"The Cocolia Orphanage, to actually use your own name for your orphanage, is truly condescending. Witch. Isn't this telling everyone that you established this orphanage?"
Inaba Tsukiyo, brought to Cocolia Orphanage, sat on the bed, her back to Cocolia, who was leaning against the wall, and said.
"Isn't that good? An orphanage established by a Witch; if anyone wants to cause trouble, they will surely face utter destruction. I believe those people shouldn't look for trouble for themselves."
"Hehe, who knows. Maybe some fool looking for death will appear very soon."
Watching Bronya lying on the bed and listening to her steady breathing, Inaba Tsukiyo calmed down.
"Is this your objective? To exploit the deepest desires of displaced children, using emotions to make them obey you? Truly befitting a Witch, you certainly know how to control people's hearts."
"I've really been thoroughly misunderstood. No mother in the world would cruelly treat her daughter. Just like the name of this orphanage, the children living here are all my children. I... am their mother."
"Is that so? Preparing to take in young girls, I almost thought you had a loli complex. An old woman who doesn't even know her age, is it because no one wants her that she chooses to adopt orphans who lost their families due to Honkai?"
"You child... you're really unlikable. Even if I'm no longer young, I'm still a beauty. Isn't it too much for you to speak to me like that?"
The address "old woman" caused many hash marks to appear above Cocolia's head. It was the first time she had heard anyone call her that.
However, Inaba Tsukiyo wasn't wrong; she had indeed never been in a relationship. Of course, she didn't have the time for such things; she had grand ideals to accomplish, no time to waste.
"Beauty? I'm sorry, in my eyes, everyone is pretty much the same. Only the voice is a little different."
Completely unaware of any fault in her words, Inaba Tsukiyo said calmly after replacing Bronya's towel.
"You child... could it be..."
Inaba Tsukiyo's words made Cocolia begin to notice the unusual aspects of Inaba Tsukiyo.
Although she had opened her eyes during the battle, her eyes were almost always closed at other times. Even when she did open her eyes, they lacked any luster, as if... "That's right, I can't see. Is there a problem with that? In contrast, my ears are very sensitive; you don't need to worry."
Inaba Tsukiyo did not tell Cocolia about her acute five senses, but rather used her keen hearing as an excuse.
The room fell into a brief silence. Cocolia leaned against the wall, quietly watching Inaba Tsukiyo continuously replace Bronya's wet towel.
From the information she had, Inaba Tsukiyo and Bronya must have taken care of each other in the army, with the older Inaba Tsukiyo looking after Bronya.
Although she couldn't see anything, from Inaba Tsukiyo's combat, Cocolia understood that she was definitely a rare fighting force. Even if she still held a slight hostility towards her, it was only due to the unpleasantness of the battle just now.
The reason Inaba Tsukiyo came to assassinate her was simply a military order.
Aside from Inaba Tsukiyo's orders, there was no hatred between Inaba Tsukiyo and Cocolia.
Of course, this excludes the detail of Cocolia knocking Bronya unconscious.
"Hey... how about you stay? With your strength, you can protect yourself even if you don't stay in the army. Your purpose in staying there is just to protect this Little sniper, right?"
"...What if it is? What if I'm in the army? As long as my influence grows a little more, I can get her out of the battlefield. If I just try a little harder, then..."
"Are you deceiving yourself? I don't believe that with your abilities, you wouldn't see the true intentions of those in the military. As your influence grows, you will only become a threat to them. Even if you don't have such intentions, those officers with persecution complex won't let you continue to develop. To get rid of you, using those closest to you as a threat is also an effective method."
Although cruel, this was reality, an undeniable reality.
The military had always only been using Inaba Tsukiyo, treating Inaba Tsukiyo as a tool, as their accomplice in assassinations.
When they no longer needed this tool, they could discard Inaba Tsukiyo without hesitation, and even eliminate Inaba Tsukiyo as a threat.
Cocolia herself was a person in power, and she naturally understood the thoughts of those in the military, but she didn't believe Inaba Tsukiyo couldn't understand.
Inaba Tsukiyo did not refute. Cocolia was right; those in the military would definitely do that.
The atmosphere in the room became somewhat oppressive. Inaba Tsukiyo slightly opened her eyes, and the room temperature suddenly began to drop.
Even though it was snowing heavily outside, they were indoors, in a warm indoor setting, yet Cocolia felt as if she were outside, extremely cold.
This situation came suddenly and disappeared just as quickly.
