Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 420: Came for Nothing
Siegfried gave a bitter smile, left speechless.
How could he not understand? The time Sigurd had spent with Kiana, the feelings they shared, and everything Sigurd had done for her—none of it was something he could compare to.
To be reasonable, even Siegfried himself felt that he hardly had the right to criticize the two of them.
But reason was one thing. If, as a father, he couldn't even stand up and question the fact that the man his daughter chose was a fickle, womanizing flirt, then what was the point of him being alive?
At the very least, Sigurd had to know that—no matter how foolish or incompetent he might be—Kiana had a father. And if she were ever wronged, someone would stand up and demand justice from him.
"Because… I'm a father."
Siegfried crushed the burning cigarette under his fingers, melancholy yet unwavering.
Theresa turned her head and looked at Siegfried's profile, letting out a silent sigh.
"Have you made up your mind?"
"I never changed it in the first place."
"Then go. While there's still time, go say what you want to say. Good luck."
"Roger that!"
Siegfried snapped his fingers, leaned forward, and dropped toward the ground.
Moments later, a figure wreathed in biting cold sped across the earth under the night sky, racing forward alone and leaving everything in the dust.
Theresa watched his departing trail from above, shook her head, and suddenly let out a soft laugh.
"Hah! That stubborn temper is exactly like Kiana's. Cecilia… maybe that's why you fell for him?"
With a wistful sigh, Theresa turned and headed back toward the Hyperion's command room.
…
After two hours of high-speed travel, Siegfried crossed more than half of the new continent and arrived at the magnificent and imposing headquarters of Anti-Entropy.
"Private Second Class Siegfried Kaslana. It's not yet the scheduled time. You've left your unit without authorization and trespassed into headquarters alone. What punishment do you think that warrants?"
"Miss Bronya, please go easy on me. I just want to see Sigurd."
"You should address me as Commander. And as a Private Second Class under disciplinary watch, what right do you have to request an audience with His Supreme Majesty by name?"
"I… can you at least consider it for Kiana's sake?"
Standing beneath the hundred-meter-high massive wall, Siegfried looked up at the projection of Bronya that had appeared above and forced a flattering smile.
His reply came in the form of countless oval-shaped robots with long ears materializing all around him, while innumerable red targeting dots settled onto his body.
"Siegfried, you volunteered to become a soldier. As a soldier, do you think military operations are something to joke about? If I shoot you dead under this wall right now, Kiana wouldn't dare say a single word to me. Do you believe that?"
Bronya's enormous projection lowered its head, staring down at him coldly.
Siegfried fell silent. Other than raising his hands in surrender, there was little he could do.
He couldn't force his way in.
Setting aside the fact that he had no confidence in breaching a city forged from countless advanced technologies, even his limited wisdom was enough to remind him that conflict was absolutely unacceptable. That would be destroying the order Anti-Entropy had maintained for so many years.
"Whatever punishment comes later, I'll accept it. Lock me up or send me back to the front lines to eat dust—I won't complain. Bro—Commander, I request an audience with Sigurd. As a father, I want to have one last talk with him."
Bronya's projection continued to look down at him. After a long moment, she finally spoke.
"It's meaningless. The matters between Sigurd and us neither require nor permit anyone to question them. If you're smart, withdraw now and wait outside. Considering how diligently you've carried out missions recently, I can suspend your punishment."
"And if I insist on seeing him?"
"In private, we will take good care of Kiana. You don't need to worry. In public… matters concerning the Herrscher affect the fate of civilization. You have no qualifications to interfere. I believe I've made myself clear."
"Commander… I'm Kiana's father."
The exchange reached a stalemate.
Bronya stared down at Siegfried expressionlessly. The smiling electronic face displayed on the Little Bunny drones switched to a sinister grin.
Half a minute later, Bronya's expression changed.
She narrowed her eyes, withdrew the Little Bunny robots, and beneath the thick wall, a luminous gateway opened.
"Go in."
Bronya spoke calmly, and the massive projection on the wall vanished along with her words.
Siegfried lowered his raised hands, rubbed his nose, and let out a breath of relief.
"Kids these days are really strict. And come to think of it, she's part of that complicated mess too. Kiana's so simple-minded…what if… Tch! Why do I always have to deal with such chaotic situations?"
Scratching his head in frustration, Siegfried stepped through the gate of light.
…
He had thought it would be nothing more than walking through a doorway, but instead he experienced a dizzying distortion of space.
When his senses returned, he found himself on a cloud-top observation platform bathed in bright moonlight.
Ahead of him, Sigurd leaned forward in a wide black chair, exuding an overwhelming sense of pressure as he gazed at Siegfried with an indifferent expression.
Behind Sigurd, Kiana stood like a dutiful young wife, obediently massaging his shoulders.
The moment she saw Siegfried appear, Kiana kept up the pressure of her massage while frantically winking at him.
'Hurry and leave, you old fool! If Sigurd gets angry, you're dead!'
Clearly, Kiana's presence here was her attempt to protect Siegfried's life as much as possible.
Siegfried sighed helplessly.
Logically speaking, when a father-in-law comes to talk to his womanizing son-in-law, he should be the one in the dominant position.
So why was everyone worried that he might lose his life?
Siegfried felt that something about this situation was deeply wrong. Yet when he met Sigurd's calm, rippleless blue eyes, an inexplicable sense of guilt crept into his heart.
"Uh… good evening?"
He offered a stiff greeting, trying to show goodwill.
"Mm."
Sigurd responded faintly and gestured with one hand. A chair appeared opposite him.
"Sit."
