"Cecilia Schariac."
That, at least, he could tell the goose.
"Then may I invite Miss Cecilia Schariac to join my and Rita's Immor—wait, what???!!!"
Durandal finally processed the name.
"Cecilia Schariac? The S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal who perished during the Second Honkai? Is it a namesake? A descendant? Or someone named in remembrance?"
"Of course," Otto replied with a smile, "it's her. The original Cecilia Schariac, genuine and unaltered. Currently Schicksal's last Saint. As you know, Durandal, I never joke about matters like this."
"Then the historical records—"
"Shh—lower your voice." Otto raised a finger to his lips. "Our Saint is still suffering from partial amnesia. Recalling the past gives her headaches. If I announce her return too abruptly, the sudden approach of her old connections might cause further harm."
He paused, then added with a sigh, "After all, those connected to her now are a senile elder, a fugitive from Schicksal, and a poor soul who has lost her memories. In short—besides me, her entire social circle consists of people who rely on her."
"I'm not pitiful," Durandal frowned.
???
When did my goose stop being silly? That was quick.
Where did you hide the airheaded version?!
"I'm impressed by your sharpness, Durandal," Otto said dryly.
"I'm straightforward, not stupid," she replied. From his admiring gaze, she sensed unmistakable ill intent.
Fair enough.
The Kaslana bloodline didn't inherit stupidity—it inherited the miraculous ability to format the brain whenever an external processor was present.
Kevin. Kallen. Tuna. Goose.
Otto almost clapped but remembered one hand was still entwined with Cecilia's, so he settled for nodding.
"Excellent. Pure yet perceptive. Then you should also understand how cruel it is to force past memories upon someone lost and bewildered."
"She doesn't know what happened. She doesn't remember what her past looked like. Her entire life has become a blank page—only for others to scribble upon it in the name of love, shaping her into what they want, as if it were justified. How touching."
Granted, Otto himself excelled at doing exactly that—but that didn't stop him from occupying the moral high ground.
He looked at Cecilia, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
"You've fought your beautiful war. You've walked the path you were meant to walk. You upheld the faith you swore to protect. In Schicksal, a crown of freedom will always remain reserved for you."
"You may live on like this, without memories—forgetting everything before, embracing a brand-new future."
Cecilia's fingers tightened in response. Their hands interlocked fully.
"Therefore," Otto concluded, glancing at Durandal—who was staring at their clasped hands with an expression too complex to parse—"I will keep her by my side for a time, allowing her to rest. If she regains her memories, we will formally and publicly announce the return of Schicksal's Saint."
"And if she never remembers… I will not allow anyone to force her to live beneath the shadow of the name 'Cecilia Schariac.' She may bear that name—but no one has the right to let the past dictate who she is now."
"This is my promise, as Otto Apocalypse, Overseer of Schicksal."
The words were for Durandal—but also for Cecilia.
Not entirely empty flattery. Nine parts truth, one part lie—that made the best deception.
If he truly didn't know when her memories would return, he would let her live peacefully like this.
In fact, an amnesiac Cecilia was easier to arrange.
What he needed was her network—and her wholehearted trust.
Combat skills could be retrained. Besides, her greatest value wasn't her battle prowess.
And beyond that, this speech served another purpose: laying groundwork for the day Durandal herself might recover certain truths.
The Knight of the End was the strongest human force of the Current Era aside from Herrschers. Otto had no intention of relinquishing control. Better to prepare the soil early.
"The Bishop is right," Durandal nodded. "Senior Cecilia should recover her memories naturally."
Yet her gaze drifted again to their interlocked hands. Something unfamiliar stirred in her chest—not quite bitterness, not quite joy. Was this what Rita once described as… jealousy?
Is the Bishop holding her hand because she feels insecure after losing her memories?
I could do that too…
…No. Perhaps comforting people is better left to the Bishop.
Building a good relationship with Senior Cecilia… there will be time.
After a moment, she asked, "When Senior Cecilia regains her memories—or returns to being a Valkyrie—may I invite her to join my Immortal Blades?"
"You're currently an A-rank Valkyrie," Otto reminded her. "Cecilia… is S-rank."
Durandal wouldn't officially reach S-rank and inherit the Abyss Flower until 2014.
"Then I'll participate in the S-rank evaluation tomorrow!" she said urgently. "As long as you approve—oh, and if she's willing, I can even give up my position as captain of the Immortal Blades!"
Otto glanced at Cecilia. She, too, showed clear yearning. If not for her instinctive trust in him, she might already have said, I accept.
"Ask her again once her memories return," Otto said calmly. "Though I have a better suggestion—why not join her squad instead?"
"If she forms one, I'll sign up immediately," Durandal answered without hesitation.
Tsk tsk… such trust, even before reunion.
"We'll discuss it after she recovers," Otto said neither affirming nor denying. "Now—Durandal, may I finally know your original purpose in seeking me out?"
"My purpose?—Oh. Right." She blanked for a second, then remembered. "I did… have a purpose."
Otto: …
I should never expect too much from a Kaslana brain.
"When I was near London, England, I encountered a small complication."
Her expression finally turned serious.
"I came across several Honkai beasts that bore clear signs of artificial modification."
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