Compared to making the wrong choice like Luo Mo, not even getting the opportunity to be chosen made Theresa seem even more pitiful. Her name didn't even appear on the selection screen—almost as if she had been completely forgotten. If it weren't for Sirin, that is.
Theresa blinked, her eyes revealing a glimmer of blue intelligence.
"Ah, this… isn't… Wait, why is this dragging me into it now? This really doesn't have anything to do with me, right? Teriri is Teriri, and I'm me… right?"
She spoke with a mix of awkwardness and anger, a blush rising on her face as she cast a resentful glance at Luo Mo. She failed to notice the calm and smiling Kallen sitting gracefully on the sofa.
Kallen had a gentle grandma-like smile and remained uninvolved in the conversation, clearly keeping a neutral stance—detached and composed. From her perspective, her granddaughter finally showing some potential was a good thing. Theresa had always been a bit immature and clumsy, so any experience, success or failure, was worthwhile.
Meanwhile, Kiana was doing her best to cover her mouth, trying to minimize her presence. No matter what, she couldn't let her great-aunt find a reason to come after her this time. Also, let's be honest—watching this dramatic "soap opera" unfold was too entertaining to pass up. Though… if this guy really became her stepuncle or something… that'd be so weird~
"Ah… fascinating. Human emotions really are strange things."
Prometheus floated lazily in the air, her translucent blue visor flashing momentarily, faintly revealing rows of complex calculations behind it. This elegant girl didn't need to worry about such confusing and emotional matters.
"Uhh… cough cough, well, in the end, we should definitely try to rescue Teriri, right? She's so close, might as well give it a shot," Luo Mo said in an attempt to appease the growing frustration in Theresa's gaze, which now included a hint of grievance.
He had to admit, the atmosphere was getting a bit too overwhelming even for him.
With so many people watching and so many emotional undercurrents, he should've taken things more slowly and carefully instead of rushing headfirst into chaos.
And now, great—Theresa was the one who kicked things off and fell into the emotional pit first, and she was dragging him down with her.
"N-no, it's not just 'give it a shot', okay!?"
Theresa stammered, her face blushing red as she struggled to continue her sentence. She glanced sideways at Luo Mo, the red on her cheeks deepening, giving her a shy yet charming appearance.
Originally, she didn't really have any particular thoughts about him. But then he had the audacity to stir up her life by moving into her house of all places. After that...
With Cecilia, Kiana, Kallen, and even random moments spent with Luna and Kongming —whether intentional or accidental—Theresa slowly began to change her view of him. Bit by bit, she adapted to having someone like him in her life.
Sure, he occasionally—okay, always—mocked her. He also turned her Valkyrie Academy into something more like a Herrscher Academy. And with financial control in his hands, he even made countless demands of her…
But hadn't he also taken her to the amusement park along with Luna?
Hadn't he—when half-dreaming—accidentally mistaken her for Kongming?
(T/C: I don't remember that episode)
Ugh… the more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became!
She began to sulk internally. Whatever. It wasn't like she liked this guy or anything.
Even a forty-something woman can be full of charm in her own way.
Theresa's embarrassment and frustration slowly began to fade, replaced with an intense tangle of feelings. If she didn't talk about it, maybe she could trick herself into pretending she didn't care. After all, she was already this old—shouldn't be going for someone so much younger!
And yet, this guy had two girls practically identical to herself constantly orbiting him.
Still, if she really had to say she didn't like him… well, he was probably the only man she didn't dislike.
And also… wasn't she the one who came first? (First met)
A sudden wave of powerlessness surged through her. Her spirits sank.
Ugh, such a headache!
She could only go with the flow now. After all, she was the one who arrived first—but was also the last to feel the need to compete.
"..."
Luo Mo quietly glanced at Theresa's expression without saying a word. Every emotion was written all over her face—embarrassment, anger, shyness, paleness, and even a sigh—all shifting in the blink of an eye. It surprised him.
Since when did she have such rich emotional expressions?
As for Theresa, he honestly didn't think too deeply about her. At most, he enjoyed teasing her, poking fun at her white hair, and pulling little pranks.
If he had known that Theresa was agonizing over powerful rivals, he definitely would've cheered her on.
Because Theresa was, of course, one of a kind.
Weird jokes, silly plans, and unexpected counterattacks from Luna… only Theresa was just right.
As for whether he liked her or not… well, if he really didn't like her, he wouldn't have paid so much attention to her, or gone out of his way to help solve her problems and guide her through difficult decisions.
Hmm, and she definitely must have liked the solutions he came up with too.
Kongming narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, pondering something in her mind. Luna, she sat with her legs pulled up onto the sofa, looking quite pleased with herself.
