Sorry for the delay.
Disclaimer: Honkai Impact doesn't belong to me. (If that was the case things wouldn't be so bad for the girls!)
Enjoy!
Three days after Nagazora Incident. Nighttime inside a luxurious hotel…
The bartender jumped startled as an empty glass of whisky was forcibly put down on the front bar.
"Give me the bill." The man frowned but didn't say anything else. He was used to moody drunks in his bar and his silver-haired client wasn't the worst he had dealt with. He passed him the bill. His client grunted seeing it and pulled some bills on the surface.
"Keep the change." The bartender raised a brow and nodded in gratitude. The man moved from the stool and toward the Hotel's bar exit. Some women dressed in party attires winked or tried to start a conversation with him as he moved out but he ignored them, earning some buffs or insults behind his back. He didn't mind them. For a moment he stopped in the hallway, wondering if he should go to his room or walk around. He pondered for a moment before deciding that he was anxious to go to sleep. He walked towards the elevator and decided to go to the rooftop of the hotel. After some seconds inside the elevator and hearing the generic music inside it, he reached his destination. When the doors opened, he caught sight of the large terrace at the top of the building. He thanked mentally that the place was free.
He walked towards the edge of the terrace and leaned on the glass fence. He took a cigarette and lighter out from his pocket and lighted on the Tabaco roll. He took a deep breath and breath out a large smoke screen as the cold wind of the night passed through his hair.
The occasional wave of night wind moving through him and the smoke from his cigarette was his only company as he tried to keep his thoughts in order.
"They are okay… She is okay, Siegfried. Adam was with her and he knows what's best for him if he snapped on her…" He clenched his hand in worry. The smoke ceased as the cigarette fell from his mouth in the form of an ice shard. Siegfried cursed at his lack of control. He was about to grab a new one until his phone sounded. Quickly, he took out his smartphone and saw the ID call.
The Kid.
He took the call and didn't mind showing his… worry.
"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN, IDIOT!" He screamed off, scaring some pigeons that were walking around. Adam hissed at the unexpected shout.
"Oh! You know. Taking pictures around the city and chilling around. Normal shit." Adam answered sarcastically. Siegfried wasn't in the mood for some banter. He growled. "Don't screw with me. I am serious, Adam!"
"I was fighting my way out of that city along with your daughter, asshole!" he answered back hissing. "Sorry if I couldn't call after being unconscious for three days!"
Neither said anything for a moment, trying to cool their heads, especially for Siegfried, who was death worry about the whereabouts of Kiana's and Adam's.
"Ki- Adam," he began. "Sorry, it's just," he passed his left hand through his hair as he tried to find the correct words. "When Hestia told me about what was happening inside the city, I was coming back from the ocean, and then she mentioned that you were in trouble with Kiana and she told me the aftermath and… Fuck!" Siegfried screamed. He gripped so tight the glass fence that it started to present some cracks on it.
"Fuck! Goddamn, shitty Otto, fucking Honkai…!" Siegfried kept rambling and cursing for five minutes straight until he leaned on the fence trying to catch his breath. For his part, Adam kept listening without saying a word as he heard his mentor and friend vent off his worries and fears of the last days.
Thinking that it was the last, Adam break the silence.
"Feeling better?"
"Yeah. Now, I only need to smash your face for making me death-worried about you and my baby-doll."
"Funny. I was thinking the same. Every time I follow one of your 'tips to relax', I end up fighting or running away." Hearing his remark, Siegfried groaned.
"How many times I have to tell you that I didn't know that it was a Mob's club?!"
"And how many times I have told you that flirting with any woman has been a hazard to both of us?!"
"In my defense, I didn't know that she was married with that fat asshole." Siegfried heard Adam scoff. "Yeah. And you didn't know that pissing off a mafia boss and walk away scot-free wasn't going to be so easy."
They both fell silent. None say a word for almost a minute, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was a peaceful one. Both knew that they needed to cool off their heads if they wanted to continue their conversation, or they would continue butting heads the rest of the night. Siegfried kept his gaze on the multitude of city lights gave off in the middle of the night as he deftly took a new cigarette with his free hand and lit it.
After taking some puffs, Siegfried spoke again.
"Hestia gave me a summary of what happened. Mind telling me your side?" Adam sighed at the other end of the line and Siegfried was sure that he was rubbing his temple.
"I woke up in the middle of all. I didn't hear or see anything unusual until I reached the lobby of the hotel I was in. I barely escaped from there before a mob of zombies could grab me. I spent a few hours swinging through the corners and ledges of the buildings, avoiding groups of zombies and Honkai beasts. I was resting when I heard an explosion in the distance. I went to investigate if there were any survivors there and luckily, it was the right choice," Adam stopped to catch his breath.
"And you find my baby-doll there, isn't it?" Siegfried cut in.
"Yes. She was fighting off a mob of zombies while protecting another girl who survived the Honkai wave of the Outbreak," Adam chuckled, making Siegfried raise a brow. "I was really surprised when she presented herself as a Kaslana. I mean, she doesn't resemble you at all except for some attitudes, the hair, and the black hole you have for a stomach!"
Siegfried smiled. "What can I say? The Kaslanas have their appeal. But you are right, she resembles her mother more than I."
"Yeah, she is really a beauty. A shame that fifth percent of her genes came from an ugly bastard like you." Siegfried's smile faded. "Ugly? I don't think some women would say the same after spending a glorious night with this handsome man."
"By glorious night, do you mean beating your drunk-ass after not paying your debts or screwing around?"
"Then, what did you do after helping my little girl?" Siegfried yielded. He was sure that Adam was smirking in victory. Smart-ass.
"Well, we spent the night at the rooftop of Kiana's academy gymnasium. The night was calm, but in the morning," Adam grunted. "Easy to say that shit hit the fan." Siegfried had a feeling of what he meant.
"What happened?"
"Remember that girl I told you about? The one Kiana was protecting? Turns out that she was the cause of the Outbreak." Adam revealed.
"A Herrscher…" Siegfried muttered in realization. Then, his eyes widened in surprise. "If that was the case, then how the hell you didn't feel her? I thought your 'bad vibes' made you sense the Honkai?"
"I don't know. But something I noted was that I slept more than necessary. Like when you beat the shit out of me in what you call training," Adam said the last part bitterly. Siegfried refrained from making a witty remark. He was interested that Adam's sixth sense didn't go off around the Herrscher.
"Did you ask Hestia about that?"
"Not yet. I thought of calling you first, given that Kiana was involved in the incident and I was waiting for Hestia to call first." Siegfried was thankful for his consideration toward him.
"Okay, getting back to the point, what else happened when you two encountered the Herrscher?" Siegfried sounded serious. Adam cleared his throat and continued.
"We fought for a brief moment. She was somehow skillful at combat despite being recently awakened. There was a chance to kill her but…" Adam stumbled as he paused.
