Chapter 494: Marry Acheron - 494

The Alchemy Commission wasn't far from Scalegorge Waterscape, so it didn't take Sylvia long to get there with Yunli.

"Sylvia! I feel like I've gotten a lot stronger lately! I even traded several blows with Hoolay in the Shackling Prison today!" Yunli waved her empty hands through the air, trying to show Sylvia how she'd fought.

"Really? You did great. I'm sure your grandpa will be happy to hear that." Sylvia smiled and patted Yunli's head.

"Hehe~ But Hoolay's so strong! He grabbed Old Mettle and tossed it around like a toy."

Sylvia listened to Yunli chatter for a while before curiosity got the better of her. "So how did Yanqing and March do?"

Yanqing was March 7th's other swordsmanship teacher. March had been learning from these two kids lately, and Sylvia wondered how much progress she'd made.

"March 7th did pretty well! She was still using her bow in the fight, but you could see how much she'd improved from the way she moved and dodged. As for Yanqing... I guess that last sword strike of his was decent enough."

Yunli was quite pleased with March 7th's progress. Her strength had grown, and her footwork had become much more agile. She still had a long way to go with swordsmanship, but the results of her training were plain to see.

As for Yanqing, Yunli gave a few reluctant huffs before admitting that his final sword strike, the one that froze half of Hoolay's body, hadn't been bad.

The more those two kids taught March 7th, the less they thought of each other's swordsmanship. One thought the other did nothing but dodge and couldn't put any strength behind a sword. The other thought her rival relied on brute force without a shred of technique and had no business teaching anyone.

Sylvia couldn't help finding it funny. Compared to the mature Yanqing, Yunli really did act like a child, but that was part of what made her so cute. Sylvia loved pinching her round little cheeks and ruffling her hair.

She was such an adorable little thing!

They made their way from the deserted harbor toward the busier parts of the Alchemy Commission. Once they arrived, Sylvia told Yunli to visit Lingsha for a checkup.

During their walk, she'd learned that Yunli had taken plenty of heavy blows alongside Dan Heng during the battle in the Shackling Prison. She didn't have any serious wounds, but Sylvia was more concerned about possible damage to her internal organs from the impacts.

People from the Xianzhou had strong healing abilities, but it was still better to get checked.

Yunli agreed and skipped off. Seeing how full of energy the girl was, Sylvia felt reassured and headed toward Bailu's courtyard.

But the moment she reached the entrance, she heard raised voices coming from behind the half-open gate. It sounded like an argument.

'Huh... Those Preceptors really have the nerve to cause trouble for Bailu?'

Sylvia's expression turned odd.

Hadn't Jing Yuan been putting pressure on the Vidyadhara lately? And from what she'd heard, she'd somehow gotten involved in the matter herself.

Jing Yuan had sent Bailu to study under her, so the Preceptors should've known about their relationship. Why would they still dare cause trouble?

'Are they seriously not afraid of having an Emanator come after them?'

With that thought, Sylvia pushed open the gate and stepped inside. The argument became clear at once.

"...If you think you can drag the Dragon Lady into this mess, think again! If you've got a death wish, don't take us down with you!"

"I think you've all gotten more cowardly with age! This is the Xianzhou! That Emanator might be powerful, but even she wouldn't dare run wild here!"

"Bullshit! You're the ones who've grown old and stupid! Jing Yuan and Sylvia are on the same side! If Sylvia kills you, do you think Jing Yuan's going to do anything about it?"

"So what? Can't I just reincarnate?"

"Oh, for crying out loud... She can turn into a dragon! You really think she can't kill you for good?"

Several unfamiliar voices were arguing in the courtyard, but none belonged to Bailu.

Sylvia raised an eyebrow.

'So I'm involved in this after all?'

"Ahem!"

Sylvia entered the courtyard and cleared her throat. The argument stopped at once, and everyone turned to look at her.

Bailu had been standing between the two groups with a troubled look on her face. The moment she saw Sylvia, her expression lit up. Lightning flashed around her body, and in the blink of an eye, she shot across the courtyard and threw herself into Sylvia's arms.

"Master! Help! These two groups are about to start fighting!"

Bailu wrapped her short legs around Sylvia's waist, grabbed her shoulder with one hand, and pointed behind herself with the other. Both groups of Vidyadhara had frozen in place.

"Excuse me, are you Lady Sylvia?"

One of the Vidyadhara women stepped forward and gave a respectful bow. Judging by her expression, she even seemed a little excited.

Sylvia gave her a puzzled look before nodding. "That's me."

"Then—"

Before the woman could continue, a man from the other group stepped forward and bowed as well. He then pointed at her and spoke.

