Chapter 45: Triumph and Defeat
Make a wish.
This is the core function of the Wish Princess.
As for how it works, who knows?
Typically, Night Star Lan uses the Wish Machine to make all sorts of wishes happen.
During the time when the Stars just awakened,
Other people could use her to achieve incredible feats.
White Fish wished for Night Lan to save her.
Lianhua asked for Night Star to fix Little Lian.
Kong Yu Bai wished that Night Star wouldn’t forget her.
These things all seemed to come true in rather unexpected ways.
But they always came with a price.
And over time,
Night Star Lan stopped letting others make wishes and instead started granting her own, avoiding these prices altogether.
The only cost would be feeling drowsy and taking a nap—nothing important would ever be lost.
Of course, there would still be limits.
Before entering this timeline,
Thanks to the influence of the Ballad Conductor, Night Star Lan couldn’t save the Gentleman or the Fraudster with a mere wish. She had to use a cost to break through the limits of the wish.
That’s one of the Wish Machine’s functions.
In theory,
The Wish Machine can grant any wish as long as the price is right.
Night Star Lan’s spiritual power was just a prerequisite, which could also be used as payment.
Others were different though.
When someone’s wish couldn’t be granted, it meant that the price wasn’t sufficient.
Even if the Origin of the Stars offered enough, the Wish Machine could still fulfill its desire.
Same goes for the Ballad Conductor.
The Wish Princess suggested to Night Star Lan that the Ballad Conductor should wish for Night Star Lan instead.
That way, she could take the Ballad Conductor’s price without issues.
And those prices weren’t fixed; the Wish Princess could take anything she fancied.
As long as someone wished upon her…
“Make a wish? Do you mean you could bring tragedy to me?”
“You got it! I can do anything, including bringing you tragedies. Don’t you want to be the hero of your own tragedy? Since you love making and enjoying them, surely you’d want that.”
Night Star Lan forcefully calmed herself and continued to lure him in.
“I’ll make you the hero of your very own tragedy. You will truly experience it!”
“You mean… The real thing?”
The Ballad Conductor narrowed his eyes.
Although he knew something was off,
Star Eclipses are driven by obsessions.
So even if the specs were high, he still had to listen.
Night Star Lan’s words piqued his interest.
Why not give it a shot?
Besides, he really wanted to know what kind of tragedy Night Star Lan had in mind.
“Interesting! Then show me what kind of tragedy you’ve got for me.”
A slight grin appeared on Night Star Lan’s face.
“This is your wish, then? Great! I’ve got it. We have a deal. Now, allow me to grant your wish.”
In an instant,
The Wish Princess appeared between Night Star and Night Star Lan, pointing at the Ballad Conductor.
“Payment: Half of the Origin of the Stars.”
Wish Princess’s voice carried the weight of fate.
The Ballad Conductor felt something leaving his body.
That sense of invincibility was fading away.
A shining orb appeared before him, emanating the aura of the Origin of the Stars.
“What is this?!”
The Ballad Conductor recognized it.
This was His presence!
This was the Origin of the Stars!
Was he actually holding this power?
Could this be why he inexplicably became stronger?
He synced up with other timelines of himself, but didn’t get their memories. Of course, he didn’t understand much.
However, before he could glance more closely,
The orb darted towards Night Star Lan and was controlled by the Wish Princess.
Now that Night Star Lan realized the Ballad Conductor’s level dropped, she smirked and watched him with a cold gaze.
“I’ve accepted your payment. Now let me fulfill your wish.”
“My understanding of tragedy is simple. I don’t want complex procedures. If you crave tragedies, obsessed with them, and live by them, then I’ll help you forget this attachment. Isn’t that a tragedy itself?”
“What are you saying…?”
The Ballad Conductor’s eyes widened.
The Wish Princess reached out a hand once again, her eyes showing indifference.
“Feel the tragedy you’ve created, and then… forget your obsession.”
Mysterious power quickly took effect.
Memory fragments flashed through the Ballad Conductor’s mind.
He would embody every tragic protagonist, feeling sorrow, despair, anger, and helplessness.
These were the tragedies he had caused.
But this time, he didn’t find pleasure in it. Instead, he experienced a kind of empathy that was impossible for him before.
His soul felt unimaginable pain until the end.
It was just a moment, but to the Ballad Conductor, felt like centuries.
“Is this… the pain of tragedy?”
It was both addictive and terrifying.
In the next second,
He felt something vital fade away, leaving him utterly empty.
Confusion replaced clarity in the Ballad Conductor’s eyes.
“Who am I? What do I do? Why do I exist?”
Night Star Lan appeared before him, her gaze cold.
“d*e, sc*m.”
This time, she couldn’t hold back her rage. With all her might, she struck him.
*Punch!*
The Ballad Conductor flew backward.
The purpose of forgetting the obsession was now gone, and with it, his existence.
His shadow faded away until completely vanishing from Night Star Lan’s view.
“Phew…”
Seeing this, Night Star Lan exhaled, feeling a sense of relief.
Though she didn’t beat him to a pulp, his complete disappearance was the best outcome.
But…
Looking at Hughes’ forlorn silhouette in the distance, she felt a pang.
The outcome couldn’t be changed no matter what.
Ulysses and Hughes still met a tragic end, despite her intervention.
No, there was a subtle difference.
At least, they remembered her.
d*mn the Ballad Conductor.
His specifications had inexplicably risen so high that even the normal rules of the Wish Machine were useless.
Thankfully, he ended up making the wish, or else Night Star Lan had no clue how to deal with him.
What a troublesome and disgusting enemy.
Moreover, the cost he paid from this wish… didn’t seem to be a third of his power.
“What is this?”
Night Star Lan stared at the strange orb, puzzled.
This must be the reason why the Ballad Conductor’s stats increased.
Once the orb was detached from his body, his stats fell back to normal.
She hadn’t expected it to be this powerful.
Even Wish Princess was helpless against it.
Night Star Lan looked to Wish Princess hopefully, hoping for an explanation.
Wish Princess naturally obliged.
“It’s half of the Origin of the Stars. That’s what boosted the Ballad Conductor.”
“Oh! Enhancement material! I know about this!”
Night Star Lan immediately showed interest.
“Can I use it too? I also want to get stronger. Then I’ll be unstoppable!”
“Only Star Eclipses can use it. If you want to become one, you’re welcome to try.”
Night Star Lan immediately backed down.
“Nah, let’s just put it in storage.”
Gaining invincible power came with the loss of self.
The cost was way too high.
She wasn’t that foolish anyway.
There were still plenty of little Lolis waiting for hugs.
Back to topic then.
Time to clean up the mess.
The story is drawing to a close.
This could be counted as Night Star Lan’s triumph, or defeat.
She didn’t prevent the tragedy, but she did sanction the Ballad Conductor.
It was bittersweet.
Night Star Lan tore her gaze away, hiding her lingering feelings.
“Let’s go.”
