Luofu Xianzhou—Starskiff Haven
Everyone disembarked at the port here.
"Everyone, this is Starskiff Haven. On behalf of the Sky-Faring Commission, I welcome you."
"I must report to Lady Yukong first, so I'm afraid I can't give you a proper tour. I hope you'll forgive me. In the meantime, please feel free to explore the Luofu." Tingyun waved her fan and offered an affected apology.
"Not at all. Thank you, Miss Tingyun," Welt replied with a nod.
Once Tingyun had gone some distance away, March 7th finally let out a breath. "Phew, Miss Tingyun's finally gone."
"Yeah. Being around a Lord Ravager makes me really nervous," Stelle agreed with a nod.
"All right, let's put the small talk aside for now. Don't resist—I'm going to give you all a blessing."
A warm feeling flowed through them, and a golden flame-shaped mark appeared on the backs of their hands. It flickered once, then faded from view.
"That should do it. Even if we have to face a Lord Ravager, my blessing can keep you all alive in a pinch." After doing this, Xiao Xi felt much more at ease.
After all, a Lord Ravager was no joke. She could guarantee her own safety, but if one attacked Stelle and the others while they were separated, they would be in danger.
Once everyone had an extra layer of protection, Welt relaxed as well. "Now, everyone, let's discuss how to handle the Luofu's higher-ups."
"Huh? Handle the Luofu's higher-ups? But didn't we come here to help the Luofu?" March 7th asked in surprise.
Welt shook his head. "What we think doesn't matter. What matters is what the Luofu authorities think. The Luofu is currently in turmoil, and the Express arriving at a time like this is bound to make them wary."
"That's—that's so unfair! We're here with good intentions. If we weren't worried about the people on the Luofu, we'd already be on another planet. Honestly, if I'd known this would happen, we wouldn't have come," March 7th complained.
"We may not mean any harm, but the Luofu clearly won't see it that way. And if we leave under these circumstances, we'll probably be listed as suspects. This is a terrible start," Xiao Xi said helplessly, rubbing her forehead.
"There's no need to worry so much." Seeing the gloomy mood, Welt spoke calmly. "The Astral Express has some renown across the stars. Without conclusive evidence, I don't think even the Luofu authorities would dare act recklessly. Still, we'll have to deal with some political maneuvering."
"That may be true, but it's still unpleasant to come here in good faith to help, only to be treated like this." After hearing what everyone had to say, Stelle was no longer as lively as she'd been at first.
"All right, all right. Don't worry—the situation isn't as bad as everyone thinks. If they really try to pressure us, we don't have to be polite to them," Xiao Xi reassured her gently, though her words remained firm.
"The Astral Express can't easily prove its own innocence as a party involved, but if the president of the Hope Mutual Aid Society personally vouches for us, surely the Luofu won't have any choice but to believe us." Xiao Xi gave a playful wink, then took out the token representing her position as president of the Hope Mutual Aid Society. She gave it a little wave, gleefully taking in the others' astonished expressions.