"Of course not! How could the Master Diviner ever think of something so improper? She must have just blurted it out in the heat of the moment," Sylvester said firmly.
It wasn't that he didn't have stray thoughts—he simply found it impossible to believe that Fu Xuan, of all people, would consider reproductive matters of such importance. That didn't suit her dignified image at all.
The most out-of-character thing he'd ever seen her do was when she was secretly slacking off in a quiet spot, only to be caught by Qingque, who had also come to slack off.
To maintain her dignity, the great Master Diviner had immediately gone with the flow and said, "Qingque? I foresaw you wouldn't be in the archives, so I've been waiting here for you."
After that, Qingque could only work overtime while mumbling, "Weird… how did the Master Diviner calculate I'd be here?"
And that was the extent of it.
As for romance, marriage, or childbearing—those things would never even cross her mind.
Whew~
Hearing Sylvester's words, Fu Xuan let out a long sigh of relief.
As long as he didn't develop any strange prejudices about her, that was enough.
If he started seeing her as some frivolous woman—one who appeared serious but was secretly shallow inside—then… she'd have no choice but to waste one of her [Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet – Vav] ammunition right here.
She sneaked a glance at Herta, who was lounging in the resting area.
As for that genius… unless someone brought it up, she probably wouldn't mention this incident at all. She clearly had no interest in it.
Fu Xuan finally relaxed.
Thank the stars, this matter's finally over…
"So, are you going to take the pill?" Sylvester asked curiously.
Come on, this was about turning Fu Xuan into a catgirl—how could anyone not be curious?
He had assumed that with Herta here, he could just sit back and relax. Who knew she'd actually believe that 'reproductive isolation' nonsense and then go take a break?
Damn it! Herta's useless! Looks like I'll have to handle this myself!
"Ah?"
Just as Fu Xuan thought everything was behind her, the very man who'd just calmed her nerves landed a critical hit.
She suddenly remembered—the real source of her humiliation wasn't that stupid biology term, but the pink capsule in her hand!
Fu Xuan gripped the capsule with a mix of anger and despair.
Catgirl, catgirl… what's so great about that anyway?!
"Master Diviner, that's triple attack speed and triple agility!" Sylvester said passionately, launching into full persuasion mode for his Operation Pet the Cat. "This isn't some weird species-play—cough, I mean, it's definitely not any weird species-play!"
He spoke with complete seriousness. "It's about enhancing your combat ability—to protect the Luofu! As one of Luofu's top combatants, even a single mistake in battle could lead to disaster!"
"Surely, Master Diviner, you wouldn't want the Luofu to fall because you refused such an enhancement?"
Mentioning the safety of the Luofu definitely got Fu Xuan's attention. The mental scales that had been entirely tipped toward no now tilted slightly toward yes.
But still, the thought of wearing a maid outfit and meowing like a cat… too embarrassing!
No, I still can't!
"I… well, now that I have the [Bari-Bari No Mi], I don't really need it that much anymore…"
"Master Diviner!"
Seeing Fu Xuan wavering, Sylvester slammed his hands on the table and stood up.
His expression was solemn—utterly righteous, as if not a trace of ulterior motive existed. "To bear the shame of the nation—that is to be its protector; to bear its misfortune—that is to be its ruler. To sit in the general's seat, one must be ready to carry the weight of the crown."
"Besides, the Luofu has thousands of Foxians already. One more catgirl won't surprise anyone—they'll only admire your noble sacrifice."
His words were so righteous… though inwardly, he was a little nervous.
A catgirl sitting on the general's throne? That'd be… incredible!
"Well… that does make some sense."
Mentioning the Luofu again cleared Fu Xuan's thoughts. She realized that she might have been overly influenced by those casual videos she'd watched in her free time.
It wasn't about being a catgirl—it was about becoming a cat-person. The whole "wearing maid outfits, meowing while being petted" thing was just a ridiculous fantasy born from overthinking.
Even so, she still hesitated.
Changing species wasn't a trivial matter. Not to mention, she still had family back home in Yuque…
Seeing that Fu Xuan was still conflicted, Sylvester concluded that she was clearly resistant to the idea—no matter how impressive the triple agility bonus sounded.
There was nothing else he could do. He couldn't exactly grab her by the neck and force-feed her, could he?
He sat back down, looking regretful. "Honestly, I really wanted to see it… but of course, I have to respect the Master Diviner's decision."
Hmm?
Fu Xuan lifted her head slightly and looked down at the pink pill in her hand. Suddenly, it didn't seem quite so unappealing.
After all, triple reaction speed and triple agility… letting that go to waste did seem a bit of a shame.
In short, the Master Diviner convinced herself.
"Well then, I'll just—"
"Master Diviner! I've finished washing the lunchboxes! Spotless and shining—not a speck of dust left! You definitely won't have to redo them!"
Before Qingque herself arrived, her voice came rushing in first, full of excitement at having completed her task.
With a flurry of footsteps, she burst into the shop—only to see her superior opening her mouth to speak. Her heart skipped a beat.
Oh no. Did I just interrupt something important?
Her forced smile trembled with awkward politeness as she said the first flowery words that came to mind, "Ahahaha! The future general of the Luofu, the towering pillar of the Divination Commission—this humble subordinate eagerly awaits your enlightening guidance!"
Fu Xuan's expression froze stiff.
Guidance? What am I supposed to "guide" you on?
Was she supposed to announce in front of everyone that she was about to become a catgirl?!
She'd just barely found an escape route—and now this? Total social death!
"You came at the perfect time."
Still, Qingque's interruption did at least push the topic aside.
Fu Xuan smoothly shifted the conversation. "All the trash cans are sold out. Go back this afternoon and help me with something."
"Eh? What… kind of something?"
Qingque asked reluctantly.
Clearly, her timing was terrible. Not only had she interrupted her superior's talk, but now she was being roped into overtime work.
She worked so hard every day! After dinner, she barely had time for card games and often slept poorly.
Then she had to wake up early to do all the heavy recording work here—at least two hours every morning! She'd just been hoping to rest this afternoon, and now this?!
Fu Xuan looked at the stationary [Cognitive Seal] nearby and smiled. "It's something that concerns your personal future—and the future of the Divination Commission."
"Eh? What could that be?"
Following her superior's gaze, Qingque turned to the big metal object.
She hadn't paid much attention earlier—too busy enjoying her meal.
What was this thing for again?