Afterward, Ryn, Mei, and Sparkle went to see Mei and Sparkle. On the way, Ryn recounted the events that had transpired in the Sea of Quanta to Bronya. Ryn repeatedly assured Bronya that Seele was safe, finally convincing her to abandon her immediate plan to rush to the Sea of Quanta.
Unfortunately, Ryn still couldn't freely open a passage to the Sea of Quanta. Although connected to the Imaginary Space, which held nearly infinite Honkai Energy, this didn't mean Ryn could freely use it. It was like an online game: a Herrscher might have infinite mana regeneration but not an infinite mana bar.
That night, Ryn arrived at the dormitory assigned to him by the Academy. It wasn't just a dormitory; it was a small villa. St. Freya Academy had only a few hundred students, but its campus was surprisingly vast.
All the Academy's facilities were top-of-the-line, including the students' living conditions. Most importantly, the Academy charged no fees.
That damn Himeko had said that even though she and Kiana were close, they had to maintain decorum. How could a group of girls share a room with a boy?
Ryn retorted that he only slept with Kiana; the others were just roommates!
Himeko shook her head, saying that would be even worse. Getting someone pregnant right now wouldn't be appropriate. She then brought Ryn over to the History Teacher, asking him to keep an eye on him.
"Damn it, I'm not that much of a beast. But Kiana will be turning sixteen soon... I want to drink Kiana's sister juice!" Ryn grumbled as he pushed open the dormitory door. Inside, History Teacher Welt was waiting for him.
Welt adjusted his glasses and extended his hand.
"Young people these days are really getting creative. Just make sure you're practicing safe sex. Hello, I'm Welt."
Ryn was mortified that the teacher had overheard him. His face flushed crimson as he shook Welt's hand.
"Huh? You... you're a Herrscher too?"
Welt and Ryn spoke in unison, and in the next instant, both assumed battle stances.
"The Third Herrscher? Theresa said she was assigning me a roommate, but I never expected it to be another Herrscher."
Welt formed a black sphere in his hand. Ryn recognized it instantly as a phenomenon created when gravity devoured light—meaning his opponent could also manipulate gravity. Herrscher, gravity... this must be the Leader of Anti-Entropy.
Ryn raised his hands, mimicking Welt's stance by forming a pseudo-black hole in each palm, and faced him.
"I never imagined the esteemed Leader of Anti-Entropy would be hiding as an ordinary teacher at St. Freya Academy. What are you planning? What is Anti-Entropy planning?"
"I'm only representing myself now. I left Anti-Entropy long ago. Ryn, I mean no harm. We can sit down and talk," Welt said, releasing the black spheres in his hands and raising his hands in surrender. "The commotion caused by the Hyperion's departure for Nagazora City yesterday was quite significant. I understand Himeko and the others brought back a Herrscher. Since Theresa arranged for you to meet with me, it means she trusts you. We're not enemies, Ryn."
"That depends on whether you can convince me."
Ryn retracted the pseudo-black holes from his hands. He had just learned the technique from Welt, and it wasn't his primary attack anyway. Instead, upon sensing that Welt was also a Herrscher, he activated a gravity field that enveloped the entire villa.
As long as Welt dared to attack, the entire area would be compressed into a gravitational singularity by Ryn's Authority. While Welt could also manipulate gravity, he relied on external forces to control it, unlike Ryn, who could do so at will. If Ryn launched an attack, he would be safe, but Welt's fate would be uncertain.
Ryn was feeling smug until Welt's next words slapped him hard.
"You should retract the gravity field outside. This room is my Domain. As fellow Herrschers, you can't directly control the Honkai Energy within my Domain, so you can't kill me directly with your Authority. Battles between Herrschers rely on using Authority to manipulate physical matter for attacks. For example, you could hurl a black hole at me or strike me with lightning, but you can't directly turn me into a black hole or lightning."
"Ah... this..."
"You still have a long way to go. Come, sit down. We can discuss these matters slowly." Welt sat on the sofa, gesturing for Ryn to join him.
Welt wasn't angry at Ryn's actions, simply chalking it up to the naiveté of a newly awakened Herrscher. As long as Ryn was fighting for humanity, Welt wouldn't hesitate to offer his guidance.
"I have something very important to do here, something crucial to defeating the Honkai. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you what it is, because Otto would never allow it to exist. But once it's complete, it will mark a major breakthrough in humanity's fight against the Herrschers and the Honkai.
Rest assured, I won't harm anyone at St. Freya Academy. In return for your discretion, I'll teach you some techniques for manipulating gravity."
"Can you guarantee you won't harm St. Freya Academy or damage Schicksal?"
"I can."
"Alright then, I'll keep your secret for a little while."
Ryn nodded. Otto had spoken highly of Welt, and Ryn himself knew something of the First Herrscher's deeds. He felt he could trust someone who had dedicated their life to fighting the Honkai.
"Very well. Ask me anything you like. If I know the answer and am able to share it, I will."
Welt was overjoyed. As long as Ryn didn't expose him, Otto wouldn't discover his presence here, and he could continue building the Moonlight Throne. Otto had already destroyed one Moonlight Throne; he wouldn't let him destroy another.
It's a pity my body is already so... fragile. Using the Herrscher of Reason's Authority puts a huge strain on me. If I could wield it as freely as Joyce, I'd have already completed several Moonlight Thrones. Clearly, I'm not worthy of being the Herrscher of Reason...
Ryn sipped the coffee Welt had handed him, savoring each drop. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and said to Welt, "By the way, I'm not the Third Herrscher. There's another Herrscher at the Academy. You'll need to persuade her too."
"Huh?!"
Welt was stunned. He nodded at Ryn, saying no more.
Welt had assumed Ryn possessed two Authorities: one over electromagnetic fields and the other over gravity. After all, previous intelligence had confirmed the Third Herrscher's Authority was over electromagnetic fields. But two Herrschers? That made things much clearer... my ass!
Walter Yang's head was about to split. He wasn't good at persuasion. The last time he negotiated with Sirin, he'd turned her initial desire for revenge against the Tower of Babylon into a plot to destroy all of humanity. He'd only succeeded this time because Ryn was easy to talk to. How was he supposed to deal with the Third Herrscher himself?