Sylvia could tell from Bailu's face that she really hadn't known.
The corner of Sylvia's mouth curled up before she could stop it, and the mask perched on her head seemed to take on an amused grin of its own.
"You forgot? Jing Yuan asked me to take you around so you could study abroad for a while. He never said you had to go back with the delegation. Still, that little spoiled act of yours was pretty convincing. No one would've guessed you're several hundred years old."
"Uh... huh? HUUUH?!"
Bailu's eyes went wide as she spun around. Yukong and Huaiyan were both smiling and nodding, while Yunli had covered her face and couldn't even look at her.
That was when Bailu realized she'd just humiliated herself beyond recovery.
"..."
She tried desperately to hold it together, but a second later she burst into tears. Covering her face, she ran off before anyone could stop her.
Yunli, meanwhile, suddenly looked very guilty. One glance was all Huaiyan needed to understand.
There was no way his granddaughter hadn't had something to do with this.
"Ahem. Yunli, what did you do this time?"
"Ahaha... How was I supposed to know Bailu didn't have to go back to the Luofu with us? She didn't want to leave, so I thought I'd help her come up with an idea."
Yunli was usually bold and carefree, but now she looked embarrassed for once. It even gave her an unexpectedly cute, girlish air.
Huaiyan was left speechless.
Giving advice was one thing. Couldn't she have just explained things normally? Did she really have to pull a stunt like that?
He sighed.
Oh well. It wasn't as though he'd ever expected this girl to shoulder the fate of the world someday. She could do as she pleased.
Huaiyan had always carried some guilt toward his granddaughter. She'd lost both parents when she was young, so he'd never had the heart to be too harsh with her. Fortunately, Yunli had grown up well on her own. Whether it came to forging or martial arts, she'd made something of herself in both.
With that thought, Huaiyan took a few steps forward and stopped in front of Sylvia.
"Haha. Miss Tingyun, there's no need to be upset. It shouldn't be long before Jing Yuan sends an invitation to the Astral Express."
"An invitation? For what?"
Sylvia raised an eyebrow. Was something else happening on the Xianzhou? Or were they planning a fight and wanted her there for it?
Huaiyan only stroked his beard and chuckled.
"Jing Yuan plans to hold a Luminary Wardance Ceremony. When the time comes, both the Astral Express and you, Sylvia, will be invited as honored guests."
Tingyun thought for a moment. She hadn't heard even the slightest rumor about anything like that. And the Wardance... just how many years had it been since the last one? Even by Xianzhou standards, it'd been a very long time.
Her gaze drifted toward Yukong, only to find the Helm Master of the Sky-Faring Commission shaking her head in confusion too.
So even Yukong hadn't known.
Huaiyan noticed the silent exchange between the two Foxians and laughed.
"It hasn't been announced yet. It's simply something Jing Yuan, the Merlin's Claw, and I discussed among ourselves."
"Got it. Then I'll wait for the Luofu to send me an invitation."
Sylvia smiled and agreed.
It was only a shame the event wasn't being held aboard another Xianzhou ship. Otherwise, she could've used the chance to do some sightseeing.
Judging from the clothes worn by Huaiyan, Yunli, and that person named Lingsha, the different Xianzhou ships clearly shared the same cultural roots while still having distinct styles of their own.
Sylvia couldn't help being curious.
If the ships weren't separated by such vast distances, requiring several jumps even aboard the Astral Express, she really would've liked to visit them.
"Hehe. Speaking of which, the Merlin's Claw heard about you and has been insisting that she'll spar with you once you meet. I hope you'll show some restraint when the time comes."
Huaiyan seemed to have only just remembered it.
"Is something wrong with that general?"
"The Merlin's Claw is a Foxian. Her recovery isn't as strong as that of Xianzhou natives, and she's spent years fighting battle after battle. Old wounds haven't even healed before new ones get added. I've tried talking her out of it, but she never listens."
That was enough for Sylvia to form a rough impression of the general.
"I'll be careful."
Sylvia nodded. Only then did Huaiyan chuckle and walk past her toward the large starskiff.
Sylvia turned to Yukong, who'd remained near the edge of the group.
"Come to think of it, I never asked why you're suddenly heading back. Why not stay a few more days? We never even figured out what happened to that mask."
Sylvia meant the one from the auction.
