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

Hmm? .jpg

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After breakfast, Shen Liang went to the top floor of the apartment building, which was a very large terrace with an open space of more than 200 square meters, including an outdoor swimming pool for the top-floor residents.

Shen Liang set up several targets here so he could practice shooting at home.

Of course, an air gun was used.

"Are guns... useful for venturing into a place like that?" Kiana asked thoughtfully as she followed behind him.

When venturing into a place like the Main God Space, can the enemies you encounter really be dealt with using guns?

Of course, perhaps the world the landlord goes to is simpler? Maybe the world is matched based on strength?

But in horror or ghost story worlds, are guns effective against ghosts and spirits?

Shen Liang knew she was overthinking again. "It's not very useful."

This is not fake. Although one shot can take down the Sea Demon, is the real threat to him really just one or two bandits? It's the war on Haiqi Island, and the hostile elements with the Eye of God. Most of the time, he can't save himself with just a gun.

Oh, there are two guns.

"I see you wield the Desert Eagles with ease, but I struggle to hold one with both hands. Do you have any techniques for generating power?" Shen Liang continued to ask.

“If you don’t have enough strength, you just don’t have enough strength. There’s no technique involved; it’s purely about muscle.” Kiana didn’t mince words. She pinched Shen Liang’s arm and shrugged. “You’re a boy and you weigh about the same as me. You know, men have larger frames than women. Your lighter weight means your muscle mass is lower than that of a woman of the same weight. Where do you get your core strength?”

Normal men are much heavier than women, with stronger muscles, larger frames, and even more body fat. Shen Liang is currently 1.59 meters tall but only weighs around 40 kilograms. For reference, Bronya, who is 1.47 meters tall, also weighs 40 kilograms.

After leaving the orphanage, Shen Liang quickly grew to the size of a normal male during his second puberty between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one, but it is undeniable that he did experience developmental delays at the age of fifteen.

"Is that all? I don't think you have much muscle," Shen Liang questioned.

"I call this special training!" Kiana defiantly rolled up her sleeves. Her fair and slender arms didn't reveal much, but with just a little effort, they made a cracking sound.

Shen Liang knew that this was called "muscle and bone resonance" in martial arts terms. After long-term training, a person's tendons and muscles become extremely strong and elastic compared to a normal person. When performing a forceful movement, the muscles go from relaxed to tense, which produces a sound.

Those who practice internal martial arts such as Tongbei, Bagua, and Bajiquan, if they are physically strong, often have such strength in their muscles and bones after practicing for one or two decades. Shen Liang has seen this before. In fact, there are quite a few people like this even in Russia. There are many in the army who can produce things like "rolling waves," "bone and flesh resonating," and "hair standing on end." Most of them serve in the army for several decades before being discharged.

But Kiana is only sixteen years old. Theoretically speaking, even someone who has been practicing martial arts since birth shouldn't have this level of skill... It can only be said that she is indeed a martial arts genius, one in a million.

As for why someone at this level could still maintain a figure of a beautiful young woman weighing less than 100 pounds, Shen Liang could only conclude that it was due to exceptional talent.

If he had to explain it, he couldn't quite understand why the girls at Cocolia's orphanage, at an average age of ten, could already hold their own against adult soldiers.

—Exceptionally gifted.

"You want to be like me too?" Kiana tilted her head and said happily, "That's easy, landlord, landlord. You just need to come with me every day and run a lap around St. Freya Academy, and then practice hand-to-hand combat with me for two hours. I guarantee you'll be able to handle two guns in less than a year. Not to mention two guns, even two RPGs won't be a problem!"

Shen Liang remained silent. Sparring with Kiana for two hours wouldn't just be a matter of building muscle; it would be even worse than Kiana's boasting about hunting bears alone in the snowy plains at the age of ten, without even using a gun. If Kiana wasn't exaggerating, then sparring with someone like that would truly make Shen Liang a bear.

Moreover, given Kiana's lively and unrestrained nature, Shen Liang was unsure whether she could control her power.

"But you just said you wanted to run a lap around St. Freya?" Shen Liang realized something. "Is St. Freya very close to us?"

"You didn't know?" Kiana said, "St. Freya Academy is in Tokyo, in Nagasora City, just three subway stops away. I thought Auntie had already sent you the address."

