"A pleasure to meet you, Welt the Second, Lord Joachim."
Hearing the voice emanating from the sofa, Li Zihan nonchalantly brushed past Raiden Ryoma, completely ignoring him, and walked up to the man named Welt.
Raiden Ryoma, having been ignored, was stunned. Immediately, anger flared up within him, and his blue-purple eyes, the same color as Raiden Mei's, turned red.
This brat had eloped with his daughter, and upon seeing him, actually just walked right past!
He didn't even call him Esteemed Father-in-Law!!
Was this a precursor to abandoning his precious daughter after seducing her?!
Veins bulged on Raiden Ryoma's forehead. For a moment, his hand instinctively moved towards Plasma Kagehide.
However, when he turned his head back, the hand that had already reached the hilt of his sword relaxed.
The Sovereign clearly wanted to ask that brat some questions, and matters worthy of the Sovereign's inquiry were always major issues that could affect Anti-Entropy, or even the world.
Raiden Ryoma took a deep breath, using a kendo breathing technique to calm his mind.
For now, he would see what this brat had to say.
Anyway, with the Sovereign here, the brat couldn't escape. Mei's matter could be addressed later; there was still time.
Raiden Ryoma, whose mood had barely been calm since his release from prison, closed his eyes and stood by the wall, resting his mind.
He temporarily didn't want to see Li Zihan's face.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the conversation was still ongoing.
"You even know my name from before 1955?"
The man whose real name was Joachim Nokianvirtanen stared at the youth, who was suspicious to an extreme degree, and spoke.
His tone was calm, like an elder chatting with a neighbor's child, but the content of his words was enough to shatter one's worldview.
This man, who looked to be only in his twenties or thirties, was actually sixty or seventy years old.
"Due to some personal reasons, I'm just more knowledgeable about certain specific individuals."
The youth, who was indeed like this, sat down very naturally opposite Welt and said.
"You are one of those specific individuals."
"Is Theresa Apocalypse also one of those specific individuals?"
Welt, highly suspecting that Theresa's information came from the youth before him, continued to ask.
If his own information was exposed, so be it.
Although his strength was greatly diminished, he wasn't someone just any cat or dog could ambush.
What truly concerned him was the Herrscher of Erosion.
That power, capable of corroding both living and non-living matter, was far too terrifying. Welt couldn't rest easy until it was dealt with.
And the news of his whereabouts and the impending awakening of the Herrscher of Erosion had come from Theresa at the same time.
The source of this news was very likely the fellow standing before him.
"What you actually want to ask is whether I was the one who revealed the information about the Previous Era's Herrscher of Erosion to Theresa, isn't it?"
Li Zihan, who clearly understood what Welt was thinking, picked up the teapot and poured a cup of tea for himself and Welt, as comfortable as if he were in his own home.
"Indeed."
Welt, his thoughts laid bare, picked up the teacup and held it in his hands, but did not drink.
"I was indeed the one who told Theresa about Ling, the Herrscher of Erosion."
The youth, who rarely lied, brought the teacup to his lips, took a small sip, and said.
"If you wish to know more about the Herrscher of Erosion, feel free to ask. I am more than happy to answer."
This fellow, what is he scheming?
Welt, who could now confirm that both he and Theresa had been drawn here by information released by this fellow, thought to himself.
"If you want to know what my objective is, you can ask that too."
Li Zihan continued.
"If you reveal such things, won't the organization behind you have an issue?"
Hearing Li Zihan's words, Welt's gaze shifted slightly.
"Are you talking about the Clock Tower?"
A playful smile touched the lips of the youth, who himself belonged to the Clock Tower.
"Those people can't control me, you know."
The Clock Tower?
It's necessary to investigate this organization.
Welt, clearly concerned about this organization that could grasp his movements, thought.
"Since you don't mind telling me your objective, could you share it with me?"
Welt continued to ask.
Although the fellow opposite him might not tell the truth, he still had to ask.
After all, if he intended to deceive, the objective he stated would at least be related to his short-term actions.
"My objective is to obtain the Twelfth Divine Key, Jizo Mitama, you see."
The youth, who needed Jizo Mitama to contact Otto and then reasonably acquire the Oath of Judah, chuckled lightly.
"The Twelfth Divine Key?"
Welt's brow furrowed instantly.
Although Anti-Entropy's main business was building mecha, they hadn't slacked off on archaeology.
In the data they had deciphered, there was never any mention of a Twelfth Divine Key.
"The Twelfth Divine Key is an unfinished semi-product. Before Higokumaru, the dark side of the Herrscher Ling, gives up her resistance, it cannot be used."
The Herrscher of Erosion is actually already half-crippled?
Listening to Li Zihan's description, Welt understood the awkward situation the so-called Herrscher of Erosion was currently facing.
"Currently, Higokumaru has not yet obtained a body of her own, and her powers are also restricted, unable to display her full strength. As long as we seize this opportunity to defeat Higokumaru, Jizo Mitama will naturally be completed."
Li Zihan stated his objective very naturally.
"Is that so?"
Welt, having roughly understood a part of the fellow's objective before him, narrowed his eyes.
"You want to borrow my and Theresa's power to completely defeat the Herrscher of Erosion?"
"That's right."
The youth, who indeed thought so, smiled sincerely.
"I believe you wouldn't want to see a Herrscher from the Previous Era revive using the body of a Pseudo-Herrscher, would you?"
"Indeed."
Welt, who would absolutely not allow such a dangerous Herrscher, hostile to humanity, to appear, nodded, then changed the subject.
"However, don't you think that in this battle, for you, who merely provided intelligence, to want to take away the biggest spoils of war is a bit inappropriate?"
"You don't need to worry about such things. Fighting Higokumaru has always been my mission."
The youth, who already had a plan prepared, smiled.
"Inviting you here was merely in hopes of adding an insurance policy to this battle."
"As for your appearance fee, I believe I can still afford it."
"Is it information?"
Welt, who had already realized that the youth before him knew many secret matters, asked.
"It's an information self-select package."
The youth, his eyes a vibrant red, chuckled lightly.
"Fusion Warriors, the Sea of Quanta, the Stigmata Project, the true face of World Serpent, Otto's wish, the true nature of Honkai. You can pick two."
Hearing that long string of information, clearly not in Anti-Entropy's database, Welt's heart tightened.
"So, what is your decision?"
Li Zihan gazed at the Anti-Entropy Sovereign before him, awaiting an answer.
"I need you to show a portion of your sincerity."
A definitive answer came from Welt's mouth.