[Yaoguang Shoal]
"Hmph. Beryl doesn't like this round sparrow anymore."
"Big-sis Huoliya, let's just turn it into soup."
Staring at the "round sparrow," Beryl decided it couldn't be tamed.
Its thinking was warped. Its will had collapsed.
Conclusion: humane disposal.
…The only problem was that she'd just told the Wisdom Lord she liked the bird.
Flip-flopping this fast felt a bit disloyal.
So she chose to back a proposal Huoliya had made a while ago—
make soup.
…
Inside the little bird's consciousness, a ferocious gaze twitched.
Her heart skipped for no reason.
This sprite holds a serious grudge.
Lose the argument, and she jumps straight to silencing the witness?
Yikes.
A little dangerous.
Are the people around her all like this?
Uh-oh… are they going to silence me?
…
Lounging with her melon, Huoliya's mouth twitched.
"Beryl, you little thing, quite the schemer."
"So you want me to play the villain?"
She won't do it herself—she wants me to?
Small body, big plots.
"Heh-heh~"
Caught out, Beryl offered a dry laugh, hurriedly lifting a juice to Huoliya.
"Big-sis, you've got me wrong."
"It's just… this round sparrow is really hateful."
Can't argue with that logic, can you?
Huoliya accepted the cup with a smile, then glanced at Fanan.
"Little Sister Fanan, Beryl has given up her 'right to raise' this bird. I'll leave the rest to you."
"Uu…"
Beryl clutched her throat and coughed.
So Big-sis Huoliya wouldn't help.
She turned pitiful eyes to Fanan instead.
If Huoliya wouldn't do it, then Fanan had better pull her weight.
"Sigh."
Facing one big stare and one little glare, Fanan shook her head.
"Enough fooling around. We still have proper work."
Fine—she'd take it from here.
If these two wanted to make a scene, that was on them.
By temperament, a bit of mischief was harmless.
But not now.
She was Sensei's secretary.
Her job was to make sure things ran smoothly.
Finish the business first—
then she could go out and play with Sensei.
Then…
She sneaked a look at pouting, round-cheeked Beryl.
For all the huffing, the kid was actually pretty cute.
If I had one like that…
Fanan's hand drifted to her flat belly.
A child… would Sensei like that?
"Big sis, spacing out?"
"What are you thinking about?"
Sensing something off, Yingda frowned, scanning her sister up and down.
Once she confirmed it, she sucked in a breath.
Knew it. There was no way her sister was being that well-behaved.
She and Huoliya were already thinking about fun;
and now big sis was planning babies with Sensei on top of that?
Seriously… sprinting ahead?
Still… a baby, huh.
What would my and Sensei's child be like?
Curious.
Also… scary.
Huoliya smacked her own forehead. "Work. Focus."
"You two, that's enough."
Their thoughts couldn't be more obvious—
visible to the naked eye.
Did they think she was blind?
Was now the time?
"Right, work first…"
"On it."
Snapping back, Fanan actually blushed.
Like a guilty thief, she scooped up the round sparrow and hurried off.
"Yingda?"
Huoliya rose and walked over, pinching her sister's cheek with a smile.
"Don't swear oaths, okay?"
"Babies aren't something you get just because you want them."
"We aren't mortals. The higher your life-tier, the lower the odds."
"You can't force it—unless you literally keep Sensei in bed every day."
Adeptus with mortals birthing half-adepti? Common enough.
Adeptus with adeptus, god with god? Almost unheard of.
It's not that none ever paired off—adepti and gods both have.
But children? She'd never seen it.
She was a god.
Fanan and Yingda were both adepti.
Sensei was anything but simple.
In a mix like that, you could only leave it to fate.
You can't brute-force a child into existence.
…
Yingda froze.
Every thought in her head flew away.
One night is enough? Every day?
Half a day would kill someone…
Then again—maybe not?
That sweet, aching feeling…
Hard to quit.
What, not for you?
Sigh. Hopeless child.
Huoliya exhaled, helpless.
A pity, really.
But it's all probability.
You see whose belly wins the lottery.
And as for first place… who knew who luck would favor?
Boss and my… baby…
Hee-hee—oops, said that out loud.
…
Beryl quietly inched a little farther away.
So Big-sis Huoliya is a hopeless perv.
Terrifying. Absolutely terrifying.
…
Far off, a bolt of lightning flashed—
and in the next instant fell behind Taro,
coalescing into the form of Raiden Ei.
"Mr. Taro."
She took in the man in beach shorts before her,
and a knot in her chest loosened. Hope rose in her eyes.
"As Morax said, I've finished preparing the payment.
Please—save my sister."
Her offer might be a touch weaker than Morax's,
but with the addition of a Gnosis,
it should, probably, just about measure up.
"All prepared?"
"Let's hear it."
Taro set down his rod and glanced back.
He had named his price. He was curious what she'd brought.
Inazuma's coffers were supposed to be tight, weren't they?
Ei drew a deep breath and spoke steadily.
"Morax's offer was: five complete godly Authorities,
one draconic avatar body, and Azhdaha's horn."
"What I can assemble is: three complete Authorities,
one puppet body, one Gnosis, and a number of rare curios."
"Is that… enough?"
Yes.
Because the puppet Shogun had grown too defiant,
Ei intended to send her away as part of the price.
Once Makoto returned, she could command the puppet again if needed.
For now, she would reside within her sister's Musō Isshin,
becoming the blade in Makoto's hand—
slaying what Makoto willed, undefeated wherever she pointed.
As for a god's body… why keep a disobedient shell?
Just replace it.
For daily life, with her sister's power,
she could quietly use an ordinary vessel instead.
Wasn't the first time.
As long as it worked, it worked.
With her sister there, life would be easy.
…
Taro paused, a little stunned.
You're even throwing in the puppet?
"Not enough?"
Ei's heart clenched when he didn't answer.
"It's enough." Taro shook his head.
"All right. Let's begin—reviving your sister."
"Good."
(End of Chapter)
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