Honkai Impact 3rd: My Days as a Captain in Schicksal

Part Three.

Part Four.

Keng Huo's mind gradually calmed down. He knew almost without thinking that behind these reports, there must be secular forces with intricate connections to St. Freya Academy stirring things up. But he quickly shook his head, because regardless of whether they were stirring things up or not, the Valkyries' performance was undeniably impressive. It was just that their performance was too excessive, and Keng Huo didn't know what the subsequent effects would be.

Keng Huo assigned each Valkyrie their so-called "special skills" based on their individual characteristics. Although there was some element of trickery involved, these tricks undoubtedly amplified their strengths many times over.

For example, Rinko, who performs on the uneven bars, is a speed-type Valkyrie with excellent physical qualities, agility, and flexibility. She is especially good at using walls and obstacles to move at high speed in confined spaces to create afterimages and interfere with her opponents' vision.

Hanazono Hagi, who pretended to be a culinary prodigy, was actually a student skilled in knife work. While her knife skills and overall combat ability weren't particularly strong, her hand holding the knife was incredibly steady. During each test, Keng Huo noticed that her consecutive slashes never deviated by more than 0.1%. Her most impressive move was to use the fastest possible slash speed to make seven consecutive cuts on the same spot on the enemy, achieving a seven-fold attack effect in an instant. This skill might not be very effective in the hands of others, but in Hanazono Hagi's extremely stable and controllable knife trajectory, it was practically divine. When Keng Huo arranged for her to demonstrate her culinary knife skills, her performance did not disappoint Keng Huo's high expectations and was exceptionally brilliant.

There are many more cases like this.

Keng Huo sighed, realizing at that moment the biggest flaw in this publicity campaign.

"Theresa, inform everyone that the school festival will be closed to the public for the next two days." Keng Huo put away the newspaper and said seriously to Theresa.

"Why?" Theresa's eyes widened. "Wasn't the effect very good?"

“That’s right. It’s precisely because it’s so good that I suddenly realized the drawbacks that I hadn’t been aware of before.” Keng Huo sighed. “There are too few students at St. Freya Academy.”

That's right, St. Freya Academy only has a little over a hundred students at most.

Keng Huo sat down, rubbing his temples with a slight headache, and said to the Valkyrie students below the stage, "You can all go back now. Participate in the school festival as usual tomorrow. You don't need to perform this time. Just have fun. You all did a great job today, and I'm proud of you."

The trainees exchanged glances, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Keng Huo smiled and scratched his head, seemingly a little embarrassed: "Actually, it's mainly because your performance was so great. You put on the show of three days' worth of wonderful performances in just one day, which is why I was a little angry. But since the result is acceptable now, don't feel any pressure. I apologize to everyone here. Have fun tomorrow, and you don't have to deal with those visiting parents and students."

The trainees then cheered and dispersed in a swarm.

“After experiencing such a wonderful performance today, the audience will subconsciously expect tomorrow’s performance to be even more wonderful, but we don’t have any more wonderful performances to offer.” Keng Huo slowly told Theresa his thoughts, “If we force the park to open now, it will probably only have the opposite effect. Visitors who have been informed by the first wave of publicity will flock to the academy, only to find that the performance is not much better than the first day, and is even somewhat repetitive and boring. They will probably have more negative opinions, and there is a high chance that the previous publicity was just a false promotion by the academy.”

"This would be very detrimental to the reputation of St. Freya Academy."

"But on the other hand, what if we stop abruptly at the height of our publicity campaign?" Keng Huo made a fist gesture. "Have you ever heard of Riverdance? I personally think it's the pinnacle of tap dance. The tap rhythm in that dance never really reaches a climax. It's always like there's an undercurrent, like the climax is about to happen, but it never gives the audience the most shocking experience."

"But by the end, the audience can feel the surging power that is contained yet unleashed. The audience did not hear the most intense and exciting moment of tap dance, so they will always feel anticipation and awe for that unleashed power."

“This is also our next strategic move.” Keng Huo smiled and pushed the newspaper toward Theresa. “Contact those forces that are associated with us and tell them that the last two days of the St. Freya Academy Festival will not be open to the public.”

