Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

The little queen always felt that she had to be pampered by everyone. Although Pandora, the newcomer, might need some time to be trained, she was pretty much the same as before.

Although she saw two vixens who seemed to covet Pandora as soon as she got off the plane, it didn't matter. With her there, she wouldn't let the vixens succeed! Although Kiana was a foolish younger sister, Sirin was a magnanimous older sister. She would keep a close eye on Pandora and her surroundings to ensure that her silly younger sister wouldn't be cuckolded by outsiders.

Sigh, they're always causing me trouble; I'm such a busy person.

--------

The east wind at night releases a thousand trees of blossoms, and blows down stars like rain; the road is filled with the fragrance of precious carriages and carved horses. The sound of phoenix flutes stirs, the jade pot's light turns, and fish and dragons dance all night. Moths, willow branches, and golden threads adorn the scene; laughter and whispers linger, and a faint fragrance drifts away. I searched for him a thousand times in the crowd, and suddenly, turning around, I found him where the lights were dim.

Xin Qiji's poem "Qing Yu An" probably encapsulates all the beautiful fantasies about the impression of a "lively night". In modern society, whether it's the Lunar New Year, Christmas, New Year's Eve, or the Ghost Festival, all kinds of brightly lit nights will remind people of a scene from this poem.

Romantic and noisy.

Like now.

It only takes a few tens of minutes to get from the airport to the city center. When I arrived at Chunshan Bar, it was packed with guests.

Although theoretically only Rita and Mei were in charge of entertaining guests, the fact that they were hosting such a controversial pair meant that even though the bar had already closed, countless people who couldn't be deterred by the closure came early to look forward to it!

The entire bar was filled with Valkyries from headquarters who had come upon hearing the news, so many that Shen Liang felt a slight sense of fear. The bar's main hall was already packed, with dozens of young women sitting in twos and threes, drinking and chatting. Then, the moment the door was pushed open, their voices rose and became 100% more enthusiastic!

"Pandora!" someone immediately cheered.

"It's true, a lively and energetic Pandora!"

"Miss Rita and Miss Mei brought Pandora back! Who's that lady next to her? She's so pretty! Is she Pandora's relative?"

"Welcome, welcome! All the Valkyries at Destiny Headquarters are here. Welcome, Pandora, to headquarters!"

"Give a speech! Hurry, little Pandora, give a speech!"

A cacophony of welcoming cheers erupted, and every now and then a girl, her face flushed from drinking, would rush out to greet Shen Liang—a whole host of pretty girls. Shen Liang had never faced this level of social interaction without his elders present, and instinctively took two steps back, his mild social anxiety almost triggering.

Then he felt Celine casually take his hand, and they walked calmly into the bar's booth like an older sister leading her younger brother, completely unaffected by the cheers of the crowd.

When the Valkyries saw Shen Liang and Xilin holding hands, they were all somewhat surprised. However, some of them quickly realized that although Xilin rarely appeared in public, there were still records of her. The Valkyries who were prepared knew her from the information. Now, seeing Xilin leading the "shy" little Pandora, they each had their own guesses, but they did not show them. They just lowered their voices a little.

"You're all too kind. Pandora is still young and doesn't quite get used to such a warm welcome," Rita said with a smile, trying to smooth things over. "The real little Pandora is a bit shy, so please understand."

Raiden Mei's lips twitched slightly.

This reason... shyness? Although Shen Liang dislikes socializing, how could he be "shyness"? He has been self-reliant in Japan for so many years and has been able to support his two younger sisters and live a good life. How could he be so psychologically weak?

Shen Liang also took the opportunity to adopt a posture of "looking down at his feet, his face flushed, shy and timid, and whimpering". For some reason, he became more and more adept at pretending to be young, and could even switch people immediately without thinking.

However, the Valkyries clutched their hearts even more. Although their voices lowered, the intensity of their discussion instantly rose. One could vaguely hear things like, "I'm really going to die," "Cute little boy," "Waaah, I want to eat him up," "He's so tender, you could squeeze water out of him. Isn't this forcing me to commit a crime?" "Let's form a group to steal 1/20 of the little wolfhound from the Shaniat family!" "2/20!"

