Those years when I was an Manager in the Huang Empire

The final scene plays out: the captain says goodbye to Himeko and disappears into the portal.

Elsewhere, Bronya and Gray Snake converse. The reveal hits: Bronya, the quiet, unassuming Bronya, is the mysterious Pirate King!

Driven by Cocolia's ambition and the mysterious vanishing of Yang the previous Pirate King, she's decided to support Himeko's rise as the new leader of the Pirate Federation.

Gray Snake, with his trademark black umbrella, seems to know more than he's letting on...

"You even framed your own mother," he remarks. "Yet she never exposed you, did she?"

"Perhaps," Bronya replies, a hint of amusement in her voice. "But my ultimate goal is to bring back my loved ones lost in those terrible experiments. The rumors about that...well, they're not entirely wrong."

"How long will you play the naive 'King' before you force Himeko to lose her innocence?" Gray Snake chuckles.

Then, a rush of seawater, and the scene fades, burying the truth... for now.

---

Back at the World Serpent base,

Gray Snake couldn't help but scratch his chin. "So, I'm working for that little girl now? Weird how things turn out in this game." He couldn't resist a little curiosity about this unexpected development.

"Honestly, I figured it'd be the Lord himself giving the orders. Or maybe you, Natasha," he added, glancing at Raven. He made a mental note of her slip-up; that could be useful later.

Raven waved her hands frantically. "Don't get the wrong idea! I want absolutely nothing to do with you," she insisted, "Nothing good ever comes from it."

…

Cocolia couldn't help but smile wryly from her prison cell.

It was ironic how Bronya and Seele were facing similar struggles even in this game world – adopted by another mother figure, a relationship marred by conflict.

"Though, perhaps this woman is kinder than I was," Cocolia mused. "Word is that Bronya works for her company too... maybe that's how she sees me deep down."

---

But the story doesn't end here.

It seems another country is hinting at factions forming from the get-go. This place will eventually split into three whole nations, and naturally, players will be right in the middle of all the drama.

This time, the captain found himself in the Huang Empire, and it's a familiar start. Those bubbly Vodka sisters, one with blue hair and one with pink, are there to greet him when he wakes. But here's the twist:

"Idols? You two want me to become an idol?" The captain stared at them, completely bewildered.

"Yes! Legend says there's an immortal from the far north who can grant wishes, but only the Sage King knows where to find him," Rozaliya chirped, practically bouncing with excitement.

"The only way to meet the Sage King is to become the biggest idol sensation and pass the national audition," Liliya added, nodding in agreement.

"The instant you reach the top, the doors of the Forbidden City will swing open, and you'll get your chance! So, become our manager and help us reach those heights!" Rozaliya practically pleaded.

You couldn't help but chuckle. This wasn't exactly how you expected things to go.

"Isn't it a bit strange asking someone to help by Showing your belly(weakness)?"

---

[???? That guy's logic makes perfect sense! Showing your belly is just basic manners!]

[Originally, I thought the other party's far-fetched link between meeting the Sage King and becoming an idol was outrageous enough, but I didn't expect your(captain) answer to be even more outrageous.]

"Wait, hold on. 'Real punishment'?" Bronya raised an eyebrow. "Rozaliya and Liliya are still minors, aren't they? Boss, Schicksal has a whole book of laws for dealing with dangerous ideas like yours." Bronya stared at Luo Mo with expressionlessness.

Luo Mo rolled his eyes. "I have no idea why you've dumped this whole 'captain in the game' thing on me, he is he and me is me. Got any proof?"

He felt that his image was getting worse and worse. Could it be that Bronya was spreading rumors?

Bronya's eyes moved down, and her eyes happened to be on the hands held by Luo Mo and Luna.

She had noticed the other party from the moment he came in, so there was no use hiding it!

Bronya have long been convinced that the other party is a lolicon, Surely he had a better excuse than being afraid of losing Luna in the crowd?

Luo Mo followed her gaze, and the small catkins in his hands were cold, and he realized that he had been holding hands with Luna from the beginning to the end.

Luna's little head was raised, and she looked at herself doubtfully.

Luo Mo kept his expression carefully neutral, subtly withdrawing his hand as if it had just occurred to him. "It's Luna's first time at the company. Naturally, I wanted to show her around," he explained with a nod, trying to sound casual.

"Besides, Bronya," he continued, a hint of appeal in his voice, "we've worked together for ages. Don't you trust me by now?"

Bronya was silent, she gave all the Seele Clues to Luo Mo hoping he could help her to save Seele from the Quantum sea, and had no choice but to encourage her companions to actively participate in dubbing .

As for what happened next, well, the games he made were good, and his skills were good, and she recognized them.

