Click.
The instant Fu Li's hand was grasped, the sound of a pistol's safety being disengaged echoed, followed by a slightly hoarse voice.
"Hey there, my little sniper. If you don't want to get hurt, I'd advise you to let him go."
The air fell silent. Fu Li remained quiet, simply gazing at Bronya with a gentle expression.
"You… how do you know my name?" Bronya ignored the woman, her eyes fixed deadly on Fu Li.
"Colonel Alexei Zaychik and Madam Alexandra are your parents. My family and yours were once acquaintances."
"This is an orphanage, Bronya. Relax. No one here will harm you, and no one will force you to do anything."
Fu Li gave the woman a slight nod, indicating he was fine, before speaking the two names he remembered from the manga.
Upon hearing those names, Cocolia's expression turned to one of surprise, and she slowly lowered her gun.
Colonel Alexei had been her former superior. During the Second Honkai Eruption, she had fled with Bronya's mother. Later, Madam Alexandra had also passed away due to other circumstances, and the whereabouts of her daughter remained unknown. She never expected to meet her again here.
"My mother? And my father?" Bronya was bewildered. Vaguely, two indistinct faces were dredged up from the depths of her memory.
But the faces were incredibly blurry, like a phantom mist, impossible to see clearly.
The hand gripping Fu Li's arm slowly fell away. Seeing the tension ease between the two, Cocolia gave Fu Li a meaningful glance before quietly leaving the room.
However, what Cocolia—that master of infighting—never expected was that the moment she left, an imperceptible, cold glint flashed through Fu Li's eyes.
From any angle, Cocolia was not a good person.
But it was undeniable that this was a short-term simulation, and he couldn't remain here for long. The children's future survival still depended on Cocolia.
It seems I need to devise a solution that's as close to perfect as possible.
Pushing the thoughts aside, Fu Li maintained his gentle, harmless demeanor. He brought the bowl of beetroot soup and the loaf of dalieba from the table over to Bronya.
"You should eat first. Afterwards, I'll take you to your room. From now on, you can call me 'Big Brother', or you can call that person…"
Fu Li paused, a light chuckle escaping him after a long moment.
"You can call her 'Mother,' but don't trust her completely. While I can't guarantee much else, I can promise you this: you won't have to set foot on a battlefield again."
"I… won't have to go to the battlefield anymore?"
Bronya lowered her head. A flicker of emotion she herself couldn't perceive flashed in her vacant eyes. Gazing at the steaming beetroot soup, she picked up a spoon and took a small sip.
A hint of sweetness within the sour taste. It was far more delicious than compressed biscuits.
As she savored the meal, Bronya's gaze unintentionally drifted to the window. She saw an adorable little girl hiding behind it, peeking at her cautiously.
Perhaps sensing she'd been spotted, the little girl instantly ducked her head back, only to peek out again a moment later, just like a shy little rabbit.
"Who is she?" Bronya, who usually focused solely on her food, asked.
Fu Li answered with a soft laugh.
"Her name is Seele. She's a very sweet girl, and her room is right next to yours. Don't worry, you two will become great friends."
"Is that so?"
Bronya nodded, though she seemed rather indifferent.
Could she, the one known as the "Ural Silver Wolf," truly get along with a girl who was like a timid rabbit?
---o---
[After that, Bronya integrated into Cocolia's Orphanage with surprising ease.]
[Perhaps it was Bronya's resilient personality that attracted Seele. The two, whose natures seemed initially incompatible, quickly became good friends.]
[As a member of Anti-Entropy, Cocolia was naturally busy, and so the task of caring for the children fell to you.]
[You had no objections to this; in fact, you found a certain joy in it.]
[One day, Cocolia left the orphanage on official business. A group of ignorant thugs broke in, intending to kidnap Seele.]
"Bronya, as the Ural Silver Wolf, you haven't forgotten how to use a gun, have you?"
"Heh. Of course not, Brother Amon."
Bronya accepted the gleaming silver Desert Eagle, a smile gracing her lips at the familiar sensation.
She glanced at the trembling Seele and the other children behind her, then declared with confidence, "Leave this to me. Don't underestimate me. I learned how to hold a gun before I learned how to hold a fork."
"Good."
Fu Li didn't hesitate. With a soft chuckle, he immediately pushed the door open and charged out.
Back then, he had managed to kill a Valkyrie in the body of an eight-year-old. A few Russian mercenaries? This would be a slaughter.
Thump… thump… thump…
As professional mercenaries, their footsteps were exceptionally light. Even a seasoned veteran might not have heard them, but for Fu Li, it was a different matter entirely.
Sixteen people.
From the sound of their footsteps alone, Fu Li could easily determine their number. He raised his pistol, aiming at the corner as if he had a wallhack.
The first second: a gun barrel appeared from around the corner. The moment a masked mercenary poked his head out, a bullet whistled through his eye socket.
"Dammit! Enemy contact! They've found us!"
"Joseph, Santa Claus, take four men and grab the target! The rest of us will handle this!"
"Yes, understood!"
The deafening report of gunfire echoed throughout the orphanage, igniting the powder keg of fear. Panic exploded and spread through the air.
In a hidden classroom, Bronya gently patted a trembling Seele, clutching her pistol as she hid among the children.
According to Brother Amon, their target was Seele.
Therefore, she was certain that when the intruders saw them all huddled together, they wouldn't dare to open fire indiscriminately. And if she hid within the crowd, she was confident she could kill the kidnappers with a single shot the moment they dropped their guard.
The intense firefight raged on. Within five short minutes, six of the eleven mercenaries tasked with clearing the defenses were dead—and that was with Fu Li holding back.
"What a bunch of weaklings."
Reloading his magazine, Fu Li spotted the group of four attempting to sneak away to grab the target. He raised his arm and fired four shots. Four headshots.
Deciding enough time had passed, Fu Li stopped holding back. Exploiting his familiarity with the environment, he quickly eliminated the remaining assailants.
Of course, a skilled hunter always leaves one useful pawn alive.
Looking down at the fallen mercenary captain, Fu Li felt no shred of pity. He inserted his fingers into her mouth, pressed down on the warm underside of her tongue, and gently pushed against a cute canine tooth.
With a slight application of force, he easily dislodged the poison-laced tooth. Fu Li looked at the woman, her eyes filled with despair, and offered a gentle smile.
"You're the leader of this team, aren't you? Now, would you be so kind as to tell me who your employer is?"
"Trust me. If you don't, I guarantee you will experience the greatest despair of your life."