Shen Liang and Xilin sat alone in a corner, while Rita and Mei sat opposite them. Their posture clearly indicated they didn't want to be disturbed, so no Valkyrie dared to come over. After all, Rita was already being very generous by even giving them a glance; they wouldn't dare to provoke her. This relieved Shen Liang; he didn't want to waste his entire trip to London dealing with these people pointlessly.

God knows why these Valkyries are lusting after him!

"Human, you have quite a few suitors," Sirin said first, speaking casually.

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Unmarried Junior Brother

“Few Valkyries at Schicksal Headquarters are unaware of Mr. Pandora,” Rita said with a smile. “The last male Valkyrie as outstanding as Pandora, the son of the White Flower, was Lady Siegfried Kaslana twenty years ago. But Lady Siegfried clearly didn’t have the same appeal to girls as Mr. Pandora.”

"What the hell?" Shen Liang frowned. He knew Siegfried; he was the most renowned man on the supernatural side in the last three hundred years, the head of the Kaslana family. Judging from the photos preserved by the Shaniat family, he was a handsome middle-aged man. He was Cecilia's ex-husband, Kiana and Sirin's father, and in a way, his father-in-law.

“Lord Siegfried has quite a few suitors, but the Valkyries of Destiny tend to prefer young, innocent, and handsome boys with rosy lips and white teeth.” Rita glanced at him calmly. “Because Valkyries are, after all, extraordinary beings, they have undeniable advantages over ordinary humans. Most Valkyries tend to be the dominant one when dealing with men, and therefore prefer boys or young boys who are relatively weaker in relationships.”

"It's nothing more than a youthful aesthetic. You should go to Korean or Japanese variety shows and find young idols. With your status and looks, those pretty boys would be more than happy to be your sugar daddies." Shen Liang looked disgusted as she listened.

“Those people are too old,” Raiden Mei said calmly.

“???” Shen Liang was stunned.

“A mass-produced product that tries its best to hide its slicked-back hair and powdered face, and painstakingly pretends to be innocent, is not even qualified to be compared with the young master Shaniat, whose flawless looks even make the Valkyrie feel ashamed,” Rita laughed. “Even just sitting next to Pandora would subject her to countless jealous attacks.”

"..."

Celine, standing nearby, was somewhat suspicious. She felt that these words were a bit exaggerated. She often spent time with Pandora and never felt particularly envious of her. The girls in the Shaniat family often went out with Pandora, and anyone could freely enter and leave his bedroom.

But she rubbed her temples and turned to scrutinize the young women in the bar. Sure enough, when their eyes met, the group of boisterous Valkyries, though maintaining respect and smiles for Miss Shaniat, revealed their extreme displeasure through the way they gripped their wine glasses and the almost tangible flames in their eyes.

Xilin immediately felt great.

It seems there are some advantages to being the older sister; at least she can mold Pandora however she wants, flattening or shaping her as she pleases. In a way, this feeling of satisfaction is like a mine owner who keeps a school beauty as a mistress, heavily pregnant, going to school and, in front of the school beauty's group of sycophantic fans, carrying the embarrassed and angry girl into his sports car and driving off.

Although she disdained such things, she had read quite a few in her vulgar romance novels, and the pleasure of casually playing with other people's precious possessions was simply... too much like a queen!

Xilin looked down at her bare feet. She had left her strappy sandals on the plane, and had been traveling the entire way in just footed socks, either by car or plane. A wicked thought suddenly occurred to her: what a wonderful scene it would be if she could put her legs on Shen Liang's knees here, and let him humiliatingly massage her legs and feet in front of all the girls in the bar, watching their eyes burn with undisguised, intense jealousy.

However, she ultimately restrained herself. After all, she was still a considerate older sister to her younger brother. She had already let Pandora pinch her for an hour on the plane, and if it continued like this after they got off the plane, Sirin was a little worried that Pandora would lose her temper. It wasn't that she was afraid of Pandora, but it would make her seem like she was incompetent as the head of the family, unable to even discipline a mere human to the point of obedience.