"We want to keep the outside world's aspirations and curiosity about St. Freya Academy at the point when it is closest to its peak."

"That will make them want to enter the academy to study."

"Only in this way can the outside world have the kind of awe and respect for the strength of St. Freya Academy."

"Only in this way... can our enrollment plan proceed most smoothly."

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Wealthy St. Freya Academy

"A press conference?" Himeko stared at Keng Huo and Theresa with suspicion, as if she had heard something extraordinary. "Why?"

Theresa shrugged: "Don't ask me, I'm clueless too. Go ask this idiot."

Keng Huo cleared his throat and laid out his plan in its entirety: "We have already achieved the desired publicity results on the first day of the school festival. We have also considered the possible adverse effects that continuing to open the school festival to the public would have on St. Freya Academy. In addition, we really want to give the students a chance to relax and have some fun. Therefore, it is a done deal that the last two days of the school festival will not be open to the public."

"However, the outside world will not think that way. They will only be extremely curious about the short-lived school festival of St. Freya Academy. If we do not give a reasonable explanation, rumors will spread, which is something we do not want to see."

"So that's why we need a press conference?" Himeko swirled the crimson liquid in her glass, "Then we'll come up with a reason why the school festival won't continue to be open to the public, and then convince the outside world?"

“That’s right!” Keng Huo clapped his hands approvingly. “I’ve already contacted all the major news agencies, and then we decided to entrust you with the important task of hosting the press conference.”

"Well... I don't have any objections to the mission, but why me and not Theresa?" Himeko didn't let any suspicious point go unnoticed. After all, she had known Keng Huo for a long time and had seen all kinds of traps.

Keng Huo sighed, turned to look at Theresa, hesitated for a moment whether he should speak, but chose to concisely express the problem over his own safety.

Keng Huo secretly compared his height to Theresa's from behind, and Himeko gave a knowing "oh".

“Of course it’s because I have more important things to do!” Theresa said smugly. “You can handle the small things like press conferences.”

Of course, this is what Keng Huo said when he was communicating with Theresa about this matter.

"As the headmistress, you must share the hardships and advances with the students. How disappointed the students would be if their lovely headmistress didn't show up and play with them during such a grand school festival!" Five minutes ago, Keng Huo explained to Theresa in this way, which coincided with Theresa's idea of ​​skipping work to go to the school festival.

"Hmm... So is there anything else I need to be aware of?" Himeko smiled strangely, without pointing out Keng Huo's earlier actions.

"Of course, we will have a lot to explain at the press conference. For an academy like ours that has appeared out of nowhere, there are bound to be a lot of questions from the outside world. Therefore, we must do a good job of making our fake materials."

“The best fake materials are the real ones.” Keng Huo slammed a thick stack of materials on the table. “These are the application materials from when the academy was first established. We can work on these.”

"Make a story out of this?" Himeko looked at the documents speechlessly. "The source of funding is unknown, the teaching level is unknown, the teachers' identities are unknown, and the academy has been established for a staggering year and a little over... How can you make a story out of this pitiful information that makes me want to cry? Even if you could talk a dead person back to life, you couldn't possibly make this information sound amazing, could you?"

Keng Huo laughed loudly, hands on his hips, looking like a tyrannical landlord about to lead his henchmen out to harass respectable women: "Then I'll show you how to make the dead seem alive!"

The three of them talked late into the night by candlelight, constantly revising their speeches and notes for the next day until very late.

The next morning, the gates of St. Freya Academy were filled with news vans from various news agencies, and the auditorium next to the central square was packed with people with cameras and microphones, all eagerly awaiting the appearance of the principal of this mysterious academy.

Suddenly, a young man with an Asian face, dressed in a neat and sharp suit, walked onto the stage backstage of the auditorium. The photographers below the stage went into overdrive, and the sound of their flashes drowned out the previous murmurs.

The young man walked to the podium, adjusted the microphone, tested the sound, and then smiled as he addressed the reporters below the stage: "I apologize for keeping you all waiting. The St. Freya Academy press conference is now beginning."

The reporters in the audience were highly professional; not one of them uttered a sound, all eagerly awaiting Keng Huo to continue providing useful information.

