Otto—Is It Polite to Steal My People Right in Front of Me?

"I didn't expect even an old friend to take the opposing side. Don't tell me this boy actually managed to sway her? That's going to be a problem no matter how it plays out."

Otto's expression darkened, his eyes filled with chaos. Even with her immortality lost and her body in a heavily weakened state, Fu Hua was still a top-tier combatant. Her value couldn't be compared to one or two ordinary S-rank Valkyries.

He would rather kill Fu Hua than let her stand against him. Because Otto understood very clearly:

If this Immortal Phoenix who had lived for over fifty thousand years ever regained her full strength, she would be far more troublesome than a Herrscher.

"Old friend, your actions truly sadden me. I need to see what exactly you plan to do. Durandal, Rita—looks like you two are ready."

Otto turned to the two beautiful girls behind him and nodded in satisfaction. Both were equipped with fourth-generation Godsbane Suits: Dea Anchora and Argent Knight: Artemis.

Although Otto didn't have much faith in the latter's combat capability, as for the former—if it really came to a fight, even if it was against that Herrscher Academy in the far east, Otto believed Durandal could still escape with at least some of his body parts intact.

"Let's go. It's time to attend the meeting."

...

Schicksal's high-ranking warships quickly arrived at St. Freya Academy. Originally, it was meant to be a discreet visit with only a single transport vessel. But after Fu Hua's resignation, the fleet had been immediately increased to three warships.

"So they finally showed up. Quite the display."

Elias glanced at the warships in the distance.

It was early afternoon. Lunch had ended not long ago, and Kiana's stomach was still satisfyingly full.

Elias turned toward the two girls beside him.

"Mei, Fu Hua, would you come with me?"

"Of course, Elias."

"No need for formalities. I'll do what I can."

Both girls responded without hesitation.

And so, one on each side, the two girls followed Elias as he headed toward the ship landing pad.

When the three arrived on scene, the atmosphere was already tense—as if a fight could break out at any moment.

The reason? Welt Yang was facing off with Otto.

The animosity between the two was obvious. After all, this was a grudge over the death of Welt's father.

"Otto Apocalypse. It's been years, and you're still as insufferable as ever."

"Heh~ Herrscher of Reason. Looks like Schicksal's collection of Herrscher Cores is about to gain another one."

Their gazes clashed like sparks in the air.

Durandal and Rita instinctively gripped their weapons. Were they really about to fight here and now?

"Hey! Grandpa! Mr. Welt! You two better not start fighting on St. Freya Academy grounds!"

Theresa hurriedly leapt between the two men, trying to stop them with her own body. But... given her tiny stature, she simply wasn't tall enough to block their line of sight.

When she saw Elias approaching with the two girls, Theresa was nearly moved to tears.

Her savior had finally arrived.

"Uuu, Elias, you're finally here~"

"Alright, Theresa. Leave this to me. Go help prepare a spot for afternoon tea."

"Mm! Leave it to me!"

And with that, the little rocket launcher of a girl wasted no time. Her stubby legs dashed off at lightning speed, disappearing from the scene.

"Mr. Welt, Overseer Otto—you two should probably cool it. Think whatever curses you want, stab as many voodoo dolls as you like in private."

"But this is St. Freya Academy, not Schicksal or Anti-Entropy territory. If anyone tries to start trouble here... we will respond with force."

"I imagine neither side wants to openly go to war against two Herrscher-level combatants, a former S-rank Valkyrie holding a Divine Key, and several hundred Valkyries."

Though Elias said it with a tone of equality, his gaze was fixed entirely on Otto's side.

The meaning was obvious.

If this sly fox couldn't keep his mouth shut, then St. Freya Academy would immediately align itself with Anti-Entropy. And as for the afternoon tea later? Otto could enjoy it standing—alone.

"Alright~ Just for this young man's sake, Herrscher of Reason, let's leave it at that for today."

"That's my line, Otto."

"Also~ it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Elias. Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Otto—Otto Apocalypse, Overseer of Schicksal, and the one who sent you the Vermilion Knight: Eclipse. I've long wanted to meet you."

"Hehe~ The pleasure is mine, Otto Apocalypse. Truly, I'm delighted. I hope we'll share a... splendid time together."

Elias and Otto extended their hands for a handshake.

Though it looked cordial on the surface, like two online friends meeting in real life, their handshake said otherwise: Elias wore black-and-red tactical gloves; Otto wore pristine white gloves.

Though their hands touched, there was not a hint of sincerity.

