The quiet moment flowed by, and for a time, the only sound in the kitchen was the crackling of the flame.
"The cooking and chopping has stopped! Get back to work!"
A loud urging from the living room jolted Fuli and Otto from their reveries.
Fuli shrugged. "Well, your boss might not notice you working hard, but they'll always catch you slacking off."
He spoke with feigned casualness. "Honestly, we're pretty lucky, brother. At least the people we fell for told us upfront they weren't interested. Isn't that a thousand times better than those awful girls who just string guys along?"
He then noticed Otto's slightly bewildered expression and realized that, given the status of women in medieval Europe, the concept of a woman "stringing a man along" was something of a dark joke.
"It's a thing in the future world. Basically, it's like..."
As the boy explained, Otto, finally understanding, gave an embarrassed smile.
"Oh, is that so? I thought you were talking about my sister, Risa."
"Huh?"
Risa Apocalypse, Bishop Nicholas's second daughter and Otto's older sister.
In the near future, it would be she who would persuade Otto to release the Honkai Beasts imprisoned in Schicksal's lowest level on the day of the execution, leading to the death of Kallen, who died protecting civilians. Afterward, she would poison her own father and install her deceased older brother's son, Marcel Apocalypse, as the new bishop, beginning a fourteen-year career of ruling from behind the curtain.
And this very Risa was an expert at stringing men along.
According to statistics, there were no fewer than a hundred men among the upper European nobility and the Castle Council with whom she had ambiguous relationships. She frequently hosted multiplayer games under the guise of private balls, with an endless stream of guests entering her chambers.
She, in turn, manipulated these men to achieve various political goals, even frequently coercing Otto into using a mimicked Abyss Flower to help her... maintain her youthful figure.
"What is this? The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You?"
Fuli couldn't help but roast her. "Talk about a hundred birds flocking to one bush."
"A hundred birds flocking to one bush?"
Otto paused, not understanding the meaning at first.
It wasn't until the Void Archives' lexicon assisted him that he got it, and the expression on his face was a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
"Brother, do people in your era all speak so... uh, humorously?"
"That depends on the language. Without B-Rank language proficiency, foreigners find it hard to grasp the nuances of our Great Heavenly Dynasty's phrasing."
Fuli glanced at him sideways. "See? It took you a while to brainstorm what that meant."
I'd rather I hadn't figured it out!
Otto complained fiercely in his mind, yet the corners of his mouth turned up involuntarily.
A short while later.
"Heeey hehehe, chicken soup's here!!!"
Fuli laughed maniacally as he brought out the freshly brewed chicken soup. His demonic smile made Vera instinctively retreat behind Kallen.
"I don't care if it's chicken soup, duck soup, or whatever soup! Just bring it to me, now!"
The famished Saintess couldn't be bothered with pleasantries. She reached out, ready to grab the pot and inhale its contents.
A person near death has the appetite of a giant. He who eats is a hero. Kallen immediately began devouring her food as if taking revenge.
Fuli didn't object, letting her snatch the pot and down the entire thing in one go.
The white-haired Saintess smacked her lips. "Little bro, this doesn't taste quite right."
"Is it because you're not used to Shenzhou cuisine?"
"Maybe? The food I had in Yae Village was also very light."
Kallen didn't pay it much mind and, observing the etiquette of not speaking while eating, simply kept stuffing her face.
Soon, a sumptuous feast covered the dining table.
The others took their seats, and in between bites, they discussed the various matters concerning the invasion of Schicksal's headquarters.
"My personal suggestion is to invade tomorrow," Otto began, stating his view. "Tomorrow is the traditional Pentecost for the Church. After the failure of the crusade, this festival was also designated as a major ceremony for selling indulgences. At that time, the Death Knight Legion, which is usually responsible for guarding the headquarters, will be dispersed among numerous towns and cities to maintain order. It's the easiest time to invade."
Kolosten was located in Vienna, the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, known as the heart of Europe. Even with medieval standards of transportation, it would undoubtedly be bustling at that time.
Fuli agreed. "Knowledge from books is ultimately shallow. History from a book can't compare to your firsthand account. We'll listen to you on this, brother."
