"What a troublesome quest... and one I can't refuse..."
The Fool, or rather Simon Lailey, leaned back in her cabin, rubbing her temples as if battling a headache.
"Taking care of those brats is truly a headache," Doctor Yssring said, shrugging beside her.
...Let's rewind a few minutes...
"Lady Simon, I have a request to make..."
Before Cocolia was escorted away, the blonde Russian woman turned to Simon Lailey, who stood expressionlessly beside Welt Yang.
"The orphanage and your adopted daughters, right? I understand."
The Fool nodded, looking at this woman and recalling a past conversation with Snow—
"...We must view Cocolia and everything she's caused through a dialectical lens—everything has two sides."
Snow, perched on the windowsill with a swaying glass of grape juice, tossed out the topic.
"Alright, alright, Commander-in-Chief, what profound insight do you have?"
"She triggered the Third Honkai Eruption, causing the deaths of millions in Old Nagazora City and resulting in catastrophic destruction. But from another perspective—by rushing the Third Honkai Eruption, she prevented the Third Herrscher's full awakening... The actual damage caused by the Herrscher herself was practically zero."
"Comparing the descriptions of the fully awakened Herrschers' destructive power in Schicksal's archaeological records from the previous era to the devastation caused by this era's Second Herrscher, the damage inflicted by the Third Herrscher could almost be considered negligible."
"Of course, that wasn't her intention. But as we discussed earlier, everything has two sides—good and bad. The Third Honkai Eruption was an unavoidable event. The fact that its harm was unintentionally minimized, and even resulted in a Herrscher joining humanity's ranks, leaves us wondering: is this fortune or misfortune?"
Snow, perched on the windowsill, smiled and glanced at Simon.
"So, Boss, what kind of person do you think Cocolia truly is?"
"Cocolia herself? A ridiculous and contradictory figure, torn between power and familial affection. She'd sacrifice kinship for authority, yet she couldn't fully sever those ties. She's nothing like my father—"
"If anyone truly stood in the way of her plans, refusing to yield even an inch, she would unhesitatingly draw her gun or sword and pierce their brains, stab through their hearts—regardless of their identity or the bonds they shared with her."
"But she couldn't do that. She wanted to play both sides, but was that even possible?"
"Power and ambition... the emperors and generals of ancient times have already taught us that achieving both is as difficult as climbing to the heavens—and besides, does she even have such lofty ambitions?"
"She's nothing more than a caged beast, trapped by familial ties and power. Only by losing one will she truly understand."
"Oh, Captain, which do you think she'll lose?"
"Power, of course—"
The golden-haired girl spoke with unwavering certainty.
"Without the ambition to reach the heavens, nor any grand vision for greatness, why cling so tightly to power, refusing to let go?"
"Such people... do they truly control power, or have they become its puppets? What do you think, Miss 'Fool'?"
Recalling the moment she had been called out, Simon Lailey involuntarily shuddered.
"Truly a formidable boss..."
Simon Lailey shook her head, a headache returning as she pondered the troublesome children Cocolia had left behind.
"Ah, Sin Mal, Anti-Entropy's number one problem child... Just thinking about her gives me a headache... And then there are those two livewires, Rozaliya and Liliya..."
Simon Lailey glanced at Yssring, who was hunched over, remotely controlling an experiment in the laboratory, and a daring idea struck her.
"Doctor—"
"Eep! Get to the point quickly, and stop being so cheesy!"
The Green Algae Head Doctor's hand twitched, causing a muffled explosion to erupt in the remotely controlled Anti-Entropy private laboratory.
"It's about that..."
"Which 'that' are you talking about?"
Yssring looked utterly bewildered, seemingly oblivious to the impending trouble.
"You know, that—I'm putting Xin under your care! I already told her, in Cocolia's name, that she'll be learning from you from now on."
"??? Get lost! That kid's still just a child! What qualifications does she even have? She probably hasn't even started high school yet! You want her to study in the lab?"
"If I've offended you before, just say so—why shove a husky at me to torture me?"
Yssring's hand trembled slightly. To safeguard her future peace, she unhesitatingly pushed this "grave responsibility" back.
"You're going to see Tesla? Wait, you haven't already told her by name that you're coming to learn from me, have you?"
Yssring suddenly realized something, her eyes widening.
"Not exactly... I just mentioned I'd find her an Anti-Entropy Doctor to study with for a few days."
"Then go find Tesla. Demon Child and hot temper—a perfect match!"
Doctor Yssring immediately passed the buck.
"Aren't you worried they'll blow up Anti-Entropy Headquarters if they start fighting?"
"Why panic? Sending Tesla there is practically the same as sending her to Einstein, which indirectly means sending her to the Leader."
"Though the Leader's stay is brief this time, showing his face to the Radical Faction and giving them a stern warning will be enough. Plus, it's the perfect opportunity to discipline that troublesome child."
"The Leader's old dream—to become a teacher—is well-known among the Conservatives. This situation aligns perfectly with his wishes."
"Uh, isn't that a bit much?"
Simon scratched her head, remembering the Leader's frequent coughing spells back when he was more active—sometimes even with blood. She hesitated.
"The Leader's right here on the ship. Why don't you just ask him yourself? I'm not taking her. Besides... have you forgotten I'm barely older than that Demon Child?"
"Oh, right... Okay, I'll go ask the Leader..."
"That child, Sin... I understand, Simon. Bring all the children from Cocolia's Orphanage to our North American Headquarters."
"Are you serious? From what I know, very few of Cocolia's adopted daughters have been easy to manage."
"Those are just exceptions, Simon. Don't let a few troublemakers mislead you—the orphanage also has many ordinary children who are now old enough to attend school."
"And moving the orphanage... won't that provoke the Radical faction and World Serpent? The North American Headquarters has always represented the Conservative faction."
Simon's expression carried a hint of doubt.
"We don't need to worry about the Radical faction. As for World Serpent... I've already met with their Sire and reached a tentative agreement."
"You've already met her? Snow?"
"Snow—"
Welt nodded, reassuring Simon.