Morning came, and Otto awoke on the sofa.
He had to admit, the sofas in high-end hotels were remarkably comfortable. As for why he wasn't sleeping in the bed, that depended on whether Kiana was willing to share it with him.
And for now, at least, it seemed Kiana was not.
(My wife.jpg)
But Otto wouldn't force the issue. After all, his body was currently made of Soul Steel.
However, the main mission reward from the System included a physical body, and Otto was determined to get it.
If he failed, he would be turned into a female Otto.
Lying on the sofa and staring at the ceiling, Otto looked at the system panel.
Yesterday's daily mission was complete. He now had 220 crystals and 400 friendship points. Kiana scrubbing his back yesterday had earned him a direct two hundred friendship points.
But the friendship points weren't that important. Otto felt the best things in the System's prize pool were Herrscher Cores and Stigmata. Pulling a Herrscher Core would be a massive win.
A curious thought suddenly struck him.
What if... what if he pulled the Herrscher of the Void or the Herrscher of Sentience?
How exactly would the System deliver that?
(The Queen.jpg)
The System's unreliability gave Otto a slight headache, but he still turned his attention to the newly updated daily missions. For now, he could only rely on it.
[Kiss a Valkyrie. Reward: 100 Crystals. Status: Unfinished.]
Alright then.
Otto sat bolt upright. It wasn't that he wanted to do something mischievous; his hand—or rather, his mouth—was being forced.
He prepared to complete the mission with Kiana. Most of his missions had been completed on her, after all.
Kiana truly was his sweet, considerate girl.
His feet touched the floor as he skillfully approached the sleeping Kiana on the bed. He wasn't taking advantage of her; Otto felt that Kiana was quite close to him now, and besides him, she would likely never look at another man.
He couldn't possibly let Kiana live like a widow, could he?
Otto had become the very hypocrite he despised, justifying his actions after the fact.
But perhaps all people were prone to such double standards.
Arriving at Kiana's bedside, Otto looked at her sleeping face and expertly lowered his head. There was no sense of unease; this was hardly his first time.
However, just as he leaned down, a pair of azure-blue eyes fluttered open.
Kiana stared at Otto, who was mere inches away.
The atmosphere in the room instantly froze with awkwardness.
Otto's movements stiffened. Why did she have to wake up at this exact moment? If she had woken up while he was kissing her, she definitely would have pretended to still be asleep.
Fortunately, he managed to flash a smile.
"Time to get up for breakfast."
With that, Otto straightened up, acting as if his only intention had been to wake Kiana for their meal.
Kiana nodded blankly, still looking half-asleep. But the moment Otto turned his back, she bared her teeth in a silent snarl.
You've got to be kidding me. Trying to steal a kiss again!
Kiana was like a little kitten with its claws out, though she didn't dare swipe at Otto. If she hadn't woken up, she would have been kissed again for sure.
But look at him playing dumb... he seems so practiced. Just how many times has he stolen a kiss from me!?
Kiana rolled over, hugging the blanket and burying her face in it. She was still a young woman with absolutely no experience in love, yet her lips had been claimed by a man multiple times.
This guy is so bad.
Does he want to kiss me that much?
A trace of confusion surfaced in Kiana's heart, but she shook her head and grabbed the phone from her bedside table, trying to distract herself.
She saw several messages, all from Asakura Miyuki.
She's inviting me out again?
Kiana looked at the messages, then turned her head to look at Otto, who was tidying his clothes.
"Otto, Asakura-san wants to hang out with me again..."
Hearing this, Otto turned to look at her. Being invited out two days in a row—was this how girls socialized?
Otto wasn't a girl, so he didn't really know. He thought for a moment before asking tentatively, "Could it be that she likes you? Careful, she might confess."
Otto smiled as he said this, probing Kiana's attitude towards Asakura Miyuki. If any undesirable situation were to arise, he would have to nip it in the bud.
Even the Cook is hidden away in my gilded cage. You think I can't handle a single high school girl?
"No way," Kiana said, hugging her blanket. She looked at Otto.
"Once you're done with your business, we'll be leaving here, right?"
She knew very well that one day she would have to leave Nagazora and part ways with Asakura Miyuki, a friend she had only just made.
Then, as time went on, they would eventually lose contact.
Ultimately, she and Asakura Miyuki were from different worlds.
Otto nodded. He could see that Kiana had no romantic interest in Asakura Miyuki, but was instead feeling a little sad about the prospect of separation.
After all, Siegfried had left Kiana without saying a single word.
This was one of the reasons Otto disliked Siegfried. It was one thing to leave, but why not say something? Why not keep in touch? It had made Kiana somewhat sensitive when it came to interpersonal relationships.
Although Siegfried protected Kiana from the shadows, he had ignored the psychological harm he had caused her.
Sometimes, emotional wounds hurt far more than physical ones.
"Even if she's not here, I will be with you," Otto said softly, as if stating the most natural thing in the world.
Hearing his words, Kiana's heart skipped a beat. She clutched the blanket even tighter.
She quickly controlled her expression, but she couldn't stop her heart from racing.
Kiana could only manage a sly smile and, feigning composure, replied, "Could it be... you're pursuing me?"
"Sorry, my heart did race for a second, but after thinking about it calmly, it's definitely impossible for us."
She said it with a light, joking tone. Otto, in turn, put on a melodramatic pout and said, "Oh dear, I've been rejected again."
Having brushed past the moment, Kiana got out of bed and looked at Otto.
"So, should I go hang out with her again?"
"Go on, go on. Stay safe." Now that he knew Kiana wasn't interested in Asakura Miyuki, Otto had no intention of stopping her.
"Are you still going to deal with that girl, Raiden Mei? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Not making trouble for me is the biggest help you can offer.
Otto shook his head. "The situation is good right now. The suspension of classes at Senba Academy is a fortunate turn of events. Raiden Mei has the Gem of Conquest inside her, and although it hasn't caused problems in the past..."
"After her father's imprisonment, various negative emotions have caused the Gem of Conquest to begin its initial awakening."
"This could cause contamination to the surrounding area."
"Thankfully, with Senba Academy closed, no innocent girls will be eroded by the leaking Honkai energy," Otto explained with a smile.
Kiana asked curiously, "What would happen if someone got contaminated?"
Otto thought for a moment and chose to give an example.
"A well-behaved young lady might turn into a deformed monster that has lost her sense of self, eventually becoming a Deadwalker."
If it were severe, she could even transform into a pseudo-Herrscher.
"But that won't be happening now."