Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Campus Festival, Part One

The early morning sun sliced through the gaps in the curtains, spilling golden light into the room. As Lucian’s eyes fluttered open, the sudden intensity sent a sharp, stinging sensation through them.

He sat up, blinking away the lingering haze of sleep, and glanced at the digital clock on his bedside table: 6:30 AM.

It was half an hour earlier than his usual wake-up time, but today was the St. Freya Campus Festival. He had to get to school early to help with the final preparations.

“The sun is really bright today…” Lucian muttered, gently pressing his fingertips to the corners of his eyes. The pressure offered a small measure of relief from the persistent ache.

Swinging his legs out of bed, he walked to the wardrobe and pulled the doors open. Tucked away among his more casual clothes was a brand-new butler uniform, still crisp and immaculate. It was a formal suit he had worn once before, back at Schicksal Headquarters; the fabric was of the highest quality, the tailoring exquisite.

Lucian still remembered the first time he’d put it on. It was half a year ago, when Otto had personally summoned him to attend a banquet for Schicksal’s Valkyries. He had just returned from a grueling intelligence mission when the Overseer insisted he act as his escort.

In the end, Otto had simply used him as a human shield. Every Valkyrie who had hoped for a moment of the Overseer’s time was deftly redirected to his young, handsome butler. Meanwhile, Otto himself had made a clean getaway, vanishing back to his office to indulge in another session of Kallen Fantasy.

Lucian’s fingers brushed over the suit’s fabric, the material cool and smooth beneath his touch. He let out a soft sigh and began to get dressed.

“I haven’t worn this in half a year. It should still fit, right?”

He fastened the shirt buttons one by one, his movements precise and practiced. He tied the bowtie neatly, then stood before the full-length mirror to adjust the hem of the jacket.

Lifting his gaze, he met his own reflection. The figure staring back was the same boy from six months ago, yet there was a subtle, obvious difference. Lucian’s attention drifted to his right eye. The golden, diamond-shaped sigil within his iris wasn’t obvious under the soft indoor lighting, but it was there, a permanent mark of his new reality.

Naturally, wearing sunglasses with an outfit this formal was out of the question. The combination would look far too strange.

“Looks decent enough,” he murmured to himself, running a hand through his hair to tidy it. “This will have to do.”

With his school uniform packed in a bag, he headed for the door.

——————

Carrying the hand-held bag, Lucian stepped out onto streets that were still quiet in the early morning hush. His formal attire immediately drew a number of curious glances from the few people who were out and about.

A pang of regret hit him. He should have just brought the clothes to school and changed there.

Under the unfiltered natural light, the faint, stinging pain in his eyes returned, though it remained within a tolerable threshold.

He mentally ran through his schedule for the day. First, arrive at school and help his classmates with the final preparations. Then, he needed to spend some time with Kiana and, if possible, find an opportunity to speak with Mei.

Kiana was the priority. He wondered how she would react when she saw him without his customary sunglasses…

A small, unconscious smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he imagined the look on her face.

When he arrived at the classroom, he found it was already a hive of activity. A professionally printed sign for the “Maid and Butler Cafe” stood proudly by the entrance. The interior had been so completely transformed that it was barely recognizable as their usual classroom. The desks and chairs had been rearranged into cozy booths along the windows, each covered with a cheerful, checkered tablecloth.

The Class Monitor’s eyes lit up the moment she saw him. “Lucian!” she praised, unable to hide her admiration. “That outfit fits you perfectly! You look like a professional…”

Lucian tilted his head, a slightly unnatural movement as he angled himself away from the direct sunlight streaming through the window, trying to lessen the discomfort in his eyes.

“Is there anything I can help with?” he asked.

“No, no, you should just rest for now,” the Class Monitor said, shaking her head. She couldn’t resist stealing a few more glances at him. Even just standing there, his handsome face and refined presence were incredibly eye-catching.

‘After all,’she thought with a private, knowing smile,’you’re going to be very, very busy in a little while…’

Lucian saw the subtle shift in her expression and could guess exactly what she was thinking. He didn’t press the issue, simply nodding. “Alright, I understand.”

He walked silently to a corner of the classroom, one of the few spots shaded from the bright morning light, and set down the bag containing his school uniform.

————

Time trickled by. The classroom decorations became more elaborate, and many of the students who had come to help began to filter out, their tasks complete.

‘Hasn’t Kiana arrived yet?’ Lucian wondered, glancing at the clock on the wall. There was still over half an hour until the Campus Festival officially began.

Given Kiana’s personality, it would be a small miracle if she wasn’t late. Arriving this early was, admittedly, a bit much to hope for.

As if on cue, the classroom door was thrown open with a bang, and a figure burst in like a white-and-blue whirlwind.

“S-sorry! I’m late!”

Kiana’s voice was breathless. With one hand braced on the doorframe and her schoolbag clutched in the other, she charged into the room.

