Despite suspicions, Bronya complied, descending into the Core's depths for the first time.
There, she encountered the first Herrscher of Reason.
"You're... Welt Joyce. Anti-Entropy's founder. The original Herrscher of Reason."
Her tone held certainty - she'd seen his portraits.
"Correct. By timeline, you must be the third."
"Yes. But Hare said the truth lies here. Where?"
"...Very well. Behold the so-called '30,000 minds.'"
As Joyce gestured, the "minds" appeared - 30,000 identical copies of himself.
Bronya froze. "The '30,000 minds'... are all your creations? No one died in that Honkai outbreak? Not even you?"
"!!!"
"Precisely. We fabricated the entire tragedy - even the Anti-Entropy leadership was fooled."
"But why? If you're alive, why let the world mourn you?"
Bronya's mind reeled. As heir apparent to Anti-Entropy, how could she not know?
"It's... complicated. Even the Overseer was involved. Here - these memories explain everything."
Accepting the memory crystal, Bronya assimilated its contents. The process took time, Joyce waiting patiently on the mental meadow.
When finished, Bronya looked at him with utter bewilderment.
"Senior Joyce... this 'script' of yours is... beyond words."
Rubbing her temples, she couldn't believe the absurd truth. That idiot Kiana was destiny's chosen savior? Where was justice?
"Ahem. Now you understand. Any remaining doubts?"
"...I wonder if that dumb tuna will beat us all up when she finds out."
Bronya could already envision it. Now privy to the script, she'd become another actor in this farce. She pondered where to hide when Kiana became the Herrscher of Finality - only Mei might be spared as her "special friend."
"Who knows? Though I doubt she'd harm Ms. Himeko - she'll probably just cry upon seeing her."
"Enough. According to script, Bronya must now accept these '30,000 minds' to ascend as Truth, correct?"
"Indeed. Though fabricated, their memories reflect real experiences."
As Joyce transferred the minds, Bronya felt unimaginable knowledge flooding her consciousness. The Core's authority underwent metamorphosis until completion.
"A single person's strength may be limited. Thirty minds may lack depth. But now Bronya surpasses all predecessors - the true Herrscher of Reason!"
The triumphant declaration slipped out before she realized Joyce was still present, making her blush fiercely.
"Don't worry. After my Ascension, I spouted plenty of cringey lines too."
Joyce suspected the Core carried some virus - why else would every Reason Herrscher develop eccentricities? His chuunibyou phase, Welt's mecha obsession, now Bronya's gaming addiction. Was sci-fi passion a prerequisite?
"Senior Joyce, Bronya will take her leave now. Thank you for the truth... and please tell Mother, Bronya loves the life she chose."
Bowing, Bronya exited the mental space. Back in reality, her gaze toward Hare turned complicated.
"You... sigh."
"Hehe~ Shouldn't you call me godmother now?"
"Hare! Bronya hasn't fully accepted this! Don't push it!"
Though technically accurate, Bronya couldn't address a near-stranger so intimately.
"Teenage rebellion already? Such an unfilial child, wuwuwu~"
Knowing Bronya was now script-aware, Hare teased mercilessly, making the girl flush but speechless.
"Alright, enough fun. Next battle, I won't hold back - try not to cry."
"Hmph! As Truth, Bronya's the one who shouldn't go easy on you!"