Objectively speaking, both Elias and Otto were extremely handsome. The sight of two stunningly beautiful men smiling and shaking hands sent many of the Valkyries present into silent fangirl squeals.

Those were the pure-hearted Valkyries.

As for the more perceptive ones—like Rita—she only saw two cunning foxes of different sizes, already scheming against one another in silence.

Durandal: "Phew~ At least they didn't start fighting. We have that boy to thank for the peaceful atmosphere."

Rita: "...My lady is still as naive as ever. It may look peaceful, but the tension is even worse than before. Let's just hope nothing bad happens."

Soon after, everyone moved to a scenic spot on St. Freya Academy's grounds for a supposedly friendly afternoon tea.

But the moment Elias, Otto, and Welt took their first sip, their expressions all changed.

"We shouldn't have let Theresa prepare it."

"Ah~ My dear granddaughter..."

"Cough! I thought it was green tea."

It wasn't green tea. It was green bitter melon juice.

While bitter melon juice might be healthy, none of them could name a second person who enjoyed drinking it besides Theresa. That unexpected mouthful turned all three of their faces green.

In a way, Theresa should probably be proud.

"If you two don't mind, perhaps I should handle the refreshments," Rita offered gracefully, salvaging the afternoon with the poise of a perfect maid.

And she lived up to her title of strongest maid in the series. In less than twenty minutes, she had the table reset with black tea and a beautiful spread of desserts. Elias silently praised her—this truly was the mistress of the refrigerator.

"Mmm, it smells wonderful~ As expected of Schicksal's S-rank maid. A shame for those black gloves of yours."

Elias took a sniff and complimented her with a smile.

"Thank you for the praise, Mr. Elias. But... you really are far too trusting. Aren't you even the least bit worried I might have slipped something into the tea...?"

"I believe a perfect maid like Miss Rita has the self-discipline never to do something so disgraceful—like slipping computer parts into red tea. That would bring shame to the very title of maid."

"...P-Please, allow me to pour you a fresh cup. The temperature on that one wasn't quite ideal."

Rita stiffened, her perfect smile nearly cracking. Embarrassed, she quickly poured Elias a new cup.

Elias' mouth twitched slightly.

He thought to himself: Rita, you really did put computer parts in the tea? Sure, as the Herrscher of Rebirth, Elias wasn't afraid of any poison—but this grudge, he was definitely keeping tabs on!

"Hahaha~ How amusing."

Otto clapped his hands with a delighted chuckle, watching Rita's awkward reaction. This man clearly found joy even in the discomfort of his own subordinates—he probably belonged on the Path of Elation.

"Well then, I suppose it's time to get to the point. Elias, I've wanted to meet you for quite some time. You've been quite the enigma to me. And after your dazzling performance yesterday, I must say—I'm even more impressed."

"Overseer, I believe peeking into others' affairs isn't a very admirable habit. A good face won't save you from that kind of character flaw."

"Ah, now now—how could monitoring the fight against the Honkai be considered peeking? I was merely concerned about the defeat of that Judgment-class Honkai Beast. I was prepared to provide support at any moment."

Otto feigned an innocent look.

"Oh? And by support, do you mean remotely launching a barrage of Honkai Fissile Bombs and blowing us all to pieces?"

Elias gave him a deadpan look. Yeah, right.

Green Otto, you shady bastard.

Though honestly, even if he had done it, Elias wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.

"Come now, I would never do something so cruel. Elias, surely there's some misunderstanding here. I think it's high time we had a good, honest talk."

"Then please, get to the point. Overseer, if you keep going in circles, I might just doze off."

"Ugh, fine, fine. I'm just curious—why were you on the battlefield during the Chiyou suppression mission? More specifically, why were you fighting alongside Anti-Entropy? Surely Schicksal is the stronger organization?"

Otto narrowed his eyes as he asked.

"Still beating around the bush, huh... Whatever. I joined the Chiyou operation because Mr. Welt invited me. As everyone knows, he used to be a teacher here at St. Freya Academy. Students seek help from teachers; when teachers are in trouble, students help them too."

Elias shrugged casually.

"Besides, even if we belong to different organizations, aren't we all fighting against the Honkai for humanity's sake? As a male Valkyrie who fights to protect all that is beautiful, how could I refuse?"

Such a logical and sound explanation left Otto with nothing to criticize. Even Durandal at his side showed a rare look of approval.

For someone like the golden goofball with unshakable faith in justice, Elias' words were deeply resonant. In her eyes, he truly understood the bigger picture. If possible, she even wanted to spar and exchange ideas with him.

