Chapter 77 - Bronya—Spectator Mode

"Captain on the bridge."

Nagami and C.C. instinctively raised their hands to cover their livers, that phrase practically etched into every crew member's DNA.

But they quickly realized—they weren't the captain.

The current captain was still very much on duty.

Nagami turned to see the subtly confused expression on Himeko Murata's face—she was the current captain.

Himeko looked equally bewildered.

She had just said that phrase out of habit, trying to be polite.

"This isn't the best place to talk. Would you like to come aboard my ship for a bit, hm?" she said with a teasing smile.

Nagami wasn't sure whether to admire these two's composure…or wonder if they'd never really suffered under Theresa's iron-fisted command.

Because Himeko had just invited them onboard, and they'd accepted!

Did they not realize that once they were inside, Himeko could give a single signal and Valkyries would swarm them like wolves?

Due to the intense electromagnetic interference caused by the birth of the Herrscher of Thunder, satellite surveillance had been offline.

So the Valkyries of the Hyperion hadn't witnessed Nagami and C.C.'s battle prowess for themselves.

But they knew enough: if these two had managed to stop a Herrscher-level catastrophe, they were certainly no ordinary individuals.

Trust was warranted, at least for now.

Himeko's eyes eventually drifted to the girl following quietly behind Nagami—someone who was supposed to be the newly born Herrscher.

Her expression grew even more complex.

"By the way… Third Herrscher. Is it really her?" she asked hesitantly.

The girl had an air of grace beyond her years—a beauty that was refined and a bit distant, like a flower on a high mountain.

But at this moment, she gazed at Nagami with a smile as soft and gentle as a Yamato Nadeshiko, her eyes filled with a dreamy affection.

Himeko raised an eyebrow.

"This…" She drew out her words, clearly skeptical.

This wasn't the cold, terrifying Herrscher she'd pictured—this was just a girl in love!

"Would you like the Herrscher to come out and confirm it herself?" Nagami offered with a polite, businesslike smile.

Himeko and Rita both froze at the suggestion.

"Don't worry," he continued. "Mei is nothing like the previous Herrscher."

A heavy silence fell over the room.

The two Valkyries exchanged a long, thoughtful look before glancing back at Nagami with wide-eyed surprise.

Was he implying… he could control the Third Herrscher?

That thought instantly surfaced in both their minds, and Rita mentally added another note to the report she'd be sending to the Archbishop.

Meanwhile, Himeko was trying not to shout in frustration at the sight of Theresa still locked in an emotional reunion with Kiana.

'Theresa!'

'What the hell are you doing?'

She understood that family reunions were emotional, sure, but wasn't this situation obviously more important right now?

"…Heh, never mind," Himeko finally said with a forced laugh, smoothing her expression back to something more formal. "Let's skip the demonstration for now."

After all, letting the Herrscher of Thunder loose on a technology-packed battleship was…a tad risky.

Even if she didn't fully grasp the physics, she knew enough to realize: in a world still bound by electric power, the Herrscher's control over magnetism and electricity was a direct, devastating counter.

"Please, this way," Rita said, bowing slightly and leading the group ahead in perfect, elegant form.

They passed through the ship's bridge, a marvel of sleek, cutting-edge tech.

Nagami's eyes swept across the spotless, gleaming floors, clearly the work of some diligent cleaner.

He gave a small nod of approval.

'Not bad.'

'The next generation's got potential.'

Finally, they arrived at a spacious reception room.

Everyone took seats wherever they liked.

Rita moved with graceful efficiency, preparing tea for the guests without missing a beat.

"Nagami-sama, your tea," she said, setting a steaming ceramic cup before him with flawless poise.

The delicate heat wreathed her refined features in a soft, elegant mist.

Truly, having such a stunning young woman as your maid was probably every man's dream.

Nagami raised the cup, taking a small sip.

A mellow bitterness mixed with a sweet aftertaste slid down his throat, the warm fragrance lingering in the air around him.

"Schicksal's Archbishop certainly has an excellent maid," he said earnestly, setting the cup back down. "Your tea is outstanding."

"You flatter me, sir. I'm merely doing what's expected of me," Rita replied with a faint, polite smile.

She then placed a second cup before the young lady, giving Nagami a slight nod.

"So… mind introducing yourself, young man?" Himeko said, crossing one leg over the other with a casual confidence that drew Nagami's gaze.

