“Um, Cocolia… Aunt, do you have a gift for Sig too? Look, everyone else has one, right?”

As the party was coming to an end, Kiana tugged at the corner of Cocolia’s clothes and whispered.

Her hesitant and timid appearance seemed to fear that if the answer was no, Sigurd would be disappointed.

Sin Mal also chimed in, “Yeah, Mama Cocolia, it would be really sad if Sigurd is the only one without a gift.”

Seele also voiced her opinion, “You’re right, Mama Cocolia, did you prepare a gift for Brother Sigurd too?”

Sin Mal glanced at Seele.

Well, this time she didn’t threaten anyone, and it seemed the easily-teary little vixen was tolerable.

Seeing Sin Mal’s unusual lack of intimidation, Seele showed a delighted smile.

Did this mean their relationship was getting better?

Cocolia put down the skewer she was barbecuing, looking displeased.

“That unlikable guy, what’s so good about him? How did he manage to charm all of you? Watch out, one day he might get have you all sleep in his bed and forcefully have you expand his lineage!”

Cocolia playfully tapped their foreheads one by one, looking frustrated.

Seele’s cheeks visibly turned red, while Sin Mal’s eyes gleamed.

Kiana, on the other hand, remained the calmest with a puzzled expression.

Sleep with Sigurd?

Wasn’t that something she occasionally did?

What’s so strange about it?

Apparently, being well-informed about biology didn’t necessarily mean having high emotional intelligence.

Then Cocolia realized these three were hopeless cases.

Thankfully, there were other children who might still be salvageable…

Looking around, she noticed that Liliya and Rozaliya, the two sisters, had already gathered on either side of Sigurd, each saying something to him.

Beside them, Bronya stood straight like a dog awaiting orders.

‘Damn it! Is my orphanage turning into a harem for him?’

Cocolia fretted, and then she felt Kiana tugging at her clothes, bringing her back to her senses.

Faced with three pairs of inquisitive and innocent eyes, Cocolia sighed and said,

“There’s something for him too, but he’s just not cute enough, so I don’t really want to give it to him.”

“Don’t say that, Cocolia. Sig is just a kid. Don’t overthink it so much!”

Kiana playfully advised.

She knew she was talking nonsense herself—linking the words “Sig” and “kid” was absurd even for the most gullible.

“Alright, alright, I got it. I’ll give it to him when we talk later. It’s not something you should worry about. Now, if you’re all full, go take a nice hot bath and get to bed early, okay?”

Cocolia patted their little heads and gave the command.

“Yes!” ×3

…

“Here, your gift.”

Late at night, in Sigurd’s room, Cocolia handed over the present.

Sigurd unwrapped it and found a sleek, frameless anti-blue light eyewear with a futuristic touch.

He examined it carefully.

“No bugs, no trackers, just a simple pair of protective glasses. Are you thinking of the amount of time I spend in front of screens? You’re considerate, thank you.”

“Damn it! If those kids hadn’t asked, I wouldn’t even want to give it to you. You actually doubted me?”

“You, who are known as The Mercenary Witch, the Fox Mother that are known throughout Siberia. Isn’t it normal for me to be cautious?”

“I’ve got Titans close to me, each one personally approved by you. What can I possibly do?”

Cocolia retorted with annoyance, but she wasn’t actually that upset.

Similar to Robbins, Cocolia understood the ways of the world well.

Being under someone’s control wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

As long as your superior was capable, reliable, and had good people skills, being a subordinate would actually be a good thing.

From Cocolia’s perspective, Sigurd’s qualifications fit the bill.

His technological prowess was immeasurable. In terms of strategy, he brilliantly countered Otto during the Siegfried incident.

In terms of connections, he seemed to have good relations with the 3 Giants of Anti-Entropy and the Archbishop of Schicskal.

Finally, he didn’t meddle unnecessarily and wasn’t keen on micromanaging, giving those under him significant autonomy.

