"Excellent! Simply excellent!"
"In celebration of the birth of the Herrscher of Flamescion, the Herrscher of Thundervoid, and the Herrscher of Rimestar—let thunderous applause resound like ten thousand bolts of lightning!"
Elias looked at the three girls before him with immense satisfaction, clapping vigorously.
Those brilliant golden eyes of his seemed to glow. He was even happier than when he himself had gained new power.
Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Ana unconsciously straightened their backs. The corners of their lips curved high, joy written plainly across their faces. At the same time, each of them silently made a vow in her heart.
The power they had received from Elias would, in the future, be used to fight for him... and, incidentally, protect the world along the way.
As a side note, Ana—who had just joined the Valkyrie dormitory and had yet to experience the baptism of romantic warfare—was the exception. Kiana and Mei, however, felt that they were finally about to rise again.
(Now we won't have to worry about losing our spot anymore!) x2
Becoming dual-core Herrschers had raised the strength of the little tuna and the rice-cooking queen by several tiers. The two girls now felt bursting with confidence.
No more worrying about failing to secure the right to go on dates.
"Just wait, you silly Kiana, Sister Mei, and Ana! Soon Bronya will also pass the trial and become a Herrscher!"
Watching the three of them grow stronger, Bronya felt both envious and impatient.
She had not even gotten her driver's license—cough, cough—had not yet obtained her Herrscher Core, and these people had already powered up!
No! She could not remain stagnant any longer!
With more and more rivals appearing, she had to gain a new form beyond just "Silverwing: N-EX"!
"Bronya, this is for you. When you obtain the Herrscher Core of Reason, use it together with this."
As he spoke, Elias handed her a blue Core.
"This is... the Herrscher Core of Death!"
"Mm-hm~ If the others have one, my little duck should have one too. In truth, the Herrscher Core of Death pairs quite well with the Herrscher of Reason... it makes doing sit-ups very convenient."
Elias raised a hand and gently stroked Bronya's head.
He knew that even if Bronya became the Herrscher of Reason, her strength in the current environment would still be insufficient. After all, she still had a long road ahead before reaching the realm of Truth.
A Herrscher of Reason who had not yet reached Truth would suffer immense strain when using her authority.
Just like Welt—merely constructing a modern army was enough to drain him to the point of collapsing into sit-ups. His body really was too frail...
Even Elias would bear a certain burden, though his physique was so overwhelming that he could endure even the strain of reconstructing a large bubble world.
(But with the authority of the Herrscher of Death, the cost of using the Herrscher of Reason's authority can be offset. So... sorry, Seele. This Core will be lent to my little duck for now.)
Elias leaned down and kissed Bronya gently on the forehead.
Recently, he had also discovered some astonishingly good news and had already sent Gray Serpent to verify it.
Once confirmed, it would be news hundreds of times better for Bronya than inheriting the name of the world and becoming the Herrscher of Reason.
The empty place in her heart—the part Elias had been healing and filling in all this time—would finally be completely restored.
"Swearing on silly Kiana's dinner tonight, Bronya will definitely pass the trial and will not disappoint Elias!"
Bronya clenched the Core in her hand, speaking with the seriousness of a soldier and the fervor of a lover.
"Bronya!"
Kiana immediately puffed up like an angry cat, glaring at the bad little duck who dared swear on her dinner.
"Hehe~ All right, all right. I believe my little duck can succeed. After all, you are the Herrscher of Reason destined by fate. Still... I do miss the days when you used to call me Papa or Big Brother."
Elias sighed, sounding genuinely regretful.
He did miss the days at the House of the Hearth. Though his life now was blissful, the orphanage he had founded back then had been warm and beautiful as well.
The key point was that there had once been a group of unbelievably adorable little girls calling him Papa... that feeling... it had been absolutely wonderful.
"...If I called you that, Bronya would lose."
The girl kept her small face stiff as she spoke.
If she called Elias "Big Brother," she would instantly gain a pile of sisters-in-law. If she called him "Papa," she would gain a crowd of stepmothers. Just imagining it made her feel like she would have nightmares tonight.
And although most of her memories had already grown hazy...
Bronya still vaguely remembered that in the distant past, before she had been kidnapped and sold by bad people, her biological mother had once smiled at her.
That faint warmth of maternal affection lingered in her heart like dying embers.
She would not let anyone else become her mother.
However...
"If Elias misses it... then when it's just the two of us, Bronya and you... it's not impossible to call you that."
Bronya's cheeks turned slightly red as she spoke shyly. Preferably at night, in the bedroom—calling him that would feel more exciting.
"Really? Yay~ Little duck, you're the best!"
Elias raised a brow, delighted, and rubbed his cheek against hers. His duck who could be cute and cool at the same time was truly number one in the world!
The three girls beside them could not help but feel a bit jealous at the sight.
"Ahem! All right, it's getting late. We should head back to the Academy for lunch. Bronya, you'll stay here at Anti-Entropy and continue your Herrscher of Reason trial."
"Elias will head back with us~ Mr. Welt, take your time with the test. No need to rush. After all, this is the Herrscher Core of Reason carrying the will of three hundred thousand people. It's extremely important. You should set up a few hundred stages and test Bronya for three to five years at least."
Kiana and Mei each grabbed one of Elias' arms. Then they opened a spatial gate and dragged him straight through.
Bronya: "...Mr. Welt, please begin the Herrscher of Reason trial immediately! Bronya will clear it in one life at the fastest speed possible and return home!"
