Schicksal Headquarters.
Inside a private chamber belonging solely to Otto, a long table stretched from end to end—
and on it sat dozens of ice cream varieties, arranged like a bizarre ceremonial offering.
Before the table, Otto sampled the last flavor under the watchful presence of Rita and the master pâtissier she had brought.
He had already eaten far, far more ice cream than most people would eat in a lifetime.
Just for this purpose, he even had a temporary body constructed—one capable of tasting food.
But it wasn't because he liked ice cream.
Not at all.
This was simply a matter of due diligence.
If the Fourth Herrscher disliked the ice cream he presented, the consequences would be… catastrophic.
At worst, he wouldn't get Void Archives back.
At worst, she might raze Schicksal to the ground.
And right now, Schicksal had NO way to handle the Fourth Herrscher—
especially one whose disposition was unpredictable, whimsical, and utterly indifferent to conventional logic.
After all, this was the same entity who ignored the Honkai Will itself… for ice cream.
So Otto had to be careful.
Very careful.
He knew the palate of this artificial body did not necessarily match Wendy's, so he also had Rita prepare the globally most beloved flavors—statistically safest choices.
Anything to reduce the chance of disaster.
"Excellent. All of them.
Truly worthy of the world-renowned pâtissier, Mr. Les. Your work is satisfying."
Otto wiped his mouth and rose from his seat, finally pleased.
He had narrowed down the flavors he would present to the Fourth Herrscher.
But before finalizing, he planned to run them through a final test—
the Valkyries.
After all, crowd-approval mattered.
If the masses liked it, Wendy would likely accept it too.
"Rita, take Mr. Les to rest. I will need you again shortly."
Seeing that the pâtissier kept respectfully silent, Otto knew that was Rita's doing.
He didn't comment. His mind was already on the Void Archives.
And Black Abyss White Flower.
And, perhaps—
if fortune allowed—
recruiting the Fourth Herrscher into Schicksal.
He paused.
Yes, perhaps he was imagining too much.
"Understood, bishop.
This way, Mr. Les."
Rita bowed and escorted the pâtissier out.
Rita's Confusion
Why… is the bishop suddenly so interested in ice cream?
And in such quantities? And—he even made a body just to taste them?
Rita's thoughts churned as she walked.
She remembered the moment she received the order in Skydome City—how she truly believed she had misheard.
But Durandal herself had confirmed it.
And since it was an order, Rita obeyed without question.
But after witnessing Otto personally taste each flavor…
For the first time in her career, the ever-composed maid felt her worldview tilt off balance.
Did the bishop truly build a body just to eat ice cream?
As a maid trained never to question her master's decisions, Rita forced herself to stop thinking about it.
Perhaps it was simply a passing whim.
She led Mr. Les to his room and turned back, preparing to return to Otto for her next task.
"Rita?
You were called as well?"
Durandal's voice echoed through the corridor.
Rita looked up to see the S-rank Valkyrie approaching from another hall.
"Yes, Lady Durandal. The bishop has assigned me another task."
Durandal nodded.
"Then the next mission should concern the Second Herrscher.
Given what happened to Kiana earlier, it's almost certain."
But there was one thing Durandal did not understand:
Why was the bishop meeting them in THAT room?
It was unprecedented.
"Let's go.
We shouldn't keep him waiting."
"Yes, Lady Durandal."
Back in Otto's Private Room
Ugh… I don't think I'll need dinner tonight.
…No, wait. I can just switch bodies. That works too.
After calling Durandal, Otto reclined slightly in his chair, feeling the rare sensation of fullness.
Even the smell of ice cream now made him feel slightly ill.
Still, it was a small price to pay.
For Void Archives—
For Black Abyss White Flower—
He would devour a hundred bowls if necessary.
"Bishop—"
Durandal's voice came from outside.
Finally,
"Come in."
Otto straightened his posture, adjusted his clothing, and assumed a perfectly calm, authoritative expression.
The door opened.
Durandal and Rita stepped inside—
—and froze.
The long table was still covered in ice cream.
Durandal's mind stalled a beat.
The bishop.
Eating ice cream.
A full table of it.
And he'd eaten enough to fill a cafeteria freezer.
When… had this started?
And wasn't he a soul-steel entity who didn't need to eat?
Durandal genuinely doubted her senses.
"What task do you have for us, Bishop?"
Durandal finally managed.
"There is nothing dangerous," Otto said smoothly.
"I simply require you to taste these ice creams and tell me if you find any flaws."
Durandal: "…"
Rita: "…"
Both women stared, utterly still.
Otto continued as if this were the most natural request in the world:
"Oh, and Rita—afterward, please organize an event.
Let the Valkyries vote for the most popular flavor."
Silence.
Complete, absolute silence.
For the first time in a long while, both Durandal and Rita simultaneously wondered if their bishop had gone mad.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/pikachu614