Theresa opened the dormitory door and led Rita into Kiana and the others' room. Kyuusyou and Bronya were currently circling the white-haired girl in the living room, while the sofa and coffee table in front of her were piled high with textbooks and exam papers.
At that moment, the white-haired Knight was supposedly sailing on a voyage through the sea of knowledge—but of course, that was far from the truth. Kiana glared at the math problem before her, snapping the pencil she was chewing in half in frustration. "Aaaaaaaah... Why does math even exist in this world?!" she wailed.
The girl's blue eyes glared at the textbook before her, as if they could erupt into flames and incinerate the workbook on the coffee table into ashes.
"Idiot Kiana, have you ever even studied math?"
In Bronya's perfectly flat tone, everyone present could detect a hint of academic bewilderment from the prodigy.
"Well, that makes sense, doesn't it?" Kyuusyou interjected, siding with Kiana. "She's been chasing after her father all over the world, after all. Naturally, she wouldn't have had time for school. Besides, Bronya, have you ever heard the saying from Shenzhou...?"
"A saying from Shenzhou? Do you mean a proverb, Sister Kyuusyou?" Bronya's expression remained puzzled.
"Oh, no, it's a saying that circulates among students in that ancient country across the sea, who are tormented by mathematics. It goes like this: 'Friends will betray you, women will leave you, money will tempt you, life will torment you—but mathematics never will. If you don't understand it, no amount of studying will help.'"
Kyuusyou recited this with a teasing grin, channeling the deep-seated resentment of students from that ancient nation across the sea.
"That saying feels like it's saturated with the terror and resentment of countless people..." Bronya nodded, then abruptly changed her tone.
"But you silly Kiana, you still need to study math to pass your cultural assessment..."
"...Bronya, how can such icy words come from your 36-degree mouth—!?"
"Bronya is merely stating reality."
The future is the future, and the present is the present. At least for now, the Knight still had to face humanity's ultimate trial: exams. Rita stood by the door, watching the scene unfold with an amused smile, until Theresa interrupted them.
"Alright, alright, Kiana, you girls should take a break now."
The white-haired little nun spoke up, interrupting the group's discussion.
"Did I just hear Auntie's voice?"
Kiana looked up from her sea of textbooks, glancing around but finding no sign of the speaker.
"Huh, am I hallucinating?"
"No, Bronya heard Headmaster's voice too..."
Bronya shook her head, dismissing Kiana's hallucination theory, and turned her gaze toward the door.
"You are...? Big Sister, may I ask who you are and why Headmaster's voice is coming from your direction...?"
Rita, taken aback by Bronya's question, glanced down at Theresa, whose face had darkened as she prepared to summon the Oath of Judah to punish her students. Then, she looked at the sofa where the girls were sitting—its backrest was exactly one meter high, just tall enough to conceal Theresa, who was hidden behind the sofa and some nearby furniture.
Pfft... Rita chuckled softly, slipping her hands under Theresa's arms.
"Hey, hey, hey! Rita, what are you doing?! Put me down now! And you lot! How dare you ignore the Headmaster's presence! This is outrageous!"
The ash-gold-haired Valkyrie lifted the white-haired little nun from the ground, her gentle smile directed at the slightly bewildered group.
"Headmaster Theresa is so short..." Bronya murmured, her perception of Headmaster Theresa's height undergoing a complete revision. "Project Bunny 19C—Defense Mode!"
Clang!
As the gray-haired girl's voice trailed off, the Oath of Judah, shrunk to the size of a book, collided with Project Bunny's superalloy shield in a "friendly" clash.
"What was that noise?"
The loud crash in the living room drew Mei's attention from the kitchen. Peeking out, she observed the group in the living room with curiosity... and then her eyes landed on Theresa, hoisted high by Rita.
"Headmaster Theresa, you're... Pfft—!"
The comical sight of the "young lady" being held high by Rita proved too much even for the normally composed and demure black-haired girl.
"Rita—! Put me down this instant!"
"As you command, Lady Theresa," the cunning maid replied, gently setting the white-haired nun back on the ground.
"Aaaah! My dignity as Headmaster...! Rita—!"
The Headmaster, her feet once again touching the ground, let out a furious roar of frustration before Kyuusyou and another maid delivered the final blow.
"Lady Theresa is as adorable as ever, isn't she?"
"Ha? Who's the one who pretends to be a lost little kid on campus, tricking her students out of their lollipops—"
Theresa's counterattack fell flat.
"So, Auntie, what brings you here today? And who's this?" Kiana asked, feigning curiosity as she eyed the somewhat unfamiliar Valkyrie.
"Ahem! Let me introduce you. This is Rita, an inspector sent by Schicksal Headquarters. She'll also be attending tomorrow's practical exam as a guest observer."
"Oh, and Kiana, Snow has brought a gift for you."
"A gift? That Blonde Monster actually got me a gift? It's probably some kind of prank package, right?"
The white-haired girl shot a suspicious look at the maid standing by the door.
"You've misunderstood, Miss Kiana. This isn't some prank gift," Rita said, playing along with Kiana's act. She reached behind her and pulled out a human-shaped doll with its mouth gagged with a handkerchief.
"...What a cute doll, though not as cute as Homu," Bronya observed, examining the doll Rita held. After a moment of consideration, she offered her critique.
"So... why is the doll's mouth gagged?" Mei asked, studying the motionless puppet with confusion.
Then, to Bronya and Mei's utter astonishment, the motionless doll suddenly began thrashing violently.
"The doll... it's moving?!"
"Bronya wants one too... preferably a Homu one... ( ᗜ ˰ ᗜ )"
The gray-haired girl muttered softly, her voice barely audible, but Rita's keen hearing caught it.
"Miss Bronya wants a posable Homu doll... I'll inform Lady Snow," Rita said with a gentle smile and a nod.
"Uhm...! There's no need to bother Sister Snow with this," Bronya replied, shaking her head awkwardly.
"Hmm, I don't think Lady Snow would mind such a small request," Rita assured her.