Although Fu Hua insisted that she was fine, at Leo Ash's strong insistence, she still rested in the hospital bed for a while longer.
After all, Leo's reasoning—'You're not in good shape right now. If you go back and Major Himeko sees that something's wrong, you might not be able to participate in the mission'—did have a certain logic to it.
And honestly, she was very worried about this mission, even setting aside the fact that it would be the first real combat for everyone in the dorm.
Shenzhou, for all these years, had indeed suppressed the local Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts with its mechanical patrols and the martial artists of Shenzhou.
But that didn't mean they had enough power to deal with even stronger enemies.
The fact that Shenzhou had been largely safe for so many years was due not only to the hard work of its people but also to a good dose of luck.
If a major problem were to arise in Jiuyou this time, even with Theresa and Himeko arriving in the Hyperion, they might not be able to resolve it before things got out of hand.
Besides, humanity's enemies were not limited to the Honkai.
Fu Hua hadn't forgotten that Cocolia, that villain, had once artificially created a Honkai Eruption in the Far East.
Someone like that was fundamentally unhinged. And now that an unhinged person like Cocolia had her sights set on Mei, would she really pass up a chance to capture her?
Furthermore, Cocolia was an unpredictable element. What if, on a whim, she decided to dismantle the seal in Jiuyou and release the once-imprisoned Chiyou...
Chiyou was a Judgment-class Honkai Beast. If a Honkai Beast of that level were to emerge...
The more she thought about these potential future events, the more resolute Fu Hua became in her decision to participate in this mission.
And for that very reason, she heeded Leo's advice and remained in the hospital.
As time passed, night finally fell.
Just before dinnertime, Leo Ash and Fu Hua returned to Himeko's home, pretending as if nothing had happened.
After opening the door, they saw Himeko sitting nonchalantly on the sofa, a teasing smile on her face.
"Well, well, you two. Out on your first date, and staying out so late, huh?"
However, after saying this, Himeko noticed that their faces didn't show the reaction she'd been hoping for.
Both Leo Ash and Fu Hua simply stared at her calmly after she spoke.
This left Himeko, who had intended to tease them further, to shake her head, feeling a bit bored.
"Tch, how dull."
"I'm telling you two, you're young! Show a little more energy!"
"Major Himeko, personally, I don't find these kinds of boring jokes very interesting."
At that moment, after putting down the gift he was holding, Leo Ash suddenly looked at Himeko with a somewhat eager gaze.
"Instead of such dull topics, I think we should talk about—"
"Oh? Talk about... us?"
Himeko, feeling several gazes from behind her, suddenly leaned in close to Leo Ash with a grin.
"Could it be that you're into my type?"
"No, what I want to ask is—the equipment we requested, it should have arrived by now, right?"
*Ah, I knew it would be something like this.*
Hearing Leo's words, Theresa, who had been ready to pull out the Oath of Judah from a short distance away, suddenly felt her heart sink.
Just a moment ago, she had actually thought that Leo Ash, with that look in his eyes, had genuinely been tempted by Himeko.
But as it turned out—it would have been better if he *had* been tempted by Himeko.
Theresa didn't support SSL, but anything was better than Leo constantly thinking about rushing out to fight the Honkai.
Look at him, the first thing he does upon returning is ask his commander for equipment, all excited to get ready to go kill Honkai Beasts...
Theresa established St. Freya High School in the hope that Valkyries would no longer be treated like tools.
But the problem was, for a male knight like Leo who treated *himself* as a tool—what could she do? What options did she have?
If she tried to talk to him properly, Leo, with his quick mind, would surely say with utmost sincerity, 'The Matriarch is right,' and then humbly accept the advice while being determined not to change.
*Sigh, Leo Ash.*
Couldn't this silly kid relax just a little, think about something other than fighting the Honkai?
At that moment, a thought that shouldn't have crossed her mind popped into Theresa's head.
*If only this kid would focus on messing around, it would be so much better.*
"The equipment arrived at the branch yesterday."