“Kiana, you’re finally here…” the Class Monitor sighed in relief, then smiled and handed a neatly folded maid outfit to her. Kiana stared at the clothes, the corners of her lips twitching in an awkward grimace.

“Do I… really have to wear this?” she asked, her eyes wide with a mixture of horror and embarrassment as she took the black-and-white uniform.

“Of course you do. Our class is counting on you and Lucian to attract customers,” the Class Monitor said, patting Kiana on the shoulder. Her tone was half-joking, half-deadly serious. “Go get changed, quickly. Everyone else is pretty much ready. Once you’re done, we can have our grand opening!”

A fresh wave of heat washed over Kiana’s face. Clutching the maid outfit to her chest as if it were a bomb, her eyes darted around the room, finally landing on Lucian in the corner.

He wasn’t wearing his sunglasses. His back was to the window, his purple eyes slightly narrowed as if he were still adjusting to the indoor light. The black butler suit gave his frame a tall, straight posture, lending him an air completely different from his usual, more relaxed self.

Kiana’s heart gave a familiar, traitorous flutter. She quickly tore her gaze away, grabbed the clothes, and ducked into the makeshift changing area, pulling the curtain shut with a sharp swish.

Inside, the cheerful chattering of the other girls was a momentary relief, but she soon found herself in a new kind of predicament.

“Kiana, let me help you!”

“Don’t move, Kiana, we’re fully automatic~”

“Hey, hey, hey! No one said anything about changing her panties!”

With the “enthusiastic” help of her classmates, Kiana was divested of her school uniform and gradually eased into the maid outfit. As the cool, smooth fabric slid against her skin and the corset was pulled tight around her waist, a powerful sense of shame washed over her, making her entire body go rigid.

Then, the curtain was yanked open, and Kiana was unceremoniously pushed out into the open.

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was busy with last-minute tasks, she immediately fled to an inconspicuous corner, desperate to escape their gazes. Fortunately, her classmates were indeed preoccupied, and her mortifying debut went largely unnoticed.

Crouched in the back corner of the classroom, her back pressed against the cold wall, Kiana could feel the heat still burning in her cheeks. She risked a glance toward the window-side booths on the other side of the room. Lucian was leaning there, arms crossed and eyes closed, looking as if he had dozed off.

The lines of his profile were rendered sharp and soft in the morning light. Without the barrier of his sunglasses, that face was somehow exceptionally, distractingly eye-catching.

‘He’s really not wearing sunglasses…’

A strange feeling bloomed in Kiana’s chest. Lucian always wore those dark glasses, giving him a constant, unapproachable air of aloofness. But now, that layer seemed to have been peeled away, allowing her to see a clearer, more genuine, and also somewhat unfamiliar version of him.

She watched him, lost in thought, not realizing how long she had been staring. The boy across the room seemed to sense her gaze; his eyes opened, and he looked directly toward her.

Their eyes met.

Lucian’s gaze was calm, holding only a hint of quiet confusion. Without the dark filter of his sunglasses, those purple eyes looked straight at her, their intensity making it a little hard for her to breathe.

“W-what are you looking at!” Kiana blurted out, her voice subconsciously rising.

Lucian tilted his head slightly, his tone laced with a disarming innocence. “Weren’t you looking at me first, Kiana?”

“…”

Kiana was rendered speechless. Realizing she had, in fact, been the one staring, she lost all confidence to argue and could only pout her lips in a huff.

Seeing her expression—so clearly in the wrong yet trying so hard to hold her ground—a flicker of a smile touched Lucian’s eyes. Kiana was a force of nature, all bluster and bravado, but it was that very stubbornness that made her… her. And wasn’t that part of her charm?

Just then, the Class Monitor’s voice cut through the air, breaking the subtle tension.

“Kiana, Lucian, the Campus Festival is about to start!” Her tone carried the electric excitement of a general before a major battle. “You two will be primarily responsible for receiving and guiding guests at the door.”

“Yes!” Kiana responded instantly, springing up from her corner. She strode over to the Class Monitor’s side in a few quick steps, the new task finally shaking her free from the overwhelming shyness of a moment ago.

Lucian suppressed his smile and nodded to the Class Monitor. “Understood.”

Under the Class Monitor’s direction, the two of them took their positions at the classroom door. Kiana stood slightly behind Lucian, stealing another glance at him. Without the obstruction of those dark lenses, the outline of his profile was exceptionally clear; she could even see the faint shadows his long eyelashes cast over his eyes.

‘This guy… I never noticed his eyelashes were so long before…’

Her thoughts began to wander again. She gave her head a quick shake, forcing herself to focus.

She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound natural. “Um… if it gets too crowded later, I might not be able to look out for you, so pay attention, okay?”

The somewhat nonsensical expression of concern seemed to confuse Lucian. He turned to look at her.

“Pay attention to what?” he asked.

