After the seaside trip, the House of the Hearth returned to its usual, uneventful daily routine.
Since there wasn't as much need for money as before, Elias had significantly reduced his working hours and now had more free time to spend with the girls.
Though Raven was not pleased with this.
Ever since she enjoyed the convenience brought by Elias, her reliable teammate, this future island-exploding Raven had practically become shaped like him. (Big lie)
Raven: "What's going on? You're not motivated to make money anymore? Elias, do you think just because the mortgage and car loan are paid off and you have a seven-figure savings, that's enough for a lifetime?"
Elias: "Ah, well, I still take jobs occasionally. Honestly, it's hard to stay motivated to earn money for something that's destined to be lost."
No need to work so hard. As long as you're still striving for that villa island, all the money you earn now will eventually go down the drain. Since that's the case, why not just lie flat and give up, eat and drink and play when you want.
Raven: "You're saying that again, huh! I'm telling you, no way! Absolutely not! How could my future villa island possibly explode? What are the odds of that?"
Elias: "That's not a coincidence. It's probably fate."
In any case, he couldn't convince Raven. Now and then, he would still accompany her on some high-difficulty commissions she couldn't handle on her own. After all, Elias was also planning to renovate the House of the Hearth again and wanted to save up more money for the future.
Also, when he came home in the evening and saw the kids squatting at the door waiting for him to return, Elias never got tired of that scene. It filled him with joy. In short, everything seemed to have returned to a normal state.
Unbeknownst to them, however, dark currents were quietly surging.
...
In a dimly lit room, several people with cigarettes in their mouths sat facing each other. Smoke filled the room as their eyes locked onto a photo of a young girl.
"So? This is the girl, right?"
"Yeah, no doubt. This is definitely the legendary Stigmata. We had our eyes on her back then, but before we could act, her family was killed by Honkai Beasts. We thought she died too, but turns out she survived."
"We must get our hands on her. There's a massive secret hidden in her body, one powerful enough to change the world."
"Yeah, but it's a bit tricky. I just found out that she's been adopted by a man suspected to be the White Dove."
At those words, the entire room fell silent.
In recent times, Elias had made a fearsome name for himself in the mercenary world. It was said that anyone targeted by the White Dove would be killed, even if they were hiding inside a nuclear missile launch base.
In just a few short months, Elias had risen from an unknown rookie to the King of Mercenaries, becoming a living legend.
The photo in their hands was of Seele Vollerei, the most well-behaved child in the House of the Hearth.
At this moment, Seele had yet to awaken her twin powers, and the crimson stigmata on her chest could not be concealed.
Although it was usually hidden under the white shirts Elias bought her, during the recent seaside trip, the girl's swimsuit had exposed the stigmata to the air.
Should we say it was just bad luck?
Only a handful of people in the world knew that the stigmata contained the power of the previous civilization. It was usually well-hidden and unseen, but during those few days of relaxed vacation, the girl had unfortunately been spotted.
"Is the intel confirmed? If she's really the child adopted by the White Dove, then it's definitely not going to be easy to make a move."
"No, not entirely sure. After all, the White Dove is an extremely mysterious presence in the mercenary world. Anyone who tries to uncover his true identity ends up being dealt with by Raven."
"...Anyway, no matter what, the Stigmata is worth the risk. Get someone to capture the girl. By the way... is the White Dove one of them?"
"No. According to intelligence circulating in the mercenary world, the White Dove fights purely with strength and speed, and uses a giant scythe as a weapon. He hasn't shown any other abilities, so he shouldn't be connected to Honkai."
"...Then it's not a problem. No matter how famous he is, he's just an ordinary person. Try not to cause a commotion, but if a conflict happens... then just take care of him too."
The man in charge spoke casually, as if he were making a trivial decision.
To people like them, who considered themselves enlightened to the "true world," there was always a sense of superiority.
In their eyes, Elias was just an ordinary person who hadn't come into contact with Honkai. Even though he had become a living legend in the mercenary world, he was still looked down upon.
...
"Papa Elias said he'll be home a bit late today, but he should still make it in time for dinner. We even agreed to have hot pot together, so Seele has to do her best to help out."
