"Little Herta, is this how you treat your friends?"
"Can you at least try to be a bit more respectful?"
Lumina nudged Little Herta with her elbow, expressing mild dissatisfaction with her behavior.
"Why do you always meddle in things that don't concern you?" Little Herta scowled, feeling the elbow jab. She retaliated with her own elbow, striking back directly.
"What's it to you how I act? This is just how I am. What can you do about it?"
"There, there, sweet sister. No need to throw a tantrum. Just listen to your big sister, okay?"
"When we get back, Sister Lumina will treat you to a lollipop!"
Faced with Herta's stubbornness, Lumina smiled helplessly and coaxed her with a tone as if she were soothing a child.
"You Dunce Society types are so immature." Herta rolled her eyes, dismissing Lumina with a wave of her hand.
"That's right, Little Herta's being such a good girl! Lollipops are secured~"
Undeterred by Herta's dismissal, Lumina nodded approvingly.
"Get lost!"
"Hmm?"
The rest of the group, feeling like unwanted third wheels, quietly slipped away.
Witnessing the... possibly intimate interaction between Lumina and Herta, the others sensed they should probably leave.
No, not everyone around them. There were still a few exceptions.
For instance, the Pink-Haired Girl, the Brown-Haired Girl, and the White-Haired Girl—their gazes all landed on Herta, as if they desperately wished to take her place.
"Why are you staring at me? Let's get down to business," Madam Herta said coolly, raising an eyebrow slightly, her expression unchanged despite sensing the three piercing gazes.
"I'm glad to see you're safe, Miss Robin," Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express, interjected smoothly. With her keen eye for social dynamics, she sensed the atmosphere growing tense and swiftly changed the subject.
Though Himeko couldn't pinpoint the cause of the unease, she knew shifting the focus was the right move.
Beside her, Welt adjusted his white-glowing glasses, his expression revealing he had noticed everything.
Meanwhile, beyond the game world, in the real world, the Players had completely lost their minds.
This was especially true in Little Bear's live stream, where his predominantly male audience—already inclined to be "gentlemen"—became even more so at the sight of this scene.
[A love triangle! A love triangle! Could this be the legendary love triangle?!]
[Herta's position as the main girl is unshakable!]
[Damn it, Himeko! Why are you doing this?! I want to see a love triangle! I want to see a love triangle! Love triangle! Love triangle!]
[This generation of netizens is so upset about not seeing Lumina's love triangle that they're crying and throwing tantrums. Aww, so pitiful~]
[Are there any doujinshi artists here? I want to see March 7th, Robin, Stelle, and Herta give Lumina a thorough lesson (drooling)]
[Bro, I got you! There are nine doujinshi where a group of beautiful girls thoroughly punish Lumina. Each one costs 648 credits, but you can get all nine for just 4,998! Great value, guaranteed quality! You won't lose out or get scammed! Act now and add me on my profile for details. Buy them while they're hot!]
[Sometimes I really wonder why Doujinshi Seller has so many accounts (on the verge of tears)"]
"Stop calling it a love triangle! You haven't experienced one firsthand! The dialogue is perfectly normal—how can you even call it a love triangle?"
"It feels a bit forced, to be honest."
Little Bear first tapped his screen with his tiny hand, kicking the unkillable "Doujinshi Bro" out of the live stream. Then, glancing at the slightly unhinged comments in the Comment Section, he shook his head in amusement.
Isn't this just a normal conversation? he wondered. Why are these viewers suddenly dragging the 'love triangle' trope into this?
Ignoring the barrage of comments, Little Bear muttered a brief complaint before resuming the Story.
"We meet again, members of the Astral Express."
"I heard my disappearance caused quite a stir outside... I'm terribly sorry."
Hearing Himeko's words, Robin didn't immediately avert her gaze. Instead, she lingered for a moment before slowly shifting her focus to Himeko. Her expression was apologetic, her tone tinged with self-reproach.
"Miss Robin, now that you're here, can we assume you fully understand Penacony's current situation?"
"Yes, ever since returning to Penacony..." Robin began, her voice gradually shifting from sorrow to anger.
"This isn't 'strengthening the weak through assistance'—it's 'suppressing the weak through force'!"
"A world that has lost its equality is destined to forfeit the favor of Harmony, and the voices blessed by Him will naturally cease to sing His praises..."
Robin's eyebrows shot up. The current crisis on Penacony filled her with particular anger.
"Robin, please relax. The crisis on Penacony will be resolved soon," Lumina reassured her softly.
"Mm, Sister Lumina, it will be resolved soon." Hearing Lumina's comforting words, Robin, as a fervent (ahem) fan of the Saintess, quickly calmed her restless heart.
"Miss Robin, could there be another possibility?" Welt suddenly spoke up after pondering with his head bowed, his hand resting on his chin. "The Family's ideological shift might be due to the intervention of another force."
"After all, considering Acheron's case, unless an Emanator-level power intervenes... it's hard to imagine any other influence capable of swaying the collective will within Harmony's domain."
Hearing this, Robin pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "I've heard of the Xianzhou Alliance's troubles," she said.
"But as far as I know, no external forces have interfered with the Family's affairs here in Penacony."
"Hmm... though that might not be entirely true. Perhaps I've been away from home for too long, and there are aspects I can't see anymore."
"But no matter what, I cannot accept my homeland turning against Harmony in the name of Harmony!"