"Thanks to Mr. Jing Yuan's foresight, the interrogation of the two prisoners at Yuque has concluded."
"According to their confessions, the claim of sending the Stellaron to the Xianzhou was exactly as Mr. Jing Yuan predicted: a fabricated story used as a pretense to meet the Marshal."
"As for their true motive for seeking an audience with the Marshal... it was to present him with their Strategy to Contend with Gods. This much is irrefutable."
Yao Guang's childlike voice, distorted as if through a voice changer, echoed through the Seat of Divine Foresight, silencing everyone present except Lumina... and the cat.
"Meow... (Prisoners...)"
"Meow? (The blindfolded woman and the golden-haired man?)"
"Meow... Meow? (They actually dared to contend with the gods... Are they seeking their own destruction?)"
The Phantylia Kitten's meows echoed incessantly through the Seat of Divine Foresight, yet none of the four Generals paid her any attention. After all, aside from Lumina, no one else could understand what the Phantylia Kitten was saying.
"Hush, sweetie. Don't interrupt the Generals' discussion," Lumina murmured, gently stroking the Phantylia Kitten's head.
Hearing this, Phantylia Kitten finally calmed down completely.
It wasn't just because Lumina had told her to be quiet, but also because...
What's it got to do with me?
Back when she was still a Lord Ravager, Phantylia Kitten would have eagerly jumped into the fray.
But now, having shed her former title, she couldn't care less about strategies to contend with gods.
As she always said: My big sister is Lumina. Even if the sky falls, Lumina will hold it up. All I need to do is snuggle in her arms and watch her obliterate everyone.
Lumina: ...
Hearing Phantylia Kitten's inner thoughts, Lumina suppressed the urge to give her a good scolding and took a deep breath.
She didn't particularly like being called "Big Sister."
Well... of course, "Big Brother" was even worse.
Lumina preferred "Sister" and "Master."
Her numerous beautiful girl friends naturally addressed her as "Sister."
But for someone like Phantylia Kitten, "Master" was naturally more appropriate.
"What strategies did Jingliu and the Outlander propose?"
Phantylia Kitten's brief commotion didn't disrupt the four Generals' conversation. Their expressions remained calm, but their eyes burned with unprecedented seriousness.
"Ah..." Yao Guang sighed before explaining Jingliu and Luocha's strategy in response to Huaiyan's question. "It's... difficult to put into words."
"All the secrets lie within the golden-haired Outlander's coffin..."
"...It contains the remains of Propagation."
Upon hearing this, the scene remained unchanged except for Lumina. Everyone present—the Generals, the cat, and even the Little Kitten—reacted with visible shock.
However, unlike the three Generals, Phantylia Kitten's initial shock quickly subsided. She settled lazily into Lumina's arms, basking in her exclusive tenderness.
"The remains of the Swarm Author?" Feixiao asked for confirmation.
"No, to be precise, a fragment of its divine body," Yao Guang corrected, then continued: "In the Future envisioned by the two prisoners, this fragment serves as the nail that will doom the Plagues Author..."
Yao Guang's words hung in the air, plunging the room into silence.
The reason for their silence was simple: they were all observing Lumina's reaction.
After all, it wouldn't be very polite to declare your intention to kill their Boss right in front of the Abundance Emanator, would it?
Lumina, however, couldn't care less.
Seeing this, Yao Guang continued, "But before that, in this game of strategy to contend with Gods, a greater Alliance is indispensable."
"To that end, they've introduced an ally to the Xianzhou."
Yao Guang paused again, whether calculating the timing or teasing the three Generals.
"Surely the three Generals have heard of Ruan Mei, Genius Society #81, haven't they?"
"That's right—she's the ally they recommended to the Xianzhou."
"Don't worry. This uninvited guest has already arrived on the Xianzhou Luofu."
Before the three Generals could speak, Yao Guang preemptively addressed their unspoken questions.
When Lumina heard this, her small face immediately turned serious.
Phantylia Kitten: ?
Snuggled in Lumina's arms, the Phantylia Kitten could clearly feel the change in her body.
