On the west bank of the Thames, adjacent to Westminster Bridge and Big Ben, stands the Palace of Westminster, the core landmark of British politics.
The building is commonly known as the Houses of Parliament, where both the House of Lords and the House of Commons are located.
In the popular imagination, the House of Commons, which holds legislative power, is clearly more powerful than the House of Lords, which is often seen as a symbolic institution. The 650 members of the former are all elected representatives of political parties, a symbol of the democracy the West has long championed.
However, what many do not know is that the unelected life peers, hereditary peers, and religious lords of the House of Lords have always been responsible for matters related to the Honkai.
In this world where the mundane and the supernatural coexist, the nobles who hold the lineage of power are the true uncrowned kings hiding behind the scenes of this nation.
And today, in the southern chamber of the Houses of Parliament—
"Order!"
"Order!"
Unlike the House of Commons with its diverse membership, the lords of the Upper House, who prided themselves on their nobility, were not supposed to descend into such a chaotic scene brimming with a vitality usually reserved for the burgeoning of all life.
But judging by Lord Speaker McFall's repeated hammering of his gavel and his shouts, one could feel the turmoil that currently filled the chamber.
Once the room had quieted down somewhat, the Lord Speaker frowned at the Royal Guard officer who had just burst in. "You're saying that Rita Rossweisse's father, Alexander Rossweisse, has been kidnapped by that Galaxy Ranger who escaped from Schicksal a while ago?"
"Yes, my lord!" the officer saluted.
"I see. You may leave."
After dismissing the subordinate, Lord Speaker McFall's gaze swept over the members below. "Does anyone have anything to say on this matter?"
Asking for opinions rather than taking immediate action?
Many of those seated raised an eyebrow, immediately understanding the Lord Speaker's subtle intentions.
"What is there to say? Didn't the intelligence department report that Rita Rossweisse herself has already set foot on English soil? It's her father; let her save him herself."
A sarcastic voice came from the left. Lord James, who had only recently inherited his viscountcy, chimed in seamlessly.
Flicking the silver circlet on his coronet, he complained, "The Administration is extremely busy. We have to haggle with those upstarts from Anti-Entropy and deal with the spatial quakes caused by the World Bubble convergence. Where would we find the manpower to spare?"
Another blonde lord nodded in agreement. "I also disagree with offending those madmen, the Galaxy Rangers, for the sake of an outsider."
That's right, an outsider.
Rita was indeed born in Manchester, England, but at the age of twelve, she was recommended by the A-rank Valkyrie Ragna to train at Schicksal HQ. The total time she had spent back in her homeland since then was probably less than a month.
After she was promoted to A-rank Valkyrie, the higher-ups in Britain did try to approach her and curry favor. The booming business of the Rossweisse Flower Shop was but a minor footnote to their efforts, and suitors were endless.
Unfortunately, Britain's utter lack of virtue made it difficult for the common people to feel a sense of belonging to their country. In the face of the lords' overtures, Rita had always maintained a superficial harmony, with no intention of deepening the ties between them.
—Since you're not one of us, if something happens to your family, we naturally can't be bothered to intervene.
Durandal, that once-in-a-century monster, is one thing. But you, who barely scraped by with an S-rank thanks to the Argent Knight: Artemis battlesuit, think you're worthy? My dog could reach S-rank if you strapped it into a 4th-gen Schicksal battlesuit!
It was clear that the previous two were not the only ones who held such views. "Besides, didn't Rita Rossweisse bring this upon herself? If I recall correctly, she was the one who personally captured and imprisoned that Galaxy Ranger named Boothill. It's only natural that he would seek revenge."
"Exactly! This is a critical moment for handling the World Bubble landing. What if something goes wrong!"
There was a saying on the Honkai side of things: When you're in trouble, you can ask any passing Galaxy Ranger for help, and most of them will be eager to assist. But when you're not in trouble, the Galaxy Rangers themselves are the biggest trouble.
As a member of the Permanent Five, Britain was certainly not afraid of a medium-sized organization like the Galaxy Rangers. It was, after all, the former British Empire. Even in decline since World War II, a direct confrontation would undoubtedly spell the end for those desperados.
The problem was, offending a group of stubborn fanatics for a Valkyrie whose loyalties lay elsewhere was a deal that simply wasn't worth it.
