And so!
Take this very port where the pretty reporter was standing—in this city alone, there were several just like it.
A single glance across the dock, even just at the area behind her, revealed a massive, bustling crowd of people waiting in lines. Some were queuing to board ships immediately, while others seemed to be waiting for the next batch, or even the one after that.
After all, this was a relocation driven by the potential arrival of the Fourth Honkai Eruption.
What's more, it was officially advocated and vigorously promoted by the authorities.
It really felt no different from a massive evacuation—the main distinctions were that people were being dispersed more widely, and their final destinations weren't all the same.
The burden was being lightened, but not completely.
By any measure, this was the most critical moment the New Zealand ferry industry had ever faced.
Looking back over the past century, there had never been such a complete saturation of capacity.
You could tell just from the pretty reporter's brief introduction.
Thankfully, various countries and organizations—those with the capability and resources—were willing to dispatch cruise ships to assist, preventing passengers from being stranded for too long.
Even at the airports, despite the arrival of additional supported aircraft and crew, the crowding situation was even more intense than here.
It gave the feeling that international visitors were finally getting a real, tangible taste of the Shenzhou Spring Festival travel rush.
Right now, on foreign web forums and blogs, discussions about this were absolutely heated. You had those directly affected airing their grievances, while folks back in Shenzhou were largely just watching the spectacle unfold, having a good laugh.
"Where are the New Zealand evacuees relocating to, if they're going somewhere nearby… Australia?" Kiana didn't usually pay much attention to this sort of thing; she was more into the anime and manga scene.
But Elysia kept up with it.
Then again!
She was pretty much interested in any kind of program.
She thought for a moment, then replied, "For now, most are heading to Australia, or to Mu Continent. Then there are some going to South America. And of course, a few aren't afraid of the distance and are willing to come to Shenzhou."
"After all…" She looked at Kiana.
Kiana didn't wait for her to finish, chuckling softly, "After all, I'm here, right?"
"Even if Sapphire City has entry restrictions now and it's not certain you can live right in the city, other cities or the surrounding areas are still options, aren't they?" So she was aware after all.
She said it with a somewhat joking tone.
Elysia laughed too.
And at the same time.
The pretty reporter had already started her street interviews.
She was randomly selecting members of the public to ask about their situations.
She was speaking the local New Zealand language, with subtitles provided below. While it wouldn't have been an issue for Elysia or Kiana anyway, not having to mentally process the language and just reading along was certainly convenient.
Otherwise…
Even with Elysia's learning ability, going to the trouble of learning a local language just for one country's live broadcast would have been a bit of a hassle.
And you simply couldn't expect the local people to all speak the world's common language. The fact that the pretty reporter herself was mostly following local customs said it all.
But for Kiana, it was nothing.
Herrscher of Sentience powers, baby!
No matter what language she encountered, she could understand it instinctively—listening or reading—as if it were her mother tongue.
She just might not be able to write it.
But that was fine.
It made Elysia realize, 'Oh! So you can cheat like this?'
Then shouldn't my Origin Authority, which is basically like making wishes come true, be able to do it too? Come on, work! My Authority!
[Excuse me, could I trouble you for a few minutes?]
[Huh? Oh, oh… sure, that's fine.]
On screen.
Suddenly having a microphone thrust in his face, the young man froze for a second.
But then, catching on, he smiled warmly and nodded.
[May I ask, where are you planning to go by ferry?]
[Shenzhou!]
Yep, as expected.
[Do you have relatives there?]
[No!]
[Are you going alone?]
[Yep.]
This guy was really terse. He seemed easygoing, but maybe he was actually the aloof type?
The reporter lady was starting to feel a little frustrated.
She prepared to exchange a few polite words and then move on to interview someone else.
After all, some people are socially anxious, others are super outgoing—you can't force it. She understood that well.
However!
This young man looked into the camera, hesitated for a moment, seeming a bit conflicted.
But quickly, his expression turned resolute.
The reporter lady, sharply sensing a potential huge story, suddenly didn't want to leave. She edged the microphone even closer.
[I wanted to ask… your station is from Shenzhou, right?]
[That's right, we're an official live broadcast, viewable across the whole country.]
[Then… the Young Lady would be able to see it, right?]
[Huh?]
The reporter lady was dumbfounded.
She had a bad feeling about this!
But it was too late! There was no stopping it now.
The young man took a deep breath, pulled down his zipper, revealing a 'Young Lady' themed anime T-shirt underneath. While the design itself wasn't particularly extreme—just a regular-looking printed image, like typical merch—the sheer suddenness of the act left everyone stunned.
Holy crap!
Knowing full well the Young Lady might be watching the live stream, and you still do this… you're really going all out, face-to-face!!
[Young Lady, I'm the president of the New Zealand Young Lady Fan Association!]
[This time, together with fan associations worldwide, we're holding a Young Lady fan meetup in the capital of Shenzhou! If you're willing to come, please remember to stop by!]
[Everyone is looking forward to your arrival!]
The guy got more and more excited, more and more fervent as he spoke, becoming a completely different person from the gentle, mild-mannered guy he was moments before.
[And also!]
[You have so many wives already, but I just want to say! You can have even more! We support you!]
[It's fine even if you 'board the train first and buy the ticket later'! You're the best!]
The reporter lady, snapping out of her daze, hurriedly tried to pull the microphone back.
But it was useless; the mic seemed welded to the guy's hand. He held it firmly, completely controlling it, making it impossible to retrieve.
He spoke faster and louder, with righteous intensity, while the people around them watched, stunned.
But if you looked closely, you'd notice that quite a few people had agreement in their eyes, and many seemed to be with him, clapping and cheering.
It was literally like 'the ceaseless cries of apes from both banks'—one call, and the whole mountainside was full of monkeys.
Absurd!
[And also, one more thing! Last one! I'll be quick!]
The two of them gradually started wrestling over the microphone.
The comedic effect was perfect.
Wait… this is an official live broadcast?
Holy moly!
[Young Lady, between Jyahnar and Elysia, which one do you really like the most? They can't both be the main wife, can they?]
[Young Lady, a petition with ten thousand signatures begs you to choose Jyahnar! She's your true childhood friend who lost out because she appeared later! You can't forget about her!]
"Pfft—" Elysia could no longer hold it in.
She burst out laughing unexpectedly.
Seeing the indescribable look on Kiana's face made it even funnier.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.