Little Trumpet

Trampling through thorns and piercing the golden curtain. The sports car sped freely across the Time Continent. Watching the new tiles refreshing on the Void Realm Map, Yaxiu immediately steered clear whenever combat tiles like "Worth a Visit" or "Time to Exterminate a Clan and Ransack a Home" appeared ahead, keeping the car firmly on the route of "Wasting Time." Only when an easy mark like a sorcerer projection showed up in their path would Yaxiu reluctantly run him down. With just the two of them tonight, it was hardly suitable for combat. Even if they fought, it would inevitably expend a great deal of soul energy, so it was better to broaden their exploration range and see if they might encounter any special Void Realm structures. Besides, neither of them was in the mood for fighting tonight. The atmosphere inside the car had remained silent—though not an uncomfortable silence, but rather the sort where someone who was hours late had merely dropped by on a whim, only to find their date still waiting in the exact same spot. All right, fine, it was awkward. Yet this awkwardness didn't feel unpleasant; instead, it carried a tacit warmth. "Little trumpet," Yaxiu finally squeezed out after a long while. "Huh?" Sonia couldn't believe her ears. "What did you say?" "I called you a little trumpet." Having been baptized by days of fierce battles on the academy forum, Sonia had naturally elevated the art of squabbling to a higher plane: when someone insults you, never try to defend yourself; always strike back. Retaliation came in three tiers—the low tier was an eye for an eye, the middle tier was a custom-tailored comeback, and the supreme tier was... Why use words when you can use fists! Sonia reached straight out and grabbed Yaxiu by the ear. "Oh, brilliant! You dare insult me today—I shudder to think what you'll dare do tomorrow!" "Hey, hey, hey, I'm driving! There's a Fishcleaver Dragon passing ahead!" "Why are you insulting me?!" "You're so stupid, what's wrong with me scolding you a bit?" "Where am I stupid?!" "Standing in the same spot for more than two hours isn't stupid enough?" Yaxiu said loudly. "Good thing the Time Continent doesn't have Expulsion Secret Poison! If this were the Sea of Knowledge, the knowledge creatures would have torn you apart and devoured you long ago!" "I'm not an idiot!" Sonia retorted, indignant. "Do you think I'm like you, venturing into the Void Realm without a shred of common sense? From the day we parted, I've been studying lore about the Time Continent every single day, memorizing the crucial precautions, the Void Realm's mechanics, and the counters for various knowledge creatures forward and backward... Of course I only waited for you because I knew nothing would happen!" "How could nothing happen?" Yaxiu laughed in exasperation. "I saw it on the map just now—the White Ox was already far away from you! In an hour at most, the Domain of Stillness would have caught up to you!" "I definitely would have left the Void Realm before the Domain of Stillness arrived!" "What if you didn't notice? You said it yourself before—the Domain of Stillness approaches soundlessly. By the time you notice it, you can't run away anymore!" "Anyway, I would have escaped in time." "But you didn't need to take such a risk in the first place!" Yaxiu complained. "I never asked you to wait. You could have just explored the Void Realm normally and moved forward. Why did you have to put yourself in danger? Am I wrong to call you stupid?" Thump! This time Sonia was truly furious, landing a solid punch on Yaxiu that made him feel as if his soul energy had been scattered a little. You're the Sword Princess, not the Fist Princess—why do you hit so hard?! "You have the nerve to lecture me?" Sonia said fiercely. "We agreed to meet at 12:30, and in the end, I was the only one who showed up! You didn't even leave the car behind for me, not even a single note! "I used to think you at least had the virtue of keeping your word. Now I'll never believe a big liar like you again!" "This was an accident within the margin of error!" Yaxiu retorted. "Something came up suddenly tonight so I couldn't make it—it wasn't on purpose! By the time I settled down, two hours had already passed, and didn't I come right in to meet up with you?" "Then what happened to you? Tell me so this Sword Princess can have a good laugh." "Can't say." Annan's contract gagged Yaxiu's mouth like a ball gag. "Will there be a next time?" "Most likely, yes." Yaxiu considered the Funeral Agency's current situation. "I might not even be able to enter the Void Realm for several days in a row." "So what you're saying is," Sonia narrowed her eyes, "you can't tell me the reason, and you're going to keep asking for leave?" "...Yes." Yaxiu answered rather aggrievedly. What kind of world was this? He was the investor of this team, so how had he been reduced to getting scolded by an operator? As an investor, wasn't it only natural that he didn't do the grunt work? Not to mention he had a legitimate reason, even if he couldn't speak of it. He quietly waited for the Sword Princess's next round of reprimands to erupt, but after a good while, she didn't make a sound. "Next time I'll try to leave the car for you guys..." Yaxiu said. "Although I can't lend the map, with this car you should still be able to maintain rapid growth in sorcery power..." Sonia suddenly asked, "Is it more dangerous than the prison break?" Yaxiu fell silent for a moment. "A tiny bit more dangerous." "Heh." Following Sonia's inscrutable chuckle, the atmosphere lapsed into silence once more. When they finally ran down the first sorcerer projection of the night, Sonia said, "So boring." "Then why don't you sing a song?" "Don't you have anything from your life you can share?" "I do, but I can't say any of it." Yaxiu shrugged. "If I really have to speak, I can only talk like a riddler." "Oh?" Sonia showed a bit of interest. "What kind of riddles?" "For example, I'm famous now," Yaxiu thought for a moment and said. "In my life, not only do I face the risk of being sexually harassed by my boss, but another person has entered my life whom I have to defend with my life." "What kind of person?" "Can't say." "A woman?" "..." "A woman under thirty?" "..." "A woman under twenty-two?" "..." "A woman under eighteen?!" Sonia was shocked. "Watcher, just how old are you? You're completely shameless! You actually—" "It's really not what you think!" Yaxiu said