Chapter 117: Bronya's Divergent Thinking
"Mmm, school's finally out." Kiana stretched her back. After sleeping through two classes, she had finally managed to gather a bit of energy. It was really strange.
Why was she so tired recently? It felt like she had pulled several all-nighters in a row. Moreover... she couldn't shake the feeling that she had forgotten something since returning from that battleship.
"What are you still doing here? Time to pack up and head back," Irene said, tidying up her textbooks and stuffing them into her small bag. "There are no classes this afternoon."
"No classes?" Kiana tilted her head, surprise written across her face. "But didn't we have combat class scheduled for this afternoon? How come it's canceled?"
"Did Teacher Himeko take a leave of absence?"
"She didn't take a leave; she's debugging the system." Irene walked ahead, explaining to the group along the way. "Aren't your exams coming up in a couple of days?"
"This time, we're using the Memory Arena system, so Teacher Himeko was called over to test it and ensure the difficulty levels don't exceed the intended ratings."
This would also be their first time using the Memory Arena system. It had been somewhat unstable in the past, so they usually used captured Titans or other similar targets as substitutes.
However, the introduction of the Memory Arena provided a completely new method. At the very least, they wouldn't have to clean up the battlefield afterwards. Thus, Himeko was called over to test the various models.
"Teacher Himeko already went over all this in class," Bronya said, looking at Kiana. "But idiot Kiana was sleeping at the time, so she has absolutely no idea."
"Well, I know now." Kiana turned her head away. "It didn't make that much of a difference anyway."
"If you say so." Irene wore a slightly doting smile as she ruffled Kiana's hair. "Actually, after I head back and eat, I have to go make a trip there myself."
"Sister Irene has to go too? Then does that mean the Class Monitor will also go?" Kiana raised an eyebrow. Since both Himeko and Irene were going to test it, Fu Hua, who was also an A-Rank Valkyrie, should be going too, right?
If she was, maybe she could ask the Class Monitor for some intel on the potential exam questions. As for whether the Class Monitor would tell her... well, Kiana had her ways.
For example, helping Fu Hua pull for gacha. The Class Monitor was strong in every aspect, but her luck was truly abysmal. She was the type to hit the absolute 100-pull hard pity in gacha games every single time.
So, she had frequently used her gacha-pulling services in exchange for favors from the Class Monitor. Of course, it was mostly for minor things, like helping her ask for a leave of absence.
Anyway, for Kiana, wasn't it just a matter of tapping her finger? Her luck was quite good. However, asking for a leave of absence was no easy feat for her. It was very easy to get chewed out.
"Fu Hua is still a student," Irene shook her head. "Since she's a student, how could she possibly participate in testing the exam questions? Don't even think about trying any crooked schemes."
"Who's trying any crooked schemes?" Kiana averted her gaze. Her idea had been vetoed before she even had a chance to act on it. How could that be called a crooked scheme? Right?
"Heh, as if I'd believe that." Irene rolled her eyes. Only Kiana herself would believe such a blatant lie right now. "Alright, those who need to head back, get going."
Irene casually handed her bag to Mei. "Help me put this back in my room. I'm not going back; I'm going to check on Theresa."
"Okay, Teacher Irene," Mei nodded obediently. Then, after hesitating for a moment, she asked, "When Principal Theresa saw me this morning, she seemed like she had something to say, but..."
"It's nothing, don't overthink it." Irene glanced at Mei. "It's just that the higher-ups dispatched someone for an inspection this time. It has nothing to do with you, so no need to be nervous."
"But, Teacher Irene..." A trace of worry flashed through Mei's eyes. It was no secret that Schicksal HQ had sent someone to observe this assessment.
When the examiner list was published, some people noticed an addition to the roster of chief examiners: Schicksal HQ's S-Rank Valkyrie and vice-captain of the Immortal Blades, Rita.
During class today, someone had asked Teacher Himeko about this. Teacher Himeko had merely stated that the higher-ups had sent someone for an inspection, and that was it.
As for Kiana, who currently wore a confused expression beside them—there was no need to wonder; she had still been sleeping at the time. But everyone was already used to Kiana sleeping in class.
They also knew that Kiana lived in Teacher Himeko's villa, along with Mei and Bronya. One way or another, Kiana would eventually get the news.
Moreover, everyone could tell that Kiana's mental state truly didn't seem great lately, so no one bothered to wake her up.
