Sylvia never expected someone would come looking for her at a time like this.
When the windowpane rattled with a persistent knock-knock-knock, her mind flooded with questions.
She turned her head and saw a silhouette hovering outside the curtains—a sight that left her utterly bewildered.
Getting up to pull back the curtains, she found herself staring straight into Bailu's wide, round eyes.
And Bailu, in turn, immediately noticed the pair of draconic horns on Sylvia's forehead.
Bailu was stunned.
What in the world?
How could this be? They hadn't seen each other for just a few days, and now Sylvia had become a Vidyadhara?
Sylvia slid the window open, making no effort to conceal her draconic features as she looked down at Bailu.
While she preferred not to draw attention from the Vidyadhara, she'd never been particularly intent on hiding it either.
She was careful when going out, but at times like this—practicing Cloudhymn magic at home—she saw no reason to retract her draconic form and interrupt her meditation on Permanence and the arcane arts.
If Bailu saw it, so be it. It wasn't a big deal.
Not only was Bailu already at odds with the Dragon Elders, but even if her secret were exposed, Sylvia had her own ways of handling it.
So, maintaining her draconic appearance, Sylvia asked Bailu:
"...Why knock on the window instead of the door?"
"Heheh… sorry, sorry."
Bailu clasped her little hands together, grinning sheepishly:
"Your front door faces the main road, and with no one around today, it's way too obvious. The back path is much more discreet."
"Alright then. So why are you here? With everything happening on the Luofu today, shouldn't you be staying home?"
"Ehehe~ Well, may I come in first?"
Bailu, for now setting aside the matter of Sylvia's horns, glanced left and right, checking for any suspicious figures.
Then, clinging to the windowsill, she blinked up at Sylvia with a pitiful, pleading look.
Sylvia couldn't help but smile.
Reaching through the window, she hooked her hands under Bailu's arms and, with a gentle lift—ignoring the girl's surprised expression—hoisted her small frame right into the room.
"Hey—don't treat me like a kid!"
Dangling in mid-air, Bailu puffed her cheeks and waved her arms in protest.
But the act only made her seem even more childlike.
Chuckling, Sylvia set her down without a word, then closed the window and drew the curtains again.
Once on her feet, Bailu pouted, her eyes drifting to the pale, jade-like draconic tail swaying behind Sylvia.
Her surprise deepened.
How strange… It couldn't be a side effect from the medicine I prescribed, could it?
Having given Sylvia a herbal prescription not long ago, Bailu smacked her lips, a flicker of guilt crossing her mind.
No, that can't be it.
She mentally reviewed the formula again—it was just a standard restorative tonic. If it could really make tails grow, half the Vidyadhara would be lining up at her door begging for it.
When Sylvia turned back, she found Bailu staring intently at her tail, lost in thought.
Probably questioning her whole understanding of medicine.
"What are you looking at?"
"Sylvia, are you… a lost dragon descendant?"
The legacy of Permanence wasn't limited to the Vidyadhara alone, and Bailu's guess ventured into bolder territory—wondering if Sylvia might be descended from some other draconic lineage.
"Of course not. More importantly, you should tell me why you snuck out this time."
Bailu wasn't one to pry relentlessly; her curiosity was simply piqued. She reached out and lightly touched the scales on Sylvia's tail as she answered:
"With everything happening on the Luofu, I thought I could help out. But those stubborn old fogeys wouldn't let me leave, so I went out on my own."
"..."
Sylvia pursed her lips. Of course the Dragon Elders didn't want Bailu wandering off.
No matter what, with the Ambrosial Arbor stirring, the Vidyadhara—who sealed the Arbor—needed to stay prepared, ready to unlock the seal for the Luofu's general at a moment's notice to deal with the crisis.
Whether Bailu could actually undo the seal or not, she was still the candidate for the next Vidyadhara High Elder.
At a time like this, she absolutely had to be on call.
But then Sylvia reconsidered.
From the little described about the Dragon Elders in the game, they were arrogant by habit and deeply dissatisfied with the last two High Elders.
Add to that Bailu's eternal childlike form, her lack of dreams about Permanence, and her… less-than-stellar Cloudhymn magic—it was no wonder some Elders had grown disloyal and looked down on her.
So they probably hadn't bothered explaining anything, just issued a lofty order confining her to quarters.
The attendants tasked with watching Bailu wouldn't know the deeper politics; such orders were commonplace anyway.
Naturally, they couldn't give Bailu a proper explanation.
No wonder Bailu was upset.
On normal days, she could accept it—if she couldn't go out, she'd just treat patients within the Alchemy Commission.
But now? Countless Luofu citizens were succumbing to Mara mid-journey. The entire ship was evacuating civilians, and many afflicted couldn't even reach the Alchemy Commission in time.
With other healers rushing everywhere to save lives, Bailu—the Healer Lady—was both a Vidyadhara and a member of the Luofu.
Were those fossilized Elders trying to stage a rebellion?
Blocking her from helping her own people at a time like this—what were they thinking?
So Bailu did what she did best: she slipped out, following a familiar escape route.
And with the Cloud Knights stretched too thin to spare anyone to retrieve her, her getaway went smoothly—all the way to Sylvia's home without a single hitch.
That was Sylvia's guess, anyway.
A few questions later, she found Bailu's reasoning largely matched her own.
Though Bailu didn't believe the Elders were rebelling—just that they were detestable, stubborn, and generally unpleasant.
After pouring Bailu a cup of tea, Sylvia led her to sit down for a rest, then asked what the little dragon lady planned to do next.
"So why come to me? The Central Starskiff Haven is the hardest-hit area."
"Hehe, well, I remembered I promised to treat you to something delicious last time."
Bailu tilted her head back and gulped down several mouthfuls of water. Aaah—she exhaled in relief before continuing:
"I figured after all this, lots of businesses on the Luofu will be affected. If we don't go today, who knows how long we'll have to wait next time."
Finishing her tea, Bailu fixed her eyes expectantly on Sylvia.
Sylvia reached out and gently pinched Bailu's soft cheek.
"I think the treat is just an excuse. What you really want is a bodyguard, right? The affected areas are swarming with Cloud Knights, and you didn't dare go alone."
"Uhh… it's a little of both, really."
Busted, Bailu scratched her head sheepishly, her tail twitching and lightly thumping against the sofa in embarrassment.
Sylvia smiled, but her attention drifted to the lock fastened around Bailu's tail.
--+--
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.