Chapter 177: People Who Like JOJO Shouldn't Be Bad People, Right?
"Ahhh~! I'm suddenly overflowing with motivation!"
Kiana pumped her fists in the air. An imaginary golden aura practically erupted around her, her azure eyes burning with a fierce, competitive fire. The mere thought of getting her hands on her very own set of Godslayer armor had completely reignited her fighting spirit.
Watching her bounce with newfound energy, Rovel nodded in quiet satisfaction. The bait had worked perfectly. This upcoming battle was going to be a grueling, two-week-long marathon. If he didn't give the energetic Kaslana a proper carrot to chase, she would have burned out halfway through.
After shooing the fired-up Kiana back to her dorm, Rovel stretched his shoulders. He had originally planned to track down Raiden Mei for a few rounds of sword practice, but his path was abruptly blocked.
"Classmate Rovel," a soft, melodious voice chimed.
Rita Rossweisse stood gracefully in the middle of the walkway, a flawless smile curving her lips.
"Miss Rita," Rovel paused, his gaze drifting to the elegant, lacquered food box resting in her hands. "What brings you here?"
"Yesterday, knowing you were feeling unwell, I still selfishly insisted on inviting you to spar," Rita murmured, her tone dripping with contrition. "I fear I only exacerbated your fatigue. My abruptness has left me feeling truly guilty."
She dipped into a flawless, slight curtsy. Her striking purple eyes met his, shimmering with what looked like genuine apology. She offered the exquisite food box forward with both hands.
"I tossed and turned all night, trying to think of a proper way to express my sincerity. These are tea snacks I baked myself this morning. I hope Classmate Rovel can accept them as a small token of my apology."
As one of the three great master chefs of the Honkai world, Rita's culinary skills were legendary. Even through the carved wooden lid, the rich, buttery fragrance of the pastries wafted into the air, enough to make anyone's mouth water. Rovel wasn't usually one for sweets, but turning down a masterclass dessert seemed like a crime.
"It's really nothing," Rovel replied, reaching out to take the box. "But I'd be a fool to refuse Miss Rita's kindness."
As the box changed hands, the sweet aroma intensified, prompting a traitorous spike of saliva in his mouth. Seeing him accept the gift, the smile in Rita's eyes deepened into something a fraction more calculating.
"If you have a moment to spare," Rita continued, her voice light and inviting, "would you care to step inside for a short while? I dabble a bit in the tea arts. These particular pastries truly need to be paired with a warm cup of Pre-Qingming Longjing tea to do their sweet fragrance justice."
"That sounds perfect." Rovel kept his expression relaxed. It didn't take a genius to realize Rita had an ulterior motive. She definitely had something she wanted to pry out of him. He had no intention of avoiding her just because she had shown a hint of hostility before. In fact, this was the perfect opportunity. If he played his cards right, he might be able to probe her for clues about Otto Apocalypse's current schemes.
No rush. I'll play along.
Rita led him to a quaint, high-end dessert shop situated just outside the perimeter of St. Freya Academy. The moment the glass door chimed open, a server immediately stopped and bowed respectfully to Rita.
Rovel raised an eyebrow, glancing around the immaculate interior. "So this establishment belongs to you, Miss Rita? Kiana actually comes here quite often to raid the pastry cabinets."
"I occasionally visit St. Freya Academy on errands," Rita explained smoothly. "I took over this little shop a while ago, simply to have a quiet place to stay during my visits. Right this way, please."
She turned slightly, gesturing gracefully toward a polished wooden staircase leading to the second floor.
Rovel followed her up. The second-floor layout was far more elegant and secluded than the bustling storefront below. He took a seat on a plush velvet sofa and popped the lid off the food box. The concentrated aroma of freshly baked sugar, butter, and vanilla instantly flooded his senses.
Picking up a delicate, bite-sized pastry, he popped it into his mouth. The texture was incredible—sweet, silky, and melting tenderly against his tongue. The rich flavor lingered, instantly elevating his mood.
A moment later, Rita approached with a pristine porcelain tea set. With practiced, elegant movements, she poured half a cup of pale, golden-green tea and set it before him.
Rovel took a sip, letting the hot liquid wash over his palate. The Longjing tea carried a faint, crisp bitterness at first, but it perfectly neutralized the lingering sweetness of the pastry. A floral, earthy fragrance bloomed in his mouth, followed by a soothing warmth that traveled down to his stomach.
"The taste is exceptional," Rovel praised honestly.
