Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 3: Kiana
When Sigurd woke up again, he felt as though he were sleeping beside a fireplace.
No, more precisely, there was a warm object holding him tightly in its embrace.
Sigurd opened his eyes. Right in front of him was the enlarged face of the white-haired little ball.
Looking more closely, he realized that the two of them were huddled tightly together. The little white-haired girl was wearing nothing but a thin set of white undergarments, so their current state could quite literally be described as skin-to-skin contact.
Outside, the little girl's discarded clothes had been draped over them first, followed by Sigurd's own filthy blanket. The two of them were wrapped tightly in layer after layer.
And the source of all that warmth was the little girl's body heat.
'This girl... saved my life.'
Sigurd sighed, thinking with a touch of melancholy.
"Mmm..."
"Ah! You're awake! Thank goodness!"
The white-haired little ball soon woke up as well. Seeing that Sigurd was conscious, a delighted smile appeared on her face.
"Doesn't it smell bad to you?" Sigurd asked, his brows furrowed.
He had no idea how long this body had gone without a proper wash. When he had first transmigrated into it, he had nearly been suffocated by his own stench. And this little girl had hugged him all night...
As expected, this was definitely not something a child from a wealthy family would do. The evidence that she was poor was conclusive.
Of course, he still had to remember the debt he owed her for saving his life.
The little white-haired girl wrinkled her nose and said with a look of disgust:
"It really does stink! But what could I do? I couldn't just watch you freeze to death. After all, you gave me bread before... Anyway, can you get out now?"
"Sure. Also, don't do this sort of thing with boys next time. In theory, only your future husband has the right to sleep with you."
No, that wasn't quite right either. In the modern world, with all its nightlife and promiscuous men and women, people didn't seem to care about that nearly as much anymore.
Still, it was better not to let children pick up bad habits too early.
"Husband? What's a husband? Can you eat one?"
"Yep, if I get the chance, I'll help you find one someday."
What Sigurd had in mind was that the guy should preferably be an honest, straightforward sort.
"You don't seem particularly smart. I'm worried you'll get scammed."
"Oh... Wait! What do you mean, not particularly smart? I'm very smart!"
"Alright. I believe you."
After this exchange, the two of them got dressed. Though, in Sigurd's case, there wasn't much to tidy up in the way of filthy rags and tattered clothes.
Sigurd opened the paper bag. Inside were two pieces of bread.
Don't get the wrong idea. The white-haired little ball hadn't stolen any.
There had originally been three pieces of bread left. Before going to sleep the previous night, Sigurd had secretly hidden one in a corner. That was his reserve breakfast.
The other two had been left in the paper bag, right in plain sight of the white-haired little girl.
If she'd stolen them, Sigurd wouldn't have said anything. But he hadn't expected her to actually resist the temptation.
Damn it!
Wasn't this even more worrying?
How was such an honest little girl supposed to survive in the harsh real world?
Sigurd handed the paper bag to her.
"These two are yours."
"Huh? If you're giving them both to me, what about you?"
"I have a backup. My body is still very weak, so one piece should be enough for breakfast."
"Oh, then thanks! I'll repay you someday."
The white-haired little ball grinned foolishly as she stuffed the rock-hard, frozen bread into her mouth.
Sigurd had to stop her.
"Wait. It's already daylight, so I can start a fire. Let's heat it up before eating."
"That's true. Hot bread tastes better. Hurry up, then!"
The white-haired girl ordered him around as though they had suddenly become close friends, showing none of the politeness one would expect between strangers.
Sigurd sighed inwardly, crouched down, and started making a fire.
Half an hour later, with some hot water boiled in a broken clay pot, Sigurd and the white-haired little girl ate their warm bread.
In the bitter cold, they somehow managed to enjoy a sense of domestic tranquility, as though they were living in a proper home.
"My name is Sigurd. Do you have a name?"
"Kiana! This young lady is called Kiana Kaslana. It's a name I'm very proud of. Isn't it lovely?"
"Kiana, huh? A name just like a tuna I know... Hmm? Kiana Kaslana?"
"That's right!"
The white-haired little ball—or rather, Kiana—nodded proudly and then asked, "What's a tuna?"
"You'll find out someday," Sigurd replied calmly and silently swallowed a mouthful of bread.