Startled by her sudden seriousness, the Little Kitten first paused, then replayed Yao Guang's words in its mind, instantly realizing what had happened.
She's seen a beautiful girl... hasn't she?
Perfectly normal.
If Lumina suddenly lost all interest in beautiful girls one day, Phantylia Kitten would be the one leaping to her feet in alarm.
Understanding this, Phantylia Kitten snuggled back into Lumina's arms and resumed her lazy lounging.
"...Three, two, one. Right on time."
"As for how to entertain our honored guest, allow me to pass this hot potato to you all."
Yao Guang's voice and the information she revealed left the three Generals present in stunned silence.
"Oh, and one more thing, Miss Lumina."
"If you ever have the time, please, please visit the Xianzhou Yuque!"
"We're much more fun than the Luofu, Yaoqing, and Zhuming. I promise you won't be disappointed!"
As she prepared to leave, Yao Guang addressed Lumina.
Though her voice was childishly high-pitched, Lumina could sense genuine anticipation beneath the surface.
"Mm, of course. If I ever have the time, I'll definitely make a trip to Xianzhou Yuque," Lumina replied with a warm smile.
Even without Yao Guang's explicit invitation, Lumina would have visited Xianzhou Yuque regardless.
Not for the scenery, but for... and Yao Guang.
"Excellent! With Miss Lumina's word, I can finally set my mind at ease," Yao Guang said, her voice filled with delight at Lumina's response.
"Then, farewell, everyone."
With these final words, the seal on the chessboard vanished, and the Seat of Divine Foresight once again fell silent.
Tap... tap... tap...
Just as Yao Guang's seal disappeared, the rhythmic clack of high heels against the floor echoed through the hall.
Moments later, an aloof yet captivating beauty in traditional Xianzhou attire materialized before them.
"Greetings. My name is Ruan Mei. When you pronounce my name, remember to pause slightly between 'Ruan' and 'Mei'."
"Mm..."
Ruan Mei introduced herself immediately upon arriving.
But soon, her gaze fell upon Lumina. Her delicate face froze momentarily in surprise, but a faint smile quickly blossomed on her lips.
"Lumina, long time no see."
-
(I'm not sure what Ruan Mei and the Generals discussed. The game's story cuts off here, so I'll just skip this part.)
"Ruan Mei, Ruan Mei! What brings you to the Xianzhou Luofu so suddenly?"
After leaving the Seat of Divine Foresight and arriving in the Exalting Sanctum, Lumina gazed at the scene before her and greeted Ruan Mei enthusiastically.
During their earlier conversation, the three Generals hadn't uttered a word about Ruan Mei's uninvited arrival. They didn't even ask her any questions. After simply informing her of the Luofu's customs, they treated her as an honored guest of the Luofu.
Hmm... I suppose a large part of this must be because I was present, and Ruan Mei knows me?
After all, Huaiyan had just declared that I would be treated as an honored guest throughout the Xianzhou Alliance.
If Ruan Mei were to be met with hostility upon arrival, it would make Huaiyan's earlier words sound like empty promises.
Ruan Mei's arrival at the Seat of Divine Foresight didn't trigger any tense confrontations.
"I have some matters to attend to," Ruan Mei replied with a faint smile to Lumina's inquiry, offering no further details.
It was unclear whether she simply didn't want Lumina to know about these matters or... whether she didn't want to involve Lumina in them.
Ruan Mei turned to face Lumina directly, her smile widening. "I never imagined we'd meet again here on the Xianzhou Luofu."
"That's what I should be saying, right?" Lumina chuckled, taking a step closer, closing the distance between them.
"The Luofu has been hosting the Wardance Ceremony recently. I've been here for quite some time now. Seeing you arrive just as the ceremony is about to begin is quite a surprise."
"Wardance Ceremony?" Ruan Mei murmured, nodding slightly. "Ah, I see. If I had known you were on the Luofu, I would have sent word ahead before coming."
"Ruan Mei, would you like me to show you around the Xianzhou Luofu?" Lumina suggested.
"The scenery on the Xianzhou Luofu... Very well," Ruan Mei replied after a moment's contemplation, nodding in agreement.
