During this time, Kiana had also been asking other senior Valkyries about Lord Bishop Otto's reputation.
Newcomers like C and D-rank Valkyries had no contact with Lord Bishop Otto himself and could only judge him based on stereotypes, so their words held little reference value.
However, among the B-rank and the very rare A-rank Valkyries, some of the seniors had met Lord Bishop Otto in person.
Their evaluations of Otto's character were mixed, but overall, everyone felt that what Otto did was fundamentally in the service of fighting the Honkai.
Of course, in the process, Kiana learned one more thing.
There was once a Valkyrie from St. Freya High School who, after successfully being promoted to A-rank, graduated early at the age of 13 and was dispatched to the Oceania branch.
At that time, there were rumors that after participating in experiments related to the Herrschers, that Valkyrie's health seemed to be far worse than before.
It was for these reasons that Kiana grew to believe Otto's previous claims more and more.
Siegfried had a falling out with Otto because Otto had dabbled in the power of Herrschers.
And Otto's so-called dabbling in Herrscher power was indeed not a lie.
It was just that he had used light, airy words to gloss over what was originally a very serious matter.
It was precisely because she realized Otto couldn't be called a good person that Kiana, while sensing that he seemed to truly value her, still harbored a slight sense of vigilance toward the man before her.
"Oh my, I thought you would answer immediately."
Looking at the suddenly silent Kiana, the serious expression on Otto's face vanished in an instant.
In its place, the Otto facing Kiana now wore a profound smile.
"Do you have some misgivings in your heart? How about you tell me about them?"
"...Lord Bishop Otto, before I answer, may I ask a question?"
Looking at Otto's sudden change in expression, Kiana voiced the question in her heart.
"From the moment we met, I could feel that you truly hold me in high regard."
"It's just that I really can't think of any reason for you to pay me so much attention."
"Heh, is that the only reason?"
Upon hearing Kiana's question, Otto shook his head helplessly.
"It seems you haven't yet realized the importance of the name Kiana Kaslana."
"However, considering you already know I'm a bad guy who dabbles in Herrscher powers, I can't be bothered to pretend to be a gentleman."
"Before you were born, your parents, Siegfried and Cecilia, fell in love."
"And in the eyes of your parents and your godmother, Theresa, it was true love at first sight—oh, and that part is correct."
"It's just that their union was in my personal interest, so I didn't obstruct it too much. After all, I was also very curious..."
"—what kind of powerful warrior could be born from the union of a Kaslana genius and a Schariac genius."
After saying this, Otto looked at the utterly shocked Kiana and continued.
"Kiana Kaslana carries the bloodline of the strongest of the [Knight] family and the strongest of the [Saintess] family. In my eyes, she should rightfully become the most powerful warrior under my command."
"Under these circumstances, it's not strange for me to support her, help her increase her strength, and even prepare a Godsbane Armor for her, is it?"
"So... that's how it is."
After hearing Otto's explanation, Kiana truly believed his words.
Otto's words were, in effect, a nicer way of saying, 'I see potential in you and need you to be my fighter, so I've prepared equipment for you.'
But this, paradoxically, put Kiana at ease.
Knowing Otto's character, if he had said things like, 'Oh, I want to use you to get closer to Siegfried and Theresa,' or 'Can't I, Otto, just be a kind old man who gives out equipment?', she would only have become more vigilant.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Kiana still silent, Otto shook his head helplessly.
"These are my true thoughts. Do you still have any doubts?"
After taking a deep breath, Kiana said to Otto with great seriousness.
"Lord Bishop Otto, I am truly grateful that you've prepared these things for me."
"But that doesn't mean I approve of the things you do behind the scenes—aren't you afraid that after I take these benefits, I'll refuse to work for you and turn on you instead?"
"Ah? That's a good thing."
???
Watching Otto say this so naturally, Kiana couldn't understand at all how he could say such a thing.
"Sigh, don't look at me like that. I personally am very supportive of the younger generation surpassing us old fossils."
Looking at the girl before him, Otto said to Kiana with a smile.
"If you can defeat me after you've grown, that would be a great thing for me."
