Honkai: Strijder (Patreon)

Chapter 67: Discussion

In the center of the Sky City, there was a splendid garden. At the highest point of the garden, there was an observation area with many pavilions, offering a panoramic view of the entire base. It was a sacred place for the Valkyries to relax, rejuvenate, and go on dates.

Today, the pavilion area, which was originally a public space, had been reserved.

But no one was dissatisfied because the one who reserved it was the esteemed Archbishop Otto Apocalypse.

In fact, what Otto should be doing now was arranging reinforcements for the Oceania Schicksal Branch.

However, when he thought of the Oceania Schicksal Branch, there wasn't a single interesting face among them.

On the other hand, his best friend, Sigurd, had brought snacks with him, possibly even made by his own hands. Have you ever had a friend visit you with homemade snacks? Otto hadn't experienced that in his five hundred years, and this was the first time.

Moreover, with Sigurd's intelligence, his presence here likely meant that the overall situation was basically settled, and it would be difficult to make any changes. Furthermore, Sigurd was in the headquarters and had an unknown number of worker bees with him. Could he go unnoticed?

Otto decisively chose to abandon the matter of the Oceania Schicksal Branch—this kind of situation wouldn't even raise an objection from Amber.

"Cough!"

Leading Sigurd, Otto arrived at the most scenic pavilion, pointing at the magnificent Sky City and said:

"How do you like the city I meticulously constructed?"

"It's beautiful."

"Is that the only comment you have?"

"Then what else should I say? Can I tell you that it looks like a huge target and is too conspicuous?"

Otto's mouth twitched, but before he could speak, Durandal spoke up:

"Lord Sigurd, your words are mistaken! Within the Sky City, there is the world's most elite Valkyrie force, complemented by advanced high-tech defense and attack facilities. Furthermore, Lord Otto himself is here, there is no safer place than this."

With the secret matter involving Rita settled and the burden lifted, Durandal resumed her overly serious mode of thinking. Her words carried unmistakable disagreement.

As Durandal's words fell, Otto and Sigurd had no immediate reactions, but Rita was breaking out in cold sweat.

"I apologize deeply! Lady Durandal is straightforward to a fault and has no intention of causing offense. I humbly request Lord Sigurd's forgiveness."

Rita bowed.

As for Otto... he had been scolded by Durandal for some trivial matters many times before. It didn't matter.

Durandal glanced at Rita and realized that this was a conversation between two high-ranking individuals. She, a mere Valkyrie, even if she was an S-rank Valkyrie, was indeed not qualified to interject casually.

So, Durandal also lowered her head and said earnestly:

"I deeply apologize; I should not have interfered in the conversation between the two esteemed gentlemen. Durandal has overstepped, and I ask for Archbishop Otto and Lord Sigurd's punishment."

"No need to worry, Sigurd doesn't mind such trivial matters."

"Yeah, it's fine. I quite appreciate this straightforwardness."

Otto and Sigurd replied one after the other.

Afterward, the two of them sat down at the tea table.

Amber arranged the tea set and began brewing tea for the two of them. Her movements were skillful, and her beautiful appearance, despite her slightly cold expression, was truly pleasing to the eye.

Durandal stood behind Otto.

Rita, on the other hand, stood behind Sigurd—she should have been with Durandal. However, she was still holding Sigurd's food basket, and according to maid etiquette, Rita couldn't stray too far from Sigurd until he asked her to put it down.

Otto was not someone who cared about such trivial matters. He just smiled and asked Sigurd:

"My dear friend, you rarely come to the headquarters. Is there something you're here for?"

"Didn't I write it in the system? Sightseeing, and I came here to have tea with you on the side."

"...I thought you were just writing nonsense."

"It indeed was nonsense, but I came anyway. Can you stop me? If I want to come, I'll come."

Sigurd replied casually, as if he were not the executor of Anti-Entropy, but rather a high-ranking member of Schicksal, just like the modified information Otto had read.

Sigurd raised his cup, making a toasting gesture to Otto.

Otto smiled, and this scene was just like their video conversations every time.

So, he raised his cup as well, responding, and both of them took a sip of tea.

"The tea is excellent."

Sigurd praised, not only the tea leaves but also the person who brewed the tea, handling the water temperature and steeping time perfectly. This earned Amber an admiring glance from him.

A loyal and capable secretary with excellent tea-brewing skills—Sigurd was tempted to poach her.

"Lord Sigurd's approval brings great honor to Amber."

Amber bowed, and her respect for Otto was the same as when dealing with outsiders. She had a feeling that this might be the next Archbishop, Otto's successor.

