Hungry. So hungry.
This was the first sensation that flooded Lumine's mind upon waking. Along with the hunger came a foggy, disoriented feeling in her head. It was as if she had slept for an incredibly long time—so long that her thoughts were muddled, and many things seemed hazy.
Her mind was a mess, filled with nothing but confusion.
But the newly awakened Lumine had no time to dwell on it. The more she tried to think, the worse her headache became.
Her top priority now was to find food and fill her stomach! Only by restoring her strength could she afford to ponder those other matters.
Fortunately, the place where she woke up was peaceful, with a pleasant environment. Not far away stood an apple tree.
And not too far from where she awoke, atop a distant mountain, stood a young man dressed in attire strikingly similar to Lumine's. Watching his sister awaken as expected, he let out a sigh of relief.
Retracting his gentle gaze, he murmured to himself, "The world has undergone changes even the Abyss cannot contend with. The future has grown indistinct. How far can we go?"
"Your Highness..."
"The path lies beneath our feet. As for what the future holds, only by walking it will we know." Aether's expression remained calm, his heart undisturbed.
With one last glance at Lumine, he stepped into a swirling void and vanished.
Liyue, South Wharf.
"All the cargo loaded?"
Beidou was checking the goods to be shipped to Inazuma.
"Don't worry, Captain! Everything's ready!"
Hai Long nodded. He always triple-checked everything before departure to ensure nothing was amiss.
It was precisely because of this meticulous, repetitive verification that the Crux Fleet's reputation was impeccable. Aside from unavoidable losses during transit, the fleet guaranteed the exact quantity of goods delivered!
"Good!"
Beidou trusted Hai Long completely and then asked, "What about our passenger?"
"Here! Captain, I'm right here!"
A young man dressed in Inazuman attire hurried over. He wore glasses and carried a bag.
"So? How about it? Think you could feature my new Mora Star in your light novel?" Beidou grinned at him.
"That's a great idea, Captain!"
The young man gazed at the massive ship and said excitedly, "I've got a concept—what if it could transform into a person? What do you think, Captain?"
"Transform into a person?"
Beidou blinked in surprise.
"Yeah! A beautiful girl, battling enemies on the high seas, armed with terrifying weapons!" The young man spoke rapidly, his enthusiasm bubbling over.
Beidou pondered for a moment. "Hmm... that actually sounds pretty cool?"
She was intrigued. "What would you call it?"
"Warship Maiden! How's that?!"
The young man was thrilled that his idea had been well-received.
"Sounds awesome. Make sure to send me a copy when it's done. If it's good, I'll help promote it," Beidou said with a laugh.
"I won't forget!"
The young man nodded solemnly.
"Alright, let's board!"
Ten minutes later.
"Perfect weather today!"
Beidou gazed at the horizon and declared, "Prepare to set sail!"
The new Mora Star was incredibly powerful. Since they had to navigate through thunderstorms this time, bringing additional ships wasn't feasible.
The storm wasn't just about lightning—there were also gales and torrential rain.
Besides, though the Mora Star wasn't a merchant ship, its cargo capacity was nothing to scoff at. It could carry nearly as much as the entire original Crux Fleet!
One ship was enough.
The rest could form another fleet, doubling their Mora-making potential!
"Raise the anchor! Full speed ahead!"
Whooo—!
With the help of the intelligent auxiliary system, the crew had no trouble operating the warship. They quickly got the hang of it.
The massive vessel slowly pulled away from the dock, picking up speed as it headed toward Inazuma.
On the deck, the young man in Inazuman attire stared in the direction of his homeland.
His name was Shouta, a light novel author contracted under Yae Publishing House.
A few years ago, suffering from writer's block, he decided to travel abroad to seek inspiration and broaden his horizons.
But while leaving was easy, returning was not.
His homeland had closed its borders!
Ordinary ships couldn't brave the thunderstorm—and even if they tried, the odds of success were astronomically low.
He had no desire to drift across the ocean in a tiny boat.
But he still wanted to go home. What could he do?
The only option was to wait for the Mora Star.
However, the Mora Star wouldn't make a trip just for one person—and he couldn't afford to charter it. So, he had no choice but to wait.
Luckily, with accumulated orders and the need to recharge, Beidou was finally heading to Inazuma!
Five years!
Five whole years!
Did he have any idea how much fun he'd had in Liyue during that time?!
But home was home. He had to return eventually.
Shouta wasn't just bringing his own belongings—he was also carrying works by the renowned author Pillow Jade (Xingqiu)!
When he first saw A Legend of Sword at Wanwen Bookhouse, he was utterly awestruck.
This would definitely shake up Inazuma's light novel industry!
Shouta was certain. So, he reached out to Xingqiu himself.
Xingqiu was intrigued.
If my books don't have an audience in Liyue, maybe they'll find one in Inazuma?
He had heard of Yae Publishing House.
If sales went well, wouldn't that mean more Mora?
The prospect of earning Mora to pull for new characters was too tempting for Xingqiu to refuse. He immediately agreed to let Shouta take his books back to Inazuma.
"This time, I'll restore my former glory!" Shouta clenched his fist.
He had seen the world!
He had read masterpieces!
Now, armed with a wealth of knowledge, he would return to Inazuma—and the light novel industry would surely be shaken by his ideas!
"Inazuma, I'm coming back! This time, my creativity will set the light novel world on fire!"
Kaedehara Kazuha sat at the bow of the ship, watching the overly enthusiastic Shouta with an amused smile.
Though Shouta was much older than Kazuha, his energy was... refreshing.
Everyone had their own way of living, as long as they stayed true to themselves.
Kazuha silently wished him well.
But as he gazed toward his homeland, he couldn't help but sigh.
Taking out his phone, he snapped a photo and posted it with a caption.
[Kaedehara Kazuha]: When will I be able to return to my homeland openly?
Within seconds, likes and comments poured in.
[Comments]:
— Mr. Luheng: Just pull on the banner. Get five 5-stars and seven 4-stars, and you can stroll right back into Inazuma. Then you can stand in front of Tenshukaku and ask the Raiden Shogun if she'd be willing to hand over her seat. (Thumbs up)
Kazuha: "..."
For a moment, Kazuha didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
He didn't know much about Luheng, only that he was a figure even more imposing than the Shogun.
Who knew such a person would say something like this?
Ding.
— Captain Beidou replied to Mr. Luheng: I second that! (Thumbs up)
— Big Brother Hai Long: Kazuha, you're at it again with the melancholy?
Kazuha chuckled and shook his head.
He wasn't melancholy.
It was just that thoughts of home inevitably brought a tinge of sadness.
Refreshing his feed, he saw another post.
[Captain Beidou]: Destination—Inazuma. Officially setting sail. Hope the pirates put up a good fight. (Photo of Beidou standing beneath the ship's cannon)
[Comments]:
— Mr. Luheng: So heroic! You've got the aura of a female general.
— Captain Beidou replied to Mr. Luheng: Impressed? (Dog emoji)
— Mr. Luheng replied to Captain Beidou: Very much so. (Like)
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T/N:
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