Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 417: Raiden Mei, Dejected
"Mr. Sigurd, thank you for indulging my selfishness!"
High above the inner city, on an observation platform bathed in the glow of the setting sun, Raiden Mei appeared in a flash of lightning. Facing Sigurd—who sat with one leg crossed, framed by the crimson afterglow—she bowed deeply and solemnly.
On the day before the ceremony, allowing a Herrscher to move freely was no small matter. Moreover, conveying Sakura's feelings to Higokumaru—whose origin lay with Rin—was without doubt a powerful emotional stimulus. As for Jizo Mitama, Sigurd himself had openly acknowledged how important it was to him.
In short, Sigurd had permitted Raiden Mei's willfulness, and for that, she felt sincerely grateful.
"I don't like wasting words on idiots, nor do I care to put on fake smiles. But I'm not a heartless person either," Sigurd said indifferently as he toyed with a golden ancient sword—the very blade that would soon become a symbol of his authority. The tip angled slightly toward a chair opposite him.
"Sit."
"Yes!"
Raiden Mei followed his instruction, walked over, pressed down the hem of her skirt with both hands, and sat properly across from him—graceful, reserved, and impeccably well-mannered.
Sigurd raised his eyes, looking at the girl before him—youthful and beautiful, yet rigid to the point of tension—and let out a sigh.
"Do I put that much psychological pressure on you?"
"N-no, not at all! It's respect! Yes—respect!"
"Don't imitate Kiana or Sin Mal with their clinginess, but you do need to learn the composure the other girls have. I've already said this—you'll be my assistant from now on. You'll handle all kinds of matters at my side, and represent my will when dealing with the outside world. If you stay this tense around me all the time, you'll only exhaust yourself."
"…Mei understands."
Raiden Mei nodded politely.
Still, from the way her gaze darted away, Sigurd could tell she was far from relaxed.
He fell silent for a moment, then said, "Maybe I should pick someone else. You don't look very suited for this."
"No! I can do it, Mr. Sigurd!"
Raiden Mei sprang to her feet at once.
With the Honkai looming over the world, everyone should contribute what they could. For Sigurd to keep her at his side meant he acknowledged her ability—and Raiden Mei had no intention of losing that recognition.
"Mr. Sigurd, the women of the Raiden family will never betray trust!"
"Mm. Good attitude," Sigurd replied. "Alright, then take your time getting used to it. There'll be plenty of work ahead. If you keep carrying around pointless pressure, the one who suffers will be you."
"Yes, Mei understands!"
"Good. So, are you going to rest now, or stay and watch the sunset with me?"
Mei thought for a moment, then settled back into her seat.
Seele was in charge of dinner tonight, with Wendy helping out. Going downstairs now wouldn't give her anything to do, so staying to watch the sunset didn't sound bad.
Sigurd leaned the Xuanyuan Sword against the side, pondered briefly, and a cup appeared on the table. A transparent kettle floated in midair, slowly pouring hot water into the cup.
With dinner approaching, tea wasn't ideal. As far as Sigurd knew, Mei didn't have any particular favorite drink either.
So when it came to showing care and consideration toward a female subordinate, the only thing that came to his mind was—
"Drink more hot water."
"Ah? Oh— thank you, Mr. Sigurd."
Raiden Mei picked up the steaming cup and took a sip.
Warmth flowed from her lips into her body, spreading a comforting heat.
She let out a soft breath, and the stiffness in her posture eased slightly.
Only then did she feel calm enough to properly look at Sigurd across from her.
Bathed in the lingering glow of the sunset, that handsome face—usually so devoid of expression—seemed to soften ever so slightly. Those clear blue eyes were flawless, as if they held an endless sky within them: beautiful, steady, and inexplicably reassuring to look at.
"Why are you staring at me? Watch the sunset," Sigurd said. "It's been a long time since I've just sat here quietly, watching the sun go down like this… Though I suppose you're used to it, seeing as you've never really left."
"I—I– y-you're right! The sunset—yes, the sunset is beautiful!"
Mei lowered her head, replying a bit too quickly.
At this moment, Sigurd was focused on the sight of the sun slowly sinking past the horizon, and didn't notice anything amiss. He simply let out a long breath and said calmly,
"Don't you think this looks a bit like the curtain falling on a civilization?"
"Huh?"
"The final light—soft and beautiful—but what follows is a long stretch of darkness. The sunset is infinitely fine, yet it nears the dusk."
"But… the stars and the moon will come out too, won't they?" Mei replied instinctively.
She turned her head to look at the sunset as well. A crimson disc was slowly sinking into the seam where sea met sky, dyeing half the heavens a warm orange, and turning the distant horizon into dazzling gold.
"It's so beautiful…"
She murmured without realizing it.
She had seen this scene countless times, but perhaps because it was so familiar, she had forgotten just how breathtaking it truly was.
The corner of Sigurd's mouth lifted as he chuckled softly.
"You're right. There'll be the moon and the stars, and the sunrise the next day. It's not an ending. Still… I kind of feel like prying at the Earth's rotation, just to keep this moment around a little longer."
"That would affect the entire surface environment, wouldn't it…?"
Mei twitched the corner of her mouth. Thanks to her solid foundation in the sciences, she understood exactly what kind of catastrophe forcibly altering Earth's rotation would cause—
Tsunamis and earthquakes sweeping across the entire globe.
As expected of Mr. Sigurd, he said terrifying things so casually. Even more terrifying was the fact that he absolutely could do it.
"I'm joking. Don't be so tense."
"The problem is that you rarely joke, Mr. Sigurd! I really thought you were going to do it!"
"Hm. You'd actually get worked up over it, that mindset is pretty good. Keep that."
Faced with Raiden Mei's suddenly raised voice, Sigurd raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze to her face, nodding as he praised her.
Under Sigurd's gaze, Raiden Mei stiffened, then lowered her head, replying in a soft, timid voice,
"…Yes."
Sigurd shook his head and stood up.
"You keep watching the sunset. I'll go down and check whether Kiana and Senti have caused any trouble. See you in a bit."
"Yes!"
Mei stood and bowed respectfully.
Only after the figure carrying the golden sword disappeared down the stairs did she straighten up, unconsciously touching her forehead.
"Whew! I'm not sweating—I've improved—no, wait, why am I even happy about that kind of improvement!?"
Her face suddenly flushed red. Embarrassed and annoyed, she stomped her foot in frustration.
After venting a little, she slumped back into her seat, fiddling with her fingers as she muttered to herself,
"Normally, Mr. Sigurd isn't hard to get along with at all. So why am I being this useless? What's there to be nervous about? If this keeps up, how am I supposed to do my job properly? Useless Mei…"
"Ughhh!!!"
Covering her face with both hands, Raiden Mei sank into deep, wholehearted self-loathing.
<+>
Tn: I updated the story once every 2 days, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Current Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 464: Where Is Himeko?[1]
Link to the current chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/156227801?collection=95348[2]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed[3]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/posts/156227801?collection=95348
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/156227801?collection=95348
[3] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed