Chapter 188: Conquering the Lightning
The staff had been debating where to house the newly transferred Valkyrie, and Wendy had just loudly volunteered her master plan.
"I can totally just live with Rovel! I don't mind at all!" Wendy slammed her hands flat against the table, leaning forward with bright, eager eyes.
Sure, Rovel's assigned dorm was only a two-bedroom apartment, and Fu Hua already occupied the second room, leaving zero vacancies. But Wendy had done the math. Rovel rarely slept in the dorm anyway; as a Descender, he usually logged out and returned to his own world at night, leaving his bed completely empty.
To Wendy, this was a tragic waste of premium real estate. St. Freya Academy was already suffering from a housing shortage—how could they tolerate such blatant extravagance? Therefore, purely for the sake of the academy's resource management, Wendy had resolutely chosen to sacrifice herself and keep his bed warm.
Theresa shot the idea down before Wendy even finished her pitch.
"Absolutely not!" The petite principal pinched the bridge of her nose, fighting an incoming migraine.
Just two years ago, when Wendy had graduated under her tutelage, she had been a shy, timid, and incredibly polite girl. How had she suddenly transformed into this? She was practically an insatiable little per— Theresa stopped her own train of thought. Using such words to describe her former student felt too cruel. After all, Wendy was even younger than Bronya. In ancient terms, she was barely in her early teens, far from reaching adulthood.
"Why not?!" Wendy protested, puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"Because I said so! If you want to stay at St. Freya, you are going to abide by St. Freya's rules!" Theresa snapped back, suppressing a heavy sigh. "In short, don't worry about the housing situation. I will arrange a proper room for you."
Once upon a time, Theresa had been immensely proud of Wendy's excellence. Now, the girl was just a walking headache. Was this... the legendary rebellious phase?
"Hmph. I can turn invisible anyway," Wendy muttered under her breath, crossing her arms. "At worst, I'll just sneak in through his window."
"Don't even think about it," Theresa warned, mercilessly shattering the girl's last shred of fantasy. "Fu Hua lives with Rovel, and she is exceptionally sensitive to auras and killing intent. How do you think she managed to find you while you were invisible in the first place?"
"Uh..." The moment Fu Hua's name dropped, Wendy's rebellious momentum instantly deflated.
She still harbored lingering trauma from getting knocked out cold by a single punch the day before. Just thinking about it made her abdomen ache with a phantom pain. And they seriously expected her to believe that someone with that kind of monstrous strength had just become an A-rank Valkyrie? The only thing 'A' about that martial artist was her chest size.
Wendy suddenly shivered, rubbing the back of her neck. Why did she suddenly feel a cold, threatening chill in the air just from thinking that?
"I still have an empty guest room at my place. You can stay with me for now," Theresa offered, her tone softening. "I've already transferred your personnel file back from the Oceania Branch. From this moment on, you are an A-rank Valkyrie directly under the jurisdiction of my Far East Branch."
Rovel's earlier warnings hadn't been unfounded. Wendy's sudden ability to stabilize and control the power of the Gem of Desire made her an incredibly valuable—and dangerous—piece of experimental data for Schicksal HQ. Although Wendy's current combat output hadn't quite reached the apocalyptic level of a true Herrscher, the ambient Honkai Energy would gradually saturate her cells over time. In a year at most, she would fully mature into the Herrscher of Wind.
Naturally, this gradual maturation was necessary to prevent the Gem of Desire from eroding Wendy's mind. If she wanted to, she could accelerate the process by directly absorbing Honkai Energy reactors, but the Gem had only just awakened. It had already altered her personality this much; anyone with common sense would be wary of pushing it further.
Theresa sighed inwardly. First, she had taken in Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder. Now, she was harboring Wendy, the Herrscher of Wind. If this trend continued, St. Freya Academy was going to have to rebrand itself as Herrscher Academy.
But she would take things one step at a time. If the worst came to pass, she was still a former S-Rank Valkyrie. She wasn't someone to be trifled with.
"...Fine," Wendy mumbled, reluctantly accepting the arrangement for now.
Meanwhile, back at the main dorms...
"Hmm? No lunch today?" Kiana blinked, staring blankly at the completely empty dining table. Her stomach let out a pathetic growl.
"Mei and Rovel went on a date," Bronya replied flatly from the couch, her eyes glued to her handheld console. "Mei probably won't be coming back today..."
