Chapter 416

"Seeing the future? What does that mean?"

Mei pressed on, but Vill-V seemed to have no intention of continuing to educate Mei. Talking so much was completely out of character for a magician; as a magician, of course, one must maintain an air of mystery.

"Oh dear... it seems this audience member is a bit paranoid. But revealing secrets is a big no-no for magicians, so I'll be going now?"

Vill-V turned and left, and Mei didn't stop her. If Velvet didn't want to talk, forcing her wouldn't do any good. According to the information she had... she had indeed seen Aponia earlier, Vill-V said she had saved her. If she hadn't sold her, then the prophecy would...

Clang!

Mei was still thinking when the sudden sound made her abruptly look up, only to see Pado tiptoeing away. She'd accidentally bumped into Pardofelis leaning against the side. Come to think of it, that shovel...

"Uh... Mei! I'm so glad you're alright! Since you've survived, I won't charge you extra for the rescue! Well... I'll be going now, Canned Food. Remember to fill in the hole, and whatever you do, don't let Klein see it!"

When Mei discovered her, Pardofelis seemed unusually embarrassed. It would be bad if Mei knew that she had just been planning to bury her. After saying those words, Pardofelis ran away in a flash, leaving Mei and the cat named Canned Food standing there looking at each other. Making a cat fill such a big hole... How could a cat possibly do something like that?

What exactly does Pardofelis use cats for?

Meow~

It called out to Mei, Canned Food straight towards Pardofelis. Could it be that it wanted her to fill in the hole?

Chapter 53 The Pain of the Working Class

After pondering for a long time, Mei still didn't know whether she should bury the pit. For some reason, looking at the pit, Mei suddenly thought of the phrase "digging her own grave." Her instinct made Mei stay away from the pit. If she buried it here, people might think that she dug the pit herself. It was really a headache. That guy, Pardofelis, really knew how to cause trouble for others.

And what about Shen Gonglin? This guy didn't even stay by my side when I was unconscious. He has no sense of being a boyfriend at all. If it were one of those delicate girls, they might be thinking about breaking up. It's just that I... Right, where did that guy go?

Just as Mei was pondering, footsteps came from the other side, accompanied by the sound of numbers. That soft, seemingly easy-to-bully voice—was it Klein?

"Slow down, slow down... Shen Gonglin, there's still a lot of work to do in the Elysian Realm, I don't have time to run for too long..."

It was obvious from her voice that she was some unfortunate working-class person. Nobody in the entire Elysian Realm did any real work; all the maintenance was done by Klein. Whether it was Mobius, Griseo, or Aponia, all they did was cause trouble. Now Griseo had come to the hall, and after finishing her daily tasks Klein was also responsible for wiping up the paint she had spilled on the walls and floor, which already gave her a lot of work. Then, Shen Gonglin came over and started pulling at him again, talking about saving someone...

Do I look like the kind of person who would save lives? This kind of overtime is really enough. I really want to go somewhere where there's no overtime... But if such a place really exists, it's probably the legendary paradise.

"This is a matter of life and death. I haven't been able to find anyone else, so I can only trouble you. Don't worry, as long as you work hard, I will introduce you to a place where the work is easy, there are bonuses and vacations. Don't look at me like this, I am actually the head of a super large organization. There will be many people to help you, and I will definitely not let you work overtime alone."

Shen Gonglin patted her chest Klein, whose eyes lit up at Shen Gonglin words. Easy work and vacation... What did vacation mean? Damn it, he'd been working so much overtime he couldn't even process the meaning of such a word anymore. But did such a place really exist? Klein still found it hard to believe. After all, he only dreamed about things when he was so tired from work that he fell asleep. Did someone like him deserve a vacation?

And what does "bonus" mean? Shen Gonglin always says things I've never even heard of.

"Okay, then I'll go with you to see... Hmm? Raiden Mei, she's not dead, is she?"

Looking at Mei, who seemed perfectly fine, Klein tilted his head and looked at Shen Gonglin with a puzzled expression. Didn't this guy say that Mei's heart had stopped beating? But now she seemed to be alright. Did Shen Gonglin still stand by what she promised? Maybe Mei should just die once. What Shen Gonglin told him before was really tempting.

"Did you send someone to rescue me...? I'm a little touched, but you should have gone to find someone more reliable in a situation like Hua or Ying... Anyway, thank you."