"But…"
"Kiana tried to protect it when its host got free from her control for a short moment," Adam sighed remembering the event. "I tried to kill it before it could regain control over the host, but Kiana intervened and saved her life. And well, after another fight, somehow, I managed to convince the Herrscher to put off our fight." Siegfried choked hearing this as the cigarette fell off his mouth.
"B-bullshit!"
"No. Turns out that the Bitch Queen – I mean, the Herrscher has an honorable side. Can you believe it?" Even Adam was incredulous at the Herrscher's facet. And he wasn't the only one.
"No, I can't believe it. No after what happened in the Second Impact," Siegfried thought darkly, remembering the battlefield that once was Siberia. He was thankful that Adam spoke again, otherwise, he would have lost himself in his bitter memory lane of that accursed year.
"And I used Omen's special power to make a pact to not attack each other until we were ready at our fullest for another fight." Added Adam while he recovered from his thoughts. "Why do you call her Bitch Queen?" Siegfried asked intrigued by the nickname.
"Ugh! Her attitude was unbearable. Believe me when I say you would have liked to taunt the hell out of her." Siegfried agreed with him. He would have done that before beating it.
"You are right. So, after that, what else happened?"
"Well, Kiana, the Herrscher's host, and I traveled together until we find another survivor. You will be surprised at what she can do. Anyway, everything was going fine. Too fine now that I think about it. And you know what happens when things go so smooth…" Siegfried sighed knowing what he meant. He had enough experience when something went too good. "I'm guessing that shit hit the fan and it triggered the Herrscher, isn't it?"
"Yes… We were resting inside an abandoned apartment until a damn Emperor Class Beast severed the place in two. We managed to escape, but the fucker keep chasing us and shit hit the fan, and…" Adam wasn't sure of saying the last part.
"And Kiana got hurt," Siegfried stated with a heavy tone as he clenched again the glass fence, this time making a long crack on it. Immediately, Adam apologized. "I am sorry, Siegfried. I meant it. We were running away from the beast, but the fucker kept chasing us. I was exhausted from overusing my powers and I was about to be crushed by the thing's blade, but, fuck… Kiana stepped in and pushed me and the Herrscher's host aside before it could harm us," Adam grunted as he recalled the memory in detail. "Goddamnit. I told them that I would be fine. They just needed to get away until I could get on my feet and resumed our escape." He cursed at the memory.
"She is so much like you and me, Cecilia." He thought in melancholy and to be honest, he was scared of it. It scared him how much of her resembled his late wife, that willingness to help others at all cost… that suicidal bravery. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her too.
"If only I pushed it more…" Adam hissed. Hearing that, Siegfried decided to step in. "Don't blame yourself for that, kid. I know that it wasn't your fault in the first place," he sighed. "If anyone is to blame, it's me. I should have raised her better and not with some tales where the hero always wins." Adam fell silent for a moment, surprised at the words spoken by Siegfried.
"You know that she idolizes you, right? Compared to what she told me about you, you are saying the contrary." Siegfried leaned on the fence as he took a deep breath. "Kid, I have done the hero-show for some time and if there's something I have learned, is that not everything plays as to how you would want. And, as much as I would have liked to tell her the truth from the start, Kiana was just a little kid. And…" He paused, feeling a crush on his chest remembering Kiana's awed expression that night in their cottage. He took a deep breath and evened his voice. "…I couldn't do it, Adam. I couldn't crush that light in her eyes when she looked at me with such passion." His voice cracked a bit. The same light that was reflected in her little girl's eyes years ago, resembled so much of him. An energetic and bright-eyed young man who believed that anything was possible.
"I love you…"
He stopped the memory before it could come out. He didn't want to remember, not now. He already had his plate full of broken promises of her in his dreams. He decided to change the topic. He wasn't in the mood to drown in his memories. There would be time for that later in the night.
"Still, everything turned out fine, kid. Hestia told me that you and my little girl fought the Herrscher and managed to win in the last second." Then he remembered an important detail Hestia mentioned. "What is this about you facing on a burst of bullets coming from a mounted machine gun?" To his surprise, Adam fell silent.
"Kid?"
"I-I don't remember what exactly happened," he sounded anxious. "I lost control and the last thing I remembered was seeing both Kiana and the host in each other arms before blacking out." Hearing this, Siegfried didn't know what to conclude. Hearing Hestia's report, the thing with the satellites, and reading the report sent to Schicksal's HQ, he had a feeling that something was missing here.
To be honest, Adam didn't want to talk about what he saw after defeating the Herrscher. Despite he trusted Siegfried, what he saw, or to be more accurate, he remembered was something too personal for him to share. He tried to change the topic for something that was bothering him. "Hey, do you know why Hestia went under wraps?" Adam was concerned at the sudden shift in Hestia's moves.
"She mentioned something about her surveillance system being hacked or something. She didn't enter in details, but she was worried, really worried, and decided to go silent for the moment until she figured out what was happening." Siegfried explained as he took another puff of this cigarette. "So, for the meantime, we are penniless," he chuckled dryly. Siegfried was glad that he still had some money in his wallet and the owner of the hotel he was currently in, owed him a favor; if not, he would be sleeping in the streets. "Well, at least you are living in a really comfy place."
Siegfried heard Adam groan. He raised a brow. "What? Aren't you happy that you are going to attend an all-girls school?"
"Piss off, old-man. Living in the same dormitory with four other women is difficult in itself. I don't want to imagine how is going to be the classes." Siegfried whistle hearing the first part of the sentence. "Attending an academy full of girls and living with them in the same dormitory… Hey, do you mind changing places? I wouldn't mind basking in their love," Siegfried chortled.
"You know that one of them is your daughter, right?" He shut up hearing this.
"Just for the record, try to peek at my baby-doll and you will feel pain for a week once I'm done with you."
"Calm down old-man. I'm not a pervert like you," Adam remarked exasperated.
"Also, thanks for this, seriously."
"For what?" Adam sounded surprised hearing him so grateful
"For being there for my little girl when I can't," Siegfried said thankfully, although Adam heard the bitterness in it. Normally he would have answered with a smart remark, but given Siegfried's attitude and how vulnerable he sounded, he decided to answer honestly.
"Don't mind it. I owe it to you, Siegfried." The silver-haired man smiled hearing that.
Siegfried heard someone calling for Adam in the back.
"I will be there in a minute," he answered to whoever called for him. "Dinner it's almost ready and I'm not missing it." Siegfried chuckled hearing the urgent tone in Adam's voice. "Oh~ Already falling for a girl, Adam? I heard that a man's way to his heart is through his stomach. Didn't think you will fall so easily to it." Siegfried remembered Adam's terrorized expression whenever he cooked. He couldn't fault him, it was a known fact that the Kaslanas sucked to cook.
