After an intimate night, Bronie achieved the "left embrace, right hug" milestone.
On the left was her Little Duck, on the right was Seele, while Black Seele, though she came out to play, remained her usual socially anxious self. For Bronie, it wasn't much of a problem.
She took the children on a plane to the Far East, and the orphanage was almost completely abandoned. Bronie could have sold it, as it was a mansion and a valuable asset, but she felt it was better to leave it for the children as a memory.
If they had nowhere else to go when they grew up, the orphanage could be their happy home. Moreover, since money wasn't an issue, she left puzzles around the orphanage for the children to solve in the future.
Thinking about the children eventually solving the puzzles made Bronie quite happy.
After landing, they took a bus to their destination.
Upon getting off, Elysia exclaimed, "Wow! They built such a luxurious villa in this extremely valuable area of the Far East!"
Elysia knew how small the Far East was. In the past, the Far East had often invaded Shenzhou to expand its territory, so Bronie buying such a large plot of land was unexpected for her.
"Schicksal and Anti-Entropy are powerful organizations fighting against Honkai. Defying their will is defying humanity. This small plot of land is a trivial price to pay for fighting Honkai," Bronie said, nodding in satisfaction at the villa she designed, including the gifts placed for the children.
"Bronie is quite the figure, even though doesn't flaunt it online," Elysia remarked, looking down the mountain at the city and the massive St. Freya Academy.
It was hard to imagine that the city was built around the academy, which housed many Valkyrie cadets, many beautiful girl. Elysia was very satisfied with this home.
"It's not because I like to flaunt that I became important. Others know I have enough strength. See that St. Freya Academy? The S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, Otto's granddaughter, deserves this level of treatment. She participated in the Second Eruption and can be considered a hero," Bronie said, then looked at the new villa under construction nearby.
"Let's call it the Golden Courtyard; it's everyone's home. Calling it an orphanage feels lacking. Put your luggage in your rooms. Tonight, we're going to watch a movie, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'!"
The children rushed in, finding their pixel avatars on the doors of different rooms, making them very cute.
Aponia looked at the fireplace in the hall. "Interesting design. It feels like a warm home. If Griseo and Kosma were here, they would love it too. The environment is nice, and..."
She looked at a file in her hand. It was a Schicksal appointment letter for a psychological counselor at St. Freya Academy, her area of expertise.
But this "expertise" was...
To be honest, it brought a lot of pain to Aponia.
"If you don't like this job, you can just leave it. In fact, St. Freya Academy may appear to be a school for training Valkyries, but in reality, it's almost no different from an ordinary school. Hence, PTSD from Honkai impact is quite rare."
Actually, Aponia had long since moved past the shadows of her past. The mistakes made with good intentions were indeed regrettable.
However, if she didn't use her powers and instead used her knowledge to soothe others' pain, Aponia was very willing to do so.
In fact, she had studied related knowledge in the past. Therefore, Aponia did have the ability to counsel Valkyries with her rich experience without relying on her powers.
How many Valkyries in St. Freya Academy needed counseling was something even Bronie didn't know. But it was still possible to find a suitable job for Aponia, rather than having her cling to the children every day.
"Alright, I don't reject this kind of job. A more stable life sounds good. However, since Honkai hasn't completely disappeared, I'm still very worried."
Aponia was worried about repeating past mistakes since she still didn't fully understand her abilities. The only thing she knew was that the power of her words was something she gained after stepping into her fate, and becoming a fusion warrior had enhanced this power.
"So, if anything happens, I will help you. Not just me, but also Elysia, Kevin, Fu Hua, and Su. They are always around. We just want you to have a more peaceful and comfortable life and find the meaning in your life."
"Do I really appear that pessimistic?"
Aponia hadn't realized that her behavior had caused concern for Elysia and Bronie.
Bronie just shrugged. "By asking that question, you probably already know the answer. In Russia, you rarely went out or used the internet. That's clearly not the mindset of a normal person."
Elysia was very worried about Aponia's state.
Aponia was taken aback. "It seems my state of mind is indeed not quite right. Maybe I'm still not used to it. After all, five thousand years of penance..."
"Sometimes, others can act as your mirror, helping you understand things better. So, if this job feels burdensome, you can drop it."
After all, Otto had assigned it. Even if she discarded it, Otto wouldn't say anything. Aponia held the appointment letter to her chest and smiled gratefully at Bronie. "I hope the future really does get better."
Each room had a pixel avatar on the door, including Bronie's. To give Elysia enough private space, Bronie had designed a study for her on the top floor.
