"Let me guess... what card are you missing?"
A sly glint sparkled in Felicity's eyes as she leaned back, her voice laced with teasing amusement.
"Oh, my dear guest," Qingque sighed with exaggerated exasperation, "playing like this is so... boring."
"Heh, once you get your cards, you hold onto them like a miser. Refuse to let go. Losing isn't fun, so I never lose!" Felicity's tone dripped with smug satisfaction.
"What a pity... Even though your defense is tight, I'm just about to—"
"That's a lie!"
Qingque's confident smirk crumbled. Her eyes widened, mouth agape as Felicity turned over the hidden cards tucked beneath her body with a flourish, her grin radiant.
"Wha...!"
Qingque's breath caught in her throat. She stared at Felicity's cards, then let out a cry of disbelief, hands flailing.
"Come again! Another round!" she shouted, utterly distraught.
"Another hammer! We've been standing here forever!" March 7th's exasperated voice cut through the chaos, her tone flat, arms crossed in disbelief.
She and the others had arrived a while ago, and it hadn't taken March 7th long to spot Felicity in the crowd. But to her shock, she'd found Felicity playing cards, calmly roping in the messengers sent by Fu Xuan to fetch them into her game.
But that wasn't even the strangest part.
"Wait, why is there a child here? Isn't it a bit... much, letting someone so young play Celestial Jade? Doesn't her father worry?" March 7th's gaze landed on the small figure beside Felicity, her brows furrowed with concern.
"I don't have a father," Bailu replied softly, not even looking up. Her tiny hands, still chubby with childhood, nimbly shuffled the tiles in front of her.
March 7th blinked in surprise. "Your... mother, then?" she asked, her voice instinctively dropping.
"I don't have a mother either." Bailu's head shook slowly, her tone flat, almost too calm for a child.
"Ah... this..." March 7th's fingers reached up to scratch her head, guilt gnawing at her. She hadn't meant to ask such a heavy question. Her chest tightened at the thought that this innocent child had no family.
But then Bailu's tiny frame shifted, and she leaned in, her cheek pressing against Felicity's waist with the natural familiarity of a small animal clinging to its den. A playful grin flashed across Bailu's face as she stuck her tongue out at March 7th.
"I have a sister," she declared proudly.
"Ehh? This... Felicity, you...?" March 7th stammered, utterly bewildered. She stared at Felicity in disbelief, as if she had sprouted another head. How had Felicity—gone for less than half a day—suddenly acquired a small dragon girl, complete with horns and a tail?
But before she could press further, Qingque clapped her hands, gathering everyone's attention. "Alright, alright! My dear guests, it's time we got down to business."
Qingque's voice was chipper as she brushed the tiles off the table and rose to her feet, looking satisfied. She hadn't expected to lose so thoroughly, but playing a few rounds of Celestial Jade with a foreign guest who clearly knew the game inside out? That had been unexpectedly delightful.
So cool!
"I suppose that makes you qualified to say so," March 7th muttered, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms.
"Ah, take a break from the grind once in a while. The key is to steal~," Qingque said with a wink, then waved her hand. "Alright, everyone—the Starskiff headed to the Divination Commission is docked over there. Please follow me—"
"Haha, I'm not going."
Felicity's voice cut through the chatter, light yet resolute. She had long lost count of how many invitations she'd turned down that day.
Her gaze drifted to Bailu. The little dragon girl sat quietly beside her, her tiny hands clutching the edge of Felicity's shirt as if it were a lifeline. The thought of taking Bailu to the Alchemy Commission, the Realm-Keeping Commission, or even the Divination Commission... it didn't sit well with her.
Qingque nodded, unbothered. She had expected as much.
Lady Fu Xuan was sharp, after all. She had already foreseen that Felicity would take Bailu with her. In fact, Fu Xuan herself had mentioned going back to the Divination Commission to consult the Matrix of Prescience Ultima.
Sigh. Troubles just kept piling up. Qingque could only hope her shift would end early—she'd love nothing more than to play a few more rounds of Celestial Jade with Felicity.
"Aw, are we splitting up again?" March 7th sighed, a hint of regret in her voice. She had thought they'd finally get to share another adventure.
"Be careful," Welt murmured, placing a firm hand on Felicity's shoulder.
"Sister Felicity... I still want to empty the trash cans with you..." Stelle sniffled, her voice barely holding back tears.
Felicity waved a hand dismissively. "No, no. Forget it."
Then, as if remembering something, she rummaged through her pocket and held out a small seed, placing it in March 7th's palm.
"If you come across something you can't beat—especially if it's plant-related—throw this at it."
March 7th blinked, eyes wide. "What's this?"
"A little tool. It'll come in handy later." Felicity's smile curled, her words cryptic.
By now, Felicity had a rough idea of what kind of enemies they were up against. The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus—during their card game, while chatting with Bailu and Qingque—she had pieced together bits of information.
The Disciples saw the Mara as evolution, experimenting on short-lived species. If the Mara-struck retained their awareness and didn't harm others, maybe it could be seen as evolution.
But to exploit innocents, to lure people in for experiments under the pretense of salvation... that crossed a line.
And that so-called Lord Ravager who appeared in the beginning? She could only label him a coward.
So long without a single move... what kind of Lord was that?
Felicity exhaled softly, taking Bailu's small hand in her own. They exchanged a few more words with the Astral Express crew, then watched as the Starskiff whisked them away.
March 7th gave a lingering wave, reluctant, before boarding.
Once they were gone, Felicity stretched lazily, then ruffled Bailu's soft hair with a grin.
"So... where should we go next?"
--+--
In the end, they returned to Cloudford.
It wasn't as if Felicity held onto false hope—Liangmu and Banxia had been taken by the Cloud Knights. By now, they were long gone.
But Bailu...
She simply wanted to help. Even if she had fled to play, the kindness in her heart as a doctor remained. The thought of the injured Cloud Knights, left behind at Cloudford, tugged at her conscience.
Doing something was better than doing nothing at all.
Yet, when they set foot in Cloudford once more, the place had changed.
Most of the injured had vanished. The Cloud Knights stationed here—gone, without a trace.
Bailu's voice was a soft murmur, her eyes scanning the empty, cluttered plaza. "It's so strange... we were only gone for an hour or so, and Cloudford's already like this?"
The port, as always, was crowded with crates and cages, a maze of goods from all corners of the universe. Even if she strained her eyes, Bailu doubted she could make sense of it all.
Instead, Felicity let her senses expand.
Her breath slowed, her power whispering outward like a ripple, tracing the threads of life that pulsed in the distance.
"Hm?" Felicity's brows lifted slightly.
With the Blessing of Abundance in her veins, she could distinguish between the life signatures of Cloud Knights and those of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus.
And what she found chilled her blood.
The Cloud Knights—once the dominant force—were now surrounded. The Disciples had them boxed in.
But...
A deeper pulse, heavier than the rest, caught her attention. An immense surge of Abundance energy flared on the edge of her perception.
Felicity's lips parted in surprise.
Her heart beat a touch faster.
Let's see what's going on...
And with that, she took Bailu's hand and moved toward the unknown.
--+--
T/N: Felicity really be doing whatever she wants.