Listening to Wendy's words, Irene breathed a sigh of relief. It seed the Oceania Branch hadn't done anything stupid.
If that was the case, then Wendy's situation should be fine.
Wendy's current state of mind was absolutely solid now that she had begun to gradually master the Herrscher's Authority, so she wouldn't break down easily. Furthermore, the Oceania Branch wasn't planning to cause any trouble either.
The Corruption virus that Little Corruption had spread previously hadn't been discovered. And on Anti-... or rather, Cocolia's side, there were no signs of battleship mobilization. This wave could definitely be wrapped up peacefully.
A re Poem of the Wind, just watch her push it back.
"So why did you drag us along this ti?" Kiana scratched her head, still not understanding why they had to co too.
"Couldn't Aunt Hiko and the others just go communicate with that whatever Oceania Branch themselves? Since Headquarters has already made a final decision, would the Oceania Branch really dare to refuse?"
"Of course they wouldn't dare." Theresa's voice rang out at this mont. Everyone turned to look, seeing Theresa appear at the other end of the corridor, carrying Judah on her back.
"After all, I'm here. But with this matter, it doesn't an it's over just because they hand her over."
Theresa crossed her arms. If it were just a handover, Hiko going over would have been enough. Even if the transfer involved the Gem of Desire, there would be no need to bring the Hyperion.
There was even less need for her to co along. But Rita had sent over the Oceania Branch's recent experintal logs on the Gem of Desire, which were actually all their previous experintal records regarding the gem.
They didn't really care about the records themselves; they wouldn't understand them anyway. But the one thing they absolutely could not tolerate was the fact that they had actually used Wendy as a vessel for their experints.
Therefore, not only had they brought the Hyperion, but Hiko and Irene were on board, as well as the trio who were about to beco A-Rank Valkyries, and she herself had personally co to stand witness.
As for their purpose, it naturally went without saying.
Oceania Branch
Wendy sat in her wheelchair, scrolling through her phone. How should she put it? These past two days, she truly felt as if this branch had never treated her so well before.
The Valkyries she had t these past two days were all very friendly to her. The experints she underwent were rely going through the motions. After casually making her do a few painless tests, they let her go.
Now Wendy finally understood what it ant to change from arrogance to deference—it really made one laugh thinking about it. She really didn't know what to say.
If it weren't for the fact that the people from St. Freya were coming today, they probably still would have spoken harshly to her without showing a single shred of a good attitude.
She knew Principal Theresa was the granddaughter of the Lord Overseer. If even she knew this, it was impossible for the higher-ups of the Oceania Branch not to know. Obviously, for them...
Rather than wasting more effort on soone they considered a piece of trash, it was better to treat her well for a few days so she wouldn't report the abuse she had suffered over the years to St. Freya Academy.
Having figured this out, Wendy only found the friendliness they were currently displaying completely laughable.
"Speaking of which, Principal Theresa and the others should be arriving soon, right?" Wendy pulled out her communication terminal and checked the ti.
The Oceania Branch and the Far East Branch were quite far apart. Furthermore, this wasn't an urgent matter, just a relatively normal personnel transfer.
So Principal Theresa probably couldn't justify dispatching any high-speed aircraft to co pick her up. Sigh, she didn't know if the ti she had wasted over these past few years was a disservice to the cultivation Principal Theresa and the others had put into her.
She also didn't know if Principal Theresa was aware of her current...
Just as Wendy was lost in thought, the tablet in her hand suddenly chid. She looked down and saw a number that hadn't rung on her mobile terminal in a long ti.
"Teacher Hiko..." Wendy looked at the number displayed on the terminal and fell silent for a mont. After a brief pause, she answered it.
She was then t with the sight of Hiko standing on the command deck of the Hyperion. Hiko looked at Wendy sitting in the wheelchair, and after a mont of silence, she finally spoke up.
"If I hadn't called, were you not planning to call and tell about your current situation?"
"..." Wendy looked at Hiko, whose eyes held a hint of helplessness. After a long silence, she finally spoke up, "No, Teacher Hiko, I..."
Wendy stamred as she looked at Hiko, unable to string more than a few words together. It was as if she had reverted back to her student days, facing her teacher.
No matter what achievents one had, one would always feel a trace of fear when facing their teacher.
