It wasn't that Li Mo really cared about this; after all, he'd seen and done everything at the bottom of Mirror Lake... As long as Shigure Kira could maintain this lively and cheerful demeanor, that was enough. That way, they could avoid the psychological trauma brought on by irreversible tragedies...
"Hmph~~" Li Mo chuckled and walked ahead of Shigure Kira. "Let's continue the rounds. You knock this time."
Shigure Kira clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes at Li Mo. "You're just waiting to laugh at me after I knock, aren't you? I see through you. You'll definitely say something like 'feels about the same as me'."
Li Mo's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Shigure Kira. "You can actually predict my thoughts. Not bad, you've made great progress."
"Pah, pah, pah!" Shigure Kira stuck out her pink tongue and made a face at Li Mo. The next second, she immediately stopped this behavior and asked with some apprehension, "Did I... just pretend to be a ghost? Will it trigger a rule?"
Li Mo replied, "I just praised you, why are you being silly again? It's fine, you don't have to be so stressed. The haunted house hasn't become a haunted house yet. Now it's our house, a normal, warm home."
After the misunderstanding was cleared up, Shigure Kira finally relaxed and knocked on the second door. Li Mo didn't go in, but Shigure Kira went in with some pre-prepared snacks. Because Sin was hiding in the corner, secretly waving at her, signaling her to go in.
Li Mo leaned against the wall outside the door and waited for about five minutes before Shigure Kira came out.
Li Mo: "How was it?"
Shigure Kira: "You were right. That kid wants me to acknowledge her as the boss and overthrow your tyranny together."
Li Mo: "Hilarious, not hilarious at all. It seems she hasn't learned her lesson. How dare she try to bribe my person. Tomorrow, I'll deduct her milk for being one second late to the dinner table."
Shigure Kira: "You're truly a devil, but... hmm-hmm~"
Shigure Kira showed a pleased expression, seeming very happy, not out of schadenfreude for Sin's miserable fate.
Li Mo: "What's the big deal? These kids are about school age. I need to correct their abnormal mentality in advance so they won't cause me any trouble at school."
Shigure Kira was slightly taken aback, looking down at Li Mo in surprise, very puzzled. "Send them to school? Are you sure?"
Li Mo replied nonchalantly, "Yeah, they can't stay in the orphanage forever... Although we can also hire tutors, it's not as real as the school environment. At least I'm the manager of the orphanage, I have to care about their childhood to some extent."
"They don't have to worry about grades, nor do they have to bear the pressure of living expenses. They just need to enjoy school life..."
"If one or two of them can achieve something, they can help their brothers and sisters after they grow up and get a job. We're not their parents. Cocolia's future... forget it, her future is very likely to be spent in prison. It's impossible to take care of these children for a lifetime."
"It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. We have to let them learn how to survive in this society."
Li Mo's eyes were sharp, his resolute expression proving his determination. He was serious about sending all the children to school.
Not to mention whether he and Shigure Kira would stay in this world for a lifetime, even if they could, they couldn't take care of these children for a lifetime. When he was playing the game, he had seen Seele's longing for children who could go to school normally in the city.
Without the Honkai, they would also have similar lives and the right to go to school. Cocolia didn't grant it, letting the children in the orphanage live in the orphanage forever and then become subjects of human experiments. And now, Li Mo was granting them this right to enjoy freedom.
Shigure Kira thought for a moment, glanced at the determined Li Mo, and chose not to deny his choice. Whether Li Mo's choice was right or wrong, she was willing to support it and do her best to help. This was something that was destined from a certain moment, but which moment was it?
Shigure Kira felt a little nostalgic. The past memories were like morning clouds, hazy yet real. It seemed that many moments added together had changed her.
"Okay, I have no objection, but I have two big problems." Shigure Kira discussed rationally with Li Mo.
"Go ahead." Li Mo was not arrogant, but humbly accepted the opinion.
Shigure Kira counted on her fingers:
"First is the problem of money. Currently, there are only seven children. Cocolia will definitely not provide the funds needed for schooling, otherwise she would have given them to you from the beginning and reminded you to find a way to send the children to school when they reach the right age."
"I don't need to say much about the money needed for a child to complete their entire education. For now, my working ability can fully support seven children in school. But in the future, Cocolia will adopt more children, a dozen, two dozen... or even more. She only adopts, but doesn't care about the children's education. At that time, even if I take on commissions every day and complete the bounty missions issued by Schicksal, it will be difficult to fill this bottomless pit."