"It would mean that humanity has a stronger combatant than me, and this old fossil can finally retire. And if you think about it on a deeper level..."
"—The righteous Kaslana defeats the secretly malevolent Apocalypse. That is an ending that fits the laws of the world."
No, wait a minute.
He's smiling so happily. Is he being serious with those words?????
I don't get it. I don't get it at all.
Who laughs out loud when they hear someone wants to beat them up???
This person—is definitely not right!
"Alright, enough talk. I can see that you need more power."
After gently pressing a button on the light screen in the air, Otto transmitted a file to Kiana's electronic terminal.
"[White Knight: Moonlight]. This is the fourth-generation Godsbane Armor I've tailor-made for you."
"I have already unlocked its teleportation program for you. What you need to do now is to train yourself to become worthy of this armor."
"Read the instruction manual for the specific details—and don't tell me you can't understand it."
Seeing Kiana's expression that screamed 'This is too complicated,' Otto suddenly spoke with extreme sternness.
"Back then, for Cecilia's sake, Siegfried transformed from 'the failure of the Kaslana family' into a powerful warrior capable of defeating an A-rank Valkyrie in just two years."
"And the strongest A-rank Valkyrie at the time, Cheng Lixue, with outdated equipment, had an overall combat power greater than the current S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse."
"Your father was able to surpass an S-rank in two years. Do you really think you can't do what Siegfried could?!"
"Of course I can!"
After retorting indignantly, Kiana only realized what she'd said afterward and asked weakly.
"But, what does that have to do with all this data..."
Wow, this kid.
Looking at Kiana, Otto, feeling like he was trying to forge scrap iron into steel, said sharply.
"If you can't even understand the data or use the equipment, how do you expect to be a good Valkyrie?"
*If you remain so uneducated, it will be very difficult for me when you can't use the Herrscher's authority properly.*
"...You're right."
*Even if it's for Senior, I have to work hard!*
*Lord Bishop Otto may not be a good person, but the armor he gave me is something I really need.*
*Sigh, why does a person like him have to do bad things?*
*If he were a good person and Dad was still under him, I wouldn't be so conflicted.*
"Alright, our conversation for today ends here."
After saying this, Otto left a final remark before cutting off the communication.
"Don't disappoint me."
After disconnecting, Otto looked at the report before him, his heart filled with rage.
That organization behind the war captive actually managed to bring out this level of combat power this time... fine, that wasn't the most unbearable part for Otto.
What angered Otto the most this time was that this group of people dared to make a move on Theresa and K423.
If Leo Ash hadn't arrived at the scene in time, successively killing a Pseudo-Herrscher, an Emperor-class Honkai Beast, and subjugating another Emperor-class Honkai Beast to become K423's bodyguard, what would have happened?
Ryusuke's daughter is very smart, but taking down one Emperor-class with a weakened version of the HSN serum was already her limit.
And if Leo Ash hadn't returned, K423, with her insufficient internal Honkai Energy, would have very likely been seriously injured by the Emperor-class beast before Sirin could awaken.
The Pseudo-Herrscher that Leo Ash killed in time, if it hadn't died, would have definitely gone to attack Theresa after dealing with that brat who had hurt Durandal.
Two Pseudo-Herrschers... Theresa at her peak wouldn't have feared them.
But at that time, Theresa was weakened due to her Divine Grace Field, and the Herrscher of Thunder didn't dare to fully unleash her power.
If anything had gone slightly wrong, the worst possible outcome would have been Theresa dying at their hands, and the Herrscher of Thunder being taken away, having the Gem of Conquest extracted from her body, and dying.
Thinking of this, the furious Otto suddenly let out a bitter smile.
Leo Ash's actions were indeed to save his comrades, but these actions...
