"Uh this..."
Kallen gaped, her expression ten parts or even nine parts strange.
Relying on extraordinary intuition, she could sense the sincerity in the other's tone, but why did she feel something was off?
She felt like she'd heard similar words somewhere before...
However, after carefully checking her memories and finding no similar situation, she could only give up.
She began focusing on more important matters at hand.
Looking at Lucius before her holding a red feather, Kallen's expression became composed.
Combined with her current age, it gave an overall feeling of forcibly pretending to be an adult.
"Then, how can I trust you?" Kallen asked.
Saving the world was a long and arduous journey. Every bit of strength was precious. So Kallen never refused those who could travel with her.
But the prerequisite was... whether this strange person would truly be her fellow traveler.
She'd previously sensed an aura similar to a Herrscher from him. Pre-civilization Herrschers were completely different from those fifty thousand years later!
However, after hearing Kallen's questioning, Lucius looked at her and asked somewhat strangely:
"Archbishop, you should be able to sense my power, right?"
"I could easily eliminate you now, yet I'm still conversing with you peacefully. Isn't this the greatest sincerity?"
But obviously Kallen couldn't possibly be convinced this way. She countered: "What if you have ulterior motives, wanting to use me to achieve some purpose? Living people are mostly more useful than dead ones."
Facing Kallen's serious little face, Lucius knew conventional persuasion methods wouldn't work. So he said: "Come closer and listen. I'll tell you a secret about myself as sincerity."
"...A secret?" Kallen confusedly tilted her head.
She'd thought this person would directly threaten her with Francis, or prove their credibility through various information, but she truly hadn't expected this person to come up with an "I have a big secret I'll only tell you" attitude.
"I thought about it. Just now peeking at your memories was indeed impolite, so this is... equivalent exchange?"
Hearing this, the vigilance on Kallen's face intensified. Not only did she not approach, she instead retreated several steps backward.
Lucius didn't mind. He just threw a bolt of lightning at Nicholas lying to the side like roadside trash, ensuring he was knocked out more thoroughly.
Only then did he look at Kallen and say:
"Actually, I'm also a time traveler, from fifty thousand years in the future. I paid an enormous price to return to this time point, precisely to change this era's destiny of inevitable destruction."
Hearing this, Kallen first froze, then not knowing what she thought of, her small face suddenly became furious.
Golden luster surged in her eyes as she fiercely pounced toward Lucius.
"So it was you, this bastard, who made me crash!!!"
Seeing this, Lucius paused, easily dodging.
Then while passing by, he grabbed her back collar in one motion, lifting her into midair.
"Damn it, let me go!"
Looking at Kallen continuously struggling after being lifted up, Lucius felt like he was holding a hissing husky.
Regarding her hissing, Lucius blocked her mouth with just one sentence.
"Have you seen pseudo-divine power existing on me?"
Hearing this, the struggling Kallen's body stiffened. She suddenly recalled that the one who'd collided with her back then was also someone possessing pseudo-divine power.
But this person before her, although truly very strong and could even exercise Herrscher authority, she hadn't sensed pseudo-divine power's existence on him.
Only this she would absolutely not mistake.
Thinking of this, Kallen's small face showed some embarrassment.
"Al...also true..."
Lucius strangely looked at the white furball in his hand. Through the memories just read, he confirmed she was indeed an Archbishop who'd commanded Schicksal for five hundred years.
But why did he always feel this furball seemed somewhat not too bright?
Probably just his imagination. After all, commanding Schicksal for five hundred years—how could she possibly be a fool...
However, having finally calmed her down, Lucius could finally continue earning her onto the mountain. Seeing she no longer struggled, Lucius put her down and said seriously:
"Archbishop, I saw your plan from your memories. Although you and I fell to this situation differently, our ultimate purpose is both to save this world. We should be unbreakable allies!"
"Although Otto is still young, I can equally be your world-saving partner!"
After confiding the secret, Kallen sensed Lucius's sincerity. Although she felt this person's mentality should have some problems, overall they could still communicate.
Thus, Kallen nodded and said: "What you say is true... However, if we want deeper cooperation, we need to know each other thoroughly."
The two quickly began exchanging information.
"That's how it is. I feel I'm not suited to serve as Archbishop, so I've always been scheming to return to that time point five hundred years ago."
"Many events might not have only killing as the sole option, but with my strategy I can't achieve it. However, I believe with Otto's wisdom and bottom line, there must be better methods."
Looking at the longing in Kallen's eyes, Lucius very rationally didn't mention what the Otto from the main storyline world line he knew had done.
Now they were building trust's foundation. Such matters should be left until they were more familiar later.
Thus Lucius also brought out the experiences he'd told Kiana before. Not that he couldn't be honest about his true origins, but he felt if he truly told everything as it was, Kallen would probably think he was fooling her.
After all, sometimes lying was because telling the truth made people not believe you!
