The city defense team finally arrived. The first thing they saw was the burly man, tied up like a crab by Siegfried with one hand, endlessly repeating, "I give, I really give."
"It's the [Mechanical Half-Man], Hassem! This guy is a wanted criminal with several lives on his hands!" The leading city defense officer recognized the man pinned to the ground by Siegfried at a glance and immediately shouted in shock.
Shigure Kira, who had just formed a theory, couldn't help but shiver. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind as she looked at Bianka.
Could this be a coincidence?
Siegfried was, after all, from the main branch of the Kaslana family, his bloodline incredibly pure. And the Kaslana family was famous for its stubborn genes. Whether male or female, their direct descendants could seamlessly integrate into the Kaslana family.
That unchanging hair color was proof.
Cecilia's white hair, for example, was because some eight or nine generations ago, her great-great-great-great-grandmother had been a Kaslana who married into the family.
This inexplicably stubborn trait was why other noble families, despite coveting the Kaslana family's resources and reputation, never resorted to marriage alliances to get a piece of the pie.
Nobles, after all, all have skeletons in their closets. No one wanted a spiritual Kaslana suddenly appearing in their family, one that would take generations to dilute out.
Otto's second older brother was just such a spiritual Kaslana.
And the reason Otto was ostracized by his family as a child was because he was far too close to Kallen, so close that a marriage alliance would have been seamless. If Otto became the next head of the family, it would mean the Apocalypse family would have to undergo a temporary transformation.
As for why Otto ended up becoming the head of the family in the end... you'd have to ask his sister.
In short, under these circumstances, Shigure Kira's theory was hard to justify. Bianka's golden hair was simply too...
"What?! I have to give a statement?!" Siegfried's despairing cry came from behind her. Shigure Kira didn't have to turn around to imagine the look of regret on his face.
"Yes, Mr. Siegfried," the city defense captain said, sweat beading on his forehead as he carefully addressed the 'sky-is-falling' expression on Siegfried's face. "Apprehending such a major criminal definitely requires a statement..."
Siegfried's expression was now more twisted than when he had first been injured. He looked at the captain and asked with sincere earnestness, "Is it too late for me to leave anonymously?"
He even struck a certain superhero pose. "Like Homu-Man, doing good deeds without leaving a name?"
The city defense officer's bow deepened, and he wiped away a cold sweat. "Mr. Siegfried, you're making things very difficult for me. I'm just following the rules. If the procedures aren't completed, we'll be punished..."
Alright, that hit Siegfried right where it hurt. He wore a constipated expression, and Shigure Kira just wanted to laugh.
Fine, since he did save me today, I won't laugh at him.
Shigure Kira was about to turn and leave when she heard the dejected Siegfried suddenly call out to her.
"Kira, do me a favor!"
"What?" Kira turned around reluctantly. Looking at Siegfried, standing between two city defense officers, a hero who looked more like a prisoner being escorted away, she almost lost it.
"Can you take that kid back to our place?" Siegfried pointed at Bianka, who was still standing in the open space in the middle of the road, very easy to spot.
"No problem, leave it to me," Shigure Kira agreed instinctively. But when she looked back, all she saw was Bianka and a little girl holding a basket of paper flowers.
"..." Shigure Kira fell silent.
She looked up, scanned the area, and then her gaze fell on the little girl with the basket, a questioning look in her eyes.
The little girl immediately panicked, shaking her head vigorously. "Not me! Not me!"
It definitely wasn't this little girl. Shigure Kira had seen her many times; she came here every day to sell a basket of handmade paper flowers, which would fetch her half a bottle of water at most.
Right now, she was holding two water canteens, clearly in the process of "making a payment." And Bianka now had a paper flower in her hand.
The little girl frantically poured the water from one canteen into the other, then shoved the empty one into Bianka's hands and ran off without looking back, leaving Bianka standing there in disarray, holding Stan.
With no other targets, Shigure Kira could only focus her attention on Bianka's face. The moment she did, all her previous thoughts and suspicions came flooding back.
Could it be that Siegfried really...
"Sigh..." Kira's lips moved slightly. She glanced back; Siegfried had already disappeared with the city defense team. Shigure Kira had no choice but to take two steps forward and stand in front of Bianka.
"I really can't do anything with that guy..." she grumbled, holding out a hand to Bianka. "Little one, are you with that bad uncle from just now?"
Bianka was silent for about a second before nodding hesitantly.
"...Mhm..."
"Then come with big sister for now." Shigure Kira beckoned with her finger, indicating for Bianka to take her hand. "I'll take you to where we're staying..."
Bianka looked nervously at Shigure Kira's hand, then in the direction Siegfried had left, feeling a growing sense of unease.
"That... uncle..." Bianka shamelessly took advantage of her appearance, beginning her stiff and awkward disguise (acting cute). "When will he be back?"
"He should be back soon," Shigure Kira estimated, smiling at Bianka. "Don't worry, we're all good people!"
Bianka was speechless. The way Shigure Kira said that didn't sound like a good person at all.
"Can you give me a specific time?" Bianka asked cautiously.
"About an hour, I guess." Seeing Bianka's overly dependent demeanor, Shigure Kira's heart sank a little, but she still maintained a gentle, smiling face. "If he's not back in an hour, I'll take you to find him, how about that?"
An hour?
Bianka breathed a sigh of relief. By her calculations, she shouldn't undergo any changes within the next twelve hours. The deterrent effect of the Star of Judgment was better than she had imagined.
She reached out and placed her hand in Shigure Kira's.
"By the way, can you tell me your name?" Shigure Kira asked with a smile, posing a question that made Bianka break out in a cold sweat.
"I..." In her panic, Bianka blurted out the first name that came to mind without thinking.
"My name is Kiana! Kiana Kaslana!"
Shigure Kira: "?"