"Of course Bronya believes in you, boss."

A glint appeared in her gray eyes. "How about you make Bronya stronger in the game? As a token of our friendship, of course!"

Luo Mo winced internally, picturing the 'Big Duck' version of Bronya from eight years in the future. He gritted his teeth and nodded.

"It should be."

Ducky must step up! She will evolve into a giant duck.

Time flies, and Duck has undergone a transformation in just eight years, from a lowly Lolita to a deserted royal sister.

This is a secret that even the Red Kite Immortal from China failed to learn in fifty thousand years.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You two doing secret deals in broad daylight? Not very subtle, are we?" Kiana's voice dripped with playful disapproval. "Did Bronya skip all those plot missions just because she's has good relationship with the boss?"

"Just because you're has good relationship with the boss doesn't mean Bronya gets to slack off in game Plot! I'm reporting this! There's a lolicon in our midst! Someone call the authorities!"

"hei!"

---

The captain sighed inwardly. This seemed like a long shot. The twins had enthusiasm, sure, but they didn't exactly scream "idol material."

Then again, what did he know about being an Manager? This was all new to him.

From what he could see, their biggest advantage was… well, being twins.

" Ah? No way. There are very few people participating in the national audition because, in the final battle, there will be a national idol who will make everyone feel ashamed, resulting in fewer people participating year after year."

"Really? No competition?" he asked. "Seems weird. You'd think a national audition would be popular. But if there's this idol who blows everyone away, I guess that would put people off."

"It turned into her own personal concert every year," Liliya explained. Seems like these twins had a surprising amount of inside info.

The captain blinked. "Wait, so our biggest competition is... the Sage King herself? That Teriri girl?" (?)

---

"Something feels off," Theresa murmured, a frown creasing her brow. "I can't put my finger on it, though..."

Her mind raced. When she'd heard about the whole Three Kingdoms thing, she assumed she'd end up back with Schicksal Theocracy. But if Himeko and her weren't there...did that mean Schicksal didn't even exist anymore? And the last thing she wanted was another run-in with Teriri!

Teriri is something she doesn't want to see again!

Kallen smiled reassuringly. "Maybe you'll get to play too, Theresa! You've got experience with this kind of thing, right?" She didn't seem bothered by the Sage King's potential presence.

Without anyone really noticing, St. Freya Academy has become even more crucial than Schicksal headquarters. If a Honkai outbreak happened here, it would be a global disaster compared to what might happen at HQ.

That means security here is also top-of-the-line for Schicksal. They've even eased up on Himeko's class a bit. The biggest priority now is helping them master the Herrscher core.

They say Sirin was the best at it. Makes sense, considering how long she held that power.

Luo Mo also made sure Durandal was there for this meeting. If everything went according to plan, her stigma should rival Himeko's.

Having the strongest Valkyrie with the right Stigmata on their side... well, next time they ran into the World Serpent's leader, Durandal might just steal the spotlight.

"Oh,, grandma, why can't you...? If you catch that one and won't let go, that's my dark history!"

Theresa said it in a rare and aboveboard manner:

Kallen's identity and age are both suitable, and she has no psychological pressure.

---

Just as expected, the sisters' stage debut was a total flop.

You could practically count the audience on one hand, and even the cheering sounded fake.

It gets worse – their song choice? Bronya's birthday theme.

Seriously, it's hard to believe how unprepared this whole idol thing was.

But hey, at least there were three people watching, because...

"Congratulations! Since you two were the only ones who auditioned, you win by default. Now, onto more important things: the Sage King wants to meet you."

Rita appeared, as elegant as ever, even in this game world.

---

"My birthday song? Those two..." Bronya sighed, a mix of exasperation and warmth in her voice. They definitely meant well, but had a knack for finding the most unexpected ways to be helpful.

She couldn't help but picture the usual chaos: "Sister Bronya, Fu Hua's jar of green vegetables...it...it tipped over!" "Sister Bronya, help! This one question, it makes no sense!" "Sister Bronya, Rozaliya tried to fix the wall and...well, now she's on the floor."

It was enough to make her head spin. Taking care of them was exhausting, but a small smile crept onto her face. What could she do? They were her sisters, after all.

"Maybe that's the only song they actually know," Kiana offered, a hint of mischief in her voice.

"Kiana, don't be so mean," Mei chided gently.

"No, really, they probably don't know many songs at all...never mind." Bronya shook her head, squeezing Seele's hand. She and Seele were basically the same age, which made Seele feel like the adult compared to Luo Mo. (what)

He didn't seem too happy about that fact.

Bronya sighed, "Still, you have to give them credit. They're really giving this idol thing their all. If only the real world was like that..."

