The image on the Light Cone had been copied by Robin, who took it away with her.
However, it was clear that during their investigation, it'd be better for the two to act separately.
Robin's reputation was too prominent—conducting inquiries within the Family's inner circles suited her better.
Meanwhile, Sylvia was more suited for street-level investigations.
Of course, for Sylvia, aside from investigating, she could also take the chance to properly enjoy herself across all twelve Moments.
It'd make the trip worthwhile, after all.
Sylvia planned to wander around the Golden Hour first.
Then came the Blue Hour.
In the game, Sylvia had already read about the Blue Hour—an extravagant ball held on a luxury cruise ship at the Sea of Dreams, where one could await the touch of romance.
So Sylvia naturally wanted to see it for herself.
Mmm… just to take a look, that's all. And then, when Acheron arrives, she'd take her there for a dance, maybe a little date or something.
But she'd need to change into a beautiful gown first.
Luckily, the outfit Kafka had given Sylvia earlier would come in handy.
Though last time, Acheron had been a bit… 'rough' with it.
But thankfully, that person had simply stripped the clothes off Sylvia without actually tearing them.
Still, if she were taking Acheron, it would be better to buy a new set.
Sylvia had figured out Acheron's rather… intense way of expressing affection.
Could it be that she'd always been like this in the past?
Maybe it was just memory loss, plus the fact that no one had really managed to get close to her heart.
So on the surface, she usually seemed gentle and aloof.
But when you thought about it—the sole survivor from a place like Izumo…
If anyone truly believed that this world's Raiden Mei was some 'gentle' big sister, they'd have to be delusional.
When necessary, transforming into a fierce oni was far more likely, wasn't it?
Thinking this far, Sylvia even grew a little curious—could Acheron still grow those oni horns now?
Well, she'd ask when she had the chance.
Just as Sylvia was lost in thought… she suddenly sensed someone quietly approaching from behind.
Their presence was well-hidden, but their gaze on Sylvia was far too direct, tipping her off that something was off.
However, since the person behind her wasn't radiating any malice, Sylvia decided to hold her ground and keep moving.
She continued along her planned route.
Then, a pair of warm little hands abruptly covered Sylvia's eyes.
At the same time, she felt a light, soft body cling onto her back.
The thin clothing did little to mask the softness of flesh, and as Sylvia felt the sensation against her back, only one thought came to mind:
Sparkle's tiny, and really cute too.
"Hehe~ Guess who it is~"
Warm breath brushed directly against Sylvia's face, the speaker nearly cheek-to-cheek with her.
"Sparkle, what are you doing here again?"
"Ta-da—! Correct guess earns a prize! A limited-edition Sparkle figurine for the little white-haired one~"
The hands covering Sylvia's eyes let go, and by the time she opened them, those same little hands had somehow produced a small Sparkle doll out of nowhere.
"Well? Hehe, as Sparkle's number one fan, you must be thrilled, right?"
"…"
Not particularly, honestly.
Sylvia looked at the exquisitely crafted doll in front of her, then recalled that specially-made button from before, and suddenly spoke up:
"Did you make this yourself?"
"Not telling~"
Sparkle was still clinging to Sylvia's back, arms wrapped around her neck, refusing to let go.
Sylvia casually reached back and lifted Sparkle's pale legs, holding them up with her hands.
She ended up just carrying Sparkle piggyback.
"And that button bomb from last time—don't tell me you made that too?"
"Guess~? Hehehe~"
Sparkle didn't resist, burying her head against Sylvia's shoulder with a giggle.
That mischievously sly tone was just too 'bratty'.
It made Sylvia constantly wonder—if she punched Sparkle, would such a cute, tiny thing cry for ages?
"Lately I've been so bored, there's no one interesting around. Little white-hair, you're looking for someone, aren't you? Let me see~"
"If you're bored, go back and sleep."
"No way! My intuition tells me there's fun to be had with you. Let me see! I'm really good at guessing, trust me!"
As she spoke, whether intentionally or not, Sylvia felt Sparkle's gaze fall on the earring dangling from her earlobe.
Her breath, too, shifted from Sylvia's cheek to her ear.
"Hey, that earring's pretty. Let me… guess who gave it to the little white-hair?"
Sparkle tucked the doll into the collar of Sylvia's clothes, leaving only its big face peeking out at her chest.
Then she raised a hand to touch Sylvia's earlobe.
The delicate pad of her finger brushed over Sylvia's ear, making her instinctively tilt her head away.
"Stop, it tickles."
"Such a cute reaction, little white-hair. This earring… it's from the Stellaron Hunters, right~? Let me think… the signature color's blue… it's that short little hacker, isn't it?"
How does Sparkle know?
Sylvia frowned slightly. This should only be known to herself and the Stellaron Hunters.
And that planet she visited with Silver Wolf was in a fairly remote star system.
For an ordinary person without teleportation abilities or something like the Astral Express's warp travel, how could Sparkle zip between two places so quickly?
Something's off.
Or has she seen Silver Wolf recently?
"Why so quiet, little white-hair? Could it be I guessed right and startled you?"
Sparkle seemed to pick up on Sylvia's surprise, instantly perking up with delight.
The legs Sylvia was holding began swinging back and forth in front of her.
Sparkle's toes hooked into her sandals, looking ready to kick them off—a sight that drew Sylvia's eyes.
"Told you my guessing skills are top-notch. Believe me now, don't you?"
Shaking off her initial surprise, Sylvia let out a soft laugh: "What a shame, then. You guessed wrong."
"Huh? That can't be…"
A puzzled look crossed Sparkle's face.
This was the first time Sylvia had heard such a tone from her.
She quickly turned her head, trying to get a good look at Sparkle's expression.
This time, it was Sparkle who pulled her face away.
"What?"
"First time hearing you sound stumped. I gotta see this."
Instantly, Sparkle's face shifted back to that ever-familiar, cute yet punchable smile:
"Aww~ Does little white-hair like me that much? Too bad, you fell for it though. Hehe, the right answer is… it's a gift you gave that little hacker, right?"
"Tch, boring. You knew from the start, didn't you?"
Now Sylvia was convinced—Sparkle must have seen Silver Wolf recently.
And not just a glance from afar; they must've interacted up close.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have recognized the earring on Sylvia's ear.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 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.