"Aren't you guys going to add some thermostat equipment?" Ryn asked, looking at Kiana, Bronya, and Mei, who had remained behind.
Kiana placed her hands on her hips, a brilliant smile on her face. "Who are you looking down on? I am Kiana Kaslana. This temperature is nothing. It could be thousands of degrees colder and I'd still be fine!"
"Idiot… If the temperature were thousands of degrees lower, the Bronya thinks Kiana would have frozen to death and started hallucinating." Bronya deadpanned at Kiana, then said to Ryn, "An appropriate level of cold can force one to remain calm, which is more conducive to the Bronya's mission."
"Mm, I think the same as Bronya. Pushing yourself appropriately can stimulate greater potential," Mei nodded, fully agreeing with Bronya's statement.
A master of swordsmanship is a person of perseverance. Practicing thousands upon thousands of suburi every day is not only to hone one's sword skills but also to temper one's will.
Moreover, the Plasma Kagehide her father gave her was renowned for its ultra-low temperatures. How could one understand its true meaning without personally experiencing severe cold?
"There are many ways to tap into one's potential. Using self-harm to do so is the most foolish method in my opinion."
Ryn waved his hand, passed through the boundary, and took out a snow-white, all-fleece cape from the Stigmata Space.
"Bronya says that, but she's still wearing a lot of clothes. Mei, relying on just Valkyrie Bladestrike will still be very cold."
"This… wouldn't be right, would it?"
Mei looked at the cape in Ryn's hand with some hesitation. Although the style was very beautiful and it looked very warm, if she was the only one wearing it, would the others have opinions?
"What's not right about it? You won't be needed on the battlefield in a bit. You're just observing from a close distance to gain experience. What's wrong with dressing warmly?"
Seeing that Mei seemed reluctant, Ryn took the initiative to drape it over her shoulders and tie it for her.
"Well… okay then." Mei's face was flushed as she held the cape at her collar. It was unclear if it was because the cape was warm or because she was shy from Ryn's actions.
Mei reached out her slender hand and pinched the flesh at Ryn's waist. "You idiot, you're making me so embarrassed…"
"Staying warm is what's most important."
"Um… actually, I'm very cold too…" Kiana looked at Ryn with pleading eyes, her body fidgeting as she spoke in a voice as soft as a mosquito's.
"A Herrscher can do anything. Cold doesn't exist."
Bronya calmly repeated Kiana's earlier boastful words. Saying it at this time was just to mock Kiana's shamelessness.
"Bro! Nya! Za! Ychik!" Kiana shouted Bronya's name, both shy and angry.
"Ooh-la-la, Bronya Bronya~ Bronya isn't cold!" Bronya looked at Kiana with disdain and said cheekily.
Kiana was so angry with Bronya that she stomped her feet.
Ryn and Mei watched the two jesters start their antics again, the corners of their mouths turning up involuntarily.
Ryn took out another starry-sky purple cape and a sea-blue cape from the Stigmata Space. He handed the sea-blue one to Mei and kept the starry-sky purple one in his own hands.
The two were trading insults, then started to expose each other's old secrets, getting really into their argument.
Kiana suddenly fell silent, because she felt a cape being draped over her back.
It was very warm…
But what was even warmer was this gesture of affection from her lover, even though she had asked for it.
Ryn draped the cape over Kiana from behind and tied the straps for her.
After it was tied, Kiana held Ryn's hand, not letting go. Ryn took the opportunity to hug Kiana, resting his head on her shoulder, his face affectionately pressed against hers.
Seeing Ryn and Kiana being so intimate, Bronya couldn't help but feel a pang of sourness in her heart. She missed Seele.
"Bronya, you get one too."
Mei rubbed Bronya's head, unfolded the cape Ryn had given her, and gently draped it over Bronya.
Bronya looked at Mei, who was seriously tying the cape for her. After a brief silence, she hugged Mei tightly.
"Wuwuwu… Big Sis Mei is the best."
"There, there. We're all family. How could we leave you out!"
Mei hugged Bronya, stroking her head to comfort her.
"Gulp…" Kiana sucked in a breath, her cheeks puffed out. Her once happy and sweet eyes instantly turned resentful, staring glumly at Bronya in Mei's arms.
Ryn sniffed the air, then asked Kiana, "Kiana, how long has it been since you showered?"
"Huh? I took one before coming out, what's wrong? Did I get something stinky on me?" Kiana sniffed her left sleeve, then her right, but found no smell.
"Sniff carefully again, it's starting to get a bit sour. A sour, stinky smell."
"How can that be? There isn't any?!" Kiana, in disbelief, took two deep breaths of air to clear her nose, then sniffed her clothes again. Still, she smelled nothing.
Looking up and seeing Ryn looking at her with a wide smile, Kiana immediately understood that he was teasing her again.
Kiana angrily patted Ryn. "You're just talking nonsense. How could a beautiful girl like me stink!"
"Because the smell isn't on your clothes, of course you can't smell it~"
Ryn lowered his head and sniffed delicately at Kiana's white neck, inhaling the youthful fragrance unique to a young girl.
"Look at this, this pervasive sour smell of envy, jealousy, and hate. Kiana 'Vinegar Jar' Kaslana, you little vinegar jar, you can really get jealous over anything, can't you~"
"Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!" Kiana huffed three times, then angrily stomped on Ryn's foot. Ryn yelped in pain and hopped around, clutching his foot.
In the past, she had thrown all her negative emotions like anger and sadness to Sirin, creating an extremely emotional Sirin. Now, Kiana and Sirin had made a pact. She would bravely accept everything and no longer be a coward who sealed her pain deep in her memories and threw it to Sirin.
So what if she was a little more prone to jealousy!
Kiana stood with her hands on her hips, full of self-righteousness, and tugged on Ryn's ear, telling him, "I'm not only jealous of Mei, I'll be jealous of you too. If I find out you've been messing with some other girl I don't know, just see if I don't squeeze you dry until you can't even get out of bed!"
The angry Kiana's eyes were fierce and sharp, her brows furrowed. Anyone could feel her powerful aura. But paired with her baby-fat, rosy little face, Kiana's aura instantly shifted from imposing to cute… like an angry, fluffed-up, adorable little kitten. No matter how angry she got, she still looked cute.
Ryn wrapped his arms around the waist of the fluffed-up Kitty Kiana, lifted the suspended Kiana, spun around twice, and then happily kissed her little face several times.
"Although this feels like a reward for me, since Kiana has said so, I will definitely not mess with any girls Kiana doesn't know in the future."