Mei had intended to throw a little tantrum at Shen Gonglin, but upon seeing him, Mei couldn't help but calm down. She couldn't help it; after all, she was such a sensible and obedient girl. Besides, Shen Gonglin had gone to find someone to rescue her, so she couldn't really say anything to him. However, the person he found didn't seem very reliable. Klein —he didn't seem like the type to rescue people at all; it felt like she was the one who needed to be rescued.

The little one had very dark circles under her eyes, and she walked with a wobbly gait that made you worry she might fall. She looked so pitiful.

"Mei, you're awake! I was so worried!"

Seeing that Mei was alright, Shen Gonglin breathed a long sigh of relief. He rushed to Mei, hugged her waist, and rubbed his face against hers. Her previous coma was quite different from before, so Shen Gonglin was a little worried. Now that she was alright, that was the best outcome.

"Yeah, I'm fine... Klein, what are you doing?"

Mei felt very embarrassed being so affectionate with Shen Gonglin in front of others. Luckily, Klein wasn't paying attention. The little guy was staring blankly at something behind Mei. Mei's heart skipped a beat. What was Klein doing...?

"Raiden Mei, did you dig this hole...? The facilities in the Elysian Realm must be kept intact."

Pointing to the large crater behind Mei, Klein looked somewhat devastated for some reason, while Mei immediately clarified her position, unwilling to take the blame for this.

"It was Pardofelis who dug it up, and she's run away now. I just woke up and don't know anything about it."

Klein decisively sold Pardofelis off. Upon learning this, Klein could only sigh deeply. Since she had run away, there was no way to make her work obediently. He would have to do it himself. After all, he was the administrator who maintained Elysian Realm. Regardless of the meaning of maintenance, it was his responsibility. What a mess this was.

The little girl picked up a shovel taller than herself and started filling the hole. Mei couldn't bear to see her Mei so hard. After all, she was a kind and well-behaved girl, and she would always lend a helping hand when she saw someone in need. Klein's Mei were practically child labor exploitation.

"Klein, let me help you."

Mei took the shovel from Klein and offered to help fill the hole. Given Klein's stamina, it would probably take him a whole day to fill the hole; it was too much work.

"Thank you, thank you so much, Raiden Mei... I'm so touched."

Klein's voice remained as calm as ever, but she was genuinely moved. After all, few people offered to help her. Raven's help in investigating Elysian Realm had already touched her deeply, and now Mei was offering to do the physical labor. It was wonderful! Was this the mutual help that Shen Gonglin had mentioned before? Klein had thought that such things only happened in Heaven, where none of the Flame-Chasers were willing to help. Now it seemed that such things could happen to her too.

Should I really change my work environment? The job that Shen Gonglin mentioned before, with vacations, easy work, and bonuses... Klein felt like he'd sell himself to that place.

Chapter Fifty-Four: The Boss

"Alright, now that Raiden Mei is alright and the plot hole has been filled... I'll head back now. Shen Gonglin, you mentioned before that place with weekly vacations... I'll seriously consider it."

After finishing his work, Klein laboriously dragged the shovel backwards, preparing to go back. The little guy earnestly told Shen Gonglin that after seeing the light, he could no longer bear the darkness. That place was simply heaven, Klein really wanted to experience it in his lifetime.

"This child... I feel like her life is so hard."

Watching Klein's departing figure, Shen Gonglin Mei n't help but sigh sincerely. Mei nodded in agreement. However, now was not the time to think about Klein. Mei sat on the steps and sighed. She still hadn't solved her own problems and had no clue what to do. What should she do now? It was really giving her a headache.

Vill-V said that Aponia wouldn't allow her prophecy to fail—that she absolutely wouldn't die before the ten-day deadline she mentioned. But if something contrary to her prophecy happened, such as if she were killed by someone else within those ten days, then she should...

"Hehe, looks like the hole's been filled, Mei... Oh, no, Mei- sama, Rin-sama, I'm back!"

Mei was pondering this question when a familiar voice suddenly rang out again. Pardofelis, accompanied by her cat, came running over with small steps. She had been keeping an eye on things and had come over after Klein left. During this time, she had to work for Boss Mei, after all, such a fat sheep was a rare find.

"Huh? Boss?"

