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

Anyone can say nice things, but none of them can make up for sixteen years of absence, sixteen years of maternal love that never arrived.

“Congratulations on your new family member.” Durandal smiled. “Pandora is an outstanding male superhuman with a promising future. I look forward to the invitation to the Shaniat family wedding.”

She turned and left without a second thought.

Chapter 178 I really feel sorry for my future brother-in-law.

That night, in a suite on the sixth floor of a large hotel booked by the German Consulate in El Salvador.

"Hey, hey, I'm telling you, this isn't quite right. It's not like my Shaniat family can't afford the room fee. We booked the whole hotel, so why are you guys still here?" Kiana propped her long legs up on the marble coffee table, lazily flipping through TV channels. "You two are one thing, but ever since we started in Japan, I've never seen you not sharing a bed with your junior brother. I'm used to it. But Sirin, you, why are you here with your junior brother!"

Kiana sat on the soft sofa. After the banquet, everyone returned to the hotel. This suite was meant for Shen Liang, but Shen Liang was not in the living room, which was bustling with noise.

She, Sirin, and Rosalia and Lilia were all there. The two little girls were playing a two-player game on the computer provided by the hotel, the keyboard clattering away.

“I paid for the room.” Sirin occupied a single sofa by herself and was flipping through a book. She and Kiana were both wearing cotton bathrobes because they had just finished the sauna on the fourth floor of the hotel and were too lazy to change. “I’m just worried that my silly sister has been separated from her man for too long and might do something stupid that would embarrass the Shaniat family if she couldn’t control herself.”

"Who could lose control of their feelings! No, my junior brother and I are just good friends, not boyfriend and girlfriend. If Mom misunderstands, are you going to misunderstand too?!"

"You think it's a misunderstanding, then so be it. Do you know why?" Xilin scoffed. She reached out and conjured a fruit plate out of thin air. Inside was a peeled orange. Without separating the segments, she took a bite, and the juice splashed everywhere.

"You trained your spatial abilities just to store this? That's ridiculous." Kiana pouted. "Give me one too, sister."

Each Valkyrie has a different focus. Sirin focuses on practicing spatial abilities, a very rare and powerful superpower. Sirin generally prefers to use this ability to walk without her feet touching the ground to avoid stepping on hair, or to throw food with a short shelf life into her space, where it won't spoil as long as oxygen is removed.

"Sister Sirin, when there's trouble, she's a vicious woman." Sirin was already used to her foolish younger sister's behavior, and casually pulled out a grape and threw it into Kiana's mouth.

Kiana bit into a grape, looking rather annoyed.

The sound of running water came from the side; Shen Liang was taking a shower in the suite's bathroom, while there were as many as four people in the living room outside. Kiana inexplicably felt like she was being taken advantage of. It was perfectly natural for her to come and hang out with Shen Liang, but what were these people doing here?!

The most crucial point is that Shen Liang is taking a bath! Aren't you guys even a little embarrassed? He's taking a bath and you're squatting outside. Who are you to him? Are you waiting for a picture of a beauty emerging from her bath?

“The Book of Revelation in the Bible describes the angels like this: the first living creature was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had the face of a man, and the fourth like a hawk. Each of the four living creatures had three pairs of wings, and their bodies and bodies were full of eyes. And in Genesis: the cherubim turn around with their flaming swords to guard the way to the tree of life.” Celine casually flipped through the materials and read aloud.

"What are you doing?" Kiana frowned.

“My doctoral dissertation,” Sirin rolled her eyes at her sister, “is titled ‘On the Universal Connection Between Ancient Angelic Images and Pre-Civilization Creation.’ Of course, a stupid human like you who failed four subjects in high school wouldn’t understand it.”

Sirin is a renowned child prodigy. Unlike the dim-witted Kiana, she completed her studies at MIT at the age of twelve and is currently pursuing a doctorate at Harvard Divinity School. Of course, her research focuses on the supernatural, and many prestigious universities worldwide offer diplomas to students with supernatural abilities.

“And then these images became even stranger. The Bible describes the Thrones like this: ‘While I was looking at the living creatures, I saw at each of their faces a wheel on the earth. The shape and color of the wheels were like beryl, and all four wheels were of the same kind, and in their shape and manner, like wheels within wheels. And as the wheels moved, they went straight in all four directions, and did not turn back.’” Sirin glanced at Kiana. “What do you think they look like?”

Kiana couldn't understand such obscure things at all; her eyes were darting around. She was in high school at St. Freya Academy, and she might not even graduate.

"UFO?" someone answered.

Shen Liang walked out of the bathroom while drying his long hair with a towel. He was only wrapped in a bath towel around his lower body, his upper body was still naked, his fair and muscular body clung to his long, wet hair, his expression was calm, and his slender figure carried a hint of eerie allure.

Kiana looked at his fair, jade-like collarbone and shoulders. Although it wasn't the first time she had seen them, she still swallowed silently.

