Chapter 144: A Pure Love Philosophy
Normally, a teacher shouldn't say such things in front of her student, but Rovel… he just gave her a different feeling.
Then again, maybe it was simply because he was the only one who could keep up with her drinking.
"Is that so? You haven't considered retirement?" Rovel asked, his tone calm as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass.
"Retirement?" Himeko let out a short, humorless laugh. "Heh, forget it. I'd rather die facing some sudden Honkai disaster than waste away in a wheelchair, soaking my sorrows in a bar every day."
She stretched languidly, the motion causing the fabric of her teacher's uniform to pull taut, perfectly outlining the stunning curves of her figure.
"Sometimes I really envy you," she mused, her gaze a little distant. "Young, handsome, driven, and most … so damn lucky. If I could just run into someone who'd hand me a Stigma, I might just marry them on the spot!"
The words were drunken nonsense, spilling out without a filter.
"Would that be… repaying a kindness with a grudge?" Rovel teased gently.
Himeko's response was instantaneous. Without a word, she swung a playful but solid punch into his shoulder.
"This old lady isn't as bad as you make me sound!" she grumbled, a pout forming on her lips. "But… I don't think it's just luck. It's more like your unique charm."
She found herself thinking about it more seriously. Every single time, Rovel seemed to give his absolute all to achieve something that bordered on the impossible.
It was foolish… even more foolish than her own brand of recklessness.
It started with the Third Honkai Eruption in Nagazora. He had led a small group of survivors, breaking through an encirclement of millions of Descenders.
Then, after arriving at St. Freya Academy, in less than a month, he had used his own body as a vessel for the Power of Erosion within the Schicksal Database. He did it just to change the fate of a predetermined virtual persona, an act that resulted in Honkai Energy seeping into his very being.
And he had only rested for a few days before their mission together, where they stumbled upon Vishnu, a beast on the verge of evolving into an Emperor-class threat. Without a moment's hesitation, he had unleashed the power of Jizo Mitama, carving out an opening for her to strike.
Rovel was a Descender, an outsider to this world. That was precisely why Himeko couldn't understand it. Why did he fight so desperately, so willing to sacrifice himself to change so many things?
But perhaps… perhaps it was that pure, unwavering persistence that made fate favor him so?
Rovel, for his part, knew his motives were anything but pure.
Just as he'd admitted before, if he hadn't worked so hard to change Kallen's ending, the Stigma of Yae Sakura would have likely abandoned him.
The reason he'd fought so relentlessly to kill Vishnu was because its unique properties might provide the perfect Honkai beast factor for his own transformation into a MANTIS.
He had never placed his hopes on the 'Taiyi'sample from the start. It was a complete unknown, a gamble with no basis in fact. At least until Mobius produced some concrete research, if he had to choose between the mysterious'Taiyi'and the proven power of'Vishnu'…
He would choose the latter without a second thought.
Vishnu's defining characteristic was its ability to continuously devour and grow, granting it a terrifyingly high upper limit.
So no, Rovel was not the pure-hearted hero Himeko imagined.
On the contrary, he was a man who excelled at calculation.
It was just that on his path of 'wanting to become stronger', the urgency and self-sacrificing fervor he displayed were misinterpreted by Himeko as 'purity'. If Rovel knew she thought that, he probably would have laughed out loud.
"So, don't push yourself so hard in the future," Himeko said, her expression turning serious as she met his eyes. "You're still just a student. You have so many youthful years ahead of you! Your future is immeasurable! I… Murata Himeko, am still the one in front for now. If anything happens, you leave it to me first."
She saw his life so clearly. He had a Stigma, a girlfriend as beautiful as Mei… his future was bound to be far more exciting than her own.
This world already had one fool who risked her life so recklessly. One Himeko was enough.
"Fine," Rovel joked, a light smile playing on his lips. "In that case, the drink tab is on you tonight."
"Get lost. We agreed to go Dutch," Himeko shot back, shaking her head decisively. The fragile, emotional atmosphere she had just built was shattered by his casual remark, leaving her with a deep sense of powerlessness.
At a time like this, not giving a direct, emotional answer was a form of refusal in itself.
"I'm serious," Himeko tried again, attempting to steer the conversation back.
"Me too," Rovel replied, blinking innocently as he continued his banter.
"..." Himeko gave up. Hot-blooded youths were usually simple-minded idiots, and idiots were easy to persuade. But Rovel, quite clearly, was no idiot. Annoyed that she hadn't gotten through to him, she downed two full glasses of oolong tea in quick succession.
"Don't worry, Himeko," Rovel said, his tone softening slightly. "Before I achieve my 'goal', I value my life very much."
His attempt at a comforting statement only managed to make Himeko snort with laughter.
"The way you say that isn't convincing at all."
After a few more glasses of wine, the world was already starting to spin for Himeko.
"Hey, Rovel…" she murmured, nudging him with her elbow. She slowly leaned her body against his, a potent wave of alcohol mixed with her own unique, feminine fragrance washing over him.
"How about… not going back tonight?"
The corner of her mouth curled into a deeply seductive smile.
"I won't tell Mei."
Rovel decisively pushed her upright, creating a respectable distance between them. "What's wrong? Now that you know you probably can't get married, you want to hurry up and experience the pleasures of being a woman while you still have time?"
"You brat! Why do you have to be so uncute when you talk!" Himeko yelped, her face flushing. "And since you know what I want, just enjoy it quietly! Don't say it out loud! Do I not get to save any face?!"
She hooked an arm around his neck, pulling him into a headlock and grinding her fist against his scalp several times in frustration.
After venting, she slumped gloomily onto the bar counter again. Was her charm really that negligible?
"Don't look at me like that. I'm actually a pure-love kind of guy," Rovel stated, taking a sip of his drink. "A romantic relationship that isn't aimed at marriage is just playing around."
Himeko's mouth twitched. "Pure love? Then how do you explain arguing with Mei over… that kind of thing last time?"
"Pure love, pure affection," Rovel said righteously, his voice full of conviction. "No one ever ruled that pure love can only be for one person!"
Clap, clap, clap!
Himeko couldn't help but applaud, a genuine, impressed laugh bubbling up. The logic was so twisted it was almost perfect.
"So," Rovel continued, his gaze turning serious. "If Himeko really wants something to happen with me, please don't use this self-abandoning attitude. I absolutely cannot accept that." He gently clinked his glass against hers.
"Of course, if Himeko is willing to take marriage as a premise and issue an invitation to me with the absolute intention of treating this relationship seriously… I will accept."
Himeko stared at him for a long moment, then let out a soft snort. "Heh… if I had met you a few years earlier, maybe I really would have said it boldly…"
She downed the wine in her glass in one go, then slammed it heavily onto the table.
"You stinky brat," she declared, a familiar fire returning to her eyes. "You just missed your one and only chance! I hope you don't regret it later!"
Himeko patted Rovel's shoulder hard, tossed enough money for the drinks onto the counter, and strode out of the bar without a backward glance.
As the door swung shut behind her, Rovel watched her go, a faint smile on his face. He murmured to the empty space beside him, "Maybe it wasn't the only one."
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