Keng Huo turned slightly to the side and bowed slightly in an inviting gesture: "Now, please welcome the headmistress of St. Freya Academy, Ms. Murata Himeko."

Suddenly, the sound of camera flashes rang out again in unison. The resounding words made the audience realize that the young man they initially thought was the spokesperson was actually just a sound engineer, and the person about to appear was the real main attraction.

Himeko Murata, dressed in a women's business suit, gracefully walked onto the stage from backstage. The suit was tailor-made, and although it covered her up completely, it almost accentuated Himeko Murata's devilish figure to the maximum extent. Her curvaceous waist and hips were so alluring that they tempted people to commit crimes. Her elegant and luxurious wine-red hair was piled on her head, and her charming face with a hint of seductive temperament made the reporters in the audience almost doubt whether this person was really the headmistress.

With looks like that, why not become a star, or a school principal?

"Hello everyone, I am Himeko Murata, the headmistress of St. Freya Academy." Himeko's speech instantly ignited the professionalism of the reporters in the audience. Everyone was looking for a suitable position, and their DSLR cameras were not idle. They pushed and shoved each other, trying to grab the best position to take the most perfect news photos.

But everyone felt that their current position was the best.

Even with Kōhō's discerning eye, one couldn't help but admire Himeko Murata's meticulously dressed appearance, recognizing her as a woman without a single flaw.

"St. Freya Academy values ​​efficiency, so I will keep my speech brief today, but I will make sure to convey all the important information to everyone present. I hope this will be a successful press conference."

Himeko adjusted the microphone slightly, raised her head, and began to speak fluently with a confident and capable smile:

"Let me start with the things that everyone is more interested in, and I think everyone is eager to know the answers to these questions."

“St. Freya Academy has only been established for one year, so it’s understandable that you haven’t heard of it before.”

Himeko's words were like a high-explosive grenade, making the reporters in the audience almost jump up.

Along the way, the European-style buildings that rivaled those of royalty and nobility, the picturesque gardens and paths, and the exquisitely carved musical fountains that were running early in the morning all made everyone who came here subconsciously believe that this academy must have an extremely profound history and wealth to be so rich and luxurious.

But now this school principal is saying that the academy has only been established for a year? Are you treating us experienced journalists like fools?

Himeko made a pause gesture to calm the reporters down slightly, and continued, "Please calm down. I am not deceiving you. It's just that St. Freya Academy has a rather special history. Therefore, we have only been a modern academy for one year."

The reporters finally understood what was going on: was the beautiful headmistress implying that this academy wasn't originally an academy? Or was she suggesting that the academy had actually been operating for a long time but only obtained its license last year?

Before the reporters could even process Himeko's words, her next sentence was like a bombshell, creating a huge uproar: "Our predecessor was also called St. Freya Academy, but unlike normal high schools, we are not an academy aimed at getting into college or finding employment, but rather an academy aimed at cultivating young ladies from noble families."

At that moment, the reporters seemed to have a premonition that they had stumbled upon a major news story, and they were instantly full of energy, listening intently to what Himeko would say next.

"Our academy was established in the Showa era. Its initial purpose was to cultivate noblewomen, with the ultimate goal of raising noble children to be well-educated, virtuous, and proficient in all the arts."

"However, in the long process of evolution, due to the gradual changes in modern society and the growing popularity of the concept of gender equality, the educational direction of St. Freya Academy has gradually changed from cultivating well-bred young ladies to cultivating outstanding students with special talents."

"As you all saw in the unofficial video that circulated yesterday, our academy has cultivated many students who are comparable to professional-level students, and some of them can even be said to be at a level where they can hold their own among professional-level students."

"This is the current educational direction of St. Freya Academy: focusing on students' own conditions, selecting and emphasizing the cultivation of students' special talents and interests, and shaping them into the perfect women they hope to become."

"Alright, now let's talk about the educational model of St. Freya Academy. I believe this is everyone's second most important concern." Himeko smiled gently, a smile that doubled the frequency of the flashes from the audience.

Himeko paused for a moment, her expression slightly troubled: "Actually, I don't want everyone to think that we are just going through the motions, but I still have to say that the educational model of St. Freya Academy is very simple. So simple that this slogan has been regarded as a classic since the Chinese mainland thousands of years ago, and it has been passed down from generation to generation to this day."