Giving him a grateful look, the man continued, "In addition, I've just contacted the underground resistance that has been secretly fighting the Church through the Void Archives. I've asked them to use this opportunity to stir up unrest and tie down the War Knight Legion stationed on the city's outskirts."
Where there is oppression, there is resistance. There were plenty of sparks of discontent with Schicksal's tyrannical levies.
And although the War Knight, Zofia, bore the name of war, she had always fundamentally disliked meaningless invasions and conflicts. Unless absolutely necessary, she rarely used lethal force against protestors.
"Ah, Zofia was the one who arrested me in the Far East," Kallen added. "S-Rank combat power. Super strong."
To be able to speak clearly while gobbling down food was probably a unique talent of foodies.
"Keeping her occupied will be a huge help," Fuli said. He had also heard of her and had even witnessed her fight firsthand.
In the 21st century, five hundred years later.
Unlike the Seven Swords of Taixuan, which were essentially just titles passed on to the worthy, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse could be considered a special kind of inherited profession.
After the previous Knight of War, Death, Famine, or Pestilence fell, Schicksal would first conduct rounds of selections to choose a pious warrior who fit the corresponding traits.
After the selection, these warriors would undergo various trials of varying lengths and methods.
Until the most outstanding one was chosen, they would then go to the lowest level of Schicksal to receive the inheritance.
In the hundred days that followed, regardless of the inheritor's original appearance, their face and body would transform to become identical to the first-generation Knight of War, Death, Famine, or Pestilence. At the same time, they would gain all the memories and powers of the original.
Just like the previously seen Increcin, she existed in this era, and she was still around five hundred years later.
The advantage of this was that it guaranteed the inheritance of power. The original War and Death Knights were both S-Rank, and the other two were at the peak of A-Rank plus.
No matter how dire the situation, the Schicksal Church could always maintain this baseline strength, overcome difficulties, and await a future comeback.
The disadvantage? So far, there seemed to be none.
The inheritance only granted the memories of the original knights, and the inheritors had undergone rigorous selection, which greatly avoided scenarios like memory confusion or split personalities.
If one were to nitpick, it would be that after receiving the inheritance, it became extremely difficult to improve one's strength, and their potential was locked, at most reaching the level of a top-tier S-Rank.
As a price for ascending in a single step, it was quite reasonable.
"The wisdom of the ancients should not be underestimated," Fuli mused. "The Four Horsemen's inheritance also requires going to Schicksal's lowest level. It makes me more and more curious about what's hidden down there."
He certainly wouldn't have the chance in reality, but to think he could explore it in a virtual space.
Lost in thought, the boy reached for a chicken leg on a plate to fill his stomach, but his hand grabbed empty air.
He looked over in surprise. The busty Saintess, who had just stuffed a large chicken leg into her mouth, turned her head away, her cheeks puffed out.
He looked down at the table—
Holy crap! In the time it took to exchange a few sentences, only a tenth of the food was left!
It was a whirlwind!
Kallen: Very introverted. Never says she's full, just keeps eating.
Otto was prepared for this. Not only did his plate still have some staples like bread, but his mouth had never stopped moving while he was talking.
Seeing Fuli's "WTF" expression, he remained poker-faced, but inside, he was laughing hysterically.
Vera's delicate and cute face showed an "I knew it" expression.
The little girl sidled up to the handsome boy who was slightly older than her and offered to share the extra portion she had taken for herself.
CRUNCH!
Seeing this, Otto, who had been laughing wildly just a moment ago, suddenly bent the knife and fork in his hands with a sickening crunch.
Faster than that, however, was the sharp pain that erupted in his stomach.
Feeling the imminent eruption from his rear, the man took a deep breath, clutched his abdomen, and gritted his teeth. "Vera... those ingredients of yours... was there... something wrong with them?"
"Ah! That!"
Hearing him, the girl said in a panic, "There were indeed some in the corner of the warehouse that had been stored for a long time, but I made sure to label them!"
Her pigtails swayed, looking incredibly cute.
"Oh, you mean those," Fuli scratched his head. "I tossed them in the pot."