Mei's thoughts were interrupted, but she didn't pay much attention to it. What bothered her was the way Pardofelis addressed her and Shen Gonglin. No one had ever called her that before, and being called that suddenly made Mei feel a little uncomfortable. It felt like she had suddenly become some kind of powerful businesswoman, a development Mei didn't like. Although she was the legal heir to ME Company, Mei had never thought about inheriting the family business. She planned to hand over ME Company to Shen Gonglin after Raiden Ryoma died... oops, retired. Even though she was currently wielding a knife and chopping things up, Mei still harbored a dream of being a good wife and mother.

Thankfully, Raiden Ryoma didn't know, otherwise he would have been moved to tears by Mei's Mei.

As for Shen Gonglin, he seemed much more used to it. After all, the artificial system on the Hyperion often called him that. When Pardofelis called him that, Shen Gonglin also felt a strange sense of familiarity.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Mei- sama?"

Pardofelis had a bright smile on her face, and her sweet appearance made her look like a loyal secretary in the company. But this title made Mei feel a chill run down her spine. This was not right, this was not right. Being called that made Mei feel like her whole body was covered in hair.

"No, wait, Pardofelis... please stop calling me by that weird name. It feels... a little awkward."

Pardofelis called again, Mei shuddered, feeling very uncomfortable. Why call her "boss"? The previous titles were fine, like "Mei" or something like that. If all else failed, she could just call herself Mei. In short, please stop calling her "boss." She couldn't stand it.

"Huh? But... it doesn't feel right to always call her Mei... oh, no, Mei- sama's name directly, does it? Everyone here is just like this brother or that sister... a big customer like you, Mei- nee... Mei- sama, definitely needs to be treated differently from the others. Don't worry, Mei- nee... Mei- sama! This special status currently belongs only to the two of you."

Even though she herself wasn't used to it and had already changed her address several times, Pardofelis still insisted on calling Mei by that name. It wouldn't do to not use a special title for a big client like her; this was her experience in dealing with people in Twilight Town.

"If you're not used to it yourself... Pardofelis, just call me as you always have."

Mei was speechless. She herself wasn't used to it, so why was she insisting on it? This girl was so strange. If it weren't for her really low combat power, Mei would have wondered if she had some other intentions. She was just too weird.

"No, no, no, that won't do! For us business people... if we accidentally use the wrong title, it can be a disaster! There's a lot to it! Just the title 'boss' alone has brought me countless good fortunes, especially back when I was still hanging around Twilight Town... No matter who I was talking to, I'd always try to add 'boss' to my sentences. That way, if someone overheard, they'd probably think I was giving a report, like..."

In some respects, Pardofelis was quite persistent. She told Mei and Shen Gonglin about her way of life, while the cat girl cleared her throat and explained to Mei the necessity of this form of address.

"Ahem... Don't worry, boss! We've got all the goods you wanted! Just saying that keeps those people from making any rash moves in order to catch this non-existent boss, afraid of alerting the enemy... By the time they realize something's wrong... hehe, we've already slipped away."

Pardofelis proudly showed off her survival skills to Mei. Looking at the lively and sunny girl in front of her, Mei frowned slightly. She hadn't expected that Pardofelis had lived such a life before, in Twilight Town... Speaking of this, Mei also thought of some things.

"Pardofelis, I remember you mentioned to me that Chakravartin ... he also had dealings with Twilight Town. So... you knew each other before you joined the Flame-Chasers?"

Mei, Shen Gonglin didn't understand it at all, quietly watched as an audience. These Flame-Chasers all had their own lives before they became Flame-Chasers, and it was quite nice to listen to their stories occasionally.

"No way... I only found out about Brother Jie's situation after I infiltrated the Flame-Chasers. I was quite shocked at the time! Although, looking back now, many things can indeed be connected, even so... who would have thought that Brother Jie used to be a porter at that sanatorium?"

She was speaking in a language that Rin could not understand, but Shen Gonglin clearly saw that Pardofelis's expression also became downcast. For this lively girl to show such an expression, it seemed that even she had a past that she did not want to talk about.

Chapter Fifty-Five: The Affairs of Twilight Town

A porter? Chakravartin used to be a porter at a sanatorium? I can't imagine it. If Mei really wanted to think about it, she felt he was more like a security guard or something. After all, his personality was perfect for keeping strangers away.

