Chapter 289: Lies, Not Necessarily a Bad Thing
Time flows like water—always silently slipping away.
Kiana had already been staying in the inner space of the Cosmic Juggernaut for quite a few days. At least from her own perception, it didn't feel short—it had been more than a month, to say the least.
"Sig~~"
Out of a ripple in distorted space, Sigurd slowly walked out, frowning as he contemplated a three-dimensional model filled with complex data. Just then, Kiana pounced on him.
Sigurd didn't even look up. With a sidestep and a hook of his foot, he placed it perfectly in front of Kiana's step.
Splat!
Kiana landed face-down, ass-up.
"Sig!!!"
"Don't mess around, I'm thinking."
"Ugh— still, you didn't have to be so rough!"
"If you're unhappy, I think you should reflect on yourself first."
Sigurd glanced up at the girl's slightly reddened nose and the bits of grass on her head, showing no hint of apology. After all, the girl was tough—this kind of fall wouldn't faze her.
Holding his tablet, Sigurd walked past the fuming (but not daring to lash out) Kiana, deep in thought, and headed toward the outdoor stone table used for resting and meals. He sat down.
Su quietly sipped his tea, watching as Kiana appeared behind Sigurd, making exaggerated clawing gestures like a cartoon villain. Yet adorably, she didn't actually touch him. The elderly man merely smiled—there wasn't much else to say.
Just then, a communication from the real world came through to Sigurd's tablet.
. . . . . . .
In the real world, it had been two weeks since 'Fu Hua' had awakened.
Normally, that wouldn't be nearly enough time to reach any deep or meaningful conclusions about someone's personality or character.
However, Fu Hua was hiding inside 'Fu Hua' body—although it was also technically her own body. In short, she was observing and experiencing everything as if their consciousnesses were directly linked.
Therefore, Fu Hua believed her observations were already thorough and in-depth.
At present, all data and intelligence clearly indicated that this 'Fu Hua' was a new Herrscher. Based on her demonstrated control over consciousness, she could be identified as the Herrscher of Sentience. To Fu Hua, this Herrscher of Sentience showed both innocent kindness and violent extremity, someone who needed proper guidance.
However, recalling her past, Fu Hua truly lacked confidence when it came to shaping personalities or teaching others. Now that things had progressed to a critical stage, and the Herrscher of Sentience had shown enough value, without hesitation, Fu Hua made the call for reinforcements.
"That's basically the situation, so... does anyone have any good suggestions?"
In an empty room, Fu Hua's holographic figure sat suspended in the air, addressing a set of virtual projections before her.
Among the attendees, Sigurd was seated, silently pondering a tablet in his hand as though he hadn't listened at all. Next to him, Kiana leaned on his shoulder, munching a lollipop and watching Fu Hua curiously.
To the sides were old friends also dwelling in the Sea of Quanta—Kevin and Su.
Further along, Hera fanned herself with a noblewoman's fan, smiling gracefully with her legs elegantly crossed. Meanwhile, Welt looked around wearily and rolled his eyes—good grief, apart from Sigurd who at least looked busy, everyone else seemed quite free! He, a poor history teacher, had to exhaust himself day in and day out without rest!
Facing Fu Hua's question, everyone fell into a brief, contemplative silence.
Then Sigurd finally looked up from his tablet's model, glanced around, and was the first to speak:
"How you handle it is your business. I have only two conditions: First, make sure the Herrscher of Sentience's authority stays in your hands. Second, don't cause major destruction, especially nothing that interferes with Welt and the others. With your capabilities, you can keep things under control, right?"
"Uh… thanks for the trust. I'll do my best. So... no actual suggestions?"
"What kind of suggestions do you need? You're not a child."
"Alright, I get it. What about the rest of you? Sorry to bother everyone out of the blue, but I really need your input."
Fu Hua gave Sigurd a wry smile at his indifferent attitude, then turned to the others and continued asking.
Just then, Kiana's eyes lit up. She pulled the lollipop from her mouth, raised her hand, and looked ready to speak.
