The Moment Elysia Confess Her Love, War Wages On the Ship - Chapter 35: A Forgetful Casanova Teases the Girl He's Just Met

Dreams.

Illusions.

All the past is an illusion; only the present matters.

Raindrops began to drift down in front of Luo Ming’s eyes, flowing along the brim of his straw hat in thin, delicate lines of water. Today’s weather was a bit chilly—not exactly ideal for a welcome ceremony.

Then, he remembered.

His name was Luo Ming, a ferryman assigned to meet a ninja sent by Schicksal. Together, they’d investigate and retrieve the “Outer Path” curse marks in Yae Town.

But was that all?

An odd feeling washed over him. He reached forward, letting a raindrop trickle over his fingertip, its chill biting against his skin. Inside, he felt strangely hollow, as if someone should be by his side—someone who ought to be there, not this solitary, lonely figure.

He felt like he should… have a wife.

Once a man has known the comfort of a wife, he can never go back to a single life.

But he didn’t understand why. Luo Ming’s confusion was only that—a vague sense of bewilderment. Silently, he stood there, a lone figure deep in the dark alley, like a slender statue, waiting for someone to come and claim him.

As if by wish granted, someone did.

From the shadowed alley, a figure stepped forward, a ninja walking through the rain. She carried twin blades and had bound her pink hair to stay out of her way. A pair of pink-white fox ears perched on her head, occasionally shaking off the rain as she approached Luo Ming with a stoic gaze.

At last, she stopped in front of him.

“Schicksal’s undercover agent?”

“Been waiting for you, Miss Ninja.”

“Do you believe in gravity?” Luo Ming lifted his head, his voice soft, tinged with both confusion and a hint of weariness. “The moment I saw you, I had this strange feeling—like I’ve seen you before, Miss.”

“Miss Ninja, I’m curious about something.”

“Do people like you feel loneliness, too? Just like I do?”

“…”

“Perhaps we should discuss the mission first,” she replied, clearly doubting this undercover agent’s professionalism, unimpressed by his flirtatious words. Her small face remained tense and serious.

“I am Luo Ming, the ferryman.”

Luo Ming nodded slightly, his face hidden under the shadow of his hat as he continued his exchange with Yae Kasumi.

But then he suddenly asked, “Why don’t you smile?”

“With a face like yours, any smile would be radiant and add charm to your beauty. So, if a smile makes a girl more attractive, why not smile?”

“…”

Yae Kasumi’s grip tightened on her twin blades.

This agent’s lines were so brazen, he was starting to rival the grand overseer of Schicksal himself.

But one thing was for certain: with such over-the-top lines and the specific rendezvous signals unique to Schicksal, she was definitely meeting the real deal.

What a strange man.

<+>

Yae Town.

A secluded part of the Far East. Five hundred years ago, it was said to have been a small, isolated village named Yae Village, watched over by shrine maidens from the Yae Shrine on Yae Mountain.

So many “Yae”s…

Raiden Mei couldn’t help but remark dryly to herself.

She took in the scene with a calm gaze.

Thanks to Honkai energy’s affinity for women, she hadn’t been left a lonely, lost soul like the Captain; no amnesia had stripped away her identity.

Sword in hand, she let sparks flicker lightly around her as she activated her “Energy-Saver” mode as the Herrscher of Thunder.

Assess the situation first…

Mei scanned her surroundings, only to find an entire wall plastered with wanted posters—each bearing her image.

[Raiden Mei]

[The sole daughter of master swordsmith Raiden Ryoma, now wanted for absconding and allegedly stealing secret research. Rumored to be continuing her father’s deranged experiments with human-like puppets, a highly dangerous individual.]

“Heh… guess I got quite the opening scenario here,” Mei murmured to herself, unfazed.

She was, after all, a Herrscher. Surely, she wouldn’t encounter another powerful enemy everywhere she went?

The village had an eerie, frozen-in-time feel.

Though five centuries had passed since Yae Village became Yae Town, it seemed trapped in its past.

The locals dressed in early 20th-century Taisho-era clothing, and the inns and teahouses retained their traditional appearance, as though the place had been crystallized in time.