"Second is the problem of pick-up and drop-off. I have to work to earn money, and I don't have extra time for pick-up and drop-off. I even have very little time to stay at home and take care of you. You're right, Sin's personality really needs to be suppressed. We must ensure your status in the orphanage."
"But for pick-up and drop-off, we can't let a large group of children go to and from school alone. Someone must accompany them. Your body will only get worse day by day, so who will be the one to pick them up and drop them off?"
Li Mo rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and nodded, "You're right, these two problems do need to be solved."
"The money problem can be temporarily solved. I can do some work online. Although my salary is not as high as yours, it can supplement a little. If we live frugally, we can manage."
"For pick-up and drop-off, I will use some means to get all the children into one school. This should be the limit. Give me a gun. With a gun, I can protect them even if I'm in a wheelchair."
Japan is a country where guns are banned, but Li Mo believed that as long as Cecilia survived the Second Great Honkai Eruption, he would be allowed to carry a gun by the Japanese government. It didn't matter if he wasn't allowed. A gun was just for protecting people and serving as a deterrent.
At worst, he would just wait for Shigure Kira to bail him out after he got into trouble. As long as he could protect the children at the first moment of danger.
Seeing Li Mo's persistence, Shigure Kira didn't say anything more.
"I promise you, but you have to promise me too, don't ruin your health!" Shigure Kira puffed out her cheeks, her brows furrowed, her fair, pretty face getting closer and closer, glaring at Li Mo with a threatening look. It seemed to be a warning to him to take care of himself before taking care of others.
The person who used to protect others had now fallen to the point where anyone could threaten his life.
How could Shigure Kira not be worried? She was afraid that Li Mo would be stubborn... Although Li Mo was generally not stubborn and rationally judged the situation, who could guarantee that Li Mo would always remain calm? Just like this time...
Good luck doesn't always favor one person. He was no longer a ghost. The ghosts in his body had all been stripped away. At this moment, Li Mo was weaker than any ordinary person and needed to be taken care of.
Li Mo stepped forward and held Shigure Kira's hand, comforting her, "It's okay, I'm much more mature than a child. I can protect myself."
"But... but... I don't know if what you're saying is just being stubborn... you're always like this... you don't tell me anything... you do dangerous things all by yourself..." Shigure Kira murmured in a very aggrieved low voice.
Li Mo patted Shigure Kira's bowed head and said with full confidence:
"I promise you, no matter what happens, I will ensure my own safety."
"I swear I will live and spend the rest of my life with you. Is that okay?"
Shigure Kira grunted, "Mmm..."
"It's a deal, no take-backs. If you die... I'll come with you."
"Li Mo, you have to remember that you're not just responsible for your own life, but mine too. I'm putting Shigure Kira's life in your hands."
"You are not allowed to die."
Shigure Kira's eyes were a little red and swollen as she spoke. She was very scared, afraid that Li Mo would die impulsively, afraid that Li Mo would die in an accident. If that day really came, she would first kill the culprit, and then commit suicide. No matter who the other party was, no matter how pitiful or innocent they were.
"Alright, alright, this is a harmonious society now. There aren't that many outlaws. Don't worry, I'll only walk on the main road, safety first." Li Mo hooked his little finger with Shigure Kira's little finger, then touched his thumb to Shigure Kira's thumb, completing the pinky swear.
After that, Li Mo said a lot of things to reassure Shigure Kira. There were many stubborn words that came out of his mouth without him noticing, habitually trying to reassure the people around him quickly.
Actually, Li Mo himself was not sure. If he really encountered danger, could he escape? In his current shaky state? If he died, he would really be dead...
This choice and decision had come to an end, waiting for Li Mo and Shigure Kira to deal with the Second Great Honkai Eruption before it could begin...
Nine years later—
Time flew by like a white horse flashing past a crack in the wall. The fleeting years rushed by, leaving behind one petal after another of changing years withering in the long river of time.
Li Mo was sixteen, and Shigure Kira was twenty-eight.
The Second Great Honkai Eruption ended with a perfect result. A world where only Sirin was injured was born... Li Mo couldn't save the Sirin of this world. Otto would not compromise.
Fenghuang Down confirmed that it was ineffective on Li Mo's cognition, perhaps because he was not complete. With this, Li Mo used some certain information, such as the World Serpent's leader Kevin Kaslana, and his weaknesses and ways to persuade him.
He exchanged Cecilia's survival and some other things with Otto, such as the qualification for the orphanage children to go to school.
However, Schicksal still announced to the outside world that Schicksal's strongest S-rank Valkyrie, Cecilia Schariac, died in the Second Great Honkai Eruption. The only people who knew the truth were the surviving Snow Wolf squad, Shigure Kira, and the only outsider, Li Mo.
