Firefly: Long Live the Empress!

"Hahahaha~ Aha likes this young Empress of Glamoth! She's much more interesting than that bug before~"

"Akivili~ Akivili~ If [he] saw her, [he]'d definitely be very happy too~" The playful, demonic laughter carried unconcealed thoughts—though, Aha had never really concealed anything before.

"But she really didn't give us any face at all~ Heehee~ Boring folks, goodbye~ Oh no, it should be goodbye forever! After all, Aha doesn't like boring people like you~" With a final, universe-shattering laugh, Aha's presence departed.

As the Aeon of Elation, THEY couldn't care less about the so-called Gray Tide crisis.

Compared to the destruction of things, Aha was more concerned with finding fun within it. And now, having found great fun, THEY had no interest in wasting time here with the dullard and that lump of scrap.

After Aha left, Fuli also vanished without a word. As the Aeon of Remembrance, THEY were equally unconcerned about the Gray Tide.

Even if Glamoth perished, it wasn't something worth THEIR attention. Fuli would only collect valuable 'fragments' afterward or beforehand, storing them in THEIR treasure vault, the Eden of Blessed Insight.

THEY appeared solely because the girl named 'Firefly' and everything she created in this short time were worthy of Fuli's notice. The suggestion offered was merely help provided because she deserved THEIR attention.

Yaoshi, Lan, and Nous either acted out of kindness, prevented the former from acting out of kindness, or, like Aha, simply found a subject worthy of attention and came for a look.

Among the assembled Aeons, only Xipe of Harmony and Qlipoth of Preservation were truly concerned about the matter at hand.

"An interesting human." Countless voices overlapped, echoing through the stars like beautiful celestial music. Xipe lowered THEIR gaze, smiled, and offered this assessment.

THEY likely accepted the other's choice, opting for non-interference. The Family was worth protecting, but for an Aeon focused on convergence, it wasn't a primary concern.

Regardless, the Family would always be part of Harmony, and Harmony's power would shield them from disaster.

Finally, Qlipoth merely hummed. THEY also accepted the choice but wouldn't give up. The wall-building would continue; this wouldn't change due to anyone's decision.

Everything came briefly, and departed just as briefly. Jiang Qiao hadn't given anyone face—and the Aeons didn't care about such meaningless things. Except for Aha, likely no Aeon cared about 'face,' and even Aha only found it amusing.

---||---

Glamoth's capital, its political center—the 'Hall of Progeny.'

"Your Majesty... just now, that was..." Seeing the returned [Firefly], Pearl swallowed. Though as an Intellitron, she shouldn't feel such things, she did so instinctively.

"Mm." [Firefly]'s nod confirmed Pearl's thoughts. Just moments ago, a cluster of Aeons had appeared in Glamoth's star system.

Though no one could observe them directly, the signs were proof enough. According to Corporation records, the last time such a phenomenon occurred was over a thousand Amber Eras ago, during the Aeon War triggered by the Cosmic Swarm Disaster.

"Don't worry too much about it. Aeons are just... like that," [Firefly] remarked casually.

His nonchalant attitude drew silent criticism from Pearl, which quickly transformed into reverence and fervor.

After all, beings considered sacred by most in the universe were merely dismissed as 'just like that' by Her Majesty. This was clearly remarkable.

"Right, Your Majesty! The Volsung precinct police reported an extremely heinous case requiring Your Majesty's immediate attention."

"...Extremely heinous?" [Firefly] paused. What kind of crime could possibly warrant that label? Even anti-life criminals like Osvaldo didn't get that designation.

Jiang Qiao wasn't even sure what criteria defined this crime level, which had been created by the consensus of Glamoth's citizens themselves.

Puzzled, [Firefly] glanced at the file Pearl handed him, and his eyes immediately fell upon the crime.

Having the same name as Her Majesty the Empress!

...?

"...What kind of crime is this?" Even someone like Jiang Qiao couldn't help but be taken aback by this charge. Then he saw the names of the accused: Elysia and Firefly.

Staring blankly at the names, Pearl stated gravely in her cool, rational tone, "Your Majesty, having the same name as you is naturally the greatest crime in Glamoth! How can a great existence such as yourself be impersonated by others?!"

In fact, this law was unanimously passed by the Intellitron population and the Glamoth Iron Cavalry of the Empire.

After all, in the eyes of the Empire's citizens, Empress worship had practically become a religious belief. It was like someone in the Corporation naming themselves Qlipoth—how could anyone tolerate that?

Therefore, even a rational Intellitron like Pearl, who valued fairness, had undoubtedly approved this law.

Hmm, in the entire Glamoth Empire, perhaps only outsiders, and Jiang Qiao, the Empress herself, didn't know about this.

"..." Jiang Qiao subconsciously checked the chat group. Unsurprisingly, the @ notifications mentioning him were already 99+. Sweat beaded on his brow. Embarrassed, he quickly said, "Quick, let's go to the security bureau!"

---||---

As expected. Inside Volsung's security bureau, Ms. ER Elysia and Ms. Firefly were experiencing Glamoth's specialty: the jailhouse blues.

The good news was, thanks to the great Empress Firefly's decree 'forbidding private punishment,' the two incarcerated sisters, despite incurring the wrath of the Iron Cavalry and various security personnel for 'impersonating' Firefly, weren't having a terrible experience.

Well, at least in the eyes of the bureau staff.

From the perspective of the two inmates, just being behind bars singing the blues was already an extremely poor experience.

As the Glamoth citizens in the bureau rejoiced at Her Majesty's arrival, the two girls shot daggers—glares filled with such profound resentment they seemed almost tangible—at the silver-haired girl surrounded by the adoring crowd.

