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Page 87
Jennifer smiled mysteriously and led you all the way to the Hines Mansion. Just as you were shocked, thinking she was going to take you home, she suddenly turned and walked into No. 58 Tianhai Street, the Cosplay Magic Photo Shop.
"Come on, put these on and let's take a picture together!"
You stared at the women's clothing in Jennifer's hands, shaking your head violently, your face drained of color.
An hour later, you walked out of the photo shop with a dazed look in your eyes. Behind you, Jennifer, her face flushed, flipped through the photos, her smile impossible to suppress.
[According to incomplete statistics, you and she filmed more than a dozen official films together, including princess and knight, young lady and adventurer, female teacher and student, investigator and criminal, etc. Unfortunately, without exception, you played the female role in every one of them.]
"It's so cold on the rooftop..." you start scrolling through your thoughts on the apartment rooftop, while Jennifer, after her initial excitement, is starting to doze off.
You sighed, hoisted her onto your shoulder, and opened the apartment door.
However, the sheer volume of luxurious furniture inside left you speechless. You rubbed your eyes repeatedly to make sure it wasn't a hallucination, then fell silent, staring at the Hines family crest.
"Ugh... I don't want to get up early, boohoo!" Jennifer collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep sleep. She lay on the covers, pulled the pillow over her head, and mumbled in her sleep.
"…I'm speechless." You sighed, rubbing your head. You picked up the photos that had fallen to the ground and looked at them. The more you looked, the more embarrassed you felt, the more you wanted to die. Your toes even dug marks into your slippers. Finally, ignoring the tingling sensation on your scalp, you quietly took one of the photos.
"This princess and knight picture... it's not so bad after a while. I actually look quite convincing wearing the crown..." you silently complained. However, you secretly admitted to yourself that Jennifer did look really good in knight armor.
[In the morning, you wake up to Jennifer tickling you as she lies on her lap. Faced with her mischievous smile, you refuse to admit that you were the one who wanted to lie down there, and instead blame it on her luxurious bed.]
"You know what? This bed is so soft! As soon as I lie down, I automatically slide into the indentation!" you protested, your face flushed. Jennifer, wearing her armor, nodded perfunctorily and said, "Mmm-hmm, okay, okay, okay, okay..."
Sometimes you think Jennifer is really annoying, but when you think about yourself, you can only awkwardly admit that she's still a bit inferior to you.
You and Jennifer visited Tina. Although the blue-haired girl was still exhausted, she seemed much better. She was surprised to learn that you two were actually good friends, and then she formally introduced you to her again.
[A day passed quickly. You witnessed the public opinion on the magic network go from negative to argumentative to calm and finally to positive. You slowly exhaled. Now, all you have to do is wait for Tina's performance to end successfully tomorrow, and Lundia should return to a peaceful state.]
However, as Monday daylight arrives, you look at the hybrid dragon that resembles a long-legged, winged Komodo dragon being led out, and deep questions arise within you.
[If all dragons ridden by dragon riders look like this, then dragon riders might as well go extinct! Being cool is for a lifetime, and not being cool is also for a lifetime!]
You sighed, and suddenly spotted Lovestone intently observing the hybrid dragon's condition in the crowd.
Having experienced loss, he appeared much more weathered, with an unshaven beard and sunken eyes. Yet, he seemed even more fervent than before, a fiery light shining in his eyes, his hands constantly scribbling something down.
When Tina appeared fully armed before the onlookers, Lovestone suddenly shouted, "No, this dragon taming operation can't begin!"
He waved his hands and shouted, "I am the creator of this hybrid dragon! This dragon, in a state of heightened excitement overnight, has experienced a bloodline conflict. Its back is arched, and the blood vessels connecting the protrusions behind its eyes are swollen. It is clearly out of control!"
However, his voice was drowned out by the crowd. As Tina, wielding a greatsword, began to swing her magical rope, he cried out in despair, "I haven't tested the biological responses under extreme conditions! This is completely insufficient for dragon taming! Stop! Stop!"
Tina seemed to have heard Lovestone's words, but she could only smile helplessly. A powerful divine light shone beneath her feet as she used a rope to lasso the hybrid dragon's neck and leaped onto it.
The hybrid dragon wobbled into the air, and Tina instantly switched into action. Her emerald green hair danced in the air as she relentlessly lashed the dragon with her whip, which was imbued with divine magical light, nipping its struggles in the bud.
Just as she breathed a sigh of relief and was about to use magic to help establish the mind link, the hybrid dragon suddenly shuddered, the entire dragon tumbling rapidly in the air, almost throwing Tina directly into the air.
