When Mobius woke again, she found herself lying in a medical room steeped in an old, classical charm.
Above her was an unfamiliar ceiling. The wooden beams were carved with intricate cloud motifs, and the air carried a faint herbal fragrance.
She lay on a bed that was not especially soft, but very clean, a thin blanket draped over her.
Several fine threads were wrapped around her wrist, the other ends connected to a bronze-colored compass. It gave off a soft glow, as though monitoring her vital signs.
At the sight of this, Mobius merely blinked.
Given the situation, it seemed she had already been discovered by the people of the Xianzhou Luofu.
Thinking this, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and prepared to focus herself again.
After all, people on the Xianzhou Luofu would not be easy to fool.
That was precisely why, in order to arrive in the best possible state, she had deliberately knocked herself out before coming here.
At last, Mobius's gaze settled on the door.
It was a sliding door covered with translucent paper, through which the silhouette of a person could be seen.
The figure stood outside for a moment, as though noticing movement within and hesitating over whether to come in.
A moment later, the door was gently pulled open, and a young woman in a pale red robe stepped inside.
Mobius, of course, recognized her immediately.
Wasn't this Lingsha, the powerhouse who had broken the enemy line in that currency war of theirs?
Mobius rapidly sorted through the woman's information in her mind.
Lingsha, originally named Danzhu, was one of the Luofu's Vidyadhara, and once a disciple of Yunhua, the chief alchemist of the Alchemy Commission.
Her master had violated taboo by privately restoring Dan Heng's memories of his former life after reincarnation, and had been exiled by Jing Yuan. The young Danzhu had gone with her.
Then, on the Xianzhou Zhuming, she had changed her name to Lingsha and become a disciple of the Zhuming Dragon Sovereign, Yantingjun.
Now, she had most likely been appointed by the Alliance to replace a certain former leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus—one who had ended up imprisoned for trying to abduct Kiana—and thus become the new chief of the Alchemy Commission.
Come to think of it, if Lingsha's old name was Danzhu, then she and Mobius really did share a certain sort of fate.
"You're awake, little one?" Lingsha spoke first at last.
Her voice was very gentle, her brows and eyes naturally full of concern. "How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?"
To be honest, Lingsha herself was far from calm.
As a Vidyadhara, she naturally understood exactly what those dragon horns on the girl's head meant.
They were the symbol of a Dragon Sovereign.
And yet the Vidyadhara had always had only five Dragon Sovereigns. Even the current existence of both Dan Heng and Bailu was already a special case.
So where, exactly, had this suddenly appearing little girl come from?
And for some reason, the moment she looked at the child, Lingsha felt an inexplicable sense of reverence rising within her.
It left her utterly baffled.
"…Where is this?" Mobius suddenly asked, her voice still hoarse from sleep.
Lingsha snapped back to herself at once.
"Ah, this is the Alchemy Commission on the Xianzhou Luofu. Our people found your ship at Stargazer Navalia. You were still unconscious inside the hibernation pod at the time. The General ordered that you be brought to the Alchemy Commission first for treatment."
"The Xianzhou Luofu… the General… then you are?" Mobius asked again after seeming to think for a moment.
Lingsha smiled faintly. "My name is Lingsha. I'm the chief of the Alchemy Commission. Please don't worry, little one. I've already treated your injuries. There's nothing serious."
Mobius lowered her head and looked at the clothes she was wearing.
As expected, these were not the clothes she had originally been dressed in. They had been replaced with a patient's robe.
Lingsha naturally noticed where Mobius's gaze had fallen and immediately explained, "I was the one who changed your clothes. Your original outfit is folded over there."
As she spoke, she pointed to the garments laid neatly to one side.
There was no helping it. As a physician, Lingsha had seen all kinds of patients over the years.
Among them were not a few precocious little ones who, despite their age, were already quite bashful.
Clearly, she had classified Mobius among that group.
Unexpectedly, after hearing the explanation, Mobius said nothing more about it.
She merely looked at Lingsha and then asked, "You… are Vidyadhara too?"
Lingsha: !!!!
For reasons she herself could not explain, though her background had only just been casually named aloud, that strange sense of reverence inside her surged again.
This child's eyes… weren't right.
Lingsha's fingers trembled slightly.
