"My Lord Overseer, your black tea."
Just by standing near her, Otto could smell the sweet fragrance that clung to Rita.
Rita curtsied slightly, placing the freshly brewed tea in front of him.
They were in a high-end dessert shop, but the place was empty save for the three of them.
In front of Kiana, who sat opposite Otto, was a dazzling array of desserts.
Otto lifted the teacup, inhaling its aroma. The rich scent of the tea mixed with Rita's own sweet fragrance was intoxicating.
"Why aren't you eating? I thought a cute girl like you would enjoy these things."
Otto took a small sip before setting the cup down and addressing Kiana.
Despite the spread of what looked like incredibly delicious sweets before her, Kiana hadn't touched a single one. She sat stiffly in her chair, a little unused to this kind of atmosphere.
She was a child who was used to running wild.
"Even if someone like you compliments me, it doesn't make me happy," Kiana muttered under her breath.
From the moment they met, this blond villain had been constantly calling her cute.
No one had ever praised her like that before.
"Is that so? I thought you'd like hearing it," Otto chuckled, then continued. "But, you're right. A cute little kitten like you must be tired of such compliments."
Otto was never stingy with his sweet talk.
Because if even a single word got through, he considered it a win.
"I imagine you have many questions for me, but please allow me to handle some work first."
His right index finger traced the smooth surface of the table. Otto turned his head to Rita.
"Rita, when you return, I want you to begin an investigation into the organization known as World Serpent."
"I have a rough grasp on the identities of some of their executives. The underground information broker Gray Serpent, the founder of Shencheng Pharmaceutical Clio—who is Jackal—and the mercenary Raven are all members. You can start by following the lead on Shencheng Pharmaceutical."
This was the advantage of knowing the plot. There was no need to fear World Serpent's schemes from the shadows.
However, Chen Tianwu probably hadn't joined World Serpent yet. After all, he and Ana wouldn't meet until next year.
"Shencheng Pharmaceutical? Isn't that a medical enterprise we have close ties with?" Rita asked, puzzled.
"These days, what pharmaceutical company is truly legitimate? Shencheng is actually a subordinate organization of World Serpent. Some of their patients are used for their human experiments."
"Hmph. Sucking up to me on one hand while wagging its tail for World Serpent in the shadows. What an unscrupulous enterprise."
Since he held the script, he couldn't allow these people to run amok.
Besides, he had a main story mission to capture a core member of World Serpent or Anti-Entropy.
Suddenly, Otto remembered that Raven was a World Serpent executive. He could have completed that mission right then and there.
What a massive loss.
A wave of regret washed over him. Why did he have to act all cool and let her go?
"Right," Otto added, "while you're at it, take a trip to the Far East. ME Corp's Raiden Ryoma should be in prison by now. He's an executive of Anti-Entropy."
"Rita, I want you to rescue Raiden Ryoma."
"Are you trying to extend an olive branch to Anti-Entropy?" Rita guessed. With a mysterious new organization on the scene, was the Overseer worried that Anti-Entropy might stab them in the back while they were dealing with World Serpent?
"No. I want you to imprison Raiden Ryoma here, in Schicksal," Otto stated flatly.
It was always Otto who did the stabbing, never the other way around.
Raiden Ryoma was Raiden Mei's father. If he wanted a Herrscher to join Schicksal, Mei was his top choice.
The system required a Herrscher whose core had awakened. The risks of awakening the Herrscher of Thunder were far lower than those of awakening the Herrscher of the Void.
Because the pufferfish would puff up. She was difficult to control, and might even smash his Soul Steel face in.
Otto had no desire to have his face rearranged by Fu Hua, and even less desire to be choked by the Herrscher of the Void.
And as long as he had Mei's father in his hands...
...there was nothing she could do.
She can just obediently come to Schicksal and make me lunch and dinner!
"Yes, my Lord Overseer. In that case, Rita will return now to handle these matters."
The perceptive maid could see that the Overseer had things to discuss with Kiana, and it was not her place to stay.
"Mm," Otto acknowledged. Rita bowed slightly and departed.
The sweet fragrance was gone. With Rita's departure, Otto let out a breath of relief. Her presence put too much pressure on him. She knew what the original Otto was like, so he had to constantly maintain his disguise.
It was a form of torture.
He turned to Kiana, who had been sitting quietly for some time, and a genuine, relaxed smile spread across his face.
This Paramecium had no idea what the original Otto was like.
So he didn't have to pretend. He could just be himself around her.
"Right, my cute little kitten, I don't believe I've introduced myself."
"My name is Otto Apocalypse."
"M-my name is Kiana Kaslana," Kiana replied.
Otto nodded. "Mm. A beautiful name, very fitting for a cute girl like you. And your white hair is like the purest moonlight."
It was a standard compliment, and Kiana was already getting used to them.
She might even feel a little strange if he didn't say it.
"So, what questions do you have for me? If you're wondering whether I'm a butt man or a breast man, I'm a butt man, by the way," Otto said with a grin. He reached out and pulled a plate of tiramisu from in front of Kiana toward himself.
"I don't want to know that kind of thing!" Kiana said indignantly, subtly clenching her buttocks to keep the blond villain's eyes off them.
"What I want to know is..."
Before she could finish her question, Otto cut in again.
"Are you trying to ask if Siegfried or I am your father?"