Seeing the excited look in Leo's eyes, Himeko didn't think too much of it.
"Considering you two were on a day off today, we didn't notify you yesterday."
"Tomorrow, when the combat practicals begin, I'll hand the equipment over to you personally."
After saying this, Himeko suddenly looked over at Kiana, who had been silent.
"Kiana, why are you so quiet today?"
"Weren't you the one complaining just a few days ago that the equipment hadn't arrived? Why so quiet now?"
"Huh? I, I..."
Suddenly called out by Himeko, Kiana found herself under everyone's gaze and forced a smile.
"Teacher Himeko, I think... studying properly is also quite important."
*Wow, to think this little girl would say something like that.*
*How gratifying—if I actually believed that, I'd be a complete fool.*
Looking at Kiana's forced smile and immense guilt, Himeko narrowed her eyes slightly but chose not to press her further.
Kiana's behavior clearly indicated something was on her mind, but it was normal for teenagers to have their little worries.
*Sigh, compared to Kiana, if only Leo Ash had some teenage worries too, he'd be so much less of a handful.*
*At least that would mean his attention was drawn to something else.*
*It's ironic when you think about it. I worry that the other girls are too laid-back and will die on the battlefield.*
*But with Leo Ash, it's the complete opposite. I'm genuinely worried he isn't relaxed enough and will one day charge too far ahead and die on the battlefield.*
As for Kiana, after she spoke, she took the opportunity to glance at Fu Hua and Leo Ash.
Then, as their eyes met, Kiana's expression immediately filled with confusion.
"What is it, Kiana?"
"Is something the matter, Kiana?"
"Nothing's wrong at all!"
Looking at their baffled expressions, Kiana instantly recalled the bedsheet she had seen today.
At that moment, her mind had gone completely blank.
But now, seeing their clueless looks, she felt like she had been overthinking things again.
There was absolutely none of that kind of atmosphere between Leo Ash and Fu Hua right now.
She could sense Leo's eagerness for the equipment, and she could feel that Fu Hua seemed to be worried about something, but the one thing Kiana couldn't sense was any hint of ambiguity between them.
Even though they went out together, entered a hotel together, and returned to the dorm together, they still gave off a feeling of being 'perfectly normal.'
It was so frustrating.
And what was even more frustrating was that... I have no reason to ask them about any of this.
Seeing the atmosphere in the room turn incredibly awkward, Theresa cleared her throat and spoke to the group with a slightly more serious tone.
"Alright, alright, that's enough chit-chat."
"Eat dinner now, and then all of you, go and prepare for next week's exams."
"Bishop Otto has already given me a direct order. All of you will be participating in the mission to Shenzhou."
"But—"
Theresa's tone suddenly grew heavier.
"I am the Headmaster of St. Freya High School. Here, I call the shots."
"If the final exam results come out and I find that any of you have failed—if you can't even pass a monthly test, then you can forget about participating in this mission."
Completely unaware of how hard Kiana had studied today, Theresa looked directly at her.
"Especially you, Kiana. If your scores aren't up to par, I will personally give you 'remedial lessons'."
Even though Kiana was quite distracted, in that instant, she felt a presence from Theresa that she had never felt before.
*My... My Great-Auntie has this kind of presence?*
*So that mascot-like aura she usually has is just a disguise?!*
"Indeed, as Branch Commander Theresa said, before you can participate in a real mission, you have to pass your exams."
After walking to the dinner table, Himeko scanned the room and addressed everyone.
"The reason Bishop Otto arranged for you all to stay in my home is, to put it bluntly, because he values your potential."
"Each of you has your own reasons for wanting to quickly advance in rank and Schicksal membership level, but often, being too hasty can be counterproductive."
Giving Leo Ash a deep look, Himeko's tone became even more serious.
"But you must also remember that as future warriors, you will be operating alongside other comrades from Schicksal."
"If you charge too far ahead, you will not only put yourself in danger but could also endanger the companions by your side."