Bronie's room was also on the top floor, so if the children wanted to visit, they would have to climb the stairs.
This would give Bronie enough time to prepare if they came at an inconvenient time when she and Elysia are 'busy' at something.
After a short period of organizing, Bronie had arranged her room. She didn't have much luggage, but Elysia's room surprised her.
Despite not being there long, Elysia's wardrobe was already filled with various styles of clothes, some of which Bronie had never seen.
Elysia looked good in anything, but seeing a wardrobe full of different outfits for every day of the year made Bronie a bit fearful.
No wonder Elysia had requested a huge wardrobe to hold all her clothes. The villa at Cocolia's orphanage wasn't enough for her.
"Alright, I've bought the movie tickets. Let's head to the cinema in the shopping street. 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica: Rebellion' is a continuation of the anime, and the plot will definitely not disappoint."
After packing, Bronie came downstairs where the children were already waiting.
"Have you two been cuddling upstairs again?" Sin asked bluntly as Elysia and Bronie came down.
"No way! How could we keep everyone waiting? We came down very quickly! And Sin, you look very nice today! You'll definitely be the most dazzling girl on the street!"
"Really!?"
Sister Sin was a bit pleased and even looked at Bronya, seeking praise or comparison. Elysia and Bronie's late arrival was seemingly forgotten.
Actually, there were quite a few children in the orphanage. Going out together felt like a grand procession. Rosalia found a sturdy tree branch somewhere and led the group, playing the hero. If she had a tail, it would have been held high.
Along the road from the Golden Courtyard down the mountain, the villa was no longer too far from the city's hustle and bustle, making it convenient to get to the shopping street. In the future, Bronie planned to prepare an electric scooter for each child as a means of transportation so they could play outside more. Otto had even built a Homu-themed amusement park in the city for Theresa's enjoyment at St. Freya Academy, though it was a bit far from the Golden Courtyard.
The group entered the cinema, and Bronie found the electronic tickets on her phone.
"Alright everyone, this is our first time at the cinema, so make sure you won't need to use the restroom during the two-hour movie. The movie won't pause for anyone."
Bronie took the lead in calming the excited children. "And Rosalia, you'll have to part with your holy sword for a while. If anyone wants popcorn or soda, just let Bronya know."
"Wah, Bronya! How can you be so cruel to make me give up my hero's sword!"
"Rosalia, you can leave the branch outside and retrieve it after the movie. Who knows, it might turn into the Sword in the Stone by then!"
Lilia knew how to handle Rosalia better than Bronya. Rosalia immediately stopped crying and resolutely planted the branch in the greenery by the roadside.
A passing man with a scarf couldn't help but stop and watch.
"This is Rosalia's Homu holy sword. Whoever draws this sword shall become the King of Britain. But not you!"
"You even incorporated the Arthurian legend?" The man chuckled but was amused by Rosalia's childlike behavior.
But why were Russians here in the Far East?
The man's curiosity grew, and Rosalia was startled that he understood her.
Frightened, she ran to Bronie, who noticed her reaction and looked in the direction she pointed. Bronie saw a familiar figure.
"Hey! Isn't this Old Yang? What a coincidence! Are you here for a movie too?"
"Bronie? What are you doing here? And this lady..."
Welt recognized Elysia. As a fellow streamer, he occasionally collaborated with her, though he couldn't understand why she was so insistent on involving him.
"I didn't expect you to be so close with Bronie..."
"Hi, I'm Elysia. My name in the universal language of Mu Continent means paradise and beauty," she said. Elysia had wanted to contact Welt through streaming because she heard from Bronie that he was the successor of the First Herrscher, inheriting the power of the Herrscher Core. Elysia was curious about the human aspect of a Herrscher.
"It's just a bit of curiosity. I didn't expect to meet you today." Welt was surprised by their presence and the number of children. "Why travel all the way from Russia to the Far East with so many kids?"
Welt had many questions, especially when he saw Bronya. If Bronie was indeed Bronya's child, Welt thought he might need to call the police.
"Do you know Cocolia? Before she joined you, I caught her and made her work in a sweatshop. These kids were her experimental subjects. Bronya is an exception; I picked her up. The universe's creator likes to reuse models and characters, but it's okay; you get used to it."
Bronie's explanation confused Welt even more, but Bronie didn't give him time to think.
Instead, she led Elysia into the cinema. "We'll have more time to chat in the future. I've moved to the Golden Courtyard on the mountain. Don't worry, I have no hidden agenda. You're welcome to visit anytime. I've prepared some Russian specialties for you."