"Anybody will cook better than you, old-man." Siegfried chuckled. "Go, kid. I will tell you to give my regards to Teri and my baby-doll, but you know…" He sighed, knowing that it wasn't possible.
"I'm sure it's just a matter of time before you could do it yourself, old-man." Again, someone called for him. "And that's my cue. Later old-man."
"Have a nice dinner, kid." And with that, he cut the call.
Siegfried smiled and put away his phone. Jokes aside, he hoped that Adam would have a good time while staying in St. Freya. He was about to grab another cigarette, but a coughing fit stopped him. When it stopped, Siegfried felt something sticky in his mouth. He spat out on his hand and grimaced when the sticky substance was a mix of purple and red.
"Time it's what I am lacking, and it doesn't help if you trigger red flags like that kiddo," he thought grimly before resuming his smoke.
Adam looked at his cellphone screen to make sure that the call was off. When it displayed that it was disconnected safely, he saved it in his pants pocket he sighed and leaned back on the wall of his new bedroom. The room had the essentials, being in Spartan style. A desk, a chair, a bookcase, a sleeping bag, and a wardrobe. Adam found it strange that their new caretaker had such huge space all to herself. According to the Principal, Himeko had the good luck to have five bedrooms due to a little mistake during the construction of the dormitory. When it was asked why she lived alone then Himeko huffed and said that nobody shared her taste to drink or enjoy life. The Principal refuted with a deadpan expression that she lived alone because no one wanted to share a room with a bimbo who made a fool of herself when she was drunk or how messed was her place for someone else to live. Despite her protests, the girls and he understood what the Principal meant, given all the trash, trinkets, and underwear scattered around.
After cleaning all the dusty mess, everyone was thankful that Mei volunteered to cook for dinner. The rest were too tired to cook and they weren't so sure in Himeko's cooking skill if all the empty cups of instant noodles were an indication at all. As Mei prepared the dinner, Theresa and Himeko were resting on the couch while Bronya and Kiana took their time to familiarize themselves with their bedrooms. Seeing this as an opportunity, Adam excused himself and contacted Siegfried.
"That went better than I expected."
"{Siegfried knows that it wasn't your fault on how that night events played out.}" Adam grunted at its try of relief.
"They could have played out differently if I tried better," he remarked. There was a chuckle sounding inside his head as he said this.
"{Blaming yourself for a person's sake that you barely meet for two days? I won't believe that if it wasn't for the fact that she is Siegfried's daughter,}" it mocked. Adam frowned but didn't answer it. He knew it will only push him more, to see a reaction from him. For a moment, during the call, Adam wanted to ask Siegfried about Kiana's circumstance, but in the end, decided to not do so. He knew that is a delicate topic, one that couldn't be discussed over the phone, and secondly, it wasn't his business.
"{Oh? Did you want to ask him such a thing? Worrying over the old man's little girl?}"
It would have continued if it wasn't for a knock on the door. He was thankful that it cut the voices rambling. He shook his head to clear his mind and opened the door. On the other side, there was the subject of their conversation.
"Hey, Kiana."
"Adam, Mei-senpai, and the others had been waiting for you for the last five minutes," she had her arms crossed while frowning in impatience. "Come on. Dinner is ready and Mei-senpai says that we cannot start without you."
"OK. Just give me a second and-" Adam was interrupted when Kiana grabbed him from his wrist and dragged him out of his room. Adam was a bit surprised at the strength Kiana displayed. "Nope. Mei-senpai is getting worried that the food is going to get cold and I am also hungry," she tugged again his arm. "So, come on!" She kept holding him until they reached the table where everyone else was sitting. Theresa and Himeko were conversing with the other two girls while waiting for the arrival of the other two. Seeing them back, they stopped and threw amused glances at the pair. Adam guessed that it was because Kiana, who was shorter than him, was dragging him easily towards the table. Once they reached the table, Kiana finally released her grip on his wrist and hastily took her seat.
"Took you long enough, kid," Himeko said. Adam would have huffed at the nickname but he was too tired to care about it. He shrugged it off and was about to take his seat but he was stopped at the last second.
"{Are you not going to clean your hands? Celeste always told you to do it before eating,}" it reminded him. Adam clicked his tongue annoyed and quickly went to the bathroom to do it. He came back and took his seat, then, he took note that the rest were watching him closely.
"What?"
"Nothing. It's just a bit strange to see a young man so eager to clean his hands," Theresa commented as the rest nodded in agreement. Adam blinked hearing this.
"Well, my sister made me learn good manners at the moment of eating. Along with other things…" He shivered remembering the time they played dress-up with him. "Good thing that those photos are long gone…" he thought in relief.
"Is that so? Your sister must have done a good work teaching you," Himeko said. Adam nodded.
"Hey! How about we already start eating. I'm starving!" Kiana complained. "She is right. Let's start before it gets cold," Theresa said and everybody agreed with her. Mei leaned over the table, in the middle there was a large casserole and lifted its cover and immediately their nostrils were assaulted by a delicious smell. It was grilled pork with mushroom sauce with small potatoes.
"Sorry if it's not to your liking, but these were all the ingredients I found in the fridge," Mei apologized. Himeko woke up from the trance hearing her. "Oh! You don't have to apologize, dear. Actually, I'm amazed that you could cook something so delicious with the stuff that was in the fridge." Mei didn't have the heart to tell her that most of the food and ingredients were past their expiration date or there were long rotten. She discretely disposed of them. Quickly, Mei served the food on each one of their plates. Kiana almost took a bite from her plate, but Mei stopped her with a scary smile. At that moment, everyone agreed to wait patiently for Mei's permission to eat in the future. Once she finished, she took her seat and let them begin.
"Hope you like it!" Everyone thanked her and took a bite from their meals. As Mei took her first bite and started to chew, she noted that everyone suddenly went quiet and stopped moving. "Is this not to their liking?" Mei thought in worry as the others quietly put their cutlery down and made troubled expressions. She swallowed her bite and took another one, chewing slowly and making sure to catch the flavor. "I know that the meat was near the expiration date. But I didn't think it would taste bad!" Mei thought that she messed up their meal for such unseen a crucial detail. Her worry grew as the others didn't say a word. It made her feel anxious.
"M-maybe I'm not tasting the rotten meat because I was the one who cooked it? Were my standards too low?" She thought troubled. Mei was about to get up and apologize to them but she stopped as Himeko was the first to break the silence.
"Delicious…" Mei blinked.
"Umm… Miss Himeko? Is everything-?"
"What the fuck I have been eating all this time?" Adam interrupted her as he thought aloud. "Have I been eating roasted meat in the forests, over this!?" Mei was surprised at the rise of his voice.
"Adam-Kun, what-?"
"This… this surpasses Homu's Ultimate Happy Meal Box by…a lot!" Theresa exclaimed as stars formed in her eyes. "This is the best!"
