Shiraha glanced at Nee-chan. Because of their height difference, he could only see her slightly lifted chin and that pale, slender neck. He couldn't make out her expression, but he could tell she was smiling.
"Shiraha."
Tesla spoke up at that moment.
"I'm here, Doctor."
Shiraha could only set Nee-chan aside for now.
Tesla opened her mouth, paused for a long moment, then finally said it. "That girl inside... isn't actually called Kiana."
Shiraha: ....
She has to be called Kiana! What if changing her name changes her destiny as Finality?
In the future, Shiraha was planning to study her. This was explicitly confirmed in the story, no matter what happened, Finality could only ever be Kiana. The Kiana who was Kiana!
When the time came for the treacherous minister to usurp the throne, if Kiana could sit in the seat of Finality, why couldn't he?
"But she said her name is Kiana."
Shiraha emphasized. Anyway, he'd only asked casually. Kiana was the one who'd agreed to the name herself.
Tesla didn't know how to answer. Because the real Kiana was probably already dead. To casually give a dead daughter's name to someone else, that was deeply irresponsible.
Even that barbarian Siegfried wouldn't do something so stupid.
Tesla ruffled Shiraha's hair. "Don't call her that in front of Siegfried. Maybe that girl will get a new name."
Maybe. Siegfried hadn't given that girl a name for over a whole year. It was hard to say whether he truly cared for that child in his heart.
Shiraha was silent for a moment. Though he didn't quite understand, he nodded obediently.
Tesla sighed. "Stay here and talk with me for a bit. We'll head back in a little while. Give those two some space alone."
Shiraha was very quiet. Come to think of it, this kid didn't have the rambunctiousness typical of his age. But he also didn't seem too quiet. For adults, he was just right.
Probably poured all his energy into that fierce ghost friend of his.
"So should I call him 'Senpai' from now on, or something else?"
Shiraha lifted his head and asked.
Tesla's expression scrunched up. Though she could more or less understand Siegfried's mental journey... It just felt so awful.
A grown man, no one could really fault him for being broken by a blow like this. But don't make a child shoulder the family!
"Whatever you feel like. That guy's a pure brute. Brain's broken."
Shiraha nodded again. Then it's no problem.
Who knew what Tesla was thinking. She'd said she wanted Shiraha to chat with her, but she spent most of the time lost in a daze. It wasn't much like her usual personality.
Until Siegfried also came out, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. His expression was full of melancholy.
"Siegfried."
Shiraha called him directly by name.
Siegfried froze. The lighter hadn't even sparked yet. He looked at Tesla. Tesla hurriedly pulled Shiraha behind her, moving very fast.
Oh, Shiraha... you really don't have to call him 'Senpai,' but you could call him 'Hey' or 'Uncle.' Don't call him directly by name!
"Brat. Did you need something?"
Siegfried's originally gloomy mood was starting to shift into something much more direct. He rotated his wrist.
"That thing you said before about giving Kiana to me. Is that still on the table?"
Heh. Heheh!
Siegfried covered his face, laughter slowly spilling through his fingers. His shoulders trembled. Not from happiness.
"Brat. What's your father's name?"
First, ask about family background. Then decide how to teach him a lesson when I beat him up.
Shiraha's expression didn't change. "I don't have a father."
Siegfried: ?
He looked at Tesla. Couldn't be this redhead's kid. Or that blue-haired Einstein's.
"Then what about your mother?"
"I don't have a mother either."
Siegfried: ....
That made his mood somewhat complicated for a moment. He'd been about to curse the kid for having no upbringing, only to realize this child genuinely had no one to raise him for a very long time.
He sparked the lighter again. Smoke curled into the air, but he didn't take a single drag. Siegfried grew even more melancholy.
Wait. This kid's seriously an orphan?
"Where do you live now?"
"Uncle Ryoma's house."
Siegfried nodded. Hearing the name Ryoma Raiden eased his mood considerably. After all, Ryoma Raiden really was loaded.
Shiraha continued asking, "So... is that thing still on the table?"
This time, Siegfried ignored him and instead chose to look at Tesla. Tesla was still admiring the snowy scenery.
He crouched down at the doorway. "Brat. What kind of feelings were you carrying when you said that?"
Shiraha paused. Wasn't this topic shift a little too fast?
Seeing him freeze, Siegfried pressed further, his voice growing heavier. "Even if I handed that child over to you, you're just a kid yourself. Are you sure you have the ability to bear the weight of her life?"
Shiraha was completely stunned. Though the conversation had taken a slightly odd turn, coming from Siegfried, it made sense.
"I'll go ask Uncle Ryoma for help."
Siegfried sneered. "And here I thought you'd say you'd be willing to give everything for it. Do anything."
He paused, then kept mocking. "Someone who can only rely on his family, what kind of guarantee can you give that child?"
Shiraha: ....
Seeing the brat thoroughly silenced, Siegfried's mood finally felt soothed. He didn't even smoke the cigarette, just pressed it out directly into the snowdrift.
This was way better than smoking.
He stood by the doorway, lost in thought a while longer. Finally, he got up and prepared to go back inside, to check on that child.
But this time, Shiraha reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "What's Kiana's name?"
The question was asked somewhat strangely, but Siegfried could understand it.
Siegfried looked at Shiraha. He wanted to avoid the topic, but this time the brat's little fingers were gripping rather tightly.
He was quiet for a moment. His voice came out very soft. "Just... call her Kiana."
Kiana, to save K-423, had given Siegfried encouragement the whole way. In the end, she'd fallen from high altitude and died in that frozen wasteland. Not even a whole body left behind.
So K-423 couldn't be allowed to die so easily. She had to live, properly live, in Kiana's place. To see this world.
Though it carried a faint whiff of the "replacement" trope, K-423 herself liked the name too.
At this thought, Siegfried gave a hard shake of his arm, flinging Shiraha aside. The force wasn't too heavy, just enough to give the kid a good bruising. He watched the little guy's face scrunch up tight from the pain.
That soothed his mood considerably once again.
"And you. Next time there's danger, don't stand so far forward. A single random piece of shrapnel could take your life."
After saying this, Siegfried went back inside.
Only then did Tesla stop "admiring" the "snowy scenery." The surroundings weren't beautiful at all. In fact, because Shamash had briefly been unleashed, there was barely any snow left around them.
"You've really gotten under his skin, Shiraha."
"He can't even take proper care of Kiana himself." Shiraha dusted off his pants, his voice sullen. "Might as well give her to me. At least Uncle Ryoma is a good person."
Tesla laughed twice. "Let's head back. Hanging around an adult like me is pretty boring anyway. Inside, at least there's someone your own age."
Shiraha glanced to the side. Elysia-nee was standing there, her clear eyes full of unspoken words. She clearly had something to say.
He lifted his head. "Doctor, you go back first. I don't really like the heat. This cool, crisp feeling out here is really nice."
Tesla completely understood!
She'd loved the cool, crisp feeling as a child too. In fact, even now, she still loved this cool, crisp feeling.
"Don't go running off alone. The area isn't safe."
Tesla gave one last admonishment, tapping Shiraha's forehead with her fingertip.
"I'll be very obedient!" Shiraha nodded firmly, his smile bright and clean.