"Wow."
Elysia's eyes widened, her small face flushing red, and her breath hitched for a beat.
Wh-why did it turn out like this?
Aglaea's cheeks instantly burned a deep crimson, and she instinctively crossed her arms.
Her eyes shimmered with moisture, a surge of tears and shame threatening to overflow.
"You—"
"Turn your head away!!"
Aglaea bit her silver teeth, glaring at Ryuga with a mix of shame, indignation, and panic.
"Ahem~, although this wasn't my intention and was purely an accident, but... in this situation, shouldn't you be the one to turn around?"
Ryuga coughed twice, unashamedly admiring the view.
The exquisite curves were like a relief under the moonlight, breathtakingly beautiful.
Why should he?
I saw this with my own eyes through my own ability; why should I turn away?
Aglaea's snow-white skin, which glowed with a lunar luster, was now turning red at a visible rate.
A masterpiece.
As expected of the successor to the divine authority of the Titan of Romance, Mnestia.
Every inch of her skin seemed to have been hand-carved by the Titan of Romance herself, with smooth curves that were just right.
The lines of her neck and shoulders were as elegant as poetry.
Her waist was so slender it looked like it would break with a pinch, yet it contained amazing resilience and strength.
Ryuga lowered his head. Tender.
Is that you, "Big White"? (Note: Referring to her white outfit/appearance).
"Aglaea-jie, I... I didn't see anything, really, nothing at all."
Cipher giggled, covering her eyes with her hands, but her fingers were spread apart with a ridiculously wide gap.
Her pupils darted around, making no secret of her blatant peeking.
"..."
Aglaea's teeth itched with annoyance. Did the gap between the fingers covering your eyes have to be that big?
Yet she was helpless.
She gritted her teeth, abruptly turned her back, and presented her smooth back to Ryuga.
Then, with a flick of her slender hand, a golden thread shot out, dragging a pure white bathrobe from the bedroom.
The golden threads intertwined, wrapping the bathrobe tightly around her.
She even pulled the collar up high, covering herself completely.
At first glance, she looked even more like "Big White."
The cuffs were also tightly gathered. If the bathrobe hadn't only reached her calves, she wouldn't have wanted to show even a fraction of her ankles.
"Now!"
"Please!"
"Lord Demon God!"
"Give me an explanation!"
Aglaea's teeth were clenched, each word jumping out from between them.
Her small fists were clenched until they creaked, looking very much like she would give Ryuga a beating if the answer wasn't satisfactory.
"Oh my~, Aglaea-jie, it's nothing to make a fuss about. I've had my clothes burst before too."
Seeing that there was no more scenery to admire, Cipher dejectedly lowered her hands, stood with her hands on her hips and chest puffed out, and spoke with an air of indifference.
Her tail even wagged triumphantly.
"You too?"
Aglaea's gaze sharpened as she looked over inquiringly.
Knowing someone else had suffered the same fate, her sense of "shame" was diluted a bit.
But on second thought, something felt wrong. You little wild cat, you probably can't wait for Ryuga to see everything, can't wait to be a god-striking rebellious disciple, right?
Did she think she didn't know?
Back when she was still a "little kitten," she would sneak onto Ryuga's bed to sleep.
Now that she's grown up, wouldn't she just charge right in?
This little cat has quite the nerve.
She'll probably take action tonight.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She gritted her teeth and gave Cipher a fierce glare.
"Haki-Cipher" shrank her neck.
"By the way, why does the 'Time Furoshiki' have a 'clothes-bursting' effect? Ryuga, did you do that on purpose?"
Elysia blinked her large eyes and leaned in curiously to ask, her fingertip even playfully poking Ryuga's cheek.
"You're overthinking it. It doesn't have a 'clothes-bursting' effect at all."
Ryuga rolled his eyes, grabbed Elysia's finger, and proceeded to squeeze and play with it in his palm.
Then he cleared his throat and continued to explain.
"Aglaea, has it been less than five years since this outfit was made?"
"Two years."