"In summary, it can be summed up in eight words: tailored to the individual and individualized instruction."

"Perhaps it's because St. Freya Academy does a better job in this regard that the results are exceptionally good." Himeko smiled modestly (pretentiously). "Our students spend a small portion of their time studying basic courses together, such as mathematics and Japanese, which everyone needs to master, but other subjects are up to the students to choose."

"For example, if a student likes Spanish, she can go to our Spanish teacher for individual lessons after the basic course. Therefore, students usually receive one-on-one or one-to-many intensive tutoring for courses they are interested in."

"Furthermore, we will update students' electronic information in real time. For example, we will gradually arrange various daily necessities labeled in Spanish for students who have shown interest in Spanish. Then, we will gradually convert the text on the students' personal PDAs to Spanish and Japanese in parallel. We will also slowly replace their textbooks with Spanish. Finally, we will group these students with similar Spanish proficiency into a separate class so that they can learn in a Spanish-speaking environment."

"As for our teaching staff... I'm sorry, our teachers don't have any particularly famous names, so you probably wouldn't know them even if I mentioned their names... But I can assure you that they are all outstanding talents in their respective fields."

Himeko hesitated for a moment, seemingly unsure whether to continue, but the flashing lights from the audience gave her no choice but to continue: "You might be curious, because it can be seen from the video that leaked yesterday that there aren't many students in our academy."

"Indeed, our academy has a small number of students, only about one hundred. This is because our academy emphasizes the concept of elite education, and as an experimental class, keeping the number of students within a certain range makes it easier to control and coordinate resources."

The reporters in the audience nodded in agreement, unanimously agreeing that what Himeko said made a lot of sense.

This was also a carefully prepared explanation from Keng Huo, who gradually guided the outside world's speculations and perceptions about St. Freya Academy by misleading or diverting their attention, making the listeners feel that his words made sense.

"Next, I think everyone will be more concerned about the academy's fees, because as you can see, our academy has very complete facilities and a good learning environment..."

The reporters in the audience rolled their eyes. You call this a "relatively good" learning environment? The central plaza alone is the size of some other schools, not to mention the enormous gardens they passed as they were led in. In terms of scale, this high school is comparable to a typical university. The infrastructure isn't immediately apparent, but judging from the school's size and the principal's consistently modest tone, this ridiculously wealthy academy probably includes a large particle collider as part of its infrastructure...

"Therefore, all fees at our school are free for students."

Yeah, that's more like it. A school with such a large budget must have…

???

What was the headmaster saying just now?

free?

The reporters in the audience seemed to be on a roll, sensing that the biggest bombshell of this press conference was about to be dropped.

Although they were eager to get to the bottom of things, the rules of the press conference stipulated that no one should speak before the open question session and everyone must listen to the spokesperson.

So the reporters patiently waited for Himeko to explain the tuition issue, but they didn't expect that Himeko's next sentence would veer off to something else!

What's going on?! This school principal dug a hole and then just left it there?! The reporters in the audience were internally screaming with frustration.

“Our academy is a fully enclosed school. When the previous school festival was held, we only invited a few hundred families welcoming graduating junior high school students to visit. We just didn’t expect that the video would be leaked and cause such a sensation.” Himeko smiled apologetically (pretentiously). “In addition, we only planned to open it for one day as a publicity for this year’s enrollment.”

"Moreover, our entrance examination is quite special. We send invitations to selected students nationwide, inviting them to take the exam at our academy. The exam content is also quite special, unlike regular exams outside. It focuses more on assessing students' self-personality, self-awareness, dedication to their dreams, and the extent of their talents."

"Well... that's about all I wanted to say. Now, let's move on to the Q&A session. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have."

"Excuse me..." a bold reporter blurted out, he had too many questions to keep nagging at him, "You just said that all student fees are free? Which part are you referring to as free?"

Himeko's expression seemed somewhat doubtful (or perhaps pretentious), but she answered slowly and deliberately, "It's free."

The reporters in the audience thought Himeko hadn't heard them clearly, so they asked even louder, "Headmistress, what I mean is, when you say the student fees are free, what exactly will be free? And what will the school charge, and how much?"