Threat and Counter-Threat

Not long after Lin Wei spoke, Rita appeared almost silently near him, a proper smile on her face as always, and replied in her usual elegant voice,

"As a Valkyrie of Schicksal, Rita would rather see fewer incidents like what happened here, preferably none at all, than offer condolences after the fact..."

This airtight way of answering was very much in line with Rita's persona.

Lin Wei curled his lip, not pressing the issue, and simply chuckled,

"Heh, Miss Rita, your way of greeting is quite unique."

Standing upwind, letting the wind carry her scent—with Rita's personality, she would never be so careless. It could only mean that she intentionally exposed herself in this way...

"Mr. Lin Wei left without saying goodbye, and Rita had no other choice."

Rita looked at Lin Wei intently, sighing,

"Every time we meet, I feel that you are a little different from before. It's really surprising."

"Is that so? Perhaps."

Lin Wei didn't confirm or deny,

"But Miss Rita, your arrival doesn't surprise me."

Seeing Lin Wei's rather indifferent attitude, Rita wasn't annoyed. She just looked around and asked curiously,

"Miss Yuno doesn't seem to be with you?"

"Yuno's matter can be discussed later. But now there's a more pressing issue I want to confirm..."

Lin Wei turned slightly, standing on the ruined wall, looking down at Rita, who was standing on slightly lower ground, and asked in a deep voice,

"Miss Rita, are you here to reminisce with me in your personal capacity, or are you here on official business as Overseer Otto's envoy?"

"...Rita doesn't understand what you mean."

Lin Wei's indifferent and resistant attitude made Rita sigh helplessly.

"It's simple. If Rita came here in a personal capacity, then as 'comrades' who fought side by side, I would be very happy to revisit this place with you and mourn the deceased together..."

Lin Wei's tone wasn't harsh, on the contrary, it was quite gentle. But after a slight pause, his tone became indifferent, and he chuckled,

"But if Otto sent you... heh. Tell him to come talk to me himself. I have no interest in wasting my breath on a messenger."

"..."

Lin Wei's blunt and undisguised contempt made Rita feel a surge of shame and anger.

It wasn't that no one had ever been rude to her before. If it were a different place, a different person, speaking to her in this tone, she usually wouldn't be angry, but would instead switch to a more direct way of communicating—with her scythe and blade.

But...

Lin Wei looked Rita up and down. She was wearing a proper dress, not her "Dark Rose" maid outfit, nor any Valkyrie armor. It looked more like the outfit called "A Midsummer Night's Dream" from his memory. He asked in a flat tone,

"After all, I think, Miss Rita, dressed like this, without weapons, and coming alone, you wouldn't be here to apprehend me on the orders of your Overseer Otto, would you?"

"...Mr. Lin Wei, why must you be so aggressive?"

Rita couldn't help but smile wryly.

With her intelligence, she could basically guess the reason, and naturally, she could also roughly guess why Lin Wei was so rude to her.

However, as a Valkyrie of Schicksal, her duty was to closely monitor Lin Wei. What else could she do?

Being able to send Yuno, who was already inclined towards Lin Wei, to his side, and then find a suitable reason to leave Lin Wei's side under the guise of "reporting for duty," giving them a space to act freely without interference, was already the limit of what she could do...

Besides, was she supposed to openly defy Otto's orders?

How could that be possible!

"Miss Rita, I'm not from Schicksal, and I have no obligation to show respect to your Overseer Otto."

Lin Wei seriously emphasized his attitude,

"From a generally rational perspective, I don't think Otto is someone worthy of respect."

Not targeting the person, but the matter, that was Lin Wei's attitude. Since Rita was the executor of Otto's will, she was just unlucky.

"Alright, Miss Rita, I don't want to make things too difficult for you."

Lin Wei shook his head gently and said calmly,

"If Otto has something to say to me, tell him to come himself. Isn't Schicksal's holographic projection technology quite mature? Heh, if I'm not mistaken, he must be watching what's happening here in secret."

Downstream in the original world line, Otto was able to watch Fu Hua's battle with the Herrscher of the Void in Singapore up close, as if he were there, through Fu Hua's glasses. It was only natural that he could observe him in the same way now.

"Buzz..."

As soon as Lin Wei finished speaking, a beam of blue light suddenly shot out from the bracelet on Rita's right arm, projecting the figure of a blonde man in a purple robe in front of her. He looked at Lin Wei with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, and said with a sigh of regret,

"Oh dear, Mr. Lin Wei, speaking to a youthful maiden in such an aggressive tone is truly ungentlemanly!"

"Heh, is that so?"

Lin Wei sneered and retorted,

"Letting his Valkyrie subordinates charge ahead while hiding behind a woman—is Your Excellency's behavior considered 'gentlemanly'?"

"Overseer."

Seeing Otto appear, Rita breathed a sigh of relief and bowed respectfully.

