The setting sun cast a golden splendor upon the land, draping the entire city in a gossamer veil of gold and bathing the earth in a mysterious hue.
As night's curtain quietly enveloped the city, chasing away the last vestiges of daylight, the city's nocturnal tapestry slowly wove itself in the darkness.
Multicolor neon lights illuminated the night, a dazzling display of flashing signs, brilliant billboards, and fiery trees with silver blossoms...
Miss Stargazer walked along the main road, looking at streets that felt vaguely familiar, and a feeling of powerlessness gradually crept into her heart.
For someone like Miss Stargazer, who had spent her entire life in a world akin to ancient Shenzhou, the modern metropolises that contemporary people took for granted were no different from a labyrinth.
After a long, tiring day, she...
...still hadn't found her way.
Where in the world is the Immortal's husband?
The girl, who was destined to become a Sage King, sat forlornly on a stone bench by the roadside, gazing up at the sky, feeling as if her entire life had turned a pallid white.
So tired.
I really want some Red Bean Glutinous Rice Dumplings from Fengjia Manor... and Smiley Puffs, Osmanthus Cake, Lotus Crisps, Steamed Golden Milk Pastries, Candied Green Plums, Lotus Seed Pod Fish Wraps, and Crab-Stuffed Oranges...
After a long day of toil, the young monarch couldn't help but pat the money pouch at her waist.
Although she had spent her life in the deep palace, Miss Stargazer had some life experience. She wouldn't be like a certain Lord of Geo who shall not be named, who would shout "I'll take it all, vendor!" only to find not a single coin in his pockets.
When she ran away from home, she had packed all of her Prime Minister's savings.
She just didn't know if the silver taels she carried were accepted as currency in this world.
The young monarch sighed inwardly at the thought that if they weren't, she might just have to starve.
Everyone said that the path to finding an immortal was harder than ascending to the heavens. It seemed now that the difficulty of finding the Immortal's husband was likely even greater.
However, for the sake of saving her country, it was all worth it.
With that thought, the girl took out a tael of broken silver, stood up, and looked around for a teahouse or a restaurant.
And then—
A brilliant golden figure carrying a bag flashed past her eyes, heading towards a secluded alley in the distance.
Miss Stargazer's eyes widened.
General Durandal!
She came here too?!
It is widely known that there are four great joys in life.
—Sweet rain after a long drought; an old friend in a foreign land; the wedding night in the nuptial chamber; and success in the imperial examinations.
Right now, Miss Stargazer was experiencing the joy of meeting an old acquaintance!
Without a moment's hesitation, the girl who had not yet become the Sage King rushed forward.
And then—
Just as she was running towards the blonde girl, an orange portal suddenly materialized in front of her. The blonde girl, seeming quite accustomed to this, stepped right through it.
As Miss Stargazer froze in place, the golden-haired girl vanished from her sight.
Authority: The Persian Warlord's Sixth Incarnation—The Youth.
In this form, Verethragna uses words of power to protect and command obedience from mortals.
When a person of importance to the wielder is in danger, they can share the power of the Authority holder through a kiss.
Clearly, the girl named Durandal had received quite a few of a certain someone's abilities due to her previous... frenzy.
"..."
Like a rusted machine, Miss Stargazer stiffly turned her head, staring at the empty space where the person had just been, a wave of inexplicable sorrow washing over her.
First, she was inexplicably sent to this world by that Mop-Head. Then, she was told by the Immortal that her world was on the brink of collapse. After that, she was abandoned by the Immortal with a tattered map to find someone. She ran into an acquaintance halfway, only to miss her completely...
She felt wronged.
Truly, deeply wronged.
The girl's delicate little face crumpled.
The road to finding the Immortal's husband was still long and arduous, and now she had the added task of finding General Durandal.
So, the next step is to find a place to stay? the girl wondered, feeling the night that had now completely fallen.
Although that Mop-Head was a good-for-nothing, she had at least educated her on the common sense of this so-called "Realm of the Creators."
At night, due to the chaotic rules of the world, many monsters from other worlds would become active. Wandering around in remote corners after dark was a very dangerous thing to do.
...
After some thought, the girl, who was now standing in a rather remote alley, decided to find a pawn shop to see if she could exchange her silver for this world's currency and then find a place to stay.
"So, miss, what exactly are you doing here?"
Just as Miss Stargazer was pondering her plan for tomorrow, a young man's voice sounded from right behind her.
It came without any warning, like a ghost, carrying an aura that inexplicably brought to mind the Underworld, lost souls, and the setting sun.
Who's there?!
As if she had been suddenly thrown into a world of ice and snow, the hair on Miss Stargazer's arms stood on end.
She should have been the only one here.
She was sure there had been no one around when she ran in this direction.
So where did that voice come from?
In her panic, Miss Stargazer instinctively tried to swing her fan, intending to create a cyclone and launch a surprise attack on the person who had appeared behind her without a sound.
But—
As the future ruler of the Huang Kingdom, Sakuya Gyousei excelled at using formations to defeat her enemies, but that didn't mean she was powerless without them prepared in advance.
Even without the aid of a formation, she could easily summon a gale strong enough to send large animals like wild boars and hippos flying!
So, fly away!
Miss Stargazer, having cranked the wind up to a level capable of blowing a person away, shouted her ultimate move.
"Big Dipper, Purge Evil! Banish Misfortune and Calamity!"¹
And then—
Nothing happened.
The expression on Miss Stargazer's face instantly froze.
Like the turning of a rusty gear, she stiffly twisted her body to look behind her.
A young man came into view.
He was watching her, his brilliant golden eyes filled with a hint of amusement.
The girl, realizing her over-the-top reaction had probably caused some problems, looked completely rigid.
Then, he raised his hand, pressing his thumb and middle finger together.
Snap—
With a crisp snap of his fingers, the feathered fan in the girl's hand vanished, reappearing in his.
"Attacking someone with such a high-risk item without a word of warning is very bad manners, you know."
The youth, who had just finished sealing one of the King of the End Rama's authorities, looked at the little white-haired fuzzball. Fanning himself gently, a slight smile played on his lips.
"Care to give me an explanation?"
¹[Translator's Note: The final line of her chant, "chú xiōng qù yāng" (Banish Misfortune and Calamity), is a pun on the similar-sounding "chú xiōng qù yāo" (Remove Chest, Remove Waist), a common joke aimed at flat-chested characters.]