Chapter 172: You absolutely must become the strongest pilot on Xianzhou, the strongest!
「 Stelle gently placed a hand on Qingni's shoulder, offering silent courage through her gaze, urging her to continue.
Qingni wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and resumed turning the pages of the diary.
In the final entries, Caiyi was on the brink of a brutal war. She had already foreseen her potential sacrifice, leaving numerous arrangements and instructions for Yukong, akin to a last will.
Most importantly—
"Yukong, if you lived and I didn't, please take care of Qingni like you would your own daughter. I know you will. I will entrust you with all my savings. Please use that as living expenses for Qingni.
"No matter what kind of person Qingni wishes to become, please support her with all your might. But under no circumstances must she become a Cloud Knight pilot."
"Whether it's loneliness or freedom, you and I have had our fill. Promise me, don't let that child touch the sky."
These were agreements Yukong and Caiyi had long since reached.
"So, I was adopted by Mom? And this Miss Caiyi… she's my birth mother?"
Though Qingni had long harbored a faint premonition, the truth, once revealed, still filled her with an overwhelming sense of melancholy: "Don't let that child touch the sky… Is that why Mom refused to let me become a pilot?" 」
「 .....」
〜KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World〜
"Miss Qingni, forget those reasons… You absolutely must become the strongest pilot on Xianzhou, the strongest!"
As the sun dipped below the horizon, watching the distant clouds gradually dim, Megumin abruptly rose from the hillside, shouting with all her might towards the light screen in the sky.
Her clear voice startled the birds in the distant forest, sending them fluttering into flight.
—Though she knew the girls within the light screen couldn't possibly hear her, she had to shout it from the bottom of her heart.
"That's a profession where you can soar freely through the sky! Traversing clouds, looking down upon the earth—it's absolutely magnificent!"
Yunyun, standing beside her, was startled by Megumin's sudden surge in volume. Her hands clasped together uneasily, her brow furrowed slightly:
"B-but… wouldn't that conflict with Miss Caiyi's last wish? Besides, being a pilot is very dangerous. What if another war breaks out…"
"You idiot, Yunyun! What endeavor doesn't carry risk?"
Megumin placed her hands on her hips, puffing out her utterly non-lethal chest, and grinned:
"Speaking of which, isn't an adventurer's job dangerous too? Yet Kazuma and I still head out happily every day, don't we?"
At the mention of Kazuma, a faint blush crept onto Yunyun's delicate face, and her voice softened:
"Th-that's different… We can retreat anytime we encounter danger, but a pilot's battle is a matter of life and death, with no chance to escape…"
"That's precisely why we must believe in Miss Qingni! Her talent is no less than Helm Master Yukong's!"
Megumin looked at the Foxian girl in the light screen with eager anticipation,
"Perhaps by the time Stelle meets her again, Miss Qingni will already be the strongest pilot on the Xianzhou Luofu!"
Yunyun lowered her head in silence for a moment, then looked up, offering a gentle smile:
"…Megumin, you're right. If Miss Qingni has truly made up her mind, then I will cheer her on, too. However, I still hope she can stay safe and sound…"
—
「 After organizing her thoughts, Qingni decided to have a proper conversation with her mother again.
However, she still hoped Stelle could be by her side; though Stelle couldn't directly intervene in the negotiations, merely standing nearby would grant her immense courage.
Led by Qingni, the group found Yukong somewhere within the Palace of Astrum.
"Mom…" The moment Qingni saw Yukong, much of her newfound courage immediately vanished, and she appeared timid and hesitant.
"Qingni? Why are Mr. Welt and Stelle here, too?" Yukong looked at the three of them in surprise.
Yet, from Yukong's tone, it was evident that her mood was significantly better than before.
"Miss Qingni is a warm-hearted individual who took us on a tour of the Starskiff Haven. Along the way, she mentioned she was trying to mend things between you, but was feeling shy about it. We volunteered to come with her." Welt explained.
Hearing this, Yukong's expression immediately softened considerably, and she nodded slightly: "My daughter is rather childish; I apologize for troubling you both."
"Mom!" Qingni couldn't help but exclaim.
"Alright, it's getting late. Whatever you have to say, we can discuss it when we get home."
"There's something I want to talk to you about." Seeing Yukong about to leave, Qingni rushed forward and blocked her path: "No matter what, I want to become a Cloud Knight pilot."
"…" Yukong took a deep breath, enunciating each word carefully: "We've discussed this many times. No means no."
"But… but…" Qingni opened her mouth, but her words seemed to be entangled by invisible threads, unable to escape. 」
「 .....」
〜Genshin Impact World〜
Natlan, Stadium of the Sacred Flame—
"…Still can't say it, huh?"
Mavuika smiled faintly.
"Facing the formidable Helm Master Yukong, the young girl is still too nervous. But to become a pilot, hesitation simply won't do."
Chasca set down her wine glass:
"She's afraid, isn't she? The truth in Caiyi's diary is her most crucial card. If even that can't move Yukong, their mother-daughter struggle over this topic will likely drag on for a long time."
"…I actually think being direct is better."
Mavuika raised an eyebrow.
"If it were me, I'd probably shove Caiyi's diary into Yukong's hands right then and there."
Chasca gently shook her head:
"Mavuika, not everyone is as straightforward as you. Qingni's hesitation is precisely because she cherishes Yukong—now that she knows the truth, she surely doesn't want to disappoint her mother again, does she?"
—
「 Seeing Qingni's profound struggle, Stelle felt it was time to step forward and give her a push. She took out Caiyi's diary and handed it to Yukong.
"This is… Caiyi's diary?" Yukong trembled all over: "How did this get…"
But she quickly understood everything. She took a deep breath, remaining silent for a long time before slowly speaking: "I understand. Qingni… I'm sorry, I cannot support your wish, because I have already sworn an oath to another. I don't ask for your forgiveness, but I only hope… you'll listen to my explanation."
"Mom, what are you saying? We're mother and daughter; how can there be talk of forgiveness and explanation? Whatever you say, I'm willing to listen…" Qingni quickly interjected.
Even without a blood connection, Qingni had long since genuinely regarded Yukong as her mother.
Hearing this, Yukong's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. She turned around, gazing at the Starskiffs coming and going in the distance.
"I, like you, once harbored aspirations for the sky. I know what that feels like… navigating through the cosmos, surrounded by vast emptiness, with unimaginable wonders in the distance."
"Drifting like a lone leaf between the star seas; some call it loneliness, but we preferred to call it freedom."
"Caiyi was the same. We were friends from childhood, piloting Starskiffs and getting into all sorts of mischief until we were caught and brought before General Jing Yuan."
"Soon after, Caiyi and I became the most elite pilots of the Sky-Faring Commission. That life was far from easy, even brutal—you never knew if your comrades would return, and of course, you never knew if you yourself would return."
"But for me, those were the most beautiful memories of my life. Shedding blood, battling through the skies, purging malevolent forces, upholding justice—a Foxian's life is so short, shouldn't it burn for such a glorious cause?"
As Yukong spoke, the Lightscreen gradually shifted to reflect Yukong's memories of the past.
At that time, she and Caiyi, who had just returned to duty after childbirth, were deep in pleasant conversation.
"Speaking of which, Caiyi… I truly didn't expect you to come back. Is piloting a Starskiff really that appealing to you?"
"It's incredibly appealing. Sure, it's exhausting, dangerous, low-paid, hehe — plus you only get back to the Luofu a few times a year... But if I had to choose again, I would still become a Cloud Knight pilot."
"...I guess I already touched the sky." 」
「 .....」