Regarding the question of whether one thousand lives are enough to beat Honkai Impact 3rd.

Because he completed his schoolwork with incredible efficiency and speed, and his usual recreational activities were so boring that Himeko, as his elder, couldn't stand it anymore. So, in order to help him balance work and rest, she applied for this shop.

Su Qing'an did not reject this; on the contrary, he missed this kind of life.

It's as if he's still running that coffee shop called Qing'an in Changkong City, where the stray cats at the door will affectionately expose their bellies so he can pet them obediently; they're so soft to the touch.

The weather in Changkong City is sunny and rarely rainy.

The weather at St. Freya Academy is always nice.

There are no more stray cats.

"Your coffee." Su Qing'an handed the coffee cup engraved with gold lines to Himeko Murata with a hint of exasperation.

"Huh. It really does smell like alcohol." Taking a small sip of coffee, Himeko exclaimed in admiration. The strong smoky aroma of whiskey perfectly complemented the sweet and sour taste of the coffee. She licked the whipped cream off her lips, the sweetness melting on her tongue and dispelling the alcohol aroma.

“Of course, after all, it’s a cocktail,” Su Qing’an said.

Irish coffee.

Just as Italians created latte for a similar reason, the Irish, who cherish whiskey as their life, created Irish coffee to offer a variety of ways to enjoy it.

Himeko, who clearly enjoys drinking, is not averse to this cocktail disguised as a coffee.

Su Qing'an likes coffee, not only because of its taste, but also because there are always stories behind coffee.

For example, there is a story behind Irish coffee that has been buried in the past and whose truth or falsehood is now unknown.

It was a love affair that ended without fruition: a bartender at Dublin Airport in Ireland met a flight attendant who only loved coffee and not alcohol.

The bartender cleverly combined Irish whiskey and coffee to create a rich and aromatic Irish coffee for her.

In the end, all that remained was Irish coffee, which is both a cocktail and a coffee.

The love that everyone yearns for, coupled with the regret of it ending without a trace, makes this a good story.

Regardless of whether it's true or not, Su Qing'an likes it very much.

"Your coffee shop is doing unexpectedly well. Even at this hour, there are still customers ahead of you. Those kids are usually not this free. It seems they are really curious about you."

Himeko took a sip of her coffee and said that she really liked the aroma of alcohol in it.

"Maybe it's because I'm the only male student here. It's only natural that I attract attention," Su Qing'an replied after wiping the bar.

Most of the students at St. Freya Academy were selected from orphanages established by Destiny.

Su Qing'an was enrolled in a lower grade class, and the Valkyries, who rarely went on missions, were naturally curious and interested in him. Given that Su Qing'an was very likable, he could even feel that his classmates' eyes were particularly enthusiastic.

This pure kindness prevented him from being too cold and aloof, which somewhat troubled him.

"It's a place where you can really let your youth shine. For a guy of this age, coming to a place like this is like the beginning of a light novel in a Japanese manga."

"Don't hesitate when you meet a girl you like, little one. St. Freya has plenty of beautiful girls with big breasts and long legs. There's no shortage of any type or personality."

Himeko Murata rested her chin on her hand and chuckled teasingly:

"Love is a very interesting thing, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what you'll be like when you're in love."

After all, it's really hard to imagine what that look like.

“St. Freya is nice, but it’s not a place that’s nice to me.” The boy gave a helpless smile. He paused in his work of wiping the glass, then looked up at the woman’s face and said, “Besides, Himeko-neechan, aren’t you single yourself?”

"Hmph, they say children shouldn't meddle in adult matters, but the men who want to date me could stretch from St. Freya all the way to Canghai City." Speaking in a cheeky manner, though the truth was unclear, Himeko Murata finished her drink. When she tilted her head back, the skin on her neck was as white as velvet, and then her face was flushed with a delicate blush from the alcohol.

"Okay, okay, so has their living with you caused you any trouble?" Su Qing'an didn't intend to delve into this topic.

It's quite strange that two people who are nearing the end of their lives are worrying about each other's love lives.

The only difference is that Su Qing'an knows about his and Ji Zi's situation, while Ji Zi only understands her own physical condition.

