Chapter 531: Karina, Where Are You?

"What the fuck do you think it is?"

"It was a large and powerful cannon that was able to pierce all the way to the planet's exosphere, older sister."

"I know what it fucking did! But what the fuck do you think it is!?"

Riley, Anna, and the others were now kilometers away from the small settlement; and yet the hole that was made in the sky was still very clear to see. There have also been soldiers from the Grand Militia flying above the skies and questioning the residents of the hamlet.

Riley and the others were also flying away from the scene of the crime, but just inches from the ground far enough to not make any noise and be detected by the militia. But of course, with Riley's telekinetic bubble, the group did not really have to worry about their voices being heard.

"You said you and the house are one, Anna," Princess Esme joined in on the conversation. None of them were actually really flying and were just letting Riley carry them due to the fact that Katherine and Anna wouldn't really be able to fly at the speeds Riley, Esme, and Zac were capable of,

"How could you not know that there was a weapon of mass destruction right under you?"

"The same reason that I don't even know what the fuck was on the shack in the yard—I know nothing about anything that is outside the house, and that includes what is beneath it."

"That sounds like a lie to me."

"Well, it's not," Anna clicked her tongue as she looked away from Esme.

"Whatever it did, it's got the entire Grand Militia and Hel panicking," Zac, who had been quietly fidgeting with his device, finally returned it to his pocket before letting out a small but very long grunt,

"And no, before anyone threatens me with my life again; I did not say anything about our involvement with all of this. I still enjoy my life, thank you very much. I was ordered to follow Riley, and that is what I am just going to do until otherwise ordered so."

"...The only way we would really know what that cannon was for is to ask mother about it," Anna breathed out, "But that thing was a planet buster capable of destroying a celestial body from millions of miles away—and perhaps that is what it did. But then why?"

"I find it quite odd that you use the same unit of measurement on Theran, older sister."

"Mother probably had an influence in creating yours," Anna shrugged, "And that's not the point I am saying—I am saying we need to find mother."

"No," Riley quickly shook his head, "Visiting Aerith comes first. Mother will be fine."

"Of course, mother will be fine. But I want fucking answers!"

"Then you can go ahead, older sister. My current goal is to visit Aerith and perhaps rescue her."

"Wha—your priority should be helping family!" Anna's eyebrows rose up, "Katherine, tell him! You're his wife, it will sound more convincing!"

"...I'm not his wife," Katherine could really only sigh as she was suddenly dragged to the conversation, "And I'm afraid you won't be able to change his mind once Megawoman is involved."

"Megawoman? Who's that?"

"Ms. Aerith. Riley has some sort of... obsession with her."

"...And you're allowing this!?" Anna then suddenly grabbed a spatula out of her clothes, before pointing it at Riley, "Don't tell me you're one of those polygamous unfaithful fuckers!?"

"I am very faithful, older sister," Riley shook his head.

"Wh—float me towards you so I can hit you on the head!" Anna then started waving her spatula in an attempt to reach Riley, but alas.

"But... Anna, isn't this your first time being out in the world for thousands of years?" Katherine watched as Anna still desperately tried to really hit Riley, "Why not just enjoy it? You said so yourself, if Diana wanted to be found, then she will find you herself."

"Oh, I'm grateful for the sentiment, Katherine, but..." Anna let out a very long and deep sigh, "...I'm not a living thing. I might act like one, I might truly be perceived as one, but I'm fucking not. I can't, per se, really enjoy; everything I do, everything I feel, every response I do—they are all predetermined by... code."

"And how is that any different from us?" Katherine sighed as she closed her eyes for a moment, before turning to look at Riley, "Our response is determined by our experiences throughout life—our code. What do you think, Riley?"

"She's a machine, Katherine."

"...And?"

"She's a machine, she told us that already."

"..." Katherine's eye could really only twitch as she heard Riley's words. Riley usually had a speech or two whenever a topic like this was opened up, but to think he would just shrug and think nothing of it. Riley even has a clone that gained his own sentience—truly, Riley was still the most unpredictable individual in this group.

"The difference is that I am literally a program, Katherine," Anna then let out a small chuckle as she answered Katherine, "Even now, my... longing to search for mother is driven by code. I do not know what to do, and therefore my primary response is to search for my creator to seek answers to which I am not able to process with my current version."

"...Right," and with that, Katherine could really only once again sigh, before just focusing on Zac, "Do you know where they are keeping Karina? She's safe, right?"

"...Who?" Zac raised an eyebrow.

"My daughter, Riley's daughter. The Grand Militia took her along with Diana," Katherine's eyebrows started to furrow, "Aerith told me that she would be safe, but... I don't think she expected to be put to death by her own family when she promised that."

"..." Zac immediately turned to look at Riley, squinting his eyes almost to the point they were closed before he took in a small gasp,

"Oh..." He then deeply breathed out, "...Yeah, I could see the resemblance. About that..."

"Where is she?" Katherine's voice started to stutter. The only reason she had been calm all this time despite everything was because Aerith promised her that Karina will be alright, and that she would personally protect her—but now that Aerith was not in a position to do that anymore, the facade of calmness she was carrying was slowly becoming heavier and heavier, slipping away by the second.

"Well, I think you'd be glad to know that we don't have her," Zac then let out a sigh of relief, "We let her go, Princess Aerith probably pulled some strings before she got into this whole eternal death mess."

"So, she's with her?" Katherine also let out a sigh of relief. If Aerith got her, then she was most probably with Paige right now somewhere in their castle or whatever estate Aerith and the royal family of Hel lived in.

"Well... I'm not really sure about that," Zac awkwardly chuckled as he scratched his cheek, "Aerith was already being held by Hel when we released your daughter."

"Riley, please stop!"

And as soon as Katherine raised her voice; their group which was rapidly flying a few inches above ground instantly stopped.

"So, where is she now!?" Katherine's voice became even louder as soon as her feet touched the ground.

"I... We don't know," Zac raised both his hands, "Once we don't detain a person of interest anymore, we have nothing to do with them anymore. We just... set them free."

"...My daughter is less than 3 years old."

"Really? She looked a lot older than—"

"Are you saying Karina... is out there?" Katherine's breaths started to stutter as she looked at Riley, "Riley... our daughter is out there alone. This... this is ridiculous."

"She is abnormally strong, Katherine," Riley, however, just returned her stare, "I am certain she will be fine."

"We need to find Diana."

"Aerith first, Katherine. We already discussed this."

"Anna," and with her eyes still completely fixed on Riley, the tone of Katherine's voice slightly became deeper.

"Right, I guess you're with me now?" Anna sucked in her breath before placing her hand on Riley's shoulder, "I guess your wife and I are going to have some bonding time, Riley."

"..." Riley looked back and forth between Katherine and Anna for a few seconds, before nodding his head and settling at Anna, "Please keep her safe, Anna. Katherine is quite important to me."

"Not important enough," Katherine shook her head as she walked away. She thought that Riley was actually starting to gain some sort of connection to her since he was... starting to develop his emotions—but she was a fool. Riley will always be... Riley.

And Katherine was once again starting to hate herself even more for still having feelings for him.

"Anna, let's go."

"...Right," Anna then patted Riley's shoulder as she followed Katherine, "See you when I see you again, little brother."

"..."

"..."

"So...

...I guess it's just us three now?"