But Mei was thinking about Theresa's hesitant expression from that morning, connecting it to the sudden arrival of an inspector from the higher-ups.
Her identity as a Herrscher had probably been exposed—or rather, it was bound to happen sooner or later. It was obvious that the higher-ups had sent someone specifically because of her.
"Relax. I told you, this matter has nothing to do with you." Irene patted Mei's head. What was Rita doing here? How could she not know?
This was clearly to observe Kiana. Mei? If he wanted to observe Mei, that guy Otto would have sent someone ages ago.
Surely no one actually believed Theresa's disguise skills could fool Otto, right? Furthermore, she was absolutely certain that Otto had likely already dug up almost everything regarding the possibility that she came from the Sea of Quanta and didn't belong to this world.
If Otto came to investigate, there was only one possibility: Otto didn't care about the details at all. For him, what mattered most was the result.
Mei was currently a Herrscher, but she was a Herrscher standing on the side of humanity, just like the Herrscher of Reason. This was exactly the result he wanted to see.
As for the 'why' and the underlying reasons, Otto couldn't be bothered to care.
Because he knew perfectly well that gathering such data was meaningless. It wasn't some crafting recipe from a video game; it was extremely difficult to replicate it on another person.
Therefore, Otto only expected two things from Mei. First, to keep working hard and improving every day. Second, to serve as a reliable psychological anchor and lifelong best friend for Kiana.
The former, of course, was for future considerations. If his plan succeeded, this world naturally had to be handed over to someone who was better for it, rather than himself.
Regardless, Otto knew full well that no matter how his future plans unfolded, this world would need a new leader, and it definitely wouldn't be him.
As for the latter, it was naturally to ensure his plan could proceed smoothly. Otto was a very peculiar person. For a villain, his belief in the power of love was arguably even stronger than that of the main cast.
Thus, he absolutely wouldn't lay a hand on Mei right now. The current Otto hoped more than anyone else that the friendship between Mei and Kiana would grow even deeper.
Only then could it serve a greater purpose in the events to come. Mei's worries were completely redundant.
"But..." A flicker of doubt still remained in Mei's eyes. Yet, before she could finish, she felt Irene's hand gently stroke her head.
"Alright, there isn't even a definitive conclusion as to why yet, right?"
"Your teacher promises you," Irene said, looking at Mei. "There won't be any problems. Believe me, even in the worst-case scenario, your teacher will absolutely protect you."
"Teacher Irene..." Mei opened her mouth, looking at Irene's smiling face, suddenly unsure of what to say.
"Alright, that's that. You guys head back." Irene patted Mei's head one more time before turning and walking toward the training ground without looking back.
"Oh, right. Don't worry about my dinner; I made myself some sandwiches."
"You're only adding that now?" Mei's mouth twitched slightly as she watched Irene leave. "Though, that is very much Sister Irene's style..."
"Sister Mei, you should trust Sister Irene," Bronya said, patting Mei's hand. "Sister Irene has never broken a promise."
Seriousness filled Bronya's eyes. She had already asked Seele about it; she wanted to know exactly how Sister Irene had managed to rescue her.
After all, it had been stated from the very beginning that Irene might not be able to bring Seele back, as she had no means of bringing others into the Proper World along with her.
The answer she received was that in order to secure a passage, Sister Irene had gone and fought a truly terrifying enemy, and only managed to bring her out upon returning.
When describing that enemy, Seele had worn an incredibly serious expression. Moreover, based on the supplementary detail that Teacher Welt was actually the Herrscher of Reason...
That enemy must have indeed been extremely powerful. Sister Irene had chosen to face such a formidable foe just to bring Seele out, and all of this might have simply been because Irene had promised she would do her utmost to bring Seele back.
She hadn't asked for anything from Bronya in return, yet she was willing to take such an enormous risk. Bronya didn't even know how she could possibly repay Sister Irene's kindness moving forward.
As for accepting Sister Irene's kindness with total peace of mind, Bronya couldn't do that. It was just that, right now, she had no idea what it was about herself that warranted Sister Irene going to such lengths.
Unless... After Seele was rescued, a certain tense nerve within Bronya had quietly relaxed, causing Bronya's thoughts to drift to a rather strange place at this moment.
