Chapter 130: Show of Strength
Listening to Wendy's words, Irene breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed the Oceania Branch hadn't done anything stupid.
If that was the case, then Wendy's situation should be fine.
Wendy's current state of mind was absolutely solid now that she had begun to gradually master the Herrscher's Authority, so she wouldn't break down easily. Furthermore, the Oceania Branch wasn't planning to cause any trouble either.
The Corruption virus that Little Corruption had spread previously hadn't been discovered. And on Anti-... or rather, Cocolia's side, there were no signs of battleship mobilization. This wave could definitely be wrapped up peacefully.
A mere Poem of the Wind, just watch her push it back.
"So why did you drag us along this time?" Kiana scratched her head, still not understanding why they had to come too.
"Couldn't Aunt Himeko and the others just go communicate with that whatever Oceania Branch themselves? Since Headquarters has already made a final decision, would the Oceania Branch really dare to refuse?"
"Of course they wouldn't dare." Theresa's voice rang out at this moment. Everyone turned to look, seeing Theresa appear at the other end of the corridor, carrying Judah on her back.
"After all, I'm here. But with this matter, it doesn't mean it's over just because they hand her over."
Theresa crossed her arms. If it were just a handover, Himeko going over would have been enough. Even if the transfer involved the Gem of Desire, there would be no need to bring the Hyperion.
There was even less need for her to come along. But Rita had sent over the Oceania Branch's recent experimental logs on the Gem of Desire, which were actually all their previous experimental records regarding the gem.
They didn't really care about the records themselves; they wouldn't understand them anyway. But the one thing they absolutely could not tolerate was the fact that they had actually used Wendy as a vessel for their experiments.
Therefore, not only had they brought the Hyperion, but Himeko and Irene were on board, as well as the trio who were about to become A-Rank Valkyries, and she herself had personally come to stand witness.
As for their purpose, it naturally went without saying.
Oceania Branch
Wendy sat in her wheelchair, scrolling through her phone. How should she put it? These past two days, she truly felt as if this branch had never treated her so well before.
The Valkyries she had met these past two days were all very friendly to her. The experiments she underwent were merely going through the motions. After casually making her do a few painless tests, they let her go.
Now Wendy finally understood what it meant to change from arrogance to deference—it really made one laugh thinking about it. She really didn't know what to say.
If it weren't for the fact that the people from St. Freya were coming today, they probably still would have spoken harshly to her without showing a single shred of a good attitude.
She knew Principal Theresa was the granddaughter of the Lord Overseer. If even she knew this, it was impossible for the higher-ups of the Oceania Branch not to know. Obviously, for them...
Rather than wasting more effort on someone they considered a piece of trash, it was better to treat her well for a few days so she wouldn't report the abuse she had suffered over the years to St. Freya Academy.
Having figured this out, Wendy only found the friendliness they were currently displaying completely laughable.
"Speaking of which, Principal Theresa and the others should be arriving soon, right?" Wendy pulled out her communication terminal and checked the time.
The Oceania Branch and the Far East Branch were quite far apart. Furthermore, this wasn't an urgent matter, just a relatively normal personnel transfer.
So Principal Theresa probably couldn't justify dispatching any high-speed aircraft to come pick her up. Sigh, she didn't know if the time she had wasted over these past few years was a disservice to the cultivation Principal Theresa and the others had put into her.
She also didn't know if Principal Theresa was aware of her current...
Just as Wendy was lost in thought, the tablet in her hand suddenly chimed. She looked down and saw a number that hadn't rung on her mobile terminal in a long time.
"Teacher Himeko..." Wendy looked at the number displayed on the terminal and fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, she answered it.
She was then met with the sight of Himeko standing on the command deck of the Hyperion. Himeko looked at Wendy sitting in the wheelchair, and after a moment of silence, she finally spoke up.
"If I hadn't called, were you not planning to call me and tell me about your current situation?"
"..." Wendy looked at Himeko, whose eyes held a hint of helplessness. After a long silence, she finally spoke up, "No, Teacher Himeko, I..."
Wendy stammered as she looked at Himeko, unable to string more than a few words together. It was as if she had reverted back to her student days, facing her teacher.
No matter what achievements one had, one would always feel a trace of fear when facing their teacher.