"That's how it is. I went to a very, very distant future, experienced various adventures, and ultimately, only after paying an enormous price could I borrow the Herrscher of Finality's power to return to this time point."
"And the other segment of true history I experienced that crossed Honkai is the key to ensuring pre-civilization reaches victory."
"As long as we recreate the experiences of that Earth Goddess from fifty thousand years later, having the chosen savior rewalk her path to divinity, we'll have a chance to let this era continue."
After hearing Lucius's experiences, Kallen couldn't help sighing with emotion.
"Truly a miraculous journey. Crossing Honkai—truly an incredible great merit."
After mutually revealing their backgrounds, Kallen finally lost her initial rejection. Now she instead had a feeling of kindred spirits.
"The paths we walk are different, but we're both striving for the same goal. If you truly have the possibility of helping this era defeat the Herrscher of Finality, I'm willing to dedicate my strength."
After obtaining Kallen's guarantee, Lucius forcibly restrained his mouth from twitching upward.
Hehe... Plan success.
After seeing her memories, Lucius had made an assessment of her.
Although this Kallen had been Archbishop for five hundred years, unlike a certain blonde, her purpose from beginning to end had always been letting more people survive.
And borrowing the other's ideals, as long as he could provide a more suitable world-saving method, he could very easily pull her onto the cart, obtaining a top-tier co... partner.
After all, unlike this Archbishop, he Lucius had no fancy ideals.
What he did, from beginning to end, was only one thing—to beat the Herrscher of Finality to their knees!
"Excellent! With Archbishop Kallen's help, our great cause of saving the world will surely prosper!"
"Not that exaggerated..." Being praised like this by Lucius, Kallen felt somewhat embarrassed. "From now on we're partners saving the world together. Just call me Kallen."
"Very good, Kallen. Since you've joined, our script will be much easier going forward."
Kallen already knew Lucius's abilities, knowing his so-called script meant obtaining power by recreating past history.
Thus, she curiously asked: "Mu, in your timeline I should have very important screen time, right?"
This wasn't her bragging. According to parallel spacetime similarity, if she could be Archbishop for five hundred years in her world line, then in another world line, even if not Archbishop, her screen time couldn't be too little.
"Oh, not really."
"You died at the execution ground. After that, there's no more screen time for you."
"...I see. Execution ground... So in another world I took Otto's script."
Kallen was surprised for a moment, then not knowing what she thought of, sighed, then asked again: "Saying it like that, after the execution ground I'm useless..."
"No no no, Archbishop, your plot ahead is still plentiful!"
Kallen's expression showed confusion. She asked: "Could it be after dying for five hundred years I got up to fight a resurrection match?"
"Not that. After the execution ground your plot truly wraps up. However, how could this world-saving journey lack Archbishop you?"
"For this, I've arranged another role for you, a role only you can be competent for."
"Roles... can be substituted?" Kallen asked somewhat curiously: "What role?"
"Archbishop, do you know Theresa?"
"...I know."
Of course she knew Theresa. That was the most perfect descendant she'd created using her own genes plus Vishnu's super mutation factor.
Also the person she'd selected to take over Schicksal Archbishop's position.
Even in genes and interpersonal relationships, Theresa had to call her mom!
"Archbishop, are you interested in playing Theresa?"
"..."
"Great director, are you clear-headed?"
Kallen pointed at her own face with her finger. "Although she and I both have white hair and blue eyes, everyone has their own positioning in 'Fate's' eyes. How could I possibly become Theresa?"
Seeing this, Lucius smiled confidently and said:
"Why not?"
"The factors constituting Theresa are nothing more than your genes, Vishnu's super mutation factor, consciousness belonging to Theresa, and Otto's granddaughter identity."
"Right now your age matches Theresa's. Genes are also identical. Theresa's consciousness I can substitute with Stigmata, conveniently strengthening you."
"I can obtain Vishnu's super mutation factor. Mobius can perform the super mutation surgery. As for success rate, for you possessing pseudo-divine power and constraint authority, it's not a problem at all."
"Therefore, now all that's missing is just this one identity of 'Otto's granddaughter.'"
Lucius forcibly restrained his mouth from twitching upward, looking at Kallen and saying seriously: "I imagine for saving the world, Archbishop, you shouldn't mind calling Otto grandfather, right?"
I very much mind!
I very very much mind!
Kallen wanted to say this. After all, directly changing from mom to daughter and having to call Otto grandfather... just thinking about it felt like her rationality was being violated!
However, despite being utterly unwilling, thinking of the great ambition Lucius depicted of defeating Finality, she still couldn't bring herself to say refusal.
If she could witness crossing Finality in this era, perhaps after returning to her own world line, she could bring hope of crossing Honkai to her world.
And as long as they succeeded, everyone in pre-civilization would survive.
Compared to the lives of billions of people, the price she paid was almost negligible.
Ultimately, the dignified Archbishop said with an expression about to cry: "It's just a form of address. I... I don't mind, as long as we can save the world."
Just like this, Kallen's life was also ruined at this moment.
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