Everything had happened so fast back then. By the time anyone understood what was going on, they'd all been pulled into Ena's Dream.
Huaiyan had awakened in time, but he'd had no chance to worry about the mask. By the time Ena's Dream was undone, the thing had already vanished.
No one knew who'd taken it.
Yukong smiled.
"We only came this time because of you in the first place. Besides, if the Wardance that Senior Huaiyan mentioned is coming soon, I can't stay away from my duties for too long."
The Xianzhou's goals were different from those of the corporation, after all.
"The others will remain on Penacony for the Charmony Festival, but the few of us need to return to the Luofu first."
Yukong glanced at Tingyun.
"As for Tingyun, I'd happily give her a few extra days off, but this little fox can't stop worrying about her merchant guild."
"Oh my, Madam Helm Master. How could you expose my shortcomings in front of my benefactor? If it weren't for a major deal that truly requires my presence, I certainly wouldn't object to a few more days of vacation."
Tingyun pretended to be offended and tapped Yukong lightly on the shoulder with her folding fan.
In truth, though, the guild was busy but hardly so busy that Tingyun herself had to be there. She'd simply begun to feel that the distance between her and Sylvia was growing.
Compared with an exalted Emanator who'd receive praise wherever she went, Tingyun was only the head of a modest merchant guild on the Luofu.
She'd traveled widely and handled countless deals, but beside Sylvia, all of that suddenly seemed insignificant.
Part of Tingyun feared that this gap would put distance between them. Another part wondered whether, if she kept improving herself little by little, she'd eventually be able to stand beside Sylvia without feeling so uneasy.
And after seeing Sylvia today, Tingyun understood something.
Sylvia hadn't changed at all just because her status had.
It was Tingyun herself who'd gotten hung up on the title of Emanator and couldn't let it go.
So she wanted some time to settle her thoughts and prepare herself.
People often said Miss Tingyun of the Sky-Faring Commission could handle anyone and anything with ease. Yet when it came to her own heart, all her usual clever tricks suddenly became useless.
She understood the logic perfectly well. Whether she could truly accept it was another matter.
None of those thoughts showed on Tingyun's face. Her expression remained as flawless as ever.
But Yukong knew her too well. How could she fail to guess what was going through Tingyun's head?
Unfortunately, Yukong had no experience with this sort of thing herself. And when it came to talking people around, she couldn't match Tingyun's silver tongue.
She simply didn't know how to make Tingyun understand.
That was why she'd deliberately brought up the subject now, even giving Sylvia a meaningful look.
Tingyun immediately stepped forward and blocked Yukong from view. She waved her folding fan at Sylvia with a bright smile.
"Benefactor~ I'll be waiting for you on the Luofu."
"..."
Sylvia could tell something was a little off.
But even after catching Yukong's hint, she couldn't instantly guess what Tingyun was thinking. She couldn't read minds, after all.
If she suddenly stopped Tingyun now, she wouldn't even know what to say.
So...
"Wait, Tingyun. I've got a gift for you."
"Hm?"
Tingyun stopped at once. Surprise and delight crossed her face as she turned toward Sylvia.
Sylvia lifted a hand and brushed it across her mask. A moment later, an almost identical white cat mask appeared in her palm.
"This one's for you."
"A Fool's Mask?"
Tingyun accepted it with some confusion. Aside from the unusual material, she couldn't sense anything special about it.
"Think of it as a token from me. If you're ever in danger or caught in an emergency, it'll keep you safe."
Sylvia wasn't especially fond of the power of Elation, but she had to admit the mask was extremely useful.
What Mei did—casually taking an object and sealing power inside it—was actually very difficult. One mistake could easily destroy the object, and once the power was sealed away, even its creator couldn't freely manipulate it afterward.
A Fool's Mask solved those problems with ease.
The divided mask was made from a special material that could carry Sylvia's power without trouble. And because it remained an extension of her power, sensing it and controlling it were both simple.
"Thank you~ I'll keep it with me."
Tingyun thought for a moment, then tied the mask at her waist beside her sachet.
Its colors clashed a little, but she didn't seem to care.
"All right. Have a safe trip. I'll see you at the Wardance."
"And may you stay safe as well, Benefactor."
--+--
Sylvia watched the Xianzhou delegation board their starskiff and depart.
Yunli apparently wanted to learn swordsmanship from Sylvia just like Bailu did, but General Huaiyan shut that idea down with one hand and hauled her back aboard.
