“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“It’s nothing. I just think… regardless of your plan, attempting to steal the Gem of Desire shows remarkable courage.”

Sigurd sincerely commented, raising his glass as if to toast, expressing admiration.

Brolon chuckled, quite satisfied with Sigurd’s attitude.

“I won’t beat around the bush. The Schicksal Oceania Branch has applied for the Herrscher core experiment project, which has been approved by the headquarters. The transfer of the Gem of Desire will take place in two weeks.”

“The transfer process starts from the Oceania Branch. They will dispatch an elite Valkyrie unit to the headquarters as an escort for receiving the gem. At the headquarters, another Valkyrie unit will be co-escorting, waiting for their arrival with the Gem of Desire.”

“After the two units converge at the headquarters and confirm the handover, both Valkyrie units will jointly escort the gem back to the Oceania Branch. The Valkyries from the headquarters will return to Otto for debriefing only after ensuring that the gem is properly secured in the Oceania Branch. This completes the handover.”

“The lists of Valkyries on both sides are highly confidential. The handover will be conducted through internal network information and secret codes. Even the Valkyries themselves won’t know who they’re facing on the other side to prevent internal spies from exploiting the situation. The entire escort will proceed without any stops, and the route will be kept secret. The day of departure will be designated by Otto himself… in short, there aren’t many opportunities to strike.”

Brolon explained in detail, but he seemed to dismiss this meticulous plan with an air of indifference.

After pondering for a moment, Sigurd asked:

“You emphasized the handover process. Are you suggesting that the opportunity lies there?”

“Talking to intelligent people sure is convenient. Yes, you should also know that I used to have a good relationship with Schicksal, having many old friends in there… Let me put it this way, I have a way to intercept the Oceania escort unit and replace it with my people. However, discreetly altering both sides’ handover information and obtaining the secret code are two challenges.”

“Hacking into Schicksal’s system, altering the information of the Oceania Branch escort team, and investigating the secret code… you want to entrust me with this task?”

“Exactly.”

Brolon stared at Sigurd with intense eyes, seemingly confident that Sigurd would agree and confident that Sigurd had the ability to do it.

Sigurd swirled the red wine glass, one round, two rounds, three rounds, then raised his eyes and said:

“What do I get in return?”

“I’ll own the gem, but under suitable conditions, I may lend it to you occasionally. Also, your new faction – called Starfire, right? – will receive my full support.”

“What you said is all hollow promises. What if you don’t keep your word afterward? Can I still go to war with you?”

“Of course, a down payment will be made, and you can state your conditions.”

Brolon extended his hand, gesturing as if to be generous, indicating his goodwill.

Sigurd thought for a moment.

“Five years’ worth of operating funds for my faction. Calculate it based on current standards, paid in full upfront, no installment payments. Also, ten thousand sets of materials for producing Titan robots.”

Hmm, this attack of the Gem of Desire would be nothing but a little joke with Otto. He wouldn’t mind this little thing with a friend, and it would be satisfying to reap a small profit.

Moreover, pulling out a little bit from the inside would be just right to complete the trade for the manuals with Su Tan.

Brolon’s old face under the hood twitched.

“I asked you to state your conditions… but there’s no need to be so bold, right?”

“You don’t have the ability of Lord Otto, and what you’re offering isn’t much. Why would I risk antagonizing Otto for this? There will be casualties.”

Yes, casualties – referring to Brolon Albert himself. Once he carried out this plan, he would be done for. Even if Welt came, it wouldn’t help, as Otto had said.

So, if you don’t make a big profit now, there might not be another chance later.

Brolon remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

“The money will be transferred within three days. The materials will be handed over as quickly as possible. But don’t disappoint me; you can’t handle the consequences.”

“Replacing the information is not a problem, but I can’t guarantee the secret code.”

“It’s sufficient.”

“Then we have no problem. You’ll be satisfied.”

After exchanging glances, they shook hands, and the deal was officially sealed.

…

“So, you did all this for just a few finger movements?”

“Compared to the value of the Gem of Desire, it’s insignificant.”

“Who would believe he can get it? Even if he does, Otto will be able to take his head off and kick it like a ball before he even warms the seat.”

“What do you want me to do? Let go of free money and resources?”

Sigurd rolled his eyes at Cocolia, then took a bite of his apple, replenishing his vitamins.

Indeed, he explained the situation to Cocolia exactly as it was.

In the original story, Sigurd despised Cocolia; now, he didn’t.

However, regardless of which Cocolia, Sigurd didn’t look down on her. A woman without special abilities, who managed to climb to the position of a radical faction leader from scratch, stirring up the world in this dangerous environment… It took immense skill to qualify for looking down on Cocolia.

“Of course, we should profit!”

Cocolia slapped the table and then added through gritted teeth:

“You should’ve asked for more, make that old man bleed out in one go!”

“I’ve pushed it about as far as I can. The deal isn’t finalized yet, and he can’t possibly offer more, no matter how confident he is.”

“You’re right… By the way, I’ve analyzed all the information collected over these days and finally understood that old man’s intentions. Do you want to hear it?”

Cocolia crossed her arms, looking smug.

Well, calling it “crossing her arms” wasn’t quite accurate – she was actually propping up her grand and magnificent assets. As she moved, her snowy waves and deep ravines were exceptionally captivating.

