At this moment, Cecilia watched as Leo Ash easily used a few words to resolve some of the knots in her daughter's heart, and she felt a deep sense of relief.
From the moment she met her daughter, Cecilia had been struggling with whether to tell her the truth about what happened back then.
In the end, even after she chose to tell her daughter these shocking facts, Cecilia was still very worried that her daughter would fall into depression, unable to accept the truth.
However, Leo Ash, who was watching everything unfold, seemed to have anticipated this situation, using what sounded like a prepared speech to soothe her daughter's heart.
Admittedly, if one were to scrutinize Leo Ash's words, they weren't entirely flawless.
But right now, with her daughter's emotions in turmoil, what she needed was affirmation from others.
At a time like this, even if there were minor flaws in Leo Ash's words, as long as they could comfort her daughter's heart, those issues were not a big deal.
As for Leo Ash, after confirming that Durandal was feeling a bit better, he looked at Cecilia.
"Lady Schariac, you've just been reunited with... Kiana. You must have a lot to say to her."
"Mr. Welt, Mr. Su, and I have other matters to discuss, so we won't disturb you any longer."
"As for Bianka..."
Glancing at the emotionally conflicted Durandal, Leo Ash suddenly said with a playful smile.
"We'll be leaving in a bit, so you can cry and whine in your mom's arms to your heart's content."
"I will not cry!"
Looking at her slightly angry daughter, Cecilia suddenly felt a bit worried about her future.
In fact, right now, apart from the little girl over there who was still completely clueless, the rest of them—Su, Cecilia, and Welt—could clearly see that Leo Ash was just making strange remarks to divert Durandal's attention.
And in the face of Leo Ash's attempt to change the subject, Durandal fell for it with remarkable ease.
Leo Ash's actions were for her daughter's good. Logically, Cecilia, as a mother, should be happy that her daughter had such a considerate friend.
But...
Sigh, Kiana is so easily fooled. If she continues to spend time with Mr. Ash, and if Mr. Ash has any such intentions, he could surely wrap her around his little finger.
Because of Siegfried's mistake, this child has had no one by her side for so many years, and no one to guide her in these matters.
The only 'elder' she had a close relationship with was that bastard Otto.
The thought of her daughter living such a life all this time made Cecilia's heart ache, and she hugged her daughter even tighter.
"Mother?"
"Kiana, let's go chat somewhere else. Let's not disturb Mr. Ash with his important business."
I have important business too—Durandal wanted to retort.
But the warmth radiating from her mother's embrace ultimately made the usually strong-willed girl choose to obey her mother at this moment.
After watching Kiana and Cecilia leave, Welt glanced at Seele, who was still confused, and spoke to her softly.
"Seele, you have two friends recuperating at Anti-Entropy's base. I can take you to visit them."
"Eh? Really?"
Hearing Welt's gentle words, Seele subconsciously looked at Leo Ash, seeking his permission.
Sensing Seele's thoughts, Black Seele could only think...
Ah, she's even more of a lost cause now.
[Seele, you're an independent person! Why do you need his permission to go see your friends?!]
Eh, but Brother Leo worked so hard to save us...
[It was so easy for him! What part of that was hard work?!]
Anyway, Brother Leo rescued us. It would be rude to just leave like this.
"Go on, it's fine."
Sensing the questioning look in Seele's eyes, Leo Ash said to her.
"Commander Welt is a good person. He won't harm you."
[Hmph, you can't be sure, after all...]
After all?
Black Seele wanted to say, 'Your own mother used you for human experiments, so what makes you think Anti-Entropy is any better,' but considering how that would reopen Seele's emotional wounds, she swallowed the words back down.
This is hopeless.
Even if we wanted to leave now, the people here...
Even though admitting defeat isn't my style, just from the energy they're unconsciously emitting, even if you include that white-haired bimbo and the blond bimbo, we're still the weakest.
I don't want to entrust our lives to this group of people whose true intentions are unknown, but for now, it's better not to make enemies of them.
Only after leaving the Sea of Quanta did Black Seele realize that she was still not in control of her own destiny.
Logically, she thought that with the Stigmata and her help, she and Seele should be considered very powerful Honkai Energy warriors in this world.
But from the moment they met Leo Ash until now—how is everyone he knows so strong???
With this doubt in her heart, Black Seele did nothing and allowed Seele to follow Welt's lead.
After everyone had departed, Leo Ash and Su looked at each other and...
—simultaneously let out a helpless sigh.
"Mr. Ash, you've worked hard."
"I'm alright. It's Mr. Su who has been running around that has truly worked hard."
