Promise

Freya was very nervous. She dared not move and dared not speak. She kept her head down, staring at her chest, not reacting no matter how many looks Xifulin threw her way. Her anxiety reached its peak the moment she realized that the Sword Princess was Sonia. She was terrified. She wasn't Yaxiu's first friend, nor was she a comrade-in-arms who had shared life and death with him. Counting every single moment, the time she had spent with Yaxiu amounted to less than a week. In Yaxiu's tempestuous adventures, she was nothing at all—merely a chance passerby. She couldn't compare to the Sword Princess, the Witch, or the Silver Lantern. She couldn't even compare to Feili. Feili had just shared a wet kiss with Yaxiu, whereas she hadn't even slept with him yet. Would Yaxiu fail to recognize her? Could he have forgotten her already? Would he think she was insignificant? If someone like her pined for him and held him in her thoughts, would Yaxiu feel disgusted? What if, what if... Drip, drip, drip. Large tears fell onto her chest. Freya bit her lower lip. Just thinking about it was already unbearable; her heart felt seized so tightly that she couldn't breathe. Xifulin was right—she was a coward, a coward who dared not even touch cotton candy for fear of being pricked. She wanted so badly to turn into a Lalafell and hide... Seeing Freya shed tears, Xifulin guessed roughly what she was thinking. Taking her by the arm, she quietly pulled her back. Freya did not resist, letting herself be pulled away by Xifulin, but after only two steps, she stopped. She was truly afraid, yet she truly wanted to see him. She was content to watch him furtively from a distance—as long as he was doing well, everything was fine—yet she still couldn't suppress her yearning to draw close to him. "Ya..." Lowering her head, she let out a voice like a mosquito's hum. "...xiu..." "You finally called my name, Freya." Freya jerked her head up and saw Yaxiu standing before her. "I thought you didn't want to see me. You called out once at the very start and then went silent, which made me hesitate to speak to you," Yaxiu said with a smile. "Besides, you've become so much prettier and cuter that for a moment I wasn't sure if you were the Veela I knew... Why are you crying?" Watching the Veela visibly regain her radiant spirit, her tears melting like winter snow meeting spring and flowers seeming about to blossom in the air, Xifulin thought to herself that even a Moon Shadow priest might not be this devout. "A Veela?" Diya looked curiously at Freya and gave a fair assessment: "Truly a breathtaking beauty on par with Uncle Bojin!" "I-Is that so?" Freya was somewhat at a loss. "I didn't notice any change in myself... Besides, everyone is so pretty, I feel like I'm very ordinary." "The Veela are the most beautiful race," Weixi said leisurely. "The vast majority of Veela are born breathtakingly beautiful, but they often indulge in desire and end their lives hastily. Only a rare few Veela have their feelings awakened and practice asceticism; not only do they obtain transcendent talent in the mind faction, but their appearance gradually shifts through love toward the type their lover fancies. Although beauty is subjective, a Veela can become the most beautiful image in her lover's eyes." Freya hesitated for a moment and finally gathered the courage to raise her head. "Long time no see, Yaxiu." "Long time no see, Freya," Yaxiu said. "But you still haven't said why you were crying just now. What happened?" "I, I..." The Veela felt terribly embarrassed. "Maybe... some sand got into my eyes." Xifulin could hardly bear to watch any longer and couldn't help saying, "Yaxiu, Freya, she—" "Because you stole a young girl's heart, Yaxiu," Sonia said as she walked over. "From the day of your parting, Freya has been chasing after you. You really are a menace." Naturally, Yaxiu had never mentioned Freya to Sonia, but Freya had just shared her romantic journey with Sonia earlier. Now, aligning the Veela's timeline with Yaxiu's, the Sword Princess roughly knew the truth. Yaxiu's eyes widened as he looked at Freya. Freya hurriedly shook her head. "N-No, it's not Yaxiu's fault! It's just my own selfishness... Because you said you would come back to see me, Yaxiu, and said that we might meet in the Void Realm, so I kept striving toward that..." "Then I really