She had seen many patients, and many children. But in the green eyes of this girl, who looked no older than thirteen or fourteen, there was a stillness wholly at odds with her apparent age.
It was a naturally superior gaze, one that looked down upon all living things as a matter of course.
When Lingsha was on the Zhuming, as Yantingjun's disciple, she had spent plenty of time around him.
The Dragon Sovereign of the Zhuming had possessed an awe-inspiring presence of his own. Yet beside the child before her—
Yantingjun had been like a mountain: towering, heavy, something one could only look up to.
This child was like the sky.
No need to look up, because the sky already existed above everything.
At that moment, Lingsha was finally certain.
Without a doubt, those dragon horns on the child's head were not some artificial creation. She truly was a Dragon Sovereign.
Lingsha opened her mouth. Then, involuntarily, she answered, "I… I really am one of the Vidyadhara."
Mobius nodded and did not pursue the matter further.
Then she suddenly gave an order.
"Bring me my clothes."
Lingsha immediately came back to herself, hurried to the wooden cabinet at the far side of the room, and fetched the neatly folded set of garments.
It was a white dress of an antique style, the fabric soft yet structured. Fine silver patterns were embroidered along the hem and cuffs, glinting faintly in the candlelight.
"…Would you like me to help you?" Lingsha asked, a trace of tension in her voice that even she herself had not noticed.
But Mobius did not answer. She merely gave Lingsha a look.
And somehow, from that one look, Lingsha understood.
So she carried the garments over and handed them to her.
"You may turn around now," Mobius said after taking the clothes.
Lingsha obediently turned around, presenting her back to the girl.
Behind her came the soft rustle of fabric, quiet and unhurried.
"Your name is Lingsha, right?" Mobius asked again.
"Yes," Lingsha replied carefully.
But while Lingsha waited for the next question, Mobius fell silent.
Not only that—even the faint rustling of clothes being changed soon stopped.
And in Lingsha's experience, that kind of outfit was notoriously troublesome to put on. There was no way it could have been changed that quickly.
"…Um…" Lingsha spoke tentatively. "Are you finished changing?"
Without realizing it, she had already switched to a respectful form of address.
Unfortunately, no answer came.
"Little one?" Lingsha called again.
Still no response.
Just as Lingsha was agonizing over whether it would be too rude to turn around, Mobius's voice finally came again.
"You may turn around now."
Lingsha turned carefully back.
And then she saw a sight she would probably never forget for the rest of her life.
Mobius was sitting on the edge of the bed, the white dress only half on.
Her left arm was already through one sleeve, but her right arm was still bare. The collar hung crookedly from one shoulder, exposing a small length of collarbone.
Along the back of the dress ran a row of delicate silver buttons, from the waist all the way to the neckline. At the moment, not a single one was fastened. The fabric had fallen open, revealing the smooth line of the girl's back.
Mobius was staring down at the dress in her hands, her emerald eyes fixed on it, lips pressed slightly together as if struggling with a formidable enemy.
Sure enough, the belt of the dress had tangled itself into a hopeless knot in her hands.
Click. At that moment, even Mobius felt a little awkward.
But this really wasn't her fault.
After all, this outfit had come bundled with the character patch itself the moment the role was completed.
It looked luxurious enough—certainly the sort of thing a Dragon Sovereign ought to wear.
But whether it was Kiana, Cecilia, or Kallen, none of them had ever worn anything this troublesome.
So naturally, once it came to Mobius, she had no idea how to put it on.
And that was exactly why she had run into trouble.
For a brief instant, Mobius felt a powerful sense of déjà vu.
It was like the haughty cat from the neighboring house back on the Zhuming, tripping over its own tail one day.
Lingsha desperately wanted to laugh, but out of that strange reverence in her heart, she held it in.
"..." Mobius looked at her coolly.
"Pfft—!"
Sorry. Lingsha really couldn't hold it back.
There was no helping it. The contrast before her was simply too unexpected. One moment the girl had been radiating a lofty, world-looking-down presence, and the next she had been defeated by her own clothes. This was the first time Lingsha had ever seen anything like it.
Seeming to notice Lingsha's expression, Mobius said flatly, "I do not normally dress myself, especially not in clothing this complicated."
That was it. Since she couldn't wear the dress herself, Mobius simply decided to establish another piece of characterization.