While St. Freya Academy is wonderful, it is only compared to other branches. The standards by which the two people talk are clearly different from those of ordinary people.

"Well, those four girls are all troublesome. Compared to the others, Bronya, who has physical and emotional defects, is actually the most normal. She likes playing video games and loves Homu dolls. She's not much different from an ordinary little girl."

“Raiden Mei,” Himeko Murata sighed as she mentioned the increasingly gentle girl, “she carries a lot on her shoulders, it remains to be seen whether she can figure it out herself.”

Su Qing'an nodded. He understood what Ji Zi meant. As the Third Herrscher, Raiden Mei was confused about her identity and also felt guilty about the more than two million souls lost in Changkong City.

Even compared to normal high school girls, Raiden Mei is already quite strong, but it's not surprising that her kindness would make her feel so guilty that she would have suicidal thoughts.

Himeko must have said something to her at the end, which is why she doesn't seem much different from before. Her gentle demeanor when comforting Bronya and her happy laughter with Kiana are just as she always has.

But there must be something heavy buried deep in her heart, and one day Raiden Mei will eventually have to face those storms.

"Kiana, well, this child has her own worries too. Originally, after you woke up, she said she didn't want to join St. Freya Academy. But after the headmaster talked to her, she calmed down and enrolled obediently."

Himeko picked up the whiskey she had previously used to make coffee from the bar, and under Su Qing'an's helpless gaze, took a sip, seemingly feeling distressed because of her students.

"Kiana is a very talented child. She is good at everything, whether it's fighting or studying. If she wants to, she can achieve excellent results."

"But when it comes to classes unrelated to combat, she's like an idiot and just likes to sleep. On the contrary, when it comes to classes about the battlefield and combat missions, she's very alert and can easily remember everything."

"Should we say she has clear goals, or is she just being exceptionally honest about her preferences? In any case, she definitely won't pass her final exams, especially history. If there are no multiple-choice questions, her score will probably be in the single digits."

The Irish whiskey has a smooth and lingering taste. As Himeko savored the flavor of the whiskey, she shook the bottle, looked at the churning liquid inside, and made a comment.

Although she prefers stronger Scotch whisky, it's nice to occasionally enjoy such a pleasant and mellow flavor.

"She might even end up crying and asking Raiden Mei and Bronya to tutor her." Imagining the girl's pathetic last-minute cramming, Su Qing'an couldn't help but laugh; it was truly a hilarious scene.

"Finally, there's Sato Yuno. Su Qing'an, what kind of person do you think Sato Yuno was in the past?" The woman exhaled a fragrant and rich aroma of alcohol as she looked at the wind chimes swaying by the door and asked.

"...Sato used to be a rather talkative and somewhat cunning girl. Because she was easily distracted in class, her grades were always just average. She even liked to slack off when doing her homework at home."

"The reason she comes to my coffee shop is to tell her mother that she wants to find a quiet place to study with her friends, but in fact, her schoolbag is never opened when she comes."

"Overall, Sato used to be a normal high school girl."

A normal, average, and perhaps a little undisciplined female high school student.

In the end, Su Qing'an came to a conclusion, but even so, he understood.

No. Rather, it's precisely because he understands Sato Yuno that he can more clearly understand just how much she has changed.

"An ordinary high school student?" Himeko took a sip of whiskey, the setting sun reflecting in her amber eyes as if to paint them golden. Su Qing'an couldn't see through her emotions for a moment.

"After what happened in Changkong City, this child has lost his smile for anyone except you and Kiana."

"Training, attending classes, eating, sleeping. She was like a spinning top that couldn't stop, squeezing out every minute and every bit of energy, gritting her teeth to unleash all her potential and talent. It was as if death was wielding its scythe behind her; if she stopped, she would face death."

"One day, she'll break down like this."

"It's impossible for people to truly empathize with each other. I can't understand her despair and grief at losing everything almost instantly in Changkong City, nor can I understand her obsession and will to break with convention and reclaim her human consciousness after becoming a pseudo-Herrscher."

"I really can't put on the act of a teacher or elder and lecture her like this."

