"Hmph! I-I don't care anymore! You guys can guess on your own!"
Theresa crossed her arms, turning her head to the side, deciding to wash her hands of the matter entirely.
After all, the question was far too awkward for her to participate in.
If she agreed with Einstein's analysis, wouldn't that be admitting that she was inferior to the Theresas of other worlds?
"Dr. Einstein, which one do you think is the answer?" Bronya looked to Einstein, her tone carrying a hint of respect.
"Without more information, no further analysis is possible. We can only choose between Stargazer and Luna Kindred," Einstein said with a shrug of her hands.
"On a side note, I would like to choose Stargazer."
"Eh? Why is that?" Bronya asked, curious.
"There is no particular reason. If you must have one... perhaps it is a scientist's inspiration," Einstein said with a light chuckle. "Edison once said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. But often, that one percent of inspiration is far more important than the latter."
"Therefore, as scientists, we must sometimes trust our inspiration, trust our intuition."
"Nest-head, will you die if you don't show off?" Tesla rolled her eyes irritably, mercilessly tearing down her good partner's posturing. "You took a random guess and somehow managed to turn it into a grand philosophy. When it comes to bluffing, I, Tesla, will call you the strongest."
"Then does Dr. Tesla have a better idea?"
"I... I'll choose Stargazer as well."
After a round of voting, Stargazer ended up with the most votes.
This was likely related to Einstein's choice, as it subconsciously swayed the members of St. Freya toward her selection.
Since Theresa refused to participate, the Book of Cangxuan was the one to answer the question in the end.
"I choose A."
[Answer... Correct.]
[Congratulations, you have received one Armament Haki Training Manual.]
[Armament Haki Training Manual: Once mastered, it can greatly enhance one's personal defense and attack power.]
"Ugh... damn it!"
Seeing the Book of Cangxuan answer correctly, Theresa's feelings were quite complicated, and she felt a little indignant.
She was determined to see just what made this "Stargazer" person smarter than her.
She was the Principal of St. Freya! The leader of the Far East Branch!
"This manual... seems to have some connection to the Navy Six Styles from last time. They should be products of the same world."
Fu Hua took the manual from the Book of Cangxuan's hands and flipped through a few pages, instantly understanding that this reward was also excellent.
Although everyone was currently training in the Sword of Taixuan, it wasn't something that could be mastered in a short period. While it did improve their strength, the short-term gains weren't as significant as one might imagine.
However, now that they had this Armament Haki training manual, it would allow the members of St. Freya to experience another explosive surge in strength in a short amount of time.
The two doctors from Anti-Entropy weren't particularly interested in this reward. After all, Anti-Entropy's main focus was on mecha. When it came to personal strength, aside from Welt Yang, no one else was particularly noteworthy.
Soon, a vision appeared in the Q&A Space.
Theresa immediately focused her attention on the screen, wanting to see what kind of background her parallel-world self had.
This time, the vision wasn't a continuous video like before, but a flashback montage composed of many scenes, more like a summary. And with the background narrator's introduction, the image of a beautiful woman from another world gradually took shape before everyone's eyes.
She was an exceptionally beautiful girl.
Although she had the same appearance as Theresa, her attire and temperament were elegant and otherworldly, like a celestial fairy in a mortal world.
"Stargazer, granddaughter of the former emperor of the Huang Empire. From a young age, she was immensely gifted and exceptionally intelligent, having mastered the Four Books and Five Classics, and cultivated the art of Qimen Dunjia to a state of perfection. She is the most talented individual the Huang Empire has seen in a thousand years."
"When Stargazer was twelve years old, the former emperor passed away. The Huang Empire was on the verge of being invaded by otherworldly beasts, and the entire nation's fate hung in the balance."
"Before his death, the emperor issued an edict to pass the throne to Stargazer. But Stargazer knew that accepting the imperial mandate and staying within the palace walls could not save the Huang Empire."
"And so, she left the palace, alone, and journeyed to the place where the otherworldly beasts emerged, intending to seal them with her power alone."
"Along the way, she encountered countless dangers, but was fortunate enough to receive the aid of a 'Mr. Assassin.' In the end, she successfully laid down a formation array, sealing the beasts forever within an undersea altar."
"Afterward, Stargazer complied with the imperial edict and inherited the throne. At a tender age, she took charge of the Huang Empire. From then on, the empire prospered, and the nation and its people lived in peace and security."
"Three years later, Stargazer became revered by the world as the Saintly and Wise King."
Through the narrator's explanation and the flashing images, the group finally understood the story of the girl named Stargazer, and why she was the smartest among the Theresas.
This twelve-year-old became the ruler of a nation, sealed away otherworldly beasts, saved her country and its people, and was revered by all as the Saintly and Wise King...
In comparison, their Theresa... seemed utterly incomparable.
It wasn't just what the others were thinking; even Theresa herself, after witnessing Stargazer's life, lost all will to argue.
Are you kidding me? How can I even compare?
Is that really me from a parallel world?
Why is the gap between us so huge?
And she's only twelve years old!
Theresa once again felt the deep malice of the Q&A Space.
Why would it put me up against a monster like this?
Isn't this just hanging me up to be beaten?
"Great-Aunt, this Stargazer is so amazing. She really does seem smarter than you."
At this moment, Kiana, oblivious to the danger, voiced her thoughts.
"You stupid niece! Is that any way to talk to your great-aunt?!"
Theresa glared at Kiana, flush with shame and anger, her fists already clenched.
How did she end up with such a dim-witted niece?
She didn't know if Kiana was doing it on purpose or not, but she always had a knack for kicking someone when they were down.
"Principal, Kiana is just being frank. Please don't blame her."
Raiden Mei, fearing Theresa would hit Kiana again, quickly stepped in to speak for her.
"Being frank..." Three black lines appeared on Theresa's forehead.
Great. I can't believe even a gentle girl like you, Mei, has learned bad habits from them. Now you're mocking me in a roundabout way, is that it?
"Hahaha, alright, alright, Theresa. Don't stew in your own anger. It's perfectly normal that you can't compare to someone like Stargazer. Besides, even if you're not the smartest one, you are still our Principal. That is something that will never change."
Himeko said with a smile, helping Theresa salvage the last shred of her dignity.