"Lady Sylvia, the Preceptor has invited the Dragon Lady to his residence for a discussion, but this woman keeps getting in our way. We've never intended to disturb the Dragon Lady."

"Bullshit! You think I don't know what Taoran wants with Her Ladyship? And since when do you bring hired muscle when you're inviting someone over?"

"Stop making baseless accusations! The Preceptor has his own plans."

The man clearly hadn't expected her to be so blunt in front of an outsider. But the Vidyadhara woman didn't seem to care. She took another step toward Sylvia.

"Preceptor Taoran has been conspiring with outside enemies and even intends to take the Dragon Lady hostage. I've come on another Preceptor's orders to stop him."

Sylvia looked from one face to the other without giving her opinion.

She didn't know much about the Vidyadhara's internal politics, though she knew the Preceptors weren't a united group. Still, there was no telling how much truth either side was speaking.

The restraints on Bailu's tail had remained in place for hundreds of years. Yet the moment Sylvia removed them, these people had shown up.

Who knew whether they truly supported Bailu or were only trying to get on Sylvia's good side?

"All of you, leave. I need to speak with Bailu alone."

Sylvia didn't bother hearing any more excuses.

Some of the Vidyadhara looked unhappy, but none were foolish enough to challenge her.

As she'd overheard earlier, Sylvia could transform into a dragon, and she'd since become an Emanator of Elation. Who could guarantee that she wouldn't wipe someone out in a single strike, leaving not even a trace of ash behind?

It was easy to talk big when Sylvia wasn't around. Now that she was standing right in front of them, none dared act tough.

Once everyone had left, Sylvia set Bailu down and patted her head.

"All right. You're not the same person you used to be. You can stand up for yourself a little more, you know."

"Uh, there were so many of them! I'm just not used to fighting yet." Bailu gave an embarrassed chuckle.

It wasn't as though Bailu had a gentle temper. But she'd been facing a crowd, and every one of them was a trained Vidyadhara warrior. She didn't have much experience fighting enemies, so she hadn't dared make the first move.

Besides, how embarrassing would it be if she tried to fight them and got captured right away?

Sylvia smiled and didn't press the matter. Experience was easy enough to gain. After Bailu got into a few more fights, she'd know what she was doing.

But there was something more important to discuss.

"So, do you want to accept Preceptor Taoran's invitation? If you do, you could use this chance to establish your authority among the Vidyadhara. If you're not ready, you can keep traveling with the Express for a while after the Wardance."

"Um..."

Bailu's face filled with doubt.

It wasn't that she rejected the responsibilities of the High Elder, but she was worried about taking them on. Deep down, she wasn't ready.

The Preceptors had kept her confined to the Alchemy Commission for years, using restraints to suppress her power. But because of that, she'd rarely had to deal with the messy affairs of the outside world. Instead, she'd been free to focus on her medical studies.

After all these years, Bailu had grown used to living as a doctor. She'd even grown used to sneaking out, only to get caught and brought back.

Then Sylvia had suddenly removed her restraints. Her powers had been released, and she'd even started growing taller.

Now, out of nowhere, she was being asked to step into the heart of Vidyadhara politics.

Rather than excitement, all Bailu felt was unease.

Sylvia could tell exactly what was troubling her.

The Vidyadhara had managed without a High Elder for so many years. Another few decades wouldn't make much difference. Besides, Sylvia had already taken the Ambrosial Arbor away, so there was no longer any need for a High Elder to maintain its seal.

If Bailu truly wanted to take up the position, Sylvia wouldn't object. The girl might still lack the skills and experience, but she had powerful people backing her.

On the other hand, if Bailu didn't want the position yet, there was no reason to force her into it.

Sylvia patted her head again.

"If you can't make up your mind, then don't go. It's not like you're ready to shoulder the burden of the Luofu's Vidyadhara anyway."

"Uh... Master, you know, that's kind of a harsh way to put it."

Bailu scratched her head, though her expression relaxed at once.

Sylvia laughed and tapped her forehead.

"Hah! With how much you love eating and fooling around, I'd be worried you'd get sold off and help count the money if you became High Elder right now."

"Come on! I'm not that gullible!"

Bailu puffed out her cheeks, unhappy with Sylvia's slander.

Sylvia ignored her protests and strode out of the courtyard. Seeing that the two groups still hadn't left the area, she called out to them.

"Tell the Preceptors that Bailu will continue studying under me for a while. As for Taoran's invitation, she won't be attending."

"But—"

"Hm?"

One of Taoran's followers tried to object, but Sylvia frowned and gave him a flat look. That single sound was enough to make him swallow whatever he'd been about to say.

