Although billed as a duet for just one song, Elysia joined Robin for all the songs in the second half of the concert. After hearing Elysia's stunning vocals, no one seemed to mind in the slightest.
The concert concluded flawlessly with their near-perfect harmonies, leaving almost every audience member buzzing with excitement as they filed out.
"Wow, Lady Elysia's singing is amazing! I wish she'd hold her own concerts in the future."
"You're dreaming! Lady Elysia is one of the White Eagle Eight. She's undoubtedly swamped with work. How could she possibly find time for a concert? This was probably a one-time exception."
"So, this might be Lady Elysia's only live performance ever?! We really hit the jackpot!"
"Absolutely!"
Predictably, Robin and Elysia's duets would dominate the headlines in both White Eagle and Dragon Nation for weeks to come.
Truthfully, after this experience, Elysia seriously considered holding a few concerts herself. A typical national leader would never dream of dancing and singing on stage in a cute little dress, but Elysia was anything but typical!
While the average White Eagle citizen believed Elysia was incredibly busy, the truth was she had very little to do. Baldy Burke handled everything.
After the concert, Robin returned to the Dragon Nation the next day, showing no regret at not being able to spend more time together. Elysia immediately turned her attention to two other matters.
In a laboratory in the Sakura Nation, Elysia reviewed a report in her hands and nodded slightly. Seeing this, everyone in the lab couldn't help but breathe a collective sigh of relief.
Although Elysia had never explicitly threatened penalties for slow research progress, her position alone exerted immense pressure. Her orders carried significant weight, making the researchers feel overwhelmed.
Following the Sakura Nation's defeat, post-war negotiations had been conducted by scholars, resulting in the Sakura Nation's territory being absorbed into the Scholar's "Territory" and governed by her. Now that the Scholar had delegated her administrative authority to Elysia, she was theoretically the supreme ruler of this land.
Well, it wasn't exactly a "nation" anymore. Perhaps it should now be referred to as "Sakura Prefecture."
Elysia had only recently discovered this herself. While visiting the White Tower, she happened to see Baldy Burke handling affairs related to the Sakura Nation and belatedly realized, "What the hell? The Sakura Nation is now my territory?"
This realization led to her current mission. In this world, the Sakura Nation possessed the most advanced research into Dimensional Rifts. Elysia had long considered using their technology to locate her previous life's world. After all, she had previously stolen a wealth of data under the identity of Sparkle.
After meeting the Scholar, Elysia had initially planned to ask for her assistance. However, the Scholar was now preoccupied with studying "Little Glutton," leaving Elysia with no choice but to return to Sakura Prefecture.
Notably, the director of this laboratory was none other than the doctor whom Sparkle had once manipulated and terrified nearly to death.
Elysia's orders were simple: continue in-depth research into Dimensional Rifts and find a stable method for searching for other "Otherworlds."
In addition to this, she was also working on a way to cure the Prophet. For scientific solutions, she consulted the Scholar. For supernatural approaches, she gathered numerous Healing Ability Users at the White Tower.
Elysia was determined to save the Prophet, for both public and personal reasons. Publicly, the Prophet was undeniably a good person, recklessly using her abilities to protect the peace, even knowing the consequences. She had pushed her body to its limits, safeguarding the region and even prophesying a potential doomsday three years away.
Privately, Elysia's reason was simpler: it would be such a tragedy for such a beautiful young girl to die so young.
Armed with these "solutions," Elysia returned to the Prophet's flower field. The white-robed figure stood alone, motionless. Only as Elysia approached did the Prophet turn, sighing softly. "There's no need," she said. "I've done all I can. Whether I live or die now makes no difference."
But Elysia hadn't brought her "healers" just to hear those words. Without waiting for her command, the three Healing Ability Users accompanying her stepped forward.
In truth, while gathering these healers, Elysia couldn't help but think that her current four-person team was well-balanced with support, damage dealers, and assassins, but desperately lacked a dedicated healer—a glaring weakness.
After all, if the Prophet possessed healing abilities herself, she would have undoubtedly sought treatment long ago.
While Elysia pondered this, the three Healing Ability Users approached the Prophet. Almost simultaneously, their faces twisted into expressions of utter confusion.
The Prophet offered no resistance, remaining as still as a mannequin while the three healers meticulously examined her body. Finally, they silently returned to Elysia's side.
One of them hesitated before speaking. "Lady Prophet shows no external injuries. She appears perfectly healthy, but when I used my ability to probe her, I found no trace of life force. It's as if... she's already a corpse."
Indeed, as the Master of a Territory with vast resources and the prophetic ability of foresight, if anything in this world could cure her, she would undoubtedly be the first to know.
The fact that she had given up on saving herself was proof enough that nothing in this world could save her.
Elysia fell silent, her gaze fixed on the syringe in her palm. The Scholar had given it to her, claiming it could heal even genetic damage, as long as the person wasn't completely dead.
But the Prophet calmly shook her head. "It's useless."
"In essence, I've been dead for a long time. This flower field is the only thing forcibly sustaining my body and spirit, allowing me to endure until now. The price of my Prophecy isn't mere weakness or illness; it's something more fundamental—a conceptual drain on my 'lifespan.'"
Elysia had often wondered how the Prophet survived, since no one could enter the flower field without her permission. What did she eat or drink?
The answer was simple: she needed neither food nor sleep. It was as if her soul were forcibly tethered to a patchwork doll.
Perhaps... letting her go would be an act of mercy?