"But we can't just do nothing," the gentle parish bishop to the Lord Speaker's right finally spoke. "We can deploy various units, including the Argent Cavaliers and the Royal Dragoons, throughout London."
"To maintain order?"
"No. To provide all support short of actual help."
"The usual, then," Lord Speaker McFall chuckled, invoking their tacitly understood four-stage strategy.
First, you claim that nothing is happening.
Then, you claim that something may be happening, but you should do nothing about it.
After that, you claim that maybe you should do something about it, but there's nothing you can do.
Finally, you regretfully state that maybe you could have done something about it, but now it's too late.
The kidnapping of Alexander Rossweisse was, at best, a trivial footnote in the meeting. Soon, these noble lords moved on to discuss more important matters.
A Royal Guard soldier who had been standing by the door listening to the entire proceedings left the chamber under the pretext of using the restroom. She made several turns in the corridor and arrived at a secluded chapel.
A woman with long, gray-gold hair was kneeling in prayer in the nave. Hearing the footsteps behind her, she immediately stood up and hurried over to the soldier.
Lifting a beautiful face that bore a strong resemblance to Rita's, yet possessed a more mature charm, her voice trembled with piety. "Lady Doreen, my husband, my poor Alexander—"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Emily," the soldier said, averting her gaze, unable to meet the pair of hopeful, moist eyes.
Emily Rossweisse, Rita's mother and Alexander's wife, a lucky soul who had escaped the incident by attending a tea party hosted by her fellow society ladies.
"Ah..."
Hearing the words that all but sealed Alexander's fate, Emily's strength seemed to drain from her in an instant.
She staggered backward, only managing to stay upright by grabbing the back of a pew.
"They were the ones who wouldn't let Alexander and me leave the country, who swore that we wouldn't be troubled by these things..." Emily murmured, unable to stop herself from covering her face and weeping.
As the captain of Schicksal's assassination squad, how could Rita not know how much she was hated?
The world was never short of vile people. Since they couldn't defeat the powerful S-rank Valkyrie, targeting her family was a natural alternative.
This was a blessing and a curse. Forget the Honkai world, even if you compared her to all of fiction, being a superhuman with both parents still alive was an extremely rare achievement.
The trope of the webnovel protagonist orphanage was no joke. Look at the Hyperion; the four of them couldn't even scrape together one living mother.
Considering that her family might be targeted for revenge, Rita had tried several times to bring her parents to Schicksal HQ to care for them and keep them out of harm's way.
Whatever else you could say about Otto, his employee benefits and welfare were top-notch.
And that was when Great Britain made its move.
The higher-ups swore that Rita's parents would be safe, but they flatly refused to let her take her last weakness away, preferring to keep it in their grasp just to spite her.
To this end, they even advised the Queen to grant Alexander the empty title of Baron, truly embodying the name of "shit-stirrers."
There was a reason Rita didn't want to get close to these higher-ups. One could say the Rossweisse family had fallen into villains' hands from the moment they were born. That villain's name was Great Britain.
As Rita's biological mother, Emily bore a striking resemblance to her daughter in both looks and figure.
The passage of time had only made this fine wine more mellow and exquisite, and her tear-streaked face now held a heart-wrenching pity.
Even the female Royal Guard, a woman herself, was momentarily dazed and instinctively wanted to reach out and comfort this poor soul who was about to lose her husband.
But a petal fell from the air and landed on her nose, carrying the faint fragrance of a rose.
"I've heard the details."
The doors of the chapel were pushed open from the outside, and the metallic clang of armored joints echoed through the hall.
A tall knight in silver armor walked in against the light, his wine-red hair like a blazing cape.
"Argenti... Your Highness?" the female guard stammered, a mixture of admiration and fear welling up in her heart as she looked at the newcomer's handsome face.
She had secretly informed Emily of the House of Lords' decision in violation of regulations. If it were traced back to her, losing her job would be the least of her worries.
"Please do not worry, Lady Doreen Marcus," the tall man called Argenti said magnanimously, sensing her unease. "I believe that if the House of Lords had decided to honor its promise and protect the Rossweisse family, a person of your noble character would not be here. Instead, you would be standing proudly as a guard of the English Royal Family."
