Bronya finished reading the Seele doujinshi, her expression as placid as ever. Although the title was "Bronya's Wedding," she actually had very few scenes.
And even when she did appear, it was only as a pitiful wife kept in the dark by her husband and her best friend.
But...
"So, do you believe I'm a Seer now?"
Seeing Bronya's classic "three-no" expression, without even a hint of anger, didn't surprise Otto.
The current Bronya's emotional circuits were damaged. Only after she obtained the Herrscher of Reason's Core and reconstructed them would she be able to show other expressions.
Bronya placed the Seele doujinshi on her lap and shook her head.
"I do not believe you."
"Rather than a Seer, I would find it more believable if you called yourself a Terminator."
Bronya recalled Otto's unyielding, steel neck.
"I suppose you're right." Otto chuckled. Although Bronya wasn't old, having been an assassin since childhood, her mind was the most mature of the original trio.
"It was just a bit boring while waiting for you to wake up."
Young perverts are still browsing lewd apps, while old perverts have already learned to produce their own content.
However, Bronya pulled out a few pages from the stack and said.
"The Cocolia Orphanage is hardly a secret, so it is not unusual for you to know my name and Seele's, or what we look like."
"But... how do you know about this?"
Bronya showed the pages she had pulled out to Otto.
[Bronya is cooking in the kitchen while Seele and Otto are in the living room. But in the next moment, Seele's aura changes. The previously innocent Seele becomes like a succubus.]
[Black Seele.jpg]
Above the head of the Seele shrouded in a pitch-black aura, the name "Black Seele" was thoughtfully annotated.
[Black Seele pulls Otto into Bronya's room, and then they enact a scene of "Black Seele Hero, why are you wearing Bronya's clothes?" and "If you're pursuing thrills, then you should see them through to the end."]
[In the end, Black Seele can't take it anymore and cries out "I'm counting on you, my other self," changing back into White Seele.]
During her time with Seele, Bronya had sensed that there was a Seele who was not Seele.
Because Shin was so traumatized by Black Seele that she developed a psychological shadow, having an extreme reaction at the mere mention of Seele's name, Bronya realized that Seele might have a side she had never seen.
But not even Cocolia knew about this. Bronya had only sensed traces of it. The only one who had witnessed Seele's other side was the withdrawn Shin. So how did this man know?
"Seele Vollerei has a dual personality."
"The Seele you know is only one of her personalities. Her other personality is filled with madness and brutality. I call her Black Seele."
Otto explained.
"But you don't need to worry. Black Seele is extremely doting toward the Seele you know."
"Even in the Sea of Quanta, she is always by Seele's side."
"You know a lot." Bronya looked at Otto. This blond man had an indescribable quality to him. She felt that...
...he was a bit like Cocolia.
"Yes, I know a lot. For example, I know you want to rescue Seele from the Sea of Quanta."
"However, you are destined to fail."
Otto pointed at Bronya.
"And there is only one reason for your failure: you are relying on Cocolia, not on me."
"You do not know how strong Anti-Entropy is," Bronya stated faintly.
"And you do not know the strength of Schicksal."
Otto replied with a smile.
"You are from Schicksal?"
As an external member of Anti-Entropy, Bronya naturally knew of Schicksal.
"Correct. I can help you retrieve Seele. Cocolia might be able to open the gate to the Sea of Quanta, but the one who returns will absolutely not be Seele."
"It will be a vicious turtle, waiting for a chance to escape."
A thousand-year wangba, a ten-thousand-year turtle. One Kevin is equal to five Kamisato Ayakas.
If Kevin were to be released in the current version of the world, no one could stop him.
At that time, once Kevin implemented the Stigma Project, less than one percent of humanity would survive. And the first to be trampled would likely be Schicksal and Otto, who could obstruct his plan.
Therefore, Otto would prevent Kevin's return.
"You want me to betray my former adoptive mother and seek help from someone I've only just met?"
Bronya paid no mind to the turtle Otto mentioned, speaking with cold indifference.
"If I am more useful than Cocolia, there's no reason you can't choose me," Otto said with a smile.
Although Cocolia held a certain place in Bronya's heart, the number one spot undoubtedly belonged to Seele.
"What do you want from me?"
Bronya asked. Every reward has its price tag.
She must have been unconscious for a long time, but she found no signs of having been violated. This meant the man wasn't after her body.
"Your power, your skills, your everything."
"Bronya, I want you to become my subordinate and work for me."
Bronya's outrageous hacking skills could even breach the Schicksal database. In terms of both looks and ability, she was an excellent talent.
And with Seele as leverage, the girl was very easy to control.
Useful and easy to control—with his own foundation still shallow, this was the type of person Otto liked most.
Otto held up two fingers toward Bronya.
"And I guarantee that within two years, you will see Seele."
As he spoke, Otto tossed a cane he had prepared earlier to Bronya.
"If you are willing to swear your allegiance to me, then break this cane."
[Image available here, viewable after update]
---o---
Late at night, Otto was left alone in the empty room.
His right hand stroked the cane resting on his lap.
The cane had not been broken.
Regrettably, he had been dumped by Bronya.
Bronya had not sworn allegiance to Otto. She had more than one option, and Otto's promise was not attractive enough to her.
She wasn't a girl who could be lured away with just a lollipop.
At least for now, Cocolia had not let her down.
Thinking about it, the reason Bronya would later join St. Freya Academy was also under Cocolia's orders to act as a mole.
Otto wasn't too bothered by it. He had just been dumped by a woman, that's all. After being rejected by Bronya, he had let her leave without a fuss.
Men who cling desperately aren't very popular, you know.
If Seele had already been in his hands, the outcome would certainly have been different. Unfortunately, Seele was still in the Sea of Quanta. He could only offer Bronya empty promises, but Cocolia was offering her empty promises as well.
However.
Otto had already achieved his most fundamental goal.
That was to let Bronya know that Cocolia was not her only path.
Otto was Bronya's backup plan.
When Cocolia eventually disappointed Bronya, she would understand who to choose. At that time, he would gain a loyal subordinate.
So now, he had even more reason to...
...trample on Cocolia's arrangements and plans in Nagazora City.