Chapter 127: My Name is Elysia
"Oh, right! We need to report back to the Express and let them know we're safe," March 7th suddenly remembered, her eyes lighting up. "Especially Leon! Hey, let's ask him what he's doing and tell him... it's actually really fun here!"
Stelle and Caelus nodded in agreement, each pulling out their communicators. Stelle's fingers flew across the screen as she quickly typed out a message.
[Stelle: Hey, what are you up to?]
The message shot off into the data stream.
Exalting Sanctum, en route to the Divination Commission...
Leon and his entourage followed closely behind Fu Xuan. The Master Diviner, for her part, was feeling a little perplexed.
Had she made a mistake?
After all, upon hearing they were being escorted to the Divination Commission, this group hadn't shown the slightest hint of fear or resistance. On the contrary, they seemed to radiate an air of keen anticipation, as if this was an excursion they had been eagerly awaiting. It was almost as though visiting the Divination Commission had been their plan all along.
'Could it be... I'm overthinking this?'she mused.'Are these people actually just ordinary tourists?'
It wasn't an entirely unreasonable thought. The Divination Commission was famous across the cosmos for its precognitive arts, and it was hardly uncommon for curious sightseers to wish for a glimpse.
Qingque trailed at the very end of the line, a cloud of guilt hanging over her. She couldn't shake the feeling that her attempt at slacking off had backfired, dragging these newly met acquaintances into trouble. Lost in her game of Celestial Jade earlier, she had been completely oblivious to the "rumors" quietly circulating throughout the Xianzhou.
"Everyone, a pleasure to meet you." Fu Xuan came to a halt, turning to face the group. Her tone was formal, yet carried a thread of courtesy. "I am one of the Six Charioteers of the Xianzhou Luofu and the head of the Divination Commission, Fu Xuan. I must trouble you all to accompany me for a brief verification... If the Commission's matrix proves you are of no threat, you will naturally be allowed to leave."
"No trouble at all, not in the slightest," Leon replied with a disarming smile, giving his fan a gentle wave. "As it happens, I was hoping to see the Divination Commission for myself."
"May I ask how I should address you all?" Fu Xuan's gaze swept over the eclectic assembly.
"I'm Leon."
"Leon..." Fu Xuan repeated, the name echoing with a faint familiarity in her mind.
"Lord Diviner," Qingque whispered from the side, offering a helpful reminder. "He's a Trailblazer from the Astral Express, quite famous throughout the cosmos... He's the one who created that Honkai: Star Rail game."
"So, it's you," Fu Xuan said, realization dawning.
Unlike Qingque, who dedicated her days to the fine art of avoiding work, Fu Xuan was a consummate professional. She had heard of Leon, of course, but hadn't paid the matter much mind. The universe was vast, and tales of famous individuals were as numerous as the stars; she couldn't possibly keep track of them all.
"However," Fu Xuan continued, her gaze turning slightly more scrutinizing, "the other members of the Astral Express should be at the Sky-Faring Commission at this moment. Why are you...?"
Just a short while ago, she had attended the meeting at the Seat of Divine Foresight via a projection and had personally witnessed General Jing Yuan conversing with the Astral Express crew. If Leon was truly one of their members, why was he acting alone?
"Ah, that. I split up with my companions shortly after we disembarked from the Express," Leon explained with utter frankness. "I just so happened to have an appointment to meet a few friends here on the Luofu."
He stepped aside, gesturing grandly toward the "friends" standing behind him.
Fu Xuan's gaze drifted over his companions, each one radiating a distinctly different aura. There was a cold, brooding young man dressed in black; a burly man whose muscles strained against his clothes; a mechanical lifeform with glimmers of raw data flickering in its optical sensors; a man in a garish yellow suit wearing a ridiculous smiley-face mask; and finally, a young woman with hair the color of a pink sunset, standing quietly to the side.
Fu Xuan's mouth twitched. "Your friends... are certainly 'diverse'."
"May I have your names?" she asked, her tone returning to one of professional detachment.