He paused for a moment, then, still somewhat unwilling to give up, casually continued:
"I'm an orphan with no parents, anyway. What about you? Are you looking for your dad?"
"Hm? How did you know I was looking for my stinky old dad?"
"What's his name? What does he look like? Does he have any distinguishing features? Tell me. Maybe I've seen him."
"His name is Siegfried Kaslana. He's really tall and strong, with white hair and blue eyes just like me. He's kind of handsome, too. Oh, and there's more! He should be carrying a pair of really beautiful pistols. Have you seen him?"
Sigurd tilted his head back and let out a melancholy sigh.
Well, that confirmed it. He finally knew which world he was in.
Honkai Impact 3
"No. I haven't seen him."
"Oh..."
"But keep looking. You'll definitely find him eventually."
"That's right! People from the Kaslana family never give up!"
Her disappointment lasted only a moment. Kiana immediately regained her fighting spirit and flexed her biceps.
But Sigurd could only see her little arms as chubby and soft, rather than muscular.
He wasn't sure whether to call her stupid or optimistic.
As he chewed his bread, Sigurd considered that he should probably keep his distance from this white-haired girl.
The whirlpool surrounding Kiana Kaslana was so dangerous that even a wave from its outer edge could sweep away someone as frail as him, leaving nothing behind.
But then he reconsidered.
Last night, this silly girl hadn't minded his dirt or stench. And despite being a girl, she'd pressed herself against him to keep him warm and save his life.
That was a tremendous favor. He would have to repay it.
"Do you have any money on you right now?"
"No, I lost it."
Kiana grinned, her uniquely silly, innocent eyes sparkling with a distinctly airheaded light.
"Ughhh…"
Sigurd covered his face.
"Do you at least have a specific destination in mind?"
"Nope! I'm just following my instincts."
"Let's put it more simply. Do you have any idea what you're going to eat for your next meal?"
"Huh? Well… the snow outside looks pretty tasty."
Kiana giggled foolishly. Somehow, she had already polished off the two pieces of bread she'd been given, looking as carefree and optimistic as ever.
But Sigurd, who had once served as The Captain, knew that she could cry, too. And seeing her shed tears was actually rather heartbreaking.
"Tch! Fine. Stick with me for the next few days. I'll help you earn some money and teach you a few ways to make it. If you want to find someone, you first need the means to keep yourself alive. And just because I haven't met your father doesn't mean nobody else has. We can ask around while we're at it. Of course, all of this comes with one condition: you have to listen to me from now on."
In the end, Sigurd decided to take her under his wing.
Sirin wouldn't awaken anytime soon, and Otto's attention probably hadn't turned toward Kiana yet. At least for the time being, Kiana shouldn't be in too much danger.
Under those circumstances, if he simply abandoned this silly little fish without a second thought, he probably wouldn't be able to have a nice dream every time he sleeps.
However, Kiana seemed to have a different opinion. She blinked her adorable eyes with an expression as though she'd just heard a joke and looked at Sigurd.
"You're already living like this yourself, and you still think you can teach me how to make money?"
"Shut up and listen to me. Otherwise, I'll make you give back the bread you just ate. And I mean by grabbing you by the throat and forcing you to vomit it back up."
Sigurd's expression darkened. He swept Kiana with a gaze cold enough to freeze water, frightening the white-haired ball of fluff into covering her mouth with both hands and shrinking her neck. She immediately fell silent.
…
Kiana was genuinely useful.
By that, he meant her physical stamina.
They took on all kinds of jobs: hauling things, repairing roofs, running errands, and delivering packages. Sigurd handled finding opportunities and negotiating, while Kiana did the heavy lifting.
By the end of the day, they had earned enough for food and managed to purchase some essential supplies. Sigurd even had a small stack of banknotes left over.
The only unexpected incident was running into a bunch of brainless thugs along the way. Kiana beat them up with her monstrous strength, and they even managed to pocket some extra money from the gang.
Sigurd walked back, examining the banknotes he'd just taken from one of the thugs' wallets. The locals called the currency New Dollars, a denomination he had never encountered before.
But it was currency from another world, after all. It was perfectly normal for him not to recognize it. As long as it was accepted as legal tender, that was all that mattered.
"Sig, you're amazing! You actually earned so much money!"