Seeing Wendy stamring, Hiko also sighed and asked, "You should have received the notice, right?"
"Mhm, I've received it." Wendy breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Teacher Hiko, are you out on a mission right now? Did another Great Eruption happen sowhere?"
As a student of St. Freya, Wendy naturally recognized the Hyperion. She had even been on its bridge a few tis, so she instantly recognized where Hiko was calling from.
"No, I'm coming to pick you up." Hiko looked at Wendy. If it were just to pick soone up, there was naturally no need to deploy the Hyperion. But her student had been mistreated by the Oceania Branch to such an extent.
So she decided to give the Oceania Branch a show of strength. Theresa also approved of this, otherwise Hiko wouldn't have been able to mobilize the Hyperion so easily.
Furthermore, Theresa had also co aboard. She really wanted to see what explanation the Oceania Branch had to offer.
Their student might not have contacted them out of pride, but once they knew, they absolutely had to co and stand up for her.
Seeing Hiko on the screen, a sudden warmth surged in Wendy's heart. What Hiko's actions signified naturally went without saying.
After all, the intent was far too strong to be misunderstood. And such an action couldn't possibly be organized by Teacher Hiko alone, which ant the Principal had agreed to it as well!
"Anyway, just stay there for a little while longer. We should be arriving in a few hours." Hiko looked at Wendy, her expression softening a bit.
"You've suffered these past few years. Just endure it for a little bit longer."
"...It's fine, Teacher." Wendy shook her head. "I will definitely wait for you, Teacher."
"Mhm." After Hiko nodded, she disconnected the call. Right at that mont, the bridge doors behind her slid open again, and Theresa and Irene walked out one after the other.
"How is it? How much longer until we arrive?"
"A few hours, it won't be too long." Hiko picked up a coffee from the side and took a sip. After all, she was currently acting as the commander; she definitely couldn't touch alcohol.
The Hyperion's speed naturally wasn't that slow, but they weren't in a hurry right now. The ones who should be in a hurry were the higher-ups of the Oceania Branch, watching them swagger over so openly.
"Mhm, when the ti cos, Irene, you go help pick up Wendy." Hiko turned to look at Irene. The two of them would be responsible for dealing with the Oceania Branch's higher-ups.
Hiko had been around for a long ti, so she was capable of navigating bureaucratic talk. Irene probably wasn't very good at that, so it was better to let Irene go and get acquainted with Wendy.
They would have to see each other under the sa roof eventually anyway.
"That works." Irene nodded. "But what about the trio? We can't really let them go and intimidate the people of the Oceania Branch, right?"
Besides Bronya having the capability to do so, i might have had it in the past as an eldest daughter, but as for Kiana, forget it. It would be a miracle if that child didn't get completely bamboozled.
"They're just touring, of course." Hiko shrugged. She hadn't intended for the trio to actually do anything; they were just coming along to bolster their presence.
If they really needed to exert pressure, that would fall on Theresa, an S-Rank Valkyrie. She would just watch from the side to prevent the other party from talking in circles and confusing Theresa.
Sensing sothing, Theresa looked up at Hiko. "Hiko, were you just thinking bad things about ?"
"How could I?" Hiko imdiately denied it. "You're our Principal, our secret weapon this ti. How could I have any bad thoughts?"
"Hmph, it seems you were." Theresa narrowed her eyes at Hiko. Did this gal really think she was stupid? "Forget it, I won't hold it against you right now."
As Theresa spoke, she pulled Irene to the side. Hiko breathed a sigh of relief, glanced at Irene and Theresa, then shrugged and continued looking forward.
These two were sticking closer and closer together lately. Last ti Irene took a long leave, she had seen Theresa calling Irene multiple tis.
When she had asked for leave in the past, Theresa never had this kind of attitude; every single call was an attempt to drag her back to work overti. But when Theresa called Irene, it was obvious she simply missed her.
Could it be because of a lifesaving grace? The thought flashed through Hiko's mind. Although she knew the Pseudo-Herrscher in Nagazora City had indeed caused trouble for Theresa, even causing her to slip up.
But after all, Theresa was an S-Rank Valkyrie. Even if she slipped up, it shouldn't have been a big problem, just a montary lapse in attention. But looking at it now...