"You son of a—!"
Otto looked ready to explode. He tried to stand up but sat back down, cold sweat pouring down his face.
Fuli was embarrassed. "Well, none of us are ordinary people. Even little Miss Vera has Honkai energy flowing in her. Eating it won't be a problem."
Perhaps as a final emotional anchor, along with Kallen's epically enhanced beauty stats, Vera, who originally had no talent for being a Valkyrie, now had strength approaching B-Rank.
Kallen, who had eaten her fill and was now lazily picking her teeth, had a realization. "No wonder I kept feeling like the chicken soup tasted off!"
The taste buds of the Kaslana clan do not lie!
"So you're saying... the only one who hit the jackpot... is me?"
His gaze slowly swept over the other three. Otto, his face contorted, fought the urge to transform into a toilet warrior.
He slowly stood up.
"Ahhh~"
Then, his expression relaxed as the man understood a truth.
When your stomach hurts, never trust any fart.
Half an hour later, the blond nobleman returned to the living room after a bath, a sour look on his face.
He had changed into new clothes that Vera had prepared for him, which were identical to the ones she had prepared for Fuli earlier.
"The world's gone mad! What do you mean 'identical to the ones Vera prepared for Fuli'? He's clearly wearing mine!"
Watching Otto curse at the heavens, Fuli and Kallen huddled together, whispering.
"He's lost it."
"Truly lost it."
"Well, for something like that to happen in front of his little sister/daughter... if it were me, I wouldn't even come back here."
"Little bro, you should go comfort him. You have to take responsibility for the mess you made!"
"Got it!"
Fuli slapped his forehead, stood up, straightened his collar, and walked over.
Seeing him approach, Otto snorted heavily, clearly having no intention of dealing with the bastard who had embarrassed him in front of Kallen and Vera.
Hilarious. A blond tsundere. A classic combination.
But it wasn't long before the rich aroma wafting through the air made him unable to resist looking back, his eyes fixed on the uncorked jug of wine in the boy's hand.
Immortal Brew (one jug), a product from his last ten-pull, contained in an ancient-style wine jug.
Legend had it that it was brewed by immortals, consuming a large amount of Honkai energy during the process. It was a super-divine wine that could be ranked C-Class on the sole merit of being "delicious."
"I'm telling you, this is only because the psychological trauma I caused my brother is too great. Otherwise, don't even think about me taking this out as an apology!"
Fuli poured four cups with a pained expression, his eye twitching as he said, "One cup each, no more!"
Smelling the intoxicatingly rich aroma and feeling the explosive craving on their tongues, the two medieval alcoholics exchanged a look and stood up in unison.
They walked over to the excited Vera and placed their hands on her shoulders, turning her around.
"Ehh? Ehh?"
The little girl, being pushed out of the room, looked confused.
Otto's face was serious. "Vera, you're too young. You can't drink at this age."
Kallen said solemnly, "Therefore, this sin... we two adults will bear it for you!"
"Hey! Have you no shame, you two!" Fuli yelled. "If little Miss Vera isn't drinking, then her share should go to me!"
"You think one cup is enough to compensate for my mental trauma? In your dreams!"
"If a single drop of that fine wine is left in that jug, then my name isn't Kallen Kaslana!"
"Don't you come near me!!!"
"Hmph."
Vera pouted unhappily in the hallway, but couldn't help but smile as she listened to the noisy commotion coming from behind the door.
"If only days like this could last forever."
The girl, unaware of what an NPC was, leaned against the door, holding a small wish in her heart as she looked up at the star-filled sky outside the window.
...
In the early morning, at midnight, the artificial stars filled the sky, twinkling brightly and reflecting off the silver disc hanging high above, creating a beautiful night scene.
In the guest room, Fuli was curled up in a ball on the bed, fast asleep, clutching the half-jug of Immortal Brew he had desperately protected from those two hooligans.
From time to time, he would smack his lips, as if savoring the lingering, heart-refreshing aroma on his tongue.
With a click, the door to the room was opened silently from the outside.
A simple yet elegant nun's uniform;
A head of conspicuous yet exceptionally beautiful silver hair;
A cool yet gentle, holy aura;
A beautiful yet pitifully lovely face.