"Let's get down to business. It's rare for headquarters to call in members of the Shaniat family; they can't just be exhibiting Pandora at the bar every day." Sirin crossed her legs with a cold elegance, her slender legs silhouetted against her knitted beige stockings. "My time is valuable. When will the airport operations begin?"

“It might be a bit of a hassle for you two to stay here for a few more days. The official launch of Tianming International Airport will still take some time, and we need to move our headquarters building to the airport.” Rita said, turning on the portable projector on the bar’s coffee table. The 3D map of the airport immediately appeared in the air.

Raiden Mei glanced at the Valkyries around her. "Miss Rita, aren't you worried about leaking information by just stating the details here?"

“It’s alright, all the Valkyries at Schicksal headquarters know about the airport’s construction progress.” Rita looked around, then nodded and smiled. “Currently, the entire airport is only one goal away from completion, which is to move the Schicksal headquarters building in Westminster to the airport on the Essex coast, so that the building and the airport fit together perfectly.”

"Move...the building?" Shen Liang was taken aback.

"This is Tianming Heavy Industries' last project of the year, and also the most important. It's an exercise to demonstrate to the world the level of technological advancement our headquarters has reached." Rita stood up and faced the projection screen, adjusting it to play a virtual animation. "Miss Sirin, Mr. Pandora, please look. The Tianming headquarters building, including its above-ground and underground sections, weighs over 500,000 tons. Many of its internal structures are irreplaceable, including numerous immovable laboratories and large-scale experimental equipment. To ensure the consistency between the Tianming headquarters and Tianming International Airport, the headquarters has decided to uproot the entire building and transplant it directly to the airport. Such a massive, heavy-duty transport and relocation is unprecedented in human history."

"Why go through all that trouble to simply tear down the building and relocate it?"

"After all, the Tianming International Airport is Tianming's current flagship. The purpose of building it is to provide Valkyries from all over the world with a dedicated air route to Tianming's headquarters. Just imagine, when the plane lands at the airport, people will only need to walk 200 meters to reach the headquarters building. This will facilitate the work and operation of Valkyries from all over the world and reduce the risk of them being exposed to ordinary people when Valkyries gather in large numbers."

Neither the Shaniat siblings knew much about the construction industry; they merely marveled at Fate's extravagant spending before moving on to the next topic.

Neither of them, including Raiden Mei, noticed that this seemingly insignificant topic of architecture caused all the Valkyries in the bar to instantly show expressions of pity or sympathy.

----------

A naked Durandal emerged from the bathroom next to the gravity chamber, drying her wet, wavy golden hair. There were no other Valkyries nearby at this time, and she displayed, or rather flaunted, her perfectly healthy body, as flawless as a jade statue, without any psychological pressure.

Durandal is a tall and voluptuous young woman. Her near-perfect mature figure means she is rarely mistaken for a nineteen-year-old girl, but rather is known as "Lady Bianca," "That Valkyrie," and "The First." In Schicksal, she cannot be childish; she must be mature because she bears the title of Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, and is destined to protect the transcendent side from Cecilia.

Therefore, she has always been a strong and confident woman, not a girl.

Durandal walked barefoot through the puddles to the French windows, gazing at the raging storm outside. Lightning flashed in the dark clouds, and London was no longer peaceful, as if it were a harbinger of impending doom.

She stood there for a long time before bending down to pet the cat that had rubbed against her feet. It was a small gray female cat named Stan, her and Rita's adopted pet. She hadn't brought any dried fish or canned cat food, so she could only squat down and feed the cat with water dripping from her fingertips. Then she smiled because she saw the reflection of herself on the tiled floor.

"Lady Durandal, everyone is waiting for you." Rita stood behind her, holding the dress, and was very respectful.

Durandal put down the kitten, turned around, pulled up her wet hair, looked at her maid, and said softly, "Does it matter whether I go or not?"

"You are Destiny's trump card. This meeting will determine Destiny's future. You are an indispensable presence."

What does Rita think?

"Rita has no thoughts of her own; Lady Durandal's will is Rita's will."

"Even if I do this, the little boy Rita longs for might still hate you?"