She'd swapped her Valkyrie armor for a crisp military uniform, the short skirt and sheer black stockings making her long legs especially eye-catching.

The fitted uniform only served to emphasize her impressive figure.

'Damn…'

Nagami's thoughts betrayed him a moment—he really had to give it to Himeko: she was undeniably stunning.

Noticing his look, Himeko didn't shy away.

In fact, she change her posture, an almost teasing smile playing on her lips.

Her expression said:

Like what you see?

For any young guy, it's hard to resist the charm of a mature and alluring woman.

"Introduce myself? You all must've already read my profile," Nagami replied, showing little reaction to Himeko's beauty trap.

He wasn't one to fall for it unless there was some real action involved.

"Don't worry. All the information you have on me is accurate," he added casually.

Even Rita, always the picture of elegance, couldn't help but frown slightly at that.

After all, Nagami was telling the truth.

There was no need to doubt the authenticity of those records.

To forge something that could slip past Schicksal's intelligence machinery was practically impossible in this world.

And that was exactly what made it so baffling—even Otto couldn't make sense of it.

Teresa, seated in the main chair, took a sip of Rita's special bitter melon juice as she tried to project an air of authority.

"Let's set that aside for now," she said. "Nagami, isn't it? What's your opinion of St. Freya Academy?"

She'd spent a lot of time talking to Kiana and had finally convinced her niece to acknowledge her as family.

They were long-separated kin finally reunited, and of course Teresa didn't want them to part again so soon.

But she knew deep down that if Kiana had to choose between her and Nagami, she'd probably choose Nagami without hesitation.

Not to mention Raiden Mei—this new Herrscher seemed ready to obey Nagami's every word.

There was no way Schicksal would just let someone as dangerous as a living nuclear weapon roam freely.

Even if they couldn't control Mei, they'd at least want to keep her within their sights.

Kiana, Mei, and even the mysterious Sirin—all of them were tied to the boy sitting right in front of her.

If she could secure Nagami, she could secure them all.

"It's a great place," Nagami said, taking a sip of the tea. "Unlike the other Schicksal branches that treat Valkyries like disposable tools, the Far East branch actually teaches them to value life—their own and others'."

He paused, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "Are you inviting me to join St. Freya Academy?"

"That's right." Teresa's expression was serious—enough so that even Nagami felt a glimmer of true authority from her.

"I'm sure you understand Schicksal won't just let a Herrscher wander around freely. Ever since you awakened as the Herrscher of Thunder, Mei, there's no going back to the way things used to be."

Mei's eyes flickered with confusion.

She looked down, thinking for a moment, then lifted her head to meet Teresa's gaze—soft determination shining in her eyes.

"I'll go where Nagami goes," she said with a shy smile.

She turned to Nagami, her cheeks pink as she reached out to take his hand.

Next to her, Kiana's and Sirin's eyes widened in shock, and their jaws clenched.

Nagami just gave Mei a gentle smile, patting her hand softly before letting go.

He could feel those two pairs of burning eyes drilling into him.

Even if he had an immortal body, his instincts were screaming at him to be careful—this was exactly the kind of scenario where a guy could end up on the wrong end of a kitchen knife.

"St. Freya's an all-girls school," Nagami said, trying to keep things light. "Wouldn't bringing a guy in be like… inviting a wolf into a flock of sheep?"

He did want to go to St. Freya, though.

The leader of Anti-Entropy was still living a carefree life as a teacher, and it would be a good chance to see if he could make something happen.

Nagami's real target was the Herrscher of Reason's core.

With his Alpha Stigma, enough Honkai energy, and that core—he'd basically be holding a nuclear bomb in the palm of his hand.

"Oh, there's no problem at all," Himeko chimed in cheerfully. "If anything, it's not a wolf among sheep—it's a sheep in a tiger's den~"

She cracked open two cans of beer she'd somehow pulled out of nowhere and started chugging one down.

In her mind, she was picturing all those girls at the academy—who'd been stuck together with no boys around for far too long.

If Nagami went there… well, let's just say there wouldn't even be bones left.

Mei, Sirin, and Kiana all seemed to realize something in that moment and turned to stare at Nagami.

Then the two girls' gazes shifted to C.C.

Only Bronya sat quietly, lifting her teacup to her lips.

Her expression was calm and collected as she took a small sip, savoring the gentle warmth and fragrance.

This was turning into quite a show.