"This is a very simple principle, but I feel that some people still don't understand it, so I must emphasize it again in front of all of you—do you understand?!"
At that moment, feeling the gazes of Himeko, Theresa, and everyone else focused on him, Leo Ash replied to Himeko with a helpless tone.
"I understand, Major Himeko."
"I promise you, I will definitely not act recklessly during the mission. After all..."
"—I'm actually really scared of dying. Please, you have to believe me on this."
*Damn it, this kid didn't listen to a single word in the end.*
*It's hopeless. Rita and Bianka couldn't change his mind, and neither can we.*
*If this kid keeps this mindset, he... he might even step into the underworld before I do.*
....
Anti-Entropy HQ, The Ark
Inside The Ark, Welt, who had been awake for several days, looked at the report before him, still finding it hard to believe the data was real.
A few days ago, having finally recovered, Welt regained consciousness at the Anti-Entropy headquarters.
Then, seeing his comrades averting their gazes with awkward expressions, Welt immediately had a bad feeling.
Well aware of the principles that 'you can't hide fire with paper' and 'delaying only makes things worse,' the short-tempered Tesla, ignoring everyone's pleading looks, immediately spilled everything about Anti-Entropy's recent problems to Welt in one go.
The fact that Welt almost fainted after learning about all these terrible things and seeing the specific details of the related intel was another matter entirely.
Even after several days, Welt still didn't want to accept the reality he now had to face.
Currently, Anti-Entropy's finances were in shambles. Because Cocolia had backstabbed Raiden Ryoma, a huge rift had formed between the ME Corp headquarters and its branches.
Moreover, the Sky Father that ME Corp was developing had been taken by Cocolia, and the remaining equipment had been directly swiped by Schicksal.
As for Schicksal's financial personnel taking this opportunity to ruthlessly cripple Anti-Entropy's related assets, that was a subsequent development.
It was safe to say that if Raiden Ryoma hadn't returned to headquarters in time and used his business acumen and connections to turn the tide, Anti-Entropy's financial situation would be ten times worse than what Welt was seeing now.
At the same time, because of Cocolia's actions in deliberately triggering a Honkai Eruption, Anti-Entropy's reputation in various countries was completely ruined.
Even a country like America, which was practically tied to Anti-Entropy, was giving them the cold shoulder.
If Otto hadn't acted so strangely this time and chosen to honor his word, not taking the opportunity to kick them while they were down, Anti-Entropy would probably have completely fractured by now.
"Cocolia..."
As he uttered the name, Welt, for a very rare moment, felt a murderous intent towards someone.
In the past, the only people who could elicit such killing intent from Welt were either enemies like Otto or threats to humanity like Sirin.
But now, Cocolia had betrayed her loyal subordinate Raiden Ryoma internally, and externally caused a large-scale Honkai Eruption in Nagazora City, killing countless people.
To Welt, Cocolia, through her actions over the past year, had successfully become both his personal enemy and an enemy of humanity.
In a way, Cocolia could truly be considered a remarkable person.
After causing so many huge problems, the only losses her own faction suffered were just some Titan mechs.
She herself had coolly made a clean getaway, leaving a massive mess for the conservative faction of Anti-Entropy to deal with, forcing Welt and the others to clean up after her.
Back when he allowed the warlord factions to join Anti-Entropy, Welt had actually foreseen this kind of situation.
It was just that at the time, Welt felt that Anti-Entropy's forces were thin, and allowing the warlords to join had more pros than cons.
But now, Welt had completely understood.
There was a saying in Shenzhou: every man is born with a purpose.
Some people can only be ordinary until they discover their true talents.
But once they find what they're truly good at, they can make a stunning debut in that field.
"It's just that... if possible... I really wish someone who could make a stunning debut in the field of internal strife wasn't still running around scot-free under the name of our Anti-Entropy."
After saying this with a sense of helplessness, Welt casually opened the new intelligence report he had just received.
"Jiuyou..."
"Sending Kiana and Mei to this place for a mission... what on earth is Otto trying to do?"
