Yunduo took the little girl with light blue hair to her bedroom.
Looking closely, the conditions in the bedroom were unexpectedly good.
It was a single bedroom with air conditioning, a desk lamp, and a Homu plushie.
Compared to those university dormitories in Shenzhou, it was several grades higher.
"Hello~ Is your name... Hoshino Kotone?"
Yunduo called out the blue-haired girl's name. In front of her, the child didn't say a word.
According to Theresa's information, this child was from Mei's side. Her parents had died to a Honkai Beast, and she was later taken in by a Schicksal Valkyrie Squad.
Perhaps because she witnessed the tragedy of her parents' deaths, her personality was a bit awkward.
She would do many chores in the squad and often ask the Valkyries for advice, wanting to learn ways to become stronger.
Yunduo had her own way of getting along with children; she was very familiar with this approach.
Just as she was preparing to take care of her like an ordinary child and teach Hoshino Kotone how to make the bed, a cold, muffled voice came from her mouth.
"I want to become stronger... can you teach me?"
At such a blunt question, Yunduo blinked.
"Why? You don't need to become stronger here. This is the Far East Branch, it's very safe. You don't have to go out on missions with those Valkyrie squads anymore, and I'm just an ordinary Valkyrie."
"You—are not."
Hoshino Kotone pursed her lips, her clear, transparent blue eyes shimmering slightly.
"Rita warned us that we must never make you angry, especially a girl who looks very lazy and is always thinking about slacking off. I know, you are definitely the strongest or the most powerful among you."
"...Don't think so much, kid."
Yunduo rubbed her nose, a bit helpless in her surprise.
These children, perhaps because they constantly faced the torment of death, were very good at reading people.
Hoshino Kotone continued, "Besides, there is no such thing as an absolutely safe place. For the Honkai, this place isn't safe either."
"Even the Far East Branch? You don't think it's safe here either?" Yunduo asked.
"I..." She fell silent.
After a moment, Hoshino Kotone's eyes swept across the outer window of the dormitory and found no one else.
Then, she picked up the paper and pen on the desk and began to write rapidly.
Dozens of seconds later, Yunduo took the white paper she handed over and looked at the elegant and clear handwriting on it.
The light of the incandescent lamp reflected on the white paper, the beautiful handwriting like rows of well-arrayed soldiers.
On it were written Hoshino Kotone's observations:
Once, while in a corner, she suddenly heard Rita's voice, seemingly talking to someone.
The content was about the recent situation of the Far East Branch, and there was also a man's voice.
"Be ready at any time; I may start the plan soon."
Yunduo recited in her heart.
Were those Otto's exact words?
Yunduo wouldn't completely trust others, but she kept a watchful eye.
In the face of absolute strength, conspiracies and tricks are all in vain; of course, staying alert isn't a bad habit.
After reading the paper, Yunduo wordlessly crushed it into dust and then gave Hoshino Kotone a small smile... An hour passed.
Yunduo taught Hoshino Kotone how to make her bed.
"Let's go. Theresa said she's arranged a schedule for you, and the official teachers will arrive in a week."
"In the meantime, we will serve as your substitute teachers, but only after our own classes are over."
Yunduo took Hoshino Kotone's fingertips, grasping the fair and tender little hand in her palm.
The two arrived at the classroom.
Opening the door, Kiana was giving the children a history lesson. She wore rimless glasses on her exquisite nose, looking somewhat dignified, though her lecturing was stuttered and she would sometimes get stuck for a long time.
"We were just talking about the Second Honkai. Yoko, stand up and answer the question: who was the culprit?"
The little girl who was called upon suddenly stood up from her seat, her expression nervous.
"It's, it's, it's..."
She thought for a long time before finding the answer from Teacher Kiana's rambling words just now.
"It's—the Herrscher of Insects!!!"
"The Herrscher of—huh?" Kiana was choked up, unable to even say the name of the Herrscher of the Void.
Her cheeks were a bit flushed, and a golden light flashed through her eyes.
"What Herrscher of Insects? It's clearly the Herrscher of the Void. Forget it, sit down."
The girl who was called on let out a breath and happily sat back down.
Yunduo remained still and noticed Theresa, Mei, and others in the back row of the classroom.
"Is a history class like this really useful?"
"That's why I've decided to prioritize hiring a history teacher."
Theresa sighed after hearing Yunduo's doubt.
As they spoke, Kiana started talking from somewhere else, mentioning the beliefs and philosophy of their Kaslana Family.
"We of the Kaslana Family have never feared the Honkai. We will go in and out of the battlefields of the Honkai until the last drop of blood in our bodies is drained. This is what my old man said. Hmph hmph~ How about it, can you feel it?"
Kiana stood with her hands on her hips and wrote the word 'Kaslana' on the blackboard.
"By the way, did you have any faith when you were at Schicksal?"
After asking, she began to pick people at random.
The children who were picked all gave the same answer: Schicksal told them to believe in the Lord Bishop.
This left Kiana speechless, knowing this was the mental control Schicksal Headquarters used on children.
When she noticed Yunduo speaking, she grinned and said:
"So, classmate Yunduo, do you have any faith?"
Since Yunduo usually slacked off too much, no one could tell what faith she had.
Standing up, Yunduo thought for a moment, saw the children's curious upward gazes, and said, "Faith... I believe in myself."
Her words left everyone present astonished.
Who would believe in themselves?
Kiana was also puzzled for a while: "What do you mean by believing in yourself? Doesn't your Shenzhou have gods?"
"There are, but maybe the gods of Shenzhou are too weak?"
"Or too down-to-earth? Which leads us to not worship them that much," Yunduo said.
To the side, Fu Hua looked up, her expression a bit surprised.
Yunduo continued:
"Shenzhou has many gods."
"There is Cangxuan, the pioneer of culture; Danzhu, who created all things; Lianshan, who tasted the hundred herbs; and gods like Ji Lin and the Red Kite..."
"Unlike the gods Schicksal proclaims, their gods can create a new world in seven days, easily, or create a universe in a dream. It's very impressive, but the gods of Shenzhou are just too weak."
"Legend says Cangxuan exhausted her energy to save people, and that Danzhu, who created humans, seemed to have worked herself to death in the end. It's surprisingly close to reality, as if these things actually happened. It's quite heart-wrenching."
"Compared to those ethereal, untouchable deities, we are more inclined to believe in the parents who feed and clothe us, the ancestors who reclaimed the land. Perhaps those dead gods would be very happy if they knew about our life now."
Everyone listened in amazement!
They hadn't expected the faith of Shenzhou to be so firm and great.
They cultivated their faith and believed in the land beneath their feet.
One child, after listening with longing, raised a hand and asked, "Big sister, does the Red Kite Immortal really exist?"
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