Chapter 127: Paimon: Youth is truly wonderful, being a young lady in a dress is really cute and lively~
「 Stelle silently lowered her head. Facing Danshu's pleading, she didn't say a word. She merely took deep breaths, seemingly undergoing a fierce internal struggle.
A moment later, she opened her eyes and wordlessly pulled out her baseball bat.
A flash of disappointment seemed to cross Danshu's colorless eyes, but she quickly recovered, her tone returning to its usual indifference: "So, it is truly regrettable. If you had met me first, perhaps we could have become true friends."
"Master, we should leave now..." The vigilant disciple beside her whispered a reminder.
Danshu nodded, and before turning to leave, she sighed one last time: "I sincerely hope this is an eternal farewell for the two of us. Farewell, Nameless."
Having finished speaking, Danshu's figure vanished within the Artisanship Commission.
Dealing with the two vigilant disciples was not troublesome, but recalling Danshu's recent words made her mood extremely heavy.
"Sigh...I'd better report my findings to Qingzu at the Seat of Divine Foresight." 」
「 .....」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
"I feel like Stelle held back at the last moment... Otherwise, with her strength, she could have forcibly detained Danshu right in front of the two vigilant disciples."
Inside Natlan's Sacred Fire Coliseum, looking at Stelle's face, filled with regret and loss, Chasca and Mavuika lost the mood to drink a few extra rounds. Although they were separated by different worlds and couldn't truly empathize, they could still understand that feeling.
"Perhaps Danshu's final words affected her somewhat?"
Mavuika sighed.
"...I can understand."
"Mavuika, if it were you, would you let Danshu go?"
"Me?"
Mavuika rested her chin in her hand and thought for a moment, then smiled faintly:
"If I were standing from the perspective of a Natlan Archon... ah, no, from the perspective of a Xianzhou General, I would detain this Chief who has committed countless crimes, no matter what. But if I discarded my position and looked at it purely from my personal angle, I would consider giving her another chance."
"Oh? I thought the Pyro Archon would be stricter."
"Danshu is a very complicated person. I cannot view her through purely black-and-white standards. She has the side of a Chief Alchemist, protecting the weak, and the side of the Leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, harming others as a perpetrator."
"I would give her a chance... to atone for her sins, and after that, I would treat her as a true friend. But if she doesn't cherish this opportunity..."
Her voice trailed off. Mavuika let out a small sigh, spreading her hands in a gesture that conveyed "I've done all I can."
"—Then her path has reached its end?"
Chasca understood immediately and finished her thought with a smile.
—
「 Inside the Seat of Divine Foresight, Stelle reported everything that had happened earlier at the Artisanship Commission to Qingzu. Although failing to capture Danshu made Qingzu feel slightly regretful, the valuable intelligence provided her with enormous assistance.
Only after dealing with the Danshu matter did Stelle realize she had been delayed for too long; she was supposed to meet up with Welt and March soon.
Suddenly, she received a message from Dan Heng.
Dan Heng: Our Starskiffdeviated from the course. What's the situation on your end?
Stelle: You're alive again?
Dan Heng: Yes. What's the situation on your end?
Stelle: We captured Kafka, but the process was too smooth; it feels strange.
Dan Heng: Where are Kafka's companions? Did you see Blade?
Stelle: She was alone when we caught her. What's wrong?
Dan Heng: Be careful. That person is extremely dangerous. I'll find a chance to shake off the Cloud Knights and catch up with you.
———
The scene shifted to Dan Heng's side, where Sushang was looking up curiously at the Ambrosial Arbor roots in the Artisanship Commission.
"So this is Luofu's Ambrosial Arbor? It's my first time seeing it." Sushang widened her eyes, her rosy lips forming a small circle as she made cute "wah wah wah" sounds.
"Our Yaoqing's Plaguemark is a moon, hehe. I think it looks better than the Luofu's."
Luocha: "I heard the Ambrosial Arbor withered long ago... How could it suddenly grow and spread?"
"It is the work of the Stellaron; there is no other explanation. We must return to the Ten-Lords Commission as quickly as possible!" Xueyi said anxiously.
"I am injured and cannot move easily, so I must commandeer your services for a distance. Once we find the Starskiff port, you are free to act."
The Ten-Lords Commission has the authority to commandeer Cloud Knights; this is the rule in the Xianzhou. The others had no objections and simply chose to follow Xueyi.
Fortunately, the monsters along the way seemed to have been cleared out by someone, and there were only a few in total. After passing through, they encountered Master Gongshu, who was staying behind in the Artisanship Commission. At this moment, the old man was so bored that he had started chatting with Diting.
"How could I, Gongshu Liang, be someone who fears death? The safety of the Artisanship Commission now depends entirely on me."
Diting: "Woof woof! Woof woof!"
Mr. Gongshu put on a troubled expression: "No! Little dog, you must escape yourself. The Cloud Knights have been delayed for too long. My only option now is for this old man to turn the tide!"
Sushang, who was standing nearby, was burning with anxiety and quickly advised him: "Uncle, don't try to be a hero."
Master Gongshu widened his eyes: "Little dog, you, how did you start talking?"
"Who are you calling a little dog?" Sushang pouted in dissatisfaction. 」
「 .....」
〜Zenless Zone Zero World〜
New Eridu, Outer Ring—
"Oh dear, Miss Sushang is truly cute and energetic. Youth is wonderful~"
Piper, who was feeling a bit sleepy, yawned contentedly after seeing Sushang's cute pouting look.
Lucy sat on the sofa beside her, her two jade-white thighs crossed. Even though her current identity was that of a Motorhead, her every gesture still carried the nobility of a young lady. Stirring the coffee in her cup gently with a spoon, she scoffed:
"...But that silly look is quite similar to Caesar."
"Correction: Not silly at all."
Caesar sighed helplessly.
"Besides, I think Miss Sushang is great. She's straightforward. It's a shame she's not in the Outer Ring, otherwise I'd really like to treat her to a couple of Bernice's specials."
"Hmph, people like that are the easiest to be deceived by bad guys outside! Simple-minded and quick to trust others. And it's not just her, Caesar... you too!"
"Me? I haven't been deceived?"
Caesar scratched his head, puzzled.
"Isn't that because I'm here? Without me, you would have been swindled out of even your bike's fuel money in the Outer Ring long ago!"
As she spoke, Lucy proudly lifted her chin:
"I'm giving you three minutes to be eternally grateful to me, Caesar~ Of course, if you want to compensate me, you can let me sit in the boss's seat for a few days first."
"Huh? Lucy, didn't you lose to me last night?"
"Nonsense! I—I didn't lose...!"
The girl's face immediately flushed crimson, and she clenched her fists tightly.
"Ceasefire! This is just a temporary ceasefire! I will win someday! Caesar, you just wait for me!"
—
「 "My apologies, young lady. I also wondered if I hadn't installed a human voice module in the little fellow... Hmm? Wait a minute... How did you get here?" Master Gongshu finally realized four people were standing in front of him.
"The rest of you, hurry and run for your lives too!"
Sushang patted her chest, a proud look on her face: "You just said the 'Cloud Knights have been delayed for too long.' As a Cloud Knight myself, haven't I arrived now? Just leave the matters here to me!"
"Absolutely not! As a Master Artisan, this old man has the responsibility to remain in the Commission." Master Gongshu said righteously.
"Oh?" A rare mischievous smile appeared on Sushang's delicate face.
"It looks like I'll have to use some unavoidable methods. Are you prepared to move yourself, or should I have the young man in the white coat behind me stuff you into his white box and transport you away?" 」
「 .....」