Following Lucas Reeve's introductions,
Jessica breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, they were just friends, or perhaps had come here with some other purpose. They had almost no real connection to Lucas Reeve. Besides, one of them, a Miss Saga, looked like a monk based on her attire. How could a monk possibly fall in love?
As for Miss Nine-Colored Deer...
She was too perfect.
Even without knowing anything about her past or personality,
just standing here and looking at her, Jessica found no other thoughts arising in her heart; she just wanted to quietly admire her.
Moreover,
the way this Miss Nine-Colored Deer looked at everyone was more or less the same, including Lucas Reeve. She treated everyone equally. Therefore, Miss Nine-Colored Deer certainly had no relationship with Mr. Reeve either. Just as Mr. Reeve had said, Miss Nine-Colored Deer was purely here to study medical knowledge.
And Miss Dusk...
She was Miss Nian's younger sister, so she definitely had no connection to Mr. Reeve either.
Phew...
It seemed to have passed in an instant.
But in reality,
Jessica's mind had been running on overdrive, analyzing the motives and 'threat levels' of all three women.
Threat assessment: zero.
Only then did Jessica truly relax, hoping she wouldn't have any more rivals. After all, she could completely handle her current competitors. With her background, her nearly limitless bank card, and her now-developing figure, Jessica felt she could take on ten, or even a hundred of them.
But if a woman as perfect as Miss Nine-Colored Deer were to enter the battlefield...
Jessica felt she wouldn't stand a chance.
As for Closure...
Jessica had met Closure once and had already subconsciously ignored her. And besides, even if there was a relationship, so what?
Could a measly little Closure pose any threat to her?
"Ooh-ha~"
After leaving the monastery, Saga had spent some time wandering before living inside Dusk's painting. Many years had passed in a flash. Furthermore, Higashi's development generally lagged behind Columbia's, and this was Columbia's capital city—being several decades behind was perfectly normal.
Therefore,
Saga had never seen such tall buildings.
After stepping out from the belly of this 'iron bird,'
she gazed at the prosperous city lights of the distant Columbian capital, her eyes practically glowing.
She wasn't averse to new things.
On the contrary, as a young person, even if she was a monk, she still yearned for novel experiences. So, on the aircraft, Saga had been asking Lucas Reeve questions nonstop, including the principles of how the aircraft took off. Lucas Reeve didn't find it troublesome at all, even explaining in detail the principles of an airplane engine. As for whether she could understand it, Lucas Reeve had no idea, though she most likely couldn't.
Oh, no...
There was a hundred percent chance she didn't understand.
Nine-Colored Deer was also somewhat stunned.
The architectural style of Columbia was vastly different from that of Yan.
Yan was a blend of ancient charm with modern technology—for example, a wooden house in a style from several hundred years ago might be equipped with electric lights, air conditioning, and WIFI.
Columbia, on the other hand, was purely modern and technological, with even a hint of a cyberpunk feel.
This aesthetic of technology...
left Miss Nine-Colored Deer slightly surprised.
However,
Nine-Colored Deer was fine.
At least, she had been traveling for many years, had walked through the thousands of mountains and rivers of Yan, and had seen so much, so she was merely surprised.
Among the group,
the most shocked was undoubtedly Dusk.
Dusk's expression remained calm, but her heart was in utter turmoil.
As a bonafide shut-in, coupled with her nearly infinite lifespan, she wasn't particularly concerned with time, a concept so precious to mortals.
She couldn't remember the last time she had gone out.
Decades ago?
Or centuries ago?
Anyway,
Dusk only remembered
that the last time she went out, Gouwu City at the foot of Mount Huiqi was still lit entirely by candles. That's why in Dusk's paintings, the world within them also had the feel of life from hundreds of years ago.
The only modern thing Dusk knew about was movies,
and she had only learned of them by chance.
"How about it? Times are changing fast, huh?"
Nian grinned and slung an arm around her younger sister's shoulders. However, Dusk just snorted coldly, not wanting to pay her any mind, and actively dodged away.
Since Jessica didn't know Lucas Reeve would be returning so suddenly, and with four extra people at that, she quickly made a call to the community restaurant to have more dishes sent over immediately. She even specifically requested some specialty dishes from Columbia and Victoria. As for Yanese dishes, she figured it was best to skip them, since these gods were all from Yan.
As they headed downstairs, Lucas Reeve walked in front.
Nian, acting as if she were the host, began to welcome Dusk, Nine-Colored Deer, and the others.
Jessica sidled up next to Lucas Reeve, whispering her thoughts.
"Mr. Reeve~ That Miss Nine-Colored Deer is so beautiful~"
"Indeed."