Otto nodded with a smile, signaling Rita not to worry. As if he hadn't heard Lin Wei's sarcasm, he shook his head and chuckled,

"I originally wanted to chat with Mr. Lin Wei all night long, but I didn't expect you to leave without saying goodbye. This is truly a great regret!"

"Regret? Perhaps."

Lin Wei also looked at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, and said,

"Since Your Excellency wants to chat with me all night long, it's not too late now. Although it's already dawn where I am, it's still night in Europe where Your Excellency is, so it's not really a regrettable thing."

Saying this, Lin Wei jumped down from the high ruined wall, standing at the same height as Otto, and gestured with his hand,

"What does Your Excellency want to talk about? Please, go ahead!"

I've been waiting here for a long time, just for you! Lin Wei sneered inwardly.

"..."

Seeing Lin Wei's unchanged demeanor, Otto frowned slightly, then smiled calmly,

"The matter of discussing ideals can be discussed later. But when Mr. Lin Wei left Schicksal, you took an important item belonging to us..."

Otto sighed regretfully, shaking his head,

"Please forgive my presumptuousness, but I ask Mr. Lin Wei to return it to me."

"Heh, is that so?"

Lin Wei sneered and asked in return,

"I thought Your Excellency was here to reprimand me for taking Yuno away without permission. I believe the 'item' Your Excellency is referring to doesn't include a living person, does it?"

"Heh, Yuno, as a Valkyrie of Schicksal, defected without authorization. This is indeed regrettable. But if you are willing to return the important item you took from Schicksal, then this matter is not unforgivable."

Otto said with a chuckle.

"Oh, really?"

Lin Wei remained unmoved, feeling amused, but asked curiously,

"I have nothing of value on me, not even the long sword I carry, which I left at Schicksal HQ. I wonder what I could have possibly taken from Schicksal?"

At this point, Lin Wei suddenly realized and said with a smile,

"Could it be that Your Excellency is referring to that aircraft? Oh dear, that was indeed my fault, I apologize, I apologize!"

"Sigh... Why must you play dumb?"

Otto said with a regretful and nostalgic expression,

"Five hundred years ago, the 'black box' that Saint Kallen took away was a sacred relic of Schicksal, and even more so, Kallen's relic. It is truly heartbreaking that you took it without permission..."

Otto looked at Lin Wei sincerely and said earnestly,

"Therefore, I ask Mr. Lin Wei to return the sacred relic to me. Otto will be eternally grateful and will reward you handsomely!"

"..."

Although he had anticipated this, Otto's shamelessness still amazed Lin Wei. Even Yae Sakura was indignant.

Suppressing Pandora, who was already restless and wanted to teach the guy on the other side a lesson, Lin Wei sneered,

"It's been lost for five hundred years, and you're only thinking of looking for it now? Your Excellency, you really care about your 'Saint.' Admirable, admirable!"

As he spoke, he slowly clapped his hands, the sound of "clap, clap" scattering with the wind.

Faced with such mockery, Otto had mastered the essence of "turning the other cheek." Not only was he not offended, but he smiled gently and continued,

"Of course, Mr. Lin Wei has made a great contribution to Schicksal by finding the sacred relic, and you have also listened to Kallen's sacred teachings. As the Overseer of Schicksal, I must respond. If Mr. Lin Wei is willing, I would like to invite you to join Schicksal!"

At this point, Otto paused and chuckled,

"This way, Valkyrie Yuno traveling with you naturally wouldn't be considered desertion. Everyone would be happy, wouldn't they?"

Heh, such self-consistent logic, such shameless begging, it's truly you, Otto!

Lin Wei wasn't angry. Instead, he looked at Otto with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, wanting to hear what other nonsense he could come up with.

Seeing that Lin Wei remained unmoved, Otto wasn't surprised at all. He chuckled and said,

"Heh, of course, I have another thing to offer in return."

As his voice fell, his holographic image distorted, transforming into the image of another person. It was Anna's delicate face with a sweet smile, but not a real image, just the image she had left in Schicksal's database.

But even so, it still made Lin Wei's heart sink, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Anna Schariac, an outstanding descendant of the Schariac family of this generation. As far as I know, she formed a rather deep bond with you not long ago..."

Seeing Lin Wei's expression change slightly, Otto's smiling voice came from somewhere unknown,

"If Mr. Lin Wei is willing to return the sacred relic to me, then I can make the decision to give Anna to you as your wife, how about that?"

"..."

Rita was still smiling, but she felt a bit numb inside. Is this something I should be hearing?

Before Yae Sakura could react, and before Pandora could jump out to express her anger, Lin Wei suddenly couldn't help but chuckle,

"Ha... Haha..."

"Hahahahaha..."

After laughing for a while, Lin Wei finally stopped, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said, still smiling,

"Oh dear... just like how you betrothed Cecilia to Siegfried back then? Tsk tsk, this is truly flattering!"

Before Otto could react, Lin Wei sneered and directly exposed Otto's intentions,

"Using a Valkyrie already under your control as bait, not only do you want to seize the Key of Erosion from me, but you also want to bind me firmly to you, making me work for you. Then, at some point in the future when I lose my value, BOOM!"

