Shortly after Snow's quantum communication ended, Kyuusyou arrived, having successfully rendezvoused with her subordinate squad. She waved her hand, instructing the two squad leaders to have their teams secure the perimeter and eliminate any remaining enemies. Alone, she approached Kiana and Mei, who were still gathered around Muninn.
"So... what's this one again?"
Kyuusyou's lips twitched as she glanced at Muninn, still sleeping soundly on the ground. She gently nudged the silver-haired figure with her foot—unsurprisingly, there was no reaction.
"Kyuusyou, you're here! This child is called Muninn... We discovered another Herrscher near Wendy earlier, but we haven't had a chance to inform you yet."
Mei greeted Kyuusyou warmly, explaining the situation of the Sleeping Beauty lying on the ground to the purple-haired girl.
"Oh, her name is Muninn... Wait... Muninn?" Kyuusyou murmured the name softly, sensing something amiss. She turned to look at Kiana, who was approaching her.
"She's a child from Snow's family," Kiana explained. "Just now, she used some strange technology to contact me through the Kaslana family's Stigmata and... basically foisted this unlucky kid on us for temporary care."
"Oh, right—" Kiana seemed to remember something and looked back at Kyuusyou.
"According to Snow, this unlucky kid is a natural killer of electronic devices. Even simple machines like water dispensers break down within minutes when she's around... I remember your room has a lot of electronics, right? PS4, Xbox, high-end computer... and all that? Considering your relationship with Snow... this little troublemaker will probably come wrecking your stuff every day after she wakes up."
Is it too late to strangle her right now...?
Kyuusyou glared at Muninn sprawled on the floor, her eyes brimming with murderous intent, as if pondering where to begin her attack. Kiana's interruption had completely derailed Kyuusyou's train of thought.
"Probably too late... Teacher Himeko and Theresa are here. Kyuusyou, you'd better start figuring out how to protect your precious electronics."
With that, Kiana turned to greet the approaching Himeko and Theresa, launching into a detailed explanation of the situation. Of course, she didn't breathe a word about Muninn's true identity.
Meanwhile, Kyuusyou stared at the unconscious Muninn, lost in thought. Finally, she pulled out her communicator and dialed Nibelungen's communication channel.
"Hey, Simon? Have someone tidy up the unused lounge on the ship... I'm moving some things over there..."
After hanging up, Kyuusyou hummed to herself.
"Time for a little home makeover! Go ahead and try tearing up the ship, you little brat!"
Grabbing Muninn's cheeks, Kyuusyou began roughly pinching and squeezing them.
On the other side, Kiana had finished explaining everything that had just transpired to Theresa and Himeko.
-
"So, this child's name is Muninn, right? Unless something unexpected happens... the Academy's about to gain another problem child, isn't it?"
Himeko glanced at Muninn, whose cheeks were being pinched by Kyuusyou, her tone tinged with resignation.
"That is, if she wakes up and can communicate properly... Wait a minute?!"
Theresa nodded, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Kiana.
"Hold on, Kiana. You said this child's name is Muninn, right?"
"Yeah, that's how she introduced herself earlier."
Kiana, momentarily caught off guard, nodded instinctively.
"Isn't that the name of one of Odin's two ravens in Norse mythology?"
Theresa suddenly tensed up, her eyes darting around nervously.
"Theresa, why are you suddenly so anxious?" Himeko asked, giving her close friend a puzzled look.
"Himeko, haven't you realized yet?! This girl's name is Muninn, and based on Kiana's description, her abilities are clearly related to the concept of 'memory'!"
"If it were just the name 'Muninn,' we could dismiss it as a coincidence. But since her powers are tied to memory, the only parallel we can draw is to Odin's two ravens—his eyes and ears in Norse mythology."
"Theresa, are you saying that the Herrscher who fainted is actually a pair of twins? And that the one controlling their shared [ Thought ], known as Huginn, is either the elder or younger sister?"
Prompted by Theresa, Himeko immediately realized the implications and glanced around warily. Simultaneously, she and Theresa spotted a girl standing atop a streetlamp, her features strikingly similar to Muninn's, who lay unconscious on the ground.
"Impressive reaction speed. It seems you're not as... dimwitted? Or perhaps naive? as the rumors circulating within Schicksal suggest."
The silver-haired girl standing on the road paused, seemingly searching for the right word.
"Hmph, you're Huginn, aren't you? Are you here to reclaim your companion?" Theresa drew the Oath of Judah, her gaze locked warily on the Herrscher before her.
"Reclaim...? No, I don't need to do that. With your current technology, you can't actually harm us."
"You may take her. Or rather, my sister is temporarily entrusted to your care—this is the Venerable God's will."
Standing atop the streetlight, the girl showed no sign of hostility toward the tense group below. She seemed to be merely going through the motions of transferring guardianship to the group.
"Entrusting your own sister to our care? Herrscher, what sinister plot are you brewing? If I'm not mistaken, your abilities involve Memory and Thought, right? Do you really think we'd so easily accept a Herrscher with such bizarre, abstract powers?"
"Lady Theresa—you yourself said I'm an Apostle who governs the concept of Thought. So why don't you understand? If I were truly plotting something, I wouldn't need to lower myself by appearing before you and negotiating."
Huginn's expression curled into a contemptuous sneer.
"I've stated from the beginning: this is the Venerable God's will—"
"The God's will... wait... the Honkai Will?!"
Theresa grew even more tense. What merit does our St. Freya Academy possess to warrant this honor?
"Of course not that one. Do you really think that entity would bother casting a glance at you mere mortals?"
Huginn cut off her train of thought sharply.
"Then who is it?"
"That information is confidential. All you need to understand is this—the God's will shall be fulfilled."
A dangerous aura began radiating from Huginn, the indomitable will and majesty of her creator once again manifest.
"...Fine, I agree. But what about compensation? If your Venerable God wants her Apostle fostered here, she'll need to provide some kind of lodging fees, won't she?"
"Look, she'll need accommodation, daily meals, and someone to keep her entertained. All of that costs money. Your Great God wouldn't expect St. Freya Academy to cover the expenses for her Apostle, would she?"
Theresa sensed that the Herrscher before her held great respect for the mysterious God, and that the deity seemed to harbor no ill will toward St. Freya. Seizing this opportunity, Theresa began to calculate, scheming to extract as much as possible by invoking the God's name.
Even if the Herrscher wielded the Authority of Thought—after all, a gamble could turn a bicycle into a motorcycle.