A cold wind slipped through the crack of the open window, making the curtains rustle and dance.
On the large, luxuriously appointed bed, a pair of emerald eyes opened.
Otto sat up, a thin blanket sliding from his frame to reveal large swathes of pale skin.
He stepped onto the floor with bare feet and walked to the window, pulling the curtains wide. His gaze passed through the floor-to-ceiling glass and settled on the sky.
The heavens were still overcast. A torrential rain had fallen throughout the night, only ceasing just before dawn.
Despite the gloom, Otto felt utterly refreshed.
He stood before the glass, looking down upon the city still cloaked in morning shadows, and stretched his arms in a lazy, satisfying arc.
This feeling... it was as if he owned the entire world.
Otto was currently in the penthouse suite of the city's most opulent hotel.
For someone like him, securing such a place required but a single word. Every person here was obligated to bow and scrape before him.
So this is what it tastes like to be the Overseer of Schicksal?
God, this feels amazing.
Bring on more of these decadent, intoxicating days.
A smile touched Otto's lips as he summoned the system interface, ready to see what the daily mission was.
Once he saved up 280 crystals, he could try his luck at the gacha. If he could pull a Herrscher Core, he would have hit the jackpot.
[Daily Mission: Kiss any Valkyrie. Reward: 100 Crystals. Status: Incomplete.]
Right.
So much for a beautiful day. It was over before it even began.
"What is this? Are you kidding me?"
Otto was dumbfounded. Where was he supposed to go to kiss a Valkyrie? Sure, as the Overseer, he could make 180,000 Valkyries offer their lips to him with a single command, but if anyone sensed something was amiss, his comfortable new life would likely come to an end.
"System, get out here. Explain how I'm supposed to complete this. Why is a daily mission this difficult? Is there a bug? Will there be compensation?"
Truthfully, Otto wasn't that concerned. At worst, he'd just skip it; it was only 100 crystals. He was really just calling the system out to see if he could fleece it for something extra.
[Host, please rest assured. All daily missions issued by this system are based on the prerequisite that the Host is capable of completing them.]
The system popped up, its tone as smug as ever.
"Tch."
Otto clicked his tongue. The mission itself was, in fact, rather simple, but the potential cost of completing it was unknowable.
If he wanted to secure his position as the Overseer, it was best not to stir up trouble.
Once his power was consolidated, forget Rita—he'd even have the chance to thoroughly lick Fu Hua's lips.
---o---
Otto turned away from the window. He dressed in a black and white suit, similar in style to Fu Hua's Night Squire battlesuit, and then picked up the communication terminal from the nightstand.
He was now connected to Schicksal's network. Anything he required, he could arrange through the terminal.
Last night, Otto had already contacted headquarters to arrange their accommodations and to prepare a gift for Kiana.
That gift was the prototype 4th-generation Godkiller Armor, [Knight Moonbeam], disguised as the standard-issue [White Comet] battlesuit.
It was a White Comet that could transform into a Knight Moonbeam.
With this armor, even without training, Kiana would be significantly stronger.
He couldn't risk her getting into an accident in Nagazora City. Otto would feel immensely guilty, and more pragmatically, that Judgement of Shamash might be pressed directly against his head next time.
Therefore, he had to be perfectly prepared.
As soon as the armor arrived, he would take Kiana and depart from Italy, heading for Nagazora City.
Otto exited his bedroom and stepped into the gilded, resplendent living room. It was a three-bedroom suite; Otto had taken the master, while Kiana was in another room.
Arriving at Kiana's door, Otto knocked gently.
"My dear little kitten, time to wake up for breakfast~"
He could have gone alone, but he knew if he let this little glutton miss a meal, she would likely raise a fuss.
There was no response. Otto was about to call out again when he noticed that her door was ajar, leaving a small gap.
Does she sleep without closing her door?
Winter was setting in, and a storm had just passed. If one didn't properly close the doors and windows before bed, the frigid night air would surely invade the room.
Otto gently pushed the door open, his gaze slipping through the widening crack.
His eyes immediately fell upon an exquisite pair of buttocks.
Kiana was lying on her side, dressed in a pink, gossamer nightgown provided by the hotel. She was fast asleep with her back to the door, completely without a shred of defensiveness.
She hadn't even pulled the blanket over herself.
Otto sighed in exasperation. If Kiana caught a cold, he'd miss his chance to win Mei over right in front of her.
He pushed the door fully open, preparing to call out loudly and wake her.
However, his eyes were inevitably drawn to her delicate form. Her reclining body traced a breathtaking curve.
Otto's breath caught in his throat, his gaze captivated.
He had never seen Kiana like this.
Because Mihoyo would never dare to release this skin.
Without realizing it, Otto found himself standing beside her bed.
Kiana lay on her side, her long white hair fanned out across the pillow like a blossoming, pure-white flower. Her eyes were closed, her nose was perfectly sculpted, and her cherry lips were moist and vivid. Her dreamlike face was like snow and jade, a masterpiece crafted by the Creator's own hands.
Her waist was so slender it seemed it would break with a single grasp. Her skin was like cream, her collarbones delicate. Her long, graceful legs were crossed, and her exquisite feet were curled slightly, her toes like translucent crystals.
Otto felt his heart hammering against his ribs, threatening to burst from his chest.
He found it impossible to tear his eyes away.
Perhaps it was a demon whispering temptations in his mind. Staring at the sleeping Kiana, Otto took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Then, he lowered his head.
And captured her lips with his own.
[Daily Mission: Kiss any Valkyrie]
[Status: Complete]
[Mission Rating: A]
[Mission Notes: Stealing a kiss from a girl who is pretending to be asleep is not befitting of a gentleman.]
[Mission Reward: 100 Crystals]
[Friendship Points +300 (Current: 350)]
The friendship points had surged, but Otto had already forgotten about them.
His entire focus was on that one phrase: "pretending to be asleep"?
Otto opened his eyes. He could see that Kiana's eyes were still shut, but her eyelashes, thin as a cicada's wings, were trembling ever so slightly.
She was feigning sleep.
If she didn't, the situation would become awkward for both of them. It would be an incident impossible to ignore, and a shadow of embarrassment would forever hang over their interactions.
Therefore, the best choice was for Kiana to pretend to be asleep, and for both of them to pretend this never happened.
Otto's lips parted from hers by a hair's breadth.
He inhaled softly, studying her stunningly beautiful face.
Then he captured her lips again, nipping gently at the tempting softness, taking what he wanted with a hint of greed.
Just let me...
Push my luck a little.