"Just say what you need to say! And wipe that smug grin off your face!"
Kiana glared irritably at Imhotep's mischievous expression, waiting for her to reveal her plan.
Meanwhile, the big cat Stan, who had been in a standoff with the Knight Miss for some time, seized his chance. He leaped into the air and landed on the White Blazing Cat's head, seemingly finding himself a personal heater. He curled up, yawned comfortably, and stopped moving.
"You're quite popular with cats, huh? This Siamese cat won't even let me hold it now... even though it's practically a three-time traitor..."
Imhotep glanced resentfully at the cat on Kiana's head, reaching out to pet it, only to have her hand swatted away by Stan's alert tail...
"It's already autumn... Imhotep, haven't you considered how much lower your body temperature is than a normal person's? Of course a cat would prefer a little furnace like me!"
Kiana puffed out her chest proudly, watching Imhotep get bested by a cat. Stan, perched on her head, nodded in perfect agreement.
"Hmph! You stupid cat, just you wait until summer! Don't even think about curling up on me then..."
After glaring at Stan, who had temporarily become Miss Kiana's loyal follower, Miss Imhotep remembered the main business.
"Ahem, the comedic protagonist of this stage play is about to make their entrance... Ah, the ignorant moth flies into the flame, only to be reduced to ashes."
"We get to beat someone up again?! I'm the best at that, I guarantee every punch will land! Should I go give that unhinged mad scientist lady a punch right now?"
Kiana grew excited, having understood Imhotep's unspoken meaning.
Recently, as the aftershocks of the Great Honkai Eruption gradually subsided, the world no longer needed her to rush around like a firefighter; suddenly idle, Kiana felt a strange sense of unease, specifically manifesting as an urgent desire to take on some "thug-for-hire" jobs that would bring a pained smile to the enemy's face.
"No need to be so hasty, Kiana. The protagonist of this comedy hasn't even taken the stage yet. Why should we, the supporting cast, rush on?"
"Huh? Why not? As the Class Monitor would say, 'Prevention is better than cure.'"
Kiana explained with her hands on her hips, full of righteous indignation...
"The Stigmata Project is entering its final stages, and you are one of the few remaining obstacles in its path... She will definitely eliminate the biggest impediment to her plan."
"That means you, Kiana Kaslana, the Second Herrscher of this era... Certain things you've done have already been deemed her greatest obstacle."
"Although she's actually quite reliable when she's serious about her work... but hey, let me tell you a joke."
"The Winery and its traitors..."
The others listening to Imhotep's words all broke into teasing smiles.
When everyone is a traitor... then they're no longer traitors, and the one person who originally wanted to do honest work will now become the only traitor in the organization.
"As expected, she'll ask you two, Raven and Owl, to help deal with Kiana. During the previous operation, those Honkai energy storage tanks that Kiana drained like milkshakes must have alerted Jackal."
"But given that woman's personality, she won't ask me to personally intervene..."
"Hmph, so stubborn she'd rather suffer than lose face... but that's fine."
"Otherwise, it would be hard to even act out the play. This personality of hers is perfect for being taken advantage of..."
Imhotep nodded in satisfaction, as if she'd found the perfect sucker.
"Jackal will definitely have you two, Raven and Owl, bring Honkai energy neutralizing aerosol to cause trouble for Kiana."
"When the time comes, just toss this thing in a corner and pretend you used it. Or don't toss it at all... Then bring the 'unconscious' Kiana to Jackal."
"As for the rest... I trust everyone here is smart enough..."
"...You understand what I mean, right?"
Sitting at the head of the table, Imhotep leaned forward, her hands clasped on the desk in Commander Ikari's classic pose, and looked at the people before her.
"How much of a discount should I give her?"
Kiana flashed a wicked, eager grin, while Raven and Owl exchanged knowing looks.
"As long as she doesn't die, beat her to whatever discount you want."
"Eh? We're not just killing her outright?"
The Knight Princess's tone held a hint of disappointment.
"Hmm... she still has her uses. Besides, if you kill her, who in World Serpent will perform stand-up comedy for us...?"
"Gray Serpent? That's not entirely out of the question... With two separate bodies, they could even do a crosstalk routine..."
Imhotep stroked her chin, considering the possibility of having a certain cybernetic mechanical serpent perform comedy for her.
"Forget it. Listening to that eternally monotone voice tell us jokes... we probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night. It'd be pure torture."
Her lips twitching, Imhotep ultimately abandoned the idea.
"So, in your eyes... Miss Jackal is already our designated comedian?"
Kiana's eye twitched as she watched the others seriously pondering.
Then, as expected, Raven and Owl voiced their agreement:
"That's right. I mean, she's already gone and popped kids' balloons... Miss Kiana, how much higher do you think her image could possibly be in our eyes...?"
Owl shrugged matter-of-factly, as if to say Kiana was being naive, while Raven unhesitatingly threw the absent Gray Serpent under the bus.
"This isn't just my opinion, you know! Not long after we bailed Jackal out of jail, Gray Serpent came to me privately..."
"He said to stay out of Jackal's plans and affairs from now on, or I might get infected and assimilated by her..."
Listening to the duo's explanation, Kiana fell into deep thought...
"To have such a relationship with her colleagues... that certain lady is truly a failure when it comes to interpersonal skills..."
-
"Speaking of which, this young man has been chatting with his girlfriend, right? Looks like she's a Schicksal Valkyrie, too?"
After the discussion ended, Kiana, disguised as Stan, looked at Comrade Owl, who was still engrossed in his online chat. After being dragged to Arc City for overtime and seeing his new Little Boss openly mingling with a Schicksal Valkyrie and a Honkai Herrscher, Owl had completely let go and started openly chatting with his sweetheart from Schicksal.
"That's right. Her name is Anna, a Valkyrie from the Schariac Family. She's currently the captain of Schicksal's Snow Lotus Squad stationed on Coral Island... She saved my life during a Honkai disaster once... In a way, she's my lifesaver..."
Owl scratched his head, a bit embarrassed... After all, turning your lifesaver into your girlfriend... was probably a unique situation among couples...
"I see... Hmm, I'd love to meet her someday. She must be a very brave Valkyrie..."
Kiana glanced at Imhotep, who gave a silent nod of approval.
If you want to save them, then save them. A Knight must follow their own heart and will.