"Lady Durandal is too kind. Rita will make it up to Mr. Shen in her own way. This plan doesn't need to harm the Shaniat family; it only needs a threat. If Mr. Shen Liang hates Rita because of this, so be it. Rita can't please everyone." Rita chuckled. "Times are changing, and Rita can't forever watch those who are abandoned by the times."

Durandal remained silent for a long time, then stretched. Rita promptly helped her put on her underwear, stockings, and a women's military coat with golden tassels. Finally, she adjusted her top-brimmed hat, gazed at herself in the reflection of the French windows for a while, and then turned and left.

Yes, Rita is right. Times are changing, and if she can't understand something, she shouldn't think about it too much.

Perhaps from this day forward, Schicksal will truly be transformed, becoming a completely new entity. Schicksal's goal has always been to eliminate the Honkai and protect humanity. As long as this goal remains intact, Durandal will resolutely stand on Schicksal's side. She is Otto's ace, Schicksal's sharpest weapon. She is no longer a child of the Schariac and Kaslana families, so all she needs is loyalty, not hesitation.

From this day forward, destiny will advance by leaps and bounds.

------------

The rooftop garden on the highest level of the Destiny Headquarters.

This garden is a very solemn place that is rarely open to the public. Although it is located on the roof of the headquarters building, it has a beautiful view and is covered with flowers all year round.

Because this is a cemetery.

The tombstones of the Valkyries who sacrificed themselves in the fight against the Honkai throughout the ages are all located here. During the annual worship ceremony, the Valkyries at headquarters, unable to travel to graves around the world to pay their respects to their loved ones, gather all the tombstones here.

This is a very fresh and beautiful little garden. The elevator takes you directly there, and upon entering, you'll see countless inscriptions amidst the green grass and red flowers—thousands upon thousands. From the 15th century, when destiny lay hidden behind the scenes, every fallen heroine and Valkyrie has been given a name. Because many of them possessed both worldly and transcendent identities, the worldly tombstones preserve their remains and gentleness, while the tombstones here preserve their ideals and fearlessness.

There are many people in the garden today.

Standing outside the cemetery were countless Valkyries dressed in Destiny's female military uniforms, most of whom were Destiny's elite. The insignia on their chests proved that they came from different branches.

Ministers from all the major branches around the world—Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Northern Europe, North America, South America, Central Africa, West Asia—have gathered here, all of them figures of authority. Furthermore, legendary figures from Schicksal headquarters are also present. Anyone familiar with headquarters personnel would be astonished to find the Valkyries, who are usually away on missions, gathered here in a rare display of unity.

For example, key members of the Snow Wolf Squad who followed Cecilia back then included "Genius" Patrick Highsmith, "Chaos Heir" Shub Nicholas, and "Floating Solar Prominence" Shigure Kira.

Elizabeth Nagamitsu McSmith, director of the Destiny Equipment Research Institute; Amber, Otto's trusted secretary; and an unidentified girl from Shenzhou standing behind Otto. However, the mark on her name tag reveals that she is actually an S-rank Valkyrie!

Schicksal only has three S-class Valkyries. Besides Rita and Durandal, it seems that this one couldn't hold back any longer and revealed her identity!

These legendary figures would normally intimidate people to the point of silence, making them tremble as they walk down the street. But here, no one dared to show their surprise, because this was a cemetery, and any shouting or yelling here would be extremely disrespectful.

However, disrespect is secondary.

Most importantly, there was the blond man standing in front of everyone, bowing his head to lay flowers on the original tombstone.

Bishop Otto of Destiny.

At this moment, dressed in a solemn white suit, he did not turn around even though almost all the big shots of Schicksal were gathered behind him. After offering pure white lilies to the tombstone named "Kalen Kaslana", he got up wearily and looked at the displeased S-class girl behind him.

"It's been a long time, Su Chang." Otto smiled slightly. "I called you back especially for today, little immortal, are you angry?"

"Hypocrite! You're asking me all this just to find out if I've revealed your plans to your masters. Just ask directly!" The petite girl, still quite young, wore a white, belted dress in the style of ancient China and carried a long sword on her back. Her voice was clear and pleasant, and she was genuine and adorable. Standing at just over 1.5 meters tall, she didn't look like an S-rank Valkyrie at all.