked at Himeko with a calm smile.
Welt had chosen to bury the truth about Ryusuke Murata. But Otto intended to rip the veil off this hidden history.
To live an entire life in regret, or to face a devastating truth. Welt had no right to make that choice on someone else's behalf, so Otto was directly placing both options in front of Himeko.
And the truth was undoubtedly cruel.
Ryusuke Murata had betrayed Schicksal, deceived Anti-Entropy, backstabbed his alien friends, ruthlessly framed Welt, and had even used his own daughter as bait. He was an utterly deranged madman.
He was not a good father.
Himeko lowered her head. Otto didn't press her; he simply waited in silence.
"Overseer Otto."
A long time later, Himeko raised her head, her gaze fixed on Otto with an unyielding determination.
"My father... is he still alive?"
Himeko asked her question.
And without a single second of hesitation, Otto gave her the answer.
"Ryusuke Murata is dead."
For a fraction of a second, Himeko's heart stopped beating, and her breathing fell into chaos.
The father she had desperately searched for all these years... she finally knew what had become of him.
But why did the first news she received have to be his death?
She opened her mouth, the rims of her eyes turning a faint shade of red. In truth, she had harbored this premonition for a very long time. After all, if her father were still alive, he never would have avoided seeing her.
Looking at the trembling Himeko, Otto felt a touch of sentimentality.
If Kiana had just learned of Siegfried's death, she definitely would have thrown herself into his arms and cried her eyes out. But Himeko was incredibly strong. She stood perfectly still, her fists clenched white, her spine straight as a flagpole.
However, after a brief moment of thought, Otto decided it was absolutely necessary to add one more sentence.
"Ryusuke Murata's death had nothing to do with me."
The professional scapegoat, Otto, made it perfectly clear that he was absolutely not taking the fall for this one.
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