*Ha, I should have known long ago that there's no such thing as a foolproof plan.*
*Several times now, I've made a move after gathering sufficient intelligence, only for accidents to happen.*
*I once thought that Joyce's strength was inferior to mine, but in the end, I was defeated by those people from Anti-Entropy.*
*I once thought that letting Sirin act freely wouldn't cause too much damage, but after Sirin escaped, she actually obtained the cores of four other Herrschers.*
*During the confrontation with her, most of Schicksal's weapon stockpiles and active forces suffered extensive losses.*
*If Siegfried and Cecilia hadn't joined forces to seal the Herrscher Cores, humanity would have had to abandon half of Asia.*
*Although for me, these things are not a big deal, but if a large region is contaminated by Honkai Energy, the number of deaths would be far greater than nine digits.*
*In the year 2000, Asia had a population of 3.7 billion, and Shenzhou, the most populous region at the time, was right next to the battlefield of the Second Eruption.*
*Calculating based on half of Asia's population being 1.85 billion, if half of Asia's land was contaminated by Honkai Energy, the two regions of Russia and Shenzhou would be basically ruined.*
*And if something happened to Shenzhou, my old friend would definitely not continue to help me.*
*Thinking back now, that punch of mine actually caused such an irreversible situation.*
*Siegfried... on second thought, if he had been a little more obedient, I wouldn't have had to proactively eliminate such a useful pawn.*
*Now that Siegfried is no longer in Schicksal, Leo Ash has covered for me more than once...*
*Hmph, thinking about it carefully, my luck has been consistently good since fourteen years ago.*
*The Second Eruption was a mess I made due to my mistake, but someone cleaned it up for me. After saving half of Asia centered on Siberia, my old friend had no reason to fall out with me.*
*That incident in 2005, although Ryusuke's mutiny was a betrayal, his actions essentially helped me injure Welt, indirectly causing subsequent internal chaos in Anti-Entropy. From that perspective, I actually profited greatly by not intervening.*
*When Siegfried took K423, it caused his daughter to lose her memory, and Bianka became my strongest warrior.*
*At the same time, K423 successfully became his daughter and developed feelings for him, becoming the trigger to awaken Sirin.*
*And now, Cocolia's actions have thrown Anti-Entropy into even more chaos while also preparing two sacrifices for me to offer to Sirin.*
*And Leo Ash has shown abilities beyond his original level, to the point that K423 already shows signs of falling for him.*
*Heh, looking at it this way, it seems Schicksal is actually on my side.*
*I need to reflect properly. Otherwise, I might really forget due to my plans going too smoothly—caution is the mindset I should maintain now.*
*Leo Ash, this kid has enough talent and intelligence. Acquiring two Stigmata and a Divine Key in succession proves he has heaven-defying luck.*
*And unlike Theresa, Siegfried, and Cecilia, he can, to some extent, accept the fact that 'Otto is not a good person' and express the view that 'For the sake of revenge against the Honkai, what does it matter to me if Lord Bishop Otto is not a good person?'*
*He's skilled, smart, not a stick-in-the-mud, and has consistently good luck. His mere existence has saved my hide several times.*
*However, no matter how terrifying his talent and luck are, he would still die quickly against the Herrscher of the Void at full power.*
*If everything goes smoothly and my plan accelerates, he won't have enough time to become stronger.*
*K423's true awakening doesn't require Sirin to easily slaughter others, but rather for K423 to kill someone important to her with her own hands after a sufficiently intense and fierce battle.*
*Leo Ash's current strength is not enough to achieve this result.*
*As expected, the production of his Godsbane Armor must also be moved up the schedule.*
Thinking of this, Otto opened the inventory records in his database.
In fact, when designing the Godsbane Armor, Otto's database had saved many discarded designs.
These plans were scrapped not because the designs were bad, but because no one could use the armor designed from some of them.
Yes, although it was regrettable, the lack of powerful fighters under his command was one of the dilemmas Otto had to face.
If the Snow Wolf Squad from the Second Eruption hadn't died, with their strength, they would have all become veteran S-rank Valkyries by now.
Of course, age and the degree of Honkai Energy erosion might have become problems, but with Dr. Magi constantly improving the HSN serum, Otto believed that the old man, seeking to atone for his sins, would surely develop a serum with higher precision.
But unfortunately, reality doesn't have so many 'what ifs'.
For the current Otto, before the Herrscher of the Void's awakening plan begins, he must treat every powerful piece in his hands well, give them sufficient treatment and equipment, and squeeze out their value to the greatest extent.