"That is indeed very reasonable. But if that's the case, suppose I became a teacher here at St. Freya as well... would that mean I could rely on your help in times of need, just like the Herrscher of Reason?"

"That depends on the grade you give me. A passing grade? I won't act. Good? I'll cheer you on. Excellent? I might offer verbal support. Full marks? I might actually help out. But if you fail... well, I will help. Just not necessarily you."

"Hahaha, Elias, you really are an interesting person. I may have to seriously consider this."

Otto laughed aloud—whether he was genuinely amused or not was unclear.

Elias let out a soft chuckle too, tone unreadable.

"Alright then, I'll recommend a subject for you, Overseer. One I think you're perfectly suited for."

"Oh? Do tell. Is it biology?"

"Of course not. I suggest you teach Ethics and Morality. After all, Otto Apocalypse is the perfect teaching material... as a cautionary tale."

"Pfft!"

Welt gave an immediate thumbs-up in approval, practically shouting, "Facts!" Even Otto himself paused for a beat before inwardly nodding in agreement.

Yes. He couldn't argue with that one.

Yes, truly no one made for a better cautionary tale. Otto Apocalypse was a construct of sin and desire—a man who understood morality yet rejected it, who knew ethics yet trampled them.

Everything he had done thus far, good or evil, ultimately served one selfish wish in his heart. He never repented, nor would he ever stop.

"Perhaps I really should've spoken with you sooner, Elias. I can't remember the last time someone dared talk to me like this. You're quite the interesting one."

"Thanks~ Just don't mistake mockery for praise, Overseer. Considering what you did to Kiana... it wouldn't be too much if I introduced your face to the Might of An-Utu right now."

"Let's not go that far, alright? Sigh~ But I must say, I didn't expect my old friend to resign from Schicksal. Was that your doing?"

"Of course. I simply didn't want Fu Hua serving under such a black-hearted superior. Speaking of which—Miss Rita, Miss Durandal—interested in switching sides? St. Freya Academy offers excellent benefits."

Elias extended a casual invitation to the two S-rank Valkyries. Rita and Durandal both smiled awkwardly and shook their heads.

"Thank you for the offer, Mr. Elias, but I'm not planning to leave Schicksal just yet," Rita replied.

"Really? That's a shame. If you join, I can work out a deal to transfer Theresa to you. How's that sound?"

"...I-I must decline."

The offer was far too tempting—even someone as composed as Rita hesitated for a moment. An eternally youthful legal loli? For a certain loli-loving maid, that was practically a critical hit.

"What about you, Durandal? If you switch over, I can personally guarantee a single dorm all to yourself."

"Sorry, but I'll have to pass."

"It'll be filled with cats. Still not interested?"

"N-No... thank you..."

Durandal's throat bobbed. This time, her refusal lacked the firmness and volume of the first.

Elias thought to himself—no wonder these two were S-rank Valkyries. Their resolve was truly ironclad, strong enough to resist the temptation of both lolis and cats.

Meanwhile, Otto maintained a neutral expression, but the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.

(He got Rita and Durandal wavering with just two sentences?! How terrifying. And he seems to know them a little too well... How does he know their preferences? This boy is becoming more and more of a mystery.)

"Elias, don't you think it's a bit impolite to poach my Valkyries right in front of me?"

In truth, Otto was starting to get nervous. If Elias kept talking, the chances of his two top Valkyries defecting might actually become real.

Fu Hua had already jumped ship, and while losing Rita wasn't a huge deal—useful tool or not, she was just that, a tool in Otto's eyes—if Durandal defected...

That would break him.

After all, that golden goose of a girl was an SSR he had spent hundreds of years pulling from the gacha.

"Heh~ Courtesy depends on who you're dealing with."

Elias let out a cold laugh.

Otto didn't act like a human, so why should Elias show him any courtesy? Just sitting here calmly roasting him and poaching his people was already giving him a lot of face.

"Alright, alright. Seems I really am disliked by you, Elias. Let's return to the main topic."

Otto shrugged and pulled out a terminal from his coat. After tapping it twice on the tea table, a 3D holographic projection appeared.

It showed Elias' battle against Chiyou.

Otto pointed at the image of Elias opening a portal to the Sea of Quanta, his tone both curious and dangerous.

"Elias, would you care to explain this ability of yours?"

"Oh? Has the great Overseer of Schicksal lost his eyesight? You can't tell just by looking? Are you really asking me this with a straight face?"

"..."

Welt glanced at the two, gripping his teacup a bit tighter. The atmosphere had clearly taken a sharp turn.

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