"Your Highness..."
"And you, Mrs. Emily."
Argenti walked over to Emily, who was slumped in her seat, and knelt on one knee, his handsome face filled with self-reproach and apology. "I am deeply sorry. As much as I detest the outcome of their deliberations, by law, I have no authority to interfere or veto it."
"But just as I cannot interfere with the decision of the House of Lords, the High Council cannot interfere with my right as a citizen and my freedom to act courageously for a just cause."
He placed his right hand on his sword and his left over his heart.
"Now, permit me to swear an oath to you in the name of the Goddess of Beauty, whose glamour is peerless!
Whether hellfire burns my body, or the abyss's breath consumes my bones!
Though the gales may break my banner, the downpour corrode my armor, and the sharp blade press against my neck!
Even if the stars fall to ash, the holy light is extinguished in the eternal night, and thorns pierce my palms!
I, Argenti of the Knights of Beauty, shall reclaim your beloved from that scoundrel's grasp!"
...
Leaving the Houses of Parliament, Argenti looked up at the sky. Rain clouds swelled and climbed in the reflection of the CBD's glass curtain walls. Concrete-colored clouds devoured the skyline, cutting the office buildings into jagged silhouettes.
He said to himself, "I thought the rain would stop soon, but it seems to be getting heavier."
"Whether it stops or not, you should always bring an umbrella."
As the reluctant voice sounded, an umbrella opened above Argenti's head.
He turned, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. "Villette, my dear friend!"
"Stop, stop, don't act like we haven't seen each other in years."
Villette, his adjutant, shifted the umbrella in his hand a little closer to Argenti and complained, "What's the plan now?"
The House of Lords had made it clear they would not get involved in the kidnapping case, which meant that all related departments would not cooperate.
For the two of them to find two people in a city of over 1,500 square kilometers and nearly ten million people would be only slightly easier than finding a needle in a haystack.
Of course, knowing Argenti as he did, Villette figured his idiotic prince would probably—
"Rest assured, Villette. I have already received a revelation from the Goddess of Beauty."
Here we go again!
The man put a hand to his forehead. "Yes, yes. So, what's the revelation this time?"
"It is a person. If we find him, we will find the answers we seek."
"As for his location..."
Argenti raised his silver-gauntleted hand and, following the feeling in his heart, pointed in a direction.
And that direction was precisely Kensington Gardens, where Fuli was at that very moment.
"Right, investigate the crime scene. Got it."
But Villette was obviously unaware of this. Rationally concluding that Argenti wanted to head to the Rossweisse residence, he took out his phone. A moment later, a luxurious sports car appeared before them.
At the same time, at the Raiden residence, Argenti's target.
Mobius's departure had not alerted the two guards standing post at the gate. They remained standing ramrod straight, as if they hadn't even noticed the hip-swaying outsider.
Inside the residence, Fuli and the others had not lost their desire to continue their conversation because of her few words. Everyone present was a veteran of many storms and understood that good things come to those who wait.
Raiden Ryoma sighed and picked up the topic that had been interrupted. "I don't have much else to say. Since Mei doesn't want to go back to Argentina with me and wants to live with you, as her father, I only hope that you will treat her well."
"Don't worry, Uncle!" Fuli pointed a finger to the sky. "I swear on this lamp, if I ever treat Mei even a little bit badly in the future, may I be healthy and prosperous for the rest of my life!"
"Father! Look what you've pushed Yuan to..." Mei, in the middle of her complaint, paused and turned to Fuli with a smile. "What did you just say?"
Trying to have your cake and eat it too, huh? Taking all the good stuff for yourself?
"I mean, to have such a capable and wonderful girl like Mei to manage the Hyperion, I'd be willing to be cut into a thousand pieces!" the boy muttered under his breath. "It would be even better if she spent a little less, though."
Ryoma frowned, about to say, "What's wrong with my daughter spending a little of your money?" when he suddenly recalled the long string of bills Mei had submitted for reimbursement.
His displeased expression instantly turned to one of sympathy. He thought to himself, To be able to accept such a spendthrift—such a heart-stopping level of financial expenditure without batting an eye, this kid Fuli really is good to Mei.
