"A place to belong?"
Kiana had felt a small spark of happiness when Otto mentioned a gift. After all, who doesn't like free things?
However, if it was something too valuable, she would have to refuse.
"This young lady doesn't need—"
"You do. Aren't you looking for Siegfried precisely because you're searching for your place to belong?"
She was cut off before she could finish.
This man really loved to interrupt.
"Though, perhaps you are right. Perhaps you don't need it. But that place... is a place where Siegfried once stayed."
"If you keep searching aimlessly like this, I guarantee you will never find him."
That was because Siegfried was deliberately avoiding Kiana.
Just as you can never wake a person pretending to be asleep, you can never find a person who is deliberately hiding from you.
"If I can't find him in a year, this young lady will spend ten years, or even twenty!"
But Kiana wasn't one to give up so easily.
Watching the resolute girl, Otto took a sip of his tea.
My dear Paramecium, he thought, once you get to St. Freya Academy, you'll find a new home and forget all about Siegfried.
Even though Kiana would later make a promise with Theresa—that she could go see Siegfried once she became a full-fledged Valkyrie—she ended up failing almost every subject at the academy. It was obvious that finding Siegfried was no longer her top priority.
Affections can shift.
"Siegfried is a wanderer. For all you know, he's currently enjoying the warm embrace of some woman."
Otto casually slandered Siegfried. At his words, a vein throbbed on Kiana's temple. In her memory, her good-for-nothing old man had always been a bit unreliable.
"He isn't the type to stay in one place for long. Finding him could take you more than a decade."
"However, I can offer you a shortcut."
"I can help you find your father."
---o---
Kiana held her fork in her mouth, staring at Otto.
"So, what's the price? Don't tell me you want me to be your girlfriend?"
She crossed her arms defensively over her chest, a look of disgust on her face. If he was really going to blackmail her like that, she genuinely didn't know if she should agree.
He looked exactly like the type of person who would take advantage of someone's predicament.
Otto shook his head, not stating his demand just yet.
"Do you know what Honkai is?"
Kiana nodded. Siegfried had taught her about the Honkai and how to fight Honkai Beasts.
She was initially surprised he knew about it, but then she remembered he knew her father, so it was perfectly normal for him to know about the Honkai as well.
"Then do you know of Schicksal?"
Kiana shook her head.
"Schicksal is the organization that fights against the Honkai. I can help you find Siegfried, but in return, I need you to join Schicksal and become a Valkyrie."
"The moment you become an S-rank Valkyrie, I will let you see Siegfried."
"Trust me," Otto said, his voice brimming with confidence. If he, the Overseer, didn't sound self-assured, how could he possibly fool Kiana? "Schicksal is capable of anything."
"An S-rank Valkyrie?"
Kiana was skeptical. She worried that Otto was setting an almost impossible condition, like a crooked mine boss trying to tie her down forever.
"The woman from earlier, Rita, is an S-rank Valkyrie. She's eighteen this year."
Rita was born in 1995. The current year was 2013, making her exactly eighteen.
The prime of a woman's life.
She became an S-rank Valkyrie at eighteen? Then it should be a piece of cake for this young lady!
"Furthermore, the benefits for official Valkyries are excellent. The basic monthly salary is about this much."
Otto gestured a number with his hands. Kiana's eyes went wide. Having traveled and worked odd jobs for so long, she understood the allure of that figure.
This was an incredible display of wealth.
With that much money, this young lady could buy anything she wants!
"And that's just the monthly pay. We also have year-end bonuses, performance awards, and other incentives, as well as rotating holidays."
"Oh, and by the way, your father used to be a member of Schicksal. His rank was also S-rank."
"My dad was a Valkyrie!?" Kiana exclaimed in shock.
Otto raised an eyebrow. He suspected Kiana's brain wasn't wired quite right, but he didn't dwell on the topic.
"So, my dear little kitten, I hope you'll consider it. I promise, the day after you become an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, you will see your father."
And since I'm the Overseer, Otto thought, as long as I don't give the nod, Kiana can never become an S-rank Valkyrie.
The plan was to trick her into joining Schicksal first. Once she was in, leaving wouldn't be so easy.
Kiana fiddled with her braided hair. She finally had a real lead on her good-for-nothing old man, and honestly, she didn't want to let it go.
A Valkyrie of Schicksal, huh?
After some deliberation, Kiana spoke.
"Can I use the restroom first?"
After eating so many sweets and with her mind in turmoil, she needed a moment alone.
"Be my guest. I look forward to your answer."
Otto agreed readily. He wasn't the type to pressure a girl.
The bait was set. All he had to do was wait for the fish to bite.
Kiana wouldn't refuse him. He had given a clear direction to her aimless quest.
Otto watched Kiana's back as she hurried to the restroom. He had to admit, she had an exceptionally fine posterior.
---o---
Once Kiana was out of sight, Otto's gaze returned, and a smile crept onto his face.
As long as the protagonist, Kiana, was on his side, his own safety would be more or less guaranteed. He wouldn't have to worry about her turning into the Herrscher of the Void or the Herrscher of Flamescion and coming to kill him.
After securing Kiana, his next target would be Raiden Mei.
As for Bronya, she was far more dangerous than Kiana and Mei. She was a member of Anti-Entropy; recruiting her might mean bringing in a spy.
But, Otto knew Bronya's weakness.
As long as he grasped Bronya's weakness, he could make her breathlessly cry out "Lord Overseer."
"My luck is turning for the better."
Gathering the main trio was only a matter of time. After that, if he kept Fu Hua happy and comfortable, he wouldn't have to worry about his life being in danger at all.
Even if Kevin managed to escape the Sea of Quanta, he would have to think twice before making a move.
Otto almost laughed out loud.
But in the next moment, his smile froze.
A broad back blocked the light, casting a shadow over Otto.
It was a one-armed man with white hair.
He stood before Otto, his azure eyes looking down on him from above.
Then, he sat down in the chair Kiana had just vacated.
He raised his hand.
Two handguns were slammed onto the table.
Otto stared at the two pistols on the table. He recognized the man who had suddenly appeared, and he recognized the two seemingly ordinary handguns.
They were... the Judgement of Shamash.