"Miss Bronya."
In the early morning, Bronya's slumber was broken by a soft voice.
"It is time to get up. Rita has already prepared breakfast, and everyone is waiting for you."
Hearing this, Bronya opened her eyes blearily and looked at the maid-outfit-clad Rita standing before her.
Then she closed her eyes again.
I must be dreaming. Why would I dream that Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie is serving as my maid?
She peacefully drifted back to sleep.
"Miss Bronya," the maid's voice carried a hint of helplessness this time, "how have you fallen back asleep?"
At those words, Bronya's mind cleared slightly.
That's right, Sister Acheron brought back an S-rank Valkyrie yesterday... Sigh, I had a huge fight with Cocolia-mama last night and couldn't sleep until midnight because of the anger... My head is barely functioning this morning.
Thinking of this, she silently got out of bed, dressed herself, and swayed unsteadily toward the bathroom under Rita's watchful gaze.
There, Rita had already prepared water at the perfect temperature and applied toothpaste to her brush. As Bronya began to brush her teeth, Rita was already gently dampening a towel, waiting to wipe her face.
Bronya accepted the service of Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie with a wooden expression. She had to admit, it was truly comfortable. She didn't have to lift a finger; the maid had everything ready.
After enjoying Rita's service, she followed her to the dining room.
"Bronya, why are you up so late?" Kiana winked at her. "Is it because you can't sleep away from home? My, what a child."
"Childish," Bronya replied. For some reason, she felt a natural friction with the Kiana in front of her.
"This is today's breakfast." Rita brought out a variety of dishes from the kitchen, ranging from xiaolongbao to soy milk and fried dough sticks.
"Eh, isn't this Shenzhou cuisine?" Kiana said in surprise. "Sister Rita, you know how to cook Shenzhou dishes?"
"I know a little," Rita smiled modestly.
In truth, she had chosen this cuisine after observing Acheron's eating habits yesterday, preparing every portion personally.
"Sit." Seeing that Rita intended to stand behind her and watch everyone eat, Xia Yu pulled out a chair and gestured for her to sit beside her.
"As a maid, I shouldn't..." Rita tried to refuse, but Xia Yu's expression remained cold.
"Sit."
Hearing this, Rita obediently sat down.
One must not provoke this Fiend. She was an S-rank Valkyrie, someone who could hold her own for a few rounds against a Herrscher. Although she hadn't brought her strongest Valkyrie Battlesuit due to carelessness, it wasn't as if just anyone could knock her down with a single look.
Rita felt that even if Lord Durandal arrived, she likely wouldn't last many rounds... When did a powerhouse of this caliber appear in this world?
Rita didn't know, but she instinctively thought of the energy surge that had erupted a few nights ago—the one that still had every major nation and organization on high alert.
The woman beside her calling herself Acheron claimed to be the Third Herrscher, but Rita didn't believe a word of it.
A Herrscher? At least carry some Honkai Energy on you before pretending to be one... I'm not blind.
Regardless, she possessed combat power no less than a Herrscher's and seemingly knew many secrets. Perhaps that was why the Overseer had sent her here: to gather intelligence.
After all, if Lord Durandal had been sent directly... she would likely be defeated by now.
Thus, Rita had been extremely well-behaved so far, not even attempting to contact the Overseer while everyone slept, even though Acheron hadn't confiscated any of her devices.
The Overseer hadn't contacted her either. Those intelligence officers were competent enough that they must have reported the situation. Therefore, there was only one possibility: even the Overseer believed she should remain dormant for now.
In reality, Otto was frantically searching through the Void Archives for information. The powerhouses of the Previous Era didn't quite match her... The only one with a slight resemblance had confirmed records; it definitely wasn't her.
Before uncovering Acheron's background, Otto would never make a move. This wasn't some minor nuisance, but a powerhouse who could drop an S-rank Valkyrie with a glance. Even an old schemer like him found it troublesome.
