Not long after, Misteln brought Bronya to the living room. After not seeing her for several months, Bronya—whose leg injury and hippocampus damage had been healed by Shun using the Abyss Flower—was clearly more energetic. It seemed she was indeed living very well at Misteln's place.
"Heh, you've grown." After observing for a while, Shun said. Girls of Bronya's age were originally in their growing phase. In the original plot, she was more like being dragged down by a body that hadn't fully recovered yet, which resulted in her barely growing at all during those years at St. Freya.
By the same logic, Seele also hadn't grown at all during those years because she had been staying in the Quantum Sea the whole time. Now that the lives of these girls had gotten back on track, no one knew how much they would actually grow by the time the plot began.
Not to mention anything else, even Kiana, who originally had a figure as thin as a bamboo pole, had become much more normal. Thinking about Kiana's figure in the game, it was impossible to achieve without removing a few ribs. Fortunately, all the feeding from Shun and Cecilia over this long period hadn't been in vain. Kiana's current figure was already approaching that of her sister Bianca.
"Hmph, Bronya has long since been an adult." Bronya was quite proud of Shun's reaction and slightly puffed out her chest, which was beginning to take shape. Ever since she saw the projection of her mother that her little aunt had given her, Bronya had been full of confidence in her future figure's potential.
In the past, she had also been a pure Little Thunder believer, firmly believing that all big breasts were heresy.
On the scorched earth, she had made a promise to her, to everyone, that humanity would definitely defeat Big Thunder. However, when she discovered that she could also become the thing she once hated the most, those past vows had already been thrown to the back of her mind. The dragon-slaying girl had ultimately become the evil dragon.
"Well, let's not talk about this for now. Bronya, did Misteln tell you the purpose of why I came here to find you?" Shun had seen the Big Duck Duck from the post-Honkai Impact 2nd era. He had already gotten over the shock he should have felt back then. Now, seeing Bronya growing, he wasn't surprised either.
Bronya shook her head blankly and said, "I asked my little aunt, and she said it would be better to let you tell me after I came here. So? Why did you come to find me?"
"If it's to check the completion level of my trials? The Twelve Trials that my little aunt arranged for me—I'm now stuck at the tenth stage and can't get past it. I'm a bit stuck at this level."
"No." Shun shook his head and denied it. "I want to settle accounts with Cocolia. Now that the world has finally welcomed this hard-won peace, I don't want to let this unstable factor wander around outside causing trouble. I plan to uproot her forces completely. As her adoptive daughter, I wanted to hear your opinion."
"Tch, Cocolia, huh." Bronya unnaturally clicked her tongue when she heard this name that she hadn't thought of in her mind for a long time.
Cocolia was her adoptive mother and had shown her kindness, but it wasn't the kind of endless debt of gratitude like with the General at all.
That bit of kindness Cocolia had shown Bronya had already been mostly worn away during the two X-10 experiments. Not to mention that Bronya had also done dirty work for her for a period of time.
Moreover, according to her little aunt, she should have originally had a happy family, but it was because of that woman Cocolia that her father was killed, causing Bronya to lose both parents at a very young age.
"I only have one request: just leave her with one life. For the rest, do whatever you want…" Bronya thought for a long time but still couldn't make the decision to have Cocolia lose her life. After all, back then she had also spared Bronya's life and given her a home at that time.
"But rather than asking for my opinion, you might as well think about how to persuade Seele to accept it. After all, Seele is very kind." Bronya changed the subject.
Compared to her, who had joined halfway, Seele, who had grown up in the orphanage since childhood, undoubtedly had deeper feelings for Cocolia.
Shun shook his head and denied it. "No, Bronya. Seele isn't that fragile. She's much stronger than you think. I believe Seele also wants to give Cocolia the punishment she deserves."
In fact, even if Bronya didn't say anything, Shun wouldn't have just killed Cocolia like that. Who told her to have some good daughters? Whether it was Seele or Bronya, or even those children in Cocolia's orphanage whom he hadn't met yet, they had all become Cocolia's life-saving charms.
Because of the existence of these daughters, Shun wouldn't casually kill her. However, sentencing Cocolia to spend the rest of her life in a prison with no light and no one to communicate with was already the best outcome.
"Then it seems you already had an idea in mind. So why did you still come to find me?" From Shun's words, Bronya inferred that he must have a plan in mind. Then why did he specifically have to find her today?
"Bronya, think about it. If I were to resolve Cocolia's forces, then wouldn't there be one place that would be left without protection?"
"The orphanage!" Bronya suddenly realized. Perhaps because she had left that place for too long, she hadn't noticed the problem at first.
If Cocolia were dealt with, the orphanage that relied on her to provide supplies would indeed have difficulty sustaining itself.
"Shun, you mean… you're going to take over the orphanage?" Bronya pondered for a bit. If it was Shun taking over the orphanage, it would actually make sense.
First, Shun himself possessed the ability to support an orphanage. Second, unlike Cocolia, that guy who would hypocritically conduct experiments in the name of love, Shun definitely wouldn't cause physical harm to the children in the orphanage.
Moreover, Shun's personal moral standards were quite high; he was a recognized good person in the secular sense.
Besides, St. Freya's environment was much superior to the cold Siberia, which would be more beneficial for the children's growth as well.
"Then is there anything I can do?" Bronya felt that if they cleaned up Cocolia and let Shun take over the orphanage, it should be a good idea.
"That would of course be to act as the… bah, to act as my guide party. With you and Seele stepping forward, it can also reduce those children's rejection toward me."
Shun had also thought about it. If he brought the Hyperion and airdropped into Siberia, he could definitely take over the orphanage by force in the first moment. But wouldn't that be just like terrorists?
This wouldn't fit Shun's image. After all, he, Shun, was a great big good person. But having Bronya and Seele act as lobbyists in front and mediate in between would be different.
After all, Bronya was the big sister of the orphanage. That place was all her harem; the children inside all admired Bronya. Seele stepping forward as a victim of the X-10 experiments would also help shatter the filter the children had toward Cocolia in their hearts.
"Then when do we set off?" From Shun's words, Bronya heard the underlying meaning. Seele would also participate in this operation, so did that mean she could see Seele?
"The time has come. We march today!"