Felix went out again, this time at the invitation of Countess Gertrude. Only Nian and Ling remained in the room. Nian lay sprawled across the bed, legs swinging idly as she watched television, while Ling poured wine from her flask into a small cup and drank at her leisure.
For a while, the room was filled only with the gentle music drifting in through the window, the faint murmur of post-dinner conversations outside, and the steady voices of the news anchors on the screen.
They had lived this kind of life for a very long time and witnessed countless changes across this land, yet they still found themselves sighing at its progress.
Over thousands of years, they had seen innumerable people and prodigies, countless landscapes both beautiful and strange. And every time, they were still moved.
"Will Felix find out about us?"
Nian suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
Ling paused mid-sip, then smiled faintly. "So what if he does? And so what if he doesn't?"
"Well… if he knew who we really were, would his attitude toward us change?" Nian fiddled with the blanket, her voice slightly muffled.
Ling sighed softly. "Nian, setting aside our special circumstances for the moment, the Candleholders and the people from Central Judicial Office have been moving frequently within Tomorrow's Development. Felix is well aware of their status in Yan. Do you really think he wouldn't realize that we're different from ordinary people?"
"I talked with elder brother before boarding the Venus."
"Big brother… what did he say?" Nian asked.
Ling poured herself another drink and replied, "He said that it is already difficult for heroes to emerge in this world, but it is even harder to create a king. Felix's rise was the result of perfect timing, favorable circumstances, and the right people. He wasn't born with the destiny of a king, yet he used his own power to command the world's awe. In that regard, my brother holds him in very high esteem."
She paused, then added, "What excites my brother most, though, is Felix's martial prowess."
"But Felix doesn't usually fight, does he?" Nian thought for a moment. "As far as I remember, he's only taken action twice. Once in Chernobog, and once in Lungmen during the battle against Patriot."
"Nian," Ling asked gently, "do you think he normally even has the chance to fight?"
Nian let out a long "oh," finally understanding. "That's true. A ruler wouldn't act recklessly. Even though Yan's current ruler is highly skilled in martial arts, he has never and will never personally step onto the battlefield."
"Felix needs an outlet," Ling said, taking another sip of wine. "Haven't you noticed how he deliberately restrains himself during combat training so he won't hurt others? In Tomorrow's Development, only a handful of people can even hold their ground against him in practice."
Nian fell silent, deep in thought.
"Now that I've returned to Kazdel, I'll need to go back to the Yumen," Ling continued.
"What happened there?" Nian asked.
"Nothing urgent. I just need to deliver a message to our brother. And besides, he'll need a guide when he comes to the Venus, won't he?" Ling sighed lightly. "Brother can't travel too far. As for Shu, she only boarded the Venus for work. Remember to bring Dusk with you when you go back this time. If we ignore her, she might end up staying alone in that painting world for another few hundred years."
"Alright, alright," Nian replied with a sigh. "Looks like I'll have to give her a push."
She rolled over, staring up at the ceiling.
"If Felix really knew… I wish things could stay like this forever."
"Are you afraid of disappearing one day?" Ling smiled. "Nian, after thousands of years, you're still reluctant to part with someone. That's really…"
"You're no different!" Nian shot back, grinning. "I know you've been pulling Felix into your dreams, wandering through the landscapes of Yan together. That's just not fair!"
Ling chuckled quietly, watching Nian's antics.
'Let it all be a dream,' she thought. 'A long, leisurely dream. Dreams would eventually end.'
Ling looked out the window, lips pressed together, and raised her wine cup toward the bright moon. She didn't harbor any special feelings for Felix, yet she still couldn't help wanting to witness his future, to see how his path would unfold.
It was a faint curiosity, like the one she used to feel when encountering something new and interesting long ago. A feeling she hadn't experienced in a very long time.
Seeing Ling fall silent, Nian pouted and continued rolling around on the bed.
"Could it be that Nian has really developed a possessive streak toward Felix?" Ling teased.
"Pfft! No!" Nian immediately jumped up, hands on her hips. "How could I possibly feel that way about an ordinary person? We're just normal friends, okay? If you really have to label it, then it's master and disciple. I'm the master, obviously."
Ling laughed softly. "Nian, your face is very red."
"Cut it out!"
Nian crawled back under the covers, muttering to herself. "Anyway, I'm definitely not the first one, last time I bumped into Kjera in the hallway back then. I can't be wrong about that feeling."
"Oh, her," Ling recalled suddenly. "She had a drink with me last time."
Although nothing was said aloud, Ling sensed it clearly.
"It can only be said that Felix truly has extraordinary charm," she added with a smile.
But how long could such feelings last? The problem was not unreturned affection, but the difference in time itself.
Who could say what the next thousand years would bring? She and Nian would still be standing on this land, but what about Felix?
Still… Felix's race had now become Teekaz, the oldest lineage and bloodline. His lifespan should be extremely long, shouldn't it? Ling frowned slightly. She was not well versed in this field. If only there were someone nearby who truly understood the history of Kazdel, she could ask them.
From that perspective, both Sarkaz and Sankta were races known for their long lives.
At the very least, for the next hundred years, they would not be alone.
That night, after dinner, Asuna and the others, including Qiu Muyu, decided to stay at the same hotel. Wanting to buy some decorations and souvenirs for her dormitory, Asuna left the hotel alone and went downstairs to the gift shop.
Besides something for herself, she planned to buy gifts for the Meliras she was close to.
Naturally, she also wanted to prepare something for her master. But after a moment's thought, she dismissed the idea. As their creator, anything she could afford, her master could obtain far more easily. Even though she had a salary, she was certainly not wealthier than the one who paid it.
