Honkai Star Rail: My Chat Group is Full of Broken Timelines — Chapter 43

Chapter 44: Revolutions and Retirements

Just as the thought crossed his mind, another message materialized in the chat group.

[Titania II:…I have successfully brought more than a third of the Iron Cavalry under my command. Unfortunately, just as we were poised to deal a decisive blow to the Republican Council, the Glamoth system experienced a massive surge in Swarm activity. We were forced to sign a temporary ceasefire to combat the external threat.]

The message was from Firefly. Every word was laced with the sharp sting of regret and a evident unwillingness to let her momentum stall.

[Cliffhanger King: That’s a shame. But are you sure you can handle the Swarm?]

Kazuki typed back, a genuine thread of concern in his words. He knew Firefly was powerful, a force of nature in her own right, but the sheer terror of the Swarm was a cosmic constant not to be underestimated.

[Titania II: If I were to send the Iron Cavalry under my command to intercept them head-on, the casualties would be catastrophic. However, I don’t need to. I only need to eliminate the Swarm’s broodmother while my forces provide cover.]

Firefly’s reply radiated a newfound confidence. The self-assurance woven into her very being was worlds apart from the girl she used to be; Kazuki could feel its intensity even through the cold interface of the screen.

‘As expected of a Pathstrider who achieved enlightenment in a single, brilliant flash,’ he mused. If Firefly’s goal had been merely to topple the Republican Council through brute force, she could have conquered Glamoth single-handedly long ago, installing herself as the iron-fisted Empress Titania II. But her revolution was about more than just power.

[Cliffhanger King: You need to accelerate your timeline for overthrowing the Glamoth Republic. The Glamoth Iron Cavalry shares its origin with the Swarm; without a leader, a true Queen, you will perpetually attract more of them. Only when you, Firefly, become the rightful Empress of Glamoth and are crowned as its Queen will the signal be sent. Only then will you be able to declare to all the other bugs in the universe that this territory is yours, and finally bring peace to your home.]

[Titania II: I will move as quickly as I can… When that day comes, may I invite you to visit?]

Since their last parting, Kazuki and Firefly hadn’t met again. She had promised him that the next time they saw each other, she would show him a better version of herself. It seemed that promise was well on its way to being fulfilled.

[Cliffhanger King: Of course.]

[Pure Beauty Knight: My apologies. I was just dealing with a conflict involving a group of ‘Pre-War Caretakers’ and didn’t see the group messages until now.]

[Cliffhanger King: Pre-War Caretakers? Robin, are you alright? Are you hurt?]

[Pure Beauty Knight: Their ideology is rather extreme, but I was able to gather some of my fellow knights in advance. Together, we intercepted and eliminated an Antimatter Legion fleet that was on course to destroy the very civilization the ‘Caretakers’ were planning to ‘protect.’ Once the actual threat was gone, they had no further reason to carry out their destructive plan.]

[Cliffhanger King: Fellow knights? Robin, you’ve met other Knights of Beauty?]

[Pure Beauty Knight: Ah, it wasn’t so much that I met them, but that they took the initiative to find me… They are a very enthusiastic group. They even held a formal commissioning ceremony for me as a Knight of Pure Beauty.]

[Cliffhanger King: Nice. That sounds exactly like something the Knights of Beauty would do.]

[Pure Beauty Knight: However… it has been nearly six months since I terminated my contract. For this entire half-year, the entertainment company has been suppressing the news of my retirement, trying to squeeze every last drop of value from my name. But with no commercial activities for six months, the fans are starting to suspect something is wrong. I imagine it won’t be long before the news reaches my brother, will it?]

Robin’s words carried a faint trace of worry. When she had made the monumental decision to become a Knight of Beauty, she hadn’t told Sunday. Even the Harmonious Dove starship she now piloted was a personal purchase, made with her own funds.

[Cliffhanger King: The retirement of Apocrypha’s galactic superstar, Robin… I can’t even begin to imagine the kind of headlines that will generate.]

Kazuki let out a soft sigh. He could already picture the pandemonium. Once that news broke, it would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the entire galaxy. Of course, this particular bombshell was likely unique to the Robin of his chat group.

[Pure Beauty Knight: The galaxy is vast, and Apocrypha has produced countless superstar-level icons. My existence is as fleeting as a shooting star… By the way, Kazuki, how much longer until you reach Herta Space Station?]

Robin spoke with her characteristic modesty, gracefully shifting the conversation back to him.

[Cliffhanger King: Me? To be safe… assuming no unexpected detours and the starship doesn’t break down and require mid-journey repairs… it will probably take another six months to a year. This is the long-life species mindset at work, I suppose. I originally thought it would take a month, tops!]

Kazuki, even combining his life before and after transmigration, had barely lived one-twentieth of a typical Xianzhou native’s lifespan. For now, he was still very much trapped in the mindset of a short-life species, and the leisurely pace of the cosmos was driving him mad.

[Pure Beauty Knight: When you arrive at Herta Space Station, perhaps I can be of some assistance. Even if I am not the Robin of your world, it shouldn’t be impossible to borrow some of my influence. Getting a meeting with Ms. Herta herself might still be difficult, though.]

The current Kazuki, having been let out on a long leash by Jing Yuan, could hardly represent the Xianzhou Alliance in any official capacity. However, a sudden visit from a superstar of Robin’s caliber might just pique Herta’s interest. If she happened to be in a good mood, a meeting wasn’t out of the question.

[Cliffhanger King: We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Even if she has absolutely no interest in my identity, I should be able to dangle something in front of her that she is interested in… Like, I don’t know, writing some Herta and Ruan Mei GL literature on the spot. Whatever it takes. The priority is securing a meeting with Ms. Herta.]

[Pure Beauty Knight: As expected of you, Kazuki… I have to admire your courage, no matter the situation.]

As far as Robin was concerned, she wouldn’t dare make light of two such legendary Geniuses. The thought alone was terrifying.

[Cliffhanger King: In any case, just wait for my good news when the time comes!]

[Pure Beauty Knight: I’ll be looking forward to it.]