The scene shifts.
Starplucking Hall.
Except for the most exalted throne, every other main seat was already occupied.
The eight councilors of the Starplucking Hall had gathered once more.
Their last meeting was when the Starplucking Princess first descended.
This time, however, they weren’t here for urgent matters—but answering Mirophiel’s summons.
Normally, they didn’t obey Mirophiel blindly.
If summoned, they’d weigh mood, duties, or will before deciding to come.
Proud powerhouses as they were, they wouldn’t be summoned like dogs—not even by the Plunder Witch, stronger though she was.
Only the Starplucking Princess held true authority over them.
And precisely because of that…
Mirophiel’s call had drawn them all.
Anything tied to the Starplucking Princess was reason enough.
Above the hall, a crisp magical projection hovered—live footage from the Azure Fox Realm.
They didn’t know when it began. Only that when Mirophiel called them, the Cursed Calamity Nine Banes was mid-coronation as King of the Azure Fox Realm.
“Mirophiel,” one asked, “did you summon us just to watch this?”
Mirophiel smiled slightly at their doubt.
“Recently, our adorable Starplucking Princess chose to leave my protection and visit the Azure Fox Realm. I thought it a simple trip—but events unfolded beyond expectation. Whether she succeeds or fails, it will shape her growth. Don’t you want to see it? Our tiny Princess slowly rising from weakness to a force that utterly overwhelms us? A rare growth record! I didn’t hide it and enjoy alone—I brought you all. That’s decent of me, right?”
Her teasing tone reached the seven listeners.
Hearing the reason, their irritation vanished. Attention shifted to the screen.
Mirophiel *was* thoughtful.
At their level of power, few things sparked genuine interest.
Passion, status, wealth—they’d tasted it all.
Ethereal dreams or mortal trifles lost luster at the peak.
Yet one thing still mattered:
The Starplucking Princess who had plucked them—these calamitous stars—from the heavens.
The first Starplucking Princess had vanished centuries ago.
Mirophiel and the others searched endlessly. No trace. As if erased from existence.
But before disappearing, she left a message:
“When I am gone, do not panic. In time, the Starplucking Throne will welcome its new master. She will lead you forward.”
The prophecy had come true.
And the new Princess? A delicate, seemingly fragile girl.
Laughable.
Yet they willingly fixed their gaze on this tender Starplucking Princess—watching if she’d revive the Starplucking Court’s glory.
Back to the present.
Seconds ticked by.
Events in the projection escalated fast.
The Cursed Calamity Nine Banes’ true identity shocked them.
“A successor of the Greedwolf Cursefiend? Interesting. But throwing the Starplucking Princess against *this* from the start? A bit excessive, no?”
The Greedwolf Cursefiend was an ancient Sunshatter Rank fiend.
Yet even among Sunshatter Ranks, gaps were vast.
Only by mastering a unique concept could one ascend further.
The Greedwolf Cursefiend wielded the concept of “Curse.”
A single offhand word from It could doom a soul forever.
Any curse-related power inevitably traced back to It—a monopoly over the source itself.
Calling It a malevolent deity was no exaggeration.
Now, a vessel bearing the Cursefiend title had reappeared. No ordinary force could handle this.
“The Azure Fox Realm… So the ancient feud between the Auspicious Fox and the Cursed Wolf reignites.”
Who here wasn’t a living archive of history? Some had witnessed it firsthand.
What mortals never knew, they knew well.
Still, Mirophiel and the others dismissed the Cursed Calamity Nine Banes.
If the *true* Greedwolf Cursefiend resurrected? Troublesome.
But this? A crude vessel lacking even the “Curse” concept. Hardly a threat.
As for the Princess’s safety…
Irrelevant. Mirophiel would act.
None believed the famed Plunder Witch would let her venture out unprotected.
All that remained was to watch.
The projection shifted again.
Revelation after revelation unfolded.
Seasoned as they were, they recognized the technique instantly.
“Cursefiend Inversion Art? A clan-targeted curse. Every condition vital to the clan’s survival flips.”
Like a fish in water—thriving, free.
Water sustains the school.
Flip it? Water becomes poison. Swimming hastens death.
An extreme analogy—but close to truth.
Casting it wasn’t chanting a spell.
The caster must become the clan’s revered core—gaining status, acclaim, nobility.
Just that was daunting. Then sacrifice the clan’s purest bloodline as offering.
Only a bored, cruel creature would wield this to torment the weak.
Like a human idly pondering how to crush an ant *more entertainingly*.
“Now *this* is interesting,” Mirophiel murmured, her smile softening.
Not fear—concern for Mulan.
“The current Starplucking Princess is a blue fox. She’s in deep trouble.”
“Trouble? Beyond the Inversion Art, the Cursed Calamity Nine Banes radiates Solarcrown Rank strength. Against her meager power? No chance.”
This was broken difficulty.
A level-one hero should slay level-one monsters in the starter village.
Not face a max-level Demon King as their first fight.
A blatant game-design crime.
Growth? Uncertain.
Avoiding trauma would be a win.
Mirophiel stayed silent, a faint smile lingering.
“Patience. Within her lies potential even I cannot fathom. Shall we… wait for a miracle?”
If one came, Mirophiel would grant this tender Princess a measure of recognition—and follow her commands.
For Mulan? A reward worth chasing.