For a moment, the room fell into silence. No one said anything, each person caught in their own thoughts for different reasons. Only the characters on the screen continued their dialogue.
------
At this moment, Sirin was voicing her frustration for her good friend Teriri. But it was also because of that deep, biting despair inside her heart—afraid that if she pinned all her hopes on the group before her, they might truly abandon Teriri to her fate.
After all, she was utterly alone. Hopeless.
To her, the captain of the Hyperion might be the only remaining hope.
When people are faced with things that deeply involve them, they tend to get flustered. They worry, they hesitate, they fear the lack of progress and fall into despair—placing their hopes entirely on someone else.
That is the behavior of someone not yet mature.
It's also a sign of being afraid to take on responsibility.
But some things, no matter what, can't be done by others for you.
Eventually, she would understand this truth.
After comforting Sirin, the group gathered their emotions and prepared for the next phase of their mission.
Although their goal was to rescue the other three personality variants of Theresa, they didn't have any clear leads. So based on the type of people the enemy seemed to be targeting, the captain and the others decided to investigate each of the worlds where those versions of Theresa existed.
They hoped to find something unusual in those experiences that might connect to the enemy or lead them to a clue.
Conveniently, at that moment, the coordinates to one of those worlds were thrown out in front of them—without any obstruction, easy to access, and suspiciously smooth…
Just like a trap that had long been laid in wait.
But even if it was a trap, they couldn't avoid jumping in.
Along the way, the topic naturally drifted, and the girls slipped back into casual "friendly" chatter, gossiping about past stories as they went.
"To put it simply, that lady Luna was once a vampire girl that the captain failed to save. Kongming, on the other hand, only exists because of the captain traveling across parallel worlds via the Hyperion," Bronie explained with a shrug, walking with her usual laid-back flair and asking casually, "Pretty impressive, right, Captain?"
The captain covered their face with one hand, sighing, "How many times have you read that document about world phase observations Kongming wrote?"
"No helping it. Out of all the reports, that one is definitely the most entertaining bedtime reading," Bronie replied with a cheerful expression, casually observing the others' reactions as if that alone brought her joy.
"I mean, even the title is fun. It's called 'The Magical Adventures of Captain Ham-Ham'."
Irene chimed in calmly from the side, her tone slow and a little mischievous.
That one simple sentence made the captain visibly slump in exhaustion.
"...Hey, did you really have to bring up the title?"
The captain sighed even harder. He firmly disapproved of such a cutesy name.
Suddenly, the group walking ahead stopped. There was a new presence up ahead — someone else's aura could be felt.
Worth noting: in this world, Theresa's identity was... a High Priestess, not unlike her main world counterpart.
---
In a Golden Courtyard.
"'Captain Ham-Ham's Magical Adventures'? What an adorable title! Should I write a diary too to commemorate this... hmm... Eden, do you have any fun ideas?"
Elysia said while reading the teasing lines from the script, her smile light and carefree.
Turning toward the graceful woman with voluminous hair beside her, she struck a cutesy, coquettish pose.
"Hmm... then how about calling it 'The Magical Adventures of the Pink Fairy Lady'?"
Eden replied elegantly, offering the idea with a composed smile.
"No, no, that doesn't feel as close or affectionate as 'Ham-Ham',"
Elysia quickly dismissed the suggestion, her sparkling eyes eagerly awaiting Eden's next idea.
"Why don't you just come up with one yourself?"
Mobius grumbled from the side, clearly baffled by Elysia's whimsical thinking — not that she cared Elysia hadn't asked her instead.
"Because the fun of it is when friends think of a name for you~ It means more that way!
Oh, but don't worry, Dr. Mobius — I've already come up with one for you: 'Snaky Lab Notes'! How does that sound?"
Elysia chuckled sweetly, watching for Mobius's reaction with delight.
"Hmph—what a mess. But fine, I've got one for you too: 'The Pink Piggy's Journey to Getting Fat'. No need to thank me,"
(T/C: pft!)
Mobius snorted, clearly unamused, narrowing her eyes as if trying to read Elysia's expression.
Sure enough, Elysia was momentarily shocked. Her smile froze for just a blink before she put on a tragic expression and sighed.
"Why are you always so concerned about my weight? That's a young lady's private matter, Doctor~ You really don't understand a girl's delicate feelings at all~"
"Haha, it's because I do understand you that I say these things. What, are you mad?"
Mobius smiled a little more, clearly enjoying Elysia's helpless reaction.
She loved seeing Elysia squirm — wanting to do something but unable to retaliate. Every time, it lifted her spirits.
Elysia puffed up her cheeks, looking cute even while angry. But soon she wore a forced, fake smile.
"Dr. Mobius, you know, the way you act is just like those 'Tsundere girls' who tease the ones they like."
