134. Xiling and Otto
"Hey, Tarnished, are you coming back to cook tonight?"
"Get lost!"
"Okay." Xiling hung up the phone and bowed slightly to Kiana.
"Looks like we'll have to figure out what to eat for dinner tonight. How about we order takeout?"
However, hearing this, Kiana jumped up excitedly from the sofa, making an "X" with her hands.
"No! We're going out to eat tonight! I found a restaurant that looks really good last time. Let's go together. Wait for me, I'm going to change now."
Leaving those words, Kiana ran straight back to her room to change.
Xiling rolled his eyes at her but didn't refuse. As long as the other party was happy, he didn't care.
In her room, Kiana opened her wardrobe, looking at the clothes inside. Most of them were actually gifts from Lemuen; she never thought about buying clothes back then.
"This one looks nice."
"This one's alright too."
Kiana glanced at the time and decided she couldn't let things continue like this.
"This one, I'll take."
A few minutes later, the door opened, and Kiana, wearing denim shorts and a white shirt, came out. Seeing Xiling still sitting on the sofa playing on his phone, Kiana smiled and walked over, taking Xiling's hands in both.
"Come on, come on, I'm starving."
"Can't you let me finish this game?" Xiling said irritably.
"Come on, come on, we have plenty of time to play tonight."
—
"Is this the place you were talking about?" Xiling looked at the simply decorated but quite cozy restaurant in front of them.
"Yes, this is it!" Kiana replied to Xiling and waved to a waiter.
"Please take our order here."
Soon, a waiter came to Xiling's table with a menu.
Kiana took the menu from the waiter and quickly selected her desired items. However, when she flipped to a certain page, she saw a couple's set meal. Staring at it, Kiana glanced at Xiling, who was playing on his phone.
"...Never mind."
After ordering her own food, Kiana handed the menu to Xiling.
"I've finished choosing, your turn."
"Okay, let me see." Xiling took the menu, casually flipped through it a couple of times, and then, as if seeing something, his pupils widened in shock. He immediately said to the waiter with a serious expression:
"Please give me a couple's set meal."
"Huh?" Kiana looked at Xiling, completely bewildered.
"Okay."
While Kiana was still confused, the waiter had already smiled and taken the menu.
Seeing Kiana's bewildered expression, Xiling gave her a thumbs-up.
"I've never had a couple's set meal before in my life. If I see it today and don't try it, wouldn't that be unfair to me?!"
Kiana smiled with relief at the guy giving her a thumbs-up.
"Then I want some too."
"You've already ordered enough. Finish your own first," Xiling said irritably.
"I don't care! I don't care, I don't care, I want to eat!" Kiana immediately started whining.
The surrounding gazes began to focus on Xiling's table. Noticing the stares, Xiling rolled his eyes at Kiana.
"Eat, eat, eat, here you go, okay? How old are you? Acting like a little kid."
Hearing Xiling agree, Kiana laughed again and gave her a peace sign.
"It's all because you always treat me like a child. I just went along with you."
"And you're blaming me now."
"Hmph~" Kiana ignored Xiling and hummed softly, swaying slightly.
Seeing Kiana's happy face, Xiling hummed again and turned to look out the window. He saw an unexpected figure. The person noticed Xiling, looked at him, and waved with a smile. Beside the figure, the blonde knight princess stared seriously at Xiling.
"An unexpected guest," Xiling thought to himself, smiling at Kiana.
"Something came up, I had to go out for a bit."
Kiana snapped out of her cheerful humming and looked at Xiling with a puzzled expression.
"What happened?"
"Someone came all this way to see me, so I had to help them up." Xiling stood up from his chair.
"You can eat here slowly. I'll be right back."
"I'll go with you!" Kiana was about to stand up when she saw Xiling make an X with his hands.
"No need, I can go by myself, just stay here."
After saying this, Xiling didn't linger any longer, went to the cashier, paid, and left.
Kiana watched Xiling's departing figure, from inside the store to outside, until Xiling reached a blond man's side. Kiana's pupils suddenly dilated.
"O...Otto!"
Almost instantly upon seeing Otto, Kiana's emotions changed drastically. Her actions clearly drew the attention of the three people outside the store.
Watching the figure whose aura began to change with his emotions, Durandal slowly began to exert her power. If anything happened to her, she would subdue her immediately.
But her body quickly relaxed, for after taking a few deep breaths, the figure's emotions had actually stabilized.
"Calm down, calm down, you need to calm down. With Xiling here, everything will be alright." Kiana suppressed her anger, but her gaze never left the scene outside.
"It seems she can control her emotions well now. I'm happy for her." Otto's lips curled into a slight smile, as if he were genuinely happy for Kiana.