She was a Dragon Sovereign. If she had people dressing her every day, what was wrong with not knowing how to put on complicated clothes?
"Lingsha, come and attend me while I dress," Mobius ordered, looking at her.
Because this character's Dragon Sovereign status was somewhat special, Mobius held a natural bloodline pressure over all Vidyadhara who were not Dragon Sovereigns.
And under that bloodline suppression, those Vidyadhara would unconsciously comply with Mobius's commands and arrangements.
Sure enough, Lingsha only blinked once and did not refuse.
"I understand."
She stepped forward, knelt before Mobius, and asked softly, "Then shall I untangle the belt first?"
Mobius said nothing, only handed over the twisted knot of fabric.
Lingsha took it and worked it deftly in her fingers a few times before the dead knot came loose obediently.
"This belt uses a weaving method somewhat similar to Zhuming craftsmanship," Lingsha explained softly as she straightened it. "It's more complicated to fasten than ordinary ones. If you aren't used to it, it's easy for it to get tangled."
Mobius gave no answer. She merely watched Lingsha's hands.
Tch… somehow, she felt as though she were being underestimated.
"And next, this part." Lingsha moved behind her and pressed her fingers against the row of silver buttons. "These have to be fastened from the bottom upward. If you start in the wrong place, the upper buttons won't align."
As she spoke, she began fastening them.
Her movements were gentle and slow, as though she were caring for a genuine child.
Mobius's back was very straight, her skin so pale it was nearly translucent, the outline of her shoulder blades faintly visible beneath the thin layer of flesh.
Lingsha's fingers moved between the buttons, and every now and then brushed against the girl's warm skin.
Each time she touched her, she could feel Mobius's body tense ever so slightly, as though she were enduring something.
"…Sorry. To tell the truth, it's my first time helping someone change clothes like this, so I'm not especially practiced either," Lingsha said without quite knowing why, almost as if she were apologizing to her.
"Mm, I forgive you," Mobius replied.
At last, after an operation that was indeed more complicated than it had any right to be, the dressing was finished.
Lingsha stepped back and looked at the girl before her.
White dress. Pale green hair. Crystal-clear dragon horns. Emerald eyes. Delicate features.
Beautiful.
That was the first word that came to Lingsha's mind.
Truly beautiful.
That was the second.
But beyond beauty there was another feeling, one she found impossible to put into words.
"What are you looking at?" Mobius lifted her head and let her gaze settle on Lingsha's face.
Lingsha snapped out of it and immediately lowered her head. "Forgive me. I was rude."
Mobius did not seem inclined to blame her. She rose to her feet and walked a couple of steps across the room.
"My ship—where is it?" she asked again.
Though she already suspected it had been dragged away by the Luofu, she still had to ask.
After all, she'd spent points on that thing. It was premium merchandise.
"It's already been taken by the Artisanship Commission and is currently under inspection. Judging by the extent of the damage, it may need quite some time to repair," Lingsha answered honestly. "The General said the matter would be handled after you woke."
"…The General?" A faint, artful confusion appeared on Mobius's face.
"You told me before that this is the Alchemy Commission of the Xianzhou Luofu. Then… isn't this Yuanqiao?"
Lingsha froze.
Why would it be strange that this was the Luofu?
And what was Yuanqiao supposed to be?
Yet for some reason, the name sounded terribly familiar, as though she had heard it somewhere before.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 165)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter220)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter125)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter250)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 220
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 185
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/20
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 248
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 230
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/40
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 125
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 145
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 120
I Can Copy Unique Skills 115
Summoning an Evil God, but the 75
Supernatural Multiverse 110
My Harem Is Indescribable 100
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 105
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 67
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 105
Still playing traditional Honk 80
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 85
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 78
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 80
Checking In in Demon Slayer 85
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 100
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 85
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 80
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 90
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 75
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 80
Why did they assign me to Uma 75
MYGO Beauties 70
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 70
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 80
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 80
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 57
The Uma Musume Who Became 55
I'm Definitely Not the King of 60
After Maxing Out Every Class 45
Naruto: I'm Konoha's Local Men 35
Honkai: World Modulation Mode 34
I, the Elden Sword Saint 27
Dio Brando Is Challenging FGO 24
No One Knows Pokémon Better 18
I, Sakazuki, Won't Go Down Tha 20
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