Kiana was loaded down with all sorts of items. Holding up the few banknotes Sigurd had given her, she hopped around excitedly.
This was the first time she had ever earned money herself. It was both novel and deeply satisfying.
Sigurd glanced at her without saying anything.
Truthfully, without Kiana's monstrous physique, they wouldn't have earned nearly as much today. Even if they had made some money, those thugs would have bullied them into handing it over, and they wouldn't have been able to keep a single cent.
Soon, they returned to their original shelter: the space beneath a bridge.
Sigurd unloaded all the items Kiana had carried back. With his skillful hands, he quickly put together a simple shower stall and a small shelter capable of blocking the wind.
Then came lighting a fire, preparing dinner, and heating water for a bath.
"Woohoo! Sig, I'm coming in!"
"It's not your turn yet!"
Looking at the little white lamb standing before him, completely naked, Sigurd's eye twitched.
Siegfried, you bastard!
Is this how you raised Kiana? Letting her barge into the shower completely naked while a guy is bathing?!
"What's the big deal? We'll finish faster if we shower together! Stop dawdling. If you don't hurry up, all the hot water from above will run out."
"…"
Fine. He'd deal with the problem of her upbringing later.
…
"Ah! Sig, be a little gentler! That tickles~"
"Ticklish? As long as it doesn't hurt, that's fine. Stop moving around."
"Uuu~ It's all sticky, and it's dripping down…"
"…I'm just washing your hair. Stop saying things that sound so misleading! Just bear with it a little longer. I'll rinse it all out soon. Does it feel uncomfortable?"
"Not really. Sig, is this your first time washing someone's hair?"
"Yeah. It's my first time washing someone's hair."
"No wonder. It doesn't feel very comfortable."
"Quit complaining. I'm rinsing it now. Don't open your eyes, or water will get into them."
"Ah!"
Hot water poured down from above, washing the white foam from Kiana's head. At the same time, Sigurd's hands continued moving through her hair, rubbing and massaging it to make sure no shampoo residue remained.
After washing Kiana's long hair, which had been the most troublesome part, their bath was more or less finished.
Not long afterward, two clean, fresh-faced little white-haired fluffballs put on their new clothes and sat one after the other on the bed inside the wooden shelter.
The howling snowstorm was completely shut out. An oil lamp cast a soft, warm glow.
Sigurd sat behind Kiana, holding a dry towel and wiping her damp hair.
Kiana's little legs dangled leisurely over the edge of the bed.
"Kiana, didn't your dad ever teach you that you shouldn't be naked in front of boys?"
Sigurd suddenly asked while drying her hair.
Kiana paused her leg movements and rolled her eyes around.
"He might have said something like that. I'll be more careful next time. Ehehe!"
"You're planning on there being a next time?"
Sigurd's expression darkened. He draped the towel over Kiana's little head, clenched both hands into fists, and extended a knuckle from each. Then he positioned them against Kiana's temples and rapidly drilled them in.
"Ah! It hurts, it hurts!"
"GET… THAT… THROUGH… YOUR… HEAD!"
Sigurd spoke one word at a time, trying to do his part to protect the little Durian's future reputation and chastity.
"I get it! Let go already! I'm sorry! Isn't that enough?!"
"If you know you're wrong, you have to remember it, too!"
"I'll listen to everything you say! Everything, Sig!!"
Only then did Sigurd stop. He lifted the towel and released Kiana.
Then, while drying his own hair, he said:
"Your hair's dry enough now. Just let it air-dry from here. Without a hair dryer, there's only so much a towel can do."
"Okay…" Kiana answered weakly.
Sigurd had actually been careful with how much force he used. It was less physical damage and more intimidation.
Nevertheless, Kiana puffed up her cheeks in displeasure. But when she saw Sigurd's dead-fish eyes glaring at her menacingly, she immediately deflated.
This was strange, he was obviously a weak little runt. Kiana was confident that she could pin Sigurd to the ground with just one finger. So why was an angry Sigurd so frightening? Why couldn't she bring herself to fight back? QAQ!
Still, frightening as he was, he was genuinely reliable.
After spending the entire day together, Kiana felt as though Sigurd could do practically anything. He could effortlessly find opportunities to make money and communicate smoothly with anyone.
Even those complicated jobs she had never encountered before were no problem. As long as she followed Sigurd's instructions, she could somehow complete them perfectly without even realizing it.
