224 I am Elysia’s blade

Several people were a little dumbfounded by Griseo answer. Who led Flame-Chaser cutie into bad shape?

"Uh, no, no, just a nickname," Luo Mo stammered, waving his hands frantically. He'd given Griseo the name on a whim, and it somehow stuck. 

She didn't seem to mind, right? Silence meant consent! That was just basic logic.

...Wait, painted world? Why was his brain jumping to that?

"So, little Griseo," Luo Mo started, a friendly smile plastered on his face, "what's been keeping you away from the company? Is Su Lu giving you a hard time?"

After all, she was a star employee, not like a certain pink elf he could name...

"Ummm, it's because... my work is done?" Griseo paused, a touch of confusion in her voice. Her paintbrush hovered above the dragon's blue wing, leaving a tiny smudge just as she lifted it. A beautiful picture was slowly taking shape under her hands.

"Don't worry, new projects are always popping up!" Luo Mo reassured her. "We need you, Griseo! Think about it, your art can touch the hearts of so many players, even through a computer screen."

It was remarkable how Griseo could create such different atmospheres with the same basic textures and colors. Luo Mo, having just compared several of her pieces, was deeply impressed.

Now this was talent! Griseo was brilliant! He could almost picture the future players traumatized by her work. The thought filled him with a strange sense of glee and happiness.

" Luo Mo... It's wrong to trick child laborers. Be careful and I will report it to you on the spot. "Elysia warned, holding up her phone. The screen displayed the number for a local child protection hotline. Of course, the phone was bright pink and looked very stylish.

"Hah!" Luo Mo scoffed, feigning disdain. Time to show Elysia a sliver of his darker side – a little teasing between friends couldn't hurt, right?

He lifted his chin with exaggerated arrogance. "Go on, tell me! Who here has the guts to report me?"

Elysia met his bluster with a knowing look, then glanced at her phone. After a beat of silence, she tapped in a different number.

"How about this one?"

Wait, she should know he's practically in bed with the local authorities. And with Schicksal backing him, why bother with small-town complaints?

"Hold on... why are you calling the police?!" Luo Mo fumbled with his own phone, ready to block any whistleblowers from within the company.

This made zero sense. Did she really think the police would take her seriously? Luo Mo's confusion was growing by the second.

"Because someone here has kidnapped a little girl!" Elysia declared dramatically. She might not know the ins and outs of other laws, but surely child protection laws were still a thing, right?

She watched with smug satisfaction as Luo Mo froze, completely caught off guard. Take that, Mr. Big Shot!

"Sister Elysia, Griseo isn't little anymore," a small voice piped up. Griseo looked up at Elysia with a serious expression. It was strange, hadn't she been painting in the Elysian Realm for ages now? That had to count for something!

"Besides, Mama Aponia said grown-ups have jobs," she continued. "I have a job, doesn't that mean I'm an adult? The whole family eats because of my work!"

Griseo puffed out her chest a little, a determined glint in her eye. Her logic was impeccable, she was sure of it.

Griseo puffed out her chest, a determined spark in her eyes. Her blue hair seemed to echo her spirited energy. This was it! She was finally going to prove she was all grown up!

"Griseo, why don't you go back to your painting for now?" Aponia's voice was soft as she gently placed a hand on Griseo's hair, guiding her toward her room.

Her touch was kind, but there was a clear sense of finality to it. Clearly, she didn't think this was a discussion Griseo should be a part of.

"... Okay, Mother Aponia. " Griseo looked at each other silently, with a color of reluctance in her eyes. After several confrontations, she fell silent.

Griseo color has been restored again, but it seems to have been stained by the color of an unknown person just now.

Then she took the painting and walked towards the room.

" By the way, Brother Yellow," Griseo said, turning back with a determined look, "I'll be at the company tomorrow."

"Ah. So, the only possible explanation is... Elysia, you're the culprit!" Luo Mo declared dramatically, pretending to push invisible glasses up his nose. "You must have been sneaking around, hugging Griseo behind everyone's backs!"

It was a convenient excuse, really. Why didn't the others call him for such fun activities? He wanted a Griseo hug too!

" It's my fault... wait, why did you conclude it was me? "

"Huh? Why me?" Elysia blinked in confusion, then her eyes lit up. Did she hug Griseo? Maybe she forgot...

A sly smile curled her lips. She'd just have to try it again, for research purposes, of course. Then she'd know for sure!