"Ah, young love. Wendy's sudden appearance definitely gave Mei a sense of crisis, didn't it? She must be eager to finally 'take down' Rovel." Himeko leaned against the kitchen counter, swirling a can of beer with a knowing, distinctly adult smirk.
"Take down?" Kiana tilted her head, thoroughly confused. "Did Rovel commit a crime? Are they going to arrest him?"
"Why are you asking so many questions, little girl? Just go eat your instant noodles," Himeko laughed, tossing a steaming cup of noodles across the room.
Kiana caught it clumsily, her attention instantly hijacked by the savory aroma. "Whoa, smells so good!"
Downtown, the afternoon sun cast a warm, golden glow over the bustling commercial district.
"Mei... do you really have to stick this close?" Rovel asked, feeling a faint flush creep up his neck.
The beautiful girl had her arms wrapped tightly around his, pressing herself against his side as they walked down the street.
"Absolutely!" Mei pouted, shooting him a sharp, warning glare. "Or is it that only Wendy is allowed to cling to you like this?"
"Of course not," Rovel replied instantly, shaking his head with absolute conviction.
Clearly, the Thunder Empress was feeling incredibly jealous. His top priority right now was to soothe her ruffled feathers and make her feel secure. Pushing all other distractions aside, Rovel dedicated the entire afternoon to earnestly accompanying Mei. They ate at a nice restaurant, watched a romantic movie, and enjoyed the simple, peaceful activities that ordinary couples took for granted.
As the evening approached, they found themselves sitting on a quiet park bench. Suddenly, Mei shifted closer. She reached out, gently taking Rovel's hand and intertwining her slender fingers with his.
"Rovel," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I talked to her."
"Her?" Rovel blinked, not immediately registering who she meant.
"The Herrscher of Thunder..." Mei clarified softly, her gaze dropping to their joined hands.
Rovel's heart skipped a beat as realization hit him. She had established a direct line of communication with the Thunder Queen?! This was happening at least two years too early! In the original timeline, Mei's first true, face-to-face conversation with her Herrscher persona didn't occur until the infamous 'Rooftop Domestic Violence' incident in Nagazora.
Historically, Mei had always harbored a deep-seated terror toward her alternate personality. The Herrscher of Thunder was a formidable, arrogant entity who stood high above humanity, possessing enough apocalyptic power to wipe a city off the map with a mere flick of her wrist. Mei had spent countless sleepless nights terrified that the Herrscher would suddenly awaken and slaughter Rovel, Kiana, and the rest of her friends.
But... recently, Mei had come to a harsh realization. Simply avoiding the problem wouldn't make it disappear. Rovel had thrown himself into life-threatening danger time and time again to protect them, and she had been forced to stand on the sidelines, watching it all unfold. She had been completely powerless to help him. She couldn't do anything.
That helplessness gnawed at her soul. She wanted to become stronger. She desperately craved the power to protect the man she loved. And to achieve that, she had finally cast aside her timid, fearful self, choosing to willingly confront the Thunder Queen sealed within her own mind.
"Mei..." Rovel squeezed her hand, his expression turning incredibly earnest. "In my eyes, you are all Mei. You are a gentle, kind, and virtuous girl. Whether it's the Thunder Queen or the current you sitting beside me... you are both my wings!"
"No, you don't understand," Mei interrupted, her cheeks flushing a brilliant shade of crimson. "What she and I talked about wasn't combat power. It was... about us."
With trembling hands, Mei unzipped her designer handbag.
"Hm?" Rovel tilted his head, utterly bewildered.
But when Mei reached into the bag and pulled out a sleek, rectangular box labeled [Ultra-Thin 0.01], Rovel felt his brain short-circuit. He was genuinely flustered.
Wait. She and the Thunder Queen had reached a mutual consensus on this specific topic?!
"Uh..." Rovel swallowed hard, his eyes locked onto the packaging. The bold text proudly advertised '20 Pieces/Box'. He instantly felt a preemptive, phantom ache radiate through his lower back. "Just to confirm... we probably won't need to use this entire box tonight, right...?"
"Doesn't Rovel want a harem?" Raiden Mei smiled, though her eyes flashed with a dangerous, predatory glint that looked suspiciously like her Herrscher counterpart. Without breaking eye contact, she reached into her handbag and pulled out a second box. "How could this small quantity possibly be enough for you?"
"Hiss..." Rovel inhaled sharply, suddenly feeling his knees go weak. "Is it too late for me to surrender now?"
"It's too late."
[Raiden Mei's affection has reached 100%. Obtaining the legendary title: Conqueror of Lightning!]
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