Sigh~ If only her lousy old man had been half as reliable as Sigurd. No, even one-tenth as reliable would have been enough. Then she wouldn't have had to worry about his future so much.
…
"ACHOO!!"
More than ten kilometers away, a certain white-haired man suddenly sneezed.
Siegfried stood in a frozen wasteland wearing such thin clothing that he was practically shirtless. While chewing on snow, he suspiciously rubbed his nose.
"That's strange. Did I catch a cold?"
"No, that can't be right. I never catch colds!"
Siegfried scratched his head in confusion and continued munching on snowflakes. Not only did he feel no cold, but the snow even tasted a little sweet.
…
"Woohoo! Here I come, soft and comfy bed!"
Once her hair was more or less dry, Kiana climbed off the bed, stepped backward a few paces, then sprinted forward and launched herself into the air.
She wanted to experience that wonderful sensation of landing on a mattress and bouncing back up.
But before she could do so, Sigurd, who was sitting on the bed, suddenly narrowed his eyes.
He braced himself with both hands and unleashed a full-force sweeping kick.
THUD!
"GAAAH!"
One second later, Kiana was curled up on the bed like a shrimp, clutching her abdomen and gasping in pain.
Then, a foot gently stepped onto her waist.
"The bed isn't that sturdy. Behave yourself and go to sleep. Understand?"
Sigurd leaned forward and looked down at her, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He looked like a dictator who would pull out a machine gun and mow down anyone who dared to say no.
Kiana shuddered and nodded with tears in her eyes.
And so, the lights went out, and they went to sleep.
Sharing the same bed.
Taking a bath together naked wasn't exactly appropriate, but when it came to two children cuddling together for warmth in such freezing weather, Sigurd wasn't so rigid that he would make a fuss over that.
And then Sigurd regretted it.
…
The next morning, Sigurd suddenly woke up under the crushing sensation of suffocation.
A textbook rear-to-front arm lock around the neck.
While asleep, Kiana had executed a deadly finishing move against Sigurd.
However, our contestant Sigurd reacted exceptionally quickly. Almost the instant he woke up, he grabbed contestant Kiana's wrist, twisted her arm behind her back, and applied a submission hold.
Perfect! The winner had been decided!
"WAAAAAAAAAH!!"
A horrifying scream of pain rang out, shaking the accumulated snow off the trees.
Twenty minutes later, Kiana was squatting in the corner, chewing on a piece of bread while glaring at Sigurd with tear-filled, deeply reproachful eyes.
"How dare you treat this young lady so roughly! I'll never forgive for the rest of my life!"
"Want some soup?"
"Sure!"
Kiana took the steaming bowl of meat soup and had a sip.
Delicious!
And just like that, she stopped being angry.
For the sake of the soup, she decided to magnanimously forgive him this once.
"So, how are we going to make money today?"
Now that she was no longer upset, Kiana proactively scooted over to Sigurd, grinning as she asked.
Sigurd leisurely drank his soup and glanced at her.
"Making charcoal."
"Charcoal?"
"This is just a small, impoverished town. There can't possibly be that many temporary jobs available for us to make money. After yesterday, we've already exhausted most of the opportunities. Continuing like that won't yield much. We need a steady source of demand."
"Based on what I observed yesterday, charcoal is a necessity. Outside supplies have been cut off for a long time, and it's currently the only processed product we can realistically produce."
"Oh."
Kiana, the girl who only knew how to say "oh," responded with another "oh."
What could she possibly understand?
All she knew was that following Sigurd's instructions meant earning money and eating her fill.
Before long, she was carrying a package so enormous it was practically towering over her. With each step sinking deeply into the snow, she followed Sigurd into the forest.
"Heave… ho… heave… ho…"
Kiana gradually began panting heavily, wisps of white steam rising from the top of her head.
"Sig, carry some of this for me! It's so heavy!"
Sigurd stopped walking ahead of her and waited until she caught up. Then he took two canteens off her neck.
He hung one around his own neck. Then he opened the other, inserted a straw, and hung it back around Kiana's neck.
"Take a sip."
Kiana stared at Sigurd blankly, then opened her mouth and let him put the straw in.
"Mmm… It's sweet. Tastes good."
"Sports drink. Sweetened, high-energy. Take a sip whenever you get tired."
