Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

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When Zeke regained consciousness again, he felt as if he were lying next to a cozy fireplace.

No, there was a warm presence tightly embracing him.

Zeke opened his eyes and saw the magnified face of the white-haired girl hovering close by.

Upon closer inspection, they were pressed closely together. The small, white-haired figure wore only thin undergarments, making their skin-to-skin contact unmistakable.

Covering them externally were layers of clothing—the white-haired girl's garments she had removed, followed by Zeke's own dirty blanket—tightly wrapped around both of them.

The source of warmth came from the little girl's body heat.

"You...saved my life," Zeke sighed, deeply moved.

"Mm-hmm."

"Ah! You're awake! That's great!"

The white-haired girl quickly roused herself, her face lighting up with joy at seeing Zeke conscious.

"Don't you find me smelly?" Zeke asked, furrowing his brows.

His body hadn't been washed for who knows how long; when he first arrived in this world, the stench nearly suffocated him. Yet, the little girl had hugged him all night—it confirmed his suspicion that she couldn't possibly be from a wealthy family; indeed, she must be dirt poor.

The white-haired girl wrinkled her nose and teasingly replied, "Smelly? Indeed, quite smelly! But what else could I do? I couldn't just let you freeze to death, especially since you gave me bread before. By the way, can you get up now?"

"Sure. And next time, don't do this with other boys. In theory, only your future husband should have the privilege of sleeping beside you."

Wait, no, that's not entirely accurate. In modern times, both men and women seem less concerned about such traditions amidst the bustling city life.

Still, it's probably best for kids not to learn these things too early.

"Husband? What's a husband? Is it edible?"

"I'll try to find one for you when the opportunity arises."

Zeke thought to himself, Ideally, someone honest would be best. He added aloud, "You seem rather naive; I worry you might fall for scams."

"Oh—no! What do you mean 'rather naive'? I'm very smart!"

"All right, I believe you."

As they engaged in this conversation, both Zeke and the girl tidied their clothes. For Zeke, there wasn't much to fix with his dirty rags.

He opened the paper bag, revealing two pieces of bread inside.

Don't misunderstand; the white-haired girl hadn't stolen any food.

In total, there were three pieces of bread left. Before falling asleep last night, Zeke secretly hid one piece in a corner as his reserved breakfast.

The remaining two were clearly placed in front of the white-haired girl within the paper bag. If she had taken some, Zeke wouldn't have said anything, but surprisingly, she resisted the temptation without touching them.

Damn!

Isn't this even more concerning now?

How can such an innocent little girl survive in this harsh reality?

Zeke handed the paper bag to the girl and said, "These two are for you."

"Ah? Both for me? What about you?"

"I have backups. My body is still weak, so just one piece in the morning is enough for me."

"Oh, well thank you then. I'll repay you someday."

With a silly grin, the white-haired girl eagerly stuffed the rock-hard frozen bread into her mouth.

Zeke quickly stopped her actions.

"Hold on, it's daylight now. I can start a fire and warm these up before eating."

"You're right, they'll taste better warmed up. Hurry up, then!" The white-haired girl commanded, suddenly acting quite familiar with Zeke, completely abandoning any stranger's politeness.

Zeke sighed inwardly, knelt down, and started a fire.

After half an hour, Zeke and the white-haired ball of fluff enjoyed steaming bread with hot water boiled in a battered clay pot.

Despite the freezing weather, they felt a sense of comfort, as if spending a cozy day indoors.

"I'm Zeke. Do you have a name?"

"Kiana! My name is Kiana Kaslana, quite a proud name, isn't it?"

"So your name's Kiana, like 'paramecium'... Wait? Kiana Kaslana?"

"Yes!" The white-haired girl—now known as Kiana—nodded proudly before asking, "What's a paramecium?"

"You'll find out later." Zeke replied mildly, silently chewing on his bread. Unwilling to let go of his curiosity, he casually continued, "I'm an orphan with no parents, how about you? Are you searching for your father?"

"Hmm? How did you know I'm looking for that stinky old man?"

"What's his name? What does he look like? Any distinctive features? Tell me, maybe I've seen him."

"He's called Siegfried Kaslana, tall and muscular, with white hair and blue eyes like me—kinda handsome, actually. Oh, and one more thing: he should have a pair of beautiful pistols on him. Have you seen them?"

Zeke tilted his head back and sighed wistfully.

Aha, nailed it—the mystery was solved; now he knew which world he had landed in. But the grim setting of Honkai Impact's universe hardly brought cheer to Zeke's heart.

"I haven't seen him."