Sigurd glanced at it briefly, but he didn’t linger on this sight, saying:

“Go ahead, tell me.”

“Brolon Albert, the prince of the Oil Kingdom, was exceptionally bright from a young age and gained a lot of attention within the royal family. As an adult, with only an older brother who was over thirty years older than him as the reigning king, and a mediocre younger brother, he was essentially the ironclad successor to the throne and could be considered a true prodigy.”

Sigurd nodded, it was consistent with the information he knew, and it did match the arrogance that emanated from Brolon.

“When he was sixteen, Brolon attended a banquet and met Otto, who rarely appeared at such events. He was fascinated by Otto’s power and demeanor, possibly even brainwashed in the process. In short, he became a loyal devotee of Otto.”

“Afterward, Brolon went all out to support Schicksal’s various plans, frequently expressing in public that he was Otto’s most reliable and faithful friend… in simple terms, a lapdog.”

“But becoming Otto’s lapdog doesn’t come without benefits. On the contrary, because he repeatedly supported Schicksal, Otto never denied his public displays of loyalty. Outsiders think they have a close relationship. Even his own royal family believed that his unwavering support was a demonstration of his charisma and insight.”

“Gradually, Brolon gained more friends and encountered fewer adversaries. He seemed destined to become a future ruler of his country. Then, tragedy struck when his queen contracted Honkai Corruption during a journey.”

“Brolon, full of confidence, immediately contacted Schicksal to request treatment for his queen. Schicksal agreed promptly and took her away that same day. However, the fact that she had Honkai Resistance implied that she possessed some resistance to the corruption. Schicksal took her to their laboratory, and then… she died.”

At this point, Cocolia showed a malicious grin.

Sigurd raised an eyebrow.

“So, Brolon joined Anti-Entropy… because of love?”

“He wouldn’t be easily heartbroken… Give me a break! If that old man had such sentiments with his lover, would he really care about my beauty at his age?”

Cocolia retorted, rolling her eyes. She continued:

“Afterward, before reaching middle age, Brolon suddenly cut off all support to Schicksal and displayed an attitude of defiance towards Otto. That’s when he started cultivating his doppelgangers, appearing in public as his duplicates while keeping his real self hidden. I guess he thought Schicksal wouldn’t dare to cross the boundaries of the powerful, secretive rules that govern them. He believed Schicksal wouldn’t touch his assets before his death. So, Brolon felt that safeguarding himself was the key to opposing Schicksal.”

“Interesting. What happened next?”

“Afterward, Brolon’s defiance against Otto led to a decrease in friends, and even the royal family grew wary of Schicksal’s authority and gradually distanced themselves from him. But Brolon remained unfazed. He believed that Otto increasingly saw him as a thorn in his side and intensified his use of doppelgangers. Then, during a gathering, the aged king met Otto once again. Out of fear, the king conveyed the kingdom’s stance on Brolon’s activities to Otto. Can you guess how Otto reacted?”

Sigurd stroked his chin and pondered.

“Based on what I know about Otto, he might say… Who are you talking about? I have no recollection of him.”

“… Did you investigate this matter beforehand?”

“No, I only gathered some basic information. I didn’t bother wasting time searching for this kind of intelligence, and most of it I didn’t know.”

“Yet, you do understand Otto. That’s exactly how he would react. After that, Brolon joined Anti-Entropy and completely severed ties with Schicksal.”

Cocolia squinted, imagining the expression that must have appeared on Brolon’s aged face when he learned of Otto’s response. It was like drinking an ice-cold cola on a hot summer day – refreshing!

“Sigurd, Mama Cocolia, something’s wrong!”

At that moment, Bronya burst into the room. Her normally aloof expression showed a hint of anxiety.

Meanwhile, Sigurd received a message from Icarus, and his pupils contracted.

…

Sigurd and Cocolia walked out of the room.

In the hallway, Kiana sat on a chair. Her outfit was torn, stained with dirt and leaves, and she bore a few minor wounds, all shades of blue and purple.

“Ouch… Seele, be more gentle.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry? Did I hurt you, Kiana? How did it end up like this, Kiana?”

Seele was tending to Kiana’s wounds, her eyes red and teary, clearly worried.

“… Are you okay?”

Sigurd approached Kiana, squatting down, and asked expressionlessly.

Sensing an inexplicable chill in the air, everyone couldn’t help but shiver.

Kiana shrank her neck and muttered weakly:

“I’m fine… it’s not my fault! A few strange guys tried to capture me. Even though Sigurd’s robot took care of them, I accidentally rolled down the mountain…”

“Be more careful next time and stop being reckless. As long as you’re alright, that’s what matters.”

Cocolia frowned, feeling a vibration in her pocket.

She picked up her communicator, and her pupils contracted.

“Sigurd, the money has been transferred, and the initial batch of supplies is in place – twice what was promised. Also, Brolon asked me to tell you, he has a few more cute little girls with white hair. He asked if you want to have them…. delivered to you?”

As Cocolia uttered the last few words, her teeth began to chatter.

She noticed Sigurd gently patting Kiana’s head and the slight curve of his lips.

‘Uh-oh’

Cocolia shook her head and started to think about how to explain to the Alliance leaders that Sigurd was about to kill one of their Executors.