Chapter 229: A Date with Kongming! Is the Sweetness Finally Here?
Although the Captain failed to save Kongming last time, the attempt wasn't entirely fruitless. The key to breaking the cycle lay in the whereabouts of the reinforcements sent by Jormungand and Schicksal. If that mystery could be solved, perhaps the two nations wouldn't have declared war on the Empyrean Empire. Consequently, Kongming wouldn't have died from exhaustion while defending the city.
Thus, the Captain questioned Rozaliya and Liliya about what happened during their march. He learned they had encountered a mysterious masked person carrying an umbrella in broad daylight. Even after the person's mask was shattered, there was another mask underneath.
Liking black umbrellas, wearing all black, and wearing masks... such a familiar description immediately made the audience think of one person.
[Wait, isn't that Gray Serpent?]
[Rozaliya and Liliya are basically describing Gray Serpent!]
[LMAO, to be honest, doing something like this perfectly fits Gray Serpent's shady image.]
[True, Gray Serpent in the main story is a total bastard among bastards. he almost caused a tragedy for the Vodka Girls...]
[So the culprit has been found. It was Gray Serpent all along?]
[But shouldn't Gray Serpent be a thousand years old then? Should he have died of old age like Jackal?]
[Who knows, maybe Gray Serpent also got some ageless power.]
[Not necessarily the same Gray Serpent. Look at Theresa and Kongming—they look identical. Maybe this 'Gray Serpent' is just a counterpart.]
[Regardless, damn you Gray Serpent, give me back my Kongming!!]
For a moment, the chat was filled with rage directed at Gray Serpent. Whether it was the same one didn't matter; the fans needed a vent, and since the main story version was also a villain, he was a convenient target.
In the game, with Rozaliya and Liliya as witnesses, the Captain rushed to the Empire and successfully met Kongming before the final battle. At the Captain's suggestion, a summit was held between Kongming, the Hero King, and the Pirate King. Although the two kings were aggressive at first, the Captain brought out the Olenyevas, used his "talk-no-jutsu," offered various resources as incentives, and with Kongming smoothing things over, finally convinced them to call off the invasion.
Though the process was tense, the meeting ended with the three nations forming an alliance. The crisis was finally averted.
The Captain's performance made Otto, watching the screen, nod repeatedly. No wonder his in-game self sent the Captain to find a way to save Kallen; this fellow was quite capable. To think he resolved the Empire's crisis so quickly. This way, Kongming wouldn't die from overexertion.
"Phew—it seems you actually have a conscience after all." Theresa breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Kongming saved and her bickering with the Captain made her smile. "I thought the process would be more dangerous... I didn't expect you to act like a human for once."
If the story ended here with an epilogue, Theresa would be satisfied with the happy ending, despite the two tragic deaths earlier. However, Su Mu only smiled.
Seeing that smile, Theresa felt her heart skip a beat for no reason. "Su Mu, Kongming really is saved, right? Right?" she asked tentatively, her confidence wavering.
Su Mu nodded, still wearing that smile that made Theresa a bit nervous. "Mhm, at least for now she is saved. After all, Huodou is dead and the alliance is formed... congratulations are in order."
Beside them, Otto's brow furrowed. Is that really it? He had a bad feeling, much stronger than the last one. He had assumed the Captain would have to die four or five times before succeeding. But now, on only the second loop, he had resolved the root cause. While the Captain was capable... Otto noted that many plot setups hadn't been paid off yet. He didn't think Su Mu would just forget them.
When a gun appears at the start of a story, it must go off later. Clearly, the trigger hadn't been pulled yet.
In Senti's livestream:
"Naive! Naive! Too naive! your purity is lacking, brothers!" Faced with the fans' relief, Senti manually flipped her bangs up, striking a chuunibyou-style pose with one foot on her chair. she looked like a mob boss.
"you really think Su Mu would stop there? It's because of naive people like you that his schemes succeed time and again! you really think the Old Thief has changed? you've forgotten the pain once the wound healed! you can't predict what this guy will pull until the very last second!"
"Is this really the Old Thief's true strength? To be honest, Kongming's first death broke me, but the next two felt like nothing! If the story ends here, I have two words for him: 'Talent Exhausted'!!"
"If the Old Thief can't bring more knives... it means he's reached his limit! If he can't even make me cry, it's time for him to retire! Hahahaha!!!"
[Wait? Streamer, are you saying you haven't had enough blades yet?]
[Whoa, I've met a true warrior today. someone actually begging the Old Thief for a knife?]