This time, the tragedy had changed. With the future information Li Mo provided to Shigure Kira, the Herrscher of the Void was quickly dealt with.
At most, it had scammed Anti-Entropy a few times, making Welt Yang suffer a great loss—
Snow Wolf Squad Captain:
Captain Cecilia Schariac (Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie) 「Survived」
Members:
Patrick Highsmith (Genius) 「Survived」
Cheng Lixue (Frost Sword) 「Survived」
Salome Jokanaan (The Washer) 「Survived」
Shub-Niggurath (Spawn of Chaos) 「Survived」
Shigure Kira (Soaring Prominence) 「Survived」
Cheng Lixue was taken away by Fu Hua and left the Snow Wolf squad, but every year, everyone in the Snow Wolf squad would get together to celebrate. And this... was no longer a long, long time ago for Shigure Kira.
Li Mo saw Shigure Kira's relieved smile. Her wish had come true. The joy of seeing her old friends return one after another made Shigure Kira smile brightly. Li Mo was quite satisfied with his arrangement... even Shigure Kira's happy smile was enough. He had already received the best reward in the world.
Theresa, who did not know the truth, defected from Schicksal and founded St. Freya Academy.
Otto, that old bastard, kept his promise and didn't make things too difficult for Li Mo and Shigure Kira. He even gave Li Mo a certificate to carry a gun and could come to him for a gun at any time. But getting money was another bargaining chip, and that bargaining chip... Li Mo couldn't afford it.
Now, in his weak state, he couldn't handle a deal with an old fox like Otto. Once the deal began, it would not stop until he was squeezed dry, so Li Mo simply gave up on dealing with Otto. Just like using the notebook, the best choice was not to open it unless absolutely necessary.
At seven o'clock in the evening, a hazy fog spread outside the orphanage, severely limiting visibility. Li Mo sat in his wheelchair, reading the letter sent by Cocolia.
"Hmm... Seele Vollerei, and Bronya Zaychik, both twelve years old. Cocolia is finally willing to send these two to the orphanage?"
Li Mo carefully checked the information of the two people, and it was not much different from his memory. Both in terms of appearance and information.
Before Cocolia joined Anti-Entropy, Bronya had been by her side, learning gunmanship and hacking skills, helping Cocolia deal with various matters. There was no choice.
It would be a waste of talent if a genius couldn't use their specialty in their field. Cocolia didn't want to bury Bronya's talent, so she taught her everything she knew.
Unfortunately, something happened in the army later. Due to the situation, Cocolia joined Anti-Entropy and became an executor of the radical faction.
Li Mo moved the wheelchair forward half a meter and drank the warm water on the table in one gulp.
"Seele and the Duck coming to the orphanage at the same time is not in line with the original plot, but it's normal. After all, I've changed so much of history, I don't care about this one."
"What I need to consider is whether their arrival will break the peaceful life and turn the orphanage into the future haunted house..."
Li Mo frowned slightly.
This was what he was most worried about. He needed to be extra careful with these two.
In the past nine years, Shigure Kira had been busy and was not at home most of the time, busy completing the bounty missions issued by Schicksal. She would only rush back from abroad when Li Mo sent her a message, to prevent Cocolia from becoming suspicious when she saw that Shigure Kira was not there.
If she really couldn't make it back, Li Mo would lie that Shigure Kira had gone back to her hometown to see her parents. Cocolia generally wouldn't stay at the orphanage. When she came, the children were basically at school. Even if they weren't at school, Li Mo would give a heads-up in advance.
By using both carrot and stick, Li Mo's command was absolute in the orphanage. The others were not stupid either. They understood that Li Mo had worked hard to get them the opportunity to go to school and respected him very much.
Basically, the cleaning of the orphanage no longer required Shigure Kira. Cooking, laundry, and cleaning were all handled by the children themselves. The size of the orphanage had also grown from nine people to thirty-seven.
Li Mo glanced at the manuscript that was already several thousand words long and sighed.
"Just these few thousand words are only one chapter. Forget it, I'll wait until I come back tonight to write a little more and make it a whole number before uploading."
"I'll go pick up the elementary school children first."
"I'm so hungry, I haven't eaten meat in a long time. When is Kira coming back..."
Li Mo missed her very much. Every time Shigure Kira came home, she would bring him some local specialties. Because the tuition fees for thirty-seven children had to be paid, the sickly Li Mo was writing and playing games to make money.
Despite this, their life was still tight. If two more came, they would really have to eat the northwest wind.
