After the brief face-touching incident, everyone quickly returned to normal except for Little Swarm.
Dan Heng pretended not to notice, Yanqing dismissed it as "adults" simply interacting in their usual way, Stelle's thick skin meant she was unfazed, and March 7th blushed briefly before her sunny disposition quickly restored her composure.
As for Little Swarm, steam continued to rise from her head, suggesting she would need more time to fully recover.
"The Luofu is so lively this time! It feels twice—no, three times as bustling as our last visit!" March 7th exclaimed, marveling at the streets even more crowded than during Penacony's Charmony Festival. "But with so many people, if something like the Disaster of the Ambrosial Arbor were to happen again..."
"March, don't jinx it!"
Everyone called March 7th "Great Ellio," and now, hearing these words, Lumina couldn't help but commend the "rumormonger" for her accuracy.
"Without any prior reconnaissance, without even attempting a prophecy, without spending any time or effort—just relying on your silver tongue, Ellio, what makes you think you can compare to March 7th?" Lumina gently chided.
"Ah? Oh!" Upon hearing Lumina's gentle reprimand, March 7th immediately covered her mouth with both hands, determined not to make a sound.
"Rest assured, Lady Lumina," Yanqing declared, placing a hand on his chest. "The Luofu's security measures are absolutely foolproof."
"Um... when was the last time we heard 'absolutely'?" Despite Yanqing's earnest demeanor, March 7th and Stelle's expressions darkened at the word "absolutely." Even Dan Heng's usually indifferent facade showed a flicker of unease.
[ Penacony is absolutely safe. There is no death in the Dream... ]
Absolutely safe, indeed. So safe that the Astral Express crew and 99% of the guests nearly met their end there...
Hiss... Now that you mention it, Penacony's background does sound a bit similar to the Xianzhou Luofu right now, doesn't it?
March 7th and Stelle seemed to have the same thought, glancing left and right as if observing something.
Both are grand festivals, both host guests from all factions, both feature several Emanators, and both gather powerful figures from all sides... Hiss, could it be? Are we about to see some "Monday," "Tuesday," "Wednesday" nonsense again?
March 7th and Stelle's expressions darkened, and a sudden urge to turn back washed over them. But the Train had already departed; even if they wanted to leave now, it was clearly impossible.
"Don't worry," Lumina reassured them. "This is the Xianzhou Alliance. While the seven Arbiter-Generals aren't exactly united in spirit, they will stand firmly together when facing calamity."
Lumina couldn't say whether the Arbiter-Generals truly saw eye to eye, but she knew that when faced with external enemies, they would temporarily set aside their grudges and stand as one.
That much was beyond doubt.
Therefore, it was impossible for a Penacony-style, warlord-era scenario to unfold here.
"Hmm, that's true. Compared to Penacony, the Xianzhou is definitely more reliable," March 7th mused for a moment, nodding in agreement with her "Sister Lumina."
Without further hesitation, she turned to Yanqing and urged, "Yanqing, take us to see General Jing Yuan right away!"
Having disembarked from the train and set foot on the Luofu, as honored guests of the General, they would naturally need to pay their respects first. This urgency was why March 7th felt so restless.
Right now, official duties prevented her from enjoying the Luofu's pleasures with Sister Lumina. But no matter, as long as they resolved the matter quickly, everything would be fine.
Hmm... I wonder if that General will assign us more tasks?
March 7th couldn't help but harbor suspicions about Jing Yuan, who always kept his eyes closed, his entire demeanor resembling that of a cunning old fox.
"Understood, everyone. Please follow me," Yanqing nodded, wasting no time as he turned to lead them toward the Palace of Astrum.
"Save me! Save me! There's a monster! Save me!"
But just as Yanqing turned and the group had taken only a few steps, a chorus of desperate screams and the sounds of fierce combat erupted behind them.
"Excuse me, everyone. I need to check on the situation first." At those words, Yanqing's expression instantly turned grave. Before anyone could reply, he rushed forward.
"Oh no... could it be?" March 7th, still suffering from the aftereffects of Penacony, wore a distinctly troubled expression, though she didn't yet know the source of the commotion.
"Playing the savior again?" Stelle, who should have been looking equally troubled, stood with her hands on her hips, radiating an aura of someone about to make a grand entrance.
"Hey... what's with that look? You seem almost happy that someone's in trouble..."
Watching Stelle eagerly brandish her baseball bat, ready to charge into the fray, March 7th fell speechless once again.
"Alright, let's go check it out too." Lumina found Stelle's hands-on-hips stance amusing.
Just a moment ago she was on the verge of tears, and now she's suddenly transformed into a valiant warrior. Is this really our Stellaron Spirit?
How utterly fascinating. I wonder what kind of expression she'll make when...?