---

We pushed through the palace, crowds of people watching us with curious eyes. Finally, we arrived at a grand, ornate room.

"Allow me to reintroduce myself," Rita announced, appearing in yet another costume. Her entire aura had changed, from gentle maid to someone regal and powerful. It was an impressive transformation.

"Rita, Prime Minister of the Huang Empire, at your service."

There were whispers in the crowd – people seemed surprised it was really Rita, the Prime Minister from the portraits.

Did they identify people based on their clothing? The captain couldn't help but complain.

Rita explained the whole mess: the national idol, the whole reason for this idol business, vanished a couple of weeks ago.

"Well, she probably feel that the burden of being a national idol is too heavy, and she want to quit being an idol, or something like that... In short, she ran away from home. "

Rita said it with a smile, but there was also a hint of worry in her tone.

The weird thing is, this national idol isn't exactly the picture of royal authority...more like a little kid.

"Unlike those Theocracy brutes or the Federation's money-grubbers, the Huang Empire runs on culture. Or rather, idols." Rita continued.

"So the Sage King became this huge, beloved star. But now, right before the Bright Moon Festival, she's gone! The only half-decent replacement is that Vodka Girl."

The potential disaster loomed large. This was a serious problem!

---

"..." Kallen's lips twitched. Okay, being ruled by idols in a game was weird, but she could roll with it. Her granddaughter becoming one? Fine. But disappearing out of the blue? That was a problem.

She glanced at Theresa, silently asking for her take on the situation.

"Slander, this is slander; how could I do that?"

Theresa's face turned red. She shook her head crazily and said,

Since the dubbing of the Side-Story event is basically unnecessary, only a few parts are included, so she, who is usually tired (reading comics and playing games with mother-in-law), has no idea how the plot is developing!

Theresa's face burned. She couldn't let her grandma think she was like that!

Meanwhile, Kallen started to worry. Could Schicksal even function properly if Theresa was in charge? Luo Mo had spent days drumming it into her head: being a grandma-turned-Bishop wasn't easy. Picking a successor would be a mess...unless it was Cecilia.

Besides, petty scheming aside, being slandered like that in front of everyone wasn't exactly fun!

"Haha, at least in the game, Theresa and I are on the same team!" Rita's eyes crinkled as she held back a giggle.

It was nice to have something in common with the young leader after all.

"But Theresa," Kallen sighed, a hint of amusement in her voice, "you really did run away from home once. It's hard not to believe something like this could happen."

"Grandma!" Theresa huffed in annoyance. She'd show that Luo Mo guy someday! Forget magical girl Teriri, was this plot really just here to make fun of her?

…

In the dubbing studio, a mischievous glint in her eye, Kiana declared, "Mystery solved! This sounds perfectly normal for Auntie Theresa."

Luo Mo couldn't hold back a laugh. "Theresa would have a fit if she heard you say that! She'd chase you down for sure."

Kiana puffed up her cheeks and narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't think you're off the hook," she said, folding her arms stubbornly. "Compared to what you've done, my crimes are nothing!"

...

Golden Courtyard.

"This... this is really interesting! ♪ "

Elysia blinked. "Mobius, don't you think so?"

"From magical girl economies to idol governments..." Mobius sighed, rubbing her temples. "There's no logic to it, which honestly throws my whole analytical mind for a loop. But I have to admit, it's definitely not boring."

"Exactly what makes it so much fun! ♪ " Elysia chirped.

---

With some searching, You finally spotted Theresa in a corner during one of the Gemini Twins' city-wide events. Turns out, Theresa was done with the whole idol competition thing. Why?

It was lonely at the top.

No rivals, no worthy challengers...

She'd been dominating the stage for thirty solid years.

Rita tried her usual comforting speech: "I grew up listening to your songs, Lady Theresa. You're definitely not alone!"

That didn't go over well. Theresa had heard that same line five years ago.

Rita admitted she'd been following Otto's orders, making sure Theresa remained the undisputed top idol for thirty years. But it wasn't enough – Rita wanted more. Theresa's fame should spread worldwide!

she has sent troops to fight for the wishing elf in the ruins.

"Theresa-sama's glory should shine throughout the world! Theresa-sama should become the world's number one idol! "

"You ignorant primitive people who don't know what idols are, let's bow down to the charm of Lady Theresa! Fufufu..."

Rita spoke with an obsessed smile.

...

"... Rita?"

Theresa turned her head; her eyes were strange.

The reason has been found, and the culprit has also been found.

"No, Lady Theresa, please! Hear me out, let me explain–" Rita's usual composure crumbled, sweat beading on her forehead as a wave of panic washed over her.

-----

Edit: thanks RVN_RZGRZ for suggestions and improvements