The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Page 604

"What's wrong, Kiana? Are you staring at Gretchen's painting in a daze? Could it be that she has already painted Bronya?"

Mei came up from behind and asked a question.

Before she could get a response, she turned her gaze to the painting.

With just one glance, Mei was shocked to discover...

The familiar face in the painting...

Hey~ Did you miss me?

Just seeing that pink figure made Mei feel as if she were hallucinating, and she began to recall the other person's voice.

Is this... what they call a lingering ghost?

Mei covered her forehead, looking somewhat troubled.

She sighed, then asked Kiana, "Kiana, do you care about this woman?"

Upon hearing this, Kiana blurted out, "As expected of Mei, she guessed what I was thinking right away!"

Upon hearing this, Mei's heart jumped into her throat.

She hadn't expected Kiana to actually care so much about that woman...

This is a bit of a problem. How should I explain it to her?

"Um, I hope you don't misunderstand."

Mei brushed a stray strand of hair from her forehead and explained somewhat uneasily, "She and I are just... friends who have some connection."

At this point, Mei paused, seemingly considering her words: "Uh, no, it's not quite right. It is somewhat related, but she and I are just closer than ordinary friends. You don't need to worry."

"Oh? Oh... uh, really?"

Kiana looked at Mei with some confusion.

I don't know why she suddenly started explaining all this to me.

Please, I've been through thick and thin with Mei from the future.

Mei has already made it very clear what her relationship with Alicia is.

So, you didn't think about it at all?

However, seeing Mei's extremely concerned expression, Kiana couldn't help but feel a little amused.

Since she was kept in the dark, I'll just watch her silently.

Let's reveal everything after we meet Alicia.

“Yes, I swear to you,” Mei said confidently.

"I believe in you, Mei."

Kiana waved her hand, indicating that she completely believed everything Mei said.

Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief after hearing her own assurance.

After comforting Mei, Kiana turned to look at Gretchen with a gentle smile on her face.

"Gresch, where did that fairy girl in your painting go? Can you tell us?"

Kiana had no idea how profoundly impactful her unintentional remark was to Mei.

Miss Fairy?

When Kiana spoke, calling her "Fairy," Mei was immediately confused.

I haven't explained myself yet, have I? How did Kiana know beforehand?

Could it be that she can understand my voice?

Mei's doubts remained unanswered.

Kiana, as the person involved, had no energy to care at the moment.

After all, she really wanted to understand why Alicia had appeared in this world, and also what that mysterious fairy lady was plotting.

Is she friend or foe?

Greta didn't know what Kiana was thinking, but she thought Kiana was a good person.

Anyone who can give her paints to paint is generally not a bad person at heart.

Therefore, Gretchen pointed into the distance with almost no hesitation: "Where is it?"

Following the direction her paint-splattered little hand pointed, Kiana and Mei saw a deserted town.

And the mecha monsters that just wander around town all day...

"This amount, Mei. Wouldn't it be troublesome if we rushed in?"

Kiana stroked her chin and analyzed the situation rationally.

Her judgment was affirmed by her beloved.

Mei nodded, then casually put one hand on her hip and said, "If we rush in, it will be like declaring war on the entire town. When we face a tidal wave of enemies, we will inevitably be at a disadvantage."

"What should we do then..."

The two looked at each other, and simultaneously turned their gazes to Gretchen—Bella behind her.

"Ow?"

Beibeilong, who had been dragged over to help without really knowing what was going on, backed away repeatedly, looking like, "What do you want to do! Are you bullying a dragon?"

The two of them smiled knowingly at the sight.

"Don't worry, we're not devils. We're just taking stock of our available forces."

"Yes, the only ones who can be considered as combat-ready... are Kiana, me, and her."

Mei pointed her sword at Bebe Dragon and then discussed, "These alone are clearly not enough."

"Yes, we need additional combat power."

As she spoke, Kiana turned her gaze to Gretchen, who was standing next to Bebe Dragon.

For some reason, this little blue-haired girl paints whenever she has paint or free time.

After finishing the previous painting, she changed to a different sheet of paper and began to paint.

The painting I made this time was a half-finished product from when I summoned Mei.

Kiana stepped forward and put her hand on the young painter's shoulder: "Gresch, please. Call Bronya over to help!"

"Wait, Kiana, isn't this a bad idea?"

Mei put her hand on her shoulder.

The three had serious disagreements.

But Gretchen's hands did not stop; she continued to draw intently.

Mei tried to stop them, but Kiana stopped her in the end.

Finally, after a long wait, Bronya appeared in the painting depicting the main characters fighting together against the boss.

However, compared to the initial draft, the characters this time are... much larger.

Looking at the tall and voluptuous Bronya, Kiana was momentarily stunned: "Huh? Isn't this—!"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt two soft, squishy things pressing down on the back of her head.

Then a heavy feeling washed over her; Kiana was knocked unconscious by an unknown older woman...

---

The apartment of a well-known game producer.

Bronya took off her coat, poured herself a cup of coffee, and then sat down at her computer desk to work frantically.

It has been a long time since the crisis for the celestial beings was resolved.

Because these days had been so peaceful, she simply terminated her temporary employment agreement and returned home to continue her carefree life with Seele.

However, the happy times were short-lived, as the financial problems caused by the project losing money led to a major crisis.

To avoid putting Seele in a difficult position, Bronya had no choice but to play games like crazy.

"Hmm... I haven't had a rest for several days, shouldn't I take a break?"

Bronya covered her forehead, picked up the empty coffee cup, and remained as calm as ever.

"Never mind."

She slowly got up, preparing to pour herself a cup of coffee and continue working.

But before long, a wave of sleepiness suddenly washed over me.

Feeling her eyelids drooping, she couldn't hold on for long before collapsing forward...

"Are you exhausted? I'll have to trouble Seele to take care of you again."

Bronya thought this in his dying moments.

However, the cold, unwelcoming desktop she had envisioned did not materialize.

Instead, an incredibly warm sensation came from the front.