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

The elevator walls were made of high-density composite glass. At first, Kiana didn't know why an elevator would be made transparent. Then she noticed that she could see women standing guard at the elevator doors on each floor. They were dressed in the distinctive clergy nuns' attire of the Shaniat family. Although their white dresses looked quite nice, Kiana noticed the guns strapped to their thighs and the riot shields on their backs.

"Are there so many soldiers on duty even underground?" Kiana wondered.

“They are not soldiers, but members of the Schariac family. The family’s castle can only be protected by the Schariac family,” Sirin said calmly. “Because outsiders are not allowed to enter Neuschwanstein Castle, the castle was once nearly struck by a disaster because it trusted outsiders.”

"A sudden disaster?" Kiana wondered. Could a powerful and extraordinary family like the Shaniat family have ever faced a crisis? It had stood tall in the shadows of Europe for a thousand years.

"In what year was Ludwig II, the King of Bavaria, born?" Sirin suddenly asked.

"1845?" Kiana had some knowledge of German history.

Where is Princess Sissi?

Kiana shook her head.

"Princess Sisi was born in 1837, a daughter of a collateral branch of our Schariac family, the Wittelsbach family. By today's standards, her strength would be roughly equivalent to a B-class Valkyrie, but her beauty astonished the world," Sirin said. "Her image, wearing a white crinoline dress with star patterns and her long braids adorned with diamond stars, was depicted by the famous painter Franz, becoming the most classic portrayal of female beauty for centuries. A copy of this painting is still in the Vienna Historical Museum."

"What about the genuine article?"

“The real thing is in my study. Strictly speaking, her beauty is far inferior to mine.” After making a dig, Celine continued, “But back then, Princess Sissi was so beautiful that too many people admired her, including Ludwig II. He was Princess Sissi’s cousin, and he spent his childhood with her. However, his romance ended before it could even blossom, and the fifteen-year-old Princess Sissi married into Austria.”

"A clichéd love story, and then what?" Kiana asked.

Ludwig II's affections remained hidden until he met Sofia, the sister of Empress Elisabeth (Sisi), who bore an 80% resemblance to Sisi. The two fell in love. However, Sofia was merely a means for Ludwig II to get closer to the Wittelsbach family. He levied heavy taxes to build the beautiful Neuschwanstein Castle and presented it to Sofia to prove his sincerity, portraying himself as a knight-errant straight out of a fairy tale. In this castle, he and Sofia engaged in passionate lovemaking.

"However, behind the scenes, he plotted to infiltrate the Wittelsbach family and replaced all the guards of the castle with his own Valkyrie confidantes. When Princess Sissi came to visit her sister, it was his chance to make his move. He wanted to get this cousin, even if the price was that a scandal would expose him and he would lose his throne."

"This is interesting." Kiana's eyes lit up. She had no interest in being forced to learn about family history and destiny in this castle a few years ago, but what her arrogant older sister Sirin said was quite interesting.

“However, when Princess Sissi arrived, she only saw her sister sitting on a swing, smiling and holding Ludwig II’s head,” Sirin said coldly. “Sophia was not a Valkyrie. She went mad after Princess Sissi arrived. She rushed at Princess Sissi and stabbed her in the stomach with a knife. After being subdued by Princess Sissi, she died from the poison.”

"They're all dead?" Kiana was bewildered by this sudden turn of events.

"Interestingly, after his death, we discovered that Ludwig II had a massive amount of mercury in his body, enough to kill him many times over. This wasn't something he could ingest in one go, but rather at least a year's worth. During that year, he actually survived by taking antidotes. The day he locked Sophia up, he didn't get to eat the afternoon tea that Sophia made for him every day." Sirin's tone was as usual. "Sophia knew all along that her lover's morbid love wasn't directed at her; she had planned it a year in advance."

Kiana was stunned; she could smell the blood from a hundred years ago in this castle.

“The guards were actually planning to present Princess Sissi to Ludwig II. If it weren’t for Sophia’s actions, Princess Sissi would have died alongside Ludwig II. After that, the family forbade outsiders from holding security duties and spread rumors that Ludwig II had gone mad and bought out the castle.” Celine took a sip of her black tea. “Neuschwanstein Castle seems to have a beautiful story, but it’s not really like that. Princess Sissi, who knew her cousin had designs on her but still went to the banquet alone; Ludwig II, who abandoned the country for his own selfish desires; and Sophia, caught between her sister and lover, who ultimately went mad… What were they thinking? No one will ever know.”