Of course, in the eyes of the Schicksal members outside, this would be seen as 'Lord Bishop Otto may not be a good person, but he treats us well'.
Otto himself couldn't be bothered to clarify such a misunderstanding that was beneficial to him—it was good for him, so why would he go out of his way to clarify things?
*Leo Ash, thanks to the guidance of my old friend and Rita, is better at close-quarters combat.*
*I'll use the backup plan for Moon Wheel and modify it a bit...*
*Actually, his judgment of timing is very accurate, so his need for armor defense is not that high.*
*Hmm, Moon Wheel's defensive performance is already average. If Leo Ash's Godsbane Armor's defense is weakened further...*
*Heh, for an Avenger thirsting for revenge, this armor would be more suitable for him.*
*But, that is not in my interest.*
*I need him to stay alive and work for me, not to completely abandon defense and go to his death.*
*Let's go with a different plan.*
*The defense needs to be maxed out. After all, this kid looks like he doesn't cherish his life—what kind of righteous knight directly absorbs Herrscher power to attack?*
*The energy absorption aspect needs to be strengthened a bit. After all, Leo Ash has already proven with facts that he does have a talent in this area, so this advantage cannot be suppressed.*
*It's just that with this, the armor's speed enhancement won't be as great as Moon Wheel's...*
*But that doesn't matter.*
*Leo Ash was only wearing ordinary clothes when he killed the Pseudo-Herrscher without injury this time.*
*This Godsbane Armor is to keep him alive. He doesn't need me to worry about his offense; he'll solve that himself.*
*As for the finer details, I'll wait until tomorrow to discuss them with him before continuing.*
After completing the initial design of the armor, Otto suddenly let out a helpless, long sigh.
*Sigh, if it weren't for K423 taking a liking to him, I really wouldn't be willing to send such a talent to the sacrificial altar.*
*Such a great talent... He's much more useful than a blockhead like Siegfried.*
*With his support, Theresa would surely be able to go further in the future.*
*So, Leo Ash, although it's not appropriate for me to say this, but...*
*—I hope that in the not-so-distant future, you can survive at the hands of the Herrscher of the Void.*
...
Meanwhile, in Kiana's dormitory.
As the light screen before her dissipated, the regret in Kiana's heart still hadn't faded.
Even knowing that Otto wasn't a good person, given that he clearly cared about her growth and had given her sufficient power, Kiana couldn't bring herself to completely treat him as a villain who must be suppressed.
She was, after all, a sentimental girl. At this stage, it was obviously impossible for her to be so cold-blooded as to take benefits from someone while preparing to get rid of them.
*But, since Lord Bishop Otto chose to prepare a Godsbane Armor for me, which only a few Valkyries are qualified to use, then...*
*—what about Senior, who is stronger than me?*
*Why is he still using a second-generation model???*
*And the second-generation armor Senior used this time broke completely.*
*If he had stronger armor, he might not have had to fight so desperately in Jiuyou.*
*If Godsbane Armors are equipment that only a few can obtain, doesn't that mean I've taken up the resources that should have gone to Senior?*
At this thought, an idea uncontrollably popped into Kiana's mind.
*Senior says he won't risk his life and is afraid of death, but everyone knows that's a complete joke.*
*By taking his resources, I've essentially lowered his already low survival rate even further.*
*No wonder...*
*No wonder Miss Rita seemed so displeased with me when she was seeing Senior off before.*
*She must have known that after I returned to Schicksal, I would be taking a portion of Senior's resources, and that's why she was angry.*
Nearby, Stan, who had just begun to feel a little at ease, suddenly had all his fur stand on end.
*W-what is wrong with this girl today?*
*Why is her mood so unstable—can I move somewhere else!*
*Damn it, I was wrong.*
*This place is much more dangerous than World Serpent!*
*At World Serpent, at least I can run if I can't win. But in this situation—I don't even dare to meow!*
*Someone save me, I don't want to stay here for another second!*
Although this thought crossed his mind, Stan knew that there were no such good things in this world.
*Hahaha, how could a little cat make a wish and have it come true?*
Then, the frantic Stan and Kiana were both stunned when they heard a knock at the door.
