Starting from the Collapse World, I became the behind-the-scenes boss

We're all part of a Herrscher team destined to save the world, so we have to get along well.

"Huh?" Wendy, who had been trying to remain invisible, was startled when the topic shifted to her. She quickly composed herself and said, "Teacher Theresa didn't tell me much. She just told me to stay in St. Freya and that she would take care of any problems that might arise."

Only then did Theresa understand what Wendy had gone through in the past three years. She subconsciously regarded the girl as a child who needed to be cared for and naturally did not want her to worry too much.

"Are you worried that headquarters might do something bad to Miss Wendy?"

Seeing the boy talking about serious matters, Mei also became much more serious.

In their previous candid conversation, Himeko and the others had subtly mentioned that the Far East Branch might clash with headquarters in the near future. Now, with the addition of Wendy's situation, it's hard not to overthink things.

After all, no matter how you look at it, Wendy, the Fourth Herrscher, is a very good point of conflict.

Even if the Far East Branch claims that the destruction of the Oceania Branch and the arrival of the Fourth Honkai are inevitable results of the Honkai, the person who directly caused all of this is still Wendy.

More or less, Wendy can't possibly stay completely uninvolved.

"But didn't headquarters agree before that we would protect Wendy?"

Kiana still looked puzzled.

“The past is the past. Everything changed after Wendy became a Herrscher.”

Shihen tried to explain to the white fluffy ball.

"But Wendy is still Wendy, isn't she?"

Kiana asked in confusion, her clear, foolish eyes, as blue as a summer sky, revealing a hint of naivety.

"Kiana-san..."

Hearing these seemingly naive yet wise words, Wendy felt a warmth in her heart.

She never expected that this seemingly not-so-bright girl would have such a broad mind.

In an instant, her affection for the white-haired girl in front of her soared, and her guilt also rose accordingly.

The other person treated her with such sincerity, yet she...

Glancing at the gentle and handsome features of the boy on the hospital bed, Wendy felt even more guilty.

"I do hope that headquarters can put things out in the open."

Shihen shook his head.

"Do you think headquarters will take action directly?" Mei immediately understood the boy's implied meaning and became somewhat uneasy. "Things shouldn't be that serious yet, right?"

The headmaster is the only relative of the Archbishop of Destiny.

Although Mei learned some things from Himeko, she still believed that the conflict between the Far East Branch and the Schicksal Headquarters was not so intense as to be irreconcilable.

"Ha! It wouldn't be surprising if those guys did anything."

With a cold laugh, Wendy made no attempt to hide her skepticism towards the Destiny Headquarters.

Even though she chose to trust Theresa and Shihen, the girl still naturally lacked trust in other branches of the Church of Destiny.

The so-called Herrscher personification is merely a result of amplifying the dark side of people's hearts to an extreme degree; it is not a genuine creation of a Herrscher personality out of thin air.

So even after escaping the effects of the Honkai, Wendy did not forgive and forget everyone in Schicksal.

"I also support Wendy's view more."

Shihen clearly expressed his stance.

Holding the script in his hand, he knew exactly what was going to happen next.

Moreover, it is very obvious that Fu Hua is already trying to disassociate herself from her small team.

With her undercover mission nearing its end, Fu Hua no longer intended to have much interaction with them.

Traveling alone is a habit that Fu Hua has cultivated over a long period of time.

Having experienced countless losses over the long years, even though those memories have been forgotten, the prudence in interpersonal relationships is still imprinted deep in Fu Hua's soul.

"Well……"

Upon hearing this, Mei's expression immediately turned serious.

The pressure from Walter White was already immense; she couldn't even imagine how despairing it would be to add another Schicksal Headquarters.

"Don't worry, I'll handle everything this time." Looking directly into the boy's eyes, Wendy said earnestly, "Those people's target is me, and I will definitely not let you be affected."

Moreover, the boy had already been injured once, and Wendy, who was always known as a genius, would naturally not accept such a thing happening a second time.

Therefore, even if it meant sacrificing herself, she would never let the boy suffer any more harm.

Shi Hen: “…”

Miss Wendy, aren't you taking yourself a little too seriously?

While a Herrscher is indeed valuable, in reality, no one is actually coveting your power.

"Miss Wendy!" Upon hearing this, Mei's expression immediately turned serious. "We are already comrades, so please don't say anything that could affect us!"

If anyone truly intends to harm you, we will fight them to the bitter end!

Even though she was quite wary of Wendy regarding the matter of the boy, Mei didn't want the girl to be taken away by anyone else.

"Exactly! Even if that masked guy really comes, I'll beat him to a pulp!"

Kiana echoed, waving her little fist in a cute yet fierce manner.

Seeing this, Shihen couldn't help but nod to himself.

See? With a little more practice, this bond will be built.

And if everyone's feelings are deep enough, it's not impossible for a few more Herrschers to emerge.

But before the boy could be happy for long, Mei's next words plunged him into another abyss.

"Besides, I can protect the marks myself, so Miss Wendy doesn't need to worry about it."

Looking intently at the green-haired girl, Mei spoke firmly.

"..."

Wendy involuntarily shrank back, not daring to refute Mei's intimidating aura.

"Um???"

Kiana glanced at Mei with a puzzled look, still unaware of the true nature of the confrontation, and looked completely bewildered.

Shi Hen: “…”

He felt he still had a long way to go before he could get the team to work together harmoniously.

Chapter Thirty-One: The Storm Is Coming

"So, this is why you're considering cooperating with that World Serpent?"