The only downside was that he had always been biased against her… well, perhaps not biased, but he saw through things too clearly, which was somewhat unsettling.

Sigurd blew off some dust from the glasses and put them on his face.

The brown lenses concealed the coldness in his eyes, and he instantly transformed into a cool and handsome young man.

“How does it look?”

“…It’s okay.”

Perfect for fooling innocent young girls, that kind of “okay.”

“So, Brolon Albert, the pragmatic executor of the Radical Faction, why did he come to me?”

“I don’t know, but it’s probably about cooperation.”

“I did a brief check on his background. Originally a powerful prince of a Middle Eastern oil kingdom, he was a loyal follower of Otto when he was young. Later, he suddenly betrayed Otto and joined Anti-Entropy, advocating for overthrowing Otto’s rule by any means necessary. It’s been a few years since, and he’s considered one of the ideological sources of the Radical Faction. What about you? Do you have a more detailed understanding?”

“I once tried to make a dirty deal with him. In the end, I gave him free access to my body for a month and made a good profit out of it. Does that count?”

Sigurd took off his glasses and observed Cocolia up and down.

Hmm, ignoring her personality, and purely judging by appearance, Cocolia is an incredibly alluring and breathtaking beauty, with golden hair, ample bosom, and an extraordinary aura, making people salivate at the sight.

Sigurd nodded in understanding.

“That counts too. It seems like he’s an old fox with a young heart.”

“I don’t know much more. He’s an extremely cowardly guy, so I’ve never met the real him. He’s cultivated many doppelgängers who usually attend important gatherings in his stead. For less important events, he’s even unwilling to use long-distance communication, displaying extreme caution.”

“How strong is he?”

“In Anti-Entropy, the Triad of Revelations (Einstein, Tesla, Welt group) is the most dominant force, with the Radical Faction slightly below. You and I currently represent the third force. With your technology and my tactics, we’ve developed quickly, but compared to the Radical Faction, we’re still lacking in accumulation. The rest isn’t worth mentioning. As for Brolon, he holds significant authority within the Radical Faction, almost like an autocrat but not quite.”

Cocolia explained, casually implying that she had managed to distance herself from the Radical Faction.

As if she had been a master manipulator within the faction all along, steering things in her favor, just like anyone else would.

In the end, Cocolia didn’t particularly identify with the ideologies of any faction.

Her pursuit was merely power, along with the resources and security that power could provide.

Sigurd didn’t disagree and shifted the topic:

“Speaking of which, shouldn’t our faction have a name too?”

“Well… How about the Sorceress Faction?”

Cocolia seemed to be discussing it seriously.

Ignoring her suggestion, Sigurd thought for a moment and continued,

“The Conservative Faction advocates saving the world in a humane way; the Radical Faction believes in dealing with Schicksal first and is willing to use any means necessary. As for us… I don’t believe in either conservatism or radicalism. I believe our destiny lies in our own hands, and the path we take depends on our own accumulations and judgments.”

Pausing for a moment, Sigurd continued slowly,

“Let’s call it the Starfire Faction, symbolizing the spark that can ignite a wildfire. While it might be insignificant now, as long as we stand united, strive for progress, and continue accumulating, there will come a day when we hold victory and change the world.”

Snap!

“That sounds really good. It should have good propaganda effects. Let’s call it the Starfire Faction!”

Cocolia’s eyes visibly brightened, and she even clapped her hands in excitement, wholeheartedly convinced.

Sigurd rolled his eyes inwardly.

He knew his insights were in vain.

This girl only cared about what sounded good and could attract more people to join.

“Back to the main topic. Since Brolon seems to have some significance, it’s not a bad idea to meet him. Besides, I could use a change of mood.”

“Alright, I’ll respond to him and arrange the time and place.”

Cocolia didn’t want to talk much and promptly left.

This made Sigurd suspect if there was some benefit for her in delivering this message too.