The girl with long, sandy-brown hair opened her bedroom door, humming a soft tune under her breath.
The cheerful melody reflected her lighthearted mood.
Clothes spilled out from the wardrobe, mingling with magazines, cosmetics, and a few stuffed dolls; aside from the desk tucked in the corner, it was a perfectly ordinary girl's bedroom.
A bland, utilitarian monitor and a computer with processing power rivaling that of a decent-sized IT company or university research lab were casually arranged atop that very desk.
As Asagi Aiba took her seat and logged in, a mechanically synthesized voice greeted her with feigned familiarity.
"Well now, Miss, you seem rather cheerful. Something good happen?"
"You're at it again, Mogwai."
This AI, which she'd named 'Mogwai,' was the avatar representing the cluster of five supercomputers that governed all of the city's functions on Itogami Island.
In terms of raw computational power, it was undoubtedly top-tier on a global scale, though many considered it rather quirky and difficult to handle.
Somehow, though, it just clicked with Asagi.
"Feels like you've been in an inexplicably good mood ever since the Fourth Primogenitor started taking charge of the island."
"Have I now?"
Asagi pressed her lips together, smoothing the upward curl, and casually opened a communication window.
Since the Fourth Primogenitor's arrival, whether it was due to improved public security on the island or not, her friend Kojou Akatsuki's frequently ill younger sister, Nagisa, had been getting healthier and healthier.
The girl who used to be a regular at the hospital had almost completely recovered, even recently joining her school's cheerleading team, full of energy.
Seeing Nagisa like that made Asagi genuinely happy.
Come to think of it...
An image popped into her head: a group of petite, cat-eared girls with short golden hair, crimson cat-like eyes, and police caps.
Those law-enforcing cat-girls were just so adorable. She kinda wanted one herself.
The corner of Asagi's mouth crept upwards again.
Beep beep.
The message alert from the comm window snapped her back to reality.
A user ID'd as 'Terminator' had sent a greeting.
"Good evening, 'Empress.'"
"Evening~"
"She's contacting you again?" Mogwai muttered, its tone laced with something inexplicable.
"Ah, yeah."
Asagi's fingers began dancing across the keyboard with fluid, practiced ease, her movements reminiscent of a confident pianist performing on stage.
"This kid I met half a year ago is pretty interesting, talks with this proper 'British young lady' vibe." She tilted her head. "Speaking of which, you've been initiating contact with me more and more often since half a year ago too. Before that, you'd only show up when I went to the Keystone Gate."
"Hahaha, have I really?" The mechanical voice laughed with an almost human-like evasiveness.
'Fine, don't tell me,' Asagi thought.
Asagi shrugged, dragging and dropping a report into the chat window with 'Terminator.'
"'A curse where one can only successfully make fried rice, no matter what dish is attempted...'" she read under her breath. "Is there even magic like that?"
"Who knows? There's all sorts of bizarre magic out there," Mogwai responded with forced cheerfulness. "That one and the Fourth Primogenitor both showed up around the same time half a year ago. Best not to interact too much."
"Relax, I'll be careful." Asagi's slender fingers continued their flight across the keys.
Only a small circle of friends knew, but her specialty was computer programming.
Of course, Asagi herself never brought it up, but she was a hacker, saddled with the utterly embarrassing nickname 'Cyber Empress.'
Balancing personal interest with practical profit, she also took on high-paying jobs from companies within Itogami Island or from the Manmade Island Management Corporation.
"Speaking of which... the person handling the work transition lately kinda talks like Terminator, don't they?"
After the Manmade Island Management Corporation had largely withdrawn from Itogami Island, some of the network-related work was handed off to her, to be coordinated with the Fourth Primogenitor's people.
Beep beep.
The message alert sounded again from the window.
Clicking it open, the girl's reddish-brown eyes narrowed slightly.
"A job from the Manmade Island Management Corporation?"
'I thought they'd mostly pulled out already?'
Asagi tilted her head, then accepted the request from this regular client.
--+--
The afternoon sun filtered through the sheer curtains, spilling into the room.
Before Arcueid, a freshly brewed pot of black tea wafted a delicate aroma.
The fragrant scent filled the air.
Catching the unfamiliar yet pleasant smell, Arcueid's gaze slowly drifted towards Astarte, who was clad in a maid outfit.
"So she ended up becoming your maid after all." Her laughter-filled eyes drifted towards Natsuki Minamiya, a teasing smile playing on her lips. "And here I recall someone saying they had nothing to do with it."
"Astarte, the homunculus involved in the assault on the Demon Tribe, is currently undergoing a three-year period of probation," Natsuki Minamiya stated, her expression unchanging.
"I am not only a National Attack Mage, but also an educator. Is it not perfectly reasonable for me to act as her guardian and guarantor?"
She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and a satisfied smile touched the corner of her mouth.
'Her skill is almost catching up to Trimmau's.'
'Unlike a certain few...' Her gaze swept impassively over the Kaleid Bloods lounging on a faraway sofa. '...who still haven't managed to reach half of Trimmau's proficiency after all this time learning.'
"By the way..." Arcueid glanced towards Trimmau, who was standing nearby.
The silver-haired maid had lost her usual earnest demeanor; she was staring blankly at the teapot on the table, her eyes distant.
"Has something happened recently? Trimmau seems a bit out of sorts."
Arcueid gently poked the maid's arm.
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, her cheeks puffed out slightly. "It's not because I didn't eat your fried rice last time, is it?"
Seeming to snap back to attention, Trimmau blinked.
She steadily refilled Arcueid's teacup. "A friend I made online has disappeared."
"...An online friend!" Arcueid's eyes widened. "Trimmau made a friend?!"
Her expression was like that of a parent thrilled for a child's first school friend, a joyful curve gracing her lips.
She gently tugged on the hem of Trimmau's maid apron, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Boy or girl? Have you met? What are they like?"
"We met online. We have never met in reality." A flicker of data streamed through Trimmau's eyes. "She vanished suddenly. She has not replied to my messages."
"It's pretty normal for online friends to disappear suddenly, you know?" Arcueid rose, lightly smoothing her skirt. "You never really know what your internet pals are up to."
Outside the window, the setting sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, the colors of the sky shifting from bright to deep.
"What was her screenname?" Natsuki Minamiya also looked over, curiosity evident on her face.
"Her alias was 'Cyber Empress.'"
As the words fell, a sudden quiet descended upon the room.
Arcueid's eyes narrowed slightly. 'Cyber Empress'... if she remembered correctly, that was Asagi Aiba's alias.
Asagi Aiba was a student in Natsuki Minamiya's class, and a highly skilled hacker.
Natsuki Minamiya also frowned in confusion. "She seemed perfectly fine physically when I saw her last Friday at school. When did she stop responding?"
"Yesterday. There has been no response for a full day." A faint purple light glimmered in Trimmau's eyes. After a few seconds, she suddenly paused. "Asagi Aiba has no medical records or departure records from Itogami Island in the past two days."
'Which means she's gone missing somewhere on the island?'
An expression of keen interest surfaced on Arcueid's face.
"I'll head to the Keystone Gate. Trimmau, you go with Natsuki-chan to check on your online friend."
The last lingering glow of the sunset vanished from the horizon, and stars began to twinkle in the night sky.
Night had arrived.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.