Tina clung tightly to the rope that had snapped, leaving only the neck collar. She pulled herself back onto the dragon's back, freeing her gauntlets and gripping the hybrid dragon's spine tightly before unleashing the Mind Imprint.
However, she never expected that the hybrid dragon's spirit would react like a chaotic storm, directly reflecting her magic back. Tina spat out a mouthful of blood and, amidst the screams of the crowd, fell to the ground along with the hybrid dragon.
Just as the crowd was about to record Tina's tragic state, a deafening dragon's roar suddenly echoed from afar. This roar carried immense pressure, instantly making everyone's hair stand on end, their bodies stiffen, and even cold sweat dared not drip.
You sighed, did a somersault, and leaped onto the central demonstration platform. You waved to the "Dragon-Raising Self-Propelled Vine Hut" that had already taken shape in the distance, and shouted:
"Silly Dragon! I'm here!"
Chapter 100 In short, everyone is my wife...
If a dragon isn't stupid, then she must be quite intelligent...
[As you were sent flying into the sky by Serfal's unstoppable dragon chariot, you sadly retracted those words.]
[At this moment, you rush forward and brush past the falling Knight Tina. Looking into her resigned eyes, which seem to have accepted reality, you suddenly feel a sense of destiny passing the baton. Perhaps this is what it means for lives to intersect, to be separated in a fleeting glance, yet ultimately repeating each other's trajectories...]
"Bullshit! We were just all tricked by the dragon! Serfar, I'm going to beat you a hundred times over, a hundred times over!" you yelled, performing a somersault in mid-air like a Filipino diver.
[You're about to fall into a two-dimensional world, and you panic. You yell at the top of your lungs, "Help! Honey! Help me, honey!"]
[The magical fluctuations of flight and the light of divine magic instantly illuminated the scene. In a daze, you saw Ateliers, with straight wings on her back, frantically catch you. As you spun and fell, a soft golden cloud acted as a cushion for your fall. Before you even landed, Jennifer rushed up anxiously, shouting, "Latis! Are you alright?!"]
[You snapped out of your daze, looking at the half-elf clinging tightly to your waist and the holy knight gripping your shoulders, and your forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat.]
You watched with trepidation as their eyes met, fearing the world would enter Season 3 at any moment. Thankfully, this wasn't a female-oriented world; the half-elf simply tilted her head and gracefully shook hands with Jennifer.
When you were in danger, they all rushed to your rescue, which means...
[“Awoo!” The powerful dragon roar still echoed in the air. After venting her pent-up passion from pulling the cart, Serfa landed with a thud, transforming back into the serious-looking red-haired loli… no, she seemed to have grown a little in the past few days; she should be considered a young woman now. You nodded to yourself, watching her slightly heaving chest.]
The crowd gradually dispersed, and after a lengthy explanation, everyone finally felt relieved and confirmed that they could all settle in Lundia.
The Mage Guild verified Ateliers's high-ranking mage status and kindly inquired whether you needed to hire a civil engineer. He has twenty years of experience in plastering, and due to his prior art training, his puttying skills are also top-notch.
The half-elf shook his head, and under the innocent, naive gaze of the locals, controlled the vines beneath the hut, guiding it to the spot you had designated.
"It looks like the space could be at least doubled, but if that were the case, Miss Kurosawa's alchemy hut would probably be permanently immobilized..."
[The half-elf's hesitant words had barely left her lips when Yashutia immediately declared that it was no problem at all. Having a home was her biggest dream in life, and besides, this was no longer just her little house; it contained the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.]
That night, in front of the still-unfinished new mage tower, you invited all your friends to spend the evening together. Considering that Serfal's excessive eating could cause disaster, you tied her to a chair amidst her protests, repeatedly declaring that she could only eat food fed to her by you.
"Do you need me to send you some more furniture?" Jennifer chuckled, looking at the furniture that had been moved from No. 21 Tianhai Street. "I've been displeased with my mansion for a long time! There's too much stuff getting in the way."
"Thank you for your kindness, but this is more than enough," Artemis said with a gentle smile across the table. "Jennifer, you're welcome to come visit us anytime!"
You glanced left, then right, and suddenly sensed a strange aftershock of battle. A survival instinct made you remain silent. After a moment's thought, you picked up your tray and walked to Lovestone in the corner.
Lovestone seems to be in good spirits, but he keeps muttering something to himself. If you listen carefully, he's saying, "Why do dragons transform into humans? Isn't there a reproductive barrier between dragons and humans? Isn't there a reproductive barrier between dragon-like monsters and humans? Isn't there a reproductive barrier between artificially created hybrid dragons and humans...?"