"Whatever makes you happy. Did you come to see me?" Xiling looked at Otto with a very calm gaze; even his tone was indifferent.
"Of course, my friend. I came here specifically for you. Would it be convenient to find a place to sit and have a chat?" Otto's manner and speech were extremely elegant, making it difficult for strangers to feel any ill will towards him.
Of course, those who knew him would find his manner irritating.
But this didn't matter to Xiling.
"Then follow me."
Xiling led the way in one direction.
Otto smiled and followed Xiling without saying anything. Meanwhile, Kiana's gaze remained fixed on the outside, and Durandal's gaze never left her.
Suddenly, Xiling stopped and turned to Durandal.
"Could you do me a favor?"
Durandal looked away from Kiana and looked at Xiling with a puzzled expression.
Xiling asked, "Have you eaten?"
Durandal didn't know why he would ask such a question, but she honestly shook her head.
"Not yet."
Just then, Otto spoke with a smile.
"Then go eat first, Durandal."
Durandal was somewhat confused. Why was her bishop saying this?
Just then, Xiling pointed in a direction—to Kiana, whose eyes were fixed on him intently.
"I'll trouble you to go and have dinner with that girl."
Durandal wanted to refuse. How could she let her bishop act alone with this extremely dangerous person?
But then Otto chuckled and said, "We've already disturbed their meal by not informing them of our arrival beforehand. It's not good to leave a young girl eating alone in a restaurant."
"So, Durandal, go, go keep her company."
"...Yes, sir."
Seeing the other woman's furrowed brows and confused but obedient expression, Xiling said, "Don't worry, I won't lay a hand on your bishop yet."
Otto laughed.
"Thank you for your leniency."
The two walked off in one direction, leaving Durandal standing there and Kiana watching everything from inside the restaurant.
—
"Why did you suddenly think of coming to find me?" Xiling asked curiously as they walked down the street.
Hearing Xiling's question, Otto smiled.
"If you ask why, it's probably intuition. My intuition is always very accurate."
"You actually believe in that? Shouldn't you first do an evaluation and calculation to determine the answer?"
Otto shook his head slightly, as if he had heard an interesting argument.
"It seems you do have some... interesting misunderstandings about me."
His tone was leisurely, as if he were conducting an academic discussion.
"A plan isn't a precise experiment in a laboratory. Research requires absolute, cold data, pointing to a single answer through rigorous logical deduction."
He paused, his gaze turning to the distant... Otto gazed at something intangible.
"But a plan… is constantly disturbed by a variable called 'accidents'. Humans are such wondrous and complex creatures. A heinous butcher might, in a moment of sudden clarity, be awakened by their conscience and repent. And a virtuous person who has dedicated their life to good deeds might, under the cruel hand of fate, have their hands stained with indelible blood… The possibilities, the leaps, brought about by these variables are simply impossible to predict or calculate with formulas."
At the end, his tone carried an indescribable complex emotion and a sense of loss, as if recalling countless fragments of the past, ultimately culminating in a slight, ambiguous head shake.
"It sounds… you're quite adept at this," Xiling said calmly.
"You've experienced plenty of these unexpected script derailments, haven't you?"
"Hehehe…" Otto let out a low, pleasant laugh, readily admitting, "Indeed, I've experienced far too much."
"The infinite possibilities that belong to humanity… or rather, the possibilities driven by their emotion."
As they talked, Xiling stopped in front of a bubble tea shop.
"This place is fine, you don't mind?" Xiling raised his chin, pointing to the bubble tea shop that seemed so out of place with Otto.
Looking at the utterly ordinary bubble tea shop, Otto blinked. Even he hadn't expected Xiling to bring him to such an ordinary place.
"…If you don't mind." Otto quickly regained his composure, his flawless smile returning.
"I certainly don't mind." Xiling pushed open the door first, the bell hanging on it ringing crisply. He went straight to the counter and expertly told the young clerk,
"One original pearl milk tea, please." Then he turned to Otto, who was still engrossed in looking at the menu, "And you? What would you like?"
Otto glanced at the menu; almost everything was unfamiliar to him and unfamiliar to him.
He then pointed to Xiling, giving the clerk a smile that was the epitome of friendliness:
"Please, give me one of the same as his."
Xiling paid quickly, carrying two seemingly ordinary milk teas, and sat down at a small round table by the window in the corner. Otto sat down after him.
Xiling took a sip of his milk tea, his gaze calmly meeting the blond man opposite him:
"Now, you can tell me. What did you want with me?"
He was genuinely curious; the other man had actually come directly to him.
Faced with such a straightforward question, Otto did not rush to answer. Instead, he imitated Xiling, took a sip of milk tea, and savored it carefully, as if he were analyzing some novel experimental sample. After a moment, he put down his cup and spoke.
