Raven—We Live for Island Villas!

"I see... if only Seele could help Papa Elias too."

The children at House of the Hearth didn't know exactly what kind of work Elias did, but they clearly understood that whenever those white monsters—the ones that had taken their parents—appeared nearby...

Elias would deal with them.

To these girls, Elias wasn't just a father figure. He was also a hero—one who destroyed monsters and avenged their real parents.

"If Seele could become stronger... would she be able to help Papa Elias too?" Seele thought to herself, placing a hand over her chest.

She had a secret she never told anyone. Because she was afraid they would see her as a monster.

The truth was... Seele's parents hadn't managed to lure the Honkai Beasts away in time.

After killing her parents, the monsters had found the little girl who hadn't escaped.

But she didn't die.

When Seele came to her senses, she realized she had already slaughtered all the Honkai Beasts—thanks to the power of the red birthmark—her Stigmata—on her chest.

"Hmph~ Scaredy-cat Seele could never get stronger. The only one who can truly help Father is me!" said a short-haired girl in masculine clothing with mismatched eyes—one blue, one gold—and a sharp-toothed shark-like grin that looked like it could seriously hurt someone.

This was Sin Mal, House of the Hearth's prideful, sharp-tongued tsundere. Compared to the other kids, she acted more like a cranky old man. Elias had described her as, "a little rough around the edges, but deep down, a decent kid... probably."

She was always getting into arguments, earning punishments from Elias—but her default attitude was: "I was wrong, and I'll totally do it again next time."

Ranked alongside the airheaded Rozaliya as one of Elias' two most troublesome children.

"There you go again, Sin Mal. Hmph, you're the one who causes Papa Elias the most trouble. Come on, Seele, Papa already made breakfast before heading out."

"Mm, I'm coming."

The girls sat in a row around a long table. Ever since Elias started raising kids, his cooking skills had improved rapidly—perhaps partially thanks to the residual powers of the Herrscher of Fire, giving him perfect control over heat.

"As always, before we eat, let's pray for Papa Elias' success at work."

"Yes! We hope Papa has a safe and successful day!" xN

"Waaah! Huff! Huff!"

"Oh no, Rozaliya choked again! Rozaliya is going to die~!"

...

Meanwhile, somewhere in Siberia—

"Haah!"

Wielding a massive scythe, Elias effortlessly cleaved a Knight-class Honkai Beast in two.

Even without using his Herrscher powers, the dual stigmata of Schariac and Kaslana amplified his body far beyond human limits—making these low-level Honkai creatures no threat at all.

Not to mention, he had a reliable partner by his side.

"Three o'clock. I'll leave it to you."

"No problem. Seeing you work this hard, I'd look bad if I didn't show off a little."

Beside him, a woman in black tactical gear with a hood chirped cheerfully. She disappeared in a blink, and a second later, the charging Honkai Beast at three o'clock was torn apart by her claws.

"Whew~ That's the last of them in this area. Thanks for helping with the cleanup, Natasha."

"Hey, how many times do I have to say it—during missions, use my codename: Raven. Ugh, forget it. I'm done correcting you."

Raven waved her hand in exasperation. This was already the seventh time. She couldn't be bothered anymore.

But for someone like her... maybe having someone who calls her by her name was something rare—and worth cherishing.

"Here you go—don't forget your payment for this mission."

"Thanks. The client was generous this time. Looks like I can buy the kids a few extra gifts."

"You mean that House of the Hearth orphanage you run? Heh, those kids are really lucky to have you."

Raven cast a long look at Elias, who was counting the money. Her fondness for her recent partner increased slightly. She also loved children and had adopted quite a few herself.

The two of them really had a lot in common.

Elias carefully tucked away the payment. Ever since arriving in this timeline and establishing House of the Hearth, most of the funding came from doing mercenary work.

Meeting Raven had been an unexpected but logical surprise—after all, she was part of the Honkai Impact 3rd storyline. After testing the waters a bit, Elias found that they surprisingly got along.

Raven was a member of World Serpent, but also a mercenary. At this time, she was already taking jobs left and right to fund her dream: a villa on her own private island.

After Elias explained his situation, the island-loving, kid-adoring Raven didn't hesitate to let him team up with her.

Of course, Elias didn't join World Serpent—he and Raven simply became a well-known duo in the underworld. Legends said that as long as the pay was high enough, no mission was impossible for them.

By the way, Natasha's codename was Raven (Black Dodo), and Elias' codename was White Dove (White Coo-Coo Pigeon).

Elias: "Does my codename really sound any different from my real name? And as a friend and partner, let me offer you some advice, Natasha... That island villa dream of yours? It's just an illusion. Still time to give up."

Raven: "Are you kidding? People live for island villas! I'm never giving up. In fact, since we've worked together so well... Want me to save you a room on my island?"

Elias: "...I tried to warn you. I did seriously try to talk you out of it. Sigh~"

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