"Brother Jie used to work at the sanatorium on Twilight Town, which was the only sanatorium in the area... It took in a lot of people who couldn't even get enough to eat, children and adults alike, but... it probably wasn't long before it became a ruin. As for the reason... let me think, was it a fire or a natural gas explosion?"

It's hard to imagine that the usually cheerful and outgoing Pardofelis would have such a somber tone. It seems that memory is something she doesn't want to recall. But reasons like a fire and a gas explosion... Shen Gonglin and Mei exchanged a glance; they both saw something in each other's eyes—this kind of reason...

"It should be... Honkai."

Mei voiced her guess, and judging from Pardofelis's silence, it seemed she was right. The fire and the natural gas explosion were just excuses for the Honkai.

"That's right. So even in Mei's time, people liked to use this kind of excuse to gloss over things related to Honkai... That's really true, nothing has changed."

Gas explosions and fires have borne the brunt of many problems that weren't theirs to cause.

The cat-girl sighed softly, her lively cat ears seeming to lower in mood. Thinking about those things really made her unhappy. It was like that in the past, and it is like that now. The Honkai will be disguised as an event that ordinary people can accept. This choice is indeed the only choice.

The sanatorium in Twilight Town, a disaster caused by Honkai, and Chakravartin... Could it be that it was there that he first met Sakura...?

By piecing together the clues she had gathered, Mei felt she was beginning to grasp the truth about the Elysian Realm. What kind of story did this Elysian Realm, woven from the memories of these thirteen Flame-Chasers, tell?

"Hmm? What's wrong, Mei... Mei- sama? She suddenly stopped talking and looks thoughtful... Jingu-sama... Shen Gonglin, does she often act like this?"

Pardofelis waved her hand in front of Mei Shen Gonglin Mei. Although Mei was generous and open-minded, she always gave people a strange feeling. She would suddenly drift off into a daze or suddenly faint, which made Pato jump around in fear that this rich and foolish customer would suddenly pass away.

"It's okay, Mei is often like this, you'll get used to it. Also, didn't you just call me boss? Why did you suddenly change your address?"

Shen Gonglin stood next to Pardofelis and habitually stroked her tail. The catgirl struggled slightly, but after failing, she let Shen Gonglin stroke her. As for why she didn't call him boss, need I say more?

"You haven't bought anything from me, so the title 'boss' is reserved for Mei. If you want me to call you 'boss,' then you should buy something from me. Since we're so close, I can give you an 11% discount."

She hadn't made any money from Shen Gonglin yet, which was something a proper businessman shouldn't be doing. Pardofelis tried to sell Shen Gonglin her products, but none of them really met Shen Gonglin's needs. If she wanted something...

"Then sell me the Canned Food. This cat looks very plump, and I want to put it on the Hyperion as a lucky cat."

Shen Gonglin pointed to the cat scratching itself at Pardofelis's feet. Hearing someone call its name, the Canned Food tilted its head back, meowed, and then crawled to Shen Gonglin's feet and lay down. Pardofelis angrily pulled the cat back.

"No! The Canned Food is not for sale. And you idiot, why did you run off with them as soon as they mentioned it? You're a cat, not a husky. You're such an idiot... Oh, sorry, was I too loud? Mei- sama, I'm so sorry for interrupting your thoughts."

Pardofelis loudly scolded her stupid cat, a sound that startled Mei from her thoughts. What was wrong with the two of them now? Was it because of Shen Gonglin's affinity for small animals again? This kind of thing often happened back in St. Freya. When she took a nap on the lawn, she would attract stray cats and other small animals. Kiana and the Class President would also be attracted to the sleeping Shen Gonglin. Now that she thought about it, their relationship probably started back then.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly had some new thoughts, and... Pardofelis, please don't call me 'boss' anymore. I don't like it, and it sounds weird... very weird."

Shaking her head, Mei earnestly asked Pardofelis not to call her by that title anymore. If she called Shen Gonglin" Boss," then Pado should naturally call her "Boss's Wife." Unfortunately, Pardofelis, that idiot, didn't fall for it at all. As for the title "Boss, "Mei was still a little uncomfortable with it. She just hoped that Pado wouldn't use that title to address her.

"Hmm... alright then, Mei -Mei ~"

I finally got the pronunciation right, but then Mei- nee asked me to change it back. Oh well, the customer is always right, so I had to comply since Mei liked it. It's such a shame, since I came up with this nickname just for Mei.