"Sorry... This was a misunderstanding." After ending their brief stint behind bars, [Firefly], met their intense stares with an awkward smile. Head bowed, looking embarrassed and soft, he fully embodied the 'jailed Firefly' persona.

"Mm... I think you definitely need to explain everything clearly to Big Sis Elysia, to me." Seeing her own body from [Jiang Qiao]'s perspective felt incredibly strange, incredibly awkward.

But none of that compared to Ms. Firefly's current complex emotions after experiencing jail time and being accused of 'impersonating the great Glamoth Empress.' She spoke softly, incredibly gently, yet with a hint of... teeth-gritting determination that Firefly normally wouldn't display.

I only borrowed your body to play for a little while! How did I come back to find a Glamoth Empire, and my own body turned into some Glamoth Empress?!

Most importantly, I got thrown in jail by this 'Glamoth Empress'!

Even though it wasn't him personally, being jailed because of her own body, her own name... Ms. Firefly's mood was now as tangled as a ball of yarn.

"Hmm... Explaining this might be a bit complicated."

"It's alright. We're willing to listen patiently," ER Elysia, in her Mini Elysia form, replied, her small face adorned with a radiant, kind smile.

Previously, it was always the real Elysia who suffered. While she had seen these things through Jiang Qiao, lacking direct experience meant she hadn't cared much.

Until today. After personally experiencing the Jiang-style 'Welcome to Jail Hospitality,' Ms. ER Elysia was undoubtedly furious.

She wanted her own experiences in reality, yes, but did this terrible stuff have to happen to her just like it did to her original self?!

"Alright... This isn't the right place. Let's go to the Hall of Progeny and talk slowly." Since he was in the wrong, [Firefly] pouted slightly and sighed.

Amidst the puzzled gazes of the security bureau staff, [Firefly] led the two back to the political center of the Glamoth Empire. Then, using the simplest possible terms, he recounted his previous experiences.

There was no need for concealment; for Jiang Qiao, it wasn't some shameful secret. Since Firefly entrusted her body to him without specific instructions, he naturally acted according to his own will, his own heart.

However, unlike Firefly, who had few choices—she was just a lost Glamoth Iron Cavalry, unsure of what she wanted, or even how to pursue it, whether she could pursue it.

Her later experiences, joining the Stellaron Hunters, happened because Kafka, following Elio's script, brought her what she desired, giving Firefly the will to live.

But for [Firefly] these matters weren't so complex.

The body's flaws were easily handled by the authority mingling life and death; he even used parts of himself to replenish the 'entropy' Firefly had lost.

The birth of Glamoth was merely a series of accidents. The desire for companionship led him to Silver Wolf; the yearning to reach the stars ultimately led him back home.

Entrusted by the remnants of Propagation, the Celestial Empire of Glamoth, which should have existed only in a fabricated lie, was born.

"This is 'me,' which is also everything about Glamoth." By the window, overlooking the prosperous scene of Glamoth, watching the figures come and go, the silver-haired girl—creator of the Glamoth Empire, Empress [Firefly]—leaned against the sill, speaking softly.

Firefly, absorbing all this, was speechless. Actually, she wasn't very angry about any of it. After all, the longing for companions, the fantasy of the shared faith among the former Glamoth Iron Cavalry—Firefly certainly had those too.

But she, they, lacked the power to change anything, only able to cling to the false glory after the lie was exposed. That had become the meaning of the Iron Cavalry's existence.

And the [Firefly] before her had achieved what she couldn't even dream of... No, as Glamoth Iron Cavalry, she didn't even have the right to dream.

This was practically... the Firefly she couldn't dare to imagine.

"Thank..." From any angle, Firefly's earlier anger had dissipated, replaced only by gratitude, by reverence. As Glamoth Iron Cavalry herself, she too was immersed in the vision [Firefly] had created.

She wanted to shout from the bottom of her heart: Long live the Empress!

However, as the words reached her lips, the previous unpleasant experience sparked a subtle 'annoyance.'

"Um... You should have told me all this beforehand..." Like a pouting girlfriend, her angry words came out surprisingly weak. As if chiding, [Jiang Qiao] mumbled softly.

There was nothing left to be angry about, but she was still annoyed that someone had created something so great while keeping her, the body's owner, completely in the dark.

If not for that, how would she have ended up as Jailbird Beauty?

But as soon as the words left her mouth, Firefly instantly regretted them. She suddenly remembered something.

Wasn't it because she was greedy for the beauty of a healthy body, greedy for the scenery of the Elysian Realm, hastily dealt with Jiang Qiao, that things turned out this way...?

Looked at that way, wasn't the main culprit behind her incarceration... herself?

Realizing this, Firefly's cheeks instantly flushed crimson like a monkey's backside, burning with shame and indignation.

"Mm, this was indeed my oversight," [Firefly] readily agreed with a nod, looking apologetic. "Sorry, I should have told you everything earlier. But I encountered quite a few obstacles..."

Seeing [Firefly] like this, Ms. Firefly was instantly overwhelmed by a sense of 'I deserve to die' guilt, quickly waving her hands. "No, no, this was mainly my fault..."

Mr. Jiang Qiao, as the Empress of Glamoth, has heavy responsibilities! How could he waste too much time on me just because I was greedy for a fleeting moment of beauty? Thinking this brought a twinge of unwillingness, a little annoyance. But Firefly felt it was right. The fault should lie with her.

Yet, saying this, Firefly inexplicably felt a strange mood. As if the words she wanted to say had been stolen. But clearly, she didn't want to say these things...

She lowered her head, feeling confused.