No new beautiful girls joined them, and Okhema had already wandered around quite a bit. There was still some time before the next day arrived.
Although Lumina and Herta felt no fatigue and needed no rest, they returned to their room.
The two sat on the sofa, with no intense battles or disputes over succession. They simply sat there, each scrolling through their phones, not exchanging a single word for a long time.
After an unknown period, because the sofa was so large, both Lumina and Herta lay down on it.
Lumina lay on the left, Herta on the right.
From time to time, their small feet would brush against each other. But the instant they touched, they would pull back as if shocked by an electric current.
Despite this, they both maintained their positions, their feet inevitably touching again after a short while.
Even though the contact was fleeting, neither of them said a word.
They silently waited, silently touched, and silently pulled away.
Over and over, this cycle repeated, as if it were the most ordinary of actions.
Well... if you ignored the faint blush that crept onto both their faces each time they touched.
This was just a small interlude, not enough to stir up any great waves in their relationship.
But this small interlude, in the boundless ocean, could create a tiny ripple.
And this ripple would continue to move forward, ever forward... until it grew into a monstrous wave.
Tick... tock...
The two lay on the sofa, each engrossed in their phones.
In the silent room, the faint ticking of the clock was exceptionally clear.
After an unknown amount of time, Lumina stopped scrolling through her phone. Lying on the sofa, she glanced sideways at the twelve-hour clock in the room and couldn't help but complain:
"I wonder how the people of Okhema even tell time."
Okhema was perpetually bathed in dawn, making it impossible to judge the time by observing the sky.
And with that twelve-hour clock, what if someone slept for over ten hours, woke up, saw the clock hadn't moved much, and thought they'd only napped for a short while?
"Not everyone is as foolish as Little Lumina."
Hearing Lumina's voice after so long, Herta almost instantly stopped what she was doing.
After briefly pondering the meaning behind Lumina's words, Herta replied.
"What makes you say that?"
Hearing this, Lumina raised an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure crossing her features.
Isn't Herta just calling me stupid with that remark?
I just can't tell the time here, what does that have to do with being stupid?
No outsider could figure out Okhema's timekeeping anyway.
"Don't you know how long you've been asleep?" Herta retorted, still lying on the sofa. "Sleeping for a few hours feels completely different from sleeping for over ten."
"Besides, they have those stone tablets that are basically phones."
"Wouldn't checking the time on those be the simplest thing in the world?"
Lumina: "..."
Even though Herta remained on the sofa, her gaze averted, Lumina could somehow feel a wave of disdain washing over her.
"I guess... you're right," Lumina conceded after a moment's thought, realizing Herta's logic was sound.
She had been so fixated on the twelve-hour clock and Okhema's perpetual dawn that she had completely forgotten the citizens had phone-like devices.
"To be able to realize you're an idiot, you must be one of the strongest among all idiots."
Seeing Lumina had acknowledged her mistake, Herta's lips curled into a smirk as she teased her.
"Hmph." Lumina grunted softly, saying nothing more.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Lumina couldn't possibly continue arguing this point.
Keep this up and I'll just make things worse for myself, digging a deeper hole until Herta has me completely wrapped around her finger, unable to function without her?
Lumina wouldn't make such a rookie mistake.
Since she was wrong—and it wasn't a world-ending error—the best course of action was to change the subject and prevent the situation from escalating.
Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~
Just as Lumina was racking her brain for a way to shift the conversation and fend off Herta's follow-up attacks, the ringtone for her [Special Group] suddenly chimed from her phone.
The moment the sound rang out, Lumina abandoned all thoughts of changing the subject and instantly opened the new message.
[Stelle]: Sister Lumina, are you still in your room?
[Lumina]: Yeah, I'm here. What's up?
Lumina felt a flicker of confusion as she read the message.
Stelle actually sent a message instead of just knocking on the door?
After all, Stelle's room was right across the hall. With such a convenient distance, and given her personality, why would she bother using her phone to contact her?
Either she was sick in the head or her body had been snatched.
Of course, the most likely explanation was that Dan Heng had stopped her from knocking directly.
But judging by the current situation, all he'd managed to do was make her send a message first.
Seeing that Stelle hadn't replied instantly, Lumina, who knew her well, already knew what was coming next.
She rose from the sofa, ignoring Herta's puzzled gaze, and walked toward the black-gold patterned door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Sister Lumina! Sister Lumina!"
Just as Lumina had gotten up from the sofa and taken her first step, a frantic knocking echoed from the door, followed by a faint voice, muffled by the heavy wood.
Still on the sofa, Herta glanced at the clock in the room and understood what was happening.
Herta slowly sat up from the sofa but didn't bother getting up to answer the door.
A mere little Stellaron Spirit wasn't worthy of Madam Herta's personal welcome.
Hmm... unless she was here to test the Simulated Universe, of course.
Creeak...
Lumina reached the door and opened it.
With a faint creak, three figures appeared before her: two women and one man.
A gray-haired Stellaron Spirit, a black-haired High Elder...
And... the purple-haired girl she had glimpsed from light-years away on Okhema.
The moment Lumina saw the three of them, especially the purple-haired girl, her eyes lit up.
Like a hunter spotting prime prey.
Fortunately, she suppressed the intense gaze in an instant.
Even so, the purple-haired girl sensed it. As Lumina's eyes swept over her, she visibly flinched, seeming somewhat frightened.
But after the fear came a flicker of confusion.
She quickly returned to normal, likely dismissing the feeling as a mere illusion.
Huu...
Lumina took a deep breath inwardly. Gazing at the purple-haired girl's petite and adorable appearance, she fought back the overwhelming urge to pull her into an embrace and ruffle her hair.