"Principal…?"
"Subject Mei affection status has been promoted over the rest," Bronya's eyes reflected a strong resolve that unnerved Mei.
"B-Bronya-chan?"
"Maybe, I'm looking at the wrong place for happiness," Himeko put her arms on the table and crossed her hands under her chin. "Should I wait for Mei until she's no longer a student?"
"Miss Himeko!?"
"In your dreams, old-hag! Mei-senpai and her cooking are mine!" Kiana cried.
"Kiana-chan!"
Simultaneously, everyone turned their heads towards her. She flinched at the intensity in their stares.
"Y-Yes?"
"Does Subject Mei requires anything from the Bronya to keep cooking?"
"Mei, say the word and all St. Freya's budget will be used for your cooking!"
"Mei, what do I need to do or to kill for me to keep eating your cooking?!"
"Say, what do you think about the age-gap in a couple?"
"Mei-senpai, please marry me!"
"Everyone, please, calm down!" Mei cried.
After another interesting moment due to Mei's dinner, everybody finished their dinner in peace. Once done, Mei was about to clean the dishes but Adam stopped her and told her that he would be cleaning them. He argued that it was the last thing he could after such a delicious meal and that he was used to doing it. Mei thanked him, appreciating the gesture, and to be honest, she was tired. Per Theresa's suggestion, everyone was enjoying a cup of tea in the living room as they chatted to get to know each other better. Ten minutes later, Adam finished cleaning the dirty dishes and accompany them.
He took a seat on the couch, next to Theresa. She passed him a cup of tea that he accepted. Adam wasn't a person who tended to drink tea, but after tasting Mei's tea, he wouldn't deny anything made by her. He leaned back on his seat as he heard peacefully that Himeko was a skillful and powerful Valkyrie that used to be on active duty along with others. Now, she focused most of her time teaching and training the next generation of Valkyries against the Honkai.
Time passed on as the conversation continued. Who would have guessed that Mei had a large set of skills like; playing the piano, dancing, knitting, babysitting; besides cooking and fighting? The rest thought that it came to being the (ex) heiress to a large company. Theresa and Bronya found out a kindred relation due to their likeness to the Homu brand. Kiana shared some of her misadventures. Adam didn't imagine that someone could have been blacklisted from an ice-cream establishment. From time to time, he would add a comment, but he started to speak less and less as time passed. The comfy and chatty mood made him feel drowsy, he guessed that he yet has to recover at all from the fight. He was about to succumb in Morpheus' arms until a sudden smack on his shoulder startled him awake.
"Aaahhh!" He yelped as he straightened up. He heard Kiana and Mei chuckle. He blinked a couple of times trying to clear up his vision.
"It's rude to fall asleep here, Adam," Theresa scolded him. Adam rubbed his head as he apologized and got up. "Sorry. I'm kind of tired after cleaning all day," he explained. "You are right. Today has been exhausting," Theresa nodded in agreement, although she only helped a bit once they were almost finished, nobody pointed that. Adam saw it as his cue to leave, but he was suddenly yanked back on the couch.
"Uuhh?"
"What? You think that you could just walk away after all of us explained a bit about ourselves?" Theresa asked rhetorically. "What do you think girls?" Adam blinked and glanced at the others.
"Afraid of sharing something embarrassing with us?"
"It would be unfair if Subject Adam doesn't share some details about him."
"It's to get to know each other better, Adam-Kun."
"Come on! Don't be a chicken and stay!"
Internally he cursed, knowing that he was outnumbered and knew it would end poorly if he refused.
"{Remember, say only the necessary. We can't trust them with everything,}" it pointed. Like it, the other one voiced its opinion. "{Take the initiative. Don't let them guide the conversation. Hestia gave you a good cover. Don't screw it up!}" Adam nodded mentally.
"Fine…" He sighed in resignation. He took a deep breath and began.
"Well, as you know, my name is Adam Alighieri, I'm eighteen years old. I was born in the United States on January 10, 1996. I used to live with my parents, my older sister, and my cousin. Due to some circumstances, I have been traveling around the world for the last four years. I enjoy hearing music, preferably rock and electronic music and have a good fight. I dislike… certain type of people among other things, like cockroaches," he shivered remembering what happened earlier in the day. "I like spending my time reading horror stories, hearing music, and training with my powers to get stronger," he finished and leaned on his seat to take more of his tea. He rather had a cold beer, but he wasn't sure that Theresa would let him grab one.
After some seconds in silence and seeing that he didn't add anything else, the others were dumbfounded that it was all he had to say.
"And that's it?" Himeko asked incredulously. "I expected more than that. Maybe a funny story." The rest nodded in agreement. "To be honest, my journey has been calm, even boring if I have to say," Adam remarked. In a way it was true, there were periods when things were calm. Wake-up, breakfast (either hunting it or eating in a cafeteria), training, rest, train again and sleep. The cycle would repeat, with exceptions of course, such as missions from Hestia or fulfilling contracts with Hestia's associates or to gain money when it was needed.
"Sounds like it was quite calm the journey you had, Adam-Kun," Mei opined. Adam shrugged off "I would run into trouble sometimes, but nothing that I couldn't handle."
"Geez. I thought you would have something interesting to talk about," Theresa commented.
He didn't think that chatting about infiltrating abandoned facilities, investigating derelict previous-era laboratories, killing assassins and bounty-hunters in self-defense, and dealing with the local Mafia was a topic to bring forth.
"By the way, why have you been traveling alone the past four years, kiddo?" Himeko said as she opened a can of beer and gulped it. Her stance seemed relaxed, but her eyes were on him, waiting for his answer.
"Let's just say that I have been searching for something for a long time while trying to get stronger. Aside from that, while I have been alone most of the time, I've met quite a bunch of interesting people in my journey. Some of them wanted me to accompany them, but I decided to keep traveling until I met someone who told me about this place to get a better grip of my powers."
"Your friend made you a strange suggestion to come here, don't you think?" Himeko asked. Adam shrugged, although he sensed trouble ahead. "Yes. She didn't stop nagging me that I should come here to train instead of fighting Honkai beasts in the wild and risking my life in the process."
"Fighting stray Honkai beasts in the wild doesn't give you the skill to do what you did back on the Hyperion," Himeko remarked with a calm voice.
"{Watch out. She is fishing for information.}" It warned. "Noted," Adam answered. "I have some practice fighting and killing strong Honkai beasts running wild in secluded places and I had to learn how to swing around when I was climbing in the mountains for some jobs." Then he added. "Sometimes you have to take risks to get results. Or to not get killed."
"By how you talk, makes me wonder what kind of jobs you have to do to learn such things."
"Thinning Honkai activity in secluded places lets you learn a trick or two."
"You should have left it to the professionals, kid."