"Kiana, are you asleep? It's me, Leo."
At that moment, the bristling Stan suddenly felt the faint sense of pressure from Kiana disappear.
At this moment, Stan truly felt that the man who had punched him—was a goddamn angel!
Completely forgetting that this man was the very reason he was forced to accompany Kiana, Stan had, in his heart, completely sworn allegiance to Leo Ash.
"Senior?"
Hearing the voice from the door, Kiana subconsciously replied to Leo Ash.
"I'm not asleep. What's wrong?"
*At this hour... why would Senior suddenly come looking for me?*
*He just rushed back from headquarters today and fought against strong enemies one after another. He should be exhausted.*
"Oh, good that you're awake."
Casually walking into Kiana's room, Leo Ash looked at the trembling but grateful Stan, then at the lingering expression on Kiana's face, completely confused about the situation.
Five minutes ago, Leo Ash, who had entered a dreamscape, woke up after training for about three days in the dream.
According to his judgment, even if he used Phantasmagoria on himself again to force himself to sleep, he probably wouldn't be able to train as efficiently as he just had.
It was for this reason that he came to Kiana's room immediately after waking up, wanting to see what the situation was with time bomb number one.
And now, seeing Kiana, Leo Ash found that the System was absolutely right.
*There are even tears at the corners of her eyes...*
*Dammit, who's bullying Kiana? Do they have a death wish!*
*Even if you have a death wish, I don't!*
[Hahaha.]
*What are you laughing at?*
[The System laughs at that foolish and witless Leo Ash, who can't even see the simplest reason for this.]
[Say no more. This time, the System wants to see exactly how you're going to turn this situation around.]
*You're being cryptic.*
*But since you're still talking nonsense, it means the problem isn't at its worst yet.*
[Huh? That can be used as a basis for judgment?]
*Yeah. If you were speechless or started giving out rewards directly, it would mean the Herrscher of the Void is about to wake up.*
[You got that right. But things haven't reached that point yet—at least for now, we're still far from that stage.]
*Yeah.*
*But that doesn't mean minor problems can be ignored.*
*All irreversible major problems were once minor problems.*
*A thousand-mile dike collapses from a small ant hole. A hundred-foot-tall hall burns down from a tiny crack that lets in smoke.*
*Not solving a problem when it's still small is a suicidal act that Leo Ash will not commit.*
"So, what's wrong with you now?"
"...I-I'm fine, of course!"
Seeing Leo Ash's disdainful look that said 'who are you kidding,' Kiana immediately turned her head away and said to him defiantly.
"I am the genius of the Kaslana family—"
"Tears at the corners of your eyes aren't wiped away, your gaze is drifting and you don't dare to look me in the eye, your voice is trembling a little..."
Cutting off the girl's defiant words, Leo Ash said in annoyance.
"I told you before, I'm a professional."
"Before being a knight, I am first and foremost an agent of Schicksal. Observation and attention to detail are skills I must master."
"A little girl like you who can't even lie properly, you think you can fool me?"
"Wow, you look down on me that much? I'm getting angry now."
*Yes, Senior is good at observing people.*
*A detail-oriented person like him must have noticed my mood was off as soon as he returned to the dorm.*
*So not only am I a burden to Senior in terms of resources, but I also need him to waste time and energy on someone like me.*
*I, I, I...*
"I'm really getting angry now."
Seeing Kiana's gaze become even more evasive, Leo Ash walked up to her, grabbed her head, and forced her to make eye contact with him.
"Just say what's on your mind. We're comrades who have been through life and death together. Whatever problem you have, just tell us, and we'll all help you figure it out."
"Comrades who have been through life and death... huh?"
Hearing these words, Kiana said to Leo Ash with immense disappointment.
"Isn't it more like every time you charge ahead, Senior, I'm responsible for holding you back?"
"You take all the life-and-death risks, and I'm just there on the scene making things more difficult for you."
"During the Third Eruption, I still didn't understand the situation and thought you were being mean for scolding me, but now I realize..."
"—how foolish I was back then."
Looking at Kiana, who was on the verge of tears again, Leo Ash felt a bitterness in his heart.
