Honkai Impact 3rd: Don't Die For Me/ Book 1: Promise

Chapter 12 Contemplation

<Rhine River>

Kallen was happily guiding the horse at a breakneck speed while Otto clung onto her tightly to hang on. Though she initially behaved shyly once Otto awakened their relationship eventually reverted back to their childhood one.

"Kallen slow down, you're going to hurt the horse."

"Huh? As far as I can tell Oreo likes this kind of speed. Isn't that right?" Kallen asked as she leaned forward to pat the head of the horse. Of course she named the horse.

Otto couldn't but smile weakly as Kallen spurred the horse to go faster and faster. He felt content, feeling her joy course through her body as he hung on tightly. Though she didn't smell good at all and to be fair neither did he.

They were covering good ground now, they were able to avoid confrontations with Honkai beasts and wolves more easily thanks to Kallen's senses. Otto could rest peacefully for once in a long time. A careful study of the map Otto revealed that Kallen and Otto would soon reach the Rhine river. A faster form of transportation could be acquired if they just found one the cities that rested among the river.

As for where they would go from there, they planned to travel along the same path that they had taken to invade Shenzhou. This decision had its drawbacks. For one thing they would be heading to the front lines where Shicksal's forces would potentially be waiting in ambush. But the most important factor in the decision was based on their survival. If they went south of the Black sea, they would have to learn to survive in a new environment that could ultimately lead to their deaths if they weren't careful. Due to the march Kipchap Steppes, Kallena and Otto were very familiar with the land and how to survive in it. With proper planning and disguises they could easily slip through and head towards the Ming Empire. They were also certain that no trackers followed them.

A city soon appeared in the distance.

"I believe that's Cologne." Otto declared, while he squinted his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"Certainly, if we can see it from this far away, it has to be Cologne, the biggest city on the Rhine. We must be careful though, the Schariacs control this city."

"Yeah, Eleanor's...."

"I'm sorry Kallen I really am."

"You said you were going to revert her body, how?"

"My cure has the ability to remove Honkai from the body. It's one of it's subproperties."

"After this is all over, let's bring her body back to her family."

"Yes, let's."

The mood turned solemn. It was difficult for them to be distant from each other when they literally had to travel together. But constant reminders of reality would often put a block into their happy conversations. Past actions could be forgiven but not forgotten and Kallen wasn't fully ready to forgive Otto. They could play like children all they wanted, but everything around them, the environment, traveling, was a constant reminder of reality. They were just two weak souls, powerless and incapable of truly changing the destiny of the world.

<Schariac Family House>

Louis was sitting in his office, after receiving his letter from his wife he had all sent out the best of his tracers to find Kallen and Otto and observe them at a distance. He knew from the information given to him by Glory that they were coming into Germany from Belgium. As for what they wore, Louis was sure that Otto either wore a tattered set of nobles' clothes or a Shicksal tracker's outfit. Kallen on the other hand would definitely be in nun attire, probably equally battered. They had a good horse too and were traveling together, they shouldn't be too difficult to find. People often traveled through Europe in groups for safety. There was good business in caravans offering to bring people to cities and travel. Only a few people would travel Europe alone, the poor from villages, the strongest of the knights and Valkyries, and fools who decided to risk their lives to save money. It had been almost a week since he received his wife's letter and there was still no sign of Kallen and Otto on the border. Perhaps they took a longer route or perhaps they've already slipped past them. Whatever the case Louis was a bit frustrated by the lack of progress.