"I didn't want to waste a good payment and I doubted that some professional would have come to help a lost village in the mountains for some Honkai beasts."
The other occupants glanced between Himeko and Adam as they talked. While they spoke civically, it didn't take to be a genius to feel the creeping tension in the air. Theresa chimed in before it could get out of hand.
"Aside from that, I would like to know, who was she? The person who told you about the academy. Few people know what St. Freya really teaches here." Himeko tried to protest, but Theresa glared at her, making the red-haired relent.
In another case, Himeko wouldn't have been so straight inquiring about information if it was any of the three girls. Their profiles were authentic and, while Bronya's case was a bit strange, she thought that it was given from where the little silver-haired girl came from; theirs didn't seem suspicious at all. All of them had records and some photos to back them up. But in Adam's case, his files were too vague and convenient to suit his lack of.
"The latest information about him was four years ago. No medical or financial records about him. No photos. No living relatives or people who saw him. I asked for a favor in the intelligence department, and the last record about him was about an apartment complex in a fire, killing half of the people living there. No witnesses or people who could identify him. Tragic but too convenient. And what's more suspicious, someone with powers like him would have popped out on the radar years ago!" Himeko thought gravely. She decided to have a word with Theresa before she left.
Adam complied with the Principal's petition and took out his phone and searched in the phone's photo gallery. He chose a photo and wheeled the phone to show Himeko the image. The others leaned on their seats to look at it. On the screen, there was a photo of a beautiful woman with chestnut hair and violet eyes. Her long hair was tied into twin tales with a blue brooch. She was wearing a white blouse that strained to hold her… assets. At her side, there was Adam in a one-sided hug. She had a care-free smile on her face while Adam had a small and reserved smile. From the angle, it could be deduced that she was taking the photo from upside with her arm extended.
"Before coming here, while I was passing by Norway, I met Irina Smirnov, an ex-Valkyrie. I was working for a little community thinning the Honkai creatures that were roaming the area. During one night patrol, we bumped into each other and together helped the village," he explained as he passed Himeko the phone. She looked at the photo fixedly for a moment and tapped at it quickly and discreetly to see the date the photo was taken before returning it.
"Adam, may I?" Theresa asked. He raised a brow, but he passed it to her. Like Himeko, the Principal looked at it fixedly, but her eyes looked at it with fondness. "I remember her. Irina used to be a really good Valkyrie before retiring." She gave back the device and smiled fondling, recalling few but good moments she spent with her. "Yeah. She is good at fighting with the sword. She taught me some of her moves."
"So, how is she? I haven't spoken with her for a long time," Theresa asked as she paid him attention. While Hestia gave her some details about Adam's journey, she didn't disclose that Adam and Irina had met before. She was curious to know how Irina was doing after leaving Schicksal.
"She was fine. Irina decided to stick up with me for a month before resuming her travel to Canada." Adam made a wry smile. "She told me that she was planning to get maple syrup from the tree itself?" He didn't understand her fixation on doing such a thing. The Principal chuckled. "That sounds like her. She was always so bright and looking to try new things."
"Mhm." Adam nodded. "While we worked together, she told me about this place and told me that here was the best place for me to learn." He hoped that Theresa played along with him. While it was true that he had met with Irina, he met her many months ago, before coming to Schicksal. Hestia took some precautions to cover his background. One of them was to modify the data from the few photos Adam had on his phone.
"So, was she the one who told you to come here, Adam-Kun?" Mei asked. She remembered that he commented he was traveling with Kiana's father but decided to not bring it forth after seeing the previous rising tension between him and their red-haired teacher. Adam nodded confidently, but he knew that three people in the room knew otherwise. He was thankful that Theresa and Kiana hadn't contradicted him.
"At first I was really against it. I'm not used to staying in one place for long. And I haven't keep studying the prime material to enter high school, however, I'm not brainless," he clarified as he saw the incredulous stares.
"{You sounded like an idiot covering his dumbass.}" It said drily.
For the first time in a while, Bronya spoke. "If that it's the case, should the Bronya take measures to deal with Adam's and Kiana's idiocy?" She tilted her head while asking. "Hey! I'm not an idiot!" Kiana protested, glaring at Bronya. Adam continued, to stop the incoming arguing and to make it clear that he wasn't an idiot. "While it's true that I haven't attended school for a while, I try to read and study now and then to keep my mind sharp."
It was true, but the times he studied became scarce as he continued traveling. On more than one occasion, Hestia had scolded and pressured him to continue studying the texts that she had sent him on his cell phone. Siegfried had not been free from the scolding either. Hestia pressured both of them to keep an active and creative mind, she also said she couldn't bear to have a complete pair of morons in her care. Although in the past few months, Hestia had lowered the pressure on both of them. Regardless, Adam and Siegfried were grateful for it. Also, Adam was thankful that she didn't keep insisting that he had to study like he did at Site Olympus.
"She was a demon when it came to teaching," he shuddered remembering the 'classes'. It was more like endure-torture training than a simple study session, but he never dared to say it to her face.
"I don't think that's going to be enough for you to keep up with the rest of the students here, Adam," the Principal commented with a deadpan expression. Adam moved uncomfortably on his seat. "Give me a break. As I said, I wasn't planning to come here in the first place and another good reason for me coming here was to train in relative peace with my powers."
"So, you had some trouble due to your powers while traveling?" Himeko asked. Adam grunted, knowing that she smelled blood in the water and capitalized on it. "Y-yeah. While it's useful to do crazy stunts, sometimes, people were trying to recruit me for their own business and interests. More than once I have to move right away before things could get worse."
Hearing this, Himeko made a teasing smile. Adam didn't like it. "Oh, My~ A strong grumpy young-man in a journey to get stronger, running away from the bad guys, that somehow ends up living with a batch of beautiful girls while attending an all-girls school." Himeko took another sip of her beer. "You are quite the lucky young man to get all the eye candy you like without having to share."
"Himeko!" The Principal chided. The other girls frowned, although there was a faint trace of pink on their cheeks. Adam rolled his eyes and drank the last of his tea and answered while putting the empty cup down. "I came here to get stronger and have better control of my powers. Not for the eye candy. And I'm not grumpy, I'm serious, that's all." Despite saying that, Adam agreed that St. Freya was filled with quite the bunch of cute girls if the Hospital personal and the few students he saw during his way towards the dorms were an indication.
"I hope you can say that again with a straight face once you start classes in two days, kid." Adam raised a brow hearing this. "In two days?" He turned to Theresa, who nodded while munching a cookie. She gulped the last of the cookie and answered. "That's right. In two days, the four of you are going to start attending classes. So, tomorrow, all of you are going to the city to get all the things necessary for your stay."
"And! The best part is that Schicksal is paying all for it! So, you can buy as many things as you like!" Himeko cheered as she took another drink of her beer. Theresa frowned at her for a second before she sighed. "Putting aside the last comment, indeed, Schicksal will be paying for the stuff you're going to need."
