"Back to The Hunt. That's why I had to lure you here. I need you to meet the Luofu General in person, help them resolve the Stellaron chaos, and make the Alliance owe you a favor."
"That way... down the line, in the future's future, at the most crucial moment, the Xianzhou will lend you a hand."
"What do you think? Surprised? The notorious Stellaron Hunters did all this just to make you Xianzhou's hero. Who'd expect a script like that?" Even Kafka herself was surprised when she first encountered the script.
"What is that future?"
"I told you: Elio didn't tell me the key information. The possibilities of the future are endless; learning the right thing at the wrong time would turn all our long efforts to nothing."
"About the future, I can only tell you one thing: In the best and worst futures, you will eventually face Destruction's Nanook. You'll need all the help you can get, because that will be a brutal battle on the level of Aeons."
Kafka looked at Adrian. Just Trailblazing with the Astral Express could already affect Elio's prophecy... Moreover, Kafka had a feeling that more than one Aeon was involved—perhaps Elation's Aha as well. Otherwise, the tavern folks on Jarilo-VI wouldn't make sense.
"That's a level neither you, I, nor the Astral Express can reach. In most futures, fate ends right there. But if we follow Elio's script, there will be a sliver of hope in the end."
"Did you know... even Aeons can be killed."
On the other side of Luofu, ever since arriving at Liuyun Crossing yesterday and coincidentally saving the blonde merchant and the Cloud Knight girl, Freesna had unknowingly joined their group.
The journey had been too smooth. Only after Sushang asked the guarding Cloud Knight soldiers did she learn that the mara-struck Abundance abominations and rift creations wandering nearby had all been wiped out by the Knights.
"Eternity Knights... are they an organization similar to the Knights of Beauty?" Luocha asked Freesna, who had the closest ties to Eternity among them.
"No, it's a self-organized guard force by the Eternity Church to protect the safety of its residents."
Luocha pondered. From what she said... the Knights' combat power didn't seem very high. As if reading his thoughts, Freesna conjured a small black hole: "This."
"What the heck?" Sushang leaned in.
"An Eternity device that can absorb a certain number of attacks, applied to every Knight's armor. Enough to protect their own safety."
"Ah, so they won't get hurt no matter how you hit them?" Sushang understood.
"That's how it is..." Luocha remained thoughtful. He seemed to have figured out the Church Knights' fighting style. Take full damage, stack full armor, and go toe-to-toe with the enemy! A bit perverted.
Afterward, Sushang led them to the last remaining skiff: "Great, there's still one skiff left."
"Where does this ship go?"
"Looking at the dock routes, the endpoint is the hub of the Skiff Sea. Yep, once we're there, we're safe."
"Right, I haven't asked where you two were originally headed." Sushang first turned to Freesna—she couldn't have shown up at Liuyun Crossing for no reason.
"To find a tea house."
"The Sleepless Earl? Their tea is indeed good, and you can listen to Mr. Xiyan's storytelling. Luocha, what about you?"
"I still have a few other Xianzhou trade deals on hand, but... honestly, I originally scheduled a meeting with Lady Tingyun of the Blazing Fire merchant group to discuss business. Looks like that's off now."
"The existing orders aren't profitable; they all go through the IPC, deducting this and that. Only one deal goes straight to Fanghu; might have some value..."
"Lady Tingyun?" Sushang pondered. She knew of the Blazing Fire Chamber.
"Miss Sushang, forgive my meddling... is changing the route okay?" Noticing Freesna's shifting expression, Luocha changed the topic.
"No idea... I think it should be fine. Anyway, let's get out first; we can talk once we're safe. At the Skiff Sea, there should be a dedicated evacuation team to pick us up, then you can just follow them."
Upon reaching the Skiff Sea hub, Freesna bid farewell to Luocha and hurried off to Adrian's milk tea shop.
But... Freesna and Tingyun stared wide-eyed at each other, momentarily suspecting she'd entered the wrong place and even double-checking. This distinctly vintage architectural style, and the nonexistent shop name—it was definitely HIS milk tea shop.
"Uh... Lady Freesna, if you're looking for Mr. Adrian, he should be with a few from the Astral Express at Exalting Sanctum."
"Damn, one step late..." Hearing this, a trace of unwillingness flashed in her eyes.
Learning Adrian had left, Freesna wasn't in a rush to head to Exalting Sanctum. She planned to first buy a cup of Immortal's Delight Tea at the Sleepless Earl tea house across the street to try.
Then... Freesna and Blake—who was disguised as Mr. Xiyan and had just finished dealing with Phantylia—stared wide-eyed at each other. Both were clearly shocked.
Mengming was equally confused: "Mr. Xiyan, is this big sister an acquaintance of yours?"
"Y-Yes... something like that." Blake forced a smile from the corner of his mouth. Seeing their reactions, Mengming tactfully cleared some space.
"You guy... don't care about the Church at all?"
"Heh heh heh~ Foolish Blake, how could I abandon HIS Church?"
After a "pleasant and friendly" exchange with Blake, and receiving a free Immortal's Delight Tea from Mengming as a parting gift, Freesna finally set off for Exalting Sanctum.
Hmm... At a certain small stall, Screwlloyd—disguised as Blake—watched Freesna come to buy Mingou cakes, shocked speechless.
After the previous two rounds of commotion, Freesna wasn't surprised at all. Heh, all Church acquaintances.
"F- f- f- f-... Lady Freesna?!" After a long while, Screwlloyd finally managed to say that.
Having just dealt with Yaoshi's Secret Transmission with Stelle, Screwlloyd had lost his place to rest. Thinking to browse the snack stall, he ran into his direct superior.
Seeing Screwlloyd penniless, Freesna pursed her lips and kindly reminded: "If you're looking for a place, go to the Sleepless Earl tea house. The proprietress is kind; she'll surely help you out."
"Lady Freesna, you..." Unfortunately, Screwlloyd was an inorganic lifeform and couldn't shed tears, or he'd surely be teary-eyed now.
"No need to thank me; all this is the blessing bestowed upon us by the exalted Ite."
"May you hold onto this faith. Farewell."
Freesna had barely taken a few steps when the stall owner called her back: "Customer, you haven't paid..."
"Hm..."
Watching Freesna head to the back kitchen to wash dishes, Screwlloyd smiled in relief.
"Ah, Lord Ite... please deliver me from this sea of suffering..."