October 11, 2015, at the Enoxia household.
“Come on, in the end, the biggest contribution World Serpent made was just having Misteln serve as a safety net.”
Because of Misteln’s unique position within World Serpent, Sirin didn’t entirely see her as one of them. So during the previous operation, she felt that World Serpent hadn’t really pulled its weight.
“You can’t quite say that. In the end, it was Mobius who calculated Seele’s location, and she’s one of the founders of World Serpent. So it’s only fair to attribute that credit to the organization. Not to mention, a hundred billion dollars is pocket change to me, and it doesn’t mean that much to World Serpent either. More important than the monetary value itself is the connection that money helps solidify. Building a good relationship with two Herrschers is inherently more valuable than a hundred billion dollars.”
“Politics and social niceties… what a pain, honestly…”
As Enoxia and Sirin chatted casually about the previous mission, she glanced toward the room:
“Looks like she’s awake.”
Seele lifted her head and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling:
“Where… am I?”
“This is my home. I asked World Serpent to fish you out of the Sea of Quanta. Though honestly, given your unique abilities, that place—which is incredibly dangerous for most people—hardly poses any real threat to you.”
Enoxia walked into the room and locked eyes with Seele.
“My name is Enoxia. Just call me Eno. The one who pulled you out over there is Sirin. I know you’re full of questions, but don’t worry—I’ll explain everything to you one by one.”
“I didn’t save you out of sheer goodwill, nor because I want to run experiments on you as a Stigma Awakened. What I actually hope is to build a better relationship with Bronya through you.”
“Ah, don’t get the wrong idea—I don’t mean holding you hostage to blackmail her. Since I’ve saved you, it’s naturally easier to earn her trust. That’s all… well, no, actually, there is one more reason.”
Enoxia leaned forward, bringing her face closer:
“Seeing such an adorable girl all alone drifting through the Sea of Quanta—I just couldn’t bear it~”
With a mischievous grin, Enoxia stared right into Seele’s eyes, startling her so much that she bolted upright in bed and frantically pulled the covers up to her chest.
“As it turns out, Elysia’s little habits only work for her alone. Even someone like you, who’s been around her all the time and looks almost identical to her, still hasn’t quite grasped her essence. And without that essence… well, you end up with situations like this.”
Sirin watched Enoxia’s failed attempt at socializing and couldn’t help but tease her.
“Yeah… I’m not my sister after all.”
Enoxia straightened back up and kept a safer distance from Seele:
“Relax, I’m not planning to do anything to you. Besides, if I really tried anything funny… the other you probably wouldn’t be too happy about it either.”
Admittedly, the small, pitiful, helpless Seele cowering in the corner was both adorable and heartbreaking. Seeing her timid expression, Enoxia felt the urge multiple times to reach out and caress her cheek, to have a nice long heart-to-heart with her. After all, she’d spent so much time with Elysia that she’d picked up quite a few techniques on how to deeply connect with a girl’s heart and mind.
However, following the principle of “never covet a friend’s partner,” Enoxia suppressed her desires. Sure, like Elysia, she’d love to open up and connect intimately with cute girls. But with Sirin, Bella, and Elysia by her side—all more than capable of satisfying her in that regard—she really didn’t need to go chasing after someone else’s.
“Phew!”
Seele lowered the blanket from her chest, her expression one of surprise.
“Hmm… how should I put this… You could simply say that my Herrscher authority allows me to read minds to a certain extent, so I know you have a dual personality.”
“So at least here, when you’re discussing things with your other self, there’s no need to hide anything. We won’t think you’re weird just because you’re talking to yourself.”
Seele nodded obediently:
“Okay, thank you, Sister Eno. Oh, and Sister Eno, did you mean earlier that you’re already quite familiar with Sister Bronya… right?”
Enoxia thought carefully:
“Quite familiar might be a stretch, but we’re closer than just classmates… I know what you’re really asking. Bronya is currently living at St. Freya Academy in the Far East—it’s a school that Schicksal specifically set up to train Valkyries.”
“So… is Sister Eno also a… Valkyrie for Schicksal?”
Enoxia shook her head:
“No, I go to St. Freya mainly to have fun, and secondarily to… well, I can’t really say too much about that right now.”
“And earlier, Sister Eno mentioned a Herrscher authority—what does that… mean?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I’m the Herrscher of Corruption, and Sirin—the one who pulled you out of the Sea of Quanta—is the Herrscher of the Void. What do you think? A bit different from what you learned about Herrschers back at the orphanage, isn’t it?”
Just then, the sound of the front door opening came from the entrance.
“Eno, Mom and Alexandra are back.”
Enoxia’s lips curled into a smile once more:
“Seele, if you don’t mind, come join us for a meal in a bit.”
Enoxia left, and the room fell silent again, leaving Seele alone.
“Other me, what do you think?”
[Hah, you’re asking me? What else can we do? In this situation, we just have to take it one step at a time. But one thing’s for sure—that Enoxia and Sirin really don’t mean us any harm. Otherwise…]
“What is it?”
[Right, you’d handed over full control of the body to me back then, so you don’t know what happened. That ugly monster was seriously tough—even with me fully in control, I couldn’t beat it. But that Sirin? She blasted that ugly thing to smithereens in no time flat.]
“Sister Eno already said they’re both Herrschers. I remember back at the orphanage, Mama Cocolia taught us some things about Herrschers. The orphanage library also had some introductions about them.”
[…You know I fall asleep the moment I touch a book. Anyway, we share one body—as long as you know that stuff, that’s good enough for me… wait, never mind that. The point is, even though we can’t fully verify what Enoxia said, at least for now, we’re way safer here than in the Sea of Quanta.]