Mei interjected unsurely. "It's that a good idea? I mean, wouldn't that be a problem for you Principal?" Theresa smiled at her consideration. She waved her hand. "Don't worry about it, Mei. Schicksal's going to pay for all of it and it would be a problem if the only thing you have are the clothes that you're currently wearing." Mei smiled and gave her a light bow. Adam was surprised that Schicksal was going to pay for the things they were going to need. He guessed the Principal pulled some strings to get the permission to do it.
"Then, are we getting cool stuff like game consoles or something like that?" Kiana asked with an eager glint in her eyes. Her hopes were crushed with a heavy frown from Theresa. "Let me be more specific. Tomorrow, all of you are going to buy clothes, stuff to keep yourselves clean and perhaps something for entertainment. NOTHING EXPENSIVE. And I'm talking about you, Kiana." The silver-haired pouted.
Bronya cleared her throat grabbing the Principal's attention. "The Bronya requests for a new cell phone. The Bronya's was destroyed during the attack." Kiana and Mei blinked, remembering that they also got theirs destroyed. They also asked for new ones. Theresa pondered for a second. "I don't think it would be a problem. Keep in mind the price, however." The girls thanked her. Himeko glanced at the clock that was set next to the kitchen entrance. She saw that it was close to midnight.
"Alright. I think it's time to rest if we want to get up and finish our shopping before the evening." The youngsters agreed. "While you guys help Mei clean up, I will have a word with Teri about the money before she slips away," Himeko got up and walked out Theresa while the rest helped Mei clean the few leftovers on the table. Adam glanced one last time at the ongoing pair before Mei called for his assistance.
Despite her words, Himeko didn't stop at the door with Theresa. She crossed and closed it behind her. She motioned with her hand to the end of the hallway. Theresa nodded, knowing what her longtime friend wanted to talk about. Once she was sure that they were at a sufficient distance from the door, Himeko asked.
"Alright. What was that, Teri? I know you were covering the kid when I started asking." Theresa sighed and leaned on the wall as Himeko crossed her arms on her chest and stared at her fixedly. "I admit that accepting the kid in the academy was a bold move on your part, but, making him live in the same dormitory with the Herrscher's vessel it's really stupid." The Principal didn't say a thing. Himeko continued. "What's more, the kid doesn't have a continuous record. I asked a favor from a friend and the information she found was too ambiguous. And I'm not blind. The kid was making sure to not give too much information about himself or what he has been doing the past four years." Her stance and stare calmed. "Theresa, what is really going on here?" Himeko felt frustrated when Theresa didn't answer.
"Teri-"
"It's payback," Theresa replied neutrally, or that's what she intended. Himeko caught the uneasiness in her voice. Still, Theresa continued. "I know that I'm already asking too much from you when I requested you to house the girls, Himeko. You know as much as I do that Schicksal would have kept the girls in their custody to research them and the Herrscher inside Mei." Theresa sounded uneasy saying it. The red-haired didn't contradict her. She knew that there were many shady projects and programs in Schicksal that she knew was better off not knowing.
"What do you mean by payback?"
Theresa sighed, not lifting her head.
"It's about Kiana."
Himeko raised a brow, not understanding.
"What? Teri, what does it have to do with-?" Theresa interrupted her.
"Kiana is Cecilia Shariac's daughter." Himeko's eyes widened at the information. She knew that the powerful Valkyrie in the Second Impact had a daughter, but didn't know what happened to the child. There used to be gossip about the child being raised inside a secret base from Schicksal or that the child was never really born and it was just an excuse to appreciate Cecilia's sacrifice at the end of the Impact.
"And I'm Kiana's godmother, Himeko." The red-haired felt how a few of her neurons melted at such a revelation. Then, Himeko grabbed Theresa from her shoulders and started shaking her.
"What?! What do you-?" The red-haired remembered they were in the hallway and whispered instead. To be more precise, she hissed.
"Teri, why the hell you didn't mention that from the start?! I wouldn't have a problem if you just asked me! No, wait… what does the payback and the girl had to do with the kid?" While she was happy for her friend and the revelation, she still didn't understand what Theresa meant.
With a soft push, Theresa got free from Himeko's clutch and leaned on the wall again. Theresa looked somber all of sudden.
"Although I'm Kiana's godmother, I haven't know where she has been for the last fourteen years. I just found out three days ago that she was at the epicenter of the eruption," Theresa gritted her teeth. "My best friend's child, who she entrusted to me to look out for in case something bad happened to her, her child was fighting a Herrscher while I was convincing those idiots in the council to not shot a freaking fusion missile at my niece!" She almost shouted, managing to hiss at the end.
"Teri…"
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Theresa continued. "Turns out, there was someone else already looking out for her." Himeko eyes widened in realization, remembering what happened three days ago on Hyperion's deck.
"The kid…?"
Theresa nodded. "Yes. In a way. But he did that because he happened to be passing by there. The person who had been watching out for Kiana all this time, it's someone who is also taking care of Adam."
"Who?" Theresa made a troubled face before answering.
"I don't know if it's her real name, but she called herself Hestia," Theresa disclosed. "For a moment I thought she was lying and I assumed she was part of Anti-Entropy, but… she knew a couple of things that I and another person just know. And… that person decided to disclose it to her, so I could make valid her statement," Theresa grimaced for a second. While her curiosity was at its peak, Himeko decided to not ask who else she was talking about; Theresa's expression was a clear warning that she didn't want to talk about it.
"What matters, is that Hestia asked me to house Adam while he attends St. Freya to continue his training; as payment for all the help and watch Hestia has given over Kiana during all these years."
"And you believed her?" Himeko found it unbelievable. She knew that Theresa was sometimes emotional and rarely brash, but she didn't think that she would be swayed so easily. Her gold-heart and rational thinking were one of the main reasons why Theresa was so loved as St. Freya Principal and respected as an A-rank Valkyrie.
Theresa nodded. "T-there are other things that I discussed with her. Sorry, but I can't tell you about them," she apologized.
Himeko frowned. "Why not?"
"She…" Theresa lowered her head. "I, I promised, Himeko." The red-haired wasn't having any of that.
"Teri, I'm housing a young-man with powers worth of a damn horror story with another three young girls, one of them being a Herrscher, and you aren't going to tell me because you promised to someone you don't even know?!"
"I have to swear it on my best friend's grave, Himeko!"
Theresa raised her voice and lifted her head, looking at her straight in the eye. Himeko stepped back startled. "I don't know what Hestia really wants. She told me that my debt to her will be fully paid if I allowed him to stay in the academy. That's all." Then, she made a defeated expression. "I-I owe it, to her."
Himeko waited for her friend to calm down before continuing to ask. "And after that?"
"Nothing. Our business will be finished and Adam will be gone."
