The one-sided beating of Siegfried lasted a full five minutes.
Although Lynelle's current body wasn't in peak condition, enhanced by the Herrscher core, she couldn't simply be dismissed as just a teenage girl…
In any case, by the time Cecilia's "personality-correction fists" had run their course, Siegfried's face was thoroughly bruised—and he hadn't dared use Honkai energy to heal himself.
After all… unless the pounding had addled his brains, he could've sworn he heard Lynelle say…
That the one beating him just now… was Cecilia?
"Ahem…"
Once Siegfried had been duly pummeled, Cecilia gently brushed off her hands and settled back into her seat with ladylike poise, returning control of the body to Lynelle.
Not a trace remained of her earlier ferocity.
"It might be a bit late to say this, but… sorry, Mr. Siegfried. Personally, I don't have that much of a grudge against you. But Senior Cecilia simply couldn't hold back, so…"
"N-No, it's fine!"
Siegfried, who had just straightened the sofa, shook his head hurriedly. "I'm built tough—a beating isn't a big deal. Besides… I probably had it coming."
"Over the years, both Welt and Ryoma have tried to console me, saying I had no other choice, that from a rational standpoint my decision wasn't entirely wrong… But I know very well—I wasn't a proper father. I failed Kiana. You can't just brush off your mistakes by saying 'I had no other choice'…"
"I'm glad you understand."
Lynelle nodded, a sly smile playing on her lips. "But I have a feeling that's not what you really want to ask right now, is it?"
"Ahem…"
Siegfried coughed awkwardly. "Y-Yes… Just now, you said… Cecilia, she…"
"That's right. She's alive. And not just her—Sirin is alive too."
With that, Lynelle turned toward Welt, whose jaw had nearly hit the floor. "Mr. Welt, you remember what I told you just before you left during the Second Honkai War, don't you?"
"That I had one last card to play… but only when all hope seemed lost."
Welt [stunned-old-man.jpg]: "Don't tell me…?"
"Exactly what you're thinking."
Lynelle reached out and peeled off the glove on her left hand. There, on the back of her pale, delicate hand, was a familiar crimson pattern that made both men stare.
"Well? Recognize this?"
"Th-That's… a Schariac Stigmata? No, that's not right. I've seen Cecilia's Stigmata before. The Kaslana family's Stigmata looks similar, but some details are different…"
Siegfried, who knew Cecilia's Stigmata intimately, didn't blink, his gaze locked on the pattern.
"It's indeed not a Schariac Stigmata, you know?"
Lynelle tilted her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "If you'd like, you can call it… the Cecilia Stigmata."
"After all, Cecilia's own consciousness is preserved within this Stigmata."
Crack—
Siegfried accidentally crushed the armrest of the sofa.
"That trump card of mine allows me to temporarily preserve someone else's consciousness in my body. At the end of the Second Honkai War, Sirin gifted me a core. With that core, I can do what you do, Mr. Welt—store a consciousness inside it and extend its 'shelf life.'"
"This Stigmata is the external manifestation of that ability. With the Stigmata as a medium, I can even let Cecilia temporarily possess my body and fight alongside me."
"The catch is, I can only use that card once. And even when Cecilia controls my body, she can't wield her authority. Compared to her original strength, this weak body of mine is pretty much a 'suffering account'…"
"It's fine…"
Siegfried seemed still dazed by the shock of it all. "Cecilia's alive… As long as she's alive, that's enough…"
"Oh, and Cecilia left a few words for you."
Watching Siegfried mutter to himself, Lynelle sighed. She raised her hand, and the Stigmata glowed with a gentle warmth.
The next moment, using the power of Corruption, she wrapped a stream of emotions—Cecilia's emotions—and sent them directly into Siegfried.
In an instant, Cecilia's longing, anger, heartache, concern… a storm of complex feelings burst open in Siegfried's heart.
He slumped into the sofa as if all strength had left him, not moving a muscle. Only the corner of his mouth twitched, lifting slightly before falling again. Even the rims of his eyes reddened.
"It seems Siegfried needs a moment to process… all this."
Lynelle stood up. "Mr. Welt, shall we talk outside?"
--+--
"Lynelle, putting aside the matter of Lady Cecilia, I have another question."
Soon, Welt and Lynelle found a quiet spot outside the room and began another round of information exchange.
"Earlier, I noticed you seemed particularly surprised when you heard about Kiana's core going out of control… Is there something unusual about that?"
"Of course there is. Because, in theory, it should never have happened…"
Lynelle tugged irritably at a strand of pink hair by her ear.
"I'll prepare a detailed report for you later. After all, it's not surprising that no one in Anti-Entropy has a mental-type ability—you wouldn't have the context."
"In short… there's something off about Kiana. I suspect Otto's behind it. At the very least, her core going out of control shouldn't occur under normal circumstances, and the emergence of a Herrscher personality is pure nonsense."
"Mr. Welt, if I said I wanted to go to St. Freya Academy and stay there for a few months, would you have a way?"
"Sure."
Contrary to Lynelle's expectations, Welt nodded without hesitation.
"What's so hard about that? If you want, you can stay not just for months, but years. Take your pick—student, teacher, even the cafeteria lady. Anything's fine, as long as you're not planning to kick Theresa out and appoint yourself as principal."
"...Huh?"
This time, it was Lynelle's turn to be stunned.
Based on the original storyline, she had assumed that even if Welt wanted to plant someone in St. Freya, it wouldn't be that easy. But by the look of things…
Had Anti-Entropy turned St. Freya into its Far East branch?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.