“It’s, it’s just…” Being looked at so directly made Kiana stutter again, her gaze drifting away. “…Don’t get surrounded by all those girls who are just coming to see you! It’ll affect our work!”

As she spoke, she nodded vigorously, as if she had just found a perfectly legitimate and logical reason for her warning.

Lucian was stunned for a moment, then he chuckled softly. He understood now.

He nodded, his tone gentle. “Alright. I’ll be careful.”

His slightly amused reply only made Kiana more uncomfortable. She whipped her head around to face the hallway, the tips of her ears turning a faint shade of red.

“Hmph. As long as you know.”

——————

The flow of people in the hallway gradually increased as the Campus Festival officially kicked off. Soon, a crowd began to gather at the door of Class 1-B. Their classmates had been right; the combination of Lucian and Kiana was a powerful draw. In a local Far East girls’ school, a handsome male student paired with a girl of striking European features was an exceptionally novel sight.

Lucian bowed slightly, executing a standard guiding gesture as his gentle, polite voice washed over the first group of guests. “Welcome. Please, come this way.”

His movements were natural and fluid. The immaculate butler suit, combined with his outstanding looks, caused a small commotion among the girls.

Several of them immediately surrounded him, their questions bubbling over with excitement.

“Hey, can I add you on HomuChat?”

“Can we take a picture together?”

Lucian remained perfectly composed. “Ladies, if you take a seat now, you’ll have priority when ordering.”

As he spoke, he expertly guided the guests inside, deftly sidestepping their more personal requests without causing offense.

Watching from the side, Kiana felt a strange sense of relief. She, of course, had zero service experience; the person she’d had the most contact with since childhood was her boisterous, rough-around-the-edges father. The Class Monitor had chosen her for one simple reason: Kiana was undeniably cute. It was all about curb appeal—after all, when you browse for a novel, you’re more likely to click on one with an attractive cover, aren’t you?

But now, Kiana’s mysterious competitive spirit kicked in. Seeing how effortlessly Lucian handled the crowd, she felt a prickle of unwillingness to be outdone.

Taking a deep breath, she imitated the other maids in her class and forced a smile.

“W-welcome!”

Her voice was crisp and bright, and though it still held a hint of nervous tension, that very shyness, combined with her flustered expression and the maid outfit, proved to be incredibly appealing.

Almost immediately, a new group of guests was drawn to her.

“Can I take a photo with you?”

“Can I have your contact information?”

A series of direct questions came flying at her. Normally, Kiana would have frozen up, but since Lucian had just provided a perfect template, all she had to do was copy it.

“Thank you for the compliment! Why don’t you come in and try our special desserts?” Kiana did her best to mimic Lucian’s polite tone, though it came out a little stiff.

The guests, however, didn’t seem to mind her stiffness in the slightest. A shy, awkward maid was its own kind of ‘gap moe,’ a charming quirk that only made her cuter.

“Sure, I’ll have one then.”

Having successfully led her first guest into the classroom, Kiana breathed a quiet sigh of relief and stole a glance in Lucian’s direction.

He was in the middle of welcoming another group. As if sensing her gaze, he turned his head. His eyes met hers, and she could clearly see the smile dancing in them.

Kiana’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned back around, pretending to be completely focused on her duties.

——————

The morning rush finally came to an end. During a quiet lull around noon, Kiana leaned against the doorframe for a brief rest. Standing for so long had made her legs a bit numb.

She was just about to go find some water when she caught sight of a familiar figure appearing at the end of the hall.

Deep purple hair that flowed down her back and a quiet, gentle temperament—it was Raiden Mei.

She was surrounded by several other girls, the group likely having just come from watching the events on the sports field. As they walked toward Class 1-B, Mei’s eyes fell upon Kiana standing at the door. She stopped for a second, momentarily stunned by her friend’s outfit.

The girls beside Mei also noticed the pair at the entrance, and their gazes followed hers.

“Wow, it’s that transfer student junior!”

“A junior? Isn’t this a girls’ school?”

“That’s the male student who transferred here recently. He’s the only one in the whole school.”

The whispers reached Mei’s ears. She pursed her lips slightly, her attention shifting to Lucian. When she saw his face clearly, she, too, was taken aback.

This was the first time she had ever seen Lucian without his sunglasses.

Every time she had encountered him before, he had been wearing them, which had led Mei to assume there might be something wrong with his eyes. But looking at him now… perhaps it was just a personal preference?

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t realize her group had already reached the classroom door.

“Welcome.”

Lucian’s voice interrupted Mei’s musings. He bowed slightly, offering a standard, professional smile. “Would you like to come in and have a seat?”

Mei’s gaze unconsciously lingered on his eyes for a few extra seconds. Those purple irises held a deep, captivating quality that added a deep layer to his entire presence.

“Yes…” Mei withdrew her gaze and offered Lucian a polite smile of her own. “Thank you.”