Early the next morning, Stelle appeared in the hotel lobby with a pair of panda eyes.
"Hahaha! Stelle, why do you look like that? You're like a rare animal!"
March 7th pointed at Stelle's eyes, clutching her stomach as she laughed heartlessly.
Dan Heng's shoulders twitched wordlessly, looking as if he were suppressing a laugh.
Kiana Kaslana walked down at this moment, looking a bit dazed at the sight of March 7th nearly hyperventilating from laughter.
What's wrong with this girl? Why did she suddenly start laughing like this? I hope she doesn't accidentally laugh herself to death.
Although a funeral feast would have plenty of good food, I'm really not that hungry right now.
"Hahaha... Kiana, I feel like you're thinking about something bad..."
While laughing, March 7th suddenly stopped and turned to look at Kiana with a suspicious expression.
How did this silly girl suddenly become so sharp...?
Of course, Kiana only thought this to herself; she couldn't say it out loud to March 7th.
Otherwise, if she called her a silly girl, March 7th might actually bite her in frustration.
Kiana's eyes darted around, and then she flashed a mischievous grin. March 7th immediately felt a sense of impending doom upon seeing that smile.
"I was just thinking, will the cute little March give me a morning kiss~?"
"You... what kind of nonsense are you saying first thing in the morning...!"
March 7th shouted, her face instantly turning red.
Why is she teasing me again? There are so many people here this morning, can't she say it when there's fewer people!
The cute pink-haired girl stared at the approaching Kiana with puffed-out, blushing cheeks, complaining inwardly.
This was way too much of a social death for her.
"Who told little March to be so cute?"
Kiana winked flirtatiously at March 7th before turning to the panda-eyed Stelle, asking curiously:
"What happened to you? Did you not sleep well last night?"
"Someone kept knocking on the door last night, but there was no one there when I opened it. I went out to look around and couldn't find a single trace of anyone. Didn't you guys hear it...?"
Stelle scratched her head, sounding quite frustrated.
She had been tormented all night. If she caught whoever was playing that prank, she'd have to treat them to a friendly swing of her bat.
"You're staying in Room 237, right?"
An old man walked over and asked Stelle.
Stelle nodded, looking puzzled.
What did that have to do with which room she was staying in?
The old man showed an 'as expected' expression and then sighed.
"Sigh, most people who stay in that room are scared off. No one dares to live there. According to those involved, a pair of twin malevolent spirits are haunting it."
"Aaaah! There are ghosts here!?"
Hearing this, March 7th quickly hugged Kiana, who was closest to her, and spoke fearfully.
She was terrified of these intangible, invisible things. It made her not want to stay here anymore!
"If March is scared, you can stay in my room tonight."
"Ah? Then I'd be even more scared..."
March 7th blushed and took two steps back, shaking her head vigorously.
Staying in a room with Kiana? After one night, she'd be teased until she turned into a steaming engine!
"Anyway, if you can, change rooms."
The old man shook his head, then left and sat down at a dining table.
Stelle scratched her head. Was that thing really scary? She just found it annoying... After the morning interlude and breakfast, they decided to go out and investigate on their own.
As they stepped out the door, they saw a Damselette with a slender figure and long, spiral-curled gray hair waiting outside.
"I am Bronya Rand. I presume you are the four visitors from beyond the sky?"
Bronya scanned the four faces and asked in a gentle tone.
Kiana raised an eyebrow slightly at this.
She came alone, and her attitude seemed decent. Did Cocolia figure things out on her own?
If so, it's truly rare. That stubborn older sister, fooled by the Stellaron, could actually resist it on her own initiative.
"Please call me the Galactic Baseballer, thank you,"
Stelle said, crossing her arms and holding her head high.
This serious look, paired with the comical dark circles under her eyes, made Bronya's cheek twitch slightly.
She wanted to laugh, but this was a serious occasion. She was professionally trained and couldn't laugh... Pfft... "???"
You just laughed, didn't you? You definitely laughed! Don't think I, the Galactic Baseballer, didn't see it!
Stelle stared wide-eyed at the now-calm Bronya.
She definitely laughed just now!
"We are the outsiders you mentioned."
"I know, the Guardian sent you, right!"
Dan Heng and March 7th spoke one after the other.
"The Supreme Guardian sent me to assist you in your investigation."
Bronya nodded, then rubbed her chin with a slight frown and continued:
"She also told me to take you to the Lower District. Perhaps you'll find something there."
The Lower District? Although the Rift corrosion is serious, it has nothing to do with where the Stellaron is. Only the big boss Svarog knows what happened back then.
Kiana felt that Cocolia had another purpose for letting Bronya go to the Lower District.
Because of Cocolia, Bronya's perception of the Lower District had been distorted, so she had no idea of the actual situation there.
This move by Cocolia clearly meant she no longer intended to hide the truth of the Lower District from Bronya.
It seems she's made a big decision... Is she paving the way for Bronya's future at the cost of herself...?
...Kiana vaguely guessed Cocolia's intention and felt a deep respect for her decision to sacrifice herself.
Although she had done many wrong things, at least she woke up before a truly catastrophic mistake was made. It's not too late.
In that case, after the trip to the Lower District, the Stellaron should be dealt with once and for all~
Until then, Miss Stellaron, feel free to struggle and think about how to escape~
Kiana thought gleefully, her inner thoughts resembling those of a villain.
Meanwhile, the Stellaron, which was trying to find a way out, felt a chill in its core. It felt like it was being plotted against!
No, it had to act. Cocolia was unreliable. It had to find another way, or it wouldn't even know how it disappeared later.
On the other side, after the four members of the Astral Express Crew and Bronya introduced themselves, they headed toward the path to the Lower District under Bronya's lead.
Sampo, who had been lying in wait in the corridor for a long time, widened his eyes as he saw the five people getting along harmoniously.
The script wasn't written like this!
Who messed with his script?
Why did Cocolia suddenly change her mind? Shouldn't she have suddenly turned on them and sent people to capture the Astral Express Crew?
Time to bail. The script is a mess. How can there be crises and changes in Jarilo-VI for him to guide toward a more 'fun' direction now?
With that great deity around, if something still went wrong in Jarilo-VI, it would purely be because that white-haired girl did it on purpose.
At this moment, Kiana looked up toward Sampo's location, her eyes meeting his.
"Uh... hi..."
Sampo's body stiffened, and then he forced a smile and waved at Kiana, his tone cowardly.
He could practically see a giant 'DANGER' sign flashing over his head, feeling like he might be assassinated from behind at any second.
In his sight, Kiana held out an open hand and then pointed to her palm.
"Oh, this is just a firework Old Sampo prepared. You've misunderstood Old Sampo."
Sampo hurriedly put away the smoke grenade he had prepared and then rubbed his hands together with a flattering look.
Although the distance between them wasn't close, Kiana could still tell what Sampo was saying by reading his lips.
The corners of Kiana's mouth curled up slightly, and she nodded in satisfaction.