He cleared his throat and reminded him, "As the head of the household, you need to keep a firm grip on the finances."
"Don't worry, Father," Mei said with a slight smile. "I have that under control."
I'm not talking to you! I'm telling your boyfriend to rein in your habit of spending money like water!
Ryoma complained inwardly, then added, "But a man should always have some private savings. Mei, you can't be too strict about that."
The smile on the young woman's lips gradually faded. She placed her hand on Fuli's wrist.
Her sharp nails felt the powerful beat of his artery as she said softly, "Yuan."
"Y-yes?"
"Do you have any private savings?"
"No!"
Mei's excellent upbringing would never allow her to embarrass her boyfriend in front of outsiders.
Raiden Ryoma was not an outsider.
"Father, Yuan says he has no private savings," the young woman said, retracting her hand in satisfaction. "And he won't in the future."
You definitely added that last part yourself!
Ryoma and Fuli screamed simultaneously in their minds.
The former, as a father, finally stood his ground for once. "This won't do."
Mei narrowed her violet eyes. "What won't do?"
The air suddenly grew cold.
"I'm talking about the Hyperion's financial problems," the man said, not intending to back down this time. "I've looked at your financial records. To be blunt, even if I were the leader of the Hyperion, such extravagance would not be sustainable for long."
Cultivating a genius was truly expensive, especially an all-rounder like Mei who dabbled in everything.
"We've actually reviewed this," Fuli said, immediately sitting up straight as he saw Ryoma express doubts about his sponsorship. "It was my indulgence and irresponsibility as the boss that forced Mei to single-handedly manage both the Hyperion's finances and its research projects, which is why she, with all that power, developed the bad habit of spending lavishly. But now, the power to allocate the budget has been transferred to another person."
Siegfried's little girl?
Clearly not.
Ryoma said coolly, "Cocolia's adopted daughter, correct?"
"...Yes."
The man waved his hand. "I won't extend the grudges of the older generation to the younger one. Besides, it's clear that girl was fed some potion by that woman Cocolia. After spending more time with a normal person like you, she'll understand just how narrow-minded she was before."
"Thank you for your understanding!" Fuli stood up and bowed sincerely.
After three months of living together, he now truly saw Bronya as his precious little sister.
If Ryoma had said something like, "I'll only fund the Hyperion if you expel her," Fuli would have turned and left without hesitation, despite his regret.
"Don't get too happy just yet. If the Hyperion wants my funding, you'll need to do something for me."
Ryoma handed him a file. "When I was young, I studied abroad in North America. There, I met a good friend from Shenzhou. Even after we went our separate ways after graduation, we've kept in touch all these years."
"After graduation, I returned to the Far East and established ME Corp. My friend, after returning to Shenzhou and going through various things, is now the deputy director of the Environmental Science Research Institute in Shenzhou's Tianjiang province."
He paused. "To this day, he has been trying to prove that a strange giant monster lurks in Tianjiang's Kanas Lake. I hope that in half a month, the Hyperion can go to Shenzhou on my behalf and help my friend, who has been obsessed with this for most of his life, either confirm his theory or shatter his unrealistic fantasy for good."
The Kanas Lake monster in Tianjiang? Why does that sound so familiar?
Fuli thought back and realized that when he had been looking for missions earlier, he had indeed seen something similar in Schicksal's mission system, and the reward had been surprisingly high.
In other words, I can kill two birds with one stone?
The boy's eyes lit up, and he patted his chest. "No problem! Leave a small matter like this to the Hyperion!"
"What are you talking about?"
It was Mei, who had returned with two plates of omurice.
Mobius could just leave, but she couldn't let the two most important men in her life go hungry.
Ooooh, my precious daughter looks amazing in a maid's apron!
Ryoma was cheering wildly in his head, but when his gaze fell on Fuli's nonchalant expression, he immediately became annoyed.
This is a sight I only get to see once in a blue moon, and this brat gets to see it every day!
Fuli exclaimed loudly, "Just omurice isn't enough! I also want the magic spell to make it delicious!"
Damn it, now he's pushing his luck!
The man gritted his teeth in anger.
Then he saw Mei place Fuli's portion in front of him and say coldly from above:
"Lick it clean."
Fuli / Ryoma: "What a delicious spell!"
...