Honkai: Strijder

Chapter 52

“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.

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.