The mole within Schicksal had already forwarded the mission report to Welt's side.
And according to the analysis from the mole, Otto hadn't specifically encrypted this information, meaning anyone with a bit of initiative could see it.
As Otto's old rival... alright, Welt felt that was giving himself too much credit.
As the unlucky fool who had been schemed against, both overtly and covertly, by Otto countless times, Welt immediately understood upon learning that this information was semi-public—that bastard Otto was at it again with his Overt Schemes.
Otto was no fool; he definitely knew that Anti-Entropy had spies planted in Schicksal.
So he simply used Anti-Entropy's spies as 'megaphones' to tell Welt and the others—Raiden Ryoma's daughter and Siegfried's daughter are about to be sent to Shenzhou.
Moreover, Otto knew the personalities of the remaining few higher-ups and allies in Anti-Entropy.
Especially Siegfried, a fellow victim. Otto, who had watched Siegfried grow up, knew all too well what course of action Siegfried would take after learning this news.
"Welt, why are you frowning again?"
Siegfried, walking in from outside The Ark, saw Welt's tightly furrowed brow and spoke with a grim expression.
"Is it Otto or Cocolia?"
"Otto... though I suspect Cocolia will be involved in this operation as well."
Motioning for Siegfried to look at the intel, Welt tiredly rubbed the bridge of his nose and spoke listlessly.
"Under normal circumstances, as D-rank Valkyries, Mei and Kiana aren't qualified to participate in real combat."
"But Schicksal, to put it bluntly, is Otto's one-man show. If he wants to do something, the rules he set himself will naturally not stand in his way."
"And as for Cocolia... she has her eyes on Mei. So, upon learning that Mei will be on the move, she will certainly take action as well."
"That woman is very cunning. She probably won't appear on-site herself. But she will undoubtedly dispatch her trusted subordinates to try and capture Mei."
"Those two bastards...!"
Listening to Welt's analysis, Siegfried felt his fists clench completely.
"Don't you guys stop me this time! I'm going to Jiuyou no matter what!"
"...Although I didn't plan on stopping you, I need to remind you of one thing, Siegfried."
Looking at the furious Siegfried, Welt spoke helplessly to his friend.
"Don't forget how you lost your arm four years ago."
"Kiana is with Mei right now. If Kiana sees you, the Sirin inside her might awaken."
"And if Sirin awakens, you won't be able to bring yourself to strike her down. The first thing the Herrscher of the Void will do upon her descent will be to either kill you or seize Mei's Herrscher Core."
"If things develop to that point, then whether it's Otto or Cocolia, seeing the massive commotion you've caused, they'll probably be able to laugh themselves to death hiding in the shadows."
"...Of course, I know I can't meet Kiana face-to-face."
Clenching his fist, Siegfried spoke to Welt with utmost seriousness.
"But that doesn't mean there's nothing for me to do there."
"Cocolia is definitely going to cause trouble. So, if I can take out the forces she sends to Jiuyou before she starts targeting Kiana and Mei, then the danger Mei and Kiana have to face will be lessened."
"That's not wrong, but... fine. Besides, Dr. Einstein told me something else earlier."
After lightly tapping the light screen in front of him, Welt opened a classified file and displayed it for Siegfried.
"Let me see... Dr. Einstein previously detected that Cocolia was cooperating with people from another organization—I knew she was a traitor!"
"Easy now, keep reading."
"Oh, okay—what? She's creating clones of the Herrscher of Reason???"
After finishing the classified intel, Siegfried was completely stunned.
"Cocolia isn't just trying to create the Herrscher of Thunder, she's also making clones of the Herrscher of Reason—she has a thing against Herrschers, doesn't she!"
"Er, actually, my point in showing you this was for you to understand that there's another organization behind Cocolia."
Looking at the indignant Siegfried, Welt let out a soft sigh.
"The people from that organization tried to use the exposure of Cocolia's intel to provoke a conflict between us and her—well, they certainly got their wish."
"After all, Cocolia did something we absolutely cannot tolerate."
