Chapter 491: Marry Acheron - 491

Sylvia waited in silence for Samatha to finish thinking and give her an answer. There were fewer people at Claretwheel Temple than she'd expected.

Just over ten thousand monks and another ten thousand children. Barely more than twenty thousand Borisin in total. She could simply pack them all up and send them to her place.

In a one-on-one fight, the dragonkin Ruan Mei had created could crush the Borisin without much trouble. With Bella around as well, there was no need to worry about anything going wrong. More importantly, she could keep Sugata under her watch at all times.

Separius was still a planet ruled by nature. The only places that could count as technological creations were the small estate and the huge ring floating in orbit.

Even that ring didn't have much in the way of powerful weapons. It wouldn't survive a single breath from Bella.

The planet was also in a remote corner of space. Even if Sugata lost control while staying there, she wouldn't have to worry about it causing any major trouble.

Just then, a call from Mei broke the silence.

"Sylvia, did something happen over there?"

Mei's face appeared before Sylvia, with Little Herta squeezing into the corner of the screen to take a peek. Sylvia smiled and waved at Little Herta before answering.

"Ran into some Annihilation Gang robbers. I've already taken care of them."

"And those people beside you...?"

"They're from Claretwheel Temple."

Sylvia gave her a quick rundown of Sugata and Samatha's situation. Mei frowned a little. It wasn't that she disagreed with Sylvia's idea, but...

"Shouldn't you talk to Madam Herta about this first? She's probably busy lately."

Herta had only recently mentioned that she wanted to work on her Scepter system. How would she have time to deal with something like this?

"She'll have time eventually. Even if Herta doesn't want to get involved, I can always observe them myself."

Little Herta spent most of her time aboard Herta Space Station. Even when she went out for fun, she'd usually be aboard the Astral Express.

Separius might be Sylvia's personal base, but for now, she mostly used it as a logistics hub and a place to house the dragonkin. As for Sugata's situation, even if Herta didn't want to spend any time studying it, Sylvia figured she could gather some useful data through observation and records alone.

Mei nodded.

"In that case, should I take Little Herta back to the space station first?"

Neither Sylvia nor Mei had planned to bring Little Herta to the Luofu for the Wardance. Besides, Little Herta wasn't all that interested in fighting and killing.

They'd been traveling for more than ten days now, and it was clear that Little Herta was starting to miss studying at the space station.

"Sure."

Sylvia nodded, and Mei turned the camera toward Little Herta.

"Dad, you get back to work. I'll come play again next time."

Little Herta waved at Sylvia. During their time together, she'd changed what she called Sylvia several times before finally settling on "Dad," which made Sylvia sound much older than she was. Still, Sylvia didn't mind, as long as the girl didn't pick up any swear words.

Little Herta actually liked the Astral Express quite a bit. She'd seen all sorts of interesting things along the way. Sadly, the train didn't have servers large enough to store all the knowledge she wanted, nor was it full of scholars she could ask questions.

As fun as the trip had been, Little Herta had no plans to stay for long. She still preferred the academic atmosphere of the space station.

After the call ended, it wasn't long before the Astral Express raced past in the distance. Within plain sight, it entered a warp and headed toward the space station.

Only after Sylvia had finished her call did Samatha finally speak, sharing her decision.

"Thank you for your mercy and for being willing to shelter us, my lord. However, the temple had already decided to seek aid from the Xianzhou. If I may be so bold, could you allow us to speak with them first?"

Samatha felt uneasy. She was grateful for Sylvia's offer, but at the end of the day, they'd only just met. She couldn't guarantee that Sylvia didn't have some hidden motive.

If it were only her and Sugata, that would've been one thing. But her decision would affect more than twenty-three thousand people. Even at the risk of offending Sylvia, she had to contact the Xianzhou first.

Even if the Xianzhou refused to take them in, she could at least ask about Sylvia's character. The Xianzhou's reputation was widely respected. If they could vouch for Sylvia, Samatha would have a much easier time convincing the others at the temple.

Sylvia waved a hand.

"Stop calling me 'my lord.' I don't like it. And you don't have to hide what you're thinking. Like I said, I'm a reasonable person."

Sylvia smiled. Samatha couldn't bring herself to trust Sylvia so easily, but did that mean Sylvia could place complete trust in Samatha and Sugata?

Even if Samatha hadn't asked, Sylvia would've taken them to the Xianzhou anyway. Then she'd ask Fu Xuan to use the Matrix of Prescience to check whether they were lying.

From what she'd heard, Fu Xuan would be back during the Wardance, so there wouldn't be much of a delay.