You gasped, quickly dissuading the researcher from going astray. After being interrupted, he suddenly realized, "I was wrong, I was so wrong! I've been treating dragons and dragon-like monsters the same thing. Maybe dragons aren't monsters at all?! If a monster has human form, can talk, and has a civilization of its own, can it still be considered a monster...?"
You stared in disbelief as this guy gradually began to contemplate philosophical questions, then suddenly stood up, apologized to you excitedly, grabbed a piece of bread, and happily left his seat.
On the small hill next to the cabin, you see Tina sitting there gazing at the stars. You hesitate for a moment, then walk up to her and ask, "Tina, are you alright?"
Tina wasn't surprised by your arrival. She made room for you, gave a wry smile that seemed both relieved and helpless, and said, "Actually, I was thinking that if life just kept going like this, maybe I wouldn't have to worry about so many things. But it seems that everyone stopped this downward spiral halfway through, so I'm a little... unsure whether to go up or down..."
Unfortunately, you have absolutely no idea how to comfort people, so you scratch your head, grin, and say, "No worries! I'll smash the sky above and shatter the earth below—that's Ra's motto!"
Tina, of course, had no idea you were paying homage to the legendary Bull. She stared at you blankly, then suddenly lay down on the ground and started laughing. You looked at her, completely bewildered, thinking that women were just so damn inexplicable.
Suddenly, you see a timid figure standing at the foot of the hillside. Upon closer inspection, you realize it's Frico.
You slid in front of her with a sliding tackle, brushed your flowing, thick hair aside amidst her dazed gaze, and asked, "Hey, little office worker, have you eaten yet? Come grab a bite to eat with us?"
[“Huh? Huh?” Completely at a loss for words, Frico weakly stammered, “Boss, I’m here for a job interview…” before you haphazardly pushed her onto the dining table.]
As the dinner bell rang, you raised your glass, stood at the door, laughed heartily, and began your opening remarks:
"The reason we've all gathered here today is... uh, I forgot the beginning, I forgot the middle, I forgot the end, anyway, from the bottom of my heart, I wish that your lives, like mine, will begin to shine and glow!"
[You were about to smash your wine glass when you suddenly remembered this wasn't a Three Kingdoms movie set, so you scratched your head and sullenly sat back down in your seat.]
Your gaze swept over Ateliers, Robin, Yashutia, Serfael (tied to a chair), Frico, Tina, and Jennifer in turn. You sighed softly, leaned back in your chair, and thought contentedly, "This is how life should be!"
The pleasant dinner began with Yashutia's words of relief at finally having a home. You then reminisced about your journey through Londia, your thrilling experiences in the wilderness, your embarrassing moment of getting lost in the skies of Norard, the tragic story of your racial origins, your past exploitation by a ruthless boss, and the people and events you encountered while stationed in Londia.
Jennifer then learned that Artemis was the sole survivor of the fallen city of Herold. She shared the same sentiment, and as she spoke of her father's struggle to keep the city of Hines afloat, the usually cheerful Jennifer couldn't help but furrow her brow with worry.
You stare in disbelief as the half-elf and the holy knight chat happily and seem to have become good friends. For some reason, you also feel a sense of crisis...
Late at night, everyone was satisfied with their meal and drinks, lounging contentedly in their chairs. After confirming her work hours with you, Frico went home first, while Jennifer refused to leave. You sighed helplessly, glancing at Tina, who had left her seat alone. Suddenly, you frowned; you seemed to see a dark force surging through her…
The next day, you bought the latest issue of the London Daily from a passing newsboy. Upon opening the paper, you were horrified to see your own grinning face.
"WTF..." you uttered, your face showing a weary expression as you flipped through the newspaper.
"The Holy Knight and the Lost Elf Clan are vying for the same man, and the reason is...?" "A mysterious man falls from the sky, causing two beauties to do this for him..." "Is the Holy Knight Jennifer suspected of being married? And who are the mysterious elves?!"...
"Damn it, isn't the main point about taming the dragon?! What's with all this gossip in the newspaper?" You're speechless at these boring media outlets; you can only conclude they're journalism students. Finally, after flipping through the entire newspaper, you find the news about the dragon's birth and Tina's failed dragon-taming attempt in the corner.
"Never mind, at least it's a good thing no one's paying attention to her..." You shook your head, suddenly remembering the dark power you saw last night, and frowned. You were certain you hadn't misjudged...
[Life went on peacefully. After doubling the size of your cottage, you and the half-elf gradually transformed it into a magical item shop. Yashutia, full of vigor, began working tirelessly to create finished products. Riding on the wave of attention generated by that day's news, you quickly monetized the traffic. I must say, you have a great business sense.]
