18 Chapter 18: Himeko's Decision, Bianka's Talent

Upon learning about the time period where Luo Lin and her companions were, Himeko Murata appeared restless. In the subsequent battles against the Queenie, she made frequent mistakes, prompting her to stop Luo Lin from continuing her challenges.

Apologizing, Himeko said, "I'm sorry, my current state is quite bad. Challenging the Herrscher currently now won't teach you anything..."

Luo Lin could roughly guess what was bothering Himeko and cautiously asked, "Teacher Himeko, do you have something on your mind?"

"Hmm, that's right, you intelligence officers are indeed very perceptive..."

Even if Himeko knew what would happen in 2010, how could she let this girl, whom she hadn't known for long, change history? As a former Valkyrie Assault Team member, Himeko Murata understood that even if Ragnar's team couldn't handle unforeseen events, adding Luo Lin wouldn't make a difference.

Himeko could responsibly say that Luo Lin hadn't mastered the basics yet, let alone have the qualifications to get involved in Valkyrie Assault Team affairs.

Joining Schiksal was for Himeko to uncover the truth behind her father's death. Later, after the Valkyrie Assault Team was annihilated, she sought the secrets behind it herself. She had failed in both attempts to find the truth, and now, the opportunity presented itself to her again, but at what cost...

Himeko's brain spun rapidly, and she reluctantly made a decision: to give up. She couldn't let Luo Lin get involved in Valkyrie Assault Team affairs for her own selfish desires. Not only because Luo Lin wasn't at that level yet, but also because the girl had a promising future.

Perhaps this stemmed from a sense of responsibility as a teacher? Or maybe it was maturity...?

Glancing around, Himeko entertained a bold idea: could Luo Lin become an S-rank Valkyrie like Bianka Ataegina in the future, and then the two of them could join forces to combat the Honkai?

Teaching such a student was much better than pursuing some "irrelevant" truth.

Himeko made her decision, took a deep breath, and looked at the worried Luo Lin opposite her, asking a question that had been asked countless times before:

"Do you think humanity can overcome the Honkai?"

"Of course!" Luo Lin answered without hesitation.

Himeko sincerely smiled, patting the girl's shoulder, and said, "Then you must study hard. With such good conditions, it's unacceptable not to become an S-rank Valkyrie, right?"

"Ah?!"

Little Bianka floated behind Luo Lin, her hands resting on her shoulders, peering out with half her head, watching the joyful interaction between teacher and student, her eyes shining brightly.

Himeko invited the translucent little Bianka, saying, "Bianka, are you interested in these courses? Do you want to learn how to become a Valkyrie with the teacher?"

"Become a Valkyrie? Okay, I want to learn!" Little Bianka's ambition was clear; she couldn't pass up Himeko's invitation.

Himeko turned to Luo Lin and said, "Let's add a bit more basic knowledge, at least so that little Bianka can learn something. You can consider it as review, alright?"

Luo Lin agreed without objection but asked with some concern, "Bianka so young, will she be able to keep up?"

Recalling what she had heard, Himeko answered calmly, "Let her listen, learn a little bit more. It doesn't cost anything, after all."

"Um, why does that sound so weird... Bianka, if there's anything you don't understand, be sure to let us know, okay?"

In fact, Luo Lin was also very interested in Bianka's talent. Since her arrival in this world, she had been studying Valkyrie-related knowledge. She estimated that she had gone through about thirty or forty hefty textbooks, not including combat courses. She vividly remembered that Bianka Ataegina was proficient in four foreign languages—English, German, Russian, and French... With the addition of Chinese and Japanese from Honkai 3, Bianka could even work as a part-time translator.

Luo Lin was already struggling with studying intelligence and logistics-related books every day. Now thinking about it, how did Bianka manage to learn so much in just a few years?

Little Bianka nodded enthusiastically, relieved herself of her Stigmata's status, and ran to the desk, sitting there waiting for Himeko's lesson.

"Shall we continue?" Luo Lin asked.

"Sure!"

---

Luo Lin left the system space, opened her eyes, and looked at the ceiling of the orphanage's guest room. She couldn't help but sigh, "Bianka is truly extraordinary..."

Right from the start, little Bianka showed extraordinary learning abilities. Himeko had only gone through the basics once, and the girl had already grasped most of it. After a few rounds of targeted questioning, little Bianka had completely memorized the theoretical knowledge.

Although she appeared slightly immature in the subsequent practical application section due to her incomplete knowledge system, it was evident that she was making an effort to think. With a little more learning, she would surely carve out her unique path.

"People are indeed incomparable, and there's always someone better..." Luo Lin had thought that her impromptu training combined with her temporary grasping of logistics and intelligence would make her a genius in the department. Now she realized how limited her perspective was.

She got up, washed up, and went to the cafeteria for breakfast.

"Sister Luo Lin!"

Before she could take a few bites, little Bianka appeared, carrying her breakfast and sticking to Luo Lin, clearly eager to be close to her.

Luo Lin didn't mind Bianka's slightly clingy behavior. She rubbed the golden-haired girl's head and asked, "How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept very well!"

Luo Lin couldn't help but envy Bianka a little.

After these few days of interaction, she found that Bianka didn't have any memories of being summoned to the system space for battle at night, but the knowledge she gained there would subtly manifest itself. It was like having a dream and then gaining new knowledge and skills; all the fatigue and exhaustion from learning would be forgotten, without any hardship...

"Seeing Bianka sticking to you so early in the morning, you're quite popular with the kids," Captain Ragnar remarked, sitting opposite Luo Lin and Bianka.

Luo Lin felt a bit embarrassed and said, "It might be a comparison thing. Compared to Captain Ragnar, I probably look more approachable? The kids are quite lively during handicraft classes..."

"Do I look very fierce?" Ragnar pretended to be a monster, roaring at little Bianka.

But who was Bianka? She wasn't afraid at all; instead, she found it amusing and imitated Ragnar's roars, looking extremely adorable.

Luo Lin chuckled and wiped the soup from Bianka's mouth with a handkerchief. "Alright, let's eat first, and then we'll play together."

"Okay!"

Ragnar watched the mother-daughter-like interaction and chuckled softly.