Two months had passed since the time travel.
Crackle! Crackle!
"I really didn't expect things would turn out like this."
Elias sat with legs crossed, holding a cup of black tea on an armchair. He watched the flames blazing in the fireplace before him—the warmth and light had dispelled the cold and darkness from the orphanage.
Surrounding him were a group of adorable girls. Except for a pair of twins who had fallen asleep, the rest were energetically chatting about topics that interested them.
Occasionally, a few of the girls glanced toward Elias. In their eyes, there was clear dependence and admiration.
Ring~! Ring~! Ring~!
At that moment, the chimes of the clock echoed through the hall.
Elias set down his teacup and clapped his hands. The once-boisterous little girls immediately lined up obediently in front of him, even the sleeping twin sisters woke and joined them.
"Children, it's bedtime. No matter how much joy you still have to share with each other, now is the time for good children to sleep. As for Rozaliya and Liliya, you two need to go back to sleep properly."
"No problem, Papa Elias!"
"Mm, Rozaliya is good at sleeping. Liliya hasn't had enough yet either. Haa~"
"Very good. Early to bed and early to rise—only then can you grow tall. That's one of the rules at House of the Hearth. If anyone stays up late and gets caught, tomorrow's dessert will mysteriously disappear. Got it?"
"Got it, Papa Elias!" xN
Elias curled his lips in satisfaction.
Hearing a bunch of cute little lolis calling him "Papa" was just the best. No! He had to keep a straight face. As the father of House of the Hearth, his dignity must not waver!
"Very well. Now, back to your rooms. I'll be doing random checks tonight to see who's not sleeping."
The girls scattered, giggling as they ran upstairs.
Elias nodded in satisfaction, then returned to his seat by the firelight, holding a newly started novel he intended to finish reading through the night.
Children weren't allowed to stay up late.
But adults could.
Although a few mischievous kids might call him sneaky, he was, after all, the father of the orphanage. Even if he didn't sleep a wink, no one could take away his tea the next morning.
[Dear Host, it seems you've already adapted.]
"Hm? System? I guess so. After accepting the identity you gave me, it's actually been pretty refreshing."
Without even looking up, Elias continued reading his book.
He had grown much more composed. Compared to the not-even-15-year-old body he had during the Second Eruption, he was now a mature adult nearing 30.
Elias had grown to over 180 cm tall, often dressed in a silver-gray suit, wearing black leather gloves. Even his hairstyle was neatly combed.
All traces of childish innocence and teenage immaturity were gone from Elias now. His every gesture was subtle, yet exuded a natural elegance and steadiness.
If Kiana and Mei were here, they would surely gasp in surprise—so this is what Elias looks like grown up! So mature, handsome, and charismatic that it was hard to look away.
He was the operator of House of the Hearth Orphanage.
The father figure to more than a dozen orphans.
That was the identity the system had assigned to Elias for this simulation.
"So two months have passed, huh? Heh, I remember when the system first tossed me into this timeline—I didn't even know what to do. Even though this was supposed to be Bronya and Seele's past, I hadn't seen either of them at all. And..."
Elias narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the silent system.
"And of course, it had to be an identity almost identical to that woman's. Nice touch, system."
[Originally, you were an officer in a unit. But after the squad was wiped out during a minor Honkai Eruption, you fell into despair and left the military. After that, you devoted yourself to building the orphanage and took in many children who lost their families due to the Honkai—that's not bad, right?]
"Hmph, don't think I haven't noticed. This is just a copy of that vixen Cocolia's template! She's currently second only to Otto on my list of most hated people."
Elias said in annoyance, grabbing the edges of the system's glowing interface and pulling as if he intended to tear it apart.
[Ahem At least that vixen was a just and kind companion in the early days. Please show some mercy, dear Host—stop pulling it apart.]
"Whatever. I'm just a little curious—if my identity template is based on Cocolia, then what about her now? Has she vanished from this world or something?"
[Of course not. Although her fate has been altered due to your presence and she no longer establishes the Cocolia's Orphanage, the rest of her path remains unchanged.]
"Tch, so that vixen still ends up becoming the legendary civil war goddess—Coco 'Danzo'? Troublesome. Maybe I should just take her out in this era."
Elias frowned slightly, but the trouble he referred to wasn't Cocolia—it was fate itself.
In this world, everyone's fate was predetermined. No matter what changes occurred, they would eventually follow the original path—unless their fate was personally rewritten by Elias himself.
Only Elias, whose existence was unaffected by correction, could create a truly new future.
Just then—
Plap~ Plap~ Plap~
The sound of slippers stepping on the floor echoed.
"...Oh? Let me see which naughty little one is still awake at this hour."
"Papa Elias, i-it's me."
A blue-haired girl in white pajamas stood shyly before Elias, clutching a pillow to her chest. She looked so small and fragile—like a delicate little animal, the kind of pure girl that naturally stirred one's protective instincts.
"Ah, it's Seele. Did you need something from me?" Elias' gaze immediately softened.
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