Sylvia nearly spat out her mochi.
What was this girl on about all of a sudden? Weren't we just supposed to discuss the time and place first?
How is it already decided?
Before Sylvia could even send a message asking, Silver Wolf, as if reading her mind, sent a barrage of texts:
[Silver Wolf: You definitely forgot!]
[Silver Wolf: Whatever.]
[Silver Wolf: I'll set the time and place for you.]
[Silver Wolf: Just get this marriage over with tomorrow.]
[Silver Wolf: Just bring yourself.]
[Silver Wolf: Perfect timing—after it's done, help me get a game achievement.]
[Silver Wolf: [Image][Image][Image]]
A few game screenshots followed, showcasing Silver Wolf's accomplishments from last night. They included several leaderboards and a long list of unlocked achievements.
After sending those, without even giving Sylvia a chance to reply, Silver Wolf logged off immediately.
Sylvia pursed her lips.
Well then.
She should've known. Even getting married, this girl had to find some way to get something extra out of a game.
What kind of life sim game was this, requiring a real-life contractual relationship at a specific location to claim rewards?
Sylvia had a strong suspicion that the main reason Silver Wolf was in such a hurry was precisely that achievement reward.
Shaking her head, she put her phone away, just in time to meet Qingque's curious gaze.
Qingque had a mochi stuffed in her own cheek, munching slowly while watching Sylvia, clearly intrigued by her sudden dramatic change in expression.
"Were you even listening?"
"I was, I was. You said the Cloud Knights escorted a bunch of people straight to the Divination Commission today, claiming they'd uncovered Disciples of Sanctus Medicus members."
"That's right, exactly!"
Munching on her mochi, Qingque recounted the events of the morning.
"You have no idea, the faces of all those diviners assigned to assist just went pale in an instant. But the Master Diviner herself was completely unflappable. Heard the Cloud Knight commander was practically fuming."
"Sigh~ Honestly, it's such a pain. I got dragged into this mess for no reason too. Now I'm stuck here on watch duty, can't go anywhere."
As she said this, Qingque noticed Sylvia's seemingly indifferent expression and nudged her side with an elbow, slightly annoyed.
"Hey, give me some reaction here! The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus took another huge fall because of you. If I were their leader, I'd hate your guts."
Only then did Sylvia snap to attention, looking at Qingque in surprise.
"Oh, so you called me to the Divination Commission because you were worried about me."
"Of course I'm worried! You're basically my sister. With something this big happening, how could I not be? Who would've thought an internal crackdown on the Luofu would turn up Sanctus Medicus spies."
Yesterday, the Cloud Knights had conducted an overnight self-investigation, rounding up a number of suspicious individuals and delivering them in a bundle to the Divination Commission.
Who could have predicted such a 'pleasant surprise' would come out of it?
Just like that.
Those who had been grumbling about the General's orders were now thoroughly silenced.
If it was just an internal review targeting malpractice, they could still find things to criticize.
But now, with Disciples of Sanctus Medicus members popping up within the Cloud Knights themselves, anyone daring to speak up against the investigation would probably be hauled off to the Shackling Prison faster than you could say 'Sanctus Medicus'.
Listening to Qingque prattle on about the morning's events, Sylvia started to feel something was off…
Was the General doing this on purpose?
Using her as a pretext to launch a large-scale internal sweep of the Luofu, getting results within a single day, even uncovering Sanctus Medicus agents.
If it was just about investigating derelict Cloud Knights, why conduct such an urgent overnight screening?
This move must have genuinely caught the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus off guard.
No… wait, that might not be right.
Jing Yuan and Fu Xuan had long known the core members of the Disciples were in the Alchemy Commission.
If they really wanted to act, the first stop should have been the Alchemy Commission, not wasting this precious opportunity on the Cloud Knights.
Was it really just going with the flow?
Sylvia found that hard to believe.
He was, after all, the General of Divine Foresight. While the game's story didn't show much, this was reality. If Jing Yuan didn't think three, four, five steps ahead with every move, he wouldn't deserve the title.
Especially for something with repercussions this significant.
Sylvia popped another milk candy mochi into her mouth, pondering Jing Yuan's possible intentions.
Was he deliberately trying to pressure the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus?
To find traces of Phantylia.
"Speaking of which, when is your Divination Commission's internal review?"
"Us? We're probably next. Our commission's workload is about to get heavy."
Qingque sighed, then added, "This morning, we received the General's direct order: not a word of today's events is to leave this place. The Master Diviner even specifically warned me to stay away from the parlor games recently, lest I slip up and say something. Sigh~"
"That's not about slipping up. It's about keeping you from becoming a target. Everyone they detain will likely be brought here for verification. The Disciples won't take this lying down. You going to the parlor would make you a sitting duck."
As she spoke, Sylvia checked the packaging in her hand, found the shop that made these milk candy mochi, and ordered two boxes online to be delivered to Acheron back home.
Let the Cycrane take them back for Acheron to try.
Beside her, Qingque, assuming Sylvia just really liked the mochi, paid it no mind and continued, "I know that, of course. But not being able to play cards, plus having to work overtime at the Commission… I just feel completely out of sorts."
Hearing this, Sylvia had a thought. She could ask Silver Wolf to help make a Celestial Jade mobile game.
Didn't need fancy graphics, just something with online matching for playing cards.
That way, even after Sylvia left the Luofu in the future, she could still find people to play with anytime.
She was about to message Silver Wolf, then reconsidered. They'd be meeting in the game tonight anyway. Might as well bring it up after the… marriage.
Just thinking that…
Sylvia felt the thought was a bit weird.
"Ah, bear with it. It had to happen sooner or later. It's probably just for a little while."
Sylvia gave the overworked girl's shoulder a sympathetic pat, then held a milk candy mochi to Qingque's lips, watching her open her mouth to take it.
The sweetness soothed some of the inner anguish. Qingque glanced at the now half-empty box of mochi and hastily waved a hand.
"You should go see the Master Diviner now. I think she's probably exhausted by now and could really use some sugar. Before we eat it all."
Seeing Qingque's insistence, Sylvia didn't refuse. Packing up the remaining tea snacks, she headed into the Divination Commission alone.
Perhaps yesterday's notifications had done their job.
Sylvia passed through unimpeded just by showing her face, all the way to where the Matrix of Prescience was housed.
There she found Fu Xuan, working alone.
The other diviners seemed to have all gone out for a break. Only Fu Xuan remained, processing information.
Seeing this, Sylvia quietly approached, picked up a milk candy mochi, and offered it from the side.
True to Sylvia's expectation, Fu Xuan didn't even look, simply tilting her head slightly and opening her mouth, letting Sylvia place the mochi inside.
The pad of Sylvia's finger accidentally brushed against Fu Xuan's soft, warm lips, the powdered sugar dusting them leaving a sweet taste on Sylvia's skin.
"Mmm… Did you prepare these specially? Wait a moment, this one will fetch some medicinal tea for you."
Noticing the box of tea snacks in Sylvia's hand, the smile that tugged at Fu Xuan's lips betrayed her mood.
Who wouldn't be happy when a thoughtful gesture was met with immediate appreciation?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.