Xia Qi sat obediently on the sofa in the dormitory, looking at everyone gathered around her, her expression calm as she spoke.
"Because Bronya really likes Teacher Himeko."
"In Bronya's world, Bronya and everyone else lived together with Teacher Himeko for three years, and then..."
[Bronya, don't tell everyone too much about the future. That was what your world's me told me.]
Fu Hua's calm voice echoed in Xia Qi's mind.
"Then some things happened. Teacher Himeko always took good care of Bronya. Bronya is very grateful to Teacher Himeko, so Bronya really likes Teacher Himeko."
"Is that so."
Theresa breathed a sigh of relief.
"I didn't expect you to care about me this much, Theresa." Himeko looked at Theresa with interest, immediately launching into a risqué joke.
"Too bad if you were just a bit taller, Theresa, I wouldn't really mind even if you are a girl~"
"Waaah! You pervert! You female hooligan, what nonsense are you talking about?!" Theresa's face instantly flushed bright red, and she unhesitatingly grabbed the nearest cushion and threw it at her.
"..."
Fu Hua sat to one side, watching Himeko with a subtly unreadable expression.
After a bout of chaos, everyone calmed down again.
From time to time, Xia Qi would lift her head and expressionlessly study them. However, Himeko and the others could clearly sense that Xia Qi's mental activity was extremely vigorous.
They could feel her excitement and joy, but also a deep sadness.
"Sister Mei in her previous appearance, and that idiot Kiana... Bronya really misses seeing you all like this."
Xia Qi looked at them calmly as she spoke, while also glancing at Bronya. She had been continuously exchanging data with Bronya just moments ago, learning from her about the help Raiden Mei had provided.
"Bronya... how did you become the Herrscher of Reason?"
Theresa looked at Xia Qi, her gaze filled with disbelief.
"..."
In response to Theresa's question, Xia Qi turned her head toward her and fell silent for a moment.
"Don't worry, Bronya. I believe in you..." Theresa said, looking at Xia Qi very seriously. This caused Bronya, sitting nearby, to feel a stir of guilt within her.
Her brain's emotional circuits hadn't been repaired yet, so at that moment she was merely analyzing what kind of feeling she should have in this situation.
However, the human brain is remarkably mysterious; unbeknownst to her, her emotions were gradually recovering.
"Many things happened in the future. The Core of Reason was entrusted to Bronya by the Overseer of Anti-Entropy." Xia Qi looked at them, her voice calm.
"Many things happened... and they entrusted even that to you..."
Theresa and Himeko both furrowed their brows deeply, feeling a sense of oppression and uncertainty.
What exactly had happened in the future?
Had the situation become that severe?
Even the Overseer of Anti-Entropy had...
"Can you tell us some of it?" Theresa looked at Xia Qi, her tone urgent and serious.
"Sorry, Principal, Teacher Himeko... and everyone."
Xia Qi said calmly.
"Bronya can't tell you about future events because that would inevitably change many things... and Bronya doesn't believe all those changes would be for the better."
"..."
Hearing this, Himeko and Theresa's brows remained tightly furrowed.
"I'm very sorry."
Being stared at by them made Xia Qi feel a bit uneasy, and even her calm, youthful voice carried a hint of awkwardness.
"It's alright."
Himeko nodded, then suddenly seemed to deflate.
"Theresa... I feel like I've suddenly lost my motivation..."
"Huh?"
Theresa didn't understand.
"Seeing my students after they've matured — before I've even had the chance to teach them much, seeing the people they become in the future... It suddenly makes me feel lost."
"Please don't worry, Teacher Himeko. Bronya is sure..."
Xia Qi looked at Himeko and everyone else, her expression turning very serious.
"Although we don't know why we came here, now that we have arrived — even though the general trajectory of this world might not change drastically — everyone here will definitely do better than we did."
She spoke to them calmly, but as she talked, her silver-grey eyes seemed to be shrouded in a haze, and Raiden Mei suddenly felt a sharp pang of sympathy.
She couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke Xia Qi's head.
"Bronya..."
"Sister Mei, Bronya is fine."
Xia Qi said calmly, then turned her gaze toward Bronya, her brow furrowing slightly.
"But... Bronya hopes to speak alone with the Bronya of this timeline sometime later."
"..."
Bronya was momentarily stunned, but then nodded.
"Okay."
"Oh, right."
At that moment, Theresa realized another issue. "Isn't it said that only one Herrscher with the same authority can exist in a world? But right now..."
"Bronya hasn't sensed any abnormal state."
Xia Qi looked at Theresa and said calmly.
"That's good, then. Bronya, you can live with us from now on."
Theresa looked at Xia Qi, her gaze very serious.
"Okay," Xia Qi nodded, but then shook her head. "But soon, Bronya will have some things she must do, so she'll need to leave for a while."
"Huh?"
Theresa's eyes widened slightly.
"But... Bronya will forever stand with the Principal, Teacher Himeko, and everyone. Please believe Bronya, at least on this point."
Looking at them, Xia Qi promised earnestly.
However, Xia Qi knew they believed her out of emotion; rationally speaking, she was full of questionable points.
Xia Qi thought hard...
What kind of reason could she give for Theresa and Himeko to trust her completely? She quickly searched through and considered various possibilities in her mind.
"Bronya, we believe you." Himeko said seriously from beside her.
"..."
Xia Qi looked up at Himeko, somewhat dazed.
"After all... you never left, did you." Himeko looked at Xia Qi, a gentle and proud smile on her face. "You're the Herrscher of Reason now. If you wanted to leave, none of us could stop you.
But you sat here and never left, talked with us about all of this, and tried very seriously and very cutely to make us believe you. But Bronya, have you forgotten one thing?"
"What thing?"
"We're family."
-------
A/n: New content and stories posted on my patreon go check it out!
patreon.com/deadlygoober