For instance, she was currently recalling how, back at their villa, the person Sister Irene seemed closest to—besides them—was Principal Theresa. Sometimes, she would even go and help Principal Theresa with her paperwork.
While it hadn't seemed like much before, as Bronya's divergent thinking ran wild, a rather strange idea suddenly popped into her head.
Could Sister Irene... be a lolicon?
Training Ground - Memory Arena Control Room
"Achoo!" Irene, who had just walked in, suddenly let out a violent sneeze, startling Theresa by the control console.
"What was that for? You scared me." Theresa turned around, glaring at Irene with slight indignation, before her expression shifted to concern. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you've caught a cold?"
"Of course not." Irene shook her head. "I bet someone was just talking about me behind my back. After all, the chances of an A-Rank Valkyrie like me catching a cold are practically zero."
Not to mention, Irene was also the Herrscher of Death. What kind of virus would dare to cause trouble in her body?
Oh, except for the Corruption virus. That thing belonged to another Herrscher and wasn't on her immunity list.
Hearing Irene's words, a flash of embarrassment crossed Theresa's face. "Ahem, of course I know Valkyries don't easily catch colds. I was just showing some concern."
"Judging by your reaction, don't tell me you've actually been laid low by a cold before, Theresa?" A teasing smirk appeared on Irene's face. "Oh my, to think that the illustrious S-Rank..."
Before Irene could finish her sentence, her entire body abruptly shifted to the side out of thin air, just as a golden blur whipped past the spot she had occupied a moment prior.
"Whoa, there's no need to break out Judah, is there?" Irene watched as Theresa retracted Judah's chains, dispelling the Honkai energy crystal at her feet. "I was just making a joke."
"No need to be so anxious to destroy your dark history."
"Shut up." A blush crept across Theresa's cheeks. "Anyway, I have never been knocked out by a cold! Never, ever!"
"Alright, alright, I got it." Irene smiled at Theresa, then stepped forward and looked at the console. "So, how far along are we?"
"The testing just started not too long ago," Theresa said, setting Judah aside. "But so far, there haven't been any issues. Once Himeko finishes her test, it'll be your turn, Irene."
"You have a wider variety of combat styles, so it should be very easy to get accurate test results."
"I don't really mind either way." Irene leaned against the console, watching as Himeko wielded a greatsword and slaughtered her way through a horde of Deadwalkers.
"Though it does look like Teacher Himeko's condition has improved significantly."
"Yes, all of Himeko's physical metrics are bouncing back." Theresa nodded as well, her eyes filled with gratitude. "This is all thanks to you, Irene."
"Mmm, it's a minor thing. As long as it works." Irene nodded. The fact that it was effective was the greatest reward she could ask for. If things continued developing like this, Himeko probably wouldn't ever need to don the Godsbane Battlesuit.
Given Himeko's current Honkai Resistance, as long as no accidents occurred, surviving until the very end shouldn't be a problem.
As Irene watched the console, Theresa stared at her, opening her mouth as if unsure of what to say. Irene glanced sideways at Theresa.
"If you have something to say, just say it." Irene turned to fully face Theresa. "What's with the hesitant look? Could it be that you've run out of money for Bitter Melon Juice and need to borrow some from me?"
Theresa's mouth twitched. "I am an S-Rank Valkyrie. My salary is more than ten times yours. How could I possibly be short on cash and need to borrow from you? It's about Anti-Entropy."
"Ah, the Moonlight Throne matter, right?" Irene turned her head away, suddenly looking disinterested. She had thought it was something important.
Seeing Irene casually drop the battleship's name, Theresa opened her mouth in shock, but then quickly realized something. "Wait, does that mean your side has one of those battleships too?"
"Why couldn't it be that they contacted me as well?" Irene shrugged. "But you guessed correctly. I do know the details regarding that battleship."
"Then..."
"Go ask Otto for it." Irene turned back to look at Theresa. "He will definitely let you retrieve it. Retrieve the Storm of Desire. As for what happens after that, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
____
________________________________________
🌸 Help Love Bloom!
Our girls need a little push... and you can help!
💖 Gift for Everyone: Once we hit 50 Powerstones, I'll release +1 bonus chapter to warm your hearts.
🚀 Community Reward: If we reach 20 supporting members, we'll have a +5 chapter marathon across all stories! The romance won't stop.
👻 Come to our secret corner: Search for GirlsLove on (P). You know that's where the magic happens... 😉