Sigurd explained, preparing to continue walking.
Kiana immediately panicked.
"Hey! Wait! You only took one canteen? Look at this package! It's almost twice as tall as I am!"
"I'll give you a bigger share of the money we earn from selling charcoal."
"Who cares about that?!"
"I'll make you extra delicious food tonight."
"Deal!"
Kiana's spirits immediately lifted. She overtook Sigurd in a few steps and began walking ahead of him.
"Hurry up! Once we finish working, make me something delicious!"
"…"
Sigurd brushed the snow off his shoulders and began to move a little faster.
…
Making charcoal in the snow required skill.
The terrain, shelter, moisture protection, and wood species all required the experience and techniques of a professional.
Sigurd was a professional.
Not because he had ever made charcoal in his previous life, but because his inhuman level of comprehension and learning ability allowed him to piece together a complete set of theoretical methods from scattered information and careful reasoning.
Fortunately, they found a shallow cave in the mountains.
As for the wood, with a chainsaw, sled boards, and Kiana's monstrous strength, they could get everything ready in half a day.
Everything went smoothly, exactly as Sigurd had predicted, except for…
"(Ծ̮Ծ) It's so warm here! Sig, let's sleep here tonight!"
A thick layer of soil buried the burning wood underground, cutting off its oxygen supply. Yet it couldn't prevent the heat from slowly seeping upward.
As a result, the fresh soil radiated a continuous stream of warmth.
Kiana pressed both hands against the warm earth. Her soot-covered face wore an expression of pure bliss.
As mentioned earlier, she was reluctant to leave. She even planned to spend the night in this cozy spot.
"Sigh~"
Sigurd sighed and then raised his shovel high above his head.
Kiana: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ "Wait! What are you doing?"
Sigurd: "Don't you want to sleep here? I'm… helping… you… out!"
His ominous tone, his chilling, lifeless gaze, and the bizarre curve of Sigurd's lips created a scene straight out of a horror movie.
No! This definitely wasn't helping!
He was going to make the adorable Miss Kiana sleep forever right here and now!
"I get it! We're leaving immediately!"
"Didn't you want to sleep here?"
"I don't anymore! I don't anymore! I'm wide awake! Besides, our bed at home is much more comfortable!"
Kiana nodded vigorously to demonstrate her sincerity.
Sigurd then lowered the shovel.
The atmosphere suddenly came back to life. It was like a grim, black-and-white memorial photograph suddenly becoming colorful and turning into a cheerful selfie posted on social media.
"You could've just said no! Why did you have to scare me like that?" Kiana muttered while patting her little heart.
Sigurd rolled his eyes almost imperceptibly.
Kiana: white-haired, energetic, hyperactive, impulsive, and an idiot.
Essentially, the soul inside this little girl's body was something akin to a husky.
Without a sufficiently powerful deterrent, there was no way to keep such a spirit under control.
Another thing was that the sight of this little white-haired fluffball looking frightened and teary-eyed was unexpectedly adorable.
So Sigurd couldn't resist reaching out and ruffling Kiana's hair, earning himself a silly, adorable smile.
"Let's go back."
"We're leaving already?"
"We can't dig it up until four days from now. Over the next few days, we'll make one batch every day. That should be enough to sell. The market's simply too small. There's no way to scale up."
"Then what are we doing this afternoon?"
Under Kiana's inexplicably expectant gaze, Sigurd thought for a moment.
"You can go ask around about your old man. As for me, I'll make some more preparations and gather a little more information."
"Oh right! There's still that lousy old man of mine! I almost forgot about him. Hehehe!"
Don't forget!
That's your own father…
Oh, technically, he isn't really your father.
Never mind, then.
Thinking about Kiana's complicated background, Sigurd sighed.
He should probably be a little kinder to her. The little girl had plenty of hardships waiting for her in the future.
…
Mond. That was the name of this small town.
Located near the border between Europe and Russia, its sovereignty had changed hands among several neighboring nations during the wars of earlier years. At one point, it seemed to belong to a different country every day.
Although it officially belonged to Russia now, in practice, nobody cared about it. Neither side wanted to take responsibility for the place.
Due to administrative chaos, complicated terrain, poor transportation links, and a lack of valuable resources, the town had remained desperately poor.
