"Huh??"

Hearing this, Xiao Lan and Xiao Hu finally snapped out of it. After all, when the three of them saw the broken fan Tingyun had left behind, they had shed many tears. Now, seeing that familiar, fluffy big tail again...

It was a sense of relief, as if a weight that had been hanging over their hearts for over six months had finally landed safely.

Seeing such a beautiful Foxian lady again, Xiao Long's cheeks turned slightly red, and he couldn't help but exclaim: "Miss Tingyun is still as beautiful as ever."

Xiao Long followed up in agreement: "Indeed, it's truly 'Fox ears swaying gently, the wind writes its intent; a single smile brings spring, and all things come to life.' Miss Tingyun's eyes are still so beautiful, just like—"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Xiao Lan couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Can you stop showing off your literary talent? If she's beautiful, she's beautiful; what's with the 'all things come to life' stuff? Don't think I don't know—isn't that the same line you spent half an hour struggling to come up with to describe Sister Yukong when the Astral Express Crew first arrived at the Xianzhou? You think I forgot? Since you don't have much ink in your belly, you should save it for later."

Tang Xiaolong's face instantly turned bright red: "This... this just shows that these two Foxian ladies share a common beauty! It's not that I can't compose poetry! Besides, even if I become a hero in the Shaolin Temple, I won't give up my dream of becoming a man of letters!"

—

【"You, you, you—what's going on?!" March 7th took several steps back, covering her mouth in surprise.】

【Stelle's wary gaze moved back and forth between Mr. Yang and Sunday: "Mr. Yang, have you betrayed us?"】

【"Calm down, I'll be the one to explain this time."】

【Welt recounted their previous experiences to the two of them and stated his belief that Sunday had no reason to lie. Furthermore, to avoid any complications, he would accompany Sunday until he left Penacony.】

【"This Mr. Vanwyck is an old acquaintance of Sunday's."】

【"Hello, beautiful lady." Vanwyck bowed politely to March 7th, then looked at Stelle beside her, "As for this one... she's a real heavyweight. You're the one who gave this control freak a thorough lesson?"】

【"I don't like to boast about past glories," Stelle said, waving her hand modestly.】

【"Today is just one surprise after another... Last time it was Miss Tingyun, the time before that it was Miss Acheron. Why does it feel like Mr. Yang brings back someone extraordinary every time he goes out?"】

【Mr. Yang cleared his throat at the appropriate moment: "Ahem, let's set his matter aside for now. We need to get Miss Tingyun back to normal as quickly as possible."】

【"That... might not be so simple. Mr. Yang, you'll see once you look; these Miss Tingyuns are a bit difficult to communicate with."】

【As they were chatting, a Miss Tingyun suddenly walked over and said enthusiastically, "Miss March 7th! Have you considered my previous proposal?"】

【March 7th was in a bind: "Proposal? Uh... which Miss Tingyun are you?"】

【"It's me! The one planning to join forces with all the Tingyuns to establish the 【Tingyun Merchant Group】. " A glint flashed in Tingyun's eyes as she curled her lips into a proud smile. "The chance to work with oneself is truly rare. With such a heart-to-heart understanding, business will surely go smoothly! But we can't leave the dreamscape and can't handle foreign trade. Seeing how exceptionally intelligent Miss March 7th is, I wanted to recruit you to handle external relations!"】

【"Ahahaha..." The sudden praise made March 7th a bit embarrassed. "I'll consider it... I wish you all the best for now."】

—

Konosuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!

"Exceptionally intelligent... huh?"

Kazuma frowned, and after carefully mulling over Miss Tingyun's words, he could only conclude... she definitely wasn't telling the truth, or it was simply a flattering remark because she wanted March 7th's help.

If they really wanted someone for external relations, they'd be better off with Stelle. He had noticed that while Stelle usually seemed unreliable, if you put her in charge of management or training, she could make things go smoothly no matter how poor the foundation was—a total business prodigy.

"Hmm... but I think March 7th is quite smart." Aqua held her cup with a confused expression. She didn't understand why Kazuma always questioned March 7th's wisdom; wasn't she actually quite sharp?

"True, an idiot thinks everyone is smart." Kazuma turned back with a meaningful smile.

"You jerk, Kazuma! You're calling me an idiot in a roundabout way again, aren't you?! I'm going to make you suffer today, ahhh—!"

"Pay for your own wine then."

The goddess who had been full of momentum a second ago instantly slid to her knees on the ground.

Although this useless goddess was normally a deadbeat, she wasn't just any deadbeat; she was a destitute one. Even the little money she managed to earn from part-time jobs would be entirely spent on wine. It was truly pathetic.

Poverty.

This was Kazuma's biggest headache. More than defeating the Demon King, he urgently needed a logistics person in his party like Tingyun who specialized in making money.

He really wanted to take this useless goddess to Penacony and trade her for a Miss Tingyun...

—

【"That being said, Mr. Welt once mentioned that the Astral Express's journey this time is to return a passenger to their homeland. Is this lady's hometown the Xianzhou Alliance?" Sunday asked.】

【Welt nodded: "It is indeed the Xianzhou Alliance."】

【"The Luofu? That place recently suffered an attack by the Antimatter Legion. Was she fortunate enough to escape the disaster?"】

【"On the contrary, she might be the person who was closest to the eye of the storm."】

【"It sounds like a long story."】

【Sunday suggested listening to what they were saying first. These Tingyuns were gathered in groups of two or three, and their topics of conversation were completely unrelated—some were obsessed with doing big things, while others talked about giving gifts and growing flowers. After listening to several groups of Tingyuns, Vanwyck looked up: "Old Sunday, what do you think?"】

【"..."】

【Sunday took a deep breath. Although he tried his best to maintain his usual gentle demeanor, a slight tremor still appeared in his voice: "Let's use a different form of address, friend."】

【"It makes us seem closer, just like that Foxian lady's habit."】

【"Miss Tingyun's trouble is exactly as I previously suspected. After suffering that ordeal, she was fragmented into every individual note of her being," Sunday said. "In other words, what are scattered here are the various 'facets' of 【Tingyun】."】

【March 7th scratched her head: "I feel like your explanation just made things more complicated..."】

【"In short, this is not an isolated case in the dream. Using 【Harmonization】 might solve everyone's problem." Sunday looked around at the dozens of Tingyuns. "However, these Miss Tingyuns are all a bit too headstrong. Is there any one of them who can be reasoned with?"】