"Is this why Neuschwanstein Castle is only inhabited by women?" Kiana clicked her tongue. "The family doesn't trust men."

“Therefore, the area beneath Neuschwanstein Castle is arguably the safest place in the world right now. All security is handled by family members, each of whom is a Valkyrie. Before that foolish human returns to normal, countless beings from the supernatural realm are eyeing us covetously. We must ensure she is not threatened in any way.” Sirin stood up. At this moment, the elevator had reached the -29th floor. The elevator doors slowly opened, and a blast of cold air rushed in, as if she had suddenly entered an ice cellar.

"An ice cellar?" Kiana's eyes widened in surprise.

It turns out this floor really is an ice cellar, a low-temperature zone used to store collectibles that cannot be stored at room temperature! Right now, the power here is running at full blast, and the cold air is even seeping out from the metal walls of the storage room!

Cecilia is actually on this floor?

Chapter 113 Cecilia Shaniat

"Lady Cecilia is actually on this floor?" Kiana was stunned. "Is this a place for humans to stay?"

“We Valkyries are no longer human to some extent, and that old woman is even more so.” Sirin’s expression was no longer casual, and she led Kiana deeper into the cold storage area with a heavy expression.

The deeper you go into the freezer on this floor, the lower the temperature gets. When Sirin opened the silver-white electronic door at the end of the corridor, the unimaginably low temperature made Kiana shiver. The temperature sensor on the door immediately showed minus fifty-five degrees Celsius.

"Put on your winter clothes," Xilin said.

Behind the door were specially designed winter suits for Valkyries, not as thick as those worn by ordinary people, so they wouldn't hinder movement. Kiana changed into the suit, closed the back door, and then opened the second door leading to the ice storage.

The middle section was meant for people to change into their winter clothes, but when the second door opened, Kiana watched helplessly as the room temperature dropped to minus ninety degrees Celsius.

It's easy to imagine that the temperature inside the icehouse is probably above -100 degrees Celsius! In most people's minds, this temperature is the temperature of ultra-low temperature cryotherapy. A normal person can only stay at this temperature for two minutes. If you stay here for a long time, not to mention people... even steel will change from austenite to martensite, becoming so brittle that it will shatter with a light tap, just like ordinary glass.

“In a low-temperature environment, cell growth and division can be slowed down to some extent, hemolysis caused by exercise can be reduced, and the body can have enough time to recover.” Sirin walked towards the center of the ice storage. “Simply put, in this environment, the Honkai energy can be suppressed to the maximum extent, and that old woman can be given as much time as possible to extend her life.”

The icebox was a pristine white, the temperature a mere -120 degrees Celsius, rendering all electrical appliances inoperable. Yet, Kiana noticed a giant screen television encased in insulated glass, beneath which sat a brand-new PS Vita, all protected against freezing. Next to it were even a laptop and a juicer; Kiana didn't understand how juicers worked, as it was impossible for drinks to dispense from them.

Then, in the center of the ice storage, Kiana saw a conspicuous rectangular platform, about the height of a bed, with a glass capsule on it that looked like a sleeping pod from a spaceship in a science fiction work.

Kiana approached, and the glass hatch slowly opened, immediately releasing a large amount of white (crab-like) gas. She was about to peek out when Sirin grabbed her arm. "Liquid nitrogen, do you want to be disfigured?"

The glass chamber was filled with liquid nitrogen, which vaporizes immediately upon contact with the temperature outside the chamber, but is still at a low temperature that would freeze the respiratory tract even if you breathed it.

"Cirin?" A soft voice sounded from inside the glass capsule, with a questioning tone.

“I’m here, human.” Sirin pouted. “I brought that idiot back with me.”

"Oh? Good child, Kiana is back too. It's a pity that Mom can't make noodles for you... Dumplings before getting on the horse, noodles after getting off the horse, Mom is so sorry..." The woman's voice was still soft and weak, not like an adult woman, but clear like Sirin and Kiana's older sister.

