[PS: QAQ Please don't scold me anymore, don't scold me… I know the last few chapters have been a bit slow, but the editor's arranging recommendations and asked for a slower pace…]
[PS: Anyway, today or tomorrow we'll "climb the tree," then we'll quickly transition into Savior Kevin and start crazy mass updates!]
Otto's words drifted softly.
"Tell Theresa that I'm sorry… her grandfather…"
"…won't be able to attend her coronation ceremony…"
[March 7th: Otto… is he leaving…]
[Hu Tao: Otto, that's too much… why are you tricking my tears out again… qaq]
[Furina: Theresa will definitely be heartbroken when she finds out…]
[Star Rail · Himeko: Actually, Otto… he can't let go of Theresa either, can he?]
[Kafka: Otto isn't a god—of course he still has human emotions.]
[Kafka: You can feel it… he can't bear to leave Theresa, Durandal, Fu Hua, and so many others in Schicksal.]
[Kafka: But reviving Kallen has already become the meaning of Otto's existence. He has no choice but to leave—and he must leave.]
[Kiana: Will Theresa… be really sad…]
[Honkai · Himeko: Even though that guy did a lot of bad things… still… he truly doted on Theresa, didn't he…]
[Fu Hua: Although the Headmistress usually avoids talking too much about her grandfather, from her habits and arrangements… Otto really did take very good care of her…]
[Tesla: That bastard is really awful… why make things this emotional…]
[Einstein: But, Dr. Tesla, why are your eyes red too?]
[Tesla: Don't talk nonsense! How could I possibly be affected by something like this… hmph]
[Sushang: Otto probably had feelings for Immortal Fu Hua, for Durandal, for Li—Miss Sushang and the others too, right…]
[Rita: But no matter whether it's family, friendship, or anything else… none of it could stop the Archbishop's steps…]
[Durandal: It seems the Archbishop had long since planned not to attend Lady Theresa's coronation ceremony…]
[Ningguang: But… handing Schicksal directly to Theresa like this… won't that be a tremendous challenge for her?]
In the chat,
everyone suppressed the ache in their noses, sighing quietly.
And at that moment,
what appeared on the screen was another scene—
On the other side, Theresa and the others were evacuating the town's residents.
As logistics support, Theresa and the people of Anti-Entropy were simultaneously responsible for relocating the townsfolk and ensuring their safety.
Tesla worked on a device while talking to Theresa.
"Those townspeople being carted around really have it rough. I heard they were evacuated to the nearby mountains just yesterday, but those puppets dragged them all back again just now."
"To be safe, we should get them properly settled as soon as possible. Whether it's rolling the clock back five hundred years or turning this place into a battlefield, ordinary people can't endure this kind of ordeal."
"Yeah. Although those puppets keep saying people aren't allowed to move around freely, they don't seem to be enforcing it with violence for now."
"I want to take this opportunity to gather everyone in a safer area, or move them onto the Hyperion for temporary shelter."
"But I'm worried that ordinary civilians still haven't realized how dangerous the situation is. Evacuating them probably won't be easy."
"That's likely also part of Otto's plan—using civilians as hostages to stall us."
Looking at the scene on the screen—
At Theresa, who still didn't know what had truly happened,
who still harbored resentment toward Otto—
The people in the chat could only sigh again.
At this moment, Theresa still believed
that Otto truly intended to sacrifice this world in exchange for the outcome of five hundred years ago,
to reset all of human civilization outside Kolosten.
She still believed
that her grandfather… was a madman bent on destroying the world.
She had no way of knowing
how deeply Otto regretted being unable to attend her coronation ceremony.
She had no way of knowing
that Otto truly intended to entrust Schicksal to her.
And she certainly didn't know
that Otto had never harbored even the slightest intention toward this world.
From beginning to end,
the only thing he intended to sacrifice
was himself.
How deeply Otto Apocalypse cherished his granddaughter, Theresa.
[Ningguang: Sigh…]
[Raiden Mei: When the Headmistress finds out… she'll surely feel unbearably guilty…]
[Hu Tao: Stop stabbing already, stop stabbing…]
[Sparkle: Tsk tsk, if this counts as knives, then the real big one is probably still coming…]
[Keqing: This Theresa still doesn't know what's about to happen, does she…]
[Furina: She has no idea that Otto was sincerely planning to hand Schicksal over to her…]
[Furina: And she has no idea just how genuine and intense Otto's feelings for her were…]
[Tesla: That Otto bastard—this is just how everyone sees him. That impression really can't be easily overturned, can it?!]
[Durandal: That impression was something the Archbishop himself was willing to cultivate…]
[Durandal: As long as it helped push the plan forward, the Archbishop didn't care about anyone's opinion…]
[March 7th: But why did Otto's puppets gather all the residents back together again??]
[March 7th: He clearly had no intention of destroying the world, nor of threatening Kiana and the others with these townspeople…]
[Kamisato Ayaka: Right… why would Otto go through so much trouble…]
[Rita: Lord Otto would never do anything meaningless.]
[Herta: I'm afraid this is… paving the way for Theresa.]
[Jean: Paving the way?!]
[Herta: The succession of a Schicksal Archbishop isn't something that can be perfectly resolved with just a sentence.]
[Herta: Heh~ Otto really went to great lengths.]
On the way back to Schicksal headquarters,
Theresa read the chaotic stream of messages in the chat.
The guilt in her heart grew so heavy it made her chest ache.
Yet beneath that tidal wave of complicated emotions,
all Theresa could do was lower her voice and keep apologizing—for her misunderstanding…
"I'm sorry… Grandpa…"
On screen,
Theresa, in the midst of evacuation work, soon approached a resident by the roadside.
(The badge says… St. 7308 Research Institute… Rowe?)
"Hello? Are you a staff member of this town?"
"Ah… yes. Sigh, looks like I'm working overtime again today…"
(Even at a time like this, he's thinking about overtime. It really seems people aren't aware of how dangerous things are…)
Looking at the man sighing in front of her, Theresa introduced herself.
"Hello, Rowe. I'm Theresa Apocalypse."
"Theresa?! You—you're the one Lord Otto mentioned, the next Archbishop, Lady Theresa?!"
"That's right. But could you please come with me and leave this place first? It may become dangerous here soon!"
"Huh? Leave here? Dangerous? W-why??"
The man's face was filled with confusion.
His initial excitement at seeing Theresa quickly turned into bewilderment.
Theresa sighed and spoke the truth.
"Otto is conducting a very dangerous experiment. It might affect everyone in the town."
"Lord Archbishop?? Dangerous experiment? Am I hearing things from working too much overtime? What are you talking about…"
The man looked utterly stunned,
as if he simply couldn't believe Otto would do such a thing—and instead suspected he'd misheard.
"Lord Archbishop… ah, I mean, the former Archbishop Otto's agents just told everyone earlier, didn't they? That we should stay where we are and not move."
"And… a dangerous experiment? Are you really talking about that Lord Otto??"
As he spoke,
it was obvious that he didn't believe Otto would ever put them in danger.
Theresa blurted out instinctively,
"What?"
But what Rowe said next made her freeze again.
"Sure, working for Schicksal can be tiring, but the pay is excellent! All kinds of insurance are fully covered at the highest level every month."
"And if your performance is outstanding, you get bonuses. During major holidays, we even receive care packages with handwritten blessings from the Archbishop himself…"
"You're saying that this kind of Archbishop suddenly wants to harm us today?"
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