"She said if I'm interested, I can have you take me there."

"You're actually keeping this a secret from your landlord?" Kiana was slightly taken aback, then seemed to have guessed something, frowning and thinking for a while. "Wait... landlord, you're not an ordinary person, are you... you haven't even come into contact with 'Schicksal' yet?"

"An ordinary person?" Shen Liang was confused by her, but he immediately calmed down and began to sort out his thoughts from Kiana's words.

—Of course I'm just an ordinary person, but Kiana should think I'm "not ordinary" because she's seen what I looked like after I time-traveled.

—And Kiana thought that I knew I wasn't an "ordinary person"?

In other words, the concept of "ordinary people" is "people who are unaware of a certain situation".

—In the context of “Mandate of Heaven”, “Mandate of Heaven” should be an organization that will proactively reach out to those who are “aware of a certain situation”.

Once you synthesize your thoughts, the answer becomes obvious.

—Since supernatural phenomena exist in this human society, there are naturally people who have witnessed "supernatural phenomena" or who themselves belong to "supernatural phenomena." Kiana always thought he belonged to this category, and St. Freya Academy should have contacted him much earlier.

—But St. Freya Academy had never contacted him, and even needed Kiana as a guide.

—Therefore, St. Freya Academy is a place where these “extraordinary people” gather!

Shen Liang suddenly understood why Theresa had repeatedly emphasized "genius boy," "full of mysteries," and "you are dangerous" in her letter to him. This was precisely the admission criteria of St. Freya Academy, because St. Freya Academy was, in most cases, a place that accommodated "extraordinary people"!

Going even further, the "destiny" that Kiana mentioned might be the superior of St. Freya Academy, or a more powerful super organization that monitors and deals with "supernatural phenomena"!

Shen Liang suddenly felt a subtle emotion.

So that's how it is. Just as many people imagine, there really are supernatural phenomena and forces in this world that transcend the logical concepts of ordinary people.

Just like the "Area 51," "Supernatural Abilities Bureau," and "Dragon Group" in many old-school works, who doesn't hope that the world isn't as boring as they imagine? Maybe superpowers, ghosts, witchcraft, or cultivation exist somewhere in the world, and unscientific things are mixed in with daily life, while you have the spark to save the world buried in your body.

But Shen Liang didn't feel excited.

This means that he is not absolutely special, and his secrets may be uncovered.

His desire for an "absolutely peaceful" life as an ordinary person is highly likely to be untenable.

Chapter 43 Sirin Shaniat

Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany.

No country in the world has as many beautiful castles as Germany, and Neuschwanstein Castle, nestled in the Alps, can be considered the jewel of Germany.

The castle is named after Wagner's opera "The Legend of the White Swan," and it was founded by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. This king, a lover of art, built this all-white, fairytale-like building amidst the misty Alps.

The young king was in love with his cousin, the world-famous Empress Elisabeth (Sisi). After his cousin's marriage, the grieving king remained unmarried for the rest of his life, and later bequeathed the castle to Empress Elisabeth in his will. The Wittelsbach family, to which Empress Elisabeth belonged, was a branch of the present-day Schariac family at that time.

Time has passed, and many of the once-powerful families that ruled Bavaria have faded into obscurity. Only this pristine white castle continues to serve as the residence of the Schariac family in the new century.

"...That's the history of Neuschwanstein Castle, kids. Behind this beautiful and romantic castle lies such a sad story. Finally, on June 12, 1886, after the king's final inspection of the castle's construction progress, he disappeared with satisfaction. The next day, the king's body was found on the shore of Lake Steinberg." The tour guide led the group of elementary school students, earnestly explaining the castle's background.

"Wow……"

"The king is dead?"

"Yes, he committed suicide, leaving behind a gift for Empress Sisi. He was a very pitiful king," the tour guide said dutifully. "Neuschwanstein Castle was an unfinished dream of Ludwig II. He died with a debt of 15 million marks, so the castle was never supposed to be completed. But the state still helped him build the castle; the state fulfilled his dream."

"The king can die in peace now."

"We Germans are really amazing!"

The children chattered away, and the tour guide rubbed his aching temples. Then he noticed that the main gate, which was usually closed to the castle's back garden, was open.