"But at the same time, he exposed the existence of their organization. And the reason Cocolia was able to climb so quickly within our Anti-Entropy is very likely due to that organization's support."
"So this time, in Jiuyou, it won't just be Schicksal's forces, our Anti-Entropy's forces, and Cocolia's forces. There might also be a fourth power."
"Siegfried, you must be careful when you act. Since this organization, which has been lurking in the shadows, has actively bared its fangs, it can only mean..."
"—They are no longer content to stay behind the scenes and are preparing to enter the game using this opportunity."
.....
World Serpent Base
Inside the World Serpent base, Gray Serpent looked at the mission report submitted by Raven and nodded with great satisfaction.
"Raven, you have never disappointed me when it comes to completing missions."
"Ha, for the sake of the bounty, of course I'll work hard."
Raven, having just completed her mission report, lay down on the sofa, closed her eyes, and spoke with a hint of fatigue.
"You had me rush back to this base. I assume it wasn't just to praise me a couple of times."
"Naturally. This time, there is a very important mission that I need you to carry out."
Gray Serpent tapped a few times in the air, causing a light screen filled with information to appear before Raven.
"Our comrades in Shenzhou have already obtained the relevant intelligence on Jiuyou."
"Shenzhou itself is worried they can't solve the problem of Jiuyou, so they've invited members of their allied organization, Schicksal, to Jiuyou to resolve the issue together."
"...Gray Serpent, am I seeing this right?"
Opening the light screen, Raven looked at the information displayed and spoke to Gray Serpent in a cold voice.
"Raiden Mei, Kiana Kaslana, Yuno, Bronya Zaychik... Siegfried's daughter, the Third Herrscher, a Pseudo-Herrscher, and Cocolia's daughter are all gathered together and being sent by Otto to a dangerous place like Jiuyou?"
"Precisely. From this move by Otto, it seems he wants to use these Valkyries as bait to lure something he wants to capture into Jiuyou and deal with it there."
"You know this is Otto's Overt Scheme, and you still want me to go and die?"
Looking at the intel, Raven shot a cold glare at Gray Serpent, clearly showing her dissatisfaction.
In terms of organizational hierarchy, Raven, as a high-level tool, didn't really have the right to express dissatisfaction with a leader like Gray Serpent.
But Raven was currently mentally and physically exhausted from long-term missions. With her in a bad mood, and Gray Serpent beating around the bush for so long, Raven really didn't feel like putting up with it anymore.
Noticing Raven's displeasure, Gray Serpent showed no signs of anger. Instead, he spoke to her in a placating tone.
"Patience. It is because this mission is rather complex that I wanted to explain the prerequisites clearly."
"I know you've been very tired recently, but right now, you are the only high-end combatant in the organization who can be deployed."
"Bear with it, Cioara. Trust me, after completing this mission, the reward the organization gives you will definitely satisfy you."
*Wow, he even used 'Cioara'. Using my real name to get close to me... how long has it been since that last happened?*
*This also proves that this matter is really troublesome.*
Seeing the displeasure on Raven's face gradually fade, Gray Serpent continued.
"This is indeed Otto's Overt Scheme, but just because he has a backup plan doesn't mean his backup plan can stop everyone else."
"Cocolia is already preparing to take action to capture Raiden Mei, and the people from Anti-Entropy will certainly not stand by idly after learning of this."
"After all, even setting aside Cocolia's troublemaking, Siegfried and Raiden Ryoma couldn't possibly watch their daughters stand in the eye of the storm."
"When these three factions are all on the move, our Serpent's opportunity will arrive."
"After all that talk—so, what is my mission objective this time?"
Placing the Seven Thunders of Retribution in front of Gray Serpent, Raven complained.
"The Seven Thunders of Retribution hasn't been repaired yet. The sniper mode is powerful, but after firing one shot, it's unusable for a short period."
"You call me a high-end combatant, but with the Seven Thunders of Retribution out of commission, I don't think I can beat monsters like Siegfried or the Herrscher of Thunder."
