"So the person in the prophecy wasn't Luo Shu, but that brat from the Kannagi family?"
In the top-floor office of the Twin Towers, Kirika Tachibana was somewhat bewildered after hearing Joan of Arc and Luo Shu's explanation.
Kazuma Yagami, or rather the man formerly known as Kazuma Kannagi – she actually knew him.
He was a fellow Japanese she'd met while working in a restaurant during a work trip to Hong Kong, and quite a celebrity in Japan's mystical circles.
Born into the lineage of the Flame Spirit King's contractor yet possessing no talent for Flame Arts, he was eventually exiled from his family under the pretence of studying in Hong Kong – a real unlucky fellow.
"That brat actually contracted with the Wind Spirit King... This is really..."
The thought made Kirika smirk playfully:
"Honestly, I'd love to see what the Kannagi family thinks about this."
"A contractor of the Wind Spirit King – someone comparable to their founding ancestor – being exiled from the family? It's like something straight out of a novel."
'He basically is a novel protagonist...' Luo Shu gave Kirika a strange look, adding the thought silently.
Unaware of Luo Shu's thoughts, Kirika turned her curious gaze towards Joan of Arc sitting primly on the sofa:
"Speaking of which, if you could identify who the agent of change would be, why not just tell me directly?"
"Missing out on a Spirit King's contractor – no, a potential candidate who can contract with all Five Great Spirits – it didn't matter when I didn't know, but now that I do, doesn't it just break my heart?"
"It's not that I wouldn't tell you, but that I couldn't."
Joan of Arc shook her head in response to Kirika's question.
"Fate isn't immutable – it influences and is influenced."
She lifted her head slightly, gazing at the beige ceiling with distant eyes, her tone carrying a hint of melancholy:
"People always try to avoid unfortunate futures while welcoming fortunate ones."
"Those who can divine fate are no different."
"But what if all the good and bad fortune in one's life were placed on opposite sides of a scale?"
Hearing this, Meer, who had been leaning against Luo Shu on the sofa, opened her eyes slightly and looked at Joan of Arc in surprise.
Meanwhile, Lacus, seated to the side, glanced at Joan of Arc, as if wanting to say something, but sighed instead.
Their reactions didn't affect Joan of Arc as she continued staring at the ceiling, softly voicing her thoughts:
"The more one chooses good fortune, the closer one draws to misfortune... until one day, they're completely consumed by it."
Hearing this theory of luck balancing, Kirika Tachibana froze momentarily before frowning and saying:
"So that's why you didn't explain directly?"
"Because cashing in good fortune early would only bring greater misfortune?"
Upon hearing this, Joan of Arc nodded and then explained:
"No one understands the exact principles, but whether it's the clan elder or other diviners I know, including myself, we've all encountered such things to some degree."
"So when necessary, avoiding the worst possible future while naturally experiencing life might actually be the best choice."
"Neither too good nor too bad - that's what makes an ordinary yet comfortable life, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu raised an eyebrow.
He couldn't help but recall Joan of Arc's experience - undefeated on the battlefield, repelling the English, only to be accidentally captured during a minor skirmish, sold to the English, and ultimately burned at the stake.
So this balance between good and bad fortune was actually Joan's personal experience?
The lesson from her past life was to avoid the worst possible future without rejecting relatively bad outcomes, maintaining equilibrium between good and bad.
Thinking this, Luo Shu rubbed his chin, feeling somewhat suspicious.
He'd been experiencing continuous good fortune lately... so had misfortune been accumulating for him?
As Luo Shu's thoughts wandered, Kirika Tachibana sighed and said:
"Hearing you say that, wouldn't meeting someone like Luo Shu mean terrible luck for me?"
"Don't make me sound like some harbinger of doom." Luo Shu's eyelid twitched as he shot Kirika a glance. "Weren't you the one who tricked me into joining the SDS in the first place?"
"At a time like this, you're still hung up on that?"
Kirika gave Luo Shu an exasperated look, then glanced at Lacus, who was pressed close to him, clicking her tongue:
"You stole my precious darling!"
"Honestly, shouldn't I be the one at a disadvantage here?"
"My fault then?"
Luo Shu spread his hands and leaned back on the sofa, draping an arm over Lacus's shoulder:
"Besides, since when was she your 'precious darling'? Why don't you ask Lacus herself whose 'darling' she is?"
Lacus watched their bickering helplessly, lifting her hand to remove Luo Shu's from her shoulder and placing it back on his own lap, clearly refusing to take sides.
Then she turned to Joan of Arc and asked:
"So Joan, you won't need to stay in the Patch Tribe's ancestral lands anymore? You can live with us now?"
"Essentially." Joan nodded after a moment's thought.
Lacus asked curiously, "Are you certain there won't be issues with the ancestral lands? I thought your presence there was necessary to regulate natural order and prevent frequent natural disasters on this planet?"
"There won't be problems. Before I left, the tribal matriarch successfully advanced to Demigod status. With her presiding over the ancestral lands, both regulating natural order and suppressing Abyssal manifestations should be manageable."
"As for me, the ritual's requirements mean I must accompany Lord Luo Shu for a period."
Here, Joan glanced at Luo Shu, who was watching her, smiling shyly:
"My Demigod Class is Revelation Saintess, chosen by the Great Will."
"The ritual's completion requires listening to divine revelations and accomplishing ten assigned tasks."
"I've completed nine so far. Now, accompanying you and serving as your bridge to the Great Will is my tenth task."
Luo Shu looked surprised at these requirements:
"There's such a thing?"
"So you'll need to stay by my side constantly from now on?"
"That's correct." Joan nodded, then glanced cautiously at Lacus. "That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Before Lacus could respond, Meer chimed in cheerfully: "There's no problem with that... but if you're staying by Luo Shu's side, we'll need to settle on an identity, won't we?"
"At the moment, the most convenient identity would probably be a secretary, right?"
"Of course, if Joan of Arc doesn't mind, being a maid, a lover, or even a mistress would also work, wouldn't it?"
As she said this, Meer blinked at Luo Shu, her eyes full of implication.
Luo Shu instantly picked up on the signal and stroked his chin with a serious expression:
"Well, it does seem feasible."
Hearing this, Joan of Arc looked at the two of them with a mix of amusement and exasperation:
"You two!"
"Could you at least not let me see you exchanging glances like that?"
You might as well have written your improper thoughts on your faces...