"Pfft—"
Lynelle, who'd been watching the show from inside her own body, completely lost it.
"Senior Cecilia... she's actually this sneaky?"
[Of course! Mama Cecilia is the legendary natural-born schemer. She's usually all gentle and kind, but when it's time to be devious, she's seriously impressive...]
Customer Service Kiana-chan chimed in, a trace of lingering fear in her tone.
"And you have the nerve to say that!"
Lynelle shot a flustered and indignant look at the whistling Customer Service Kiana-chan.
"You're not even trying to keep up the act anymore, are you? And do you have any idea how awkward it was this morning with Cecilia giving me that teasing look!"
Ahem, since you've pretty much figured it all out anyway, there's not much point in me still trying to act...
Customer Service Kiana-chan desperately tried to shift her gaze away, avoiding Lynelle's accusatory stare.
As for the remaining truth, I'm not telling! Also, just a friendly reminder, some of your current guesses about me are actually wrong... not that it matters much, though.
"Hmph, fine, don't tell me. It doesn't affect me anyway..."
Lynelle let out a light snort. "By the way, let me ask you this. Since you're Kiana herself, what about that previous Customer Service Ely..."
[That was Elysia herself, of course. But the time she can appear is very limited. After all, there's quite a gap between the Finality and the Origin, especially after you left... but that's getting off topic.]
[Also, my dear host, you wouldn't actually think about giving your poor System Spirit a bad review, would you? Sob sob, I'll throw a tantrum, you know?]
"Other System Spirits become their host's wife! I've never seen one like you, who pushes the host onto someone else instead!"
Lynelle huffed, puffing her cheeks in anger. "Look at how proper Elysia was; she just left me an Elysian Realm Signet and went on her way."
[Really now... I'm not so sure about that. Host, you're seriously underestimating your own charm, you know?]
Customer Service Kiana-chan's voice suddenly took on a deeply meaningful tone.
[After all... in the previous first playthrough, the first one who couldn't resist 'devouring' you was a certain Miss Pink Elf♪?]
"...Huh?"
Lynelle jolted in shock, instinctively wrapping her arms around herself. "Suddenly I feel like there isn't a single safe place left in the entire Honkai world... No wonder I had to make a run for Star Rail."
[Well, that title of 'Maiden Magnet' of the Hyperion wasn't for nothing, you know? Everyone loves Lynelle.]
"Whatever, at least it means my harem is big enough."
Lynelle tried to find a silver lining in her misery.
[Hehe... alright now. Mama Cecilia seems to be almost done explaining over there. Hurry up and get back to piloting your 'account.']
Feeling she'd already leaked enough information, Customer Service Kiana-chan promptly ended the conversation unilaterally.
Meanwhile, at the valley entrance, a group of "old-timers" from the Second Honkai Eruption era had also finished exchanging information.
"I see... So that's what happened..."
Salome wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "This is wonderful! With the Captain revived now, does this mean our Snowwolf Squad has a chance to reunite?"
"Reunite? Have there been any news about Shigure Kira and Shub-Niggurath?"
Cecilia asked urgently. "Lynelle told me before that they just went missing during the Second Honkai War and that it's very likely they're still alive... I thought she was just trying to comfort me."
"Huh? Lynelle even knows about that?"
Now it was Salome's turn to be stunned. "I'm on good terms with Durandal, the current strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal—you could say I'm her teacher's teacher."
"When Durandal was young, she had a strange experience drifting through a World Bubble. There, she met Shigure Kira."
"Kira told Durandal that she and Nicholas were saved by an organization called the Sugars and have fully recovered from their injuries... However, to repay the debt for saving them, they've temporarily stayed behind with the Sugars to help them."
"To be honest, Kira's situation sounds quite good as it is."
Lixue shrugged. "Salome and I still have people we care about within Schicksal, so we can't leave. But working under Overseer Otto's watchful eye every day... it's inevitable we face some restrictions."
"Right, right! Especially since, to prevent us from building up our own significant influence, he won't assign us to local branches. We're stuck at Headquarters, relegated to teaching or logistics—fields that aren't considered too important..."
Salome quickly nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry... When the time is right, I'll help you give Otto a good thrashing."
Cecilia could only offer a wry smile, comforting these two subordinates who were "tattling" to her.
In the Snowwolf Squad, Cecilia's gentle nature had always cast her in an older sister role. Being able to experience this dynamic again after all these years filled Cecilia with a deep sense of nostalgia.
"However, it's about time. This place is still within Schicksal's sphere of influence. Staying too long could lead to unnecessary conflict... It's time we said our goodbyes."
"Yes, just knowing that you have a chance at resurrection is enough to keep me happy for a whole year!"
"But..."
Unlike the joyful Salome, Lixue seemed somewhat worried. "Captain, although we covered our tracks when we set out, this operation of yours will probably still end up on Otto's desk eventually... Is that really alright?"
"Don't worry, that shouldn't be a major issue."
Cecilia shook her head. "If Otto really takes any action against Lynelle because of this..."
"Then who ends up defeated is still up in the air."
--+--
"Amber, what was the specific time frame for this intelligence report?"
"Reporting to the Overseer, it was around 3 PM this afternoon."
"So that means..."
A hint of amusement flickered in Otto's eyes. "According to the reports filed by Miss Salome and Miss Cheng Lixue, they discovered that Benares had been 'stolen' upon arriving in Siberia?"
"That is correct, Overseer."
"Heh..."
Otto stood up and retrieved his terminal.
"Overseer, are you planning to...?"
"Modifying someone's status."
Otto opened Lynelle's information file and decisively changed her status from "Unknown" to "Alive."
"In this world, there are only two people who could command Benares to vanish so quietly without a trace. Sirin is currently at St. Freya Academy, so who it was in Siberia requires no further guesswork."
"The question now is... with Welt in Manila and Lynelle in Siberia, which one is the true objective of Anti-Entropy's plans..."
"By the way, Amber, were there any Valkyries who met my criteria present during the Manila Honkai Eruption?"
"Unfortunately, Overseer, perhaps due to the regional limitations of the area, the performance of the local and nearby Valkyrie branches during this major eruption was... less than satisfactory."
"The only one who performed reasonably well... was a Valkyrie from the Schariac family, originally assigned from Headquarters."
"No matter. Every capable individual counts. Notify Headquarters to prioritize the training of this young girl, Ana."
Otto sighed. "With Lynelle's return, Anti-Entropy's strength is bound to increase rapidly... If our mid-to-high-level combat power can't keep up, we'll be at a severe disadvantage in the future."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.