Aglaea nodded with a cold face, still somewhat angry.
"That's it then. The 'Time Furoshiki' reverses the time of the covered object to the past or accelerates it to the future."
Ryuga scratched his head, feeling a rare bit of embarrassment.
"Ahem, I didn't think this would happen either."
"After all, it's the first time I've taken it out to use."
"As for Cipher, she grew up in an instant and burst through them directly. For you, going back 5 years, the clothes wouldn't be burst, so I didn't think about it."
Hearing the affectionate nickname "Cipher," Cipher's heart felt sweet. Her cat ears snapped upright and twitched happily a few times.
Her tail also curled up unconsciously.
Aglaea had inherited her divine authority after reaching adulthood, so her appearance five years ago was no different from now.
After a pause, Ryuga handed over the "Time Furoshiki."
"Ahem~, as an apology, I'll give this to you."
"Red for acceleration, black for reversal. One rotation of the hand is one year."
"..."
Aglaea wanted to refuse, but thinking of her gradually burning humanity, she let out a light snort and accepted it.
"Since it was an unintentional act by the Lord Demon God, I shall thank you for your gift."
Cipher's eyes darted around, and she covered her mouth with her hand, teasingly saying, "I'm so curious? Could this Curio be something the Lord Demon God specially refined for the Tailor?"
"Ahem, no, I'm not, you're overthinking it."
As expected of my "Haki-cat."
If the person in question wasn't right here, he'd definitely give her a big thumbs up.
This is a true wingman.
The "Haki-cat" is helping him pick up girls.
Ryuga's triple denial and his panicked look made Aglaea pause in doubt for a moment.
(He's faking it.)
Thinking carefully, this "Time Furoshiki" indeed perfectly reversed the flaw of her inheriting the divine authority.
Aglaea's face flushed for a moment. Could he actually like me?
Fortunately, she was already blushing, so it wasn't obvious.
Only her gaze and tone regained a bit of softness.
"If the Lord Demon God has nothing else, please return."
After all, having been seen completely, she now felt hot all over, her heart pounding like a drum.
At this moment, she only wanted to rush into the bathroom immediately and let cold water wash away this suffocating shame.
"Eh, wait, I have business."
Ryuga said quickly.
March 7th had set out on the expedition with Castorice.
Although she would turn into a block of ice at night, she was "invincible"; no one could hurt her.
Plus, she spent most of her time in the Commander's tent and had the Curios he gave her, so there was no need to worry too much about her safety.
"I heard from Cipher that Castorice is already attacking the last city-state?"
"Once she returns, the journey of the Flame-Chasers will begin, right?"
Ryuga said.
"Yes."
Seeing that there was indeed serious business, Aglaea finally invited everyone to sit down and brewed a fresh cup of warm black tea.
This matter was already known, so it wasn't surprising.
"By then, Castorice and Hyacine will both leave Okhema, and the various lords of the Holy City will also set out with the army. All the burden of Okhema will fall on your shoulders."
"Have you thought about how to handle it?"
Ryuga asked tentatively.
Aglaea's brow furrowed slightly, and she shook her head: "Sorry, not yet."
Although her voice was very light, a hint of fatigue could still be heard.
Right now, Castorice was only conquering various city-states, yet she already had to be responsible for appeasing the people and coordinating resources, with every step feeling like walking on thin ice.
When the time comes to crusade against the Titans and the Black Tide to return the Fire, eighty percent of Okhema's military strength will be deployed to the front lines, leaving the Holy City unprecedentedly empty.
Logistics coordination, city defense deployment, administrative handover, public appeasement—she really couldn't imagine how she would manage it all then.
It wasn't that she lacked strategy or decisiveness, but...
"When I came back today, I happened to see Trissha flying over to notify Polysia about the execution of prisoners."
"I was wondering, don't you have mobile phones for communication?"
"Does all your usual communication rely on the Tribbies?"
Ryuga threw out the topic.
"Mobile... phone?" (Note: Using "Shouji" in the original, which sounds like "Hand Chicken").
