The marketplace.
Sunlight poured down between the sunshade cloths hanging along the street, carving patterns of light and shadow onto the cobblestone path.
On either side of the road, wooden signs swayed gently in the breeze. The bakery's chimney puffed out white smoke, and street stalls were neatly lined with apples, herbs, cheese, and honey almond cookies fresh from the oven.
Kaila held Sophie’s hand, slowly walking through the crowd.
Their fingers were interlocked.
It was very warm.
Sophie, who had lost all her dreams and turned into a listless salted fish, floated beside her with an expressionless face.
“Sophie.”
“Hmm?”
“Honey almond cookies, or crescent pastries?”
Kaila stopped in front of a dessert stall and seriously provided two options.
“Neither.”
“Understood. Then both.”
Kaila nodded.
“And milk jelly,” Miaoyue said, poking her head out from the side.
“Add one more, milk jelly!” Kaila said to the stall owner.
...
The central square.
In the center of the marble fountain, the face of the sword-wielding knight statue had long been eroded by time.
White pigeons paced by the water's edge, and a flower girl carrying a wicker basket wove through the crowd.
Kaila bought a small bouquet of pale blue forget-me-nots.
“For me?” Sophie raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Kaila said.
“Isn't this just a weed? No, thanks,” Sophie said dismissively.
“The flower language of forget-me-nots... is please do not forget me. Even if we are briefly separated, even if we are far apart, even if we... cannot always hold... each other's hands...”
Sophie froze for a moment.
Miss Hero, is she... is she this good at this?
Then she saw the Miss Hero, who had forgotten her lines, take out a parchment notebook and look down to flip through two pages.
“I also hope you can remember me.”
“And.”
Kaila checked the notebook again.
“Everlasting love.”
She looked up and held the bouquet of pale blue flowers out to Sophie again.
“Yes, for you.”
Sophie: “...”
She slowly turned her head.
Not far away, Miaoyue was sitting on the edge of the fountain, munching away at a small bag of snacks while giving Sophie a thumbs-up with her other hand.
Munch, munch, munch.
Wretched disciple.
When did you give Miss Hero these private lessons?
“So.” Kaila was still holding up the bouquet, asking seriously, “Sophie doesn't want it?”
“...”
Sophie silently took the forget-me-nots.
She lowered her head and carefully tucked the small flowers—which she had just dismissed as weeds—into the metal buckle on the front of her cloak.
The pale blue petals swayed gently in the breeze.
“I'll accept it reluctantly,” Sophie said calmly. “Mostly to avoid waste.”
Kaila nodded.
“That was a lie.”
...
The cloth market.
Merchant caravans from the south had set up brightly colored tents. Reams of crimson, dark green, indigo, and ivory-white fabric hung from high places, fluttering slowly in the sunlight.
Sophie and Kaila ducked into an accessory shop.
“Miss Hero, look down,” Sophie said.
Kaila obediently leaned down.
Sophie pinned an expensive brass solar hairclip to the blonde hair near Kaila's ear, then stepped back half a pace to examine it.
“As expected of my taste.”
“Does it look good?” Kaila asked.
“It’s just average.” Sophie crossed her arms and nodded with satisfaction. “It barely manages to reflect one percent of Miss Hero’s cuteness.”
Kaila was silent for a moment.
“That was a lie.”
“How was that a lie?”
“Sophie thinks... it is very cute.”
Sophie: “Don’t use lie detection at a time like this!”
Not far away.
Miaoyue was squatting by the fountain, feeding the pigeons with milk jelly.
A flock of white pigeons surrounded the Moon Goddess, munching frantically.
She was also munching away.
It was hard to tell who was eating faster.
...
A street corner.
A bard wearing a felt hat with a feather was plucking a lute.
The melodious music drifted along the street.
Beside him, an illusionist waved a short wand, and a dozen semi-transparent silver-blue birds flew out of his hat, circling above the crowd before arranging themselves into a crescent moon.