Himeko sighed as she gazed at the setting sun, half-hidden behind the clouds, but then a relieved smile appeared on her face as she spoke to the silent boy:

"But thankfully, when she occasionally comes to the coffee shop, and during your conversations with Kiana, she always seems to unconsciously show a happy and relaxed expression. To that girl, Sato Yuno, the two of you must be very, very important."

“You are like the valley where she can finally find refuge. Only in those brief moments of conversation with you does she feel a sense of relief and joy. In that case, she should be able to keep going.”

"Hahaha, they're all such a handful." Himeko Murata placed the empty sake bottle aside and, without any regard for her image, slumped onto the table, saying:

"They all have so many things hidden in their hearts. They're all just kids, but there's nothing we can do about it; that's just how the world is."

The woman closed her eyes, mumbled something, and then breathed quietly. The sea breeze and the sound of the waves were like a lullaby from a distant memory. Perhaps because the person in front of her was trustworthy, Himeko willfully dozed off.

Himeko-nee, aren't you the kind of person who has no right to say such things? When you're concerned about others, you should think about yourself first.

Su Qing'an took out a blanket and carefully covered the woman's shoulders, commenting to herself.

When the boy thought this way, he undoubtedly ignored his own circumstances.

A common flaw among them is their tendency to overlook themselves; whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is hard to say.

6. The Forgotten One at Dusk

Himeko woke up after a light nap of fifteen minutes.

Her sleepy look contrasted subtly with her usual mature and composed demeanor, making her unexpectedly adorable.

Himeko, clearly unaware of the expression on her face, lazily stretched.

After regaining her senses, Himeko took a bottle of Irish whiskey from the cabinet behind the bar.

"You should drink less alcohol." Faced with Su Qing'an's earnest advice, Ji Zi simply smiled and patted his head before leaving.

He'd gone too far with his perfunctory words. Helplessly, he touched the warmth left by the woman's hand on her hair, but couldn't bring himself to offer any further advice.

Sometimes, adults don't even need to say a word to appease children.

Su Qing'an could only watch as the woman's figure, carrying the wine bottle, gradually disappeared from sight.

Alright, now it's my time to myself.

After stopping the silent recitation of the Sword Heart Mantra, Su Qing'an put away the empty wine bottle and coffee cup on the table and cleared his mind for a while, thinking to himself.

The boy walked out of the coffee shop.

After the artificial holy mark broke through the limit, he resumed his habit of practicing the Sword Heart Technique when he ran his coffee shop.

Although he clearly felt that the Sword Heart Technique's enhancement to tempering his sword heart was decreasing, reaching the higher level of clarity would not be something that could be achieved in a short time.

But this was the only hand he could hold onto, so there was no reason for him to give it up.

After breaking through to the Dustless Realm, the ability to improve physical fitness was enhanced again. However, due to the one-time surge in physical fitness caused by the artificial holy mark, the rate of increase in this ability was once again infinitely close to zero.

Without the Valkyrie armor provided, even though Su Qing'an has indeed become much stronger, he would still be easily crushed by Ganesha.

After all, in the Honkai Impact 3rd universe, only Kevin the Ancestor can stack defense. Even Fu Hua, who is also a fusion warrior from a previous civilization, only has a near-immortal regeneration ability, and her defensive power doesn't seem particularly strong.

Of course, teenagers who are not familiar with the plot will not know this flaw.

Even though Nishikujo Sara said that her physical attributes were close to those of an A-rank Valkyrie, her talent for easily controlling her rapidly increasing power made her feel less and less like she was actually getting stronger.

Ignoring these trivial troubles and thoughts.

Bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, with the cool sea breeze ruffling his clothes, Su Qing'an breathed in the fresh air, all his thoughts dissipating.

He arrived at the edge of the artificial island closest to the sea. The coffee shop was already in a relatively remote location, and this place was even more deserted.

This was a habit he had only recently developed. Su Qing'an's inner pressure and thoughts were no less than anyone else's, but his will and self-control had been honed to an excessively strong level by the despair he had encountered, so that even those closest to him could not see much of a difference.

Only at this time of day, gazing at the ocean and sky merging into one, could the boy's chaotic thoughts and worries be dispelled by the treasure-like magnificence and the almost boundless vastness.

St. Freya is very good.