"Ugh... I kept saying I'd definitely help Sister Lumina find this clue, but Sumeru City is so huge and there's no hint to go on... How are we supposed to even start looking?"
Meanwhile, on a bustling street in Sumeru City, a cute pink-haired girl watched the hurried crowds pass by, a slight headache brewing.
Hmm... Even though she was frustrated, if Time could rewind to before Sister Lumina issued the quest, March 7th would still confidently pat her chest and declare, "I can do it!"—even if she knew how difficult the "clue" would be to find.
Not for any particular reason, just because Sister Lumina was her Sister Lumina. How could March 7th possibly refuse her? How could she say anything that might disappoint her dear Sister Lumina?
(Option 1: Lets Split Up!)
(Option 2: You promised to find it, you search. I'm going to have some fun.)
(Option 3: Why don't we ask the magical trash can for help?)
"Maybe we should split up?" Stelle, standing beside March 7th, scanned the bustling street, her expression calm as she offered her suggestion.
"Hmm... it seems like that's our only option," March 7th agreed, nodding at Stelle's suggestion. After all, there was no real danger in Sumeru City. Splitting up for a directionless search was arguably better than sticking together for a directionless search.
Though essentially the same, framing it differently made it seem like three times the efficiency.
But come to think of it...
"Little Swarm, can you transform into a human form?" March 7th asked, gazing at the fist-sized creature perched on Stelle's shoulder, constantly using its psychic powers to sense the "clue."
"Human form? What's that?" The Little Swarm opened its eyes, scratched its head in confusion, clearly not understanding what March 7th meant by "human form."
"Like this—like us," March 7th explained, pointing to herself, then to Stelle, and finally to the passersby on Sumeru City's streets.
Stelle had already explained everything about the Little Swarm to March 7th, so she didn't react with surprise at the question.
"Oh, oh, I'll try," Little Swarm said, understanding the situation. Under March 7th and Stelle's expectant gazes, she closed her eyes.
Then...
"I don't know! The Great Creator didn't tell me!"
Little Swarm opened her eyes, scratched her head, and admitted she had no clue.
"Uh... well, okay then." Seeing this, March 7th didn't press further. After all, what could you expect from a child less than a month old?
"Stelle, you team up with Little Swarm. I'll be fine on my own."
Although Little Swarm was incredibly powerful, letting a fist-sized Propagation Swarm roam Sumeru City unchecked was clearly a bad idea.
After all, if she encountered professional exterminators or someone familiar with the Swarm Disaster, Sumeru City would instantly erupt into chaos...
Therefore, for the safety of both Little Swarm and Sumeru City, the Swarm, who didn't know how to shapeshift, would have to stick with Stelle.
"I have no objection."
Stelle nodded, agreeing with March 7th's arrangement without any hesitation.
As for Little Swarm, although she didn't understand why March 7th hadn't put her in a separate group, she didn't argue. She simply assumed March 7th was being ditzy and hadn't thought of it.
March 7th: ?
The moment Little Swarm's thought settled in her mind, a large question mark suddenly appeared above March 7th's head, as if someone had just deeply offended her.
March 7th glanced at Stelle, then at Little Swarm, but didn't dwell on it. The most important thing now was to quickly find the "clue" Sister Lumina had mentioned.
"Anyway, we only have a few days, so let's not waste any time. Let's get started right away!" March 7th glanced at the morning sun and resolved not to delay any further.
"Let's meet up at the Ancient Wind Hotel at 8 PM tonight. If you find any clues, remember to text me!"
March 7th waved her phone as she finished speaking, then turned and headed into the bustling crowd.
It seemed March 7th was taking Sister Lumina's "clue" exceptionally seriously...
"You're a creation of Sister Lumina, sharing the same origin of power. Can you sense that clue?" Stelle asked, watching March 7th's retreating figure as she spoke to the little bug perched on her shoulder.
Though Stelle considered the little bug a complete noob, she couldn't deny it was a genuine Emanator.
Hmm... a Pseudo-Emanator is still an Emanator, right? Stelle mused inwardly, her gaze fixed on the little bug.
"I've searched every corner of Sumeru City, but I haven't sensed any trace of the Great Creator's aura," the little bug replied, shaking its head to indicate failure.
Despite Sumeru City's vastness, the little bug's Spirit could still blanket the entire metropolis. Yet, it had found no trace of the clue the Great Creator had mentioned.
"I see," Stelle nodded, accepting the expected answer without further comment.
If the little bug could find it so easily, Sister Lumina wouldn't have needed to task them with the quest in the first place. Thus, the little bug's response was exactly what Stelle had anticipated.
"Let's go too."
Without dwelling further, Stelle turned and walked in the opposite direction from March 7th.
The sun gradually set, and the day was swiftly coming to an end.
As the clock struck eight, a pink-haired figure and a gray-haired figure appeared in the lobby of the Ancient Wind Hotel.
"How are we supposed to find anything? There's not a single clue anywhere..." March 7th muttered under her breath, staring blankly at Stelle after returning to the hotel.
"Sumeru City is too vast. After searching all day, I feel like we haven't even covered one district..."
March 7th rubbed her head, her voice laced with frustration. At this rate, finding Sister Lumina wouldn't take just a few days, but possibly years...
(Option 1: Next time you brag, please don't drag me into it)
(Option 2: It's fine. We still have a few days. Let's rest early and resume the search tomorrow.)
(Option 3: With the Galactic Baseballer on the case, what are you still worried about?)
"Next time you brag, please don't drag me into it," Stelle said dryly, observing March 7th's distress.
"Hmph! Bragging aside, you definitely want to help Sister Lumina too," March 7th retorted, hands on her hips, her voice tinged with a cold humph.
"One thing at a time," Stelle replied flatly.
March 7th: ...
"Fine, let's call it a day. There's nothing else we can do. Let's get some rest."
Seeing Stelle's dazed expression, March 7th refrained from comment. Instead, she prepared to return to her room and research information about Sister Lumina's activities on Apricot Grove and in Sumeru City.
Perhaps due to the unique Interastral Network on Apricot Grove or in the Sumeru Star System, March 7th had previously been unable to find anything about Sister Lumina's background or origins while searching on her phone on the Xianzhou or at the Space Station. All she could find were news articles and reports about Sister Lumina's actions across the Cosmos.
But now that they had arrived in the Sumeru Star System and on Apricot Grove, a simple phone search revealed a wealth of information she had never seen or heard of before.
It must be due to the Sumeru Star System's unique network, she mused.
March 7th didn't dwell on this. Who cares about the network? As long as it gives me information about Sister Lumina, it's a good network!
However, she hadn't had time to review these materials yet. She'd spent the entire day searching for the "clues" Sister Lumina had mentioned, leaving no time for proper analysis.
Now that she had some downtime, March 7th could finally return to her room, organize the information, and see if she could uncover any useful leads...
Otherwise, the first thing she'd do after greeting Stelle at the hotel would be to rush back out in search of those elusive "clues"...