do have a knack for prophecy. Aren't we meeting in the Void Realm right now?" Yaxiu smiled. "I thought you had long forgotten me—" "No, not at all, absolutely not!" Freya shook her head firmly, speaking with great agitation: "I think of you every day, every night, every minute, every second! I'd miss you so much I couldn't sleep, burying my face in the blanket to weep secretly. I saved all your pictures, including your wanted posters. I put the songs you listened to on loop, practiced making the Lalafell dishes you liked, and remembered everything you were interested in!" "I'm very glad, Freya." Freya jerked her head up, a brilliant radiance bursting from her eyes. Everyone turned their gazes toward Yaxiu as well. With a calm expression, Yaxiu asked, "Freya, you're already a Sanctuary sorcerer now, right?" "Yes, Mind Sanctuary! I even obtained the Mind Bewitchment Inheritance in the Eternal City!" Freya nodded vigorously. "Less than a year after we parted, you climbed all the way from a mortal to a Sanctuary sorcerer. In any country, you would be considered a genius," Yaxiu said with a smile. "Yet compared to the leap in your strength, I am even happier that you have friends who truly care for you. "Freya, you and I are the same kind of person. We can't survive without something to lean on, pinning all our motivation on that little bit of 'fondness.'" Yaxiu glanced at Weixi. "The saying that a Veela becomes beautiful for the one she loves—I like it very much. Because looking at it from another angle, it means a person will become better for the one they love. "So I am truly happy that you became better because of me. That way, my journey in the Blood Moon isn't entirely destruction and ruin. Freya, you are the beautiful mark I left behind. "To achieve so much in such a short time, you've worked hard," Yaxiu said. "Still, I have to say, it's best not to be so fixated on me. Make sure to rest well ordinarily. At the very least, you don't need to keep saving my wanted posters—" "I didn't work hard at all, it's all thanks to you, Yaxiu!" Freya clenched her delicate fists. "Besides, I often use you to wet my pillow and rest well! I'm very happy!" Not to mention the Sword Princess, the Witch, Niya, and Feili, even Xifulin, Annan, and Tamashi couldn't help but look sideways at her. Only Weixi, who had weathered great storms, remained calm. The moment she blurted it out, the Veela realized what she had done, wishing she could turn into a Lalafell and burrow into the dirt right then and there. She thought to herself: *It's all over now. Yaxiu will definitely find me disgusting—* *He only asked one question, and you practically wanted to tell him the color of your underwear...* Xifulin grumbled inwardly. The Veela glanced to the side at the little bat; the little bat turned her head away with a huff. Freya's face flushed crimson as she gazed infatuatedly at Yaxiu. *U-Use me to wet her pillow? D-Does she mean crying?* Yaxiu was somewhat at a loss. Meanwhile, Diya pulled Sonia aside and asked in a low voice, "What on earth are you doing?" Diya was thoroughly bewildered. Sonia had stepped in several times to bail Yaxiu out, which was completely out of character for the Sword Princess. One had to understand that even the Witch herself wasn't willing to see the number of people substituting in increase; at most, she only accepted sharing him with the Sword Princess (primarily because monopolizing him was too difficult). Occasionally, when Annan or Qinna wanted to sub in, she could turn a blind eye, but beyond that, it was strictly forbidden. The Sword Princess couldn't even tolerate the Witch, let alone these women. Diya had assumed Sonia would either be dripping with passive-aggressive green tea venom or step in to speak on Yaxiu's behalf like an empress presiding over the harem, rather than letting Yaxiu reap harvests like this. Diya suddenly realized—Sonia was in an invincible position. Because Yaxiu cared about her feelings, he would never cross the line. Therefore, letting them reunite would actually increase Yaxiu's guilt without posing any risk at all. Conversely, if she ruined this reunion, Yaxiu's guilt would vanish, and Sonia and Diya would feel more or less awkward instead. "Actually, you don't need to be so subtle. Yaxiu wouldn't get it anyway. As long as you make your attitude clear, he will