Kaila stopped walking.
Sophie stopped with her.
“You like this?” Sophie asked.
“Yes,” Kaila replied. “I have never seen it before.”
Miss Hero’s gaze followed those silver-blue birds, her expression as focused as if she were observing some never-before-seen high-tier magic.
Sophie looked at the focused Kaila, then at the illusionist waving his wand.
She curled her lip.
“What’s so special about this?”
Sophie let go of Kaila’s hand and took two steps forward.
She took a small bottle of silver-blue star sand used for drawing ritual arrays from her system inventory and casually tossed it into the air.
The star sand did not fall to the ground.
Tiny silver-blue specks of light slowly rotated around Sophie, as if pulled by invisible threads, tracing complex and magnificent ritual patterns in mid-air.
Sophie raised a finger and pointed forward at will.
“Go.”
The light suddenly dispersed.
Dozens of transparent birds shimmering with moonlight flew out from the ritual patterns, their wings flapping as they soared over the street. They circled several times in the air before suddenly scattering like a silver-blue drizzle, landing on the shoulders and hat brims of the surrounding pedestrians.
“Whoa—”
The nearby children all came running over.
They reached out, chasing the birds that had no physical form. Several birds condensed from moonlight rested on the children's fingertips before shattering into tiny starlight the moment they were touched.
The illusionist who had been performing stopped his movements.
He stared blankly at Sophie.
Sophie clapped her hands nonchalantly and returned to Kaila’s side.
“It’s just an introductory-level illusion ritual,” she said, feigning indifference. “You can learn it just by glancing at it.”
Kaila looked at the children chasing the moonlight, then turned her gaze to Sophie.
“It is very beautiful,” she said earnestly.
Sophie lifted her chin.
“Of course.”
“Sophie is also... very amazing.”
“Usually, I am always... doing Hero things.”
“I cannot stop to look.”
“Thank you, Sophie.”
Kaila spoke with genuine sincerity.
The pride on Sophie’s face froze for an instant.
“This level of thing is nothing... I can perform until you’re sick of it.”
she muttered.
...
An open-air stall.
It was filled with silver jewelry and pottery. They stopped at a spice shop radiating pungent aromas, then walked along blue stone steps into a narrow alley hung with colorful flags.
Sophie used two Copper Shells to buy a skewer of candied berries.
Kaila leaned down and bit one off.
Sophie also bit one off.
Miaoyue tried to bite off all the remaining ones.
Sophie, quick-handed, lifted the paper bag over her head.
Miaoyue stood on her tiptoes and hopped a couple of times beside her.
She couldn't reach.
“My Saintess.” Miaoyue looked up and said solemnly, “You’ve changed.”
“These are mine.”
“Does our relationship still distinguish between yours and mine?”
“Buy your own.”
“The Moon Goddess has no money! If she doesn't eat, she'll make a scene!”
Sophie: “...”
Miaoyue held a whole bag of newly bought candied berries, munching away contentedly.
...
Under the arched bridge of the old district, a narrow canal ran through rows of brick houses.
A few small boats carrying wine barrels and hay paddled slowly across the water.
By the riverbank sat an inconspicuous old bookstore, with a wooden box in front filled with cheap storybooks with worn edges.
Sophie casually opened one.
《The Cold Duke and the Stranded Maid: Marriage After Imprisonment》.
She was silent for two seconds before silently putting the book back.
The spiritual life of the people in this world was quite rich.
Kaila picked up another one.
《How to Make a Stubborn Noble Lady Admit Her Feelings in Ten Days》.
Sophie’s eyelid twitched.
“Miss Hero, put that down.”
“Why?”
“It’s a forbidden book.”
“It is not written... on the title.”
“I say it’s forbidden, so it’s forbidden.”
Kaila looked thoughtful.
She bought the storybook and solemnly tucked it inside her nun's robes.
Sophie: “...”
This was all the work of that master-defying, rebellious disciple.
Rate on N.U.