Could it be that Theresa was almost killed by that Herrscher back then, and Irene had saved her, leading Theresa to act like this because of that lifesaving grace...
Hiss...
The more Hiko thought about it, the more reasonable it seed. Her gaze towards Irene and Theresa increasingly began to look like she was shipping them. As for opposing it, she had no such thoughts.
She herself wanted to find true love, let alone Theresa. After all, Theresa was nearly fifty years old; she had to find soone eventually.
As for her falling for a woman, that mattered even less. It was just yuri; if you threw a brick inside Schicksal, you'd have a 99% chance of hitting soone like that.
And the fragnts from the shattered brick would probably hit a few more. There was absolutely no need to be surprised. It was straight won like her who were truly rare in Schicksal.
However, the two who had walked away didn't notice Hiko's increasingly strange gaze. Theresa whispered to Irene, "Irene, will there be any problems on this trip?"
"There shouldn't be. Even if there are, I'll handle them." Irene looked at Theresa and whispered back. "Just trust ."
"I'll leave the Oceania Branch's higher-ups to you guys to deal with. I'll go handle things on Wendy's end."
Theresa seed to realize sothing and frowned. "Irene, do you an to say that in your world, Wendy beca..."
Theresa didn't finish her sentence, but Irene understood what she ant and nodded. "Sothing went wrong. But this ti, I won't let Wendy repeat that tragic fate."
"Just trust ."
"Mhm, I will always trust you." Theresa nodded. From what Irene ant, as long as they pressured the Oceania Branch and prevented them from pulling any tricks, this matter would conclude perfectly.
Then she really had to pay attention and make sure the Oceania Branch's higher-ups didn't try anything.
Oceania Branch · Main Reception Room
The heavy alloy doors slid open to the sides. Theresa, carrying the golden cross on her back that was even taller than her, strode inside.
Her petite fra currently exuded an unquestionable aura of majesty. Her gaze swept across the room at the Oceania Branch's higher-ups, who had been waiting for a long ti with nervous expressions.
Hiko followed closely beside Theresa, her arms crossed. Her long red hair swayed slightly with her steps, and her face remained expressionless.
Seeing this situation, the higher-ups who had originally wanted to see if they could find a breakthrough via Hiko imdiately swallowed the words they were about to say.
"Lord Theresa, Major Hiko, welco to the Oceania Branch." The Branch Director forced an enthusiastic smile and stepped forward. "You must be tired from your journey, we have already prepared..."
If he were facing anyone else, he wouldn't be like this. But alas, Theresa had co personally this ti; he had to act this subservient.
Even though Theresa had the sa rank as him in Schicksal, both being Branch Directors, she had the Lord Overseer backing her!
Offending Theresa could an offending Otto. If she complained, who would the Lord Overseer side with? Did he even need to think about it? Not to ntion, they were the ones in the wrong in this matter.
"Skip the pleasantries." Theresa cut him off directly. Her voice wasn't loud, but it echoed clearly throughout the room.
She walked over to the prepared seat but didn't sit down imdiately. Instead, she gently set Judah down from her back onto the floor, producing a dull thud.
"We are here to take custody of the 'Gem of Desire' and to take back our student, Wendy."
Hiko coldly added from the side, "I presu you all have already received the relevant handover docunts."
The Branch Director's smile froze on his face, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. "Yes, yes, we've received the transfer order. There is absolutely no problem with this matter."
At this mont, he imdiately understood that the Lord Overseer had indeed handed over the experintal records to Theresa. Otherwise, the other party wouldn't have co on so aggressively; they were clearly here to demand answers.
"Absolutely no problem?" Hiko sneered and stepped forward. "Then, perhaps we could ask you Branch Directors to explain what kind of research you've been conducting on the Gem of Desire?"
As soon as Hiko said this, none of the people present dared to speak. All the higher-ups' gazes imdiately shifted towards the higher-up in charge of the experintal sector, whose eyes were dodging away.
Theresa spoke up at the right ti. Her voice remained steady, but it carried a deeper chill. "Wendy is a Valkyrie who graduated from the Far East Branch. The various experints you've conducted on her over the past few years should have required our permission."
"I believe you need to give us an explanation regarding this matter."
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Author's Note: Apologies for the delay, had so unexpected stuff co up. I'll be dropping bonus chapters later to make up for the wait!
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