Her attempt failed completely.
In the end, Yunli pressed herself against the window, cheeks puffed out, staring at Sylvia while making frantic hand gestures. She was probably saying she'd come ask Sylvia for lessons again during the Wardance.
Sylvia watched until the starskiff jumped away.
Then she spoke without turning around.
"I thought you'd slipped away."
"How could I? I still haven't received what you promised me."
Constance stood behind Sylvia in the same white outfit as before.
No one knew when she'd appeared.
She gave a graceful bow.
Sylvia turned toward her.
"So you're thinking... right now?"
"Of course. Penacony is the best place for this outside the Garden of Recollection."
The dense Memoria here could greatly boost a Memokeeper's abilities. Once they left Penacony, Constance would have even less of a chance.
After all, Constance didn't actually intend to defeat Sylvia in a direct fight.
She only wanted to pry into Sylvia's mind.
And no matter how strong Sylvia was, she lacked specialized defenses and techniques related to Memoria.
Constance believed there had to be an opening somewhere.
Assuming Sylvia really intended to honor her earlier promise.
"Fine. I keep my word. Let's go back to the room."
Constance had helped earlier, after all, and Sylvia had spent this whole period testing her own mental resistance again and again.
Even Ena's Dream hadn't broken through her defenses. Sylvia couldn't imagine Constance managing what it couldn't.
And judging by the way Constance and Black Swan treated each other, the two seemed roughly evenly matched. Their abilities probably weren't that far apart.
If Black Swan couldn't do it, Constance would most likely end up the same way.
Besides...
Even Aha had needed to force a mask onto Sylvia just to find another way to investigate her secrets.
Unless Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance, personally intervened, Sylvia figured no one else should be able to dig through her memories.
With that thought, Sylvia brought Constance back to her hotel room.
"How do you want to do this?"
"Right here will be fine."
That unsettling smile from the past returned to Constance's face.
To her, there wasn't much difference between a synesthetic dream and reality.
"All right."
Sylvia shrugged and sat down on the sofa.
Constance moved closer and placed both hands against Sylvia's temples, leaning in as she focused completely on the task.
"Hehe~ You're really giving me free rein? Then don't complain if I push a little too hard."
"Say that after you actually succeed."
Sylvia only smiled back.
Constance gave a soft laugh.
The blue flames drifting at the corners of her eyes turned hazy and unreal. Her slender tail curled around the side of the sofa as she began probing Sylvia's mind.
After spending so much time around Memoria, Sylvia could now sense a similar force trying to enter her consciousness.
But...
It failed.
Constance had expected that much.
If it were that easy, she wouldn't have become so obsessed with uncovering what was inside Sylvia's mind.
She kept going, testing one method after another as she searched for some way in.
This continued for roughly two system hours.
Every new method gave Constance the same illusion: this one might work. Maybe this time she'd finally uncover Sylvia's secret.
Then, without exception, she'd reach the most critical point and discover that everything she'd done had been useless.
It almost felt like someone was deliberately toying with her. Instead of shutting her down immediately, the defense gave her hope first, then snatched it away at the last possible moment.
It was infuriating.
Sylvia had to be doing this on purpose!
The more Constance tried, the more frustrated she became.
Unfortunately for her, Sylvia truly had nothing to do with it.
Part of the defense came from Sylvia's mental-resistance ability, while the rest came from the System's own secrecy protections.
Both were passively triggered.
The System itself wasn't intelligent. It could only strengthen its defenses after something activated them.
And Constance kept approaching from strange new angles.
The result was basically a game of whack-a-mole. The defense couldn't bring the hammer down until Constance's next attempt popped up.
Constance felt wronged, but she kept it to herself.
Sylvia, meanwhile, had no idea this was happening.
From Constance's point of view, that only made it look even more like Sylvia was deliberately messing with her.
Her frustration kept climbing higher with every failed attempt.
Then, as Constance continued pressing forward, she seemed to trigger some deeper self-protection function within the System.
Or maybe the System simply decided this was getting too troublesome.
Either way, as time passed, something changed.
From Constance's "special perspective"...
Sylvia's entire existence vanished.
It was like trying to open a treasure chest, only for the chest and its lock to disappear from reality together.
What was she even supposed to do with that?
That finally broke Constance's composure completely.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL