A Duet of Empress and Magician

The resurrection celebration of the Chrysos Heirs lasted for three whole days in the holy city of Okhema.

The aroma of honey permeated almost every street, and the hustle and bustle of the Marble Fair lasted all night.

The joy of surviving the ordeal, the emotion of reunion, and the complex and indescribable awe for the "God of Data" who created miracles out of thin air intertwined in the air of this eternal holy city.

Luo Li and Castorice enjoyed this rare Tranquility as they strolled through the revitalized garden of life.

The once withered exotic flowers and plants were restored to their former glory with a single thought from Luo Li, and even bloomed more beautifully.

"It feels... like a dream."

The Castorice gently touched a silver leaf flower that shimmered with a halo of data and whispered.

"For me, the previous losses felt more like a nightmare."

Luo Li gripped her hand tightly, feeling its real warmth. "Thankfully, the dream is over."

Just then, a familiar, teasing clapping sound came from the side.

"Oh my, what a touching statement! No wonder he's the data god who just found his wife again; he's radiating the sweet smell of love!"

Kong Yan'er was leaning against the branch of a giant tree at some point, the playing cards in her hand fluttering around like living butterflies.

His heterochromatic eyes, brimming with undisguised mischief, swept back and forth between Luo Li and Castorice.

Luo Li was already used to this amusing person's elusive nature, and rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "It's better than some people who can only hide in the shadows and spy."

"Hey, I can't pretend I didn't hear that."

Kong Yan'er landed gracefully with a somersault, her top hat tilted slightly, revealing a sly smile, "I'm busy with important business—for example, observing how His Majesty Caesar 'adapts' to this new era."

His gaze drifted meaningfully toward the center of the square.

There, Cerydra was surrounded by a group of former Okhema's followers and newly formed supporters.

She maintained her dignified bearing with her long blue and white hair, her posture upright, as she listened to reports on the reconstruction of the holy city and various other matters.

However, beneath that queenly composure, a careful observer might be able to detect a very subtle... discomfort and alienation.

A thousand-year gap in time has made familiar city-states seem strange, and the once iron-fisted Law no longer seem to apply entirely.

This chess-playing monarch, who once used force to purge the Senate and embarked on the Journey of Flame-Chasing, is now facing a situation even more complex than on the battlefield—how to rediscover his place and the meaning of "Law" in a world that has already changed.

"It seems our Empress has encountered some minor trouble."

Kong Yan'er pulled out an apple from somewhere, took a bite, and said in a relaxed tone as if commenting on the weather, "You're used to using chess pieces and Law to define everything. Suddenly finding that the rules of the chessboard have changed and the chess pieces have their own ideas must be quite troubling, right?"

Luo Li raised an eyebrow as he observed the seemingly calm but actually slightly curled fingertips of Kryudela.

He glanced at Kong Yan'er beside him, who was watching the show with amusement, and suddenly a thought popped into his head.

"Speaking of which..."

Luo Li spoke in a teasing tone, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Kong Yan'er and the distant Cerydra.

"You and Cerydra, could you be considered... well, in a sense, 'frenemies'?"

"Pfft--cough cough!"

Kong Yan'er almost choked on the apple, revealing a rare hint of embarrassment. He patted his chest forcefully and glared at Luo Li with his heterochromatic eyes.

"Hey! Lord Aeon God, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! Who's enemies with that rigid, serious 'tyrant' whose mind is only on Law and unification?!"

His reaction was a bit too intense; even Castorice couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

"Oh?" Luo Li deliberately drew out her tone, mimicking Kong Yan'er's usual gossipy manner.

"But I heard that a certain magician used to be a regular at the Okhema Palace, performing magic tricks specifically for that 'rigid and serious' empress."

Besides, I don't know who it was just now, but they were practically looking down on people.

"I was observing 'experimental samples'! To see if coming back from the dead would affect personality data!"

Kong Yan'er stubbornly defended herself, but there seemed to be a faint blush on her ears. "Besides," she said, "Isn't it funny how she tries to measure the new world with an old ruler?"

"Yes, yes, it's not funny, not funny at all."

Luo Li nodded readily, but the mockery in her eyes deepened.

"Anyway, I think you two complement each other quite well. One represents Order, the other chaos; one sets the rules, the other defies common sense—putting you together creates a dramatic effect."