Furthermore, with K423 in the other party's hands and her intentions unknown, Otto was somewhat hesitant to act.
Back at the villa, Raiden Mei was happily enjoying being fed by her Aunt, occasionally feeding Kiana next to her.
Opposite them, Bronya took a few bites and glanced at the well-behaved S-rank Valkyrie. No, this scene is still too strange.
She took another look.
Rita was mentally calculating various possibilities and considering her next move.
And Xia Yu... she picked up a xiaolongbao and fed it to Mei.
Well, you really have to hand it to her; Rita's cooking is excellent.
"Bronya." After breakfast, Mei took the initiative to wash dishes with Rita, and Kiana followed along eagerly. Only Xia Yu and Bronya were left in the living room.
"You called your mother last night, didn't you?" She reached out and pulled the Bronya-duck over, placing her on her lap. Resting her chin on Bronya's head, she narrowed her eyes comfortably. "What did Cocolia say?"
"Cocolia-mama... she still refuses to listen to Bronya," Bronya said sadly.
"That makes things difficult." Xia Yu sighed, saying half-seriously, "If the time comes where you have to choose between me and your Cocolia-mama, who will you choose?"
She posed this life-or-death question in a light tone. At least, in Bronya's eyes, it was a life-or-death question.
It was Cocolia's life on the line.
"Bronya doesn't know." Between Xia Yu and Cocolia, Bronya chose 'or.' "Perhaps, Sister Acheron, you should go to ME Corp headquarters and give Cocolia-mama a beating."
She spoke these words of "filial piety" with a wooden face. "Perhaps she has been driven completely mad by the mounting pressure."
"Now her plans are even being kept from Bronya... Bronya doesn't know why she is doing this, but it is certain that since the partners from the orphanage left one by one... Cocolia-mama has become increasingly unscrupulous."
She looked up at Sister Acheron, who was holding her. "Perhaps only after her proud Titan Legion is crushed by direct violence will she accept reality."
"Is that okay, Sister Acheron?"
There was no other way. Getting a beating now was better than being killed later because she couldn't see reality. What could Bronya do? On one side was Sister Acheron, who could easily handle an S-rank Valkyrie and possessed an invincible posture; on the other was the mother who had raised her.
She estimated that even with Cocolia-mama's Titan Legion and Mobile Cities, they were likely no match for Sister Acheron. The woman's combat power was on par with a Herrscher.
So, Cocolia-mama would just have to suffer a bit. A beating was better than losing her life.
"It's not that I don't want to agree to your request, Bronya," Xia Yu sighed, then added, "Do you really not know Cocolia's plan?"
"Bronya doesn't know, but it is certainly not a normal plan. Otherwise, Cocolia-mama wouldn't hide it from me," the latter could only say.
"You don't know, but I do, Bronya." Xia Yu shook her head. "Her plan... is indeed as cruel and extreme as you think."
"But I still can't figure out where her confidence comes from. Perhaps there is a part of the plan I don't know about—the part that gives her that confidence. That is why I haven't acted yet."
Xia Yu bluffed, "But as time passes, I still can't find anything... It makes me uneasy, as if things are slowly slipping out of my control."
"So, Bronya, this is the last chance for you and Cocolia. Go and help me find out what deal she made with the snake, okay?"
"The only thing I can think of is that the snake made her a promise that gave her such confidence."
"Bronya promises you, Sister Acheron," Bronya nodded. "I will return to Cocolia-mama shortly. But regarding Cocolia-mama's plan... can you tell Bronya?"
"I don't want Mei to know; it would put too much pressure on her." Xia Yu nodded. "I will send the details of the plan to your phone shortly."
"Mm, Bronya understands," the latter nodded obediently.
Then, both fell silent.
Xia Yu's reason for doing this was simply to let Bronya see the current Cocolia clearly. She had gone completely mad. A trump card? She didn't have a single one!