Walking home alone, Seele struggled to carry two large bags full of ingredients.
Sometimes Elias came back too late to cook, but lately, Seele had unlocked the role of a little chef.
Even though she was usually timid and shy, she had been making steady progress—going alone to the next town to shop for groceries had become a breeze.
The locals also knew the House of the Hearth was an orphanage founded by Elias, so they often looked out for the girls.
"Papa said there would be a new song at tonight's concert—so exciting."
"Bronya-sis helped Seele register a game account. Now we can play together."
"Tomorrow Papa doesn't have to work, so I can ask him to teach me a new recipe."
With a cheerful heart, Seele walked along the road back to the House of the Hearth, a pure and adorable smile on her face. It was the look of someone full of hope for tomorrow and the future.
Looking back, Seele still found it unbelievable. During the time she lost her parents, she thought the road ahead would be harsh and lonely. Yet now, she had found a new home, and every day was warm and joyful.
In her heart, the girl prayed that these days would last forever.
But fate loves to play cruel tricks.
Screech—!
A sleek black luxury car, rarely seen in this area, suddenly drove up from the opposite side.
Before Seele could react, it had stopped in front of her. The car door swung open in an instant and she was pulled inside.
The next second, the door slammed shut.
There wasn't even a hint of braking—clearly the work of a professional kidnapping group.
Seele, mouth covered in shock and fear, managed to press a hidden button on her wristwatch.
...At the same time...
"Hm? A distress signal from Seele? Something's happened!"
Bronya, who was currently logged into five different game accounts, grinding daily quests across five games, suddenly noticed Seele had activated the emergency signal on her watch. Her expression immediately turned serious.
She knew Seele wasn't the type to joke about something like this. Without a doubt, something had gone wrong.
Riiiiing—!
Bronya's phone also rang, and without even looking, she picked it up—just as expected, it was Elias calling.
"Papa Elias, Seele, she..."
"I know. I'm almost home. Bronya, make sure everyone locks the doors and windows. Don't let anyone go outside."
"Okay! Bronya understands."
Everyone at the House of the Hearth had one of these wristwatch distress beacons. Normally, it was just a regular watch, but in critical moments, it could send a distress signal and function as a locator.
Once activated, both Elias and Bronya would receive the alert instantly. It was originally prepared just in case of emergencies—no one thought a day would come when it would actually be used.
Elias took their safety very seriously.
He knew the girls in his care possessed some resistance to Honkai, and that made them very attractive experimental subjects for organizations aware of Honkai.
And Seele, who bore the Stigmata, was truly one in a million!
"Everyone, get back inside! Lock the doors and windows, and stay put—Papa Elias is coming back soon!"
"Bronya, did something happen?"
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Wait, Seele... Seele went out to buy groceries and hasn't come back yet—did something happen to her?!"
To the children of the House of the Hearth, everyone there was a beloved and irreplaceable family member.
They were all girls Elias had taken in. Having once lost their families, they cherished each other all the more.
Even Sin Mal was no exception.
Though she often argued with others in the house, if an outsider ever dared lay a hand on one of them, Sin Mal would be the first to rush forward in their defense.
So even though they didn't know exactly what was happening, in that moment, each of them had one thought: they had to protect their family. They could not allow anyone to destroy this home again.
"It's okay. Papa Elias just called—he'll bring Seele back soon. Don't worry too much."
Bronya reassured everyone. She knew exactly what to say at a time like this, and just as expected, once the girls heard Elias' name, they immediately calmed down.
As if his name alone carried some kind of magical power—and in a way, it truly did. To the girls of the House of the Hearth, their father was someone who could do anything.
Once she saw that everyone had settled down, Bronya finally let out a small sigh of relief, still maintaining her blank, expressionless face.
"Papa Elias also gave Bronya another task, so I need to step out for a bit. No one is allowed to leave the house. Doing so will only cause trouble for him."
"Got it, got it. You're so cool, Bronya. We want to help Papa more too."
"Mm, everyone will have a chance in the future."
After calmly exiting the living room, Bronya suddenly bolted toward the storage shed at the back. Clearly, her earlier composure had been a front—being a deadpan loli really had its advantages.
"I didn't think there'd come a day I'd have to pick this up again."