quickly end this reunion so he won't make you unhappy," Sonia said calmly. "Didn't you notice that he was paying attention to our reactions the entire time, even waiting for us to make our stance known?" Diya was startled. Recalling the scene, she said suspiciously, "It seemed like he was paying more attention to your reaction!" "Who told you to be willing to do even stringy kisses? My bottom line is higher than yours, so he naturally has to care about me more." Sonia gave a huff. "He isn't stupid. If it were a situation where there was no choice, that would be one thing, but right now it obviously isn't. And with both of us right here, he naturally knows that interacting with other women will affect our mood. "He naturally doesn't want those women to be sad, but he wants even less for us to be sad. Try giving Yaxiu a cold glare instead of being passive-aggressive; he'll end this gathering immediately." The Witch was sorely tempted to try, but noticing that the Sword Princess hadn't moved, she couldn't help asking, "Then why do you allow it? Aren't you afraid—" "Of course I'm not afraid," Sonia said with absolute confidence. "Yaxiu's body is in my hands. No matter what they do, they can only see him once in the Void Realm—there's no way they can get near him in reality! "And one more thing." Sonia glanced at Freya and murmured softly, "I've missed someone before, so I know... "The joy they show upon seeing Yaxiu isn't fake." Sonia blinked. "Just like us, they are sincere. "I won't give him up, not even to you. But that doesn't mean I have to resort to every underhanded trick to strike down everyone else and forbid you from touching Yaxiu even once. I will win with dazzling brilliance, leaving all of you to carry regret for the rest of your lives, spending the remainder of your days in jealousy of me." "Dream on," Diya huffed. "The opposite is much more likely—you live out your days in lonely regret while all of us attain happiness." "Just wait and see." Sonia remained calm and breezy. On the other side, Freya said with a hint of nervousness, "Yaxiu, I... I have a gift I want to give you." Xifulin froze. "You're not planning to tie a ribbon on yourself and call it a gift, are you?" Freya blinked, showing an expression of sudden realization, and then shook her head: "Not this time. The gift is this." She held out a ring with both hands, presenting it to Yaxiu. Yaxiu took it and immediately understood, hastily shaking his head: "This gift is far too valuable, I can't accept it!" "But if you don't take it, I have no use for it either." Freya looked at Yaxiu. "The sorcery spirits inside are all ones I found on the trading platform and bought because I thought you could use them. I... my favorite thing to do was always buying sorcery spirits for you..." "But..." This ring was astonishingly a spatial tool forged from the Wood of Unremembering, containing several rare sorcery spirits inside that could be exchanged even in the Void Realm. Setting aside the ring itself, the sorcery spirits within were exceedingly precious on their own. Only now did Xifulin, Annan, and Tamashi realize why Freya had constantly been collecting sorcery spirits she couldn't use—it had all been for this very moment. Aside from Xifulin curling her lip, Annan and Tamashi both showed thoughtful expressions. Looking at the Veela's glistening eyes and tearful face, Yaxiu found the words of refusal caught in his throat. He couldn't help turning his head slightly to glance at the Sword Princess and Witch nearby, but they were chatting and not looking at him at all. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly nodded: "Fine, I accept. But I also have a gift for you." "Ah?" Freya was startled. Yaxiu incorporated all the sorcery spirits in the ring into his soul, then transferred a two-wing sorcery spirit into the ring. Truth be told, this two-wing sorcery spirit was one of the cores of his sorcery spirit system, and also one of the extremely rare exquisite items drawn from Aurora's Sorcerer Handbook. However, the sorcery spirits Freya had given him happened to be able to replace it to some degree, so he had no regrets parting with it. "I only have one sorcery spirit related to the mind faction, but it's infused with the Holy Grail's divinity, so it should be quite suitable." Yaxiu handed the ring back to the Veela. "Take