NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Chapter 33: My Appearance Fee Is Quite Expensive, You Know
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"That is..."
Seeing the lance, both Einstein and Welt's expressions turned grave. While others might not recognize it, they certainly did.
The Sixth Divine Key—Abyss Flower, possessing the authority of Creation and Decay.
Einstein's immortality and agelessness were all thanks to this very weapon. However, according to their intelligence, the Abyss Flower should have been in the hands of Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Durandal. How could it appear here?
Moreover, based on their information, Durandal was indeed at Schicksal Headquarters and hadn't been deployed. If they had known she would show up at Saint Freya Academy, they wouldn't have attempted this invasion.
As for Welt? Neither Welt nor Einstein paid much attention to him.
Being pierced by Abyss, endowed with the power of decay, meant certain doom unless immediately treated by White Flower's healing touch. Moreover, Welt had intended to kill Welt himself; someone else stealing his kill was rather irritating.
"Good evening, Teacher Yang!"
A voice echoed from the direction where Abyss had emerged. A young woman descended from the sky, clad in sleek and efficient Valkyrie armor. Her long chestnut hair flowed gracefully in the wind, her pale pink eyes exuding gentleness and tranquility. An elegant smile graced her exquisite face, subtly tinged with a hint of playful amusement.
Both Welt and Einstein couldn't help but furrow their brows at her appearance.
They were not familiar with this Valkyrie, especially Welt Yang. Although he taught at Saint Freya Academy, Ana had arrived recently and swiftly returned to Schicksal Headquarters upon her arrival, leaving no chance for him to meet her personally.
However, after a brief moment of contemplation, Dr. Einstein recalled some information about the newcomer before them.
"Ana Schariac: survivor and terminator of the Manila Honkai incident, newly promoted S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, heiress and priestess of House Schariac, and considered the most beautiful woman within Schicksal."
Einstein wasn't merely speculating; she accessed Ana's file on her portable mini-computer and read it aloud, also explaining Ana's background to Welt.
"Miss Ana, nice to meet you. I believe we're not enemies."
After hearing Dr. Einstein's intel, Welt smiled and extended his hand towards Ana.
"Anti-Entropy opposes Schicksal, and you're intruders here—how can you claim we're not adversaries?"
Instead of shaking hands, Ana retrieved Abyss from where it was embedded in the ground, pointing its tip directly at Welt with a faint smirk.
"No, Miss Ana, our only intention is to collaborate with Lady Theresa of the Far East Branch. As a result, she has already agreed to work together."
Dr. Einstein hastily interjected, concern evident amidst her urgency.
The power possessed by this Miss Ana before them was truly terrifying. In the event they were forced into combat, given Welt Yang's current condition, perhaps...
"So what?" Ana replied nonchalantly, cutting off Dr. Einstein mid-sentence.
Caught speechless, Einstein had yet to fully grasp the relationship between Ana and Theresa. If Ana were one of Otto's trusted confidants, then her hostile stance would indeed be understandable.
However, if Ana was indeed working for Otto, she wouldn't waste her breath like this. Even Einstein found herself unsure of how to proceed.
"So Miss Ana means..." Welt Yang remained composed and smiled back at her, just as Einstein had surmised. If Ana truly intended to confront them, there would be no need for idle chatter.
"Teacher Yang, I don't mean anything specific; it's just that some debts must eventually be settled." Ana gazed at Welt Yang with a pleasant smile. Naturally, she wouldn't harm him or Einstein; she knew they were decent individuals and crucial figures in future developments.
Nevertheless, she couldn't let them leave so easily. As the saying goes, "a goose should always lose some feathers," not that she was particularly harsh, but someone needed to take responsibility for Anti-Entropy's damage to Saint Freya Academy.
While Saint Freya Academy was well-funded, resources shouldn't be squandered recklessly either. Their beloved Lord Bishop had even halved his cherished game development budget to finance London's reconstruction.
As a loyal subordinate of the Lord Bishop and one of Theresa's trusted aides, it was only natural for Ana to seek restitution from Anti-Entropy.
What? Theresa doesn't want compensation?
No problem! I certainly do! As the head of House Scherniot, Ana never minds having more funds at her disposal.
No matter! She wanted it! As the head of House Schariac, Ana certainly wouldn't turn down more money.
"Bill?"
Einstein and Welt exchanged glances, slightly puzzled by Ana's remark. Einstein had a rough idea of what she meant but quickly dismissed the thought—it was simply too absurd.
For an A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, a true ace powerhouse, to detain them both with threats of violence just for a shakedown? No, not even a shakedown, considering Welt did indeed cause significant damage at Saint Freya Academy.
And then there was Heaven's Fate Cathedral—once its cipher was cracked, Schicksal would undoubtedly need to invest in maintenance as well.
"Hmm, let me see."
"That numbskull from earlier must be one of yours, right? He demolished two buildings of our Valkyrie dormitories, wrecked flower beds everywhere, and dug massive holes across the plaza. You do acknowledge this debt, correct?" Ana asked, expectantly.
With a wry smile, Einstein nodded. "Yes, Anti-Entropy will compensate for these damages."
"Excellent." Ana nodded, continuing her calculations. "You brought 24 tactical mechs here—the Titans. Although we dismantled them, disposing of that scrap metal is quite troublesome. We'll charge you for waste management; no objections, I presume?"
"No objections."
Einstein looked at Ana with slight surprise before nodding.
Those tactical mechs undoubtedly belonged to that cunning old fox Cocolia. However, it didn't matter; this debt could be recorded against her. With Welt Yang present, there was no fear of Cocolia denying responsibility.
"Alright, next is Teacher Yang's breach of contract. I reviewed Saint Freya's records, and you do have a valid contract, correct?"
"Yes, regarding the penalty fees for breach of contract, I will cover them," Welt Yang promptly responded without waiting for Einstein to address him. There wasn't much to discuss here; it was simply a contractual breach, akin to a drop in the ocean. After all, publicly, he was just an ordinary history teacher.
"Hmm, finally, we come to my appearance fee as an S-Class Valkyrie. My fee is quite expensive!"
As she spoke, Ana waved the Abyss Flower in her hand.
The previous claims were somewhat justified, but now she was purely trying to extort them. Still, considering her ordeal—being dragged into work on her first day, returning to Headquarters for social obligations to save someone, ultimately sacrificing her charm—it felt warranted.
And then, upon coming back, she had to clean up the messes left by Anti-Entropy and Theresa. This definitely called for additional compensation!
After some friendly negotiations, Ana and Einstein agreed on compensation terms, leaving her satisfied as she departed. She wasn't concerned about Anti-Entropy not paying; they were quite wealthy, and if they withheld payment, she'd report it to Otto. He wouldn't hesitate to seize this opportunity for another round of extortion against Anti-Entropy.
By then, the amount owed would be significantly higher.