“If the Thrones are a type of flying machine, then it makes perfect sense. They have no wings, are wheel-shaped, rotate, and emit light. They are either unidentified flying machines from extraterrestrials, or, as you say, flying machines from a previous civilization,” Shen Liang said.

Xilin stared blankly at Shen Liang for a long time before she realized what was happening. Her face flushed red, and she angrily shouted, "Human! Why aren't you wearing any clothes!"

"I've always done this at home. Besides, what's wrong with being shirtless?"

"You, you, you, me!" Xilin covered her face, both ashamed and angry.

She had never seen anything like this before. She had grown up in the Shaniat family, surrounded by girls, and had never seen a man undress in front of her... Was it normal for a man to come out of the shower shirtless? She didn't see many men naked on the street!

"You have defiled my eyes! Human!" Sirin was on the verge of tears. "I will crush you!"

Shen Liang looked at Kiana with a puzzled expression.

"Ignore her, she's crazy."

However, since she was Kiana's older sister and someone he might have to interact with frequently in the future, Shen Liang put on his clothes before coming out. Only then did he see Xilin loosen her hand slightly, cautiously scrutinize him for a long time, before relaxing and resuming her boss-like sitting posture.

"If I find out you've ever tried to take advantage of me again, I'll really crush you," Sirin said coldly. "It's very easy for me, Sirin, to make someone disappear."

"Is this considered being a hooligan?" Before Shen Liang could even ask, Kiana retorted defiantly, "You don't understand anything, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business!"

"Hmph, I don't care whether it counts or not, this is just being a hooligan to me!" Sirin sneered. "I'm not like you, Kiana. I am a noble person destined to control the world. This body is exceptionally noble, and I will not allow anyone to show me the slightest disrespect."

"If taking off all your clothes is considered disrespectful, then I really feel sorry for my future brother-in-law..." Kiana pouted.

Chapter 179 Academic Stars Sirin and Liang

Shen Liang tied her hair into a high ponytail with a dry towel, looked at the seats, chose to sit next to Kiana, and opened her tablet.

"Long time no see, Senior Sister Kiana," Shen Liang said casually. "This is the first time I've seen you in a nun's habit, but you look very beautiful."

Kiana proudly puffed out her little nose, changed the way she folded her long legs under her yukata, hooked her arm around Shen Liang's shoulder, and said in a cheerful mood, "Isn't the Shaniat family uniform beautiful? You're stunned, aren't you?"

She truly looked beautiful. The pure white nun's gown made Kiana, already beautiful, appear almost holy. No wonder she and Sirin were considered candidates for the next saintess; it wasn't just because they were Cecilia's daughters, but their appearances were perfectly suited to inheriting the saintess's position.

Fair skin, snow-white hair, and a nun's gown trimmed with platinum, exuding an austere elegance. The image of the Shaniat family is indeed incredibly alluring. Even knowing that such a beautiful, dignified, and sacred family is powerful and influential, one can't help but feel a protective instinct towards them and cannot harbor any hostile thoughts.

Humans are truly pathetic creatures obsessed with appearances.

“I just didn’t know you were religious.” Shen Liang glanced at the low neckline of her yukata before looking away. “The opening of your yukata is too big.”

"What's wrong? Did you see that? You're being naughty." Kiana grinned mischievously and even puffed out her chest. Although she was seventeen, she was well-developed. Her excellent Nordic girl (crab) bloodline meant that she was at least a D cup at her age. "But I'm not religious. I'm a pure atheist."

"Don't you believe that all of you are nuns?" Shen Liang didn't believe it.

"Just cosplaying as a nun, after all, when we're out and about, we members of the Shaniat family are all clergy." Kiana shrugged. "The nun's dress is so long and tight, it looks nice but it's really inconvenient to move around in. I don't know how Mom and Sirin have been able to wear it for so many years and still get used to it."

“Because that old woman and I can both float,” Celine said proudly. “It doesn’t matter if it’s inconvenient to move around, we fly most of the time anyway.”

"It's amazing how you can fly!"

“You’ll never learn it anyway, so sorry, being able to fly is indeed amazing.” Sirin replied arrogantly, then looked at Shen Liang, “Our Shaniat family is a lineage of saints. From ancient times to the present, our public image has always been that of nuns of the Church. Even though many of our family members no longer believe in God, we still have to maintain appearances. After all, the predecessor of Destiny was a religion, and some connections cannot be completely severed.”

Shen Liang understood, but he simply thought the beautiful girls from the Shaniat family looked very pretty in their nunneries.

“But you’re a member of the Shaniat family now, so you’ll have to wear it too,” Sirin suddenly said. “Hmm, designing a set of clerical robes similar to ours for men is a problem. Human, do you have any objections to wearing skirts?”

Do you think I look like I have no objections?

The two then resumed their previous conversation.