Siegfried walked over and slowly took a seat across from Sigurd, unconsciously becoming restrained and tense.
After working for Anti-Entropy for nearly half a year, he had gained a clear understanding of Sigurd's methods and achievements, as well as his immense influence and exalted status in this era.
Siegfried knew that a casual word from Sigurd could likely make the entire world hunt him down—perhaps even Welt wouldn't be able to stop it.
"Your former commanding officers have all evaluated you highly. They say you are capable and courageous in battle, and that you've made significant contributions on the front lines. That is worthy of commendation."
"Uh… th-thank you!"
Siegfried shifted awkwardly in his seat. He hadn't expected praise at all and even felt a little flattered.
"Kiana is mine. Do you have any objections?"
Then Sigurd's sudden statement left both people present momentarily blank.
Kiana's mind went blank from shyness and joy.
As for Siegfried, it was pure emptiness—he had absolutely no idea how to respond.
After a long while, he let out a powerless sigh.
"Seeing Kiana like this, I know I can't persuade her. And maybe I don't really have the right to say anything to you. After all, you've been the one taking care of her all this time… But there are other girls around you. Making Kiana endure that kind of grievance—don't you feel any guilt or regret?"
"I do. But she is mine. No matter what, no one can take her away from my side."
"You… you should at least give her the right to choose."
"That right, I will not give. She can only be mine."
Sigurd spoke calmly, but his tone carried absolute resolve.
Siegfried paused and glanced at Kiana. On her face, he saw only shyness and happiness.
Filled with helplessness, Siegfried let out a long sigh and tilted his head back to look at the moon.
"Kiana is a very simple child. Once she decides on something, she'll never turn back."
"I know. I understand that better than you."
"I can tell. Even if she suffers grievances, she won't leave you."
"Mm. I know that too."
"But that is not a justification for you to make her suffer!"
Siegfried slammed one hand onto the table. His palm sank into the metal as frost spread across its surface. His gaze suddenly turned firm and sharp.
Sigurd lowered his eyes and, for a moment, said nothing.
Kiana's hands paused mid-massage. She leaned back slightly and sucked in a sharp breath.
"S-S-Sig! My stupid old dad just doesn't understand the situation! Please don't get angry—don't get angry!"
"…Do I look like the kind of person who flies into a rage without distinguishing right from wrong?"
"Uh! No, absolutely not. I just… I was just reminding you…"
"Keep massaging."
"Yes, sir!!!"
Kiana answered loudly, not daring to lose focus again, and continued serving Sigurd with full concentration.
The corner of Siegfried's eye twitched.
"She's really wrapped around your finger, isn't she? Even I've never gotten this kind of treatment."
"Jealous?"
"To be honest, my shoulders are a little sore too."
"I have sufficient firepower—anything from loosening your muscles to sending you straight to heaven. Take your pick."
Sigurd made the suggestion seriously.
Siegfried's eye twitched again.
Then he shook his head.
"Let's talk seriously. Are you certain you want to keep Kiana by your side like this? And without being able to give her your whole love?"
"I'm certain."
"I'm her father."
"I know. So, I… am sorry."
It was only a short sentence, but when Sigurd said it, both Siegfried and Kiana froze.
Siegfried hadn't expected to hear an apology from Sigurd.
Kiana's eyes instantly turned red. Then she glared unhappily at Siegfried.
Siegfried felt as if his own precious little cotton-padded jacket had stabbed him in the heart.
"Kiana, I'm standing up for you."
"How can you make Sig apologize? Hurry up and apologize to Sig, you stupid old man!"
"Hey, how did this turn into me being the bad guy?"
"Anyone who makes Sig unhappy is the bad guy! I don't care—apologize, stinky old dad!"
Puffing out her cheeks, Kiana glared at Siegfried stubbornly.
Everything between them had been perfectly fine. They didn't need this kind of apology. As long as they could stay together, that was enough—that was Kiana's only thought at that moment.
Then Sigurd gently touched Kiana's hand and continued:
"I'm sorry that Kiana has suffered grievances by my side. I will do my best to make it up to her and take care of everything concerning her to the best of my ability. That is my promise. But the relationship between us does not require interference from anyone. Do you understand, Siegfried?"
Before Siegfried could reply, Kiana was already nodding rapidly like a pecking chick, clearly approving of Sigurd's declaration.
Siegfried looked at Kiana, then at Sigurd, then back at Kiana—repeating the cycle several times. In the end, he let out a wistful sigh.
"I understand. Then my daughter is in your hands. Remember your promise. If one day you break your word, even if my abilities are limited, I'll make you understand what a father's anger looks like."
"I understand. Get some rest. A room has been prepared for you."
With that, Sigurd stood and left.
Kiana remained where she was for a second, blinked, then pulled down her lower eyelid at Siegfried and made a silly face.
"Bleh! Sig, wait for me!"
The girl called out cheerfully and trotted after Sigurd, her smile utterly free of sorrow or gloom.
Only Siegfried was left standing there, shaking his head with a bitter smile.
"So what exactly did I come here for? Just to play the villain for nothing? Ha!"
He smiled wryly. Though there were still things he wasn't satisfied with, there was nothing more he could do.
Kiana had grown up under Sigurd's care. Otto's threat, the threat of the Herrscher of the Void—every difficult problem in that child's life had been perfectly resolved by Sigurd. Otherwise, how could Kiana still wear such a reassuring smile now?
This was the destination Kiana had chosen. Perhaps it was also the destination most suited to her.
Siegfried lowered his head in resignation, with no more complaints left to voice.
<+>
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