After saying goodbye to Pardofelis, Shen Gonglin and Mei wandered around the Elysian Realm Hall again. She seemed to want to talk to someone else. Shen Gonglin, having nothing to do, could only follow Mei. She wondered how things were on the Hyperion. They should have calmed down by now. Besides, after all, that matter had nothing to do with her. So, should she go back now? She missed them a little.

"There are many colors... but it's still not enough..."

Just then, a sound came from the lounge. The two looked up and saw Griseo kneeling on the sofa, painting on the canvas in front of her. Ever since she met Mei and Shen Gonglin, this girl had been frequently seen in the Elysian Realm Hall. And next to her, as expected, stood an autistic boy. Wherever Griseo was, Kosma was sure to be there too.

"Mei, do you think Kosma might like Griseo? That girl looks so young, Kosma is really something else."

Shen Gonglin whispered something in Mei's ear, and Mei's expression turned somewhat strange.

Chapter Fifty-Six: Pulling a Cart

Shen Gonglin said that... Mei's expression immediately turned sour. Everyone says Kosma, everyone is Kosma. Kosma might only have affection for Griseo, but herself... Shen Gonglin's words reminded Mei of herself. Wasn't she just like that? Although Shen Gonglin had lost her memories and her exact age was unknown, according to St. Freya's bone age calculation, she should be around fifteen or sixteen years old. And she...

Now it seems that the one who will suffer the most is herself, because Mei clearly understands that she wanted to do bad things with Shen Gonglin, and there are probably many others with the same idea, definitely not just herself. If the police come, they'll probably have to take a whole carload of them...

"I don't want to think about it anymore. I'm Herrscher now, and ordinary laws can't punish me. I don't want to dwell on this kind of issue. "Mei took the initiative to greet Griseo, while also trying to change the subject. "Please, Shen Gonglin, stop talking. Otherwise, I'll feel really guilty."

"Griseo, you're here again. So, did you find the color you wanted?"

Looking at Griseo, Mei seemed to relax. Raven and Griseo had gotten along quite well during this time. After all, Raven was the leader of the children and took care of the entire orphanage, so it was easy for Raven and Griseo to get along. It was just that Kosma next to them was still as difficult to communicate with as ever.

"Not yet. There are many colors here, but... not the ones I want. Those... colors that don't exist, colors that haven't been created yet..."

Griseo turned to talk to Mei. The girl's delicate, doll-like face was expressionless. Mei didn't quite understand what Mei was saying. "Colors that haven't been created yet"—did she mean multicolored white and multicolored black? Mei looked at Shen Gonglin, who was also a skilled artist. Could he understand Griseo's words?

"Hmm... just like it... it can create some... colors that don't exist. All kinds of red, all kinds of black... warm, cold..."

As if trying to explain her thoughts to Mei, the girl in white stood up and placed her finger on the Key of Punishment at Mei's waist. There were many colors that had not yet been created, and she felt that this thing should be able to be created.

Mei a step back. She didn't want such a pure and innocent girl to come into contact with this kind of thing. After seeing the commotion, Kosma also came over. Sure enough, they shouldn't have let them come into contact with little Griseo.

"Please... stay away from her a little further, Raiden Mei. And Griseo, we should go back."

Kosma appeared in front of Mei without warning. He reached out and pulled the knife from Mei 'Griseo hand. Mei didn't say anything. Like him, she didn't want Griseo to touch a knife either.

"Did Kosma come to take me back? But... I don't want to go back yet. I want to stay here a little longer. There are so few colors in the studio. There are so many colors here... Also, the studio isn't cleaned up yet, so I want to stay here a little longer. Is that alright, Kosma?"

At this point, Shen Gonglin sensed Kosma staring at her, but Shen Gonglin responded with an innocent expression. What did it have to do with her that the studio wasn't clean? She had only shown off her colors a little in Griseo's studio. Mei had praised her paintings for being very artistic, so it definitely had nothing to do with her.

"...I understand, Raiden Mei. Can you come over here for a moment? There's something I want to talk to you about alone."

After a moment of silence, Kosma nodded to Mei. Without much hesitation, Mei and Kosma walked to the side, while Shen Gonglin went to Griseo's easel and discussed with her what to draw next. The two of them had a lot in common on this topic. Seeing that the situation was relatively calm, Mei also spoke to Kosma.

"So, what do you want from me, Kosma?"