LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 37: Chapter 37
Sparkle watched Ryn and Kiana's bewildered expressions, shaking her head helplessly. She felt a bit foolish herself.
"Tsk, hearing Kiana shouting 'Kaslana' all the time, I never thought she was referring to Schicksal's Kaslana family. Guess stupidity is contagious—take this for calling me an idiot, Kiana!"
"Ouch! What was that for?"
Kiana hopped away to avoid Sparkle's punch, then instinctively countered with a classic boxing move. Sparkle went down like a sack of potatoes, lying on the ground, unable to get up.
Otto glanced at the fallen Sparkle and felt a pang of regret. Is her physical fitness really this poor? he thought. Could the Pale Family have been exaggerating her abilities? She was supposed to be their pride and joy—the most talented in every respect. How could she be taken down so easily?
What Otto didn't know was that while the Pale Family's stigmata enhanced their long-range attacks, they significantly weakened physical strength and close-combat skills.
Sparkle was indeed extraordinarily gifted, but her stigmata awakening had also brought forth the classic weaknesses of a fragile mage: high offense but pitiful defense. A single solid hit would bring her down.
Embarrassed, Kiana stuck out her tongue, trying to look cute. Silly Sparkle always charged at her recklessly, and Kiana unconsciously knocked her down every single time.
"Ah, youth. They can fall asleep anywhere," Otto muttered.
Kiana and Ryn carried Sparkle to the couch. The moment they placed her down, she was out cold. Thankfully, her recovery was swift, and she would wake up soon enough.
"Bishop Otto, are you here for the summer festival too?" Ryn asked, his eyes drifting toward Otto's chest. The way those two mounds bounced… Are they real?
Otto noticed Ryn's gaze and gave him a sharp glare. At the same time, he slapped away Kiana's sneaky hands attempting to grope his chest. An imaginary red X seemed to appear on Otto's forehead.
"Enough nonsense, you two. I'm here to find Sparkle. She'll be joining Schicksal's combat sequence alongside you both soon enough."
"Oh." Kiana and Ryn responded in unison, exchanging a curious glance.
They weren't sure why Otto wanted Sparkle in Schicksal or what role she would play, but they figured they could ask her when she woke up. Instead, their attention shifted back to Otto.
"Are you two seriously not curious about your teammate?" Otto asked, exasperated.
"We can just ask her when she wakes up," Kiana said nonchalantly. "I'm more curious whether Uncle Otto is a man or a woman…"
"Ow! Why'd you hit me again?"
Kiana's second attempt to grope Otto's chest failed, earning her another slap.
"Ahem, to be honest, I'm curious too," Ryn admitted. "Are those boobs fake? They're so big and bouncy. Let me give them a proper squeeze later—"
Otto's face turned bright red, though his composure prevented him from lashing out.
"I discarded my original body centuries ago. This one is made of soul steel."
"So… you're a woman?"
"Gender is meaningless to me. But yes, this body is female, and yes, the chest is real. Touch me again, and I'll hit you both harder."
Otto's patience was wearing thin, but he decided to let their antics slide. Consider this an early apology to K-423, he thought.
"Alright, you can hit me later!" Kiana giggled mischievously. "This is my first time seeing such huge boobs. Let me touch them just once—"
Moments later, both Ryn and Kiana were sprawled on the ground, sporting large bumps on their heads.
"Why did you hit me? I didn't even touch you!"
"And why did I get hit? I was just watching!"
Otto said nothing, barely resisting the urge to smack them again. Both Kianas… yet so different. One is slightly more mature, but at their core, they're the same clueless fools.
Can I really trust the fate of the world to these two? Otto sighed, brushing the thought aside.
After a brief pause, Otto prepared to leave.
"Do you have any more questions? If not, I'll take my leave."
"Wait, Bishop Otto," Ryn said, throwing an arm around Otto's shoulder. "Did you know that in ancient Shenzhou, wearing a green hat symbolized being cheated on by your spouse? You might want to change the color of your hat to avoid any misunderstandings."
Otto blinked, suddenly remembering the strange stares Fu Hua always gave his hat. He instinctively removed it but, after a moment's thought, put it back on. Whatever, it doesn't matter.
"Thank you for the advice, Bishop Otto," Ryn said, patting Otto's shoulder.
Otto grabbed Ryn's hand before he could slip away.
"Since you like being direct, let's talk about the funds you've embezzled."
"Ahaha, you must be joking, sir. I have urgent matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now!"
Cold sweat dripped down Ryn's back as he tried to pull away, but Otto's grip was unyielding.
"You're not going anywhere. My dear Ryn, Amber tells me Schicksal allocated you far more funds than you've used for your projects. Those who know think you're developing games; those who don't assume you're building aircraft carriers."
"Uh… Bishop Otto, Kiana and I used to starve on the streets every day. We're terrified of poverty! I swear I haven't touched a cent—it's all in Cortana's hands!"
"You can't even spend it all if you tried! You've been with Schicksal for a short time and already embezzled enough to build a battlecruiser and an escort fleet!"
"Wait… is that why you're dressed like that? No, listen, it was all Cortana's idea! She said she wanted to test Schicksal's security systems for vulnerabilities!"
"Don't think I don't know Cortana listens to you!"
By the end of it, Ryn lay next to Sparkle on the couch, sporting three large bumps on his head. Otto stormed off, fuming.
It's not about the money, Otto thought. I'm wealthy enough to overlook that. But these two fools are making a mockery of Schicksal. I can't let this slide any longer.