(How can I let those two bad women be so arrogant? Elias, wait for me. Once Bronya gets her driver's license, I'll take you out for a drive!)
Those words somehow sounded like her license might get revoked...
Welt: "Young people these days..."
Watching the spirited little duck before him, Welt deeply felt the generation gap between himself and the youth.
Meanwhile, on the other side...
After the four of them returned to the Valkyrie dormitory.
"W-What is going on here?!"
"Rita! Rita, are you all right?!"
Elias stared in shock at the scene before him. Wearing Shadow Iron, Rita was kneeling on one knee, gripping her scythe, breathing heavily as if she had suffered an enormous blow.
When she saw Elias return, her entire body trembled. Tears shimmered at the corners of her eyes as she turned her face away, looking utterly tragic—as though saying, "I am far too embarrassed right now. Please don't look at me."
And the opponent she had been fighting...
Was an adorable cat.
"Pa—Pardofelis?"
Elias recognized his cat at a glance.
"Meow!!"
The moment she heard Elias call her name, the cat's pupils widened instantly. There was even a glimmer of moisture within them.
Like a pet spotting her keeper, the feral Honkai Beast dashed forward at a speed so fast that even Mei and the others nearly failed to react.
And midair—she transformed.
"Boss Elias!!"
From a cat-shaped Honkai Beast into a cat-eared girl, she leapt straight into Elias' arms.
Kiana: "Hisssss! Major threat!"
...
Time rewinds to one hour earlier.
While Elias had still been speaking with Welt at Anti-Entropy, an extremely hungry cat, relying on her number-one-in-Honkai luck, had wandered absentmindedly into St. Freya Academy.
Pardofelis herself had no idea how it happened. By the time she came to her senses, she found herself sprawled across a bed.
Sniffing with her cat nose after undergoing Artificial Cascade, she immediately caught a scent so intoxicating that tears welled up in her eyes.
"Meow meow meow! Is this for real? I actually got lost and ended up in Boss Elias' dorm room?!"
She had truly just followed her instincts and wandered blindly, almost like sleepwalking. And when she snapped back to awareness, she realized she had sleepwalked straight onto her keeper's bed. The cat was utterly dumbfounded.
Then she planted her hands on her hips proudly.
As expected of herself!
As ridiculous as it sounded, for a cat who had dumped all her skill points into luck, this was perfectly normal.
Back in the Previous Era, Pardofelis had once casually pointed at a random spot on the world map—and accurately indicated where the Herrscher of Binding would descend.
In terms of luck, the only one who might rival Pardo in this world was probably a certain Kiana.
"Hehe~ Boss Elias' scent is amazing~"
Pardofelis buried her head into the pillow and inhaled deeply. To her, Elias' scent was far better than catnip.
After indulging herself to her heart's content, she lay sprawled across Elias' pillow with a satisfied expression. But just as she was about to burrow into the blanket for a little afternoon nap, her stomach let out a loud growl.
She had almost forgotten—she had come to forage for food!
Remembering her mission, Pardofelis immediately sat up and began scanning Elias' bedroom.
"Emmm... Boss Elias isn't the type to hide food in his bedroom. He usually stores everything directly in his storage space. No choice—guess I'll keep wandering blindly."
She closed her eyes again and continued her aimless march. This time, however, she did not walk far before reaching her destination.
"Ow! Looks like I've arrived."
The moment her head bumped into something, Pardofelis knew she had reached her goal.
Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at an enormous refrigerator.
"Whoa~ This is the first time I've seen such a huge fridge. Whoever owns it must be an amazing cook."
Her eyes sparkled. Unable to wait, she used her tail to pull open the double doors—only to be stunned by the neatly arranged, tightly packed abundance of food inside.
She sniffed with her cat nose, and drool instantly began to drip.
Unlike a certain dark cuisine master, these dishes were clearly masterpieces in color, aroma, and taste.
But precisely because it was so luxurious, Pardofelis found herself hesitating.
Even when she "borrowed" things in the past, she only took small items like instant noodles or lighters—or discarded odds and ends from the Flame-Chasers.
Unless something was ownerless, the more valuable it was, the harder it was for the cat to lay a paw on it. And she had never taken anything truly important from others.
Pardofelis was a cat with principles!
"Isn't there anything more ordinary? If I just eat this without permission, the fridge's owner will definitely get mad... wuuu, but I'm so hungry~~"
After hesitating for a moment, Pardofelis reluctantly placed a small gemstone into the refrigerator.
She had decided to pay.
It was a gem Eden had once tipped her. Though tiny—and probably the least valuable in her collection—it was more than enough to buy out the entire fridge.
"Guu... it hurts to part with it~ But this is all I have on me right now. Nom nom nom!"
With a tearful cat face, she began devouring the food in large bites.
Actually, she did have one other possession—the golden bell around her neck. But even if she had to pawn her life, Pardofelis would never pawn that bell.
After all, it was a gift Elias had given her.
And then—
"Hehe~ What a naughty little thing. Sneaking into a lady's bedroom and stealing food without permission."
"Meow!!"
Hearing a voice behind her, the cat's fur instantly stood on end.
Pardofelis stiffly turned her head.
A maid stood there, veins faintly bulging at her temples, smiling with terrifying gentleness.
"To borrow Lord Elias' phrasing... have you prepared to repent, you thieving cat?"
The owner of the refrigerator radiated an overwhelming aura as she drew out her scythe.
How dare this cat touch her fridge.
Today, she would kindly provide a free spaying service.