It was nighttime.

According to intel she’d reviewed on the Hyperion, a woman named Yae Kasumi would soon be on the hunt for “Six Paths Seals,” strange artifacts believed to contain unique powers.

Despite the mystique, these so-called seals were little more than manifestations of Honkai energy manipulation.

Mei wasn’t particularly interested in Yae Kasumi; she cared more because the Captain’s assigned alias was this woman’s contact: the ferryman.

Mei figured she might as well keep an eye on things, for his sake.

As for Elysia?

Whatever—she’d worry about her later. Mei’s first priority was finding the Captain.

To avoid drawing attention, she kept to the less populated areas, and her caution quickly proved wise.

Only a few steps forward, she caught glimpses of her alleged “crimes” on a torn wanted poster.

Theft of classified documents. Attempting to restart inhumane experiments. Cold-hearted experimentation on humans to verify the existence of a soul and transplant it into a mechanical puppet.

…The accusations were endless.

One person’s choices could vary dramatically depending on their world’s circumstances.

So, the versions of people in other bubbles weren’t really the same person—they were simply “similar but different flowers.”

This was wisdom the Captain had imparted to her; only by understanding this principle could one truly be qualified to travel among world bubbles.

Mei had long since moved past feeling sentimental over such things—now, she simply observed.

“So many charges…it’s like they’re deliberately piling them up. My father in this world is in prison, too… Did he cross the wrong people?” she murmured, deep in thought, as she moved along the outskirts of the town, away from the lights.

Suddenly, her steps halted. Her sword held at the ready, she stared intently toward the rustling woods.

That sound wasn’t the wind.

It was the whirling force of violent gales, stirred by the pressure of a powerful presence. Mei sensed someone approaching.

“Show yourself,” she commanded.

Drawing her sword, an arc of thunder crackled along its blade.

Bright yellow lightning wrapped around her long sword, radiating with intimidating energy.

She was in her incomplete Herrscher of Thunder form—a “low-power mode,” as Luo Ming fondly called it.

“Criminal Raiden Mei.”

White hair, blue eyes.

A figure very much resembling Kiana leapt from the shadows, wielding dual guns and exuding a cold, intense demeanor.

Kiana?

No—more mature than Kiana.

This was likely the town’s governor, Kallen, as the intel had indicated.

The aura Mei had sensed was undoubtedly from Kallen Kaslana.

Remarkable genes, those of the Kaslana family.

Bang! Bang!

Kallen vanished in an instant, but Mei evaded her initial strike with ease.

As her blade spun, it created an electromagnetic field that halted the bullets mid-air. She casually split them all in half.

Since Kallen seemed intent on a fight, then so be it.

The gathering winds stirred the clouds above.

Mei, her figure agile and untouchable amid her crackling thunder, prepared to counter Kallen, but abruptly sensed a new presence.

She paused, shifting to a defensive stance. Her long blade angled defensively in front of her heart to block a high, powerful kick, and with a deft, leaf-like movement, she dissipated the force of the attack and retreated smoothly.

Pink hair, fox ears.

More importantly, that aura of a lone ninja.

Yae Kasumi had arrived as well.

Sensing Kasumi’s presence, Mei’s thoughts began to spiral.

An amnesiac Captain, their designated contact, whose loneliness would likely resonate with that of Kasumi… Plus, the Captain had clearly picked up Elysia’s knack for flirty banter.

She sighed, suddenly feeling a headache brewing.

She sidestepped another swift kick from Kasumi with practiced ease, her expression steady. Yet her mind, accelerated by the current of lightning energy, was processing thoughts hundreds of times faster. Her Herrscher body allowed her to think through her complicated situation while fending off her opponents—unfazed, calm, and unrestrained.

Of course, it helped that her opponents were cooperating.

In that brief moment, Mei reached a conclusion.

Then, she smiled—an honest, healthy smile.

For now, Elysia was the Captain’s girlfriend, and if Mei wasn’t responsible for fending off the Captain’s admirers, what was she stressing over?

After all, in a long-distance race, the one in the lead bears the brunt of the headwind. But the runner in second can maintain a more energy-efficient pace by drafting just behind the leader.