"Complementary my foot!" Kong Yan'er, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, precisely tossed the remaining apple core into the distant trash can. "She and I are like two parallel lines! Never to intersect!"

As if to confirm Luo Li's words, or perhaps fate always likes to add fuel to the fire at such times—the very next second after Kong Yan'er solemnly declared "never to cross paths again," a small commotion arose from Cerydra's side.

An overly excited young scholar, while explaining to the Queen a plan to optimize city defenses using newly discovered ley line energy, accidentally knocked over a crystal display device representing different energy nodes.

Splash--

The exquisite instrument tipped over, and several key crystal nodes rolled along the smooth ground. The largest one, a golden crystal symbolizing the core energy source, rolled right to Kong Yan'er's feet.

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

Cerydra's gaze swept over as well, her insightful blue eyes first landing on the crystal, then slowly moving upwards, settling on Kong Yan'er's face, who still had half a biscuit dangling from her mouth and whose expression was a little stiff.

The air seemed to freeze.

Kong Yan'er looked down at the crystal that was in the way at her feet, then looked up at the expressionless Cerydra, blinking her heterochromatic eyes.

Everyone was looking at him, including the young scholar who had caused the trouble and was now pale-faced.

Cerydra didn't speak, but simply looked at him quietly, her eyes seeming to say, "Pick it up."

Kong Yan'er pouted, her face clearly showing her displeasure.

But he eventually bent down and picked up the golden crystal with his white-gloved fingers.

However, he did not hand it back directly.

Instead, like a street performer, he deftly flipped the crystal between his fingers a few times, attracting everyone's attention. Then, under everyone's gaze, he smiled slightly and snapped his fingers.

Snap!

The golden crystal vanished instantly from his hand.

While everyone was still stunned, he turned gracefully to face Cerydra and, as if by magic, "retrieved" the golden crystal from behind the shoulder ornament of her gorgeous dress, as if it had always been hidden there.

"Here you are, Your Majesty, your 'core energy source'."

Kong Yan'er handed the crystal to Cerydra, her face bearing that usual smug smile that made everyone's teeth itch, "You'd better take better care of it next time, okay? If such an important 'chess piece' is lost, the whole game will be much harder to play."

This action, clearly mocking, was tantamount to challenging the Queen's authority.

The surrounding former subordinates and officials gasped, watching Cerydra nervously, fearing that the empress, known for her strong will, might suddenly lose her temper.

Cerydra's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, her deep blue eyes fixed on Kong Yan'er, her gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce through his nonchalant facade.

Just as the atmosphere was about to freeze, she slowly, very slowly, reached out her hand and took the crystal.

As her fingertips touched the crystal, they seemed to brush against Kong Yan'er's gloves almost imperceptibly.

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Magician."

Cerydra's voice was calm and even, revealing no emotion.

However, a true chess player never lets a piece slip out of their control.

It seems like a detachment, but perhaps... it's just a ploy to lure the snake out of its hole, or to make some hidden 'variables' reveal themselves.

Her gaze lingered meaningfully on Kong Yan'er for a moment before turning to the young scholar. She then posed several incisive and pointed questions about his previous proposal, instantly drawing everyone's attention back to the main topic.

Kong Yan'er's smug smile froze slightly. He looked at Cerydra, who had instantly taken control of the situation, effortlessly neutralized his little trick, and even subtly outmaneuvered him. A hint of defeat flashed in his heterochromatic eyes, but it was quickly replaced by an even stronger excitement, as if he had encountered a challenge.

"Luring the snake out of its hole? Hmph... Interesting."

He muttered something under his breath, pulled down his hat brim, turned around and walked back to Luo Li and Castorice, still holding the half-eaten biscuit in his mouth, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.

Luo Li took in everything and couldn't help but whisper to Castorice with a smile, "See? I told you they were a pair of bickering lovers. They complement each other perfectly."

Castorice smiled and nodded, her purple eyes shimmering with gentle light. "Hmm... Perhaps, Mr. Kong Yan'er's existence can truly help His Majesty Caesar see more possibilities beyond the ' Law '."

At that moment, with her back to everyone Cerydra, between answering the scholars' questions, seemed to have a very faint, fleeting smile playing on her lips, unnoticed by anyone.

It was as if a piece of completely different color had finally been placed on the cold chessboard, yet it unexpectedly made her feel that this game of chess might become more interesting.