it." Freya waved her hands: "No, I'm not looking for a return gift! Besides, I have enough sorcery spirits already. Keep it for yourself, Yaxiu—" "Take it!" Yaxiu grabbed the Veela's hand directly and slipped the ring onto her finger. The Veela, who had intended to resist, was struck dumb. By the time Yaxiu let go of her hand, she was already weak all over, staring dizzily at the ring on her finger. "Speaking of gifts," Tamashi suddenly spoke up, "sorry, Yaxiu, I can't return the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven to you for now." "Oh?" Yaxiu didn't respond immediately. The Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven was collective property of their squad. "Why is that?" "Because I didn't bring the Wish Heart sorcery spirit with me," Tamashi said helplessly. "There's only one Wish Heart that can freely open the passage to the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven. I usually leave it in the Wishing Pool and never dare bring it into the Void Realm—I didn't expect to run into you here. "However, we are already developing the Void Gate. Once we return to reality, we'll return the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven to you." "I might not be able to return to reality anytime soon. You can go to the Starlight Kingdom and return the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven to the Sword Princess and the Witch." Yaxiu looked at Sonia and Diya. "What do you think?" "You can also go to Gospel and hand it over to Annan," Diya suggested. "Aren't there still survivors of Senluo in the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven? Gospel can take charge of resettling them." "All right," Tamashi said. "Then after handing the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven over to Gospel, where do we meet up, Yaxiu?" "Huh?" Yaxiu asked. "Why do we need to meet up?" "Because I'm following you," Tamashi said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Wherever you go, I go." "There's no need. Black Crow, don't you have somewhere you want to go?" "No. I only want to follow you. Besides, didn't you promise that you would always take care of me?" Tamashi tilted her head. "You always said I couldn't take care of myself." "That was because you were illiterate and weren't a sorcerer back then. I was afraid you wouldn't survive in civilized society. But now you're a Sanctuary sorcerer; you know how to survive better than I do." Yaxiu smiled. "You don't need me to take care of you anymore. You can even take care of so many people in the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven." Tamashi blinked. Only now did she realize—it seemed true. She could read, use sorcery spirits, and even manage the Thousand Wishes Kingdom of Heaven neatly. She no longer had any reason to demand Yaxiu's care. Yet after swirling around her mind once, these thoughts vanished into thin air. She said resolutely, "No, I need you to take care of me! I want to be taken care of by you!" Yaxiu: "It doesn't necessarily have to be me. Don't you know Freya and the others? And there's Igola and Harvey—" "No, it can only be you!" Tamashi's expression grew tangled. The Black Crow's simple, straightforward head couldn't process such complex problems: "I don't know why either, but I know it has to be you! "I could die for them, but the only person I want to live with is you, Yaxiu!" She grabbed Yaxiu's sleeve and stared at him with puffed cheeks, her face unreservedly betraying her sense of grievance: "You clearly promised me!" "Yaxiu." Annan looped her arm through his and smiled. "According to what you said, it's time for us to start over as well." Freya said in a tiny voice, "Yaxiu, you promised you would come back to the Blood Moon to see me..." "Yaxiu." Diya tugged pitifully at his sleeve. "You just said earlier that the wandering knight doesn't want to let go." "Yaxiu." Hearing this voice, Yaxiu's soul trembled. He turned his head stiffly to see the Sword Princess smiling brightly at him. The surroundings fell dead silent. Weixi and Xifulin stepped back in unison, and Feili pulled Niya to hide in a corner. A bad premonition welled up in Yaxiu's heart; he vaguely felt that the tides had turned. "Since you've made a prom-ise, you have to fulfill it properly, okay?" Sonia tilted her head. "So then... "Whose promise do you want to fulfill?"