In truth, Ruan Mei had no interest whatsoever in the Luofu's scenery. So why did she accept Lumina's proposal?
The reason was simple: while she cared nothing for the scenery, she found Lumina herself utterly fascinating.
This fascination encompassed many aspects...
"Then let's go. The Xianzhou Luofu is vast, so I'll start by showing you around the Exalting Sanctum," Lumina said. Having received Ruan Mei's answer and sensing her lack of interest in the Luofu's scenery, Lumina refrained from commenting.
After all, Lumina herself had no interest in the Luofu's scenery either; her sole interest lay in Ruan Mei.
Of course, this "interest" also encompassed multiple aspects...
At that moment, their thoughts converged in perfect coincidence...
-
"Oh, by the way, how's Little Swarm doing these days?" After strolling through the Exalting Sanctum with Lumina for a while, Ruan Mei remembered Little Swarm and asked Lumina.
Though Ruan Mei occasionally contacted Little Swarm, the child was terribly shy. Whenever Ruan Mei managed to carve out time for a voice call, they never managed to have a real conversation.
Well... not never, exactly. It was more that Ruan Mei had never been able to get any details about Little Swarm's current life from the child herself.
Given Lumina's arrangements, Little Swarm's normal life should be proceeding without any problems.
But as Little Swarm's Creator, Lumina seemed to know everything, while Ruan Mei knew nothing at all.
Moreover, during their voice calls, Ruan Mei could sense something in Little Swarm's tone...
It was as if... she was afraid of her?
Why?
Based on Ruan Mei's past experiences with creation, creations typically viewed their Creators as their biological parents, unless intentionally programmed otherwise.
If that was the case, why was Little Swarm so afraid of her?
And even if she was afraid, Ruan Mei wouldn't have minded much.
But...
While Little Swarm feared Ruan Mei, she was also extraordinarily dependent on Lumina.
This paradox baffled Ruan Mei.
But, it doesn't matter.
On the contrary, Little Swarm's behavior only piqued Ruan Mei's interest further.
Fear, affection, dependence, terror, hypocrisy—all the emotions of a normal living being.
And now, all these emotions were vividly displayed within Little Swarm.
It was almost no exaggeration to say that Little Swarm was Ruan Mei's most perfect creation to date.
Well... to be precise, she was the most perfect creation of Ruan Mei and Lumina combined.
"Little Swarm is doing wonderfully," Lumina replied with a smile to Ruan Mei's question. "She's thriving, making a name for herself alongside her Big Sister."
"Big... Sister? Thriving?" Ruan Mei murmured, repeating the words.
Ruan Mei's expression remained unchanged, leaving Lumina slightly disappointed.
Since they first met, Lumina had only ever seen a faint smile, a blank stare, and a few other limited expressions on Ruan Mei's face. The limited range of emotions made Lumina feel it was a waste of such an utterly flawless face.
Lumina had said that earlier just to provoke a hint of surprise on Ruan Mei's face.
As it turned out, such remarks couldn't even make Ruan Mei flinch.
"It's Stelle. She's been sticking by Stelle's side lately," Lumina explained.
"Knowing Stelle's personality, she's definitely teaching Little Swarm some... questionable things," Lumina mused, recalling Little Swarm's recent behavior.
But what counts as "questionable" depends on the person.
Most of the "knowledge" Stelle was imparting to Little Swarm consisted of behaviors only a severe social phobe would attempt. Given Little Swarm's extreme social anxiety, these "questionable" lessons might actually help counterbalance her symptoms.
For Little Swarm, it might even be a good thing.
Once her social skills reach a normal level, they can simply correct her behavior in time.
Hmm... The question is, can they really correct her in time?
Lost in thought, Lumina couldn't help but sink into deeper contemplation.
"I see," Ruan Mei murmured, giving a slight nod. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, and she offered no further comment.
Snapping out of her reverie, Lumina said, "Oh, by the way, Little Swarm is on the Xianzhou Luofu right now."
"Instead of asking me, you'd be better off finding out for yourself."