"Oh..."

"But if we keep searching, I'm sure we'll find him eventually."

"You're right! No Kaslana gives up easily!"

Her disappointment lasted only a moment before Kiana bounced back, brimming with determination, flexing her biceps dramatically. However, all Zeke could perceive beneath those tiny arms was a hint of baby fat rather than strength.

He couldn't decide whether she was naive or simply optimistic.

Chewing on his bread, Zeke pondered that perhaps he should maintain some distance from this white-haired whirlwind.

Even the slightest ripple emanating from the vortex surrounding Kiana Kaslana could sweep someone as fragile as Zeke into oblivion.

But upon further thought, this silly girl hadn't hesitated to brave his filth and odor last night, disregarding her own modesty to share body heat and save him—a truly great act of kindness.

"Do you have any money on you?"

"Nope, lost it."

Kiana grinned toothily, those uniquely innocent eyes of hers gleaming with naive cheerfulness.

"Ugh..."

Zeke buried his face in his hands.

Why did it have to be Kiana Kaslana?

Even if she had been named Niggurath or something equally ridiculous, Zeke would still have been willing to raise her out of gratitude for saving his life. Then, depending on circumstances, he'd find her a good family so she could marry well and live prosperously.

But dealing with Kiana Kaslana genuinely felt beyond his capabilities!

"So do you have a specific destination in mind?"

"Not really, I'm just following my instincts."

"Let's cut to the chase—do you know where your next meal is coming from?"

"Huh? Well, the snow outside looks pretty tasty."

Kiana chuckled goofily, having finished both pieces of bread at some point, exuding an air of carefree optimism.

However, as someone who used to be a Captain, Zeke knew all too well that beneath her cheerful facade, she had moments when she broke down in tears. Witnessing such sorrow always tugged at his heartstrings.

"Tch! Fine, stick with me for a few days. I'll show you how to earn some money and teach you a thing or two about making ends meet. To find your dad, you first need means to support yourself. And just because I haven't seen him doesn't mean others haven't; we can inquire around while we're at it. Of course, on one condition: during this time, you must listen to me."

That's what Zeke decided.

Sirin wouldn't awaken so soon, and Otto's gaze likely hadn't yet turned towards Kiana. At least for now, she should be relatively safe.

In such circumstances, if he were to ignore this clueless little paramecium, Zeke feared he'd lose his appetite forever.

However, Kiana seemed to have other thoughts. With an expression as if she heard a joke, she adorably blinked and looked at Zeke, saying:

"You're already struggling like this? Still teaching me about earning money?"

"Shut up and do as I say! Otherwise, I'll make you return those bread loaves—by grabbing your throat and forcing you to vomit them out." Zeke glared frostily at Kiana, his gaze seemingly capable of freezing solid ice. This terrified the white-haired girl, causing her to cover her mouth with both hands, shrink back, and instantly become too scared to speak.

Kiana proved to be genuinely useful—in terms of her physical strength.

Carrying loads, fixing roofs, running errands, and even beating up street thugs for their ill-gotten gains—Zeke identified business opportunities and negotiated deals, while Kiana provided the muscle. By the end of the day, they had secured meals and purchased some supplies, with Zeke still holding onto a small stack of paper currency.

The locals called it "New Yuan," which was unfamiliar to Zeke.

But that didn't matter, as long as it served as a widely accepted medium of exchange.

"Zeke, you're amazing! We earned so much money!"

With various items hanging from her body, Kiana held up the few bills she received, bouncing excitedly. This was her first time earning money on her own, feeling both novel and incredibly fulfilling.

Zeke glanced at her without saying a word.

In truth, without Kiana's monstrous stamina, they wouldn't have achieved such success today.

However, after spending the day together, Zeke had already grasped Kiana's nature—she was a simpleton who thrived with just a bit of encouragement. Thus, he had no intention of praising her.

Soon, they returned to their initial resting spot—the bridge underpass.

Zeke unloaded the various items Kiana brought back and, with his dexterous hands, swiftly constructed a makeshift shower area and a windproof shelter.

Next came starting a fire for cooking dinner and heating water for bathing.

"Yippee, Zeke, I'm coming in!"

"It's not your turn yet!"

Facing the gleeful little lamb before him, Zeke's eye twitched involuntarily.

Siegfried, you're dead!

Interrupting a guy while he's naked in the shower? Is this how you taught Kiana?!

"What does it matter? Bathing together is quicker. Don't fuss so much; if we don't hurry, all the hot water will run out."

"..."

Forget it, the education issue can wait until later.

Meowww...