Aglaea's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion crossing her eyes.
What kind of chicken?
Cipher's eyes widened, her eyelashes fluttering as she tilted her small head curiously.
"It's this thing."
Elysia smiled and took out her phone, skillfully swiping open the screen.
She opened the photo album, and one by one, colorful photos from beyond the stars unfolded before their eyes like a scroll.
The brilliant lights of a neon city's night view.
The magnificent vastness of mountains, rivers, and seas.
Videos played automatically, music played softly, and figures in the images danced, pouring out the sounds of another world.
As they watched, Aglaea and Cipher's eyes widened.
Elysia then opened QQ and WeChat, scrolling through chat records, and even various wacky emojis popped up on the screen.
It made Cipher let out a "wow" meow.
Then, Elysia simply opened a single-player game, controlling the character to leap and flip inside, with dazzling special effects and ultimate moves.
The "people" inside were like real people, leaving the two deeply shocked.
Cipher watched without blinking.
Aglaea stared at the flowing light and shadows on the screen, falling into thought.
(Do the people in the play know they are in a play?)
"Do people from beyond the stars use this object to communicate?"
"Yes."
"No need for messengers, no need for beacon fires; thousands of miles away, a single thought reaches..."
Aglaea paused, her fingertip pinching her brow as if in thought.
After a long while, she let out a long sigh.
"What a pity! Even if the craftsmen of Amphoreus are masterfully skilled, it would be difficult to replicate such an exquisite mechanism."
Cipher was also stunned.
Her cat ears drooped, feeling a bit frustrated.
Indeed!
The flow of metal and energy inside this small box, along with the even more complex "program" structure, far exceeded the current skills of Amphoreus.
"Then let's make a simplified version. Using the power of the Titans as a base, cast a 'Communication Slate.' It can take photos and have forum discussions; that'll be enough for you to control Okhema."
Ryuga leaned back in his chair, took a sip of black tea, and said.
Aglaea was stunned. At this moment, a crack of light appeared between the ancient and the modern.
"A... slate?"
Elysia was a bit confused.
She knew they couldn't make it, but she didn't expect it to be so primitive and wild.
Chatting via slates?
"Quite miraculous, isn't it?"
"Amphoreus is a world of Titan worship. The currency currently in circulation was also created by the Titan of Justice, Talanton, by condensing sand."
Ryuga blinked.
Elysia was dazed, and only after a long while did she open her mouth: "Titans are truly wonderful. It's just, won't that cause excessive currency issuance?"
"That's not for you to worry about."
Ryuga smiled and looked at Aglaea again.
"As the successor to the divine authority of the Titan of Romance, you can use golden threads to listen to birds and beasts, breathe the fragrance of the forest, and feel the gentleness of flowing water."
"So, why don't you weave a giant 'Web' in Okhema?"
"Then use the power of the Titans to shape and construct 'Communication Slates.' By anchoring the slates to the woven network, you can achieve real-time communication."
Aglaea's eyes suddenly lit up. Wasn't this the vague concept that had been in her mind all along?
Now, Ryuga had directly pierced through that veil.
It was an instant epiphany.
"I see."
"Communication slates are not only beneficial for the people's livelihood, but you can also use them to eavesdrop on the voices of the entire Holy City and monitor the Senate."
"Once discordant voices are mixed in, intending to subvert the prosperity of Okhema, they can be eliminated before they even take action."
After Ryuga's explanation, Aglaea completely understood.
So it could be played like this?
She stood up abruptly, placed a hand over her chest, and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Lord Demon God."
"It's just, it will be difficult to lay it out across the entire Amphoreus."
Aglaea felt somewhat regretful.
You want to lay it out across the entire Amphoreus?
What grand ambition.
"Then relying solely on your power as the Titan of Romance probably won't be enough, but you can try using 'Nymphs.' Although they won't achieve the effect of golden threads, they can serve as a makeshift substitute."
When they parted, the conversation between Aglaea and Cipher had been transmitted via a Nymph.