"I'm Aha~" The voice from under the mask was bright and cheerful.
"I'm Fuli," the pink-haired girl said, blinking once before giving Fu Xuan a playful wink.
"Nanook," the black-clad youth stated, his voice as frigid as the void.
"Qlipoth," the burly man rumbled, his voice like the tolling of a heavy bell.
"Nous," the machine intoned, its synthesized voice perfectly steady and devoid of emotion.
Fu Xuan froze. Qingque stared, slack-jawed.
'Wait a minute,'they both thought.'Are you all seriously using the names of Aeons? Aren't you afraid of incurring their divine wrath?'
Fu Xuan took a slow, deep breath, a hint of helplessness creeping into her expression as she looked at Leon.
"It's just like that!" Leon spread his hands, his smile a picture of innocence.
"Do not think the Xianzhou Alliance is ignorant of the true names of the various Arbiters, Empyrean Lords, and Aeons," Fu Xuan's expression grew solemn, her tone turning stern. "I can understand the thought process behind using the names of Aeons as codenames. But please... be serious."
"Exactly, exactly! If you guys are Aeons, then does that mean I'm really the Shadow General?" Qingque couldn't help but mutter under her breath.
"Darling, my name is Elysia," the pink-haired girl reacted the fastest, her face breaking into a beaming smile.
"Elysia? That's quite a pleasant name." Fu Xuan found herself nodding slightly. The girl before her was undeniably pretty, with a bright and radiant temperament that suited the name perfectly.
"My name is Cyrene," Aha followed immediately, his voice from under the mask intentionally softened into a gentle lilt.
"Cyrene?" Fu Xuan's brow furrowed as she studied Aha. The man was dressed exactly like a Masked Fool. If the rumors were connected to anyone here, he was the prime suspect. But the name "Cyrene"... it sounded distinctly feminine.
"Yes~ My name is Cyrene. Is there a problem?" Aha tilted his head, his tone dripping with faux innocence.
"The name Cyrene... sounds like a girl's name," Qingque whispered, unable to help herself.
"Actually... I am..." Aha suddenly became bashful, twisting the corner of his suit jacket with his fingers in a bizarrely coy gesture.
A wave of revulsion washed over both Fu Xuan and Qingque simultaneously, goosebumps prickling their skin. This person... was so shameless! He was definitely a Masked Fool; there was no doubt about it.
"Speak the truth." Fu Xuan's face darkened, a faint light beginning to swirl within her third eye.
"Alright, alright, why so serious~" Aha instantly reverted to his cheerful tone. "My name is 'A-Kou-He'~"
"'A-Kou-He'?" Fu Xuan narrowed her eyes. "If you combine the characters for 'Kou'and'He,'doesn't that just form'Ha'?"
"Hmm~ Then how about I call myself 'Ha-Yu-Huan'?" Aha smoothly followed her lead.
"You're just saying 'Aha the Elation' backward," Fu Xuan deadpanned, her stare intensifying.
The pink-haired girl, Elysia, had already started taking pictures.
Leon silently pressed a hand to his forehead. With his nonsensical antics, Aha had already exhausted the classic tricks of deconstructing characters and reversing names, leaving precious little "naming space" for the remaining three.
"Alright, no more joking," Aha laughed, his tone suddenly becoming serious. "I'm Sampo."
Somewhere, a certain stealthy mercenary suddenly shivered. 'Huh? Why do I feel a chill down my back?'
Family, who can understand this? I'm just minding my own business in Belobog, and somehow my name ends up on the Xianzhou's wanted list?
"Sampo?" Fu Xuan's frown deepened. That, at least, sounded more like a real name.
She turned her gaze toward the three who had yet to speak: the ones calling themselves Nanook, Nous, and Qlipoth.
[Aha: Ahahaha! Aha passed the test smoothly~ Your turn, everyone!]
[Aha: No way, right? No way? Is there really someone here who can't even make up a simple fake name~?]
Inside their private chat group, Aha had already begun his provocations.
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