This castle is owned; generally only the courtyard and gardens are open to the public, accessible through a side gate. The tour guide never saw the main gate open; only members of the Shaniat family had the key.

A young woman walked in, shaded by a parasol held by a maid. Behind her were at least two secretaries and four female bodyguards, all dressed in suits and sunglasses. The tour guide initially thought she was a famous actress filming at Neuschwanstein Castle, but upon closer inspection, the young woman didn't resemble any of the movie stars she recognized.

She was stunned for a moment.

She had long, almost glowing white hair that reached her ankles—the tour guide immediately recognized her as a member of the Shaniat family, as most members of this family have light-colored hair due to genetics—she wore a black and white long dress with a gold brooch pinned to her bodice.

Her face was extremely delicate, but the Shaniat family had always produced beauties that were hard for outsiders to imagine, and mere "pretty" was not enough to surprise the tour guide.

The main reason she was so shocked was when she saw the girl's eyes. The white-haired girl glanced at her casually, but that casual glance made her want to kneel down.

"Where did this country get so much money? The 15 million marks were paid off by the Shaniat family," the girl said casually.

The tour guide didn't hear what she was saying because she saw that the girl's pupils were a brilliant golden yellow, beautiful eyes that were like flowing gold or raging fire. Being looked at by them felt as if one's heart was pierced through, and the inexplicable pressure made the tour guide almost suffocate.

Thankfully, the girl left quickly. The tour guide clutched his chest, panting heavily, and began to wonder if what he had seen was a hallucination.

--------

“Young Miss, you’ve been seen by ordinary people again.” As we walked into the corridor leading to the inner castle, a secretary reminded us with a hint of helplessness, “You’ve requested that you always wear sunglasses when you’re out, so as not to harm innocent people.”

“This is my home. I’m fed up with a bunch of tour groups waving flags and wandering around every garden in my house every day,” the girl said coldly. “Why should I hide myself for other humans? I don’t like wearing sunglasses.”

"But Miss Sirin, she said..."

"Shut up, human." The white-haired girl named Sirin interrupted. "Think carefully about your position. Is this family run by me, Sirin, or by that woman Cecilia? Who is painstakingly supporting these parasites of the Shaniat family every day? Who is paying your salaries?"

“Miss Cecilia is, after all, the head of the family. Strictly speaking, all of the Shaniat family’s assets essentially belong to Miss Cecilia. It is Miss Cecilia who pays our wages.”

“You’re fired,” Celine scoffed.

“I’m not afraid of you firing them, Miss. Miss Cecilia said that all the Shaniat people you fire can take up jobs elsewhere.” The secretary shrugged indifferently. “Then you’ll have to spend time training a capable secretary.”

"That damned human!" Sirin shouted angrily. "Cecilia! She's just causing me trouble! That stupid woman... you actually call her 'Miss'! Look at me! She already has a daughter who's all grown up! I'm the eldest daughter of the Shaniat family, she's already at the level of a lady. Can you stop calling me that as if I'm the same age as her?!"

“But Miss Cecilia said that we should always call her Miss Cecilia, even if you become the head of the family or even a mother, we still have to call her that, it makes us look younger.” The secretary said, suppressing a smile. “Besides, judging from appearances, Miss Cecilia and you really do look like sisters.”

"Human, are you saying I look old?"

"I think you, who can be compared to the most beautiful woman in the Shaniat family, are also an angel descended from heaven."

Celine nearly choked on her breath. She vowed in her heart that once she became the head of the family, she would exile Cecilia to the Arctic and not let her come back until she established a penguin breeding base there.

As the eldest daughter of the Shaniat family, Celine Shaniat was a genius praised by everyone from a young age.

She learned Kaslana gunfighting at the age of six, hunted a grizzly bear alone at the age of ten, completed her university studies at the age of twelve, and entered the family business for further study at the age of fourteen.

Now only nineteen years old, Celine has already served for five years, taking over her mother Cecilia Shaniat's clan and corporate positions. Externally, she is the highest-ranking person in the Shaniat conglomerate, a director of Saintess Financial, and the CEO of Saintess Real Estate Group. Internally, she is the acting head of the Shaniat family, the de facto ruler of all Shaniat members in the main branch.

But the young girl, Celine, no longer wanted to do it.

“Where is my silly sister?” Sirin asked.