Chapter 165: I'm Going to Be Hooked by That Naughty Woman!
「 "Ever since we arrived on the Xianzhou, Blade's Mara-Struck condition has flared up so violently that even my Spirit Whisper couldn't suppress it. He's not fit for interstellar travel in this state."
Kafka's gaze fell upon Blade, who lay with eyes closed within the chamber.
"Therefore, I need to continuously weaken the effects of the Mara-Struck with my Spirit Whisper, temporarily sealing it away. Maintaining the Whisper demands my undivided focus, so I require you to act as my guardian. Protect me while I contain Blade."
"I know when danger will strike, and what form it will take. So, have no fear; together, we shall overcome this ordeal, and you will bear no negative repercussions."
Kafka had already foreseen the coming peril, so Stelle merely needed to cast aside her worries and join forces with her.
Kafka's first directive was for Stelle to clear out the wandering monsters nearby. This was a simple task; Stelle, wielding her trusty bat, dispatched them all in short order. Upon returning to their hiding place, she waited patiently for a while, until Kafka finally ceased her Spirit Whisper.
"…To open my eyes and see you, Stelle, it's been a long time."
"Blade's senses have been severed by me. Next, I must guide his consciousness away from the Xianzhou and your… associates. This process, too, cannot be disturbed, but before I begin, I can spare some time to answer your questions."
"My questions?" Stelle paused, taken aback.
"Indeed. As compensation for your assistance—do you not have any questions for me? I plunged you into slumber, then awakened you, abandoned you on Herta's Space Station, and then lured you to the Xianzhou; I owe you many explanations, do you not wish to know?" 」
「 .....」
〜Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World〜
"Of course I want to know!"
Stark shot upright from his chair.
It was evident to anyone with eyes that Kafka and Stelle were old acquaintances; the extent of their familiarity, however, remained a mystery.
"Judging by Stelle's combat prowess, she must have been a Stellaron Hunter before, right?"
Sein surmised.
"Blade and Silver Wolf both know her, and their attitudes are quite… nuanced. They've clearly fought side-by-side."
"But that doesn't make sense,"
Fern shook her head.
"Think about it carefully: Kafka, Silver Wolf, Blade, and the others are all intergalactic fugitives, with bounties boasting an untold number of zeros. Yet, there's not a single bounty on Stelle. If she were a Stellaron Hunter, how could there be no trace of her?"
"Moreover, if they were comrades, Kafka's demeanor seems exceptionally intimate, a closeness entirely different from what she shares with Silver Wolf or Blade…"
Stark's words took a sudden turn, as he ventured a bold conjecture.
"Speaking of which… could Kafka have a secret crush on Stelle?"
"Uh… a secret crush?!"
A blush immediately spread across Fern's face. She glanced at Stark, who was not far away.
"I don't think… so?"
"No?"
Stark tilted his head.
"Then why didn't Kafka call Silver Wolf over? Silver Wolf is incredibly powerful; acting as a guardian on the Xianzhou shouldn't be a problem for her, right?"
"If you ask me, she just wanted to create an opportunity to be alone with Stelle, didn't she? It doesn't matter that Blade's senses are sealed; this is the perfect chance to deepen their relationship! Right? Right?"
Seemingly quite pleased with his deduction, Stark proudly puffed out his chest.
Watching Fern behind him, her cheeks flushed with a hint of mischievousness, Sein rubbed his forehead in exasperation. He had once hoped these two might eventually get together, but now it seemed hopeless to expect Stark, this oblivious fool, to ever catch on.
—
「 Stelle did indeed have some questions, but just as she was about to ask, Kafka proposed a game of truth or dare.
The game had an element of strategy: both parties would ask each other questions, allowing for lies, but the answers had to be one truth and one lie. As for which was which, only the questioner could discern.
Kafka was short on time, allowing Stelle to ask two questions, but also requiring two answers in return.
The first question was inconsequential, with either a truth or a lie being acceptable. The real intrigue of the game lay in the second question. Thus, Kafka quickly posed her first question to Stelle: "What do you think about me?"
(Huh? What do I... think about Kafka?)
Facing Kafka's subtly smiling eyes, Stelle, about to answer, felt a flicker of panic. After some thought, she decided to lie for the first question.
Taking a deep breath, Stelle spoke: "I hate you."
"…Heh." Kafka's eyes betrayed little surprise; she maintained her smile, utterly unfazed. "See… just like that. It's quite simple, Stelle. You truly are excellent at concealing your thoughts."
It was Stelle's turn to ask. Due to her memory loss, she sought answers from Kafka: "Who was I before?"
"You?… You are a being unexpectedly created by an Star God, possessing a body but no soul. Elio guided me to find you, and it was I who granted you a soul."
"There's not much to say about your past. You remember me because I am the only one you've ever truly seen. When your soul was born, I was there by your side," Kafka stated calmly and confidently. 」
「 .....」
〜Type-Moon World, Carnival Phantasm Worldline〜
Emiya Residence—
"That must be a lie, right?"
"Hmm… I'm leaning towards it being the truth."
Saber meticulously analyzed Kafka's words, her brow furrowed.
"This woman speaks with such absolute certainty, regardless of what she says, making it incredibly difficult to discern truth from falsehood."
"If Kafka's words are true, then it would explain why Stelle can draw the gaze of both Nanook and Qlipoth, while others cannot. As such a unique creation, containing a Stellaron within her body would then make perfect sense…"
"But shouldn't an Star God's creation possess some more special abilities?"
Emiya Shirou recalled that when Stelle first appeared, she just went at it with a baseball bat, completely devoid of any unique traits.
"No, there are still some,"
Lancer said, shaking the beer can in his hand.
"What makes her different from others is that while everyone else's Path is fixed, she can switch between different Paths—wielding a bat signifies Destruction, while taking up a fiery spear indicates Preservation. Even an Emanator might not be able to do such a thing, I suspect."
"Pondering these matters is pointless for now; we'll have to wait for Kafka's second answer."
—
「 "I saw your expression—don't ask. I cannot tell you whether the answer was true or false. Indulge your guesses, and with that answer in mind, choose your next question. I hope your next question is interesting enough~"
"But before that, shall we continue our game of truth or dare? It's my turn again."
Kafka's lips curved into a gentle smile, like ripples spreading across a lake touched by a spring breeze: "Second question: Do you wish to see me again?"」
「 .....」