Lucas Reeve didn't deny it. Nine-Colored Deer was truly the most beautiful woman he had ever met. To falsely claim she wasn't as beautiful as Jessica at a time like this would be too disingenuous.
"Tsk, tsk... even I, a girl, am utterly captivated by her, let alone any boy. I bet when boys see a young lady like Nine-Colored Deer, they're all too excited or infatuated to even move."
Jessica sighed with emotion.
"What do you think, Mr. Reeve?"
"Do you like Miss Nine-Colored Deer's type?"
Jessica's question took a sharp turn, catching Lucas Reeve off guard.
*The dagger is revealed when the map is unrolled.*
Wasn't this map of Yan a bit too short?
Revealing the dagger after just two or three sentences?
*Jessica, you've gotten cunning, you've learned to be shrewd.*
"Like? Jessica, what kind of 'like' are you referring to?"
"Uh..."
Lucas Reeve's deliberate deflection left Jessica at a loss for words for a moment.
"You know, the 'like' between a man and a woman. Miss Nine-Colored Deer is so beautiful, Mr. Reeve couldn't possibly dislike her, right?"
Lucas Reeve smiled faintly.
"'Like' is a very strange thing. Essentially, 'like' has little to do with appearance. If you like someone just because of their looks, that's just lust, a fondness for a pretty shell. That kind of 'like' can't be called true liking. When it comes to the 'like' between a man and a woman, I'm more inclined towards a 'like' that resonates between souls...."
Lucas Reeve said a lot, and it seemed like a lot, but none of it directly answered Jessica's question. This move... Lucas Reeve had learned a bit of Kal'tsit's essence.
Riddles!
Sometimes, riddles were genuinely useful.
After arriving at the villa's dining room, Jessica, as the host, naturally arranged for her guests to be seated. A short while later,
the community restaurant delivered the dishes Jessica had ordered. She had even been considerate of Nian's tastes and specially ordered an extra-spicy hot pot.
This meal...
was quite satisfactory for Dusk.
One could only say that, as expected of sisters, their tempers and personalities were perfectly complementary.
Nian was carefree and radiant, a typical energetic girl, who chose to face Sui head-on.
Dusk was the complete opposite. She was quiet, an incorrigible shut-in, a beautiful but listless otaku girl. In stark contrast to Nian's energy, her attitude towards Sui was also completely different. Nian confronted things head-on, while Dusk would hide away, wanting nothing to do with it.
Their personalities were opposites.
And their dietary preferences were opposites as well.
Nian loved intense, super-freaking-hot spicy flavors, while Dusk preferred light and delicate tastes. For Dusk, a light flavor with some other subtle notes was the absolute pinnacle of deliciousness.
Since Saga was a monk, Jessica had arranged for a purely vegetarian meal for her.
Jessica's thoughtfulness was unexpected. Although they hadn't spoken much, she had considered every detail. Saga's favorable impression of Jessica increased greatly.
After a simple dinner,
as a true shut-in,
Dusk offered a brief thanks to Jessica, asked where she would be staying for the time being, and immediately got up and headed for the guest room.
As for Nine-Colored Deer, she didn't have much of an opinion about where she stayed. After all, having wandered Yan for so many years, sleeping out in the open had long become a habit for her. Her situation was similar to Surtr's in the past; just having a place to lie down and rest was already a great luxury.
Saga and Closure slept in the other two guest rooms.
It was a good thing Jessica's villa was large enough.
Otherwise, an ordinary home really wouldn't have been able to accommodate so many people.
In the following days,
Dusk and Nine-Colored Deer temporarily stayed at Jessica's home. However, Dusk's fundamental nature didn't change at all. For Dusk, the painting she carried with her was like a portable room for an otaku. As long as she had nothing to do, she would just dive inside wherever she was, which was incredibly comfortable.
As for Nine-Colored Deer,
the next day, she accompanied Lucas Reeve to Raythean Medica's research and development department.
As a deity proficient in ancient medical arts, this modern medicine that relied on cutting-edge equipment truly amazed her. After spending a day learning alongside Shining and Silence, Miss Nine-Colored Deer couldn't help but be filled with emotion.
She marveled at the creativity of mortals.
As a deity with a near-infinite lifespan, her achievements in ancient medicine over so many years were not even comparable to the machines invented by humans. It could only be said that humans were truly something else. The collective potential of humanity was enormous. It was no wonder that the once-dominant behemoths and gods were ultimately defeated at the hands of humans.
Because there were many new things to learn,
Nine-Colored Deer was also very happy these days. Every day when she returned to the villa after finishing her 'work' at Raythean Medica, the smile on her face would grow brighter. It even got to the point where the others could gauge how many new things Nine-Colored Deer had learned that day just by the radiance of her expression when she came back.
Meanwhile,
it wasn't a good solution for Dusk, as a shut-in, to be cooped up in her painting all day.
