Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Bronya thought it must be April Fools' Day.

She glanced at the calendar, confirming the date.

Nope, July had just begun. The Academy City summer break was about to start.

No April Fools'.

And yet, she was holding a wedding invitation from Dr. Tesla. A "save the date," as they called it.

My Seele!

The thought of Noldrei being exploited by that science-obsessed woman filled Bronya with an inexplicable sadness.

She'd never again be treated by that gentle and understanding "Seele." It was a perfect Seele, one who could chat about games, knew all her likes, could help with her work, understood her fatigue, and even knew how to take care of the other Seele. It didn't matter if it was real or not; the experience was genuinely wonderful.

The real Seele fulfilled her need for the truth and beauty of her lost past, while the substitute Seele allowed her to live out fantasies she couldn't with the real one. And now, that wonderful arrangement had been ended by that wicked woman, Tesla.

Who gave her this idea? Who was responsible for such a disastrous turn of events?

Wouldn't it have been better for everyone to just maintain the status quo?

Who told Tesla she could make such a demand? Doesn't that mean I could make such a demand too?

The thought crossed Bronya's mind that she could also ask Noldrei for something, but she quickly dismissed it. It would be too unfair to Seele. Wouldn't that mean the real Seele was getting cucked?

And what about Seele? She was actually happy! The young girl had never been to someone's wedding before and was just excited to join in the fun and celebrate with everyone.

"Bronya-Oneechan, what kind of gift should we prepare? This is Noldrei's and Dr. Tesla's wedding! Should we think about getting them some presents and blessings?"

Seeing Seele's innocent face, Bronya felt an even deeper sense of guilt.

If Seele ever found out that she had asked Noldrei to transform into her to do... strange things, Seele would probably disown her as a sister on the spot.

---||---

Academy City had no restrictions on smoking or alcohol, so no one really cared if students smoked or drank. This was mainly because advances in biotechnology had neutralized most of the health threats posed by tobacco and alcohol.

Shizuka Hiratsuka was not a teacher who could easily accept this, but today, while out for a meal, she encountered a sighing, white-haired girl.

Kiana downed a large mug of beer in one go.

"Sigh... What am I supposed to do? Why did this have to happen?"

To Noldrei, a marriage certificate was utterly meaningless. His power had already transcended the order of human society. However, His Majesty the Emperor's power hadn't completely negated the influence of ethics and morality.

Ms. Hiratsuka glanced at the girl and saw a wedding invitation lying on her table.

I just came out for a meal, and I'm already getting hit with secondhand PDA?

"I remember, you're Kiana, right? What's all this? Why are you drinking alone all of a sudden?"

Kiana looked up, dazed. "I remember... you're Ms. Shizuka Hiratsuka?"

"That's right. Drowning your sorrows in alcohol at a time like this is not a good idea."

Kiana waved her hand helplessly. "Don't even mention it. My godfather sent me a wedding invitation, and now I'm stressing out. Teacher, you wouldn't understand!"

Godfather?

A spark of curiosity ignited in Shizuka. "What's there to be stressed about?"

Kiana sighed. "He never showed any interest in women before. Liking him wasn't a big deal. But the problem is... he said he's leaving his fortune to me. Now I'm a bit conflicted. Should I... give a portion of it to my godmother later?"

A rich family drama!

Shizuka's interest was instantly piqued. "And then? Did you ask him what he thinks?"

Kiana felt Ms. Hiratsuka was being a bit naive. "How could I ask about something like that?" she said helplessly. "I'm just worried about how I'm supposed to manage that godmother of mine when the time comes."

"I still have faith in him. He's not the kind of foolish ruler who's swayed by emotion."

When had Ms. Hiratsuka ever heard something so juicy? She immediately ordered another drink for Kiana. This round was on her!

"That's what I'm stressing about now! He's suddenly getting married without even giving me any mental preparation. And from what he said, it seems he has a few others over in the Middle East. These women are the worst! They've completely corrupted him!"

Kiana was furious. How could the perfectly fine Noldrei turn into this after one trip abroad? It must have been that wicked woman, Elysia, who corrupted him! She should have found a way to turn Noldrei into a shut-in otaku and never let him out.

Seeing how angry she was, Shizuka felt sorry for the girl. She must have a good relationship with her godfather, right?

What if those other women had a few children by concubines and used pillow talk to sway his favor? Wouldn't that be dangerous for Kiana?

At this thought, the teacher's sense of responsibility kicked in.

"What's your relationship with your godfather like?"

At Ms. Hiratsuka's question, Kiana felt like crying.

"He's been very good to me. After my father disappeared, I was wandering around, and then he found me. At first, I thought he was a bad person, but I was mistaken."

"He helped me solve the problems I had, found my father, let me go to school, and I met a lot of friends. He had his subordinates help me, and even said he'd let me inherit his family business. Sigh..."

"I never thought he'd get married so quickly. Not long ago, we were playing games together, practicing fighting techniques, sleeping in the same bed, though we never really slept much. Sometimes we even bathed together, though bathing was kind of pointless."

Wait! Wait! What kind of debauched relationship is this? I know there are a lot of "shrine maidens" in Academy City, but to run into such a soap-opera-level story just by asking a random person is too ridiculous!

Ms. Hiratsuka was stunned. How did the conversation turn to sleeping and bathing together? Wasn't he her godfather? Why was his method of care so... off?

"How could he do this! Isn't this completely irresponsible?"

Ms. Hiratsuka was getting angry now, letting out a stream of profanities to express her feelings.

Kiana was confused by her teacher's sudden outburst. What was wrong? Why was she so agitated?

"Teacher, it's okay, it's okay. You don't have to get so worked up."

In a fit of indignation, Shizuka blurted out, "He should marry you, not that stepmother of yours!"

"Huh...? Me?"

Such a thought had never crossed Kiana's mind. At the time, she hadn't thought about anything related to romantic feelings between men and women.

Especially with her new body, which controlled her emotions with godlike proficiency, any nascent hormonal stirrings were suppressed and eliminated before she could even experience them.

"But... some people are even willing to be his little pony for him to ride! With people like that around, can I even win?"

Kiana felt her teacher might have gotten the wrong idea.

Ms. Hiratsuka was shocked by this statement. "He... he did that in front of you?" she stammered.

Kiana shook her head. "It was more than that. A lot of people saw it."

Your family is that depraved? Then I'm out!

Ms. Hiratsuka immediately bid Kiana farewell. She had been single for too long to handle this kind of shock.

Leaving a confused Kiana to continue drinking her sorrows away.

Kiana didn't pay it any mind and continued her gloomy day. "My body's too good now. Even drinks taste like nothing."

(End of Volume III: Elysia: Today's Humans Must Be So Cute, Right?)