The two groups withdrew one after the other. Only then did Bailu peek out from behind Sylvia.

"That's my master! Next time those guys try to drag me back, I'm just going to use your name to scare them!"

Sylvia was about to reply when she spotted the Alchemy Commission's new Cauldron Master approaching.

It was Lingsha, the woman she'd met in Penacony when she'd been part of the visiting delegation.

"Lady Sylvia, Lady Bailu."

"Oh, Lingsha! What brings you here?" Bailu asked.

Bailu had gotten to know Lingsha quite well lately. After all, they'd both be working at the Alchemy Commission, and as fellow physicians, they had plenty to talk about. Their relationship was fairly good.

"I heard the Preceptors' people were causing trouble for you, so I came to take a look. But it seems I won't be needed." Lingsha chuckled.

With Sylvia standing there, Lingsha was more worried about the Preceptors' safety than Bailu's.

"Well, since everything's fine, I'll be on my way. I've still got some matters to handle at the Alchemy Commission."

Lingsha hadn't wanted Bailu to get involved in Vidyadhara politics in the first place. From what she'd seen of the girl lately, Bailu was gifted in medicine but still far too inexperienced in other matters. At the very least, she should get a better grasp of the Alchemy Commission's affairs before taking on anything more.

Lingsha came and went in a hurry. Before Bailu could even say much else, she'd already left.

"By the way, is that Preceptor Taoran about to get into serious trouble?"

Bailu thought back to the argument she'd overheard and compared it with what she already knew. She had a feeling Taoran wouldn't be keeping his position much longer.

"Most likely. And I'm guessing he won't be the only Preceptor who gets into trouble."

Sylvia smiled as she watched Lingsha leave.

Jing Yuan had been patient for a long time. He probably wouldn't be satisfied with taking down a single scapegoat. But that didn't have much to do with Sylvia anymore.

She still had to travel into Borisin territory tomorrow to pick up the people from Claretwheel Temple.

As for Bailu, she could leave the girl in March 7th's care for a few days.

"Bailu, I'm leaving the Xianzhou tomorrow. You should stick with March 7th and the others while I'm gone."

"Where are you going, Master?"

"Into Borisin territory. I've got a group of people to bring back."

"Huh?"

Bailu stared at Sylvia in confusion.

How had her master gotten involved with the Borisin of all people?

Sylvia shrugged without offering an explanation.

"I'll tell you when we've got time. For now, let's go watch the opening ceremony."

"Oh! I almost forgot!"

The mention of the opening ceremony made Bailu perk up at once. It'd be a lively event, with plenty of food and drinks from other worlds. Just the sort of place for her to wander around and have fun.

--+--

Sylvia spent another day on the Xianzhou before the transport ship Topaz had arranged arrived at the Xianzhou Luofu, right on schedule.

She wasn't sure whether Topaz only had access to high-end ships or whether she'd pulled out all the stops because Sylvia had asked for a favor.

Either way, the ship Topaz had sent was one of the most luxurious passenger vessels available. It looked less like a ship meant to evacuate people and more like something built to take them on a lavish vacation.

Sylvia didn't mind.

She boarded the enormous ship with Samatha and Sugata, and they set off from the Luofu.

The only other person accompanying Sylvia was Mei.

The ship's interstellar jump drive was quite good, too. It'd take around half a month to reach their destination.

"We'll enter Borisin territory in eleven days. We'll probably face some delays once we get there."

Mei studied the ship's star chart and estimated arrival time.

She wasn't concerned about the Borisin themselves. The problem was that they couldn't afford to let the ship get damaged, which made things a little more troublesome.

"Once they lose a few fleets to me, they'll learn to behave."

"How are you planning to fight them?" Mei asked, looking at Sylvia with interest.

Sylvia didn't intend to announce her identity, which meant she'd need to be careful about using the power of Permanence.

She blinked, rummaged around in her pocket, and pulled out a small device.

A Fyrefly Type-V summoning device rested in her hand.

"I'll use this. I've barely had a chance to play around with this armor."

It was a Fyrefly mech, a Personal Escort Model.

She'd drawn it back in Penacony, but she'd never had the chance to use it in a proper battle.

The mech had impressive power output, and it could even be pushed beyond its normal limits to a degree based on the strength of its pilot.

Its upper limit wasn't all that high, but it should be more than enough to handle a few Borisin beast ships.

After all, there was no way those beast ships could be more vicious than the Swarm. She could also use a few other tricks to make sure the Borisin wouldn't recognize her.

Sylvia had once thought she'd probably never find a good reason to use this mech.

Who would've guessed it'd actually get its chance to shine?

--+--