"I am glad it suits your preferences, Classmate Rovel," Rita replied with a soft, pleased laugh.
Before long, half the box of pastries had vanished into Rovel's stomach. Seeing him satisfied, Rita finally made her move.
"Classmate Rovel," she began, her tone shifting to something slightly more measured. "Regarding our battle yesterday... I confess, I still harbor a lingering doubt in my heart. I wonder if you might take a moment to enlighten me?"
Rovel drained the last of his tea, setting the porcelain cup down with a soft clink. Right on schedule. She was definitely going to ask about his Infinite Phantasmagoria skill.
"If this matter touches upon your personal secrets," Rita added quickly, maintaining a flawless facade of polite distance, "then please act as if I never asked. I apologize for my abruptness; I only hope you can be magnanimous."
She managed the conversational boundaries perfectly, leaving him an out while simultaneously applying gentle pressure.
Rovel remained silent for a few seconds, feigning deep contemplation. Then, as if making a heavy decision, he looked up. He locked eyes with Rita, his expression turning deadpan and intensely serious. He even adjusted his posture, his facial features seeming to sharpen with dramatic gravity.
"This is indeed my greatest, most closely guarded secret," Rovel whispered, leaning in slightly. "I possess a Stand ability. It is called King Crimson. I have the power to briefly erase time, and through my secondary ability, Epitaph, I can glimpse into the absolute future."
Rita: "..."
Her mouth parted slightly. For the first time since he had met her, the unflappable maid looked completely, utterly dumbfounded. Her mind seemed to short-circuit. Could there really be Stand abilities in this world? Was everything Araki drew actually real?!
Seeing her frozen state, Rovel finally broke character and waved a hand, chuckling. "Just a joke. I hope you don't mind."
Yet, watching the gears slowly turn in Rita's head, he realized something hilarious. She actually believed it for a second... Does the cunning Rita Rossweisse really have such a naive side?
"Whew..." Rita visibly exhaled, lightly patting her chest as her professional composure returned. "Goodness. For a moment, I truly believed Stand users existed in our world. I simply didn't expect Classmate Rovel to be a JOJO fan as well."
"As well?" Rovel repeated, feigning curiosity.
During his previous trips into the city, Rovel had discovered that the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure existed in this universe too. Combined with his meta-knowledge of the subtle JOJO references baked into Rita's combat style, he had deliberately thrown out the King Crimson joke as bait.
He just hadn't expected her to be an actual, in-universe reader of the series.
"I am quite fond of the JOJO manga myself," Rita admitted, her usual guarded demeanor cracking to reveal genuine excitement. "I never expected to find a fellow fan here at the academy!"
And just like that, the interrogation derailed entirely. The two of them sat across from each other, diving deep into the convoluted plots, bizarre battles, and iconic poses of the series.
Hours slipped by unnoticed. By the time they paused for breath, the food box was completely empty, and the teapot had been drained down to the damp leaves.
Rovel glanced out the window at the darkening sky and stood up. "It's getting late. I should probably head back."
"Ah... apologies," Rita blinked, suddenly looking a bit flustered. "I lost myself a bit there."
As she escorted him downstairs, a wave of secret annoyance washed over her. She had let herself get completely carried away the moment JOJO was mentioned, completely forgetting her original objective. She had invited him here specifically to scout for critical information regarding his mysterious combat abilities, and instead, she had spent the entire afternoon passionately debating manga arcs with him.
Still, the afternoon hadn't been a total loss. She had confirmed one crucial fact: Rovel was a hardcore, veteran JOJO fan. He was intimately familiar with every meme, every famous scene, and even had some fascinating interpretations of the more confusing plots—like the infamous 'Philadelphia Shooting' incident.
"By the way," Rovel paused at the door, flashing her a charming smile. "Could I trouble you to pack up some of those desserts for me to take back? I'd love for my friends at the dorm to try them."
"Of course. I would be happy to be of service," Rita smiled, nodding graciously as she prepared a fresh box for him.
Once Rovel stepped out of the shop and disappeared from her field of vision, the warm, customer-service smile gradually faded from Rita's lips.
In its place, a rare, genuine sigh of frustration escaped her.
She hadn't managed to extract a single useful piece of intelligence from him, and worse, she had accidentally exposed her own geeky hobbies in the process.
She rested her chin in her hand, staring at the empty tea set upstairs.
But... she reasoned quietly to herself, people who like JOJO shouldn't be bad people, right?
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