Inaba Tsukiyo sighed helplessly, reaching out to touch Bronya's hair. In this world, the only person she had an intimate relationship with was her.
"...What do you want me to do? I can help you, but you must protect Bronya. If she has any problems in this orphanage, then... I might just bloodbath this orphanage. I mean it."
Suddenly, Inaba Tsukiyo's crimson pupils glowed with an eerie blue. The moment these blue pupils appeared, Cocolia's entire body stiffened. This was more dangerous than her closest brush with death.
'What kind of monster is this? Is she born from a combination of human genes and Honkai Beast genes?'
She looked so petite, yet she brought such an intense sense of threat. Even those Honkai Beasts couldn't do that.
"As long as you are in this orphanage, everyone is a companion. And... I don't need you to do anything. Is this Little sniper's name Bronya? A very good name. Just become my daughter, like everyone else in the orphanage. How about it? No need to pick up weapons and fight; just live well here."
"...Become your daughter? Although I am not Russian, are you underestimating me and Bronya, who have lived here? Cocolia."
Turning around, Inaba Tsukiyo, with her eyes open, looked at Cocolia.
"Don't underestimate the children of this country, and don't underestimate the child soldiers of this country. Before they learned to hold a fork, they already knew how to hold a gun. Do you think we, like this, can still live like ordinary people?"
"Or do you want us to become hothouse flowers, dying in the Honkai crisis when the Honkai descends?"
This world is not gentle at all. People without ability cannot even control their own destiny. Inaba Tsukiyo understood this clearly after learning about the existence of Honkai.
Therefore, during the process of protecting Bronya, Inaba Tsukiyo did not give up on training Bronya.
Excessive protection is merely doting. To ensure she possesses the strength to protect herself, Inaba Tsukiyo will let her fight, even if it means her hands are stained with blood they shouldn't be.
"You... see things very clearly. Even if you have such thoughts, it doesn't prevent you from becoming a member of Cocolia. I believe I can bring you a better life. I won't force you to do things you don't want to do. In this war-torn Siberian wilderness, I can give you a truly warm home."
Inaba Tsukiyo carefully observed Cocolia's emotions, trying to detect any possibility of her lying from her heartbeat or other reactions.
But unfortunately, Cocolia's words contained no lies, no falsehood.
This made Inaba Tsukiyo a little confused. She increasingly couldn't understand what kind of existence this Cocolia, who was called a witch, truly was.
Originally, she thought Cocolia merely wanted to bind the girls of the orphanage through familial affection, but now it seemed she really was, as she claimed, only trying to save more girls.
"...I can't decide on this matter. When Bronya wakes up, you can ask her then. All this time, besides me, her older sister, Bronya has only had those superiors called 'masters.' If you can give her true warmth and make her willingly become your child, I... have no objections."
Bronya's life should be her own to lead; Inaba Tsukiyo had no right to control her.
"Then..."
"I don't trust you, Cocolia. Between you and me, it can only be a cooperative relationship. In this world, besides Bronya, whom I would absolutely never harm, I will not trust anyone else. Unnecessary emotions will only make one's actions hesitant. Trust is built up over time. Or do you think your thoughts are as pure as Bronya's?"
Adults' minds are very complex. To make Inaba Tsukiyo trust her, she would at least need to do something. To expect her to trust her with just a few words? Is she joking?
"...I understand. I will make you trust me. For a teenager like you, though it's a bit tough, I understand your behavior."
"Adolescence is long gone. Instead, I'm starting to wonder if you've hit menopause. Or perhaps it's because of your age that you're so fond of nagging."
"What an unlikable child. Listen, I am a peerlessly beautiful woman. Although I am no longer a young girl, I can definitely be called a beauty!"
"What's the use of good maintenance? The issue of age can never be hidden. Do you have the guts to tell me your real age? If you're around twenty or thirty, it's not a problem for me to call you 'mother.' However, if you're already around fifty, sixty, or seventy, I think I'd better call you 'grandmother.'"
"How rude! Don't you know that for girls, age is a topic that shouldn't be asked about?"
"That's just an answer for men. Or is your age such that you can't even tell a 'little' one like me?"
"...Has anyone ever told you that your personality is very nasty?"
"Oh? No one has ever said that to me. Sounds good, say it again."
"I wasn't complimenting you!"
Inaba Tsukiyo and Cocolia bickered back and forth. As they talked, the door to the room quietly opened a crack.
Through it, a pair of azure eyes watched them.
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