While Asuna was browsing the shelves, she felt a gaze fixed on her. When she turned around, she saw a woman with long black hair and a dark halo hovering above her head.
They stood there, looking at each other in silence. Thirty seconds passed before Asuna tilted her head.
"Um, is there something on my face?"
She almost reached for a mirror, wondering if she still had gravy on her cheek from dinner. The other woman shook her head, her eyes carefully tracing Asuna's features, as if trying to memorize every detail.
"I can't hear your voice."
"Eh?" Asuna tilted her head again, even more confused.
"I'm sorry."
The black-haired woman gave a refined bow. "My name is Arturia. Are you a member of Tomorrow's Development?"
"Yes, that's right." Asuna nodded. Seeing that the other party showed no hostility, she relaxed slightly, though she could tell from subtle expressions that this woman was anything but simple. Her vigilance rose instinctively.
"Then why can't I hear your voice, when we're both Sankta?" Arturia asked, posing the simplest and yet most crucial question.
This was both the strength and the flaw of Sankta empathy. Its strength lay in the absence of secrets. Its flaw was the same.
Although the Meliras were designed with appearances resembling Sankta, they did not inherit their nature.
He could have granted the Meliras the traits of any Sankta race. He could even have bestowed upon them the power of Empathy, linking them emotionally and rendering them nearly invincible, requiring only coordination to fight. But he chose not to. Under the control of a Hive Mind, individuality would have become the most useless and easily discarded element.
Naturally, there was no way for these Meliras to communicate telepathically with Sankta.
Asuna already had an answer prepared. Or rather, in order to conceal their identities on the surface, she and her companions had long devised suitable explanations.
"I'm a Sankta who was left behind," Asuna said after a brief pause. "I grew up in a world without Sankta, so I'm very dull when it comes to empathy. You could say I can't feel it at all."
It was a perfectly reasonable explanation. Laterano had indeed taken in Sankta who had been scattered across the world, and some had inevitably been overlooked. Those who lived among outsiders for too long, without any opportunity to use empathy, could gradually lose that instinct altogether.
Arturia nodded, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "I see. My apologies for troubling you. Have a pleasant evening, and I hope we may meet again in the future. May I know your name?"
"Asuna."
"A Higashinese name. How beautiful."
With light footsteps, Arturia departed. It seemed that even in Higashi, there were Sankta who had been lost to the outside world, she really didn't know that.
Asuna quickly put the strange encounter behind her. After selecting the gifts, she returned to the hotel. For her, Yukino, and Mash, there was still work to be done: organizing the information they had gathered that day and reviewing the instructional materials.
Among the women in the upper ranks who were close to him, it was no secret that their master enjoyed massages and hot springs. Asuna had subtly confirmed this during a work-related conversation with Miss Loughshinny earlier that day, and she immediately resolved to learn massage techniques. Even though she knew she was merely a creation, she still wished to repay his kindness someday.
___
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Felix finally returned to the Venus with Nian and Ling. It had been a pleasant vacation. However, once back aboard the ship, the two women expressed their intention to return to Yan. Felix did not object. They were more like friends to him, and the fact that they had stayed on the Venus for so long had already exceeded their own expectations.
His dealings with Countess Gertrude were primarily financial in nature. The countess's private guard required equipment upgrades, but the requests were modest and far from enough to justify deploying the Gesatzswächters.
In his previous life, Felix had never personally experienced Leithanien's storyline, but he did remember the black-haired young Caprinae who once played the violin alone on the deck of Rhodes Island, wearing the expression of someone who had lost something precious.
He only knew that the matter was connected to Countess Gertrude, though the details were unclear. Maintaining a good relationship with her would at least give him a legitimate reason to intervene in the future.
The Venus departed once more, this time bound for Zwillingstürme, the capital of Leithanien.
The city boasted a history of more than a hundred years. Towers rose throughout its streets, yet none were as striking as the black-and-white twin towers standing at its center. They were built after the twin empresses ascended the throne and also served as their place of work.
Felix had little to say about the policies of the twin empresses, but one thing was certain: governing a nation was far more difficult when two rulers held equal authority.
Even if the twin empresses were united in purpose, their subordinates might still scheme against one another in an attempt to elevate their own side. Such internal strife was never beneficial in the long term.
This time, the one who received him was the Black Empress, known as "Ruthless Authority," Hildegard.
For Kazdel, whether contact was made with the Black Empress or the White Empress carried much the same significance. However, given Kazdel's past conflicts with Leithanien, the Black Empress's willingness to personally receive them was already a clear gesture of respect.
This visit differed from the one in Siracusa, which had been little more than a business negotiation. This was a formal diplomatic engagement. For that reason, Felix brought most of his senior personnel, more than thirty people in total. In addition, because a security detail was required, he selected twenty loyal members from the Lightbearers, some of the Saviadel who remained aboard the ship, and the Emperor's Children to serve as bodyguards.
As the aircraft landed, a long red carpet was laid out, flanked by guards with solemn expressions. Further back stood the Gesatzswächters. At the center waited a tall woman with slightly curly black hair and purple eyes beneath her bangs. She wore a uniform reminiscent of a general's attire, with a long sword hanging at her waist.
It was unclear whether the sword was merely ceremonial or something she could truly wield.
Felix descended from the aircraft at an unhurried pace, while the Black Empress advanced along the red carpet to meet him.
At last, the two came face to face, their senior officials and bodyguards arrayed behind them.
Compared to Gesatzswächters's austere presence, the three legions of bodyguards slightly surpassed the Leithanien side in both bearing and equipment.