"Nymphs?"
"That's true."
Aglaea murmured, nodding slightly.
Nymphs were indeed feasible. Although they couldn't replace golden threads in the end, they were better than nothing.
But then, her brow furrowed again.
"But there is one more problem."
"What?"
"If the 'Web' of the entire Holy City is all linked to me, the burning of my humanity will likely accelerate even more."
Even though she now had the Time Furoshiki.
But using her body to carry the entirety of Okhema was no different from holding a handful of oil in a fire.
No matter how resilient the container, it would eventually crack under continuous burning.
Ryuga was silent for a moment. Indeed.
To use an analogy, it's like letting an oil lamp burn all night; no matter how tough the wick or how plentiful the oil, there will eventually be a time when it burns out.
Fatigue is not just the heaviness of the body, but more so the wear and tear of the soul.
"Garmentmakers."
Ryuga spoke.
Aglaea was stunned: "Garmentmakers?"
"I've seen 'Garmentmakers' in your weaving workshop; they've inherited your power and can move freely, even speak, and assist you in combat."
"So, why not use them as individual 'signal base stations'?"
"Let them act as the bridges for Okhema, carrying those complex messages, and finally gather the signals from the base stations layer by layer, ultimately returning to your hands."
"And you only need to 'recharge' them periodically."
Like a weaver adding thread to a shuttle, or a lamplighter adding oil to a lamp.
Aglaea was stunned. In an instant, the mist cleared, and the path ahead became bright.
"I see! Thank you, Lord Demon God, I'm going to the weaving workshop right now!"
Aglaea stood up abruptly, her breathing quickening.
Before her voice faded, she had already turned and rushed toward the door.
Cipher stared blankly at the running Aglaea-jie, completely dumbfounded.
Oh my god.
She's not wearing shoes, and she only has a bathrobe on.
Ryuga reacted extremely quickly, stepping out with a long stride and extending his arm to catch Aglaea around the waist.
"Go change your clothes first."
Aglaea's whole body froze, and as if waking from a dream, her face instantly turned beet red.
"Ah? Sor-sorry... please let me go, Lord Demon God."
Before she finished speaking, she broke free from Ryuga's embrace and stumbled into the bedroom with a red face, slamming the door shut behind her.
Cipher finally came to her senses, her mouth twitching as she burst out laughing.
Then a golden thread whipped over.
"Ah!"
...
Night.
"How strange."
After taking a shower, Ryuga lay directly on his bed, Elysia's words echoing in his mind.
(I won't accompany you tonight; anyway, you have someone to warm your bed.)
"Hmm~, this bed is indeed very warm."
Wait! Something's! Wrong!
Ryuga tentatively reached out and felt inside the quilt.
The touch was quite full.
With a start, he abruptly threw back the quilt.
Then, he locked eyes with a curled-up, red-faced cat-girl.
"Haki-Cipher?"
Ryuga slapped his face with a smack.
"Why are you here?"
"Oh~, that's a bit of a strange question. Haven't I, the kitty, always slept here?"
"..."
Ryuga opened his mouth. It seemed that was indeed the case?
Because after March 7th came to Amphoreus, she would enter the "Six-Phased Ice Invincible Mode" at night, so the two of them could only sleep separately.
If they wanted to do anything exciting, it had to be during the day.
When sleeping at night, his side was occupied by Cipher.
"But, you..."
Before, she was flat, so sleeping together was fine.
Now?
This body is fully ripe.
It's a crime waiting to happen.
Since things had reached this point, Cipher simply gritted her teeth and, with a cat's nimbleness, flipped over and pushed Ryuga down.
Then she sat on Ryuga's stomach in a "duck sit" position.
Two moons in the same sky! (Note: Referring to her chest).
Feeling Cipher's tense and trembling body, how could Ryuga not know what she wanted to do?
"Haki-Cipher, do you know what you're doing?"
"Of course!"
"I want to be a god-striking rebellious disciple."
Ryuga: What on earth?
To be continued…
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