Li Mo sent a message to Shigure Kira, asking her to come home to deal with Cocolia. Then he operated the wheelchair to the elevator. The elevator was built a long time ago and could go directly from the fifth floor to the first floor.
Currently, thirty-seven children already occupied the first, second, and third floors. If Bronya and Seele came, they could only live on the fourth floor.
Damn it... Cocolia was already an executor, but all she did all day was her stupid human experiments. She should at least give him more money! It wasn't even as much as Shigure Kira earned.
Shigure Kira was exterminating Honkai beasts all over the world, and also working as an idol, performing at concerts. She didn't even have time to be intimate with him!
"Ding—!"
The elevator reached the first floor. Li Mo operated the wheelchair with the remote control and left the villa, heading familiar toward an ordinary elementary school.
Choosing a school also had its considerations. It had to be close to home, not too good and not too bad, so the financial pressure on Li Mo and Shigure Kira would not be too great.
Some very good and very bad schools would ask for money for tutoring, books, materials, teacher subsidies, class fees, activity fees, school uniform fees... Li Mo seriously suspected whether this money was really used on the students, or if it was used to buy the principal a new luxury car?
Li Mo, with the principle of not spending unless it was absolutely necessary, barely managed to support the family. It was fortunate that Shigure Kira had some connections in these nine years and got some medicine from Schicksal for free. Otherwise, if he were to be hospitalized, the cost would be at least a million.
"Sigh... I've experienced the hardship of being a parent."
Li Mo came to the elementary school gate as usual, sitting quietly in his wheelchair, looking out of place among the parents waiting for their children to be dismissed from school.
"Yo, classmate, you're here again? Your home doesn't seem far from here. Why don't you let the children go back by themselves? You have so many younger brothers and sisters in elementary school, it's very safe for them to go together."
"You don't look well. If you're really not feeling well, you should rest at home. It's not a big deal to miss a day or two."
"Let me tell you, the children are so big now, you should let them go home by themselves to cultivate their independence! You can't spoil them, you know?"
A parent took the initiative to talk to him, mostly teaching Li Mo as an elder.
Faced with such questions, Li Mo always smiled amiably.
"I feel at ease only when I pick them up myself. I don't want to be lazing around when something happens to the people around me."
"You can't neglect the children's feelings and safety just because you want to enjoy yourself."
"Well... although I'm not their parent, as their older brother and guardian, I still have to fulfill my duties and take good care of them, right?"
"Huh? Haven't you been here for five days? I remember you. Do you only come every three or four days? Your child is only in the first grade and is alone. Are you that relieved?"
Li Mo caught an unpleasant person and asked.
The person was a little flustered after hearing Li Mo's words and didn't know how to answer. She could only clumsily rush into the crowd of students, saying, "I, I... I see my child. I'm leaving now."
But Li Mo watched for a long time and only saw her standing alone in the crowded crowd, unable to find her child for a long time.
"Hehe." Li Mo sneered without changing his expression.
An elderly woman. Li Mo had seen her playing mahjong at the mahjong parlor more times than he had seen her waiting for her first-grade grandson at school. Her home was far from the school, and she had to cross several intersections and roads to get back. She was really relieved.
One time, Li Mo waited for that child and easily tricked him with candy. His family probably didn't pay much attention to him and didn't educate him much.
They probably just casually mentioned: be careful. Maybe they didn't even say that. The child's parents were both working in other places, and only his grandmother took care of him at home. He couldn't even have a hot meal when he got back. He had to wait for his grandmother to finish her mahjong game.
It was really... hard to describe. He didn't expect to see the standard Chinese style of raising children in Japan. Li Mo couldn't imagine how desperate his parents would be if something really happened to this child, if he was hit by a car or kidnapped. And what would the child's grandmother say?
Would she say: I didn't expect this to happen? And then keep apologizing?
Do the parents want an apology?
Haha... black humor.
Li Mo pulled his thoughts back. He didn't care what the people around him thought of him, whether they understood and respected him, or despised and looked down on him. He didn't need anyone's approval. Taking on this identity meant taking on the corresponding responsibilities.
To fight for a better future! To work hard for a better tomorrow!
Li Mo had a warm smile on his face. His thin face highlighted his three-dimensional features, making him look quite handsome. His face was covered with a layer of sickly pallor, adding a bit of gloomy and poignant beauty.
Sixteen years old. If he was in school and his body was fine, he would probably be the standard image of a high school boy, sunny and cheerful, full of vitality. It was a pity that now he could only sit in a wheelchair and couldn't go out for more than two hours at a time.
After waiting for ten minutes, Li Mo finally saw twenty-five children gathered together, constantly walking towards the school gate.