After Frico joined the company, you explained the problems with her experiments to her. She slowly accepted reality in disbelief, and finally said that she still had to conduct more experiments to finish her project. She also planned to stay here until she embarked on her journey to the stars.
"Of course, maybe I won't want to anymore. I've been busy for over a decade, always wanting to escape the world, but life here is too peaceful..." Freya planted the roses cultivated by the half-elf on the hill, and looking at the gradually lush rose field, even she, usually so lifeless, couldn't help but smile.
Not long after, Lovestone excitedly told you that he had a new research direction. "My previous idea of directly modifying the mother to give monsters dragon-like characteristics was incredibly presumptuous! If dragons aren't monsters, I should start by learning about their gestation process! I've collected some dragon-type monster eggs and plan to test whether I can modify their traits during the gestation stage!"
[You suddenly remember there's a dragon egg developing at home. According to Serfal, your essence was incredibly potent, and the egg seems to have stabilized. There's no need to worry about it gradually dying without the dragon's nest environment.]
[After thinking for a moment, you asked Serfal if you could lend the dragon egg to Lovestone for temporary safekeeping. To your surprise, Serfal readily agreed.]
"But thinking about it, it's understandable that she doesn't care where her children are, let alone where a dragon egg is..." you pondered, looking at the red-haired girl's increasingly fuller breasts.
Upon learning that you could lend him a dragon egg for observation, Lovestone was overjoyed and practically wanted to offer it to you in public. Only after you repeatedly refused did he regretfully promise to keep the dragon egg as a control for his own experiments and never touch it with his worldly fingers.
"Based on this calculation, it'll probably take Serfal about a year to recover her original strength. Tsk, hopefully we can remove the magic that makes her so stupid before then..." You sighed, looking at the red dragon whose intelligence seemed to decrease with increasing bust size.
However, just when you thought your simulated life would continue peacefully, Jennifer, returning from visiting relatives on the floating island, suddenly brings you devastating news: Tina has disappeared!
"Tina was fine until now, and more than a month has passed since the dragon-training incident, so I thought she was alright... I recently went home, and when I came back, I learned that Tina hasn't been to work for almost a week," Jennifer said worriedly.
[You suddenly remembered that suspicious dark force and quickly told Jennifer about it. She thought about it for a moment with a serious expression, and finally said, "I'd better... suppress this matter for now, because it's unclear how the Church of God will deal with her, so..."]
She took a deep breath and continued, "Latis, if what you're saying is true, then I might not even be able to lead the Knights squad to search for her. I don't want her to get hurt."
Jennifer gave you Tina's address and asked you to check for any noteworthy clues to see if you could find her whereabouts. Seeing Jennifer's anxious face, you naturally accepted the request without hesitation.
"Alice's Welfare Home in the Outer City of Lundia..." You looked at the address and couldn't help but scratch your head. Although it was hard to imagine a high-ranking holy knight living with orphans, it didn't seem too surprising.
Chapter 101 Ah! I understand!
You looked in the mirror, composed yourself, and then calmly walked into Alice's Orphanage.
[You're not someone who particularly cares about your image; you've just heard too many rumors about transmigrator orphanages and are afraid of losing face among transmigrators. Of course, more than anything, you don't want to cause any mental pollution to these children.]
"Miss Tina's room...?" The orphanage's caretaker, an elderly woman of fifth-ring status, looked at your face and suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Aren't you Jennifer's rumored boyfriend?"
Sometimes you really can't stand the abstract feeling of this other world, which seems like your past life. You tighten your face and calmly explain, "It's all just nonsense written by the writers. Jennifer and I are just friends. Adaptation isn't just making things up..."
"Hey, I know!" The old lady chuckled, patted your shoulder, and led you upstairs. "But that doesn't stop us from teasing each other with those quirky nicknames. Like me, when I was young, the newspapers called me 'Pea Budding Green' because I loved gardening, while my friends called me 'Twisting Gourd and Needle Ring' to tease me about how I performed nature magic. These silly nicknames, after hearing them so many times, actually become quite funny."
You dried your silence, your face dazed as you looked at the old woman's hunched back. Sometimes you really felt that you were pretty normal in this world.
"This is Miss Tina's room. She said she might be gone for a long time, and that anyone who wants to come in should be allowed in. She also said she has no regrets about her decision." The old woman listened intently to the children's laughter downstairs, opened the door, waved, and turned to leave.
"Oh, right..." she suddenly stopped, hands behind her back, and said leisurely, "Although I don't know what kind of pressure Miss Tina is under, her expression was very relaxed and relieved after she said she had made a decision. As for me, I always feel that it's better for people to be happy. Sometimes, it's not necessary to distinguish so clearly between positions and right and wrong. It's good to be a little confused sometimes!"
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