Apparently, because of Sylvia's involvement, the Xianzhou Alliance had skipped a lot of the usual procedures. They hadn't kept the Master Diviner tied up for too long, which meant she should at least make it back in time for the second half of the Wardance.

"I'll take you to the Xianzhou. I'll also vouch for you and arrange for you to enter the Matrix of Prescience. It'll reveal whether you're lying or hiding anything."

"Thank you for your understanding, benefactor."

Samatha let out a sigh of relief, and the worry on her face began to fade. Sylvia's attitude had earned at least eighty percent of her trust. She kept the remaining twenty percent in reserve for the sake of everyone at the temple.

Sugata remained silent beside her.

It had already discussed this with Samatha. Being studied by Sylvia was nothing. Even if Sylvia wanted its life, that would've been fine too. As long as Samatha's wish could be fulfilled, the sacrifices of the monks wouldn't have been in vain.

And so Sugata simply watched the changes in Samatha's emotions, letting the strange feelings within its body slowly build.

While waiting for Mei and the train to return, Sylvia changed the subject.

"Anyway, let's talk about something else. Once we've visited the Xianzhou, assuming I offer you shelter, would you rather stay where you are or move the entire temple to my territory?"

Claretwheel Temple was remote, but it was still within Borisin territory. Sylvia could use her powers to put a barrier around the whole temple, but the monks couldn't spend their entire lives shut inside. The moment they went out, they'd still be in danger.

Moving away was clearly the best option.

Samatha answered without hesitation.

"If it wouldn't trouble you, we'd be happy to relocate."

Samatha wasn't stupid. What reason did they have to stay?

Even if they wanted to keep taking in those who didn't fit in with the rest of the Borisin, they couldn't leave more than thirteen thousand children in a dangerous place just for that.

Besides, Claretwheel Temple was nearing its limit. Otherwise, they wouldn't have taken such a huge risk to seek help from the Xianzhou.

If Sylvia could offer them a safe place to rest and recover, Samatha couldn't ask for anything better.

"It's no trouble. And to be frank, you are Borisin. I can't say for sure whether you'll be able to keep your violent instincts under control for the rest of your lives. If I don't keep you close, I'd be worried you might cause trouble while using my name."

Sylvia had no intention of hiding her thoughts. She was amazed that Samatha and Sugata could suppress their savage instincts through their beliefs, but she also cared about whether they could truly keep doing so for a lifetime.

Besides, Borisin territory was already a complete mess. The environment people lived in played a huge role in shaping who they became.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..."

Samatha didn't mind Sylvia's bluntness. After hearing her promise, all she felt was relief at her good fortune. More than thirteen thousand children at the temple would no longer have to spend every day fearing for their safety.

The Astral Express didn't take long to return, and Sylvia soon brought Samatha and Sugata aboard.

As for the spaceship the Annihilation Gang had stolen...

Sylvia sat down on a sofa and opened a chat with Topaz.

[Sylvia: [Star Map Coordinates]]

[Topaz: ?]

[Topaz: What's this?]

[Sylvia: A spaceship belonging to the Intelligentsia Guild that was stolen by the Annihilation Gang. I happened to come across it. It's still in good shape.]

[Topaz: Thanks. I'll notify the Intelligentsia Guild and have them retrieve it.]

[Sylvia: Just happened to be passing by.]

[Sylvia: Oh, right. I might need to rent a large transport ship soon. I've got more than twenty thousand people who need to move. Know anyone reliable?]

There were more than twenty thousand people at Claretwheel Temple, not counting all their belongings. The Intelligentsia Guild ship could only fit a few hundred people at most. It wasn't a large vessel to begin with.

[Topaz: Moving twenty thousand people? Piece of cake. Just send me the gathering point when you're ready. I can have a ship there within three days.]

[Sylvia: Then thank you, Director Topaz.]

[Sylvia: [Pom-Pom Heart]]

[Topaz: [Topaz Finger Snap]]

Sylvia put away her phone and looked up at Samatha, who was sitting across from her and eating bread to regain her strength. She waved to a golden True Sting nearby.

"There are some empty guest rooms on the train. It'll show you the way. For a few reasons, I won't be heading to the Xianzhou until the day the Wardance begins, so you can rest aboard the train for the next few days."

"Of course. We'll follow your arrangements."

Samatha nodded. It was only a matter of waiting until the opening day of the Wardance. If they'd tried making the trip on their own, who knew whether they'd even arrive before the event ended?

Besides, their safety was assured aboard the Astral Express. At the very least, no foolish robber would think of trying to rob the famous train.

Sylvia was just thinking about finding somewhere nearby to train with Mei and pass the next few days when a message arrived from someone she hadn't expected.

