If Phantylia hadn't shown up as their backer, the people of the Disciples of the Sanctus Medicus probably would still be hiding in the shadows.
Just a bunch of nobodies who couldn't even show their faces.
Counting on them to bring disaster to the Luofu would be worse than praying to the Aeon of Abundance. Maybe that one would even send an avatar over to see what was going on.
If the Abundance descended on the Xianzhou again, then nothing else would need to be done. The Luofu would fall into chaos on its own.
But that was just wishful thinking. That kind of situation was basically impossible.
Ever since granting the Ambrosial Arbor, the Aeon of Abundance had never descended upon the Xianzhou again.
Usually it was only the Emanators of Abundance or Abundance followers who occasionally popped up to cause trouble.
Given the current state of the universe, Abundance clearly didn't have time to come "tour" the Luofu.
Its Emanators were even farther away. Even if one suddenly decided to come to the Luofu, by the time it arrived, the Astral Express would probably already have cleared the Penacony storyline.
"Kind of tricky… Silver Wolf, do you have any ideas?"
Right now the future was covered in fog, so for the time being they chose to continue according to their original objective.
Judging from what had happened, the main change in the future revolved around Phantylia.
As for Stelle and the others, the main characters, there didn't seem to be any problems.
———
Kafka looked toward Silver Wolf.
As a legend from Punklorde, Silver Wolf had the most unconventional and active thinking among them.
Since she couldn't come up with anything herself, she might as well see if Silver Wolf had a way to help the Astral Express gain favor from the Xianzhou.
'What kind of ideas could I possibly have!'
Under Kafka's gaze, Silver Wolf rubbed her chin and thought. "How about… holding a banquet and having the Astral Express invite that… Gluttony General to drink?"
"I heard the Xianzhou likes that kind of thing!"
Maybe after eating, the favor would just be theirs.
And that general is even called "Gluttony".
That makes the success rate even higher.
"..."
Kafka held her forehead. Her thinking really did jump around.
It jumped straight to treating someone to drinks.
Kafka looked at Blade. At this moment he was sitting cross-legged, meditating, his eyes slightly closed, his face expressionless.
After thinking about it, she decided not to disturb him.
He was still in a state where he could relapse at any moment. Even Kafka's Spirit Whisper couldn't cure him.
The strain had simply been too great.
First Yanqing and all those Cloud Knights, then getting beaten up by Levi.
The fact he hadn't gone mad on the spot already showed incredible willpower.
Blade took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. He looked toward Silver Wolf, who was sitting on the steps, swinging her legs.
"That guy is your friend?"
"Mm-hmm."
Silver Wolf looked at Blade and asked with a smile, "What? Not convinced? Want me to set up a fight for you?"
Hearing the excitement in Silver Wolf's voice, Blade shook his head. A trace of wariness appeared on his usually expressionless face.
"That guy is dangerous. You'd better stay away from him."
'Oh ho! First time seeing Blade make that kind of expression!'
Silver Wolf wanted to pull out her phone to take a picture, but by the time she got it out, Blade had already returned to his usual look.
Staring at her coldly.
Silver Wolf showed a regretful expression and put her phone away.
"Dangerous, huh…"
Judging from how quickly Levi dealt with Blade, he really was dangerous.
At least in a direct fight, she had zero chance of beating him.
But…
The more you understood Levi, the less dangerous he became.
Especially for a good person like her.
To Levi, she was basically like a little lamb, completely harmless.
So the danger Blade talked about didn't apply to her.
Seeing that Silver Wolf didn't take his words seriously, Blade didn't say anything more.
He had already said what he needed to say. Whatever happened after that would be Silver Wolf's own business.
Holding the Shard Sword in his arms, Blade leaned against the wall. His eyes stared straight ahead, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
'That purple power… what exactly is it…'
'Could it… kill me?'
———
"Waaah…"
In the Exalting Sanctum, inside an inconspicuous residence.
The doors and windows were sealed shut. From outside it was impossible to see inside, and it also made the room very dim.
With only the light coming through small cracks, a figure could vaguely be seen sitting by the bed.
Weak sobbing sounds came from a corner.
"Waaah… waaah…"
"Alright already! What's a grown man crying for!"
The figure sitting on the bed crossed their legs and turned to look toward the sobbing person in the corner.
From their mouth came the voice of a young girl, completely against common sense.
"Waaah… my innocence is gone!"
"Tch~ like you'd care about that."
The girl curled her lips and took something out of her pocket, putting it near her mouth like a cigarette.
The sobbing immediately stopped and was replaced by questioning.
"When did you learn to smoke?"
"I knew you'd get it wrong!" the girl said smugly.
She took out the newly opened "cigarette" from her pocket and waved it at him.
"I bought this from the Alchemy Commission. Chocolate shaped like cigarettes. They actually taste pretty good. Want to try one?"
Levi opened the window, letting the room become bright again.
Looking at the thing in Qingque's hand, it really was easy to mistake it just by the appearance.
Especially in the dark.
Looking at the box she was shaking at him, Levi decisively reached out his hand.
"When I eat something, I only eat Qingque's!"
"Hey hey! Don't take them all! Leave me some!"
After a while.
The two of them sat on the sofa, each with a "cigarette" in their mouths.
Levi looked at Qingque beside him and sighed.
"You really can't judge a person by their appearance…"
Qingque, who usually looked timid and submissive, was actually… unexpectedly bold.
Qingque turned her head and met Levi's eyes. The two just looked at each other like that.
Levi sighed. His gaze toward Qingque became somewhat complicated.
"Uh... if you're not satisfied with my body, I can… add papaya to my daily meals."
Seeing his expression, Qingque thought he was dissatisfied with her figure.
After all, he had said something similar not long ago when their starskiff crashed.
"I don't really care about that.", Levi shook his head.
Even if he did care, it wouldn't matter.
Qingque was a Xianzhou native and already an adult.
Given the physical condition of Xianzhou people, this was probably as far as she would ever develop in this life.
The kind that not even technology could fix.
Levi's gaze was complicated. "I just didn't expect…"
"Didn't expect what?"
'Didn't expect that I like him?'
'Impossible! Even someone with negative emotional intelligence should be able to tell I like him.'
In a single day, aside from work and sleeping, she basically spent all her time playing with him.
Even if it were two guys, that kind of closeness wouldn't be normal.
Not to mention she was a girl.
And…
'I'm practically getting completely hooked here!'
Several times she thought something might happen, and every time nothing happened at all.
Just as Qingque was silently complaining, Levi's complicated voice sounded, "I treat you like a brother, and you want to sleep with me?"
"..."
Well… there was really nothing to say to that.
Qingque withdrew her gaze and lay back on the bed to continue sleeping.
"You're going back to sleep already?"
"The bed is dry."
"I... I mean, it's not even dark yet and you haven't eaten. You're just going to sleep?"
"Just call me when it's time to eat."
"..."