Seeing Wendy stammering, Himeko also sighed and asked, "You should have received the notice, right?"
"Mhm, I've received it." Wendy breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Teacher Himeko, are you out on a mission right now? Did another Great Eruption happen somewhere?"
As a student of St. Freya, Wendy naturally recognized the Hyperion. She had even been on its bridge a few times, so she instantly recognized where Himeko was calling from.
"No, I'm coming to pick you up." Himeko looked at Wendy. If it were just to pick someone up, there was naturally no need to deploy the Hyperion. But her student had been mistreated by the Oceania Branch to such an extent.
So she decided to give the Oceania Branch a show of strength. Theresa also approved of this, otherwise Himeko wouldn't have been able to mobilize the Hyperion so easily.
Furthermore, Theresa had also come aboard. She really wanted to see what explanation the Oceania Branch had to offer.
Their student might not have contacted them out of pride, but once they knew, they absolutely had to come and stand up for her.
Seeing Himeko on the screen, a sudden warmth surged in Wendy's heart. What Himeko's actions signified naturally went without saying.
After all, the intent was far too strong to be misunderstood. And such an action couldn't possibly be organized by Teacher Himeko alone, which meant the Principal had agreed to it as well!
"Anyway, just stay there for a little while longer. We should be arriving in a few hours." Himeko looked at Wendy, her expression softening a bit.
"You've suffered these past few years. Just endure it for a little bit longer."
"...It's fine, Teacher." Wendy shook her head. "I will definitely wait for you, Teacher."
"Mhm." After Himeko nodded, she disconnected the call. Right at that moment, the bridge doors behind her slid open again, and Theresa and Irene walked out one after the other.
"How is it? How much longer until we arrive?"
"A few hours, it won't be too long." Himeko picked up a coffee from the side and took a sip. After all, she was currently acting as the commander; she definitely couldn't touch alcohol.
The Hyperion's speed naturally wasn't that slow, but they weren't in a hurry right now. The ones who should be in a hurry were the higher-ups of the Oceania Branch, watching them swagger over so openly.
"Mhm, when the time comes, Irene, you go help pick up Wendy." Himeko turned to look at Irene. The two of them would be responsible for dealing with the Oceania Branch's higher-ups.
Himeko had been around for a long time, so she was capable of navigating bureaucratic talk. Irene probably wasn't very good at that, so it was better to let Irene go and get acquainted with Wendy.
They would have to see each other under the same roof eventually anyway.
"That works." Irene nodded. "But what about the trio? We can't really let them go and intimidate the people of the Oceania Branch, right?"
Besides Bronya having the capability to do so, Mei might have had it in the past as an eldest daughter, but as for Kiana, forget it. It would be a miracle if that child didn't get completely bamboozled.
"They're just touring, of course." Himeko shrugged. She hadn't intended for the trio to actually do anything; they were just coming along to bolster their presence.
If they really needed to exert pressure, that would fall on Theresa, an S-Rank Valkyrie. She would just watch from the side to prevent the other party from talking in circles and confusing Theresa.
Sensing something, Theresa looked up at Himeko. "Himeko, were you just thinking bad things about me?"
"How could I?" Himeko immediately denied it. "You're our Principal, our secret weapon this time. How could I have any bad thoughts?"
"Hmph, it seems you were." Theresa narrowed her eyes at Himeko. Did this gal really think she was stupid? "Forget it, I won't hold it against you right now."
As Theresa spoke, she pulled Irene to the side. Himeko breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Irene and Theresa, then shrugged and continued looking forward.
These two were sticking closer and closer together lately. Last time Irene took a long leave, she had seen Theresa calling Irene multiple times.
When she had asked for leave in the past, Theresa never had this kind of attitude; every single call was an attempt to drag her back to work overtime. But when Theresa called Irene, it was obvious she simply missed her.
Could it be because of a lifesaving grace? The thought flashed through Himeko's mind. Although she knew the Pseudo-Herrscher in Nagazora City had indeed caused trouble for Theresa, even causing her to slip up.
But after all, Theresa was an S-Rank Valkyrie. Even if she slipped up, it shouldn't have been a big problem, just a momentary lapse in attention. But looking at it now...
