Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Lucky Rabbit
Before long, Yin Seventeen spotted from a distance an adult male Saint with a slightly hunched back standing by the main road, surrounded by a flock of black crows. There was no doubt—that was Gamian of the Crow Constellation.
“Where’s Ruolan?” Noticing Gamian was alone, Yin Seventeen couldn’t help but ask, “When you found me, didn’t you say she was already on her way? Why isn’t she here yet?”
“That little rabbit, I bet she got distracted playing somewhere along the way!” Gamian shook his head helplessly.
“Huh?” Yin Seventeen was puzzled.
Gamian stroked the crow perched on his arm and sighed, “You’ve only just become a Saint—it’s normal you don’t know all the ins and outs of our circle.”
“That girl from the Lepus Constellation is especially playful.”
“That’s why I went to inform her before I got you, giving her plenty of time to get here.”
“Now it seems, I still overestimated her!” he finished with a wry sigh.
“Then why don’t you send your crows to look for her? I don’t want to stand here waiting like a fool!” Yin Seventeen frowned slightly.
“No need,” Gamian shook his head, adding, “Because that little girl has another nickname...”
Unfortunately, before he could finish, a shrill cry rang out from above.
“Move! Move! I’m going to crash—I’m going to crash—!”
Yin Seventeen looked up and saw a black-haired girl flailing her arms in a panic, shooting straight toward him like a cannonball, on a collision course.
That was Ruolan of the Lepus Constellation.
“What the devil is she doing!” he cursed inwardly, raising his right hand toward the oncoming girl.
A swirl of blue water quickly formed in his palm, swelling in an instant to a vortex shield over three meters across.
This was a use of water’s power, something sword energy could never achieve.
Thud!
The girl, propelled by tremendous force, crashed headlong into his water vortex shield.
Yet, the swirling water absorbed and diffused the impact in layers, and by the time it reached Yin Seventeen, it was almost nothing; he easily stopped the flying girl.
Seeing this, Gamian smirked, “That little girl’s nickname is ‘the Lucky Rabbit!’”
“No matter the trouble, Lady Luck always bails her out!”
“She’s the luckiest of all us Saints!” Gamian declared.
There was no doubt Ruolan had been blessed by fortune yet again. If not for this newly minted Silver Saint, a crash landing like that would have hurt her plenty!
Hearing Gamian’s sour words, Yin Seventeen couldn’t help but twitch his lips. With so much empty space, the girl had managed to fly straight at him—no deviation, no hesitation. That was luck indeed.
Luckier still, he hadn’t thought to dodge. With his speed, evading her would have been child’s play.
She really was a true lucky rabbit!
Dismissing the vortex, he steadied the girl, whose legs were a bit weak, and asked, “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine! I’m fine!” Ruolan waved her hand, chuckling nervously. “Just a little dizzy from your water vortex!”
She rubbed her forehead as she spoke.
Nearby, Gamian asked curiously, “How did you manage to fly over here? Couldn’t even land properly?”
Although Saints possessed the extraordinary power of Cosmo, flight was by no means common. Aside from a few exceptions, most Saints couldn’t actually fly.
Though they often seemed to travel as streaks of light, that was just using their power to launch themselves with immense speed—like a long jumper, leaping great distances, appearing to fly.
In reality, it was more like gliding.
From the panic on Ruolan’s face in the sky, he could tell this had been far from a controlled glide.
Under Gamian’s curious gaze, Ruolan scratched her head sheepishly and laughed. “I got delayed on the way, but then I ran into Douglas of the Hydra Constellation. When I realized I’d be late, I asked him to throw me straight toward the exit—hee hee.”
At that, both Yin Seventeen and Gamian fell silent—no wonder she’d looked so helpless.
“Well, since we’re all here now, let’s get going!” Not wanting to dwell on the matter, Yin Seventeen changed the subject.
“Right!” Gamian nodded. “But since there are three of us, we need a leader.”
“You and I are both Silver Saints—which of us should lead?”
He looked at the boy beside him with a playful smile.
As for Ruolan of the Lepus Constellation, he pointedly ignored her.
With two Silver Saints, there was no way a Bronze would be made captain.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as he wished. Oblivious to this, the brash Ruolan sidled up with a grin.
“Hey, what about me? Don’t leave me out!”
Gamian shot her a look of disdain and waved dismissively. “Forget it! You’re too weak—no way you’re qualified to lead!”
“Hmph! You’re such a jerk, looking down on people!” Rejected so bluntly, Ruolan wrinkled her nose, clearly peeved.
Yin Seventeen said nothing, tacitly agreeing with Gamian. Setting aside strength, he would never want such a scatterbrained girl as leader.
Far too unreliable!
After a moment’s thought, he said, “It’s my first time outside the Sanctuary, and I’m unfamiliar with the world beyond. You should lead.”
Though Gamian hardly seemed reliable either, he was clearly older and likely had more experience. Better the Crow than nothing.
“Fine, it’s settled then!” Gamian gave him a deep look.
“Mm.” Yin Seventeen nodded.
“Well then, let’s be off!”
Gamian called to the others, then strode off, full of confidence.
He failed to notice, however, that Ruolan, whom he’d ignored, angrily kicked a small pebble.
“Stupid crow!” she muttered under her breath.
Standing nearby, Yin Seventeen saw it all. The thumb-sized stone bounced off a boulder, struck a tree trunk, then ricocheted toward the back of Gamian’s head.
Sensing the pebble behind him, Gamian ducked just in time.
Unfortunately, the pebble hit another tree, rebounded, and struck one of the crows perched on his head.
Startled, the crow lost control and dropped a load of droppings right onto Gamian.
Never imagining the stone would bounce back, or that his own crow—under his absolute control—would suddenly be startled, he stood there dumbfounded and was promptly splattered.
Yin Seventeen stared, utterly speechless.