*No, wait a minute, this happened over a month ago... okay, a month isn't that long.*
*Thinking about it now, I was indeed in a state of desperation back then, so my tone and attitude might have been a bit off—so this is my fault?*
"'It's much more convenient to act alone. You'd just be a burden if you came along'—that's, that's what you said to me then."
*She even remembers the exact words...*
*Sigh, women really hold grudges.*
*Even more than a petty person like me.*
Looking at the silent Leo Ash, Kiana, completely misunderstanding his inner thoughts, now felt that he was speechless because she was right.
Pulling Leo Ash's hands down from the sides of her head, Kiana finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into tears on the spot.
"I'm always holding everyone back. What kind of comrade is that, what kind of 'life and death together'?"
"It's always like this. Thinking back now—you say you're afraid of death but you insist on charging ahead. Isn't it all because I'm so useless that you have no choice but to go yourself?!"
*Um, you're the god of Earth in the future.*
*If that's considered useless... kid, don't set such high standards for yourself and others.*
*I have to think of a way to bluff my way through this.*
*The usual tricks won't work.*
*With this persona so firmly established, my normal words will just be over-analyzed into something completely different.*
*I need to change my approach, change the game—ah, I don't care anymore, let's just go with this.*
"Hmph, hehe, hahahahaha."
As Kiana's tears fell to the floor, Leo Ash suddenly burst out laughing for no reason.
Listening to Leo Ash's strange laughter, Kiana had no idea what he was thinking.
"Hold on, I can't hold it in, hahahahaha."
"So you were down because of something like this? I think I'm really going to die laughing."
Leo Ash, laughing so hard in front of Kiana that tears came to his eyes, seemed to be forcing himself to calm down as he spoke intermittently.
"I was wondering what you were worrying about. It was over such a small thing."
"Um, Senior, I know you're trying to change the subject again..."
Before Kiana could finish, Leo Ash revealed the Stigmata engraved on his hand.
On the back of Leo Ash's hand, a character for 'Scrub' shining with golden light appeared in Kiana's sight.
Seeing Leo Ash proactively reveal this bizarre-looking Stigmata, Kiana wiped her tears and continued.
"Even if you show me this ridiculous Stigmata, I absolutely will not laugh."
"Kiana, I've always been curious about one thing—why do you think you can guess my thoughts?"
After proactively displaying the Stigmata, Leo Ash said to Kiana with a smile.
"I'm not trying to change the subject, nor am I trying to make you laugh with this Stigmata."
"Since you think you're too weak, let's talk about power today."
"You've been an official Valkyrie for a month now. With your current strength, you already rank among the top in combat at St. Freya High School, so I'm very curious—what are you dissatisfied with?"
*What's the use of ranking at the top of St. Freya High School*—Kiana wanted to say, but those words were too disrespectful to her classmates, so she held back.
"But, even if you say that, Senior, I can never solve the problem when something goes wrong. In the end, it's always you..."
"Oh, about that, you really can't compare with me."
Listening to Kiana's troubles, Leo Ash said very bluntly.
"Your own qualities far surpass mine, but because of one thing, the gap between us has become so large in such a short time."
Looking at the Stigmata Leo Ash displayed, Kiana asked doubtfully.
"Because of the Stigmata?"
"...What are you thinking?"
At that moment, Leo Ash suddenly put his hands on his hips, struck a very pretentious pose, and said to Kiana with great confidence.
"I, Leo Ash, have traveled far and wide, and it wasn't by relying on these useless skills."
"The reason I'm alive today is entirely because—my luck is good!"
"I picked up a powerful Stigmata in Nagazora City, picked up another powerful Stigmata and a Divine Key set that I just happened to be able to use in Jiuyou, and this Divine Key can even convert the properties of Honkai Energy, which is perfect for launching attacks with Mei's power."
"A mere four years of combat and wandering experience, and the bloodline of the Kaslana family, how can they compare to my heaven-defying luck?!"
*And, the luckiest thing for me is that I have a powerful cheat system.*
*Without this cheat, I would have died out there long ago.*
*This girl is actually getting emo because she can't keep up with my progress.*
*I'm using cheats, and you're comparing yourself to me?*
...
