Honkai: Strijder (Patreon)

Chapter 140: Hera is Busy

Sigurd slept for a full three days.

The physical burden was secondary; after all, with his foundation as a perfectly integrated warrior, his body could handle it. The main issue was mental exhaustion due to twice harnessing large-scale Honkai energy and the backlash from the Herrscher's powers, which was more than he could bear.

“Deciphering the principles of the ‘Divine Melody’ technology should be prioritized,” were Sigurd’s first words upon waking, his eyes clear and focused on the next steps.

Before he could move, a small white-haired bundle and a small pink-haired bundle pounced on him, pinning him down.

“Sigurd!!!” ×2

Thud! Thud!

Two ruthless karate chops landed on their heads, leaving two large bumps.

“Ouch, QAQ～～” ×2

Kiana and Sin Mal wailed, clutching the bumps on their heads, and slumped down next to the bed in a duck-sit position.

Sigurd threw off the blanket, got up, and twisted his neck.

Crack! Crack!

His stiff body emitted several cracking sounds, then he expressionlessly glanced at the two girls by the bed.

Hmm, they look in good spirits. Excellent.

At that moment, Bronya entered, pushing a cart laden with food to the bedside.

“Would you like to eat first or take a bath?”

Bronya’s voice was as cold and emotionless as ever, but her expression had a touch of softness.

Sigurd felt his empty stomach, grabbed some food from the cart, and started stuffing it into his mouth, answering with his actions.

After a ravenous meal, Bronya took a warm wet towel and attentively wiped his face while he cleaned his hands.

Sigurd closed his eyes, enjoying Bronya’s attentive care, nodding inwardly—having a capable assistant and a thoughtful secretary was truly beneficial.

Kiana and Sin Mal watched this scene in a daze, feeling a twinge of jealousy for some reason.

After a while, Sigurd, now rested and dressed in a thin white nightgown, sat on the bed with his feet on the floor, leaning forward in a posture that exuded an air of authority.

Bronya, having tidied up, handed a lollipop each to Kiana and Sin Mal to keep them quiet and seated nearby.

Sigurd looked at her and asked indifferently:

“Where are Welt and Hera?”

“They’re busy outside, and the funeral ceremony is this afternoon.”

“Oh? A funeral ceremony? Whose idea was that?”

“Lord Welt’s proposal, which Schicksal also agreed to.”

“Has Hera tried anything while I was out?”

“No. According to your last order, the three of us stayed here the entire time, even during shifts. She didn’t force her way in.”

Sigurd nodded, slightly surprised.

Was Hera really this well-behaved?

Rubbing his chin, Sigurd summoned a drone, bringing up a virtual screen.

A quick scan of recent data records made Sigurd’s eye twitch.

Sure enough, the drone’s AI system and his personal database had numerous data intrusion traces, likely with many files stolen. Additionally, records showed that hundreds of the latest model drones had “mysteriously” gone missing over the past three days.

“As expected of you.”

Sigurd sighed in resignation. She must have started hacking soon after he fell asleep and had been busy ever since.

Sigurd’s fingers flew over the virtual screen, quickly patching the security gaps before launching a counterattack along the data transmission paths, disrupting Otto’s series of invasion attempts.

This was more symbolic than practical.

Given Otto’s nature, he had surely backed up the data he had scavenged. This maneuver only served as a signal for Otto to cease his activities; the existing losses were irreversible. Fortunately, Sigurd had more tightly guarded critical information, otherwise, Otto would have emptied his archives!

Shortly after Sigurd finished, as he anticipated, Hera, having noticed his awakening, gracefully entered the room with an elegant smile, lifting her skirt slightly.

“Good day! Did you sleep well?”

“Very well, if I hadn’t discovered your surprises.”

“Oh dear? What are you talking about? I don’t quite understand. I’ve been busy handling post-war affairs these past few days, so exhausted that my bones are aching!”

Hera spoke with an air of innocence, even stretching slightly to alleviate her supposed fatigue.

Sigurd believed she was indeed busy, but it had nothing to do with post-war affairs. She had been engrossed in breaking into his system and studying the latest drone designs.

Sigurd, with a deadpan expression, retorted:

“Don’t nonchalantly take credit for Amber's hard work.”

Hera narrowed her eyes while Sigurd stared back with his signature dead-fish eyes. After three seconds of staring each other down, they moved past the topic.

“How are the damages for Schicksal?”

“Approximately eight thousand Valkyries died. We won’t count the injured, since with your Honkai Energy inhibitors, most can be healed.”

“Eight thousand… much fewer than I imagined.”

Hera spread her hands, her smile unchanged, without a trace of pity or regret:

“It’s all because of Lord Sigurd's amazing combat prowess. First, there was the use of Judgement of Shamash, then the barrage from the ‘Moonlight Throne.’ The majority of the credit for this event goes to you. The Valkyries’ contributions were minimal.”

From a data perspective, this was indeed the case. Sigurd practically dealt with Chi You single-handedly, and 99,99% of the Honkai Beast were destroyed by the ‘Moonlight Throne.’ However, without the Valkyries and Titan units intercepting from the outside, many giant Honkai Beast would have attacked the mainland, resulting in unimaginable human losses.

From this angle, the Valkyries' contributions were actually crucial. Hera's evaluation was based on cold, hard data. She didn’t care about lives, whether they were Valkyries or ordinary people.

“When does the funeral start?”

After a long pause, Sigurd asked.

Hera replied:

“At three in the afternoon, about three hours from now.”

“You can leave now. I want to be alone.”

“Okay~”

Hera smiled as she turned to leave.

She wasn’t offended by Sigurd’s coldness. On the contrary, the more Sigurd showed concern for human morality, the more satisfied Hera was—this was advantageous for her. A good person was easier to manipulate and influence. After all, you can’t blackmail someone who lacks morals.

…

“Sig, don’t be too sad. It’s not your fault.”

After Hera left, Kiana sat on the ground, laying her head on Sigurd’s lap and holding one of his hands, offering words of comfort.

Sigurd merely extended his other hand to pat Kiana's head, saying nothing.

Indeed, it wasn’t his fault. In war, especially a war against the Honkai, countless sacrifices were inevitable. But being human, facing such a large number of sacrifices, all of them young girls in their prime, it was impossible not to feel affected.

“Honkai…”

Sigurd murmured the word. Even though he had always known what a dreadful disaster it was, his heart grew heavier at this moment.