However, the two who had just sighed, possessing a great deal of information, knew very well—now was not the time to relax.
[Ah, all the girls are gone.]
[Host, this is really not good of you. When Durandal needed comforting, you could have struck while the iron was hot and claimed her.]
Even at a time like this, you're still pushing that angle.
[And not just Durandal, the way Seele looks at you is already not right. It's a buy-one-get-one-free deal, aren't you going for it?]
No, isn't this the time for serious business?
[Let this System see here—that's what you're really thinking???]
[You tryhard!]
If I don't try hard, I'll end up a dead dog. So not only will I try hard, but I'll make both my personalities try hard too!
[This System has seen plenty of people who can turn a serious conversation lewd in a few sentences.]
[But people who can turn a lewd conversation serious, and do it so naturally, this System has rarely seen.]
After all, the situation is really bad right now.
Now that I'm back, based on the Honkai's previous moves, It will definitely cause even bigger problems.
The current situation is: Honkai makes a move → we must solve the problem → solving the problem will inevitably lead to us pacifying or recruiting more Herrschers → the faster we deal with the Herrschers, the faster that day will arrive.
As for the idea that the Cocoon of Finality still has more than three years until it fully awakens—the Honkai has already accelerated things to this point. Who knows if the Cocoon of Finality won't just forcibly awaken and start its grand finale.
"Mr. Ash, how much do you understand about the current situation?"
Seeing Leo Ash lost in thought, Su asked him.
"Did Miss Bianka tell you about the situation on the way here?"
"She did, but not much."
Recalling the scene he had just witnessed, Leo Ash felt a massive headache coming on.
"That Kiana girl, she's already in trouble, isn't she."
"Yes, and not only that, the Key of the Void was also taken by Miss Kiana."
"And Miss Mei and Miss Yuna, because their conditions were poor after their battle with Kevin, had their cores taken by Miss Kiana's Herrscher Personality on that day."
Hearing the information from Su, Leo Ash could only feel...
—Annoyed.
Although the timeline and major events didn't match, the Gem of Conquest and the Gem of Serenity that were absorbed by Sirin in the original story still managed to return to her.
What kind of bizarre worldline convergence is this?
From a practical standpoint, in the face of the current Schicksal-Anti-Entropy alliance, even a Sirin with three cores isn't an unbeatable foe.
In the original story, Sirin was able to go on a rampage because Otto misled Durandal, telling her the sacrifices wouldn't be too great, and held her back from joining the battle.
At that time, Su had already ascended, and Old Yang was tied up with Kevin. With these three powerful fighters out of the picture, Sirin was able to fight so smoothly.
But now, according to Leo Ash's calculations, if Sirin dared to show her face, even without the Key of the Void, Su could use Welt's Quantum Teleportation System to bring everyone to Sirin's location in minutes.
And the fact that Su was still looking troubled clearly meant that Sirin hadn't made a move during this time.
It doesn't make sense. To be so cautious even after obtaining three cores and a Divine Key, is this Sirin's style???
In the original world, the reason Sirin often fumbled her advantages was largely because she would lose her head when she got arrogant, abandoning the mobility advantage of the Herrscher of the Void's powers to stubbornly fight head-on.
Many times, if she had just been a little bit calmer and retreated when things looked bad, her opponents, while not necessarily losing, would have had a much tougher fight.
Now, a cautious Sirin has appeared—one who seizes opportunities to steal cores and then hides to bide her time.
Leo Ash kind of wanted to curse someone.
But he didn't know who to curse at this moment.
"However, there's no need for Mr. Ash to be too worried."
Seeing the silent Leo Ash, Su adjusted his expression and said with a smile.
"Although Kevin hasn't given up on the Stigmata Project, he still stands on the side opposing the Honkai."
"This time, after Miss Kiana stole Miss Mei's and Miss Yuna's cores, Kevin, upon learning of the matter, has already informed them of a way to retrieve their cores through special means."
"And recently, after calculating that the success rate of this plan is not low with the help of Schicksal's research team, the two of them have already begun preparations to take action."
"Once they retrieve their cores, even the Herrscher Personality of Miss Kiana, no matter how patient, will most likely not be able to sit still."
"Hmm... I roughly know what they're planning to do, but I have a question."
Thinking about how Raiden Mei re-condensed her core within her body through the singularity and Honkai Energy in Nagazora City before joining World Serpent, Leo Ash, noticing that some details were off, suddenly asked Su with a puzzled expression.
"That's not right. In others' eyes, our relationship should be terrible. Even if they're cooperating with Anti-Entropy now, it's impossible for them to share such classified information with you so openly."