In recent years, capable locals had continually migrated elsewhere, taking much of the town's productive and consumer workforce with them. As a result, the local economy and living conditions had deteriorated even further.
However, its isolation, backwardness, and administrative disorder made it an ideal location for shady dealings.
"Where's the money?"
"What about the goods?"
"When the money arrives, we will show the goods!"
"When we see the goods, we will show the money!"
In the neighboring building's attic, Sigurd listened to the conversation through a homemade string telephone and rolled his eyes.
Are you people filming a movie or something?!
Remember what happened yesterday, when Sigurd and Kiana beat up a bunch of thugs and robbed them in turn?
At the time, Sigurd had been puzzled. How could such a poor place support a bunch of greasy, well-fed hoodlums?
After doing some investigating, he found their headquarters.
As luck would have it, the neighboring house needed its roof repaired yesterday. Sigurd had taken the job and quietly left behind a few preparations.
He hadn't expected to stumble upon something interesting so soon.
There were two reasons for this.
First, since he had already crossed paths with these people, Sigurd needed to monitor their subsequent reactions. If the trouble was going to continue, it would be best to prepare in advance.
Second, he wanted to understand the financial transactions behind this gang. If the opportunity arose and circumstances warranted it, perhaps he could make a substantial profit.
Throughout history, the first pot of gold earned by many people who accomplished great things had rarely been entirely legitimate.
Without a windfall to serve as startup capital, even the smallest skyscraper could never be built.
Sigurd happened to need such a windfall.
If he were still the ordinary, unremarkable person he had been in his previous life, he would naturally have wanted to stay as far away from something like this as possible.
But now, with his superhuman brain, he could afford to try something extraordinary.
The prerequisite for being a couch potato was having enough food and money to live comfortably. Someone who couldn't even afford to eat but still spent all day sprawled on the sofa playing with their phone wasn't a couch potato. They were a useless layabout.
Sigurd wanted to be a couch potato, not a useless layabout.
Making a substantial fortune now would drastically shorten the amount of time he needed to spend working before he could comfortably embrace a lazy lifestyle.
…
"US dollars? Nice!"
"Easy to carry, and convenient for you guys, too!"
"Are you satisfied with the goods?"
"We've done business so many times. Of course I trust you. By the way, what happened to those men of yours? Don't tell me they got drunk and fell over."
"They were drunk, yes, but they didn't fall. They went out looking for trouble and got what they deserved."
"Need any help?"
"No. Everything's already arranged. There's a wealthy man over in Siberia who likes that sort. We can make another deal out of it."
"Hahaha! Still, you'd better be careful. This town doesn't have many people to begin with. A few more unexplained disappearances would attract attention."
"They're just two orphans. Nobody will care. At most, people will assume they went somewhere else to beg."
"As long as you know what you're doing."
…
"Hmm!?"
Sigurd straightened up in alarm and leaned backward in a tactical retreat.
Holy shit. I hadn't even decided whether to make a move on them, and they were already plotting to target us.
Was he supposed to tolerate that?!
After carefully listening to the entire conversation, Sigurd waited until the people inside began preparing to eat. He then recalled the voices he had heard and analyzed the situation.
There were two groups, totaling eleven people.
At least seven of them belonged to the gang he and Kiana had robbed yesterday. They could be classified as the locals.
The remaining four belonged to another group that had just arrived. They could be classified as outsiders.
Since it was getting late and the snowy roads were difficult to travel, the outsiders would have to spend the night here. The locals would naturally stay behind to entertain them.
Therefore, the locals would wait until tomorrow before making a move against Sigurd and Kiana.
Considering that the transaction involved addictive drugs, it was reasonable to assume that every one of them was armed.
They probably weren't particularly dangerous individuals connected to the Honkai. Otherwise, Kiana wouldn't have been able to knock them down so easily yesterday.
'Then I need to figure out a way to kill them.'
Using the climbing supports he had left on the wall yesterday, Sigurd descended from the attic and quietly left the building.
From beginning to end, not even the homeowner, who was busy working downstairs, noticed Sigurd's presence.
Sigurd first dismantled the listening device he had installed, removing any unnecessary traces.
Then he headed straight for the hardware store on the western side of town.
He wasn't planning to buy anything.
