Just as Miss "Island-Go-Boom" Raven was contemplating whether to pull out the Thompson submachine gun hidden under the counter and unleash a righteous Hamon Overdrive on the Herrscher engrossed in her cake, or simply detonate the explosives buried beneath the floorboards and blow the entire tavern sky-high—a stunt guaranteed to steal tomorrow's headlines from Kiana and Miss Imhotep—another white-haired girl walked into the secluded little bar.
The "innocent" intruder's arrival temporarily shelved Raven's violent plans of unleashing a Thompson Ripple Overdrive in public or simply blowing the bar sky-high. Although she was a World Serpent executive and a notorious mercenary in the lawless zones, Miss Raven, the bar owner who had adopted orphans from Nagazora City, wasn't exactly a "good person"—but she certainly wasn't a "great villain" either.
So, Raven glanced at Kiana, who was lost in her music and cake, and hatched a plan. She would first get rid of this uninvited guest before slowly dealing with the Second Herrscher, who seemed utterly captivated by her dessert.
"Hey, you! Stop looking around! We're closed. Go back where you came from—"
To quickly dismiss the white-haired girl who had just stepped inside and was still glancing around, Raven deliberately put on an impatient expression and waved her hand dismissively, her voice booming. If a hot-tempered old man had been here, Raven would probably have been met with a retort like, "Why are you yelling so loud?!"
But Miss Imhotep wasn't about to fall for Raven's crude attempt to drive her away. She simply tilted her head, glanced at the White Blazing Cat huddled in a corner booth nibbling delicately at its dessert, then shifted her gaze back to the bar's poster girl. The meaning in her eyes was unmistakable.
Raven, struggling to maintain her composure, plunged into rapid thought—
...Really close up? No way! I finally managed to corner the Second Herrscher. Who knows when I'll get another chance? Fortune favors the bold!
Staring at the young, white-haired girl who had now seated herself at the bar, Raven hatched another plan.
"This establishment also doesn't serve minors!" Raven snatched the drink menu back from Imhotep's grasp and wagged her index finger at the girl.
You're wearing a simple white dress, not a single pocket on you, and no bag. You're not about to pull out an ID and slap me in the face with it, are you?
Raven let out a smug hum, gazing triumphantly at the girl before her. Then, a black bank card with gold trim seemed to magnify infinitely before Miss Raven, who had just experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.
"So sorry... I don't seem to have my ID on me—so... a hundred times the price?"
Imhotep watched Raven, casually waving the bank card in her hand.
"...A hundred times what???"
The bar owner's attention was now completely captivated by the Schicksal United Savings Black Card. Her wine-red pupils tracked the card's every movement, utterly oblivious to what the wealthy woman had just said.
"...Then a thousand times!"
"Huh?!"
Startled back to her senses by Imhotep's suddenly raised voice, Raven blinked, then heard what sounded like a chorus of angels—
"Forget it. Ten thousand times. You can add four zeros to the price of every item on the bill—and that's in Euros."
-
"Esteemed lady, what kind of cocktails might you be interested in? We can currently prepare Long Island Iced Tea, Amber Dream, Angel's Kiss, Blue Hawaiian, Pink Lady..."
In Raven's eyes, the girl in white had transformed into a golden money tree, showering her with gold coins... No, forget the money tree—she was an angel sent by God to rescue her from her plight! Raven decisively cast aside all distracting thoughts—the Second Herrscher, humanity's struggle against the Honkai, the multiple part-time jobs she'd need to work next month—and began pitching her products with the fervor of a seasoned salesperson.
She couldn't help it. The offer was just too good.
If I sell just one drink—just one!—I won't have to work for a whole month! Ten thousand times the price, and in Euros!
"The names all sound quite nice... I'll have one of each. Oh, is it raining? Looks like I'll be bothering you for a while longer, Madam Bar Owner..."
"Not a bother, not at all! If you like it here, you can even move in! And besides drinks, would you like anything to eat?"
"Hmm... Just like with the drinks, I'll have one of everything."
Glancing at the densely packed menu, Imhotep, struck by instant decision paralysis, simply declared she'd have it all.
"Right away! Please wait a moment while I prepare everything! Bronie! Get down here and help!!!"
Raven was ecstatic. She turned away, shouting a name that shouldn't exist, much to Imhotep's bewildered expression. A voice, vaguely reminiscent of Bronya's, answered Raven's call.
"Coming, coming—"
"My villa island, my villa island~"
Hearing the response, Raven hummed happily and got to work, her mind already drifting to the blissful future of her private island villa.
Under Imhotep's curious gaze, a gray-haired girl with a single ponytail descended the stairs from the second floor. Just as Imhotep had expected, she looked exactly like a certain Bronya she knew—as if cast from the very same mold.
The girl called Bronie, dressed in a bar waitress uniform, tilted her head as she watched the busy Raven and asked curiously:
"Huh, Mama Natasha? We get customers here at this hour?"
Bronie surveyed the bar's patrons. In a small corner, a white-haired, blue-eyed girl sat licking a strawberry shortcake that seemed to never shrink. She looked to be just barely an adult, or perhaps a few days shy of it. She might be a student seeking shelter from the rain, or a Valkyrie stationed in the city on leave. The latter seemed more likely—after all, white hair and blue eyes were a rare combination.
The other customer also had white hair, but her eyes were cyan. A peculiar, angel-wing-like hair ornament adorned her head, lending her a sacred air. This girl was currently studying Bronie with great interest—
"Beautiful customer, it's impolite to stare at Bronie, even though Bronie knows she's very cute. Staring at a lady is quite rude, and it doesn't matter if the customer is a beautiful young lady like yourself."
Feeling the persistent gaze on her, Bronie raised an eyebrow and spoke up.