Could it be that Theresa was almost killed by that Herrscher back then, and Irene had saved her, leading Theresa to act like this because of that lifesaving grace...
Hiss...
The more Himeko thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed. Her gaze towards Irene and Theresa increasingly began to look like she was shipping them. As for opposing it, she had no such thoughts.
She herself wanted to find true love, let alone Theresa. After all, Theresa was nearly fifty years old; she had to find someone eventually.
As for her falling for a woman, that mattered even less. It was just yuri; if you threw a brick inside Schicksal, you'd have a 99% chance of hitting someone like that.
And the fragments from the shattered brick would probably hit a few more. There was absolutely no need to be surprised. It was straight women like her who were truly rare in Schicksal.
However, the two who had walked away didn't notice Himeko's increasingly strange gaze. Theresa whispered to Irene, "Irene, will there be any problems on this trip?"
"There shouldn't be. Even if there are, I'll handle them." Irene looked at Theresa and whispered back. "Just trust me."
"I'll leave the Oceania Branch's higher-ups to you guys to deal with. I'll go handle things on Wendy's end."
Theresa seemed to realize something and frowned. "Irene, do you mean to say that in your world, Wendy became..."
Theresa didn't finish her sentence, but Irene understood what she meant and nodded. "Something went wrong. But this time, I won't let Wendy repeat that tragic fate."
"Just trust me."
"Mhm, I will always trust you." Theresa nodded. From what Irene meant, as long as they pressured the Oceania Branch and prevented them from pulling any tricks, this matter would conclude perfectly.
Then she really had to pay attention and make sure the Oceania Branch's higher-ups didn't try anything.
Oceania Branch · Main Reception Room
The heavy alloy doors slid open to the sides. Theresa, carrying the golden cross on her back that was even taller than her, strode inside.
Her petite frame currently exuded an unquestionable aura of majesty. Her gaze swept across the room at the Oceania Branch's higher-ups, who had been waiting for a long time with nervous expressions.
Himeko followed closely beside Theresa, her arms crossed. Her long red hair swayed slightly with her steps, and her face remained expressionless.
Seeing this situation, the higher-ups who had originally wanted to see if they could find a breakthrough via Himeko immediately swallowed the words they were about to say.
"Lord Theresa, Major Himeko, welcome to the Oceania Branch." The Branch Director forced an enthusiastic smile and stepped forward. "You must be tired from your journey, we have already prepared..."
If he were facing anyone else, he wouldn't be like this. But alas, Theresa had come personally this time; he had to act this subservient.
Even though Theresa had the same rank as him in Schicksal, both being Branch Directors, she had the Lord Overseer backing her!
Offending Theresa could mean offending Otto. If she complained, who would the Lord Overseer side with? Did he even need to think about it? Not to mention, they were the ones in the wrong in this matter.
"Skip the pleasantries." Theresa cut him off directly. Her voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly throughout the room.
She walked over to the prepared seat but didn't sit down immediately. Instead, she gently set Judah down from her back onto the floor, producing a dull thud.
"We are here to take custody of the 'Gem of Desire' and to take back our student, Wendy."
Himeko coldly added from the side, "I presume you all have already received the relevant handover documents."
The Branch Director's smile froze on his face, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Yes, yes, we've received the transfer order. There is absolutely no problem with this matter."
At this moment, he immediately understood that the Lord Overseer had indeed handed over the experimental records to Theresa. Otherwise, the other party wouldn't have come on so aggressively; they were clearly here to demand answers.
"Absolutely no problem?" Himeko sneered and stepped forward. "Then, perhaps we could ask you Branch Directors to explain what kind of research you've been conducting on the Gem of Desire?"
As soon as Himeko said this, none of the people present dared to speak. All the higher-ups' gazes immediately shifted towards the higher-up in charge of the experimental sector, whose eyes were dodging away.
Theresa spoke up at the right time. Her voice remained steady, but it carried a deeper chill. "Wendy is a Valkyrie who graduated from the Far East Branch. The various experiments you've conducted on her over the past few years should have required our permission."
"I believe you need to give us an explanation regarding this matter."
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Author's Note: Apologies for the delay, had some unexpected stuff come up. I'll be dropping bonus chapters later to make up for the wait!
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