"Whether the angels described in ancient books are UFOs or creations of a previous civilization is a matter of much debate on the supernatural side. Some even suspect they are survivors of a previous civilization who were taken as 'gods,' but these things are impossible to verify due to the passage of time." In her doctoral student mode, Xilin bit the tip of her stylus, using her spatial manipulation abilities to float onto the coffee table in front of Shen Liang and sit cross-legged, intently watching Shen Liang's tablet. "But later, the image of the angels changed again."

Shen Liang and she were writing and drawing on the tablet, flipping through materials. "You mean the European Renaissance?"

“Heh, human, you know a lot.” Sirin gave him an approving look. “The Renaissance from the 14th to the 16th centuries was accompanied by the Reformation movement. At that time, people began to question the authority of the gods and the leadership of the Catholic Church in large numbers. It was also at that time that the image of angels was gradually deconstructed, and angels in human form were created in large quantities.”

"These are considered compulsory courses for junior high school students in China."

“Middle...middle school?” Xilin was stunned. “Your middle school students are studying our European late medieval Renaissance? I only started learning about this in college...have the Chinese really gotten this involved?”

"Returning to the point, in the 16th century, Martin Luther King Jr. put forward the Ninety-Five Theses, which questioned the Church and the Pope's power of 'forgiving on behalf of God,' and the collapse of the Papacy's authority began from then on. It seems that from that time onwards, there were especially many paintings of angels."

"You guessed the essence. In fact, the Holy See had already realized the collapse of theocratic society at that time, and that the papacy, which had been high and mighty for more than a thousand years, would eventually be replaced by secular power. It was at that time that the Holy See began to restrain itself and move from the forefront to the background?"

"That's just a euphemism, isn't it? Logically speaking, shouldn't it be that Destiny was forcibly pushed back into the background?"

"No, in fact, Destiny sensed the direction the world was heading and made the difficult decision to abandon the secular church on the surface. It was from that time that Destiny decided to gradually improve the image of the Valkyrie in the hearts of the people."

"How can we improve the situation where Valkyries don't appear in front of ordinary people?"

"Through art, many artists under the Destiny began to create images of angels. Under the secret manipulation of the Destiny, many angels were depicted as beautiful or lovely women. For example, Leonardo da Vinci's Annunciation and Titian's Venus with Two Angels at Her Mirror. During that period, Valkyries began to appear frequently, and many people claimed to have seen beautiful angels descend to earth to save them from disaster. In reality, they were deliberately choosing Valkyries with outstanding appearances to 'manifest' in front of people. Even until the nineteenth century, the Destiny was still committed to linking the image of Valkyries with angels. In the paintings of William-Adolphe Bouguereau, angels are almost always young, beautiful, and even somewhat charming girls."

How do you know so much about this?

“Because the Valkyries of the Shaniat family were the easiest to play the role of an angel back then.” Sirin rolled her eyes at him.

"You mean, Destiny knew the general trend, so it intentionally guided Destiny to develop behind the scenes and improved the image of the Valkyrie in the hearts of people around the world as much as possible? Leaving a way out for the current revival?" Shen Liang said, "But that would require a knowledge that transcends the times, which is unlikely."

"What era do you think the current Bishop of Destiny is from?" Sirin said calmly. "When Martin Luther questioned the Vatican, the pope at the time was the current Bishop of Destiny's father."

"Another person who has lived for over five hundred years... The extraordinary realm truly produces a wealth of talent." Shen Liang nodded admiringly.

Kiana looked left and right, puffed out her cheeks, and angrily ground her little (crab) fangs.

What's going on? One's my silly older sister, and the other's silly junior brother, but the moment they start chatting, I can't get a word in edgewise. Why is this happening? They're both my closest friends and family! Two good friends together should bring me double the joy.

But why am I the one who's isolated?

The brilliant older sister is a silly bug.jpg

Chapter 180 Russian Lolita Livestream Room

Shen Liang turned his head and saw Kiana looking sullen. Of course, he had no idea what Kiana was angry about. This was the curse of knowledge; intelligent people couldn't put themselves in the shoes of fools and think from their perspective.

Speaking of which, he and Kiana are now considered to be from the same family, which raises a question: are they friends or... siblings?

Although he seems to still call her "senior sister" and "junior brother" now, since he's surnamed Schariac, wouldn't Kiana be his real older sister?

Shen Liang was suddenly shocked to find that she seemed to be calling her "sister" more and more naturally.

He's a reliable 22-year-old adult male. Has the influence of the body on the mind become so subtle? He no longer has any of the initial resistance he felt towards young girls calling him "sister."

Back then, he still felt a bit guilty about pretending to be young and deceiving people!

"We can relate to that a lot. If your body stays young, it's hard to change your mindset. I've lived for over a thousand years, and I don't feel like an old auntie at all," Torachiyo said thoughtfully.

From the perspective of modern medicine, human thought patterns are influenced by hormone secretion. If the physical body doesn't change, the way of thinking is unlikely to change either—well…it's a kind of rudimentary materialism.

[A powerful, sweeping sound?]