*The taste of an immortal, it's really good... my ass.*
Listening to the system's final words, Leo Ash was genuinely curious about how much lewd nonsense the person who created this AI had programmed into it.
In the five days he'd known it, Leo Ash could occasionally tell from their conversations that the system did possess normal cognition and values.
But most of the time, it just loved to use all sorts of dirty jokes to egg him on towards self-destruction.
If it weren't for the fact that Leo Ash had a bit of intelligence and a healthy fear of death, he suspected he would've been duped by the system long ago.
But regardless of how an immortal might taste, Fu Hua's presence here meant that Otto had already made his arrangements.
*Even though she's dissatisfied with Otto, the current Fu Hua is still one of his pawns. If I reveal any overly abnormal strength or abilities, I won't be able to escape the eyes Otto has placed in this dorm.*
*And even when Fu Hua isn't around me in the academy, I can't let my guard down.*
*Otto doting on Theresa is one thing, but judging from the fact that he knew about Theresa's defection almost immediately, he must have planted plenty of spies around her.*
*And that was before she defected. After she came to the Far East Branch...*
*—This place is probably crawling with Otto's spies too.*
*Not just spies, there might even be surveillance cameras everywhere.*
[Not to that extent.]
*Oh?*
*Could it be that my deduction is flawed?*
[Your understanding of Otto has a tiny little problem.]
*Are you serious?*
[He's not an idiot. Why would he place cameras everywhere? That would be too easy to discover.]
[Placing a well-hidden surveillance system around key locations, now that's something he would do.]
*...That makes sense.*
*But overall, since St. Freya High School is the place where Otto is cultivating the Herrscher of the Void, he would definitely set up thorough surveillance.*
*If he's being serious, then I have to be serious about wearing my mask.*
"Alright, we're here."
After unlocking the door to Himeko's house with a key, Fu Hua stepped aside, gesturing for the others to enter the small villa.
"Oh, this place is pretty big."
Stepping into the villa, Kiana nodded with satisfaction.
Over the past few years, Kiana had endured many hardships while wandering outside.
She had grown accustomed to that kind of life, but people are naturally drawn to comfort.
Who would want to live a hard life when a good one is available?
Before coming to St. Freya High School, Kiana had been prepared to live in a student dormitory and undergo military-style management.
But now, the room was so comfortable, and she even got to live with Senior Leo Ash—wasn't this just fantastic?!
And also...
Secretly glancing at the others around her, Kiana was certain that she had a huge advantage here.
Ever since returning from Nagazora City, Mei had become taciturn and rarely smiled.
Thinking about it, it wasn't her fault. Her father had been betrayed and his fate was unknown, and she herself had almost been turned into an apostle of the Honkai. How could the Mei of today possibly smile?
That little girl named Bronya clearly had something on her mind, and Senior Leo probably wouldn't...
At that moment, a figure that Kiana felt a strange affinity for floated into her mind.
Bianka "Durandal" Ataegina, fourteen years old.
*Never mind, on to the next one!*
Yuno seemed timid and clearly had a neutral-at-best impression of Senior Leo Ash.
As for this Shenzhou person in front of her... hah, she just met him. What was I even thinking?
"Your rooms have been arranged. Please occupy them according to the nameplates on the doors."
After entering the house, Fu Hua said to the group.
"This afternoon, you can go purchase daily necessities. Starting tomorrow, you will officially enter St. Freya High School and begin learning the relevant courses for Valkyries."
"However, before that..."
Glancing around at the group, Fu Hua continued.
"Although you have all been specially approved by Bishop Otto to join St. Freya High School, the entrance exam cannot be waived."
"Eh, there's something like that?"
Upon hearing those words, Kiana felt a little uneasy.
But soon, her unease was dispelled by her self-confidence.
"Whatever, this young lady is a genius! Exams are no problem for me!"
"Yes, for this entrance exam, Major Himeko and I will be your examiners."
Ignoring the now overly confident Kiana, Fu Hua stated flatly.
"Especially you, Second Lieutenant Leo Ash. As a male student joining St. Freya High School, this special exception will place a lot of unnecessary potential pressure on you."
"But if you can achieve a sufficiently excellent score on the entrance exam, I believe you should be able to avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble in your upcoming school life."
Although Fu Hua said this in a deadpan manner, both she and Leo Ash, who knew the plot, were well aware—it was all bullshit.
Otto's power in Schicksal was absolute. Forget letting someone join St. Freya; he could directly appoint someone with no background as an S-rank Valkyrie, and no one would dare say a word against it.
To put it bluntly, Otto was just looking for an excuse to use Fu Hua to probe Leo Ash's abilities. The original trio just enrolled, and later took the official exams with the other Valkyries.
*Sigh, what a pain.*
*I have to project the image of 'Leo Ash doing his utmost to fight the Honkai' while trying not to reveal too many of my trump cards.*
*When the time comes, I guess I'll just have to use Mind Like Still Water and Royal Guard and pretend it's the power of a Stigmata to pull off a burst attack.*
After Fu Hua finished speaking, the atmosphere suddenly turned ice-cold.
Kiana, who had been full of energy just moments before, looked around at her companions and realized...
It seemed she was the only one in such a good state of mind.
Of the five people present, Bronya had never mentioned her family situation, Yuno had killed her own loved ones while being controlled by the Honkai, Raiden Mei's mother had died young and her father was missing, and Leo Ash had watched his own parents die right in front of him.
Looking at it this way, she was actually the luckiest one of the bunch???