Kiana stared at the glass capsule, only to see the white mist gradually dissipate, revealing a girl with flowing white hair straightening up inside. The girl was draped in a pristine white nun's robe, her figure appearing and disappearing in the mist, and she looked to be about twenty-three or twenty-four years old.

Her long, flowing white hair rivaled that of her two daughters, and her face was exquisitely beautiful and flawless, her eyes sparkling with gentle and loving light. However, her skin lacked color, and her fair complexion revealed a hint of frailty.

She is Cecilia Shaniat, the current saintess and head of the Shaniat family, and is hailed as the strongest being on the transcendent side.

She is also the mother of the sisters Celine and Kiana.

Kiana felt awkward every time she saw her mother. Although Valkyries all had some ability to preserve their youth, Cecilia's extreme beauty still made most Valkyries pale in comparison. Compared to her two daughters, she didn't seem like a mother at all; rather, they looked like three sisters from the same mother.

Kiana couldn't even describe her as a "woman," only a "girl." That word always felt like it was for women over thirty, while Cecilia made everyone feel like she was in the prime of her youth.

But now she can only stay in a coffin filled with liquid nitrogen.

"Lady Cecilia... what's wrong?" Kiana couldn't help but ask.

"Lady Cecilia..." Cecilia's eyes dimmed with excitement upon seeing her daughter, replaced by a sorrowful expression. "Waaah..."

"Mom!" Kiana quickly changed her address.

That's why she wanted to leave the Shaniat family. She did find it difficult to call her "Mom," but that was in front of others. In front of Cecilia, all she needed to do was show that expression, and Kiana's defenses would immediately crumble.

How outrageous! A mother using feigning helplessness to manipulate her daughter!

"It's alright, at least you won't die." Cecilia said with a smile, reaching out to hold Kiana's hand, which was icy cold. "Little Kiana is back, Mommy is so happy! I heard you found a boyfriend outside?"

"What exactly is this illness?" Kiana asked anxiously.

“It’s a disease that all Valkyries experience: Honkai energy rampage,” Sirin said. “Using supernatural power comes at a price. Honkai energy is a kind of energy that corrodes the body, but most people don’t awaken enough Honkai energy in their lifetime to corrode themselves. But she’s different. She’s the saintess of the Schariac family. Our family’s saintess bloodline allows us to freely absorb Honkai energy from nature without being corrupted, so the level of Honkai energy we absorb is several times that of ordinary people. Moreover, she is the strongest Valkyrie, so you can imagine the amount of Honkai energy she absorbs.”

Kiana, knowing all this, said impatiently, "So the saintess should be even less susceptible to corruption."

“But the blood of the saintess can also awaken in others,” Sirin said coldly.

Kiana looked at her.

“She’s old. The blood of a saintess often disappears in the current elderly saintess and is then passed on to another young saintess candidate,” Sirin said. “Generally, this shouldn’t be a problem, because most elderly saintess retire to the second line after losing their holy blood and never fight again, so there’s no risk of Honkai energy going berserk. Moreover, there aren’t saintess candidates in every era. If there aren’t any outstanding candidates among the young girls, then the old saintess will remain… But this year is different.”

“This time, the former Saintess is too strong. She has too much Honkai energy stored up in her body. Once she loses the control over Honkai energy from her Holy Blood, she will immediately go berserk. And there are not only excellent candidates for Saintess, but two more.” Sirin lowered her eyes, her eyes gleaming with intense golden light. “It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? You and I, we are personally driving Mom to her death.”

Please approve this....jpg

Chapter 114 The Turmoil of Shaniat

The Schariac Holy Blood is a very mysterious bloodline that only appears in the most outstanding and powerful girls of the Schariac family. Now that Cecilia is no longer a girl, it has naturally and gradually passed on to Sirin and Kiana.

Originally, it had no negative effects; it greatly enhanced the Saintess's control over Honkai energy, allowing her to absorb external Honkai energy infinitely for her own use. Therefore, Saintess Schariac's power is unreplicable. While a normal person's Honkai energy storage has a certain limit based on strength, the Saintess has virtually no limit—in layman's terms, her mana bar can keep growing indefinitely.