"I've said it before, Cioara. You are an important executive of our World Serpent. How could I watch you go to your death?"
Though Gray Serpent's tone was gentle, any gentleness, when filtered through a mechanical voice, could only make one feel extremely uncomfortable.
But now, Raven didn't continue her outburst as she had just moments ago.
Her occasional temper tantrums might be met with a smile and a few soothing words from a 'good-natured' Gray Serpent.
But even a good-natured Gray Serpent was still Gray Serpent.
Raven could complain occasionally, throw a fit here and there, but to continue acting out when she was needed for a mission...
She wasn't Cocolia; she wasn't that brainless.
Sensing that Raven had completely calmed down, Gray Serpent continued.
"I don't need you to fight those monsters. In the end, the Serpent has always lurked in the darkness. Exposing ourselves to the light is tantamount to suicide."
"For this mission, I only need you to accomplish one thing—release the seal on the Judgment-class Honkai Beast, [Chiyou]."
"...Release the seal on that thing?"
Hearing Gray Serpent's words, Raven instantly thought of something and nodded slightly.
"No wonder. This does indeed align with the interests of our World Serpent."
"If Chiyou is truly only sealed as the legends say, then once the seal is broken, it will threaten the safety of everyone in Jiuyou."
"At that point, the scene will descend into chaos. Cocolia will have a chance to take Raiden Mei and get her hands on the Gem of Conquest... No, you actually want me to seize the opportunity and take Raiden Mei, don't you?"
"If you can accomplish that, it would naturally be for the best."
"But frankly, I don't expect you to be able to bring Raiden Mei back to our World Serpent in that environment."
"Trust me, Raven, for this mission, you really only need to release Chiyou's seal. Of course, if you really manage to bring back the Gem of Conquest or the Judgment of Shamash, the organization will naturally not treat you unfairly."
"Ha, then you'd better not have such expectations. I'll go get ready. Remember to send me the detailed plan before I move out."
After saying this, Raven left Gray Serpent's sight.
Jackal, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke up, asking Gray Serpent.
"Gray Serpent, do we really need to get involved in this Jiuyou affair?"
"Your previous actions have already exposed us to Einstein's line of sight. If we send Raven to Jiuyou this time..."
"—Then it doesn't matter if we are exposed."
Seemingly hearing Jackal's concern, Gray Serpent spoke with an air of indifference.
"Jackal, you need to understand. From the moment we joined forces with that unhinged person Cocolia, our World Serpent's exposure to the other two major organizations was only a matter of time."
"Since we're bound to be exposed in the future anyway, we might as well seize the time before we are fully exposed to gain some benefits."
"Although the Lord has not yet returned, after spending so long in the Sea of Quanta, his body is inevitably weaker than before."
"Unleashing Chiyou will not only stir the waters in Jiuyou but also make Chiyou fight against those idiots."
"I have already placed our comrades in both Shenzhou and Schicksal. As long as Chiyou's corpse remains, we can use the power of our comrades to snatch its body and leave it for our Lord."
"I see."
After opening some other intelligence on the light screen, Gray Serpent continued speaking to Jackal.
"For the people of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy to meet there and peacefully fight Chiyou together—such a thing is obviously impossible."
"The more chaotic the situation becomes, the more advantageous it is for an organization like ours that lurks in the shadows. While the difficulty of bringing back the Lord's Judgment of Shamash and Raiden Mei is indeed high, Raven might actually have a chance to complete these tasks. Besides..."
"Don't forget, we were also hoping that Cocolia would fight with the Anti-Entropy conservatives, giving us a chance to get to the Eye of the Deep during their internal strife."
"Ha, you're really dreaming."
Hearing Gray Serpent's original plan, Jackal couldn't help but let out a sneer.
"That Cocolia, usually so dim-witted, actually knew to hide like a coward at a time like this."
"Yes, that woman is indeed brilliant when it comes to internal strife. She knows that if she shows her face now, she'll be beaten down by both Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, so she simply hunkers down and lets the Anti-Entropy conservatives take the blame for her."