The hardware store owner was also a hunter during the warmer seasons. His warehouse contained hunting rifles, crossbows, slingshots, hunting traps, and other equipment.
For reasons of secrecy and insufficient funds, Sigurd had no intention of purchasing anything.
Instead, after watching the owner lock up and leave, he slipped into the warehouse and helped himself to a selection of supplies.
Finally, he shouldered a small package and quietly left.
'Sorry about this, boss. I'll pay you back.'
…
"Um, mister, have you ever seen my dad? He's really tall, with white hair and blue eyes like mine. His name is Siegfried Kas—slurp—Kaslana."
Kiana was leaning over the counter of a general store, asking the owner about her missing father.
However, her attention had been drawn to a row of tempting snacks glowing enticingly beneath the glass counter. She almost forgot what she had originally come to ask.
Fortunately, Siegfried still held slightly more importance in her heart than ordinary delicious food.
And so, the conversation managed to stay on track.
Even so, before the shopkeeper could respond, Kiana had already slapped several New Dollar bills onto the counter.
The shopkeeper glanced at the banknotes and replied:
"Never seen him, and never heard of anyone like that. This town doesn't have many people. If even someone as well-informed as me hasn't heard of him, then your father probably hasn't been here… So, which flavors do you want?"
"This one, this one, and these two!"
Kiana pointed at the products she wanted through the glass counter and swallowed nervously.
The shopkeeper efficiently packed everything into a bag.
"Did you get separated from your father? In that case, I suggest you report it to the police. Head that way, turn right at the second intersection, and walk straight to the end of the road. That's where the police station is."
Although the two little policemen there were practically useless. They were nothing more than decorations.
Thinking of this, the shopkeeper shook his head and offered another piece of advice.
"Actually, I suggest you leave this place as soon as possible and look for other relatives somewhere else. Also, whatever you do, stay away from that house over there. The people living inside are no good."
The shopkeeper pointed toward the house Sigurd had previously been monitoring and sighed helplessly.
Kiana blinked, accepted her snacks, thanked him, and left.
"What good are the police going to do? All they ever do is tell me to wait around, and they even wanted to send me to an orphanage! Honestly! I already told them that my lousy old man isn't dead, we've just gotten separated! Sigh… I can't remember anything about my past. How am I supposed to know whether I have any other relatives? Lousy old man, where the heck are you… crunch crunch…?!"
Kiana muttered to herself. The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became, until she couldn't help stuffing her mouth with snacks.
Well, they really were sweet.
Kiana's mood immediately improved!
…
(ㅎ.ㅎ)…
（＾ワ＾）…
(๑ʘ̅дʘ̅๑)!!!
Just then, a hand reached out from behind and rested on Kiana's shoulder.
"I believe that money was supposed to be your travel expenses, wasn't it?"
Sigurd's voice came from behind her, sounding rather ominous.
"W-W-What's wrong with that?! I'll earn it back later!"
Kiana tried to sound calm. She even pretended to whistle, although all that came out were meaningless little phew, phew sounds.
"Forget it. Come with me. We have some serious business to take care of."
"Huh?"
Kiana turned around, only to see Sigurd carrying a bulging package on his back, his expression unusually solemn.
"What serious business? Have you found another way to make money?"
At the mention of money, Kiana's eyes were already sparkling with anticipation.
Sigurd led her along, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he spoke.
"A way to make money? You could say that. If everything goes according to plan, the payoff should be considerable. First, let me ask you something. Can you withstand bullets with your bare body?"
"Of course not! How could a human possibly stop bullets?!"
Kiana gave him an expression that practically screamed, Are you joking?
Sigurd glanced at her.
In reality, this white-haired girl was a dormant Herrscher. She wasn't exactly human in the ordinary sense. But for the sake of this discussion, he would treat her as one. After all, she looked only twelve or thirteen. Being a little weaker at that age was perfectly understandable.
"Then we'll need a carefully thought-out plan. Remember, follow my instructions to the letter later. And no matter what happens, stay calm."
"What exactly are we doing? Why are you being so serious?"
"You just need to remember what I said. If you can't manage that, you'll probably be fine, but I might end up in danger."
"Huh?"
"Anyway, if you don't want anything bad to happen to me, then listen carefully. Kiana Kaslana, from this moment on, my safety is in your hands."
Under Sigurd's serious gaze, Kiana stared blankly for a moment before slowly nodding.