Suddenly, Elysia remembered the real reason Luo Mo was there. Sakura had mentioned something, hadn't she?

She looked at Sakura beside her and scolded, with a hint of resentment on her face.

" Sakura, why did you inform this guy? "

She always felt that the other person was here to laugh at her.

Don't forget, this guy was staring at her face from the beginning. If that was the case... it would actually be okay.

Not that she had much to worry about when it came to looks... normally. But today was different. She had cried, for goodness' sake! Sure, she still looked adorable, and didn't have to fret over smudged makeup, but still...

Besides, Luo Mo clearly wasn't here to admire her beauty. She was certain his motives were far less innocent.

"This guy? Excuse me!" Luo Mo feigned offense, raising an eyebrow. "Elysia, I'm your best friend! A little more respect, please."

"Speaking of which," he continued smoothly, changing the subject, "what's the latest on Mobius? Any sign of her?"

Elysia was a little happy about the title of best friend. She liked making friends very much and answered the other person's questions naturally.

" Oh ~, Doctor, " she tilted her head and thought, " Let's talk about this later. Let's talk about you first. "

She straightened her clothes and tried to regain her calm attitude but failed miserably. She glanced at Luo Mo complainingly.

" Didn't you tell me this game was candy? I was always looking forward to it, and the result was such a severe stabbing. Don't you guys... have no guilt at all ? You're still laughing! 

Sakura stood off to the side, looking a bit uncomfortable. She checked her phone again, frowning in confusion. She was positive she hadn't alerted Luo Mo to come over, just vaguely mentioned something about the food making her 'family' cry...

Could it be that he just came to see who was so upset? Sakura's eyes widened a bit at the thought. She was generally a quiet person, so thankfully the subject changed quickly.

She just really hoped Elysia wouldn't start questioning her further.

Luo Mo firmly objected to Elysia's statement.

" Think about it, Mei has grown up, Kiana has been redeemed, and the three protagonist have each entered one of the three organizations. Just waiting to meet at the top, isn't the world trembling in their hands? "

Luo Mo continued, " Moreover, this is a perfect ending without anyone being sacrificed. They all have an extremely bright future! "

Elysia twitched the corners of her mouth and looked at him silently, her meaning was quite obvious.

No sacrifices? Were his memory banks malfunctioning? Had he already erased Himeko from the story? And who was he kidding about the 'bright futures' part?

Realizing Elysia wasn't biting his bullshit, Luo Mo clicked his tongue in annoyance. She was way more stubborn than Theresa! Time for a new approach... something that appealed to her softer side.

"Ellie, come on. Think of it this way – they're apart now, but that just makes their eventual reunion all the sweeter. Their bond hasn't faded one bit, despite the distance," he said, his voice taking on a gentle tone.

" The friendship between them is indestructible and will only become stronger after being polished by time. Shouldn't you be the person who believes in beauty the most? "

Luo Mo said softly, picking out what Elysia was interested in word by word.

Seeing that the other party seemed to be moving, Luo Mo couldn't help but continue to work hard and said,

"Distance means nothing to their hearts," he continued earnestly. "Tragedy can't sever their connection! It only makes their future reunion that much more powerful!"

" Okay, the kind-hearted elf lady is going to believe you again, if you really make me cry again..."

Elysia said slowly, with waves of light flowing in her eyes. She looked into Luo Mo's eyes, seeming to discern the other person's true psychology.

Damn it, why don't I have the skills like Aponia? If there were, it would be much more convenient now.

"Hmph, you won't be laughing then, Luo Mo," Elysia warned, though there wasn't much heat behind her words. Sadly, she couldn't exactly punish him. 

Maybe she should bring Kalpas into this next time, he was much better at handling stubborn people.

"Anyway, trust me," Luo Mo said brightly. "Like players say, it's too early to tell if the main story will be sweet or bitter. But the side stories? Pure sweetness, the kind that makes you grin from ear to ear."

"Just think about it! We're getting a whole bunch of Theresa content in the next update, plus follow-ups on the last Gemini invasion Event. Where's the room for Knife plot in that?" He nodded enthusiastically, as if that settled the matter. 

Surely, no one could deliver a tragic plot if not wrapped up in so much sugary goodness!

As for Elysia crying... Sorry, if it was anyone else do that, he would definitely be angry.

But if it's caused by your own game...