[Streamer, you're currently like an old general on stage covered in death flags!]
[Unsurprisingly, I feel like something is about to go wrong.]
The fans appreciated Senti's "bravery," but her words did make them feel that the story wouldn't end so easily.
In the game: While returning to Huanyue City with Kongming and Rita, the transfer was deactivated because the time was up. When the Captain opened his eyes, he was in Kongming's room. Several maids hurried past; everyone in the palace looked tense and busy.
The Captain felt an intense unease. Did Kongming still fail to escape death? But he had stopped the war! What was it this time? Did he miss something? He ran to the main hall, but upon hearing laughter from inside, he burst through the doors.
Kongming and Rita were safe, with Theresa standing beside them. They were surprised by his sudden entrance. Kongming then began scolding him for disappearing without a word last time, which had worried her. Hearing her scolding, the weight in the Captain's heart lifted.
Thank goodness. she's okay. My efforts weren't in vain...
While the Captain was dazed, Rita teased him by dressing Theresa up as Kongming. Standing next to Kongming in her new clothes, she asked the Captain to guess who the real one was. Kongming's new outfit was the one the Captain saw on the "Sage King" earlier; it turned out it was a gift Rita had prepared. Now, Rita could finally see her wear it.
Senti, who had been braced for bad news, was silenced by the sight of them safe and sound. "Th-this isn't right?" she clutched her head. "Something must be wrong. Kongming is really saved? Is this really a script the Old Thief wrote?"
[Haha, looks like the streamer was wrong this time!]
[Kongming was saved, and Rita is alive too. This is great!]
[I told you she'd be fine! Streamer, you overthink too much!]
[Exactly. we know Kongming eventually joins the Hyperion, so the story had to have a happy ending.]
[R-Really? Is it really like that?]
Many mocked Senti's earlier "prophecy," but some still felt uneasy. Otto's bad feeling didn't vanish with the rescue; if anything, it intensified. He didn't know why... was it PTSD? He couldn't feel at ease until the story was fully over. But soon, even Otto began to doubt if he had misjudged Su Mu.
In the game, Kongming told the Captain it was the Qixi Festival, and the city was holding a lantern festival. Dressed in her new clothes, she invited him to see the lanterns... naturally, everyone could see this was a date in all but name.
As the festival began, the city became lively and warm. Theresa and Rita went to the Pavilion of a Thousand Stars to pray. Kongming, hating tedious formalities, skipped it to walk the streets with the Captain, telling him stories of the local vendors. The Captain couldn't refuse her and was dragged along.
The "Mr. Kongming" now acted like an innocent child, darting through the alleys with the Captain. she even pestered him for snacks and listed a bunch of things she wanted.
[Kongming looked up at the Captain, pointing at the Crystal Dragon-Phoenix Cakes with the expression of a child.]
["Mr... Assas... sin... I want that~ buy it for me~"]
This bit of "moe" was too much for Otto. He jerked his head back so hard that a nosebleed literally hit the ceiling!
"Aaaaah!! Grandpa! what happened, Grandpa!" Due to his violent movement, Otto fell over with his chair. Yet, he instinctively looked at Su Mu and—despite the bleeding nose—gave a firm thumbs-up.
Su Mu, you did well! you did so well!!!
Kongming's acting cute struck the softest part of Otto's heart. Theresa used to act like that toward him... it was a precious memory. Unfortunately, as granddaughters grow up, they stop doing that. He thanked Su Mu for letting him experience that feeling again. It was... magnificent!!
Theresa's frantic cries rang in his ears: "Blood! So much blood! Grandpa, are you okay!!"
Ah. Otto closed his eyes with a peaceful expression. I can die happy now, probably... "Susannah! Get the medical kit! Grandpa is, Grandpa is—!"
After a bit of chaos, Otto wiped his face. Though a bit pale, he regained his elegant composure. "My apologies. My granddaughter was so cute, I couldn't help myself..."
[Understandable. That 'moe' attack almost knocked me out too!]
[I finally understand: being too cute can actually kill!]
[Lord Otto, good thing your HP bar is thick, or you'd be the first person to die of 'cuteness' in a livestream.]
[I can't handle this level of sugar!]
[The Old Thief really changed! I give this scene a full 10/10!]
[Old Thief, are you still yourself? Blink if you've been possessed! It's so sweet I'm not used to it!]
The audience understood Otto's feelings. Seeing the stoic Mr. Kongming act like a child was a lethal blow. However, even after seeing these CGs during production, Su Mu was impressed. He had originally planned to have Timido draw them, but during prep, a person called "Uncle Cold-Legs" (Sampo) approached him.