This... everyone's psychological state doesn't seem very healthy.
Realizing this, Kiana suddenly looked at Fu Hua and said to the serious-looking girl.
"Classmate Fu Hua, um, we're new here and don't know our way around. Could you show us around St. Freya?"
"Since we have an exam tomorrow, I'd like to buy some daily necessities early and prepare for it."
Of course, preparing for an exam was not Kiana's true intention.
Setting aside her future goals for a moment, Kiana felt that right now, she should try to lighten everyone's mood a bit.
Fighting the Honkai was a serious business, but you can't keep the bowstring taut forever.
If they remained in a constant state of tension, her companions might just drive themselves crazy before they even saw any action.
*Yeah, especially Senior Leo Ash.*
*The look on his face when he charged towards the site of the Third Eruption last time... to be honest, it was pretty terrifying.*
"...That's a good idea."
After a deep look at Kiana, Fu Hua, knowing her identity, was truly surprised that the Herrscher who once sought revenge on all humanity could be reincarnated into such an optimist.
Although, they weren't entirely without similarities.
At least in terms of seeming a bit foolish, the two were indeed similar.
She thought her intentions were well-hidden, but Fu Hua felt that the others, besides herself, had more or less sensed the girl's true motive.
It was just that they all had their own troubles, so they didn't voice their agreement.
"Then everyone, please follow me."
*K423... Otto's goal will sooner or later inflict severe emotional damage on her.*
Stepping out of Himeko's house, Fu Hua suddenly found the sunlight from the sky a bit dazzling.
*And now, Otto is making his move, and I, who am assisting him, am undoubtedly an accomplice in this evil plan.*
...
Upon arriving at the commercial street, the group was surprised to find that it looked no different from any ordinary shopping street.
"Everyone, this is the living area of St. Freya High School."
Upon arriving, Fu Hua turned to the group.
"Now that we're here, you probably don't need me as a guide anymore, right?"
"Ah, no, we're fine. Thank you!"
Kiana looked at Fu Hua and said with a smile.
"You seemed so serious before, but it turns out you're actually a pretty nice person."
"It was nothing."
After saying this, Fu Hua maintained her calm demeanor and departed from the group's sight.
"That girl..."
Watching Fu Hua walk away, Kiana suddenly pouted.
"What a boring person. Everything she says and does is so by-the-book."
"Kiana, that's probably because people from Shenzhou are all like that."
"Hmm, that makes sense."
After hearing Mei's soft words, Kiana suddenly shot a sidelong glance at Leo Ash.
"It would be great if you could be as composed as Classmate Fu Hua when you're in action, Senior."
"Kiana, I need you to understand something."
Faced with Kiana's slightly disdainful look, Leo Ash said helplessly.
"In Nagazora City, I did what I did because not doing it would have meant death. Normally, I don't play for such high stakes."
"Perhaps everyone has some misconceptions about me, but as companions who will be sharing hardships together from now on, I want you all to understand one thing."
"I, Leo Ash, am a coward. I'm terrified of dying. Don't think I'm some kind of daredevil who enjoys risking his life."
*A coward?*
*Terrified of dying?*
*Doesn't enjoy risking his life?*
At that moment, hearing Leo Ash's words, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya all looked at him with an expression that screamed, 'Are you kidding me?'
"Yeah, yeah, you're a coward."
Recalling how worried she had been about him, Kiana said peevishly.
"Then I hope you'll really be a little more cowardly next time. When I saw you charging into that horde of Honkai Beasts, I almost thought you were trying to commit suicide."
"Hmph, I'm done with you—Mei, Yuno, Bronya, let's go! Let's go clothes shopping together!"
"Um... Bronya wants to act alone. So, I'm sorry."
After saying this, Bronya, with a complicated mood, walked away from the group.
Meanwhile, Yuno was about to follow the crowd with Kiana and Mei, but before she could...
"Yuno, come with me for a moment."
Before Yuno could move, Leo Ash spoke up first.
"I have something I want to say to you."
?
?
?
[Oh, an unexpected move! An action that defies common sense!]
[Ignoring the main trio! Ignoring the immortal! You're actually making a move on a Pseudo-Herrscher with no major role in the original story first???]
[Shocking! Absolutely shocking... oh wait, this system gets it.]
[Your parents died before your very eyes, and you hide yourself behind a mask of calmness...]
[Are you looking for your Poison Ivy, Bat~?]
*...I'm seriously done with you. Where do you get all these wild ideas?*
Looking at the stunned faces of the others, Leo Ash continued to address the system internally.
*Kiana, Fu Hua, Mei, and Bronya may have different experiences from the original story, but they are generally on a similar trajectory.*
*Their mental states aren't great, but for now, there's no need to worry too much.*
*Sirin hasn't awakened, Fu Hua doesn't yet understand that Otto will sacrifice anything for his plan, Mei has just suppressed her Herrscher Personality, and Bronya is temporarily separated from Cocolia.*
*In their current states, there's no need to worry about them.*
*For me, the most troublesome and unstable element in this team right now is Yuno, who didn't have much of a role in the original story.*
*In terms of combat power, she can defeat Theresa in just a few moves.*
*Even the Herrscher of the Void back then didn't have such an easy time fighting Theresa.*
*In terms of her mental state, I once deceived her, which has indeed planted a seed of trouble.*
*By dealing with the time bombs around me as early as possible...*
*—Only then can I feel a little bit more at ease in the days to come.*
.....