"Ah, that is indeed true."
Hearing Leo Ash's question, Su nodded slightly.
"Although Bishop Theresa does wish to cooperate with us further, Mr. Otto's secretary, Miss Amber, strongly opposed the matter."
"But... obtaining this information is not difficult for me."
"I left a clone at the Schicksal headquarters, disguised as a Schicksal member."
"And after leaving the clone, I used it to emit psychic fluctuations to steal that information—for me, it is not a difficult task."
Hearing Su state this method so naturally, Leo Ash was reminded...
—The man before him was definitely a good person, but at the same time, he was a ruthless individual who would stop at nothing to achieve his grand objective.
Many people, including Leo Ash, had a very good impression of this kind doctor because of his actions, thus classifying Su as a 'good old man.'
But in reality, if you consider what Su did in the original timeline...
To carry out the Observer Project, Su decisively, after Kevin started the Stigmata Project, didn't hesitate to use force to imprison Kevin within the Seed of Sumeru.
To select the successor he deemed worthy of entrusting everything to, he unhesitatingly captured Bianka and, after Bianka expressed her disbelief, began his inheritance trial with a forceful attitude.
Even in this world, Leo Ash hadn't even gotten close to the Thames River, yet he was still forcibly dragged into the Seed of Sumeru by Su.
For such a ruthless person, leaving a clone to eavesdrop with psychic powers probably wouldn't cause him any psychological stress at all.
It's a good thing this person is an ally and essentially a good old man. If Su were on the same side as Kevin right now, with his abilities and execution combined with Kevin's destructive power, the threat these two would pose to their enemies would be more than just doubly increased.
"However, Mei and Yuna are preparing to re-condense their Herrscher cores..."
After a brief moment of thought, Leo Ash looked at Su with a peculiar expression.
"You actually already have a plan, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. It's just that this plan is not exactly friendly to Miss Yuna and Miss Mei."
Hearing Leo Ash's words, Su very frankly opened a data screen.
And upon seeing the data Su displayed, Leo Ash's eye twitched.
He wasn't a researcher, but he knew that such detailed data analysis wasn't the work of one person.
This must be the analysis summary that the Schicksal research department came up with based on Yuna's and Mei's physical data, right?
You even got this... oh, I forgot he's a psychic MANTIS.
For a psychic MANTIS, hypnotizing some ordinary people is as easy as breathing.
Damn it, it's a good thing Su isn't an enemy. Otherwise, with his brain and his execution, all our intel would be stolen by him in an instant.
Not noticing the frantic complaining in the heart of Leo Ash, who was still maintaining his 'poker face,' Su continued to lay out his preliminary plan based on the information he had.
"According to the data analyzed by Schicksal headquarters, Nagazora City has been in a delicate state ever since the Third Eruption."
"At that time, Nagazora City, which had 'birthed' two Herrschers, should have erupted in a terrifyingly large-scale Honkai Eruption, destroying everything around it."
"But because Miss Mei forcibly suppressed the power of her Herrscher core just as the large-scale eruption was about to occur, the catastrophe that should have come was ultimately reduced to an eruption that only destroyed the suburban areas."
"While this saved the millions of Nagazora residents who should have perished, it also meant that the singularity failed to fully open."
"In a singularity that hasn't fully opened, with two Herrscher Hosts trying to condense their cores at the same time, while success is likely, it will probably take much longer than imagined."
Hearing Su's analysis, Leo Ash immediately picked up where he left off.
"You said it's not friendly to Mei and Yuna because you plan to use them as bait to lure Sirin, who will notice the problem with the cores, to Nagazora City, right?"
"Precisely. This plan has certain risks. If it weren't absolutely necessary, I would not want to use such a plan."
"But now—we really are out of time."
"Mr. Otto has been lying low for almost a month. With him in the shadows and us in the light, he will inevitably make even more drastic moves for his plan."
"At the same time, the Honkai has been almost silent this past month, which could also be a prelude to something It is plotting—otherwise, with Its cunning that allowed It to outwit everyone at Jiuyou, It would have made a move long ago after you went missing."
Yes, Su is absolutely right.
If I were the Honkai, I would definitely seize the opportunity to cause trouble while the 'Herrscher of Binding who defeated Kevin and hates the Honkai' is missing.
And the fact that things seem calm now means the Honkai is definitely planning something big.
At that moment, Su, who was watching Leo Ash, saw a cold glint flash in his eyes.
"Mr. Su, leave Yuna and Mei to me for now."
"This is, after all, a problem our Schicksal created, so now..."
"—As a Knight of the organization, I must go and settle things with the Herrscher the organization created."
...