The person wanted to collaborate and handle the CGs for this event, showing intense interest in the plot. "Uncle Cold-Legs"... the name reminded Su Mu of a troublesome fellow. Since it was over the internet, he didn't know who it was. While he hesitated, "Uncle" said he was a referral.
The referral came from the head of Sparkle Animation Studio, the studio Su Mu had outsourced many Honkai 3rd shorts to. Their quality was top-tier, though they were expensive. They had declined Valkyries' Cooking because they "weren't interested in wholesome daily life." Su Mu verified the referral and let "Uncle" do a test. The results were surprisingly good, so he outsourced the CGs to him.
Now, it seemed "Uncle" wasn't a scammer; the CG quality was peak. It made Su Mu more curious—was it the man he suspected? If so, why was he drawing now? "Mhm... but for some reason, these CGs feel like Sparkle Animation's style." Su Mu figured an employee was just doing freelance work on the side and didn't dwell on it.
However... unbeknownst to Su Mu: At Sparkle Studio, in the CEO's office—a petite girl leaned back in the chair, her bare feet swinging. On her screen was Theresa's stream. Watching the players intoxicated by the "date," the girl smirked.
"Hehe... looks like the show is about to start. I hope everyone can still smile like that during the next part." "Heh, but when the time comes, the only ones laughing will be me and that guy Su Mu." "Su Mu~ hee-hee, what an interesting fellow. Lady Sparkle is satisfied with you... that personality of yours, loving to watch players struggle in pain as they break, is truly the worst... But hey, that's exactly what I like!" "I have a feeling we're going to be great friends~"
Back in the stream: In-game, Kongming decided the timing was right. The innocent expression vanished, replaced by a playful smirk.
["Are you satisfied now?"]
["Satisfied... with what?" The Captain was dazed.]
["you looked so gloomy earlier, I simply couldn't help but tease you on a whim. Seeing you so happy... you didn't take it seriously, did you?"]
[As she spoke, Kongming blew on a freshly bought mutton bun, eating it nonchalantly. Under the lanterns, her face was flushed.]
["I didn't! The happy one was obviously..."]
["Who? Say it. who was it?" Kongming's cold gaze swept over.]
["Uh... who was it? Ah, the sugar sculpture is ready!"]
[Under Kongming's 'tyranny,' the Captain yielded. Fortunately, the vendor handed over two sculptures, resolving the crisis.]
The date continued. Intoxicated by the sweetness, players seemed to have forgotten the trauma of the previous deaths, all wearing broad smiles. As the plot developed, Kongming decided she wanted to make a sky lantern for the Captain. They bought materials in the city and gathered bamboo in the forest outside.
Once the lantern was ready, Kongming went back to the Pavilion of a Thousand Stars to get ink so the Captain could write his wish. she told him she'd be right back and instructed him to stay put.
[What wish should I write? World peace? Too abstract.]
[Successfully returning to the Hyperion? That's more realistic.]
[Forget it, why am I being so serious? A sky lantern isn't like Golem...]
The Captain's rambling thoughts while waiting made the audience chuckle. However, while everyone was immersed in the sweet atmosphere, imagining them releasing the lantern together...
A sudden change occurred.
["Speaking of which, why has Mr. Kongming been gone so long?"]
["I should go find her."]
Worried, the Captain headed toward the city, protecting the lantern from the crowd while looking for Kongming. The noise of the festival drifted from afar, and lanterns swayed on the brightly lit towers.
The next moment—BOOM—!!
After several loud blasts, wooden beams collapsed, and the Pavilion of a Thousand Stars instantly ignited. Flying sparks lit the trees, and Huanyue City fell into a sea of fire.
["!?"]The Captain ran toward the city. Smoke rose everywhere. One moment it was a peaceful festival; the next, it was a living hell. Because the street was built entirely of wood to replicate a traditional atmosphere, the fire spread with terrifying speed.
["Kongming! Rita!! Theresa!!!"]The Captain tried to rush into the Pavilion, but it was engulfed in flames. Guards held him back, unwilling to let him throw his life away. With a fire this large, no one inside could have survived.
The viewers, previously bathed in sweetness, felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over them, chilling them from head to toe!
At the same time: In Sparkle Studio, the girl watched the flood of question marks and exclamation points in the chat with absolute excitement.
"It's here! It's here! It's here!!" "Everyone laughed so hard, so now... it's Lady Sparkle's turn to laugh!" "—any objections?"
END OF CHAPTER
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