Lin Wei made an exploding gesture and sneered,

"Just like Siegfried and Cecilia back then? Tsk tsk tsk, I'm too fragile to bear Your Excellency's great kindness!"

"...It seems Mr. Lin Wei still wants to refuse my kindness."

Otto's image reappeared, sighing regretfully.

"Oh? Could it be that Your Excellency is angered and is preparing to lay your hands on the Valkyrie who just made great contributions?"

Lin Wei said with a smile that wasn't quite a smile,

"Just like Kallen back then? Is Your Excellency trying to threaten me in the same way?"

"...How could that be? You misunderstand."

Otto looked deeply at Lin Wei, then smiled,

"I intend to appoint Anna Schariac, who made outstanding achievements in the Manila Honkai eruption, as captain, to rebuild the Valkyrie Assault Squad, and continue to overcome difficulties for Schicksal!"

Lin Wei's face darkened. How could he not understand Otto's implicit threat?

What Valkyrie Assault Squad? It was actually a suicide squad used to carry out various high-risk missions!

After the Second Honkai Eruption, Cecilia died in battle, and Squad Snow Wolf was almost completely annihilated. Before Durandal and Rita rose to prominence, Schicksal was severely lacking in high-end combat power for quite some time.

But someone had to take over Squad Snow Wolf's "vanguard" role. During the window period when Siegfried became estranged and Theresa went to the Far East, Otto could only gather some relatively outstanding A-rank Valkyries and use them to carry out the high-risk missions originally handled by Squad Snow Wolf...

Seeing Lin Wei's sudden change in expression, Otto smiled triumphantly.

Yes, you guessed right, I am threatening you!

But what can you do? I'm the Overseer of Schicksal, and she's a Valkyrie of Schicksal. I'm just appointing the right person for the job, making a normal personnel appointment!

Although there were now the Immortal Blades, it wasn't unreasonable for him to want to rebuild another heroic team with a glorious history, was it?

As an outstanding Valkyrie who rose to prominence in the Manila Honkai eruption, and an excellent descendant of the Schariac family, what was wrong with him putting her on a bigger stage to shine?

If she unfortunately died in the line of duty, that was also a Valkyrie's destiny. What right and evidence did Lin Wei have to say that he was deliberately harming her?

"...Hehehe."

Lin Wei looked deeply at Otto, and after a moment, suddenly chuckled.

That's all you've got...

"Oh?"

Lin Wei's sudden change didn't surprise Otto too much. He just asked with a smile that wasn't quite a smile,

"Mr. Lin Wei, do you have any other instructions?"

He didn't believe that Lin Wei, who left Schicksal HQ in such a hurry and rushed to Manila right after Rita left his side, would be indifferent to his threat.

As long as a person had weaknesses, they could be used and targeted.

Otto had suffered from this in the past, and later became very proficient in this, understanding it deeply. Therefore, he now felt almost certain of victory.

"No, I just remembered Yuno."

Lin Wei chuckled again, then said with a smile,

"Your Excellency Otto, you don't know, Yuno deeply hates Anti-Entropy, who single-handedly caused the Third Honkai Eruption in Nagazora City. After arriving in Manila, seeing the scene triggered her emotions, and she was very eager to seek revenge against Anti-Entropy. As a fellow victim of the Third Honkai Eruption, I naturally had no reason to stop her, so I just let her go. Calculating the time, she should be almost there."

"Hmm?"

Otto frowned. What did he mean by changing the subject at this time?

"Oh, right, it seems that Schicksal's traitor, Siegfried Kaslana, is now with those guys from Anti-Entropy. I heard that he's seriously injured. I believe Yuno would be very happy to help Schicksal clean up its mess."

Lin Wei said, racking his brains, then patted his forehead and suddenly "realized,"

"Oh, right, he seems to be the adoptive father of the Second Herrscher. And I heard that the biological father of the Third Herrscher, Raiden Ryoma, should also be at Anti-Entropy HQ with him."

After a pause, Lin Wei looked at Otto with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, and said,

"Your Excellency, isn't this a coincidence? The two Herrschers are good friends, and their fathers are also good friends... It's just that one is at Schicksal's Far East Branch, and the other is at Anti-Entropy HQ in North America. Sigh, so far apart!"

"..."

Otto instantly understood, his face darkening. He immediately turned and called out,

"Amber, send a message to Durandal!"

Lin Wei's audacity must be stopped!

"It seems Your Excellency is very busy? Then I won't disturb you any longer."

Lin Wei smiled gently and said,

"I suddenly remembered that I left in a hurry and left some important documents in my old house next to St. Freya. I might as well go back and tidy up now. I hope they're still there."

Lin Wei said with a sigh, while looking at Otto with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

You can threaten me, and I can threaten you too. That's fair, right?

Yuno and I are splitting up. Either one of us can turn your "experiment" upside down.

And no matter how powerful your Durandal is, she can only stop one of us at a time.

So, Otto, want to take a gamble?