"I'm conducting a research project," Otto's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a heavy weight.
"A research project that transcends all meaning for me. It's the cornerstone of my existence, my sole goal for the past five hundred years."
"However, at the most crucial moment of the research, I encountered an… insurmountable barrier. I'm stuck."
He gazed into Xiling's calm eyes and continued, "To overcome this barrier, to allow my research to continue, I abandoned my attempt to make a deal with the World Serpent."
"I chose to come to you."
"Xiling," Otto uttered the name clearly.
"Place of birth: Unknown. Exact age: Unknown. Race: Unknown. He abruptly descended upon this world at a certain point in time. His first clear action after his arrival was to extend a helping hand to the out-of-control Herrscher of the Void, bringing her under his wing, providing shelter… and even guiding her to regain control of that power." His speech was slow, as if he were reading a meticulously prepared file, every detail pointing to a core paradox.
"You're not from this world, are you?" Otto asked, but his tone was undeniably certain.
He wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was quite clever. The other party had never hidden their special abilities; in fact, they were quite blatant about it. Just like the technique they used in Arc City to convert Honkai energy into other forms of energy, it was as if they were openly announcing to everyone that they were extraordinary.
Faced with Otto's words, Xiling nodded indifferently.
"Yes, I'm indeed not from this world."
"So, what's the use of knowing this?"
"Heh, it really doesn't have any real significance," Otto said, spreading his hands.
"It's just an instinct to verify a guess. Like when humans look up at the stars and glimpse an unidentified flying object, their first reaction is always to confirm whether it really exists, isn't it?"
His tone changed, his expression becoming more serious than ever before:
"Xiling, let's make a deal, as a visitor from beyond this world."
"Sure."
Xiling's answer was crisp and decisive, like a pebble thrown into calm water, instantly interrupting Otto's long prelude.
Otto's next words caught in his throat. He even wondered if he had misheard—this person who clearly held him in such a distant, even hostile, manner had agreed so easily?
He subconsciously closed his slightly open mouth, then picked up his milk tea and took a sip as a cover, his signature smile returning to his face, trying to regain control of the conversation.
"I'm not joking with you, I'm serious. You can state your conditions."
Otto thought Xiling was playing him. After all, according to his investigation, Xiling would greet even strangers with a smile, but he remained completely calm from the start, clearly disliking him. Therefore, Otto's assumption that he was playing with him was reasonable.
However, Xiling looked directly at him and said clearly, "I'm serious too."
This time, it was crystal clear.
Otto's smile froze for a moment.
The noise of the milk tea shop seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier, leaving only a heavy silence between the two.
"…Then…"
He paused for a few seconds, his voice lowering, "What's the price?"
Xiling stated a condition:
"Does your death count?"
The air froze instantly.
After a long silence, Otto finally sighed:
"…No." His voice carried a weariness of settled dust and a hint of… relief.
The day his ideal is achieved will be the day he vanishes from this world. This price is merely a predetermined end.
A low chuckle escaped his throat. He shook his head, looking back at Xiling, his usual composure seemingly returning:
"You... should despise me. Despise my methods, despise my crimes. Then, why?" His tone held curiosity, "Why did you agree? Why help someone you consider evil?"
Xiling's gaze fell on the swirling liquid in his glass.
"Perhaps... because you asked me for help."
"...Even if someone as evil as me, you're still willing to offer help?"
"Even if you are evil, I won't deny your past achievements, but... the sins committed must be accounted for, this is a reckoning no one can escape, and..."
Xiling looked at Otto.
"She's a good person, isn't she?"
"...Yes."
Xiling said no more. He stood up and picked up the cup of milk tea.
"I will not let the wicked who commit sins go unpunished," his voice was clear and firm.
"But I will also not miss any possible opportunity for redemption. That is my reason."
Having said that, he didn't look at Otto again, turned and walked towards the door. He casually raised his hand and waved it behind him:
"It's settled then. I'll help you in a few days. These next few days… behave yourself, don't cause trouble."
"Also… you still have some time, go and take care of the aftermath. Consider it… a final piece of advice."
The bell on the door rang softly, and the glass door closed, separating that figure.
Inside the milk tea shop, the noise was still deafening.
Otto Apocalypse sat alone in a corner, feeling a sense of… peace.
When was the last time he felt this way?
The floodgates of memory burst open, and all the calculations and schemes shattered instantly. In the surging torrent of time, only one scene remains frozen—sunlight falls upon a silver-haired girl, her smile as radiant as the warm winter sun, seemingly capable of dispelling all worldly gloom, as she reaches out her hand to him.
"...Kallen."