Only a lunatic would think a bunch of Titans and a few Mobile Cities could subdue a Herrscher!
Even if Otto came and saw this scene, he would be stunned.
"Sister Acheron, if you and Mei didn't look so much alike, I'd wonder if you and this brat were blood relatives." Kiana, who had been kicked out for being clumsy and meddlesome, returned to the living room only to see her respected Sister Acheron holding Bronya in her arms with a calm expression.
The former looked indifferent, but from her posture—resting her chin on the brat's head and her half-closed eyes—one could feel she was enjoying this leisure time.
But the latter, the brat Bronya, truly showed no emotion at all. Her face remained stiff from beginning to end; no expression could be seen.
Kiana looked at Xia Yu enviously, feeling restless. "Sister Acheron, this brat looks very comfortable to hold. Can I borrow her for a hug?"
Actually, if Bronya were a bit more sweet-talking, Kiana would really like lolis, but she didn't know what was wrong with this brat—she seemed born to be at odds with her.
"Bronya does not want to have contact with you," Bronya spoke up immediately. "I feel that by being stained with the aura of an idiot, my brain will be assimilated!"
"Hey, you little—" Kiana immediately got fired up. "Come on then, if you're so brave, let's go outside and fight for three hundred rounds!"
"Bronya has no time to play with idiot Kiana," Bronya stood up, breaking free from Xia Yu's embrace. "Bronya has serious business to attend to!"
"Hmm? Serious business?" Kiana was no longer sleepy. She turned to Xia Yu. "Sister Acheron, did you give this brat a mission? Why didn't you come to me?"
She patted her chest. "I'm very strong!"
Having eaten her fill, Kiana had long wanted to get some exercise.
"This is a family matter," Xia Yu stroked her head and said. "Why are you joining the fuss?"
"Huh? Family matter? Is she going to find that Coco-something mama?" Kiana didn't give up and turned to Bronya. "Bronya, take me with you. From what I've heard, that mother of yours isn't easy to deal with."
"If something happens to you, at least I can bring you back, right?"
"Bronya does not need a companion!" Bronya glanced at her. "Cocolia-mama is my mother after all; she won't do anything to me."
"That's not for certain," Xia Yu said meaningfully. "You should be careful, Bronya."
"Just as you said, Cocolia is on the brink of madness."
"...No, she won't do anything to Bronya." But the latter still chose to believe in the Cocolia she lived with day and night.
"Fine, then be careful." Xia Yu tapped her forehead lightly, and an imperceptible trace of black energy seeped into her hair.
"If you aren't back by nightfall, then I will consider that Cocolia has rejected my final mercy," Xia Yu said indifferently. "I won't care about Anti-Entropy. If I can't solve the problem for the time being, I will choose to solve the person who created the problem."
"Do you understand, Bronya?"
"Bronya understands." The latter's pupils trembled slightly as she nodded and floated toward the door.
As high-tech exoskeletons, her leg units had an integrated simulated walking mode specifically for covert infiltration missions. After all, a girl who floated everywhere was simply too conspicuous.
It was just that the anti-gravity mode was very effortless, so Bronya particularly favored it and used it normally.
"Sister Acheron, will Bronya be okay?" Kiana watched Bronya's departing back and leaned toward Xia Yu. "Should I follow her..."
"The trouble on you isn't any smaller than hers." Xia Yu reached out and pinched her face. "Kiana, you need to use your head."
"How would I know I have any trouble?" Kiana was completely confused.
"Heh," a faint smile appeared at the corner of Xia Yu's mouth. "Kiana Kaslana, do you remember the day we first met?"
"It seems a life of wandering wasn't enough to train you. You just follow whatever I say. You don't actually think I believed your story, do you? Do you think my mention of Lady Cecilia that night was just a coincidence?"
She leaned close to Kiana's ear. "I really don't know how Siegfried raised you. I've been waiting for you to realize it, but with your carefree attitude... Sigh, you really need to use your head."