pitter-patter
"All done?"
"Mhm." Clara nodded upon hearing the question, her expression serene. She took out a napkin given to her by the stall owner and elegantly dabbed the lingering oil from her lips. "It was alright. Just okay, really."
Having successfully entered her "post-satisfaction clarity mode," Clara felt a terrifying sense of peace wash over her!
She felt that even if she were presented with a problem from a member of the Genius Society right now, she could solve it one by one!
This was the power of "post-satisfaction clarity"—the terrifying, transcendent cosmic force it bestowed upon Clara!!!
"..."
Watching Clara's demeanor, Firefly's mouth twitched slightly.
Who would have thought Clara had a hidden chuunibyou soul deep down?
Firefly couldn't help but sigh inwardly. It seemed she still knew too little about Clara...
A faint shadow of gloom flickered in Firefly's eyes, but it was instantly replaced by a renewed light the very next second.
Her gaze grew firm. She reached out, placing both hands on Clara's shoulders, and spoke with earnest seriousness:
"Clara, let's become Galaxy Rangers together! Let's go save those planets being trampled by evil forces."
"Let's spread justice, and make the names Clara and Firefly resonate throughout the entire cosmos!!!"
"Huh?"
Hearing Firefly's words, Clara snapped out of her "post-satisfaction clarity mode," letting out a puzzled "Huh?"
Wait, what? Galaxy Rangers? Spreading justice?
Clara had only been in her "clarity zone" for less than a minute. How did Firefly suddenly decide she wanted to be a Galaxy Ranger?
Clara didn't understand. She couldn't wrap her head around this silly girl's train of thought.
But looking at Firefly's utterly serious expression, it seemed like she might actually be serious about this...
"You..."
Ding~ Ding~ Ding~
Clara was just about to ask Firefly if she'd been affected by the Mara-struck on the Luofu Xianzhou, but she was interrupted by the sudden chime from her phone.
Clara took out her phone, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and tapped on a new message in her inbox.
Sender: The Luofu's Divination Commission
Content:
Miss Clara, my apologies for disturbing you. This is Jing Yuan.
I've arranged accommodations for you. The location is xxxx, xxxx, xxxx.
The residence is equipped with high-tech smart devices. The door uses facial and aura recognition.
The auras of Miss Clara and Miss Firefly have already been registered. You just need to scan your faces at the door—no other steps required—to enter.
If you encounter any issues during your stay on the Luofu, feel free to message me. I will patiently provide answers.
Finally,
I wish Miss Clara and Miss Firefly a pleasant journey on the Luofu Xianzhou.
Sincerely,
Jing Yuan
"This Jing Yuan... it seems he chose to follow his conscience. A very wise decision indeed."
After reading the entire message, Clara nodded with great satisfaction.
Truth be told, it was no wonder Jing Yuan made this choice. First, there was the Stellaron crisis, and now two individuals of unknown origin...
Jing Yuan wasn't foolish enough to make an enemy of Clara. Even if he couldn't win her over, he absolutely must not offend her...
If he could win her over, though...
...Never mind. Jing Yuan didn't think that was a possibility.
"Let's go, Firefly~ Let's go see our little cottage~" Clara put her phone away, actively taking Firefly's hand. Recalling the address Jing Yuan mentioned in the message, she set off, pulling Firefly along as they headed towards their little cottage~
"Okay~"
Feeling the warmth transmitted through their joined hands, a soft smile spread across Firefly's face.
Ever since meeting Clara, she had found herself smiling more often...
Neither of them spoke further. Clara led the way, holding Firefly's hand, while Firefly quietly followed behind, wearing a smile, her gaze steadfastly resting on Clara's back.
If only this could go on forever...
Hmm... no...
There's no 'if only' about it~
I'll walk forward, always with Clara.
Their shadows, cast by the sunlight, stretched out longer and longer...
Longer...
And longer...
...
"Th-this... is a cottage?!"
Firefly stared at the palace-like, majestic building before her, her mouth forming a perfect 'O' shape, seemingly completely stunned.
The architectural style was luxurious yet understated. The building exuded an aura of simplicity from within, yet its vast and grand structure also radiated an air of high-end magnificence.
"No matter how you look at it, this isn't a cottage..." Clara's expression, while not as exaggerated as Firefly's, was also profoundly shocked by the sight before them…
"L-let's... go inside and take a look..."
In all her life, Clara had never lived in such a high-end residence... No, calling it a 'house' might even be an understatement. What stood before them was clearly an estate…
A massive estate situated within the Yaoqing, no less…
The value required to build something like this... Clara didn't even dare to imagine it...
Clara gulped, tightened her grip on Firefly's hand, and walked up to the front of the estate.
There was a large screen by the door, likely the facial recognition system Jing Yuan mentioned, right?
Clara walked up to the screen and tapped it.
The next second, the screen lit up, scanned Clara, successfully recognized her, and displayed a few words.
[Welcome home, Master.]
"Huh?" Staring at the words on the screen, Clara was utterly bewildered. Wasn't this just lodging? How did she become the 'Master'?
Ding~ Ding~ Ding~
Just as Clara was confused, her phone chimed again.
Clara wasn't stupid. A possibility occurred to her. With slightly trembling hands, she picked up her phone, unlocked it with her fingerprint, and opened the messages.
Looking at the new message on the screen, Clara's mind instantly exploded. A silly, breathless giggle escaped her lips.
The message contained only two lines:
[Miss Clara, Miss Firefly, regarding the earlier incident with Fu Xuan, that was my oversight. Please accept my apologies.]
[The 'Four Seasons Pavilion' is gifted to you both as a token of my regret. I sincerely hope for your forgiveness.]
…
(Author's Note:)
I already have ideas for a new book (proud face).
It's a bit different from this Clara story, but the broad strokes aren't too different (that's a lie).
The difference is huge.
The protagonist is an Emanator of Abundance, a counterpart of the Great Verdant Lord~ (A girl, a girl, a girl! Important things must be said three times!)
If Clara travels the cosmos seeking amusement, she travels the cosmos to heal all suffering within it.
In other words, a super invincible great saint.
Of course, that's just a figure of speech, not a true pushover saint. She will definitely cut people down when needed~
As for whether it will be yuri... I'm still considering it…
Because, I'm really a bit scared…
But I also really want to write yuri~
Because the protagonist always has that kind of holy, flawless aura, you know~ (strikethrough).
T/N: This is Lumina fic (Added to the Gacha as Rukkhadevata)
…
2 Chapters Per Day. For more chapters/fics, goto ErbiumTL on Patreon.