44: Chapter 41 St. Freya Academy

Looking through the porthole of the hyperion, a massive artificial island gradually came into view.

St. Freya Academy.

Kaiwen looked at the sprawling complex of buildings, complete with an airport, training grounds, and even residential areas.

Though called a school, its scale was practically comparable to a small city.

However, Kaiwen could hardly compliment the defense level of this city.

In Kaiwen's Remembrance, this academy had been invaded no less than five times, blown up twice, and once almost wiped off the map.

What was even more absurd was that, as a subordinate organization of Schicksal, the Far East Branch had the lowest budget among all branches.

The cunning Otto Apocalypse squeezed the budget of the Far East Branch while secretly sending pocket money to Theresa under his private name to fill the deficit, making Theresa have to meticulously budget even the money for buying bitter melons and comic books just to keep the academy running.

St. Freya Academy's entire financial system relied bitterly on Theresa acting cute to beg Otto for pocket money.

A forty-year-old legal loli relying on acting cute externally to support a whole family of people.

Mm, this is very Honkai.

And now, Kaiwen was looking through the porthole, witnessing this academy beneath the clouds with her own eyes.

Compared to that ruin in Changkong City, this place felt practically like another world.

At least for now.

"How beautiful..."

Kiana pressed against the porthole, her blue eyes reflecting the blue sea and sky below.

Kaiwen glanced at her, the corners of her mouth curving slightly.

This was probably the first time Kiana had worn such an expression since they escaped from Changkong City.

Enjoy it well, before this place gets blown up.

Hum—

The engines of the hyperion emitted a low roar, and the hull began to tilt slightly.

The sound of metal gears meshing as the landing gear deployed came from beneath their feet, and the entire battleship bumped slightly during deceleration.

Afterwards, accompanied by a muffled landing tremor, the hyperion landed steadily on the academy's airport tarmac.

The roar of the engines gradually died down, replaced by the sea breeze squeezing in through the gaps of the cabin door.

Kaiwen took a deep breath.

She made it here alive.

Although something bad would most likely happen next, at least today, she should be able to sleep well.

As soon as the cabin door opened, two Valkyries wearing medical uniforms rushed up pushing a wheelchair.

Before Kaiwen had time to stand up, her shoulders were firmly pressed down by a pair of hands.

"Honkai Energy backlash patient detected, needs immediate transfer to the medical center for a comprehensive check-up."

"Wait, I actually—"

"Please cooperate."

Leaving completely no room for negotiation, Kaiwen was simply pressed into the wheelchair, and then the safety buckle clicked shut.

Kiana panicked, stepping forward to block in front of the wheelchair: "Where are you taking her?"

"This is the Headmaster's order for her deep physical examination."

The lead medical worker didn't even look back, pushing the wheelchair and walking away, "This classmate can wait outside."

Kaiwen was pushed to slide quickly through the airport's medical-only passage, only having time to turn her head and make a gesture to Kiana.

The doors of the medical center closed heavily behind her.

In the next hour or so, Kaiwen had four tubes of blood drawn, underwent two rounds of full-body scans, and had a Honkai Energy test strip with an extremely bizarre taste shoved into her mouth.

She cooperated very well throughout the process.

After all, her current self couldn't beat anyone.

Today the Stigmata is dormant, bullied arbitrarily by doctors; when my power recovers, I will surely settle accounts with those who bullied me today with absolute power!

But what Kaiwen didn't know was that among those four tubes of blood, one was individually labeled as top-secret and sent to an independent laboratory in the deepest part of the medical center.

A few hours later, an encrypted report was quietly delivered to the Headmaster's office.

...

Dong, dong.

Theresa's hand holding the report paused slightly, quickly folding the report and putting it into the drawer under the desk, then resumed that slightly lazy expression.

"Come in."

Outside the door was Raiden Mei.

Her complexion at this moment was pale, but her steps walking in were unexpectedly steady, as if she had made up her mind about something.

Theresa glanced at her without speaking, just slightly raising her chin to signal her to sit.

But Mei did not sit down.

She walked straight to the desk and stood still, looking at Theresa with a calm voice:

"Headmaster..." Raiden Mei took a deep breath and slowly said, "The Honkai in Changkong City... was actually caused by me."

Theresa looked at her, but her expression didn't change.

"I am the Herrscher host you have been tracking." Mei raised her head, staring straight into Theresa's eyes, "I am willing to accept all punishments for the destruction I caused before, imprisonment, sealing, or... any means are fine."

Speaking of this, her tense defense line finally cracked a bit, her voice lowering as she said pleadingly:

"There is only one request, please don't let Kaiwen know."

The office was quiet for a few seconds.

Theresa leaned back in her chair, her silver eyes calmly gazing at Mei, her fingers tapping leisurely on the desktop.

"Himeko's report mentioned that the Herrscher energy in Changkong City subsided shortly after awakening." Her tone was like chatting, "You controlled it yourself?"

Mei shook her head: "It was Kaiwen... she pulled me back."

"Mm, I see."

Theresa didn't pursue the details.

She picked up the communication terminal on the desk and dialed a number:

"Help me prepare a Honkai Energy suppression device and send it to my office. Yes, right now."

After hanging up the communication, she looked back at Mei.

"According to Schicksal's regulations, once a Herrscher host is confirmed, there are only two ways to handle it. Execution, or sending to headquarters for sealing."

Mei's body stiffened slightly, but she didn't shrink back.

"However," Theresa changed the subject, "Schicksal's regulations govern what Schicksal knows. But what Schicksal does not know is not within the scope of the regulations."

Mei raised her head, somewhat failing to react in time.

Theresa looked at her, her expression unchanged, merely stating a fact:

"In the report coming back from Changkong City, there is no record of a Herrscher host, as for headquarters—"

She paused.

"Headquarters won't know."

Mei stood in place, her lips opening slightly, but no words came out.

After a while, a knock came from outside the door.

A Valkyrie placed a metal briefcase on the desk.

Theresa opened the box, took out a precision ring-shaped metal device, placed it on the desktop, and pushed it toward Mei.

"This is a Honkai Energy suppressor. Once worn, the output of the herrscher core will be forcibly suppressed below the safety threshold. However, this will not affect your daily life."

Mei reached out her still slightly trembling hand and picked up the icy metal ring.

"But there is one thing you must pay attention to." Theresa's gaze looked straight at her, with no room for negotiation in her tone, "The matter of you being a Herrscher is not allowed to be mentioned by anyone, including your companions!"

"Starting today, you are just an ordinary student of St. Freya Academy, nothing more."

Mei lowered her head, clenched the suppressor in her hand, nodded silently, and then turned and walked out of the office.

The door closed gently behind her.