"I don't know what's going on yet, but I understand! I swear in the name of the Kaslana family that I'll protect you, Sig!"
Kiana patted her chest, looking resolute and brimming with confidence.
Although they hadn't known each other for very long, although Sigurd could be frightening when he got angry and had even withheld part of her earnings, he was still a good person.
Kiana didn't know very much about the world yet. She hadn't even gained enough experience to travel across Europe on her own. One could say she was currently at her most innocent and naive stage.
Even so, she could instinctively sense that Sigurd genuinely cared about her.
Apart from her lousy old man, Sigurd was the only person in the world Kiana knew who treated her well.
So she had to trust him.
That was what Kiana thought, with the innocence and sincerity characteristic of her nature.
…
After nightfall, Sigurd and Kiana lay prone beneath a slope. Ahead of them stood the house occupied by those dangerous individuals.
The snow-covered embankment provided natural cover, saving Sigurd the trouble of piling up sandbags.
"Sigurd, what are we doing here?"
"Killing people."
"Huh?! You're going to kill someone? Have you gone crazy?"
"The people inside are the thugs you robbed yesterday. No, actually, they're all hardened criminals. We've been targeted. They have a vehicle, while we don't have any suitable means of transportation. We can't outrun them, so our only option is to strike first."
Sigurd gave her a brief explanation while checking whether the hunting rifle was loaded and whether the crossbow bolts and other weapons were ready.
"Th-This…"
Kiana was still hesitant.
"How about we just steal their car and leave? I really think this is too dangerous."
It wasn't that Kiana was afraid of danger. Courage and recklessness were both deeply ingrained in her nature.
What Kiana found difficult to accept was killing people.
Especially when Sigurd mentioned killing them with an expression that was far too calm.
Despite looking like a child of only eleven or twelve, Sigurd was so cautious that he wouldn't even eat too much bread for fear of upsetting his stomach. When it got dark, he could barely see anything, and at night, his body would tremble from the cold while he slept.
And yet, this very same Sigurd was now handling a hunting rifle and saying that he was preparing to kill someone.
Kiana felt a strange heaviness in her chest.
Sigurd shouldn't be like this.
But when she tried to imagine what kind of life Sigurd should be living, or what kind of thoughts he should have, Kiana couldn't quite put it into words.
Click!
The hunting rifle was loaded.
Sigurd adjusted his collar, exhaled a puff of warm breath, and said:
"Kiana, I think you should understand that you're not an ordinary person. And your future is going to be far more difficult than you can imagine. Start learning to be ruthless from now on. I think it'll do you some good."
"Sig, I don't want to learn that! Why don't we just sneak away? We can always go to the police afterward!"
Kiana couldn't understand the deeper meaning behind Sigurd's words. All she could do was desperately try to persuade him using the words go to the police—words that even she herself didn't really believe would help.
Sigurd simply looked up at the sky, which was already approaching true nighttime, and said:
"Of course I could run away. In fact, if I wanted to, I could make sure they would never find me. But I refuse."
"Why?"
"Because, just like you, I have to adapt to certain things if I want to survive in this cruel world. You don't have to get involved, but once it gets dark, my eyesight becomes extremely poor. Without you, I'll be in some danger. So make your choice. Will you help me, or will you leave?"
"I… I…"
Kiana stammered for quite a while before reluctantly giving in.
It seemed she didn't really have another choice. How could she possibly abandon Sigurd?
She had only recently been separated from her sole family member, and she was still just twelve or thirteen years old. Kiana was at an age when her worldview and values had yet to fully take shape. If someone influenced her now, there was still time to change certain aspects of her personality.
If a few more years passed, after she had experienced more of the world and Siegfried's influence had become firmly established in her mind, Kiana would inevitably become the same mischievous, kind-hearted, and innocent girl she had originally been in the game.
And then she would discover the painful truth about her origins, experience loss after loss, and eventually become the Herrscher of the Void-era Kiana—the one who would make readers want to beat the living daylights out of the screenwriter.
Compared to that outcome, Sigurd would much rather she weren't quite so innocent and kind-hearted.
It was fine if she didn't become the lovable female protagonist everyone adored.
He just didn't want her to spend her life suffering so much.
That was Sigurd's only wish for Kiana at the moment.