Bathed in the hazy moonlight, a silver so pure it shamed the frost and outshone the snow, the flawless Saintess stepped into the room.
Her sinful claws slowly reached for the wine jug in her little brother's arms. Just as her fingertips were about to touch it, they moved upward and pinched the boy's handsome, clean face.
It felt nice.
Kallen smiled and retracted her hand, walking over to the window. She leaned against the wall, gazing at the bright moon, lost in thought.
She couldn't sleep.
Because of the pain.
Like being burned by fire;
Like being drowned in water;
Like walking on a mountain of knives;
Like being pierced by a thousand arrows.
Judging by Kallen's carefree demeanor, it was truly hard to realize that she was suffering from the Blood Boil Curse twenty-four hours a day, enduring the torment of countless tortures invented by humanity.
Kallen suspected Fuli had taken out the Immortal Brew precisely for this reason. The divine wine, rated C-Class just for being "delicious," had indeed numbed her nerves to a considerable extent, alleviating the pain of a hundred and eight tortures afflicting her body.
"He's a magical boy, don't you think?"
She whispered to herself, receiving no reply, as expected.
Otto was the weakest among them physically. Just one cup of wine had been enough to make him collapse onto the table, unconscious.
He was probably dead drunk in the next room, and they would need to shake him awake in the morning.
However, was that really the case?
Kallen knew Otto well. Her childhood friend's greatest skill was hiding things. He loved to pretend he knew nothing, acting all cheerful while secretly doing shocking, malicious things.
He had deceived her many times in the past, both about the human experiments and the matter of the black box.
Once bitten, twice shy. Over the long term, Kallen had learned to always be on guard around Otto.
For example, right now, she had silently come to Fuli's room.
She was here to stand guard for this kind-hearted little brother, to be wary of Otto pulling some stunt in the dead of night.
He had been far too compliant with Fuli along the way—from his accommodating attitude when the boy first fell from the sky, to the deliberately off-the-wall and like-minded persona he projected during their conversations.
Otto was proud to his core, and the Void Archives could only be held by the most intelligent of humans.
The reason the Celestial Fu Hua had stopped in time on the Kipchak Steppe was precisely because Otto, who had rushed to the battlefield, stood in front of the heavily injured and dying Kallen.
That was the quality of a leader of all humanity.
Kallen didn't believe that characters in a virtual world should feel inferior when faced with someone from reality, nor did she believe Otto would bow and scrape before Fuli just because he could take her away.
With his extremely proud personality, it was more likely that after learning the truth, his first thought upon leaving the prison would be to find a way to control Fuli and study him to find a path to the real world.
Was A-Rank strong?
Very strong.
But if Otto wanted to, if he acted recklessly with the element of surprise, subduing an enemy of that level would not be difficult.
Rather than betting on others, this man was more accustomed to controlling his own destiny.
"What are you plotting?"
Gazing at the bright moonlight outside the window, Kallen murmured to herself.
She did not see, however, that behind her, on the chest of the sleeping, curled-up Fuli, the Jizo Mitama was emitting a faint light.
It was the activated Stigmata replication program. The Key of Corruption, sensing the presence of a supreme Stigmata nearby, condensed an invisible hand.
Just as it had when replicating Mei's Stigmata of Thunder, it slowly and steadily reached for Kallen.
Its target was the Kaslana's Stigmata of Binding.
But it grasped at empty air.
The pure white Saintess bathed in the moonlight was like a walking mass of air. No matter how the Jizo Mitama scanned, it could not capture a single trace of her.
A moment later, the unwilling program changed its target.
The formless hand passed through the wall, surging towards the blond man in the next room, who was sitting cross-legged against the headboard, weaving a peculiar, pale green rune.
"!!!"
The man's half-closed eyes snapped open. The invisible hand, which even an S-Rank Valkyrie could not perceive, was caught firmly by Otto.
The analysis of the Void Archives flashed before his eyes. He thoughtfully released his grip, allowing it to enter his body and begin replicating the Stigmata of Reason, passed down through the Apocalypse family for generations.
...