With the assistance of the world's ultimate strategist, Otto Apocalypse, deceiving or defying the organization was nearly an impossible feat.
Schicksal Headquarters was, in itself, an oppressive cage.
Everyone lived under the shadow of the "Demon Lord."
The so-called "free will" they enjoyed was merely a permission to roam within the confines of this cage. Any thought of breaking out or leaping beyond the bars was strictly forbidden—the ultimate taboo...
Kiana talked excitedly for over ten minutes before finishing her story. After a brief silence, Cecilia's voice came through the phone: "So, you risked exposure just to have us tip off Anti-Entropy about the assassination plot against Raiden Mei? You wanted to use the energy of the Anti-Entropy radicals to suppress those three Far East nobles... all because of that boy?"
"Mhm." Kiana's voice was tiny, so soft she could barely hear herself. "If I didn't, I was afraid those people would do something even more extreme when I'm not around... He's so impulsive; he'd definitely sacrifice himself for that 'bad woman.' This was the only way to make him behave a little. When I eventually have to leave, that guy is going to suffer for sure. I just hope he doesn't take risks like this again..."
On the other end, Siegfried had stopped his noisy antics. His face was a mask of worry and solemnity.
Cecilia's voice remained gentle, though it lacked its previous cheerfulness. "The news of Raiden Mei being a Herrscher vessel is definitely known by more than just those three nobles. You can help him once, maybe twice, but no more than that. You can't change that boy's personality. Sooner or later, he will pay the price for his impulsiveness, and you won't be able to step in and save him every single time."
"If you slip up even once and Overseer Kallen finds out, both your peaceful lives will come to an end—both his and yours... Kiana, it's not worth it. Your father and I worked so hard to secure these three years of freedom for you. The laboratories are truly dull, oppressive, and painful. I don't want your life to be devoid of even a final youthful fantasy. It would be too cruel. I'll find a way to resolve the matter of those Nagazora nobles without using the family's direct power. You just focus on living well. Enjoy your youth with children your age. Cherish... these last two years."
"I love you, Kiana."
"Mhm... I'll try my best to control my emotions and not do anything stupid. I love you both, too."
After chatting a bit more about trivial matters, Kiana hung up.
The night wind felt a bit lonely against her face.
Schicksal Headquarters.
Any individual with a combat rating equivalent to an S-Rank Valkyrie was assigned a dedicated, exclusive zone within the headquarters.
It was called a "reward," but in reality, it was surveillance. They were required to stay within their assigned zone most of the time; even if they wished to travel, they had to file a report and receive approval.
Alternatively, they could trade for brief periods of leave through other means—such as blood draws or cooperating with Honkai research experiments.
"What do we do? Maybe I should just give some blood and trade it for a few days to go to the Far East and find Kiana!" Siegfried rolled up his sleeve, revealing his muscular arm. "If this keeps up, I'm afraid Kiana will do something reckless and waste her precious freedom."
"And what would you do if you went? Beat the boy up? Or give him a pile of money to make him leave Chiba Academy, Nagazora City, or even the Far East? Use your brain for once. Didn't you hear our daughter? That kid is stubborn and overflowing with a sense of justice—just like you were back then..."
Worry was etched into Cecilia's face as well. If it were just admiration or a simple crush, it would be fine. But for Kiana to risk exposure to help him? That clearly wasn't a normal level of emotional attachment.
Siegfried ran his hands through his hair, his expression anxious. "Then what? We can't just watch Kiana keep taking risks! We have to think of something. Free time is the most valuable thing to a Kaslana or a Schariac, especially for Kiana! Other parents in the family can manage their children; we have to do our part too!"
"We certainly can't sit idly by. But we can't use money or threats either. If it's just a warning... I might have an idea."
"What? Wifey, you're the best! Quick, tell me, what is it?!"
Siegfried was overjoyed, looking even more excited than when he had passed his S-Rank evaluation.
Cecilia cleared her throat and opened a social media profile on her phone labeled "Niece."
Anna Schariac. A Schicksal A-Rank Valkyrie and captain of the Snow Lotus Squad. Her profile was filled with training logs and records of her scores from S-Rank Valkyrie evaluations. Her dream was to become an S-Rank Valkyrie.
In her photos, her pink eyes beneath short auburn hair were particularly striking. They didn't hold the warmth or romance typically associated with that color; instead, they were filled with grit and resolve.
Cecilia's impression of her niece: A battle maniac. Rigid, stubborn, yet incredibly responsible. Surprisingly good at taking care of others in certain situations.
Though she was female, she was also the "fiancée" Schicksal had prepared for Kiana. Both were the most gifted of the younger generation in their respective families, and because Anna spent most of the year abroad slaying Honkai beasts, Schicksal didn't place many restrictions on her.
If she wanted, she could easily take a month's leave.
Cecilia weighed the options carefully before making her decision. "Anna and I are very close; she can be trusted. If I make the request, she'll likely agree. We'll have her go to Chiba Academy to give that boy a warning—and monitor him while she's at it. We need to prevent him from doing anything extreme."
"It's not a perfect plan, but it's the only way. If we showed up, it would backfire. Just like when my parents intervened back then; you didn't say a word and just grabbed me to elope. Schicksal mobilized seven S-Rank Valkyries to hunt us down... We were caught in the end. It's only because I was the Holy Maiden of the Schariacs and you were the Kaslana heir that we didn't meet a worse end..."
Listening to Cecilia reminisce, Siegfried felt both nostalgic and a lingering sense of dread.
They had almost died back then. He hadn't expected his hot blood and bravado to be so fragile and pathetic against the weight of the entire system... to the point that he almost got Cecilia killed.
If the misunderstanding hadn't been cleared up—if their identities hadn't already made them a pre-destined couple—they would have been forced apart for life, a tragedy for the ages.
Back then, he could briefly reach S-Rank levels by forcibly activating his genetic potential, and Cecilia had already passed the S-Rank exam, meaning her base power was at that level.
Even so, despite having a one-hour head start on a plane to a foreign country, they were caught and brought back to Schicksal in less than three hours. They had absolutely no room to resist.
Therefore, it was fundamentally impossible for an ordinary, unremarkable human to be with Kiana.
"I hope everything goes smoothly." Siegfried took Cecilia's hand, praying with a solemn face.
A second later, he reverted to his usual punchable, jokester self. "Say, doesn't this feel like a manga plot? A classic flag. We, the big bosses, stay behind the scenes and send the naive Anna to contact the target. What if Anna ends up falling for him too, just like Kiana?"
Faced with Siegfried's joke, Cecilia replied with absolute certainty: "Impossible. I watched Anna grow up. Others might fall for someone, but she absolutely won't. Because... she only has one dream in her heart: to become an S-Rank Valkyrie. Beyond that, she has zero interest in anything. She even cut her hair short just to make fighting easier."
"That's why I can trust her with this. My only worry is that she lacks a bit of common sense. It'll be good for Kiana to teach her a thing or two—otherwise, when the two of them eventually end up together, they won't even know how 'intimacy' works."
"I hope I'm just being a jinx," Siegfried said, his playful smile fading. "I just want Kiana to live out the rest of her two years of school life happily. I don't even mind staying in the lab for an extra year if that's what it takes."
The two of them stood in silence within Schicksal HQ, praying for their daughter, hoping their precious girl could have a youth filled with memories worth keeping.
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