"Um."
Kiana, after hearing Leo Ash's speech, had indeed stopped crying.
But now, she raised her right hand speechlessly and asked Leo Ash weakly.
"Senior, I have a question."
"Relying on luck isn't something worth boasting about, is it..."
"Of course not."
At that moment, Leo Ash raised his right hand again, showing the back of it to Kiana.
"My 'Scrub' is Stigmata-certified—how could a normal Stigmata lost in the Far East display Shenzhou characters?"
"I'm saying all this just to tell you one thing—don't think you're not good enough just because you're not as good as me."
"That's like an ordinary person trying to compare their earnings with those business tycoons—besides putting unnecessary pressure on yourself and making yourself miserable, what's the use?"
Putting away the Stigmata, Leo Ash patted Kiana's shoulder calmly and said.
"Just get stronger step by step, isn't that good enough?"
"Although it's strange for me to say this, for us who use Honkai Energy, the most crucial thing is to keep our mental state in check."
"If your mental state is poor and you become anxious, the Honkai Energy can easily accelerate its erosion of our bodies without us noticing."
"Wanting to become stronger isn't a problem, but you have to understand one thing first—except for lucky people like me, everyone needs time to become stronger."
As if to prove his point, Leo Ash took out his terminal, opened the data screen, and accessed the Schicksal database, pulling up a file that B-rank knights could view.
"Look, see? Your father, Siegfried, also took two years to go from a runaway little failure to being able to defeat an A-rank Valkyrie."
"An A-rank back then was about the same as an S-rank now. It took your awesome dad two years, so what are you rushing for? Just take it slow."
Looking at Siegfried's history, Kiana could only think...
—*Senior is really becoming more and more like an Apocalypse.*
*Even the example he uses to persuade me is the same as Lord Bishop Otto's.*
"Anyway, you need to understand one thing."
After closing the light screen, Leo Ash once again emphasized to Kiana.
"The one with the problem is me, who's getting stronger too quickly, not you."
"You're already working very hard, so don't put too much pressure on yourself. In fact, if you drive yourself crazy, it will be even more stressful for us, your comrades."
"Eat when you should eat, drink when you should drink. You've lived a hard life for so many years, what's wrong with enjoying yourself now?"
Although it was sudden, at that moment, Kiana felt something from Leo Ash that she shouldn't have felt.
"Mom."
After subconsciously blurting out this word, an incredibly strange thought simultaneously emerged in Kiana's mind.
Kiana, who had lost her mother at a young age, had always read books about mothers.
In the girl's imagination, a mother should be the kind of person who is meticulous, cares for her children, and likes to nag.
And now, although it was bizarre, she did indeed have the thought she shouldn't have had.
*Senior Leo... is someone who could become my mother... isn't he?*
???
Seeing Kiana cover her mouth in utter shock, Leo Ash was also completely dumbfounded.
*No way, she can see that Cecilia's soul is on me???*
[There's no way. You're overestimating this little girl.]
*Oh, that's good—no, wait, this is also very not good!*
[How is it not good?]
*I don't know, but I just feel like this situation is not right.*
"I didn't say anything!"
[See? Explanations are just cover-ups, cover-ups are just facts, and the fact is that it's true—she's hiding something!]
*I think you're right.*
[So go on, Mama Leo, it's time for some M and D Play!]
*Get lost!*
*I'm a guy!*
[I want a male mommy, I want a male mommy!]
[Thank you, Host. It's rare for this System to see such a precious scene!]
[Hehehe, this System must copy this scene countless times and show it to the audience of all dimensions...]
*If you dare to mess with me like that, I'll blow up with you!*
[Just kidding. This System's confidentiality work will be done well, Mama Leo.]
*?, I've had enough of you!*
"Anyway, don't overthink it. Just take it step by step and enjoy life. That's also a way to live."
After leaving these words, Leo Ash quickly fled from the girl's sight before Kiana could react.
After Leo Ash left, Kiana, who had felt that care from him, knew in her heart that she shouldn't think this way, but she also felt that the thought had become even clearer in her mind.
*As I thought...*
*—Senior, is someone who could become my mother.*
....