Fu Hua let out a small sigh.
"Forget about Kiana. Aside from agreeing with Sigurd, I doubt she has anything else to offer."
"Eh? No, I do have a suggestion!"
"…What is it?"
"Hehe! Just use Mei and Seele's cooking to win her over! Trust me, no one can resi—mmph!"
Sigurd calmly pushed the lollipop back into Kiana's mouth, cutting off her overly cutesy suggestion.
Kiana wasn't really that airheaded—it was just that, one, the situation was well under control, and two, there were plenty of reliable adults present. In such a stable environment, her brain had unconsciously shifted into a single-threaded mode, unable to think seriously.
"Sig, why'd you do that?"
Kiana asked, her voice muffled slightly by the lollipop, looking adorably confused.
Sigurd simply rubbed her head and sighed in resignation, saying nothing.
Hera watched the scene with a bright, amused smile. Then she snapped her elegant fan closed and said:
"In my view, since she's so deeply immersed in the role of the Immortal, why not let her continue being one?"
"You mean, let her permanently maintain this identity belief?"
"Yes. From the current situation, it seems that after her birth, her sense of self was likely overwhelmed by your vast memories and the hidden will within them… In a way, it's a miracle of the ages—an outcome none of us ever anticipated."
"So, since she doesn't know she's a Herrscher and believes herself to be Fu Hua, just let her remain Fu Hua."
"As long as she holds onto that identity, she'll recognize your bonds, accept your moral compass and purpose, and ultimately do everything in her power to fulfill your mission—to defeat the Honkai. Isn't that ideal?"
Hera reopened her fan, hiding her mischievous smile behind its folds.
If the Herrscher of Sentience became the Red Kite Immortal, the burden on the real Fu Hua would be greatly eased.
At the same time, humanity's power would be effectively doubled—the Red Kite Immortal herself now counted twice.
Even more, all the dangerous and difficult tasks could be handed off to the Herrscher.
If a sacrifice was ever needed, she could be sent in her place. After all, even if she died, the Herrscher core could still be retrieved—no real loss.
As for Fu Hua, she'd only need to support things from the shadows, dramatically reducing the risk to herself.
And in the end, Fu Hua wouldn't even lose her identity. Those who needed to know the truth would know. Everyone else would simply keep up the illusion.
Twisted? Perhaps. But the benefits were undeniable.
Kevin remained expressionless. Fu Hua, Su, and Welt all frowned slightly, clearly disapproving.
Just then, Kiana raised her hand again.
"Lying is bad. No matter how clever, a lie is still a lie. One day it'll be exposed, and when it is, she'll definitely be furious. She might even go berserk!"
Her comment was met with silence.
She wasn't wrong—everyone understood this truth. It didn't need to be said aloud.
Kiana seemed to realize this as well. She scratched her face awkwardly and resumed sucking her lollipop, ignoring the adults' reactions.
Finally, the one who broke the tension was the instigator herself—Hera—gently waving her fan as she nonchalantly added:
"That saying, 'a single lie needs a thousand more to cover it up,' is wrong. A well-crafted lie is more than enough to blur the line between truth and fiction, making it impossible to uncover."
"It doesn't need any extra lies to fill in the gaps."
"In short, if I were the one designing it, I could ensure she'd go to her grave firmly believing she is Fu Hua."
"You can trust in my ability, can't you… Your Majesty Sigurd?"
Hera winked playfully, with a hint of deliberately over-the-top cuteness.
"I already said it, it's up to Fu Hua. I don't care how it's done. I only care about the results."
Sigurd gave no real reaction to Hera's confidence.
Everyone knew Otto had screwed up plenty of times in the past. But they also couldn't deny that until Sigurd showed up, no matter how many missteps Otto made, his plans always progressed steadily. No accidents or obstacles ever truly derailed them.
If someone like Hera seriously put her mind to crafting a lie for that still-naive Herrscher, with cooperation from everyone else, it could be made flawless—airtight.
There was no reason to doubt it.
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