[With their power, if they actually wanted to do something to us, there’d be no need for all this roundabout nonsense.]
A genuine smile spread across Seele’s face:
“Thank you, other me.”
[…Huh?]
“Back then, if it weren’t for you, I might not have held on until rescue came. And just now, if you hadn’t given me advice, I wouldn’t feel this at ease right now.”
[…Don’t overthink it, dummy. I’m just… it’s only because we share the same body. If something happened to you, I’d be done for too. Everything I do is for my own sake. It’s not… not like I’m doing it for you or anything.]
“But you’ve helped me in so many ways. So I still want to thank you—for always being there when I needed you most.”
[…Alright, alright, I can hear your stomach growling. Just go out and eat already.]
A while later, Seele pushed open the door and nervously made her way into the living room.
There were four people in the room, and the most eye-catching among them was Alexandra’s twin-turbine-shaped silver hair—a hairstyle she’d only ever seen on one other person.
“Um…”
“Oh, Seele, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come on, let’s talk after we eat.”
Just as Seele started to speak, Cecilia warmly invited her to the table.
In front of her sat a golden-fried pork cutlet, a plate of spaghetti, and an Estonian delicacy made from potatoes, mushrooms, and salmon—Velvety Soup.
Though after undergoing the X-10 experiment, it was debatable whether Seele could still be considered human in a biological sense. After all, drifting through the Sea of Quanta for over a year without food and still maintaining a healthy complexion and steady breathing—neither of those were things a normal person could pull off.
But just like Sirin and Enoxia, both Herrschers, going without food for extended periods wasn’t actually a problem—yet they’d still feel hunger, and their sense of taste was no different from anyone else’s. So when there was food, appetite naturally followed.
But seeing Seele timidly pick up her knife and fork, her other self couldn’t stand it anymore.
[Hey, you’re not seriously trying to act all prim and proper at a time like this, are you? If you can’t do it, let me take over.]
“No, I’m just shy around strangers… then you do it.”
Dark Seele immediately took over, grabbed the utensils, and started wolfing down the food. After a storm of rapid eating, the plates were cleared in no time.
[Honestly, if you’re hungry, just eat. There’s no reason to hesitate over a meal.]
“From the look of things, you really enjoyed the food we prepared. That puts our minds at ease.”
Just then, Enoxia brought out a slice of strawberry cake as dessert.
[I remember she likes sweets… oh well, at least I got to stretch my legs for a bit.]
Dark Seele voluntarily stepped back and returned control to White Seele.
“Other me, you could have stayed out a little longer…”
Seele wiped her mouth, picked up her spoon, scooped up a piece of the strawberry cake, carefully brought it to her lips, and chewed slowly.
[…]
“I know what you’re going to say, but I think good food is meant to be savored slowly—that’s how you truly appreciate its flavor.”
As she enjoyed the dessert, Seele’s mood gradually lifted, and her fear of the unfamiliar environment began to fade.
After finishing the meal, Seele gave a slight bow to Enoxia:
“Thank you for your hospitality, Sister Eno.”
“No need to be so formal—treat this place like your own home. Now that you’re done eating, we can keep clearing up your questions. Let me cut to the chase: you guessed right—Alexandra is Bronya’s biological mother.”
Seele’s heart gave a sudden thump. The ease she’d just found quickly gave way to nervousness once more. But this time, when she tried to reach out to Dark Seele, she found her just as tense.
“However, in Bronya’s mind, Alexandra is currently dead. I used my authority over Corruption to ‘revive’ her in a special way…”
“Phew!”
Seele froze for a moment, then it clicked. She remembered that back at the orphanage, Bronya had told her that before Cocolia found her, it had already been confirmed that both her parents had died in the Second Eruption.
“Anyway, I’ve already given her the basics about you. As perhaps the person in this world who knows Bronya best, she’d also like to learn more from you.”
“And you already know that, given your relationship with Bronya, this day was bound to come eventually… though I imagine it’d be a lot less stressful if Bronya were here with you?”
Enoxia’s teasing only made Seele even more anxious.
“Take it easy. I’ve known Alexandra for over a decade, and I can tell you with certainty—she’s a kind and gentle person. A wonderful girl like you is bound to win her approval.”
With that, Enoxia gestured toward the room next door, making an inviting motion.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Seele shuffled over and entered the room in small, timid steps.
The moment she stepped inside, Seele felt Alexandra’s gaze fixed on her, carefully studying her. But strangely, she noticed the tension in her body beginning to fade—because she felt an inexplicable sense of calm emanating from Alexandra. It was like… when Bronya was by her side.
“Hello…”
Alexandra gestured for Seele to sit beside her. Seele obediently took a seat and wanted to say something but didn’t know where to start.
Alexandra gently patted Seele’s head. Oddly enough, Seele didn’t feel any resistance to such intimate contact from a stranger—if anything, it made her feel even more at ease.
“Can you tell me when you first met Bronya?”
Seele gave a small nod:
“In 2013, I was kidnapped, and Sister Bronya rescued me from the kidnappers. After that, we grew close…”
Seele slowly recounted every little moment she and Bronya had shared from 2013 to 2014, pouring it all out to Alexandra. Before she knew it, the sky had grown dark.
“Looks like you two got along well. How do you feel?”
Enoxia raised an eyebrow at Alexandra.
“For those two to share all those experiences together is truly their blessing. Eno, thank you. I may not be well-versed in all the technical stuff, but from what I understand, if you hadn’t rescued Seele, she’d still be trapped in a terribly dangerous place right now. The only thing is… I wonder when they’ll be able to see each other again.”
Enoxia looked over at Seele, whose eyes were now filled with longing and sorrow.
“Two years. At most two years—I promise they’ll meet again.”
Volume 12: Beneath the Abyss