Withdrawing her gaze, Lumina turned to Stelle and offered a small, acknowledging smile. Then, her eyes softened as they landed on Castorice. She addressed Stelle and Dan Heng, "Stelle, Dan Heng, who is this?"
"Sister Lumina, she's—"
"Miss Lumina, my name is Castorice. We communicated via the stone tablet yesterday."
Stelle had just started to introduce Castorice when the girl herself stepped forward. Lifting the hem of her skirt with both hands, she took a small step back, bent her knees slightly, closed her eyes, and bowed her head, introducing herself in a soft voice.
"I see." Lumina nodded, feigning perfect composure. Her image as an unparalleled master only deepened the reverence in Castorice's heart.
Aglaea had instructed her to treat Lumina with respect, and now, meeting her in person, Castorice's admiration only grew.
After all... Lumina possessed an extraordinary aura and was exceptionally beautiful.
No matter how gentle or approachable Lumina might be, Castorice would forever hold this deep respect for her.
Observing Castorice's demeanor, Lumina simply smiled without saying a word.
There's still plenty of time, she thought. I'll be in Amphoreus for a while yet. Let my friendship with Castorice develop naturally.
With this in mind, Lumina turned her gaze to Stelle and asked, "Stelle, Dan Heng, Miss Castorice, did you need something from me?"
The three exchanged glances, and Stelle spoke up. "Sister Lumina, did Aglaea mention anything to you about the Coreflame of Strife?"
"The Coreflame of Strife?" Lumina feigned confusion, then shook her head gently. "No, Agy didn't mention anything like that to me."
"This is Amphoreus, and this is Okhema's affair. She probably didn't want me getting involved."
Lumina wasn't surprised that Aglaea hadn't told her about the Coreflame. After all, both she and Herta were far too powerful. Informing them of such a minor squabble would have been utterly pointless from Aglaea's perspective.
Who cares about a ritual where an ant evolves into a slightly stronger ant?
So it was only natural that Aglaea didn't tell me or Herta.
Still, Lumina couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of unhappiness.
Herta, I can understand. She always wears that calm, uninterested expression.
But I'm different! I've been so gentle and kind to Aglaea, yet she still treats me like some powerful expert just passing through Amphoreus and Okhema for a sightseeing trip.
Lumina felt a little hurt by this.
Though, she had to admit, Aglaea's actions weren't wrong.
Even if Aglaea saw her as a warm and approachable person, the best solution was still to keep her out of it.
Compared to the risk of misspeaking, saying nothing was the safest choice.
"Uh..." Stelle was visibly taken aback by Lumina's answer.
She hadn't expected Aglaea to refrain from seeking help from Lumina and Herta.
The Chrysos Heirs' Flame-Chasing Journey... If Lumina and Herta intervened, wouldn't it end in an instant?
(Spy-Yes, yes it would. OP mc smh)
Hmm... Alright. The moment this thought crossed her mind, Stelle understood Aglaea's actions.
If she were in Aglaea's position, she probably wouldn't have told Lumina about this either.
As a [Trailblazer], Stelle still had her principles.
Well... of course, that's assuming I wasn't as close to Lumina as I am now.
If I were Aglaea but still this familiar with Sister Lumina, my first step would be to show up at her door... and ask her to help me complete the Flame-Chasing Journey.
What can I say? That's how it is when you have connections.
If my opponents don't have connections, that's their problem.
"So... Dan Heng, what do you think?" Snapping back to reality, Stelle exchanged a look with Dan Heng, now understanding Aglaea's perspective.
"Hmm..." After a moment of thought, Dan Heng turned his gaze to Castorice. "Lady Castorice, what are your thoughts?"
Local matters are best handled by locals.
"Uh..."
Feeling the gazes of Lumina, Stelle, and Dan Heng on her, Castorice froze. She blinked with adorable cluelessness, her dazed expression reminiscent of an innocent college student from an online post.
I don't know! Aglaea didn't tell me!
"Alright, whatever it is, you all just focus on your business. Don't worry about me and Herta," Lumina said with a reassuring smile.
"Mm."
The three nodded in agreement, saying nothing more.
"Well... Sister Lumina, we're going to find Aglaea now," Stelle said, scratching her head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
They had knocked on her sister's door early in the morning, dragged her out to say a bunch of confusing things, and were now leaving just as abruptly.
Even the thick-skinned Stelle felt a little awkward.
"Yes, go ahead. Just think of me and Herta as tourists."
"Your [Trailblaze] journey is the priority," Lumina added with a smile, not minding the interruption at all.
In fact, Lumina felt she should thank Stelle.
She had brought Castorice to her ahead of schedule.
As the group left, Lumina gave Castorice a warm smile, causing a gentle heat to rise at the tips of her ears.
Creak—click.
After watching the three return to Stelle's room, Lumina closed her door.
"So?"
"What's your first impression of Castorice?"
As Lumina walked back to the sofa, Herta immediately posed the question.
Although Herta hadn't joined Lumina at the door to speak with the trio, she had been listening intently to their entire conversation.
Thus, Herta had observed everything—Lumina's chat with Castorice and all their subtle gestures.
Herta's tone held no sarcasm or negativity; it sounded like a casual inquiry between friends, one where the answer wouldn't affect the ensuing conversation.
But Lumina knew better.
"What else could it be? Same as when I first met you," Lumina replied, settling back onto the sofa and reclining. She mimicked Herta's nonchalant tone, answering casually.
"Is that so?" Herta hummed flatly, saying nothing more.
Lumina's response was perfectly neutral, failing to provoke any reaction from Herta.
Neither pleased nor angered.
All one could say was...
Is she truly the legendary heartbreaker who flits through a garden of flowers without a single petal clinging to her?