"Kiana, when you see him, try not to be too rough on him," Himeko teased with a smile.
"Hehe, don't worry. That stinky old man has thick skin," Kiana grinned.
She was genuinely happy right now.
After watching Siegfried and Cecilia's love story, her longing for them had only deepened. Now, knowing she would finally get to meet Siegfried, how could Kiana not be happy and excited?
Just then, the voice of the Q&A Space echoed in their ears once more.
[Question 24: Why does Raven, one of the executives of World Serpent, hate Kiana so much?]
[A: Because she hates Herrschers.]
[B: Because when Kiana transformed into the Herrscher of the Void at Schicksal, she triggered a massive Honkai Eruption, causing the island and villa that Raven had spent half her life's savings to buy to sink into the sea.]
[C: Because Kiana ruined World Serpent's plan.]
[D: Because Kiana is her love rival.]
"Eh? Is this question about me?" Kiana said, surprised. "An executive from World Serpent named Raven? Why would she hate me? I don't even know her."
"You don't know her now, but that doesn't mean you won't in the future," Bronya explained. "In other words, this is another multiple-choice question about the future."
"Raven... I remember she also appeared in the Honkai Sports Festival," Raiden Mei mused.
"That's right. She appeared as an executive of World Serpent then, too. I didn't expect that she would also be a member of World Serpent in our world. It seems there are connections between these parallel worlds," Bronya said.
"Let's focus on the question for now," Fu Hua interjected. "The possible reasons why this Raven hates Kiana have been given. Which one do you think is the most likely to be correct?"
"Wait, what the hell is this fourth option?" Kiana asked, completely baffled. "Why would I be her love rival?"
"Who knows? Maybe the idiot Kiana will go around flirting with everyone in the future and end up provoking someone," Bronya said.
"But this young lady likes girls!" Kiana declared righteously.
"Then how do you know Raven doesn't like girls?" Bronya retorted.
"Ah, this..."
Kiana was rendered speechless. But she quickly thought of something else and hastily explained, "But I like Mei! I'm completely devoted to Mei, so how could I become love rivals with that Raven?"
"Completely devoted? Are you sure?" Bronya squinted at her, her eyes filled with disdain.
"Uhh..."
Kiana subconsciously glanced at Fu Hua, who happened to be looking at her at that exact moment. Their eyes met, and Fu Hua's heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned her head and looked away.
"Ah... haha... Anyway, this fourth option is definitely wrong. Let's just eliminate it right away," Kiana said, scratching her head awkwardly as she bit the bullet.
"I also support eliminating the fourth option first," Einstein spoke up. "The probability of it being the correct answer is lower than the other three."
"First, we need to be clear about Raven's identity."
"She is an executive of World Serpent, not an ordinary person. The people she usually interacts with are naturally beyond our imagination. Under these circumstances, how could Kiana possibly become her love rival?"
"Dr. Einstein, you're so right!" Kiana excitedly gave Einstein a thumbs-up.
Great, my little boat is safe from capsizing.
Einstein ignored her and continued her analysis.
"Among the remaining three options, the first is that she hates Herrschers. But this answer is too general. Most people inevitably hate Herrschers. The Q&A Space is unlikely to pose a question specifically for such a common reason, so I believe this answer can also be eliminated."
"That leaves the second and third options. Both of these explain a specific reason why Raven would hate Kiana."
"Personally, I believe the third option has a higher probability of being correct than the second."
"We already know that in Arc City, Kiana did indeed thwart World Serpent's plan. Therefore, it's logical for Raven, as an executive of World Serpent, to hate her for it."
"Now look at the second answer. Raven hates Kiana because the island and villa she bought with her savings sank into the sea. To be honest, I find that a bit ridiculous."
"After all, World Serpent is a large organization hiding in the shadows. Its leader is a monster like Kevin, who couldn't be beaten even when Welt and Bronya teamed up. Would an executive of such an organization hate Kiana over such a small matter? That would be far too petty."
"Hmm... Einstein has a point. Just an island and a villa is a rather weak reason to hate Kiana so intensely," Theresa nodded in agreement. She also felt the third answer was more likely.
"Then let's choose the third option," Himeko said.
"Alright, I'll be the one to answer then," Kiana had no objections. She wasn't good at analyzing problems anyway, so since Dr. Einstein had laid it out so clearly, she was willing to trust her.
"I choose C."
[Answer... Incorrect. The correct answer is B: Because when Kiana transformed into the Herrscher of the Void at Schicksal, she triggered a massive Honkai Eruption, causing the island and villa that Raven had spent half her life's savings to buy to sink into the sea.]
"What the hell?!"
Kiana went completely limp and fell into Mei's arms. The feeling of weakness from having her lifespan drained made her voice much quieter.
"The correct answer was actually the second one?" Einstein frowned.
And here she was, confidently stating just moments ago that an executive from a major organization like World Serpent wouldn't hold a grudge against Kiana over a mere island and villa. And yet, that was exactly what happened!
Was this Raven really that petty?
"Hahaha! Nest-head, so even you can get an analysis wrong!" Tesla was quite pleased. It was rare to see Einstein lose face. Usually, she was the one playing the comic relief and getting roasted by Einstein. Today, it was finally her turn.
"Dr. Tesla, anyone in this world can make a mistake, and I am no exception."
"This is common sense, my friend."
Einstein accepted her mistake quickly and with a natural attitude, giving Tesla no further opportunity to mock her.