"Bronya, this is a once-in-a-lifetime request. Please, you have to help me."
Without another word, the snow-haired girl grabbed Bronya's hand and pressed it firmly against her chest.
Bronya tried to struggle a bit, but as expected, it was useless.
This mindless brute Kiana Kaslana was always grabbing her and not letting go.
It was truly enough.
If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't control her expression, making the expressionless loli's image look adorable no matter what she did, Bronya would have definitely given this girl a harsh scolding.
"If you have something to say, say it. My time is very limited."
Hearing this, the snow-haired girl's face broke into a smile, and she obediently sat down next to Bronya.
Raiden Mei brought over a plate of freshly baked cookies and sat across from them with Brian.
Several days had passed since the last time the four of them had gathered.
During these past few days, to reduce Cocolia's suspicions, Bronya had not interacted much with Raiden Mei and the others.
It wasn't until today, when Kiana could bear it no longer and forcibly dragged her here, that today's negotiations began.
There was only one goal.
To have Bronya provide the channels and methods to contact Schicksal's Far East Branch.
The others knew Kiana had a powerful great aunt, but they knew neither the location of the Far East Branch nor its contact information.
Announcing the news directly on the internet might indeed attract Schicksal's attention.
But it was more likely that Cocolia, in a fit of rage and shame, would make a desperate move before Schicksal could react.
After all, for that madwoman, as long as Raiden Mei became a Herrscher, her goal would be achieved. The minor details were unimportant.
Bronya ignored Kiana's unwarranted intimacy and looked at the one among the three who could make decisions.
Raiden Mei was a young lady who hadn't yet been cured of her chunibyo, and whether the thing on Kiana's Kaslana neck was a brain or a tumor was uncertain.
Looking at the whole scene, only Brian, the Blondie in Kiana's eyes, was somewhat reliable and could be her opponent.
This round... was a high-level game!
Brian: "We've already discussed it. With just our strength alone, we can't disrupt Cocolia's plan."
"Bringing in Schicksal's power is better for everyone."
The Silver Wolf of the Urals was emotionless, so naturally, no reaction showed on her face.
"Are you really sure? From the moment you bring Schicksal in, the situation will spiral out of all of our control."
"In Nagazora City, with the information gap, we can barely be considered players on the board. But in front of Schicksal, we are nothing more than slightly larger ants."
Bronya was resisting this proposal.
There were two reasons.
The first was her current excuse: Schicksal's intervention would cause the situation to develop beyond her control, which was very disadvantageous for her.
Right now, she could get by easily with her identity as Cocolia's adopted daughter, but once Schicksal entered the picture, she would have to choose her side.
A fence-sitter could indeed play both sides, but having enough strength to protect oneself was the foundation of being a fence-sitter.
The second reason was that she hadn't found another way to save Seele and still held some hope for Cocolia's Artificial Herrscher Project.
She wouldn't give up until she was faced with the grim reality. She couldn't give up without witnessing the true tragedy.
This was also why she had always maintained a certain distance from these people.
"But doing this is beneficial for all of us."
"If Cocolia's plan succeeds and she successfully creates a Herrscher, who do you think the next victim will be?"
"Surely you don't think she can immediately find your sister in the Sea of Quanta and execute that ridiculous plan, do you?"
The Sea of Quanta was a world full of infinite mystery.
Humans hadn't even figured out the planet under their own feet, so of course, they couldn't possibly have a deep understanding of the Sea of Quanta.
The Sea of Quanta was called a sea, but it had no relation to the concept of a 'sea'.
Seele Vollerei was submerged in it, destined to drift like a small boat, with no telling where she would end up.
Naturally, without a way to find Seele in the Sea of Quanta, Cocolia would surely make her other daughter the next victim.
Under the guise of doing what's best for them, she would strap them to a cold operating table.
Bronya: "..."
She couldn't deny this possibility.
After all, on the list of test subjects for the X-10 experiment, all the children in the orphanage were ranked in order.
But this was also not a reason for her to agree to Schicksal's intervention right now.
"What you're saying is just a possibility, not an absolute certainty."
Before Brian could speak, Kiana's face was full of surprise, "Huh? Bronya, your adoptive mother is that cruel?"
"..." Bronya ignored her. "Continue."
"Give me your reasons. Convince me."
Mere empty principles and future predictions were not enough to make her change her mind.
Different paths, no common ground.
To save Seele, she could give her own life. But Brian and the others just wanted to get out of the mess that was Nagazora City and be free.
They didn't have irreconcilable conflicts of interest, but Bronya would not give up on any possibility of saving Seele.
"..." Brian was helpless.
He originally wanted to get Bronya to cooperate by explaining the pros and cons.
But unexpectedly, this duck, though alive, was as stubborn as ever.
To get her to yield, it seemed he would have to use some special means.
In an instant, young Brian's gaze sharpened.
The following development was not suitable for children. To avoid harming the innocent, or even causing a fatality...
He needed to dismiss the others first.
"Kiana, Mei, you two should step out for a moment. I need to talk to Bronya alone."
The two girls were very obedient. Not only did they leave the room, but they also closed the door behind them.
The suddenly cold air sent a chill down one's spine. Bronya silently raised her guard, wary that this Blondie, who was skilled at poaching, would turn his attention to her.
Did he think that just by cornering her he could make her change her mind?
Impossible!
Guarded silence, a cold atmosphere.
Seeing this scene, young Brian had no choice but to firm up his earlier thought.
He was a decent person, but to save this city, he had to do something not so decent.
To guard against him, Bronya had focused all her attention on him.
This just happened to provide him with a convenient opportunity to use his ability.
"Bronya, I know the right way to save Seele."
Hypnosis.
Mental suggestion.
For a moment, a daze appeared in her silver-grey eyes.
Young Brian, began to exert his power!
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