"...Uncle, while I understand you're pleasantly surprised by the abilities I've shown, there's no need to be this enthusiastic."
Xin Yu looked at Siegfried, who had donned an apron and even made him his sole specialty, toast pizza. Seeing the brilliant smile on the man's face and his obviously ingratiating manner, Xin Yu sighed helplessly. He pushed the food placed before him towards the young Kiana beside him, who was currently digging in with gusto.
"Thank you!"
Little Kiana looked up to say thanks before continuing to devour the food in front of her.
"Perhaps you might have misunderstood slightly earlier. There's actually no boyfriend-girlfriend relationship between her and me. She already has a girlfriend. The reason she discussed marriage matters with me before was because she asked me for help. After I gave her some advice, she mentioned those things out of gratitude."
Xin Yu recalled the shift in Siegfried's expression earlier. Perhaps mentioning private matters like marriage discussions had led the man to mistakenly assume his relationship with Kiana was overly close. But in reality, forget being boyfriend and girlfriend, there hadn't been even a hint of romance between them.
"Is that so... Huh? Girlfriend!?"
An expression of utter astonishment spread across Siegfried's face. He knew that among the Valkyries in Schicksal, due to the scarcity of males – referring specifically to men with comparable Honkai energy resistance or adaptability – it was difficult. Never mind whether ordinary men were qualified, the mere fact that Valkyries had to constantly fight on the Honkai frontlines made relationships with ordinary people unsuitable.
This often led to yuri love stories blossoming between Valkyries. Siegfried was naturally aware of this; after all, his wife had been the most popular Valkyrie in Schicksal.
But now, hearing this young man say his daughter had a girlfriend in the future meant his daughter's sexual orientation was towards the same sex.
"Yes."
Xin Yu confirmed, then said no more. Honestly, he didn't know Raiden Mei well at all, so he couldn't possibly tell Siegfried what kind of person she was.
Should he say his daughter's partner was the Third Herrscher? This uncle before him would probably explode from agitation and have a stroke.
Siegfried remained silent for a good while, then carefully sized up Kiana, who was engrossed in her meal, and Xin Yu, who was looking back at him with questioning eyes.
This young man before him possessed the ability to rewrite history... but could using such a heaven-defying power truly come without any cost?
Siegfried believed everything had two sides. While this ability was something countless people dreamed of, fantasized about, if such a power truly existed, it must inevitably have side effects and hidden conditions.
And rewriting the Second Honkai Eruption... If he were to rewrite such a crucial turning point in fate, a history that affected the destinies of countless people, could this young man truly accomplish it?
What if it was just saving one person? Just saving Cecilia... Then again, what bargaining chip did he have to convince the young man to save someone, potentially facing enormous risks?
Moreover, fundamentally, this young man's relationship with his family couldn't be called close. And he was the one asking for a favor, while the future Kiana still owed the boy...
As Xin Yu watched Siegfried glance back and forth between himself and little Kiana, he had no idea what the man was thinking.
Siegfried didn't say much more, simply clearing the plates from the table.
Xin Yu had originally planned to leave and travel around, to see the beautiful snowscape. However, Siegfried persuaded him to stay, saying he should at least stay one more night since it was already dark.
Looking at the dark sky outside, Xin Yu thought about it and agreed that staying one night wouldn't hurt.
Late that night, during the deep hours when most people were sound asleep, Siegfried, lying in bed, suddenly opened his eyes.
He pondered: if he were to suddenly leave, this kindhearted kid, Xin Yu, likely wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Kiana alone and would inevitably take care of her.
During that time, a relationship would form between them. In the future, this bond would surely become a stepping stone for something more. If things worked out, the boy would become his son-in-law. Under such circumstances, asking him to do something might possibly succeed.
Even if it didn't reach that stage, Kiana, as a good friend, asking him to save her mother might also succeed.
But... this kind of action was practically no different from selling his daughter.
Siegfried felt incredibly conflicted. He felt like he was standing at the center of a balance scale. On one side stood Cecilia and the real Kiana. On the other side stood... K423.
If he just betrayed his conscience slightly, there might be a chance to change the past. It wouldn't even be a full betrayal of conscience, just a minor deception.
...
Siegfried's expression twisted in struggle, the conflict in his heart continuously weaving itself into thorns that pierced his entire being.
What should he do? What could he do?!
If he were a qualified husband, a qualified father, he should choose to save Cecilia, to save his deceased daughter!
But doing so would mean he wasn't a qualified warrior, not a qualified man, and certainly not a qualified father to the child currently in his care.
"Cecilia..."
Siegfried slowly closed his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to sacrifice others, especially not a girl who saw him as her father.
"I'm sorry... Kiana."
Siegfried whispered softly, then truly closed his eyes and fell asleep.
The next morning, Siegfried woke early, dressed, and left the bedroom. When he came outside, however, he found that the young man was already gone.
In that moment, Siegfried felt a profound sense of loss.
...
Xin Yu soared above the clouds, watching the gradually rising sun. A smile couldn't help but spread across his face. He opened his arms and shouted loudly. Though he didn't know why he did it, even finding it a bit childish, he couldn't resist. Because in that instant, he felt as if he was embracing the entire sky!
This feeling was completely different from being on an airplane. The sensation of flying freely through the sky under his own power was truly wonderful.
"There's that feeling again. Looks like this short journey ends here. But it wasn't a wasted trip. After all, I got to know Uncle Siegfried. He's a good person!"
Xin Yu smiled, then slowly leaned backward, ceasing to use his power for flight, letting gravity pull him downwards. After falling into a patch of white cloud, his figure vanished completely.