Otto waved his hand, redirecting Sigurd's attention back to him, and said:

"The Oceania Schicksal Branch has gone silent. Do you know about it?"

In truth, both of them knew very well, and they both understood the purpose behind it.

However, it was Sigurd who had assumed the identity of the Oceania Schicksal Branch leader.

Otto was somewhat looking forward to Sigurd's response. Would he pretend to be shocked and request reinforcements, or would he be openly indifferent but still demand support? Either way, it would be interesting!

But Sigurd merely nodded, casually saying:

"I know. The Anti-Entropy did it, and they coveted the gem."

Cough!

Otto choked on his tea.

"Not so direct, are you? How am I supposed to respond to that?"

"...So why not go and retrieve it?"

"Walter is there. How could I dare?"

Sigurd frowned slightly, sounding like he was complaining.

What is a Herrscher? It's a calamity, a herald of destruction, a colossal threat that could potentially wipe out civilizations. Although there were a few monsters who could treat regular Herrschers as annoying flies just like Kevin does, it was generally rational to say that when facing a Herrscher that you couldn't defeat, you wouldn't approach them. It was a perfectly reasonable argument.

Otto's mouth twitched again.

You two are obviously in cahoots, and even Amber knows it. How shameless can you be to say something like that?

Durandal's eyes brightened at this moment. It was her turn to speak:

"Lord Otto, Lord Sigurd, I would make a requests to go on an expedition. I will help the two of you defeat the First Herrscher and retrieve the Gem of Desire!"

Otto: "→_→..."

Sigurd: "←_←..."

The two of them locked eyes for a moment.

Then, Otto smiled slyly and added:

"That's not a bad idea. Durandal is a Valkyrie I have great confidence in; she has the ability for this. What do you think, Sigurd?"

"No need. The gem will eventually... come into my possession."

Sigurd said this in a rather speechless tone.

It was his plan all along; how could it end up in someone else's hands?

At this moment, Rita, who was standing behind Sigurd, couldn't help but tighten her hands. Anti-Entropy had taken the Gem of Desire, and Sigurd, as the head of the Oceania Schicksal Branch, said it would eventually be in his hands. Suddenly, a series of conspiracy theories emerged in Rita's mind.

Indeed, he was another old... ahem, I mean, a far-sighted sage, just like Lord Otto.

This must be the depth of Schicksal, right? You never knew how many hidden secrets this ancient and vast organization still held.

On Otto's side, he felt like he had turned the conversation in his favor and his smile became even more pronounced. He gave Durandal, who usually liked to tease him, an appreciative look and then said to Sigurd:

"It seems you had a plan from the start, so I won't meddle in this."

"Mm."

"So, will the Gem of Desire be helpful for that theory of yours?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not. I'm not sure. But it's the core of a Herrscher after all, so we should study it carefully. If it yields results, it's another weapon against the Honkai."

Sigurd stated firmly.

Anti-Entropy was also an organization against the Honkai. Strengthening the power of Anti-Entropy was also strengthening the fight against the Honkai. Nothing wrong with that.

Otto glanced at him, took a leisurely sip of tea, and said:

"I see... In that case, it's up to your arrangements."

Sigurd nodded.

He understood that this meant Otto had let it go.

For Otto, the possibility of resurrecting the love of his life, Kallen Kaslana, was the most precious thing. Compared to that, giving away a Herrscher core he didn't particularly care about, especially to Sigurd, didn't make him feel resentful at all.

Sigurd then waved to Rita, who was holding the food basket, and said:

"These are snacks I made. Interested in trying some?"

"Of course!"

The scenes from the etiquette guide came to life, and Otto replied with a delighted look.

When a friend gave you a Gem of Desire, and that friend brought homemade snacks to thank you, it was like leveling up in friendship!

"You two, please have a seat as well and taste them. Especially you, Durandal. I promised you a test, so let me treat you to something."

Sigurd extended the invitation to the three beautiful ladies.

Otto, with a sense of accomplishment in deepening his friendship, smiled and nodded.

It didn't matter; the book said that the important thing was the intention itself. As for sharing the snacks, it was irrelevant.

With their hosts extending the invitation, the three of them exchanged glances and obediently took their seats.

"Mmm, these are delicious. Your cooking skills are excellent."

"Thank you."

"So, you should definitely stay here tonight. I've prepared a room for you."

"Sure, I have a lot of things to discuss with you, so staying a few more days is no problem."

Sigurd and Otto chatted over snacks until nightfall.

Anyone who does not know any better would view their act as just how true close friends are without any rifts.