If you cry, I will only laugh louder, Luo Mo thought to himself.

Elysia noticed and a wave of déjà vu washed over her. This was how he'd acted when he'd first introduced her to the game – the same smugness, the same promises of sweetness ahead.

Honestly, if anyone else had said it, she might have fallen for it again. But this was Luo Mo.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became, and the more she took a step back, the angrier she became. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, but in the end she just snorted coldly.

Luo Mo eyed Elysia's raised fist – deceptively delicate, but he knew better than to doubt the power behind it. Time to follow his greatest talent: talking himself out of a corner.

"Ahem, you see, 'tragedy'(Knife) and 'sweetness'(candy) are subjective, like joy and sorrow..." He launched into a long-winded, philosophical lecture, trying to guide Elysia away from thoughts of revenge. 

Two hours later, it was clear he'd lost the battle.

He'd tried his best to paint the game as a story of growth and resilience, but Elysia clung to her innate sense of truth and beauty. 

A part of him was disappointed, but another part worried what she might do once she played the game herself...

During his chat with Eden, he brought up the soundtrack. She responded with a gentle smile, saying that the Su Lu he'd mentioned didn't seem to have any musical background... had he mixed them up with someone else?

" Oh, that should be Ana. There are a lot of employees in the company. I misremembered. Sorry, Miss Eden. " Luo Mo replied smoothly, spitting out a name he'd just learned. 

(Somewhere, far away, Ana sneezed.)

Seeing that the other person didn't blurt out what he said, it didn't look like she was being fooled. Eden nodded implicitly, which was regarded as acknowledgment of his words.

Her help with the soundtrack was crucial, and Luo Mo wasn't about to risk offending her. To that end, he quickly shifted gears, enthusiastically offering her a list of potential Candidate choices.

" Eden, actually there are two Valkyrie who have very good acting ability. Principal Theresa has this talent. In addition, Kira Shigure is very good at singing, but the other one seems to have died due to an accident. After leaving here, I will introduce her to you when she comes back! "

" Okay, since he is the candidate recommended by you, Luo Mo, he is indeed unique. " Eden took a sip from the wine glass. The red wine in it was not precious.

She always maintains an elegant image. The other person does know a lot about everyone in the world. Maybe the person mentioned is indeed a good candidate.

Just... I hope the other party can be more serious and stop talking about weird topics all the time.

...

So, Luo Mo successfully left the Golden Courtyard,

The success this time was quite perfect. Not only did they get an appointment with Griseo, but they also arranged an appointment with Eden's next song. The theme song of Star Disappearance will be sung by the other party, which will be perfect!

More importantly - I got Elysia's precious red eye CG. Unfortunately, I didn't see any tears. I'm deeply sorry.

As a member of the Elysia Cult, he is naturally loyal to Elysia.

If it was someone else who did it, he would take the lead in the charge; but if it was him... he could only apologize tactfully and continue next time.

like Lady Theresa whom he respects!

Today's pleasure index was a bit over the standard. Luo Mo was happy and thought of danger in times of peace,

But as soon as he turned around, he was met head-on by Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and Seele who were returning home. Both parties were a little startled, as if they had encountered a surprise at the corner.

"Hi? You must go find Lady Cecilia. I won't disturb you. As the boss, I go to work first. "

When their eyes met, Luo Mo actually saw excitement and eagerness to try in Kiana's eyes opposite him. Sensing something was wrong, he decided to run away.

He greeted them, bid them farewell, and turned to run – all in the span of two seconds flat!

"Hey, boss, don't run! I promise not to hit you. Stop, if you run again... I want Nekocharm!"

Kiana gave chase, but there was no way she could catch Luo Mo with his three stigmata powers. A normal human vs. a souped-up, stigmata-powered human? No contest! The gap between them grew wider with every step.

------------

(Someone was deceived)

" Ah? What did you say? Sakura, you said you just said that your companion also cried because of the bell pepper curry? "

A girl's voice was clearly raised, and it sounded like she was gritting her teeth.

" Ellie... I'm sorry, yes, maybe it's because of Griseo. "

" Damn it, that guy... he still said that I was a close friend, and he even came to see me crying? "

" Ellie, don't be angry. "

Her true best friend comforted her.

Elysia looked out the window angrily. The figure of the other party had long since disappeared.

" Next time... next time we will settle old and new accounts together, damn Luo Mo. "

This is the cry of the loser.