However, a normal saintess can only raise her Honkai energy capacity to a certain level before she can't raise it any higher; it's due to her innate talent.

However, Cecilia's talent was too exceptional, and she utilized the Holy Blood too deeply. She became excessively powerful, to the point that the Honkai energy contained within her body far surpassed that of other Valkyries and even previous Saintesses. With the Holy Blood, she could still control it with ease, but without it, she lost control—in simpler terms, as her mana bar lengthened, mana regeneration, being percentage-based, also increased, resulting in a seemingly endless supply of mana even without the Holy Blood buff.

However, her current physical capabilities no longer match her actual strength.

"So she can only stay in places where the corrosive effect is as low as possible, at minus two hundred degrees Celsius. At the same time, because she needs to constantly use Honkai energy to fight against the low temperature, the Honkai energy is constantly being consumed, which can greatly alleviate the burden on her body." Sirin gave a sarcastic smile, "A normal Valkyrie might freeze to death after staying here for a few hours because her Honkai energy is exhausted, but she even has to rely on this to prolong her life. Is this the tragedy of the strong?"

"Isn't Mom amazing?" Cecilia asked, eagerly awaiting her daughter's praise.

"You're something else..." Kiana almost wanted to curse when she saw her nonchalant expression. "Does this mean that it will always be like this... that Mom will have to live in an icehouse forever?"

"The freezer is great! I feel quite comfortable. The doctor said that being in a low-temperature environment for a long time helps me stay young." Cecilia pulled her second daughter over and put her on her lap, then beckoned to Celine. Celine snorted and refused to sit on her lap, making the beautiful wife look unhappy. "There are also many good things here. I just downloaded a really popular online game called... what's it... League of Legends? I've already reached Diamond rank in the last couple of days. I'm not bored at all here!"

Kiana felt even more upset as her mother touched her head and felt her mother's cold body.

“This method can still provide temporary relief, but in two or three years, when the Holy Blood has completely transferred, this method will probably no longer work.” Xilin glanced at her mother and said coldly, “At that time, you can just wait to die, and no one will be able to save you.”

“Two or three more years? That’s fine.” Cecilia rested her chin on her daughter’s shoulder and said with a grin, “You two should take this opportunity to get married quickly. If I can witness your wedding before I die, I will have no regrets. You’d better hurry, Celine. Your sister already has a boyfriend. As the older sister, you can’t let yourself be outdone.”

Xilin's expression darkened further. She clenched her fists, wanting to say something like, "Do you even know what your situation is?" or "Can you stop acting so nonchalant?" But in the end, she didn't say anything, only coldly saying, "That's not her boyfriend. I've investigated. He's just the landlord."

"Eh—" Cecilia drawled softly, pouting with obvious dissatisfaction, "I clearly saw the photos, Theresa sent them, you two were clearly shopping together!"

"Going shopping together doesn't mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend!" Kiana retorted loudly.

"But Siegfried and I got married after we went shopping together..."

"That's from your era. In your pure time, holding hands was something only engaged couples could do! My junior brother and I aren't boyfriend and girlfriend; we just live together!"

Cecilia looked startled. "Cohabitation? Have modern people become this open-minded? This doesn't count... No, cohabitation is not allowed, Kiana. Cohabitation involves responsibility. Our German law stipulates that cohabitation for more than three years can be considered marriage."

"I..." Kiana was speechless for a moment.

“I know, I know everything, Kiana. You joined St. Freya in Japan, your strength improved rapidly, and you lived a good life. You had a landlord and teachers to take care of you. You don’t need the past of the Shaniat family…” Cecilia said sadly. “But now you come to me and say that you are living with a boy you don’t know. You have no respect for your mother at all. You don’t treat me as family. You don’t even want to bring your boyfriend back to Germany to meet me.”

"You've become even more eloquent than before, Mom, since I haven't seen you for a while," Kiana said, pouting.

“Hehe~” Cecilia laughed. She had indeed been pretending to be sad. “But Kiana, I saw the photos. That boy named Shen Liang is definitely your type. He’s even prettier than many of the girls in our Shaniat family. Tell your mother the truth, do you still like girls?”

"Is it necessary to ask this question?" Kiana guiltily looked away.

"Oh ho, so you didn't deny liking Shen Liang?"

"mom!"