"Tsundere Mobius would never say what she really feels, right? Just like the internet memes say, the hardest substance in the peaceful universe isn't Eden's hidden gemstones or a thousand punches—
it's your stubbornness..."
"Enough. Hmph — you're as annoyingly talkative as ever."
Mobius snapped coldly. She really didn't like being called a "Tsundere." What even was that supposed to mean?
Where did people even get these strange labels?
---
Each world had a different version of Theresa with a slightly different identity, but their personalities did have a consistent core.
In this world, the High Priestess Theresa had been missing for a long time.
After a bit of melodramatic acting from the group, they managed to get the truth from one of the staff members watching over her.
Honestly, her unreliability seemed to be a universal trait…
In the rain-soaked city night, after some searching, they finally found this world's High Priestess Theresa in a dark corner.
She had short white hair and wore a nun's outfit of white and black interwoven cloth. At that moment, she was just waking from a daze.
She explained that she had been chased by monsters when suddenly a young girl appeared, took her to safety, and helped drive the monsters away.
She looked very sad… but had no one to confide her helplessness or sorrow to.
In her panicked memory, she remembered that girl trying to say something before leaving—words caught in her throat. She had said that Theresa didn't need to thank her for anything…
That she was simply trying to make amends.
Even that act of redemption, however, seemed selfish.
She had left with an unreadable expression… and oddly, her face had looked very similar to Theresa's own.
"..."
The captain didn't say anything. He was deep in thought.
That girl who helped Theresa… she clearly knew a lot. But she wasn't the one behind the attacks — she carried a deep, intense guilt.
Ah, so the culprit isn't acting alone. There's also an accomplice...
Then who is that girl?
Once again, the trail went cold, and this particular mission ended here.
....
Late at night, Irene and the captain stood side by side at the window, staring out into the inky-black scenery.
Her pale, beautiful face reflected faintly on the glass.
She asked the captain a few questions — trying to confirm something.
The path ahead would be dangerous. She couldn't guarantee his safety.
If he wanted to back out, now was the time.
"There's nothing forcing me to go. I don't have a grand sense of destiny.
But I just feel… like I have to do this."
The captain understood what she was implying.
Parallel worlds might have people with the same face, but that didn't mean they were his Theresa.
His experience with her was unique. One of a kind.
Even if to everyone else, this was all just a dream
He had made a promise.
"Because I know… there's someone still waiting for me out there.
She's in one of those fragile, ordinary worlds you described."
"There's a promise between us.
It's simple, nothing special…
But I want to keep it.
So I can't give up yet."
"…I'm sorry,"
he added, somewhat guilty toward Irene. This wasn't just a dream anymore.
He was dragging so many people into danger for the sake of this promise.
"Ara, no need to be nervous. I won't question your decisions.
I was just thinking…"
"For someone with such strong beliefs, you really haven't changed at all.
So…"
"Even if the future is still undecided,
please always hold onto that unwavering will."
On the glass, her reflection slowly outlined her lips with wine-red lipstick.
Her mouth lifted slightly, though it was unclear whether it was a quiet smile or a sorrowful sigh.
But she seemed in good spirits — her peaceful, gentle expression could be seen clearly in the reflection.
There was no need to say anything more.
She simply stood silently beside him under the starlight, like a flower that exuded a faint, intoxicating scent.
Just as she had said before —
she would support his decision, no matter what.
------
In Theresa's mansion.
Earlier, Theresa's sudden arrival had made everyone hold their breath, but under the gazes fixed on the recently deceased and with the two directly involved acting as if nothing had happened, the matter couldn't really be resolved.
"In the end, you finally remembered me. I thought the great Captain had already forgotten all about me. Turns out you're just into those loli-looking ones, just like the others~"
Irene smiled, her tone thick with resentment.
She even mumbled under her breath, wondering if the Captain just had a repeated preference for that type of young-girl face. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was just the right volume, carrying a subtle fragrant breath as it drifted into Luo Mo's ear.
At that moment, Luo Mo realized how close she was — at some unknown point, she had already moved beside him. Maybe it was during the standoff of Luna and Kongming, or perhaps even earlier.
"Uh..."
To Irene, Luo Mo was a little flustered for a moment.
How was he supposed to explain himself in a way that clearly proved he definitely wasn't into girls who looked that young?
But... wasn't it already too late?
His stiff image had already been cemented. There was no way to redeem it now.
"Sigh... Could it be that I've become the type the Captain doesn't like anymore?"
"No, no! I'll always be your fan, Irene-chan!"
Luo Mo replied earnestly.
"Pfft — what a shame the class president isn't here today. Otherwise, this would've been another classic scene~"
Kiana couldn't hold back her laughter.