NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 190: The Bracelet
"Stars… is that how you see her?" Bianka asked, her gaze lingering curiously on the discarded mask. She bent down and picked it up.
The white mask was adorned with crimson markings, the slanted eyes and pointed ears conveying a sense of cunning.
With a flick of her wrist, Honkai energy brushed away the clinging dust.
Durandal had never worn a mask before. She gently placed it over her face, looking at Ren through the eyeholes.
Ren's lips curved into a smile, as if amused by something.
"What?"
"I just think… perhaps Otto would be more suited to that mask. You wearing it is like a large cat clumsily trying to impersonate a fox. Cunning, sly… I can't imagine those words applying to you."
"I do prefer to resolve matters with strength rather than schemes." Bianka didn't deny it. She removed the mask, placing it gently on the counter. She noticed Ren pausing before a display case filled with jewelry.
"To me, you both shine like stars. She may not be as bright as you, but her light is irreplaceable. When one walks in darkness, they don't need the brightest star, but the one that waits for them, constant and true."
Inside the display case, delicate jewelry remained untouched, protected by the glass from the elements and contamination.
"Interested in these trinkets?" Bianka moved to Ren's side, her golden hair brushing against the glass.
For her, such glittering adornments were mere hindrances in battle. Rita had filled an entire cabinet in her quarters with jewelry, yet Bianka only wore them during vacations, if at all.
Ren's gaze swept over the sparkling gems, not lingering on the glint of gold, but pausing thoughtfully on a pair of silver star bracelets.
Their design was simple, two star shapes cleverly intertwined at the clasp, allowing a second bracelet to be linked in a similar fashion.
"I once accidentally broke one of her hair ornaments." Ren opened the display case, carefully removing the bracelets.
He held them up, the two stars dangling, touching yet separate.
The platinum felt cool to the touch. Ren stared at them, lost in thought.
After a moment, he placed them back in the case.
"Don't like them?" Bianka asked.
"No. Just… no money."
"I see." Bianka nodded matter-of-factly, accepting the explanation without question.
The city, ravaged by the Honkai, was a desolate wasteland of crumbling buildings and encroaching seawater. Once-precious commodities now lay discarded like trash, rendering the concept of payment meaningless.
Yet, neither of them considered simply taking the bracelets.
Paying for goods was common sense.
As the strongest Valkyrie, Durandal's salary was unimaginable to ordinary people. And with her status, countless individuals would clamor to shower her with gifts.
For ordinary people, morality and law prevented them from taking what wasn't theirs. But for Durandal, self-discipline was her guiding principle. She was the standard of morality.
"If you wish to purchase them, I can lend you the funds."
Ren looked at her, surprised. He didn't recall Durandal ever carrying cash.
Under his gaze, Bianka retrieved the novel from her bag and offered it to him.
"This is a first edition of a novel by Conan Doyle. I don't know its exact value, but judging by Rita's reaction when she gave it to me, it should be enough to cover the cost of these bracelets."
A first edition? If Rita knew you were pawning this off, she'd probably faint… either in the bathroom or on your bed, Ren thought, suppressing a smile.
"Haven't you finished reading it yet? And… aren't you worried about lending me something so valuable?"
"Don't worry. It holds no particular value for me."
The rare book was placed on the dusty counter. Bianka picked up the bracelets and offered them to Ren.
"Radiant and beautiful. She'll love them." Bianka didn't understand jewelry, but she could appreciate beauty. These bracelets were insignificant compared to the collection in her quarters, but looking at the shimmering stars, she seemed to understand what Ren meant by "radiant."
"Two stars… one was meant for you."
Ren took only one bracelet. Knowing the truth, he understood that Bianka and Kiana were sisters. It was only natural for them to each have one.
Bianka, unaware of their connection, was about to hand him the second bracelet when she heard the faint sound of a child's frightened sobs.
Her expression changed. Forgetting the bracelet, she immediately moved towards the sound.
…
A small girl, huddled beneath a hooded cloak, cowered behind a ruined wall. A Honkai beast, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere, occupied the square, blocking the only path back to her shelter.
Too much time had passed. If she didn't return soon, the others might venture out to look for her.
Sora bit her lip, inching along the wall, trying to remain silent.
But as she neared the edge of the square, her foot landed on an empty bottle with a crunch.
The slight sound alerted the Honkai beast. Its crimson eyes locked onto Sora. It charged.
The girl, terrified, stumbled and fell, scattering her belongings across the ground.
"No! Teacher, help me!"
Boom.
A sharp lance pinned the Honkai beast to the ground. Bianka and Ren landed from above.
"There are still humans living here?" It had been three years since the disaster. Nagazora was a ghost town, uninhabitable for ordinary people. Where had this girl come from?
Other Honkai beasts, drawn by the commotion, began converging on their location.
"I'll handle this."
Leaving the battle to Durandal, Ren approached the girl.
He reached out, but Sora, overcome with fear, scrambled away, disappearing into the maze of ruined buildings.
Ren watched her go, a thoughtful expression on his face.
He gathered the items she had dropped—mostly survival supplies like bottled water and charcoal.
Among them was a small, broken robot, apparently damaged when the girl had fallen. It lay inert.