"Will he be part of Schicksal in the future?" Himeko raised a good question. The organization wouldn't be so kind as to let someone like Adam go around the world without its supervision.
"That would be up to him." Theresa didn't answer at all her question, but even the Principal didn't know the answer itself. Himeko didn't say anything else for a moment.
"She must be angry with me for forcing her all of sudden with this," Theresa thought. Before she could apologize, the red-haired took a step towards her and hugged her all of sudden. Himeko took a deep breath, pressing her breasts on her face, much to Theresa's chagrin; and sighed. "Honestly, Teri. I don't like that all sudden you asked me to house the kids, and I like less the idea after what you're telling me, but by how tense you sound, I'm going to help you."
Theresa deflated. She was glad that Himeko was going to help her. "Thank you, Himeko." Theresa's voice was barely hearable, but Himeko still heard her. She undid the hug and stepped back. Theresa was thankful for the gesture, although she was glad it was over, she didn't want to die by breast suffocation!
"But let me make this clear, if the kid starts to behave like a hormonal moron, I won't hesitate to put him in his place." Theresa chuckled and shook her head. "By how he reacted when I told him that he will be living with the others, I don't think he will be a problem," then Theresa smirked. There was a dangerous glint inside her eyes. "Just don't kill him if he does so."
"Noted."
Four hours later…
Adam was resting on his sleeping bag. He was so tempted to close his eyes and finally fell asleep. Although, there was a priority before he could rest for the day.
[24 ringtone]
Adam quickly moved his hand next to his head, where his cellphone was lying and answered the call before it could wake up the other residents.
"Hello?" He asked whispering.
"You should be sleeping, Adam. Not waiting for my call." Adam couldn't help but smile at hearing her voice.
"Hey, Hestia." He answered happily. He tried to not cringe when he heard her huffing. Adam's alarms rang inside his head as she didn't say another word for ten seconds.
"…"
"W-well, it was good to hear from you, Hestia. I-I'm going back to sleep now and-" he tried to excuse himself lamely. She didn't let him, though.
"How many times did I tell you to not overdo it?"
"Crap. I know this was coming…" He thought uneasily.
"Hestia, I wasn't looking for trouble-"
She didn't let him excuse himself. "When I told you to enjoy the short travel towards Soukai City, I hoped that you would have taken some photos, visit a touristic place and perhaps, sent Siegfried and me a photo of some statue, a beautiful dawn with a joke, or even the photo of a voluptuous girl to laugh at Siegfried…"
"Hestia, let me-"
"Instead, you put your life in heavy danger, - her voice raised- showed up your abilities in front of strangers, even in front of a battleship and personal owned by Schicksal-"
"Hestia-"
"-but my favorite part was when your vital signs dropped off and suddenly went off the charts. An event that only occurs when you overuse your abilities and strain your body to the point of almost poisoning your body beyond repair, putting under terrible and damaging stress your brain and sanity.
"Can I-?"
She chuckled. "Oh! I almost forgot the part when you were almost torn apart by the heavy and piercing ammunition employed by Schicksal when you protected the girls. It would have been for the better if you just severed the damn cannon before it could have shot straight at you."
"…"
"Don't you have something to say?"
"I am sorry?" Adam braced himself for her to shout and start calling him a bloody moron for not using his brain for the following ten minutes.
Instead, to his shock (and worry), Hestia only sighed tiredly. Adam dared to think that she was leaving him off the hook. At least this time.
"As much as I would like to lecture you for being an incredible moron, I've to admit that your heart is in the right place." Adam was surprised at the unexpected praise. "What do you mean? I was working together with them to get out of there alive. And I wasn't going to let Siegfried's daughter rot in that place." Hestia sighed hearing him saying this.
"You know that I'm capable of hacking all the city's infrastructure system to keep track of you, right?" Adam managed to not make a witty remark. "Adam, I saw you having a seizure after the girl's having a seizure of hers while struggling to keep her identity from being erased by the Herrscher." Adam groaned.
"Nothing gets past you, huh?" Despite the time he had spent with Hestia, it still disturbed him how far her reach and hold was, no matter the conditions or obstacles.
"Indeed. And you should be thankful. You know that on more than one occasion, you and Siegfried have averted the worst or sideway problems thanks to my support." And while it was true, it didn't shake the disturbing feeling of being watched the whole time.
"Still, you are taking the meaning of Big Brother to the next level…"
"As much as I like and bother your words, it pains me to admit that in other circumstances, my behavior and meanings to achieve my goals would have been punished by immediate termination and possible erasing trace of all those related to me, Adam." She stated coldly.
"Okay, I'll stop regarding that," Adam decided to not think too much about it. He didn't want to fill his head about what else Hestia has seen him doing. He wanted to live with at least some notion of privacy. At least for his sanity. "On the other hand, that means that I don't have to give you a detailed report, right?" He asked yawning. This time, Hestia was the one who groaned.
"Siegfried is rubbing off on you." And despite her words, she thought to herself. "Better than playing the good soldier than before…"
He felt offended hearing that. "Hey! I'm not a pervert like him, Hestia." She chuckled. He was right about that. She would have blasted Siegfried to ashes if he started to corrupt Adam with his lecherous behavior. Sometimes, she was really surprised (and mortified) that most of the time, Adam was level-headed among the pair.
"Of course you are not. And I hope you remain that way." Seeing that she calmed down, he decided to ask her regarding the issue with her network.
"Hestia, I know that this is all sudden, but, Siegfried told me that something happened with your surveillance system." Hestia stopped chuckling. Adam cringed for killing the mood. Although he didn't want to ruin it, he needed answers. He knew that Hestia could have aided them during their ordeal inside the city, but it would have been suspicious if all of sudden Adam would have found secure paths to leave the city or managed to secure communications.
She sighed. "Indeed, Adam. Someone tried to hack into my system, but they didn't get a hold of anything. Still, I didn't want to take the risk in having someone observing my movements in case I aided you; for the threat of having a virus or a worm being implanted in my surveillance software. It will take a couple of weeks to give you back your bank account and meaning to use some of my tools at your disposal. For this, I deeply apologize for leaving you to your own devices." Hestia sounded upset admitting what she had done.
Adam groaned and rubbed his temple. "It annoys me, but I can't blame you for thinking like that. If something were to happen to you, it will be a terrible blow to the mission." He knew that only Anti Entropy and Schicksal could be compared, and barely, to the might Hestia held. Hearing his words, Hestia grunted. "Are you worried about me for being an irreplaceable asset, or because you care about me?" Adam quickly cleared himself. "I care about you. Sorry, it came the wrong way." Hestia sighed. "I will overlook it this time, just because I know you're tired." Adam breathed out in relief. He was glad she wasn't mad with him.
"Before I go, I want to ask you something, Adam."
"Yeah? What it is, Hestia?"