"And it is precisely for this reason that we must seize this rare opportunity of Cocolia sticking her head out to see if we can fan the flames further."
After these words, Gray Serpent and Jackal both fell into a tacit silence, each returning to their own work.
Ultimately, the main reason World Serpent was lurking in the shadows was due to their lack of combat power, which forced the entire organization to be so passive.
Faced with this predicament, Jackal could only continue to work hard on her research, trying to perfect the flaws in that cat and complete the final piece of the 'Emperor-class Honkai Beast Mass Production Plan.'
As for Gray Serpent, he could only continue to gather intelligence, then try to get his hands on the four gems before making a trip to the city at the Eye of the Deep.
Right now, all four gems were in Schicksal's hands. Otto... hmph, that man was certainly bold, actually letting the Gem of Conquest out on its own.
But besides the Thunder of Conquest, there was another gem that was not entirely out of our reach.
In the Oceania Branch, there was an A-rank Valkyrie with crippled legs.
According to some classified intelligence obtained by our comrades, that Valkyrie named Wendy, for unknown reasons, has the Wind of Desire sealed within her.
Although the Oceania Branch is technologically advanced, its combat power... is honestly just so-so.
If Jackal's Emperor-class Honkai Beast mass production plan can be completed, then if we have enough Emperor-class Honkai Beasts, perhaps we could strike the Oceania Branch and take that Valkyrie named Wendy.
But, time...
According to the Lord's prediction, the descent of the Herrscher of Finality is within these next few years.
Within these few years, we must ensure the Lord's return to be able to carry out the Stigmata Project with peace of mind.
But, at the current rate of progress, our World Serpent's time...
—No, is there really enough time left for this era?
In a temporary base, Cocolia looked at her adopted daughter with a doting smile.
"Sin, I'm so happy that you're willing to take on this mission."
"Hmph, it's just a trip to Shenzhou to bring back that Herrscher. A piece of cake for someone like me!"
Looking at Cocolia's gentle expression, Sin Mal, Cocolia's adopted daughter, spoke with great confidence.
"Doesn't the intel say it? That woman named Raiden Mei hasn't used her Herrscher powers since she arrived at Schicksal."
"Hmph, to put it plainly, she either doesn't dare to or can't use her Herrscher powers. Without her Herrscher powers, she's nothing but a helpless rookie Valkyrie in front of me."
"Yes, that's right."
Seeing Sin's confident smile, Cocolia gently stroked her hair.
"So, I'm counting on you for this mission."
"Besides, Bronya has already infiltrated their group. If necessary, you can..."
"Mother, I can handle this mission all by myself!"
Hearing Cocolia's suggestion, Sin, who had been enjoying her mother's touch, opened her eyes in displeasure.
"And besides, that coward Bronya dared to block your messages. Who's to say she hasn't betrayed us!"
"Now, now, don't think like that. What Bronya did was the right thing to do."
Roughly tousling Sin's hair, Cocolia knelt down, gently patting Sin's shoulder and looking at her seriously.
"After she infiltrated Schicksal, if she had casually received messages from me, Schicksal could have easily used those signals to trace back to our base."
"It was mother who was reckless. It's not Bronya's fault, so don't blame her for it."
"Tch, since you put it that way, Mother, I won't hold it against her."
After saying this, Sin began to boast excitedly again.
But Cocolia, though she was humoring Sin's words, felt a shadow of doubt in her heart because of Bronya's actions.
Bronya's actions were indeed correct, but that couldn't be used as proof that she hadn't betrayed Cocolia.
In the end, Schicksal allowing a member of Anti-Entropy to join the Far East Branch and even participate in this mission was a very strange move in itself.
*My dear daughter, I hope you haven't forgotten that Seele is still waiting for you.*
*If you choose to betray me, to stand on the opposite side...*
*—Then, disappointed in you as I would be, I would have no choice but to punish you a little with 'that thing'.*