Or rather...
this version of 'shut-in' wasn't authentic enough.
So, at Nian's request, Lucas Reeve very kindly provided Dusk with a mobile phone, a tablet, a high-spec computer, a PlayStation console, a large pile of game discs, manga, figurines, light novels, and a small refrigerator. The fridge was stocked full of otaku happy water. Now *that* was the proper standard for a shut-in girl.
As for Saga, in her quest to find her own understanding of Buddhism and her life's purpose, she had basically become Nine-Colored Deer's shadow these days. Perhaps for her, following by Nine-Colored Deer's side was the only way to find the answers she sought.
"So... how do you plan to deal with that old geezer?"
In Dusk's room, various scrolls of paintings were scattered about. However, Dusk wasn't diving into her painted world as usual. Instead, she was sitting at her computer desk, her slender fingers clicking the mouse at an incredible speed while her other hand furiously typed on the keyboard. The crisp sound of keystrokes filled the large room.
Even when the screen turned gray,
Dusk would release the mouse, her hands becoming a blur as they flew across the keyboard, momentarily transforming her into an elegant pianist. The slightly messy guest room seemed to become the Vienna concert hall. Don't think that just because Dusk is a bit of a shut-in, she's quiet and introverted. In fact, it's quite the opposite. When faced with people who can easily raise her blood pressure, like Nian or Second Brother, Dusk's talent for sharp-tongued remarks is instantly pushed to its limit.
"Uh... I'm not really sure myself."
"Anyway, from my perspective, relying on just one or two of us to deal with the old geezer is completely insufficient. We need all the brothers and sisters to unite. Only then might we have a chance."
"Unite?"
Dusk snorted coldly while typing on the keyboard.
"Do you think those people will choose to unite with you? Sister Ling might be a possibility, but that idiot Second Brother is impossible, and it's almost impossible for Big Brother either....."
"Uh... we have to at least try, right?"
Nian sounded a bit helpless.
There was nothing she could do.
The pressure from Sui was just too, too strong. Even though Nian wanted to resist, she felt somewhat powerless. After all, even she was just a part of Sui's separated consciousness.
"Besides... with Mr. Reeve here, and an Ancient God of Flame like Laevatain, we might still have a chance. After all, you should have noticed it too, Dusk. Mr. Reeve's true form is in no way inferior to that old geezer's. This means that at his peak, Lucas Reeve could at least fight the old geezer to a standstill."
"Rely on an outsider?"
Dusk raised an eyebrow. "Do whatever you want."
"Also..."
"I don't think I want to be devoured either..."
Nian was stunned.
"Why do you say that, Dusk-bao? You've changed, have you?"
Dusk, while clicking the one-key report button in the bottom right corner, said, "I'm starting to understand why you chose to resist. This world is indeed a bit interesting. And don't call me Dusk-bao, it disgusts me."
After saying that,
Dusk started another match.
"But... isn't your ID 'Dusk Baby'?"
Nian pointed at Dusk's account ID. Dusk was momentarily embarrassed and decided she would buy a name-change card.
Lucas Reeve didn't stay in Columbia for long. After five days, the Doctor's body returned to Rhodes Island with Closure. On some matters, Lucas Reeve's soul would emerge from Jessica's necklace to chat with others, and Nine-Colored Deer gradually got used to life in Columbia.
Modern medicine still had quite a few changes and differences compared to the ancient medicine that Nine-Colored Deer was skilled in.
Even for Nine-Colored Deer, learning it wouldn't be that fast.
These days,
the happy Nine-Colored Deer would voluntarily prepare meals for everyone in the villa every day, for every meal, transforming from a deity into a doting house mom.
Even Jessica, who was usually in the habit of eating breakfast at the company,
had gotten used to waking up every morning to a breakfast specially prepared by Nine-Colored Deer over the past few days.
A month later,
the Columbia Film Festival, which was of utmost importance to Nian, was about to be held. As Nian had received an official invitation early on, Jessica took her to a luxurious bespoke clothing store a few days before the festival began to have a qipao suitable for the stage custom-made.
Furthermore, Nian had prepared a full seven drafts of her speech, just in case.
Watching Nian, who was currently selecting fabrics, Lucas Reeve asked Jessica in a low voice.
"By the way, Jessica, have you spoken to the person in charge over there?"
Lucas Reeve was still a little worried, afraid that an excited Nian would end up not winning an award and angrily wreck the venue.
"Don't worry, Mr. Reeve, I've already told them. But I only found out recently that my father had already spoken to the organizers personally before this. Then, Uncle Jones also spoke to them separately. And I also spoke to them a while ago. The good news is, Nian will win at least one award."
"But the not-so-great news is, Nian will win at least three awards..."