helplessly. "And why don't you ask about the boss sexually harassing me? Do you not care about that at all?" "Because that part is definitely not what you're making it out to be," Sonia said with utter certainty. "In any case, as much as I want to vent to you about what I've been going through lately, I really can't," Yaxiu said. "Once all of this is over, I'll take my time and tell you everything that happened during these days." "Then I suppose I'll wait with anticipation." Looking at the reverse golden rain outside, Sonia suddenly said, "A couple of days ago, the Wind-Vane Crane sent someone to find me—you can think of the Wind-Vane Crane as a chamber of commerce dedicated to releasing songs for song maidens. They hope to tailor a battle song specifically for me. If there's enough time, it could even serve as the theme song for this year's Intercollegiate League! "Also, Senior Celia—you might have forgotten who she is—through her recommendation, I successfully landed a role in a Monday nine-o'clock prime-time drama. Although it's not the female lead, and it's a villainous role, the screentime is basically equivalent to the second female lead!" "Then your big break has arrived!" Yaxiu said. "If played well, the impression a villainous supporting character leaves on the audience is in no way inferior to the protagonist's!" "I think so too!" Sonia nodded, then sneered. "Hmph, those nobles don't actually harbor good intentions. With my recent rise in fame, they want to capitalize on my popularity, yet look down on my common background and refuse to give me a good role. So they shoved a villainous spot onto me, hoping to watch me make a fool of myself and earn a bad reputation... But it doesn't matter. When it comes to disappointing my enemies, I never disappoint!" Yaxiu never doubted the Sword Princess's capabilities. That rebellious streak rooted in her humble origins made her radiate unyielding confidence from the inside out, as if nothing in this world could weigh down her brow. Perhaps there once was, for in the end, the Sword Princess had been a weakling, all on her own. But now, her shortcomings had been compensated for by Yaxiu. She would not be a weakling, nor would she be alone. Yaxiu suddenly remarked with a sigh, "It feels like we haven't been alone together like this in a long time, huh?" "...Yeah." The village girl lowered her eyelids. "With the Witch around, some things are awkward for me to talk with you about. Not that I'm trying to hide things from her, it's just... a bit embarrassing." "Pfft." "What are you laughing at?" "Nothing, I'm not laughing at you. I actually understand that feeling very well," Yaxiu smiled and said. "It's like a luscious flower in full bloom—the Witch only sees your gorgeous petals and leaves, so you want to maintain your poise before her; but I saw your roots hidden in the dirt before you blossomed, roots that weren't pretty at all, so you can relax more around me." To put it in layman's terms, one could apply that label slapped on practically anyone: 'aloof on the outside, a chatterbox once you get to know them.' Most people were indeed like this—on a first meeting, they would surely maintain their image, only slowly revealing their eccentricities once both sides knew each other inside and out. "Are you saying I'm just a pretty girl with no substance?" "You make superficial pretty girls sound like they're a dime a dozen..." Yaxiu muttered. "Still, I don't think you need to be so reserved around the Witch... First of all, the Witch isn't the type of person who would look down on you because of your background. "Secondly, those dirt-caked roots you want to hide are actually pretty cute." The Sword Princess stared at him without a word. Yaxiu shrugged and said, "Of course, I'm merely offering a suggestion. I'm already quite content with the team's current dynamic; it doesn't matter even if we don't deepen our cohesion further. If you prefer how we were back in the Sea of Knowledge on our little boat, I can understand that too—" "Sure." "Huh?" "Thinking it over carefully, constantly chatting about maidenly secrets with a stinky man like you really isn't appropriate," Sonia said, cupping her chin. "It's about time I got a different bestie." "First of all, I don't stink. Secondly—" "You're not a man?" Sonia instinctively deployed her academy forum debating techniques. After a round of little-trumpet-level squabbling, the village girl emerged victorious. Looking at the sulking driver, Sonia suddenly said, "We've already left the Sea of Knowledge." "Hmm?" "So, the days of adventuring in a two-person team are behind us. Next comes a three-person team, a four-person team, a five-person team... The party will grow larger and larger, and we will grow stronger and stronger." "...Yeah." Yaxiu looked at her in the rearview mirror. "That's my plan." "I'll help you," Sonia said. "I might not be entirely thrilled about it, but I will help you. Because if the team becomes stronger, our exploration efficiency will also rise, and the benefits I reap from it will only increase. "And the benefits you reap from it will only increase as well." Yaxiu looked at Sonia in surprise, but the Sword Princess was gazing at the reverse golden rain outside, a sparkle shining in her eyes. "My life is colorful and busy—I have to sing, act, and compete in tournaments. If you run into trouble in reality, don't ask me for help; I don't have the time or ability to help you," the village girl said softly. "However, if you really must kneel down and beg me, it's not like I can't help you out a bit more in the Void Realm." "...There's no way I'm kneeling. Where I'm from, that ritual is only used when praying for a miracle," Yaxiu smiled and said. "Still, I suppose I can reluctantly accept this awkward goodwill of yours." "Hmph, now we're truly partners in crime." "Then remember not to do something stupid like waiting around for someone in the Void Realm again. It's practically dragging down our average IQ." "Mind your own business, little trumpet." ..... Feeling her cheek damp, Lisi wiped away the drool dripping down, rolled onto her side, and continued sleeping. In her hazy daze, she caught sight of the corners of Yaxiu's lips curling slightly upward. Lisi murmured in her heart, *Daddy is smiling so happily, is he having a sweet dream?* Diya said, "Maybe it's pre-prison training. He knows he'll be caught by the Red Hats sooner or later, so he wants to keep an optimistic mindset..."