"During your seizures, did you see or hear something that bothered you?" Adam flinched. Immediately, he knew what she meant.
N-no. Don't take m-my memories. I need them!
…doitdoitoitdoitdoittheirdespairwillbeourfeast!
Can you hear it?
Wearerunningtogetherandbe-!
Don't be scared. Ever-
..makethempaymakethempay!
Are you strong, Adam?
Save_!
AAAADDDDAAAMMMM!
He gritted his teeth.
For her part, thanks to her enhanced system, Hestia heard clearly how Adam's breath stilled for a moment. She suspected that he must have seen something that unsettled him during his seizures. Knowing he tended to put his guard when it came to it, Hestia decided to approach the issue cautiously.
"Adam. Do you want to speak about them?" Her voice was calm and gentle. She waited for his answer, she didn't want to pressure him. After almost three minutes of being in silence, he spoke again.
"I-I saw and heard some things, Hestia. I-I think, they're some memories from… from before I went into cryogenization," he croaked. He wasn't sure at all if they were genuine memories slowly coming back or just his powers messing up badly with his mind.
"Celeste… Katherine…" And, a part of him wanted some of them being false at least.
After waiting for another moment, Hestia asked. "Do you want to speak about them?"
Hearing her question, Adam pondered for a second before declining. "I don't think so." He wasn't comfortable speaking about them. He tended to be moody after his talks with Hestia regarding his fragmented memories. And knowing how he tended to act or look, he decided to not act suspicious when he would be with the girls the following morning. "The Principal told us to visit the city to get all the things we're going to need during our stay in St. Freya. And you know how I act when I remember old stuff, Hestia."
She hummed hearing his explanation. She didn't fault him for being precautious when he was going to be accompanied by strangers. "It's alright, Adam. I understand. I just want you to know that you can share whatever is troubling you at any moment." Adam smiled and relaxed hearing her reassurance. "Thank you, Hestia."
"By the way, tell me, how do you feel about living with three young girls for the following time?" Adam groaned and Hestia chuckled hearing his distress. "To be honest, I find it pretty awkward. I thought the Principal was going to give me my own room."
"Well, considering the time of the year and the circumstances in which all you arrived at St. Freya, is understandable that she'll lack personal rooms for each one of you."
"Still, this is going to be tough. I mean, I'm somehow used to it because I used to live with my sisters and mom, but, now living with four strangers?" He rubbed his temple and sighed. "This is going to be difficult, isn't it?"
"It's a normal reaction. Do you remember how you used to be around Siegfried?" Adam chuckled. "Damn. I was an ass back then. But in my defense, I didn't know how much I could trust him." Hestia added. "And he proved it to you after finishing that mission in Paris." Adam grimaced a bit remembering it. "It turned out uglier than I thought." Trying to change the topic, Hestia interjected.
"Maybe, you will find such good friends in your new roommates."
"Perhaps. At least I will have someone watching my back if things turn ugly," he said with a calm tone. He hoped that it would be the case with Kiana.
Hestia sighed hearing the meaning in his words but didn't comment on it. "Knowing what time is it, I would let you catch some sleep. Tomorrow will be a difficult day for you. I know that shopping with women is a difficult and stressful task for men." Adam groaned. "Well, it could be worse," he thought in self-pity. Then he remembered something he didn't address during their chat.
"Before I forget it. There is something else that happened while I was in the Impact Zone."
"What it is, Adam?"
"During my stay, I slept more than normal. And it's alarming because I overslept even when the Third Herrscher manifested to my side. And you know that I feel some chills when I'm nearby of any Honkai source." He was referring to the moment when he woke up and meet Herrscher face-to-face back on the gymnasium roof.
"That's worrying. I suggest that you keep taking the pills whenever you overuse your power and try to not excess yourself during your training. Also, please take your pills to sleep. They will aid you to sleep much better and with fewer nightmares. And don't worry about your drug tolerance, they were custom made and in mind to take effect on your system."
Adam smiled and thanked her for the effort. "Thank you very much, Hestia. You are a lifesaver."
"You are welcome. Now, take two pink pills and go to sleep, Adam. I wish you luck for tomorrow."
"Okay. Goodnight, Hestia."
"Same to you. Now, sleep!" And with that, Hestia ended the call. Adam put his cellphone down and get up to take his pills, which were resting atop his desk. He opened the bottle and took the dose. He cringed at the bitter taste but still swallowed them. He felt the bottle and went back to his sleeping bag and prepared to catch some sleep.
Before he lost his consciousness, he remembered something important.
"Damn. We didn't talk about the order to take showers."
Connecting…
Connecting…
Connecting…
Connected…
WELCOME, ADMINISTRATOR.
UNIT HAURES IN POSITION AND READY TO CARRY ON TASKS.
INFORMATION REGARDING SUBJECTS: HERMES AND YOUNG KNIGHT; HAD BEEN SAFELY DELIVERED.
OBSERVATION: THERE WAS INQUIRING BY, SUBJECT: RED KNIGHT; REGARDING HERMES RECORDS AND ORIGINS. AMBIGUOUS AND VERIFIED INFORMATION FROM FOUR YEARS AGO HAS BEEN SPREAD IN THE UNITED STATES NETWORK TO COVER HERMES BACKSTORY.
[REDACTED]
MEASUREMENTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED ON.
SOUKAI NETWORK IS UNDER THIS UNIT'S SUPERVISION.
THE OTHER UNIT XXX IS SUPERVISING THE HANGED KING'S LAIR.
[REDACTED]
THE NEW UPDATE AND PATCH IN THE HIGH NUN TEMPLE NETWORK WERE SAFELY LOADED THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF SUBJECT HERMES.
SHOULD YOUNG KNIGHT AND PRIESTESS AND GRAY WOLF ACTIVITIES BE MONITORED BY THIS UNIT?
[REDACTED]
UNDERSTOOD.
GRAY WOLF WOULD BE EXEMPTED FROM IT AT BEING SUCH HIGH RISK FOR THIS UNIT TASKS.
THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS WILL BE UNDER THIS UNIT WATCH:
HERMES.
YOUNG KNIGHT.
PRIESTESS.
RED KNIGHT.
HIGH NUN.
[REDACTED]
ALREADY TAKEN AND IN POSITION IN CASE OF A [LOKI JOKE] EVENT.
[REDACTED]
INITIATING [SCRY OVERSIGHT] ROUTINE.
[REDACTED]
DISCONNECTING…
DISCONNECTING…
DISCONNECTING…
DISCONNECTED.
Damn. Took me long enough to update the new chapter.
Sorry for the delay.
Couldn't play Honkai in the last weeks because life happens and I'm tired.
Hope that Mihoyo stops messing with our Valkyries, but I doubt it would happen, even for a Christmas miracle or gift.
See ya in the next chapter!