[Master Diviner Fu: [Star Map Coordinates]]

[Master Diviner Fu: Sylvia, are you in this star system?]

[Sylvia: ?]

[Sylvia: I am. What's up?]

[Master Diviner Fu: My third eye showed me that we'd cross paths along the way, so I thought I'd say hello.]

[Sylvia: Oh my~ The great Master Diviner actually came looking for me? I'm so happy~]

[Sylvia: [Pom-Pom Heart]]

[Master Diviner Fu: ...]

[Master Diviner Fu: It's just a coincidence!]

[Sylvia: I know, I know. It's been ages since we've seen each other. Why don't you come aboard my train and have a look around?]

Sylvia smiled at the familiar reaction and took the chance to invite Fu Xuan aboard.

She hadn't seen the Master Diviner since Fu Xuan had left for the Xianzhou Yuque. She'd actually missed her quite a bit.

[Master Diviner Fu: Well, since you've gone to the trouble of inviting me, it wouldn't be right for me to refuse.]

[Master Diviner Fu: [Star Map Coordinates]]

[Master Diviner Fu: Let's meet here.]

[Sylvia: Sure.]

Sylvia put her phone away.

She couldn't help wondering whether that group of Borisin would've managed to sneak into the Xianzhou if Fu Xuan had been around.

Oh, well. There wasn't much point thinking about it. The people behind that scheme had clearly chosen a time when Fu Xuan was away.

--+--

About a day later, the Astral Express met a starskiff along the star rail. The small vessel was secured to the rear of the train, while its lone passenger stepped aboard.

"You're alone? Didn't they assign you any soldiers?"

Sylvia glanced toward the back of the train. Fu Xuan's starskiff wasn't especially large, but it could certainly carry more than one person.

"There was no need. I used my third eye to examine the journey. It'll be peaceful from start to finish, without the slightest danger."

Fu Xuan was dressed as she always was, with white tights covering her legs. She gave a slight nod.

"Miss Acheron, it's been a while."

"It's been a while, Master Diviner Fu."

Mei exchanged greetings with Fu Xuan. The two weren't particularly close and only knew each other through Sylvia.

Seeing that Sylvia and Fu Xuan hadn't met in some time, Mei took her coffee into another train car to give them some space.

Sylvia poured Fu Xuan a cup of coffee, sat down beside her, and asked with some interest, "How come you're back so early? Didn't you say you wouldn't make it until the Wardance was already underway?"

Fu Xuan took a small sip of coffee. She shifted in her seat and relaxed her posture.

"Ah... This is quite good. Did you make it?"

"The conductor did."

Resting her chin on one hand, Fu Xuan tilted her head and looked at Sylvia.

"Well, it's because you've gone and gotten yourself mixed up in trouble again."

She'd activated her third eye, intending to check how things were going on the Xianzhou. The Xianzhou itself was fine, but Sylvia had somehow gotten involved in another troublesome affair.

A group of Borisin, of all things.

The issue wasn't anything else. It was simply a sensitive matter.

Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan would certainly support Sylvia, but there was no telling whether some people within the Xianzhou would try to stir up trouble.

Above all, Fu Xuan didn't want ugly rumors about Sylvia spreading through the Xianzhou and damaging her reputation. That was why she'd returned early. She wanted to put some countermeasures in place before things got out of hand.

Sylvia smiled, not too bothered by it. Still, she knew Fu Xuan meant well, and she wasn't about to brush aside that kindness.

"Then thank you, Master Diviner~"

"Hmph!"

Fu Xuan couldn't resist lifting her little foot and giving Sylvia a kick in the shin. There she went, calling her "Master Diviner" on purpose again!

"Well? Tell me what you're planning to do, and why you decided to get involved in this mess."

"Oh? Are you worried about me?"

"Of course I am! What, did you think I came all this way just to have a cup of coffee?"

Fu Xuan's cheeks were a little red, but she made no attempt to hide her answer.

Sylvia found her adorable, and a pleasant warmth spread through her chest.

"Ahem."

Fu Xuan cleared her throat and gave Sylvia a look that told her to hurry up and explain.

Still smiling, Sylvia began laying out her reasons. She even told Fu Xuan about Little Herta.

They'd known each other for ages, after all, and Sylvia trusted her friends to keep a secret. Not that Little Herta's existence was much of a secret to begin with.

The more Fu Xuan heard, the stranger the look she gave Sylvia became.

Just what kind of nonsense had this woman been getting up to lately?

She'd had a child with Madam Herta of the Genius Society.

How could something so absurd actually happen? And why, of all people, did Fu Xuan have to live long enough to witness it herself?

--+--