Sumeru City, House of Daena.
"Wow... this place is huge!"
Following the navigation guidance, March 7th and Stelle quickly arrived at the House of Daena.
As they stepped inside, March 7th gasped in awe at the sight of towering bookshelves stretching as far as the eye could see. The sheer variety of books—a dazzling array of titles and styles—was almost overwhelming.
"But... this place, where wisdom is gathered, isn't quite what I imagined..."
March 7th looked around, puzzled by the House of Daena's reality, which differed from her expectations.
The House of Daena bustled with people, most of whom were seeking intellectual enlightenment, silently searching for the books they desired. This aligned perfectly with March 7th's initial impression of the place.
However, a small minority of visitors defied her understanding. Some were merely posing for fake-studying photos to post on social media, while others were cosmic influencers here to stage photo ops for their feeds, showing little genuine interest in the books themselves.
March 7th had imagined a place dedicated to wisdom would be sacred and revered. But the reality before her shattered that idealized image.
"Hmm... never mind. It's their business. We shouldn't meddle."
Even March 7th knew this behavior was wrong, but there was nothing she could do. It was a family matter, and she, an outsider, had no right to interfere.
I'll just mention it to Sister Lumina later, March 7th thought to herself.
"Let's split up and search the House of Daena for any clues... wait, what's that?"
March 7th gazed at the towering bookshelves, intending to suggest that she and Stelle search separately for books related to Sister Lumina.
But before she could finish her sentence, she seemed to spot something and let out a soft, puzzled "Hmm?"
"What is it?" Stelle asked, noticing her reaction.
"Did you see anything just now? Short, with white-green hair, about the same color as Sister Lumina's hair?" March 7th recalled what she had seen, gesturing vaguely at the spot where the figure had vanished.
"You saw the clue?"
Hearing this, Stelle scratched her head. Though she hadn't seen anything, March 7th's urgency made her immediately understand what the other girl was implying.
"Quick, let's go! I definitely saw it!"
To avoid losing their target, March 7th didn't bother explaining further. Grabbing Stelle by the wrist, she sprinted in the direction the figure had disappeared.
-
"Ha ha... ha ha... ha ha... Where are we? Why is everyone gone?"
After running after that figure for a while, they arrived at a scene still filled with towering bookshelves, but utterly devoid of people. The contrast with the bustling, crowded scene they had just left was stark and unsettling.
Apart from the occasional natural sounds, the silence was deafening—almost frighteningly so.
"Why were you running so fast?" Stelle couldn't help but grumble as March 7th finally came to a stop.
"Strange... Where did everyone go? They were just here a moment ago..." Shaking her head, March 7th abandoned trying to figure out where they were. She scanned the surroundings, as if searching for something.
"We lost her..."
After searching for a while without finding the figure, March 7th's earlier exuberance suddenly deflated, replaced by disappointment.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is our first time meeting, right?"
Just as March 7th was beginning to worry she had lost track of her target and her spirits were sinking, a soft, honeyed voice rang out behind the trio.
"!"
Startled by the voice, the three whirled around, their faces etched with wariness.
"Eh?"
As they finally identified the source of the voice, all three let out a collective "Eh?"
A little girl with long, white hair tied in a side ponytail that faded into a striking gradient of green at the tips stood before them. She wore a white, flower-bud-shaped dress.
"Since this is our first meeting, why were you following me?" she asked, her voice even and calm. "I don't believe I have any connection to you at all."
She crossed one arm across her chest and lifted the other slightly, her jade-green eyes fixed steadily on the group, as if demanding an explanation.
"S-so... so cute..." March 7th blurted out, the three words escaping her lips.
The little girl: ...
"Ahem, I just thought... you look a lot like a friend of mine. You both have white-green hair."
Sensing the little girl's gaze, March 7th realized her behavior was a bit odd. She coughed a few times to regain her composure and quickly offered an explanation.
"Is that your reason? You thought I looked like your friend and had the same hair color, so you followed me?" The little girl was clearly unimpressed.
"If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, I'm calling the Matra."
With that, the little girl feigned reaching for her phone, hoping to intimidate March 7th and her companions.
"Ehh, ehh, wait, wait!"
Sure enough, the sight of this made March 7th immediately try to stop her.
Getting caught by the Matra would be a minor inconvenience, but if Sister Lumina found out, things could get ugly...
Oh, right! Sister Lumina!
A sudden spark lit up March 7th's eyes.
March 7th, who had been racking her brain for an explanation, suddenly found the perfect approach.
"Look, look! You know Sister Lumina, right? We're her friends, and we mean no harm."
March 7th extended her finger, allowing the little girl to see the ring on her hand.
"Lumina..." Hearing the name and seeing the ring, the girl nodded.
"Since you're friends with Lady Lumina, let's just forget about this," she said.
"Phew..." March 7th breathed a sigh of relief. Just as I thought—Sister Lumina really is all-powerful!
"Ahem... Little sister, I'm March 7th. This is Stelle, and that's Little Swarm." March 7th composed herself, adopted a friendly demeanor, and introduced her companions. Then she asked, "What's your name, little sister?"
The girl didn't answer immediately. She glanced at each of them before slowly replying, "I'm Nahida."