In Theresa's office, looking at the box of blood-red potion that was finally placed in front of her, Himeko's expression couldn't help but become complicated.

She was already fully aware of her physical condition and had even started looking for ways to treat and prolong her life several years ago.

Even though she is a Valkyrie who bears the mission of saving the world, she is still human after all. How could she not be afraid of death?

But she never expected that the thing she had been searching for for many years would now appear before her eyes.

Faced with this box of medicine that was supposedly able to save her life, Himeko felt little joy, but rather a deep sense of lingering fear.

In Destiny, there are quite a few Valkyries like her who suffer premature aging due to artificial stigmata, but this miraculous medicine, which can be described as a special attack against Valkyries, is in the hands of World Serpent.

Imagine if the World Serpent used this potion to negotiate with Valkyries nearing the end of their lives; how many of them could resist the temptation to prolong their lives?

The immense terror between life and death is something that cannot be comprehended by those who have not experienced it firsthand.

Even Himeko herself couldn't help but feel a longing for this potion.

Of course, Himeko would never accept the possibility of her life continuing at the cost of another person's sacrifice.

So the only thing she can be thankful for now is that Theresa upheld her principles and resisted the temptation.

Can other Valkyries do what Theresa can do?

For a moment, Himeko felt a chill run down her spine, as if some kind of monster was staring at her from the darkness.

"Hmm..." Theresa responded softly, lowering her head and not daring to look Himeko in the eye. "I had the medical department check it, and the medicine itself is fine. It can indeed clear Honkai energy."

"So, the only trick the World Serpent uses is dosage?" Himeko sneered, her eyes turning cold. "For those guys, that's quite a simple and straightforward tactic."

For someone who is about to die, the most desperate thing is not the lack of salvation, but that the salvation is only half complete.

The rainbow after the storm is more beautiful, and the darkness after dawn is naturally more despairing.

Unfortunately, what lies hidden behind this potion is not some conspiracy that will become ineffective once it is discovered, but rather the most blatant bait.

Survival or death—the World Serpent presented them with an incredibly direct choice.

“Himeko.” Theresa raised her head slightly, her gaze towards the red-haired Valkyrie so cautious. “The medical department said that even if there are no other medicines available, this amount will be enough for you to last a little longer.”

Although the Far East Branch could not determine exactly how much medicine a Valkyrie would need to fully recover without any actual clinical application, it was not difficult to guess the approximate effects of the medicine.

"And then you'll continue to be blackmailed by that guy?"

Himeko said irritably, her voice tinged with anger.

Although she wasn't the kind of hero who would die for her cause, she wasn't cowardly enough to stand by and watch her best friend being coerced without feeling any remorse.

Theresa was able to resist the temptation largely because the other party was not entirely sure about the effects of the drug.

As long as she doesn't use the potion, Theresa can continue to convince herself that there might be something wrong with it.

Once she chooses to accept the medication and receives positive feedback, the fact that she is only one step away from extending her life will, in turn, put heavy psychological pressure on Theresa.

At this point, even if Himeko says nothing, she will put tons of pressure on Theresa, forcing her to submit to World Serpent.

"I..." Theresa choked on Himeko's words, her eyes blinking like a homeless kitten, "I just... don't want you to die..."

Therefore, even if it only allows her to live a little longer, she hopes that Himeko will accept this medicine.

What if, by any chance, their technology makes a breakthrough in the future and they can perfectly reproduce this medicine?

“Theresa…” Stung by the nun’s gaze, Himeko’s expression softened. “I know what you mean, but you should also understand my thoughts.”

Although I am afraid of death, if my life requires you to sell your dignity and bottom line, then I will not live.

Then... I'd rather die!

After saying that, Himeko raised her fist and smashed it into the precious potions that were padded with velvet.

"Himeko!!"

She cried out in alarm, but Theresa was too late to stop it. She could only watch helplessly as the potions meant to prolong the red-haired Valkyrie's life were...

"Hiss—" Himeko cried out in pain, clutching the back of her hand. "What is this thing made of? How can it be so hard!?"

Although she wasn't going all out, one punch from her was enough to shatter ordinary tempered glass.

"Pfft~"

Unable to suppress a laugh, Theresa quickly realized she shouldn't be gloating, so she put the potion away and said, "Alright, alright, I just won't give it to you."

Even if you don't want it, it would be good to let the people in the medical department take a look.

Previously, due to a shortage of medicine, the samples she sent to the medical department for testing were measured in milliliters.

Seeing this, Himeko could only wave her hand and say, "Whatever, I'm not taking it."

As long as it wouldn't implicate Theresa, she didn't care what to do with the medicines.

Or perhaps the best place for these medicines is to remain in the medical department and continue to serve their purpose.

After moving her still slightly swollen fingers, Himeko looked out the window at St. Freya Academy, which was now tinged with crimson, and sighed softly, "Is there still no reaction from headquarters?"

Logically speaking, the Far East Branch's decision to leave Wendy behind not only offended the World Serpent but also disobeyed the bishop's orders, and should have been severely punished.

However, the headquarters' response to this matter was quite indifferent, with only a simple "read" reply and no criticism notice, which was unsettlingly calm.

Her intuition told her that this was undoubtedly the prelude to a storm.

"No matter what happens, I will do everything I can to protect the children."

Theresa clenched her fist slightly and spoke in a slow and serious tone.

In the matter of Wendy, Shihen has already demonstrated his beliefs to her through his actions.