Inside the shed behind the house, Bronya stood with a complicated expression as she looked at an object stored in the deepest corner.
An SVD sniper rifle.
Back when she first met Elias, Bronya had used this very rifle to carry out an assassination. But ever since joining the House of the Hearth, this weapon—symbolizing her past as a child soldier—had sat unused, gathering dust.
It hadn't been maintained in months.
The gun was now covered in dust.
It was hard not to wonder if it could even still fire properly.
"Wait for me, Seele. Bronya is coming to save you."
But just as she reached for the gun, a hand suddenly appeared from behind her and grabbed it faster than she could.
"P-Papa Elias?!"
Bronya's eyes widened in surprise.
For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating. They had just spoken on the phone. Even though Elias said he was almost home, this was way too fast.
If Elias knew what Bronya was thinking, he would probably roll his eyes and say, "How could I not be fast?" He had used the power of the Herrscher of Wind to boost his speed and was teleporting nonstop using the power of the Herrscher of Void.
His daughter—Seele—had been kidnapped. How could he not be in a hurry? But urgency aside, Elias knew there was something he had to take care of first: Bronya.
"Papa Elias, why are you here? Shouldn't you be saving Seele first?"
"Of course I'm going to save Seele, and I will very soon. But before that... I have to save you, Bronya."
"Bronya doesn't understand what Papa means."
"Isn't it obvious? You were about to become the old version of yourself again—a child soldier. I told you before, Bronya doesn't need to touch weapons anymore, or hurt anyone again."
In the House of the Hearth, Bronya was the closest to Elias and Seele, so he was absolutely sure—whether he was there or not—Bronya would try to rescue Seele on her own.
If it was to save someone important, Bronya wouldn't hesitate to kill again.
But even if she didn't mind, Elias did—very much.
"..."
Bronya fell silent for a moment.
Understanding Elias' intentions, she felt a warm feeling in her heart. She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his waist, and at the same time, held her sniper rifle more firmly.
"It's not like that, Papa. Bronya is not the same as before. The old Bronya was just a tool for the organization to kill—a weapon that killed just for the sake of killing. But now... I'm acting on my own will, because I want to protect someone important."
In the past, she was a weapon with no sense of self. But now, Bronya had changed.
She picked up her old rifle not to become a killer again, but to protect her precious little sister. That made her no longer a weapon—but a person.
"Ah~ Of course I know that."
"Eh?"
To Bronya's surprise, Elias wasn't the least bit shocked by her words.
He fully understood she had chosen to fight with the will to protect. And even so, he still tried to stop her from going to save Seele.
Elias crouched down and wrapped his arms tightly around her in return.
"I know you've changed, Bronya. You've gone from a weapon to a human—back to being a sweet, kind girl. Even if you're picking up a gun again, it's to fight for what you believe in. But... I have my own selfishness too."
"Papa Elias... has selfishness?"
Bronya was stunned. She had never known Elias to be selfish. He never showed any strong personal desires—he was like a flawless, crystal-clear gem.
"Yeah. No matter what the reason is—no matter what you're trying to protect—I just don't want your hands to be stained with blood ever again. That's my selfishness."
Is killing good or bad?
There is no clear answer to that question.
People kill for profit.
People kill for revenge.
People kill to protect.
Elias had killed before. He had killed many. He was no longer the ordinary boy who once crossed into this world without even killing a chicken.
Of course, he never regretted the lives he took, nor did he believe he had killed the wrong people. But he also knew... even if blood could be washed away with water, some things would remain—forever stained.
And so, Elias' selfish wish was to ensure Bronya never had to take a life again.
Whether she killed to protect or to save, he didn't want this girl's hands to ever be tainted again.
"Leave the protecting to me. After all, I'm your Papa. I'll bring Seele back—no matter what. So Bronya... please stay home and wait for me, okay?"
Elias pulled Bronya's small body into a tight embrace and whispered into her ear. Though his words sounded like a request, there was no room for negotiation.
Because he had taken back the gun—
And crushed the SVD sniper rifle in his bare hands.
Bronya felt a warm surge overflow from her eyes, beyond her control.
"So this... is your selfishness, Papa?"
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