Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~
The special group ringtone on Lumina's phone chimed again. She picked up the device, which she had tossed aside earlier, and saw a message from Herta:
[Herta: [Amphoreus. Folder]]
[Herta poked you]
[Herta: This folder contains all the information I've gathered about Amphoreus. I've organized it for you to review and prepare in advance.]
[Herta poked you]
[Herta: Also, hurry up and change that thing!]
[Herta poked you]
"We don't have any special relationship. Why should I change it just because you say so? What about my dignity?" Lumina huffed coldly, like a sulky child, as she read Herta's messages and recalled the cold words Herta had spoken earlier.
Lumina crossed her arms and scoffed coldly.
[Lumina poked you.]
[Lumina: Oh, you say you don't want it, but your heart tells a different story.]
[Lumina: Little Herta, you're such a hypocrite~ Hypo-cri-te!]
[Lumina poked you.]
[Herta poked you.]
[Lumina poked you.]
[Herta poked you.]
[Lumina poked you.]
[Herta poked you.]
[x100]
And so, Herta and Lumina, like two kindergarten children, took turns poking each other's avatars in an endless, childish "war."
Ding-a-ling~ Ding-a-ling~ Ding-a-ling~
Lumina spent the entire day lounging around, and before she knew it, morning arrived. As the alarm rang, she sluggishly rose from bed, walked barefoot to a full-length mirror, and gazed at her reflection.
Her eyes were languid, her hair disheveled, and atop her head stood a particularly stubborn, rigid cowlick.
Slap!
Lumina reached up and smoothed the cowlick down, but within seconds, it sprang back up. She smoothed it down again, only for it to stubbornly rise again moments later.
"Hmm?" After several repetitions, the drowsiness vanished from her eyes. Narrowing her gaze at the defiant cowlick in the mirror, a palpable aura of menace radiated from her entire being.
"Don't test me! I'll yank you out by the roots!"
Whether it was Lumina's threat or sheer stubbornness, the rigid cowlick suddenly softened, blending into the hundreds of thousands of strands of her soft hair.
"Hmm~♪" Pleased with this outcome, Lumina hummed contentedly, picked up the comb beside the mirror, and began grooming her disheveled hair into a neat style, transforming her image from that of a degenerate, otaku into a pure, beautiful girl.
While Path power could easily resolve these matters, Lumina preferred to handle things herself.
If she relied solely on Path power for everything, she'd truly become a useless person.
Hmm... Housework? Forget about it~ Gotta slack off when you can~
But the main reason was...
"I'm so beautiful!"
Lumina herself was an incredibly adorable and gentle-hearted beauty!
Combing her hair in front of the mirror every day was pure bliss!
Ahem♪ Ahem♪ Ahem♪
After finishing her hair, Lumina set down the comb and gazed at her reflection—the super-duper adorable and gentle-hearted beauty in the mirror. A hint of infatuation flickered in her eyes.
"Now, answer this~ Who is this beautiful, kind, gentle, understanding, and all-around positively described girl—a rare gem seen only once in a billion years?"
Lumina feigned infatuation and pretended to be puzzled as she asked the girl in the mirror. Then, she lightly tossed her hair, making the reflection shimmer even more dazzlingly.
"Oh~ It's me! ♪"
( ̄▽ ̄)
In the blink of an eye, Lumina arrived at the system hour before the Astral Express was scheduled to depart for Penacony.
Although there was still one system hour until the agreed-upon departure time, Lumina had nothing pressing to do, so she arrived early.
At the Apricot Grove station platform, Lumina didn't see March 7th or the others, only the Astral Express with its doors wide open. Without hesitation, she stepped inside.
"Welcome aboard, Passenger Lumina!"
Inside the train, Lumina saw only Pom-Pom sweeping, no one else was around.
"Good morning, Conductor," Lumina greeted Pom-Pom with a smile. "Conductor, where is everyone? Are they still asleep?"
"Passengers March 7th and Stelle are likely still asleep. Passengers Himeko and Welt are probably having breakfast in the dining car. And Passenger Dan Heng is likely researching Penacony in the Archive, Pom-Pom."
As the Conductor of the Astral Express, Pom-Pom naturally knew the passengers' daily routines well. After a moment's thought, she answered Lumina's question.
"I see," Lumina nodded, offering no further comment as she casually settled into a nearby seat. "I'll just wait here, then."
"Mhm, mhm," Pom-Pom agreed. Originally, Pom-Pom had intended to suggest Lumina go to the dining car, since Pom-Pom was still sweeping and Lumina might re-dirty the area Pom-Pom had already cleaned.
But seeing Lumina's bare feet, Pom-Pom swallowed back the words.
Why don't Passenger Lumina's delicate feet ever get dirty?
As Pom-Pom swept the floor, he recalled the sight of Lumina's feet, murmuring his bewilderment aloud.
He didn't dwell on it, simply assuming Lumina possessed some innate immunity to corruption, and continued cleaning the carriage.
Meanwhile, Lumina sat on the carriage's sofa, quietly watching the endless flow of traffic through the window.
"Oh? Miss Lumina, you're here already."
After some time, the left compartment door of the train opened, and Himeko and Welt emerged. Their eyes flashed with astonishment as they beheld Lumina, sitting on the sofa like a living painting.
As the Astral Express's navigator, Himeko had seen countless women who could captivate with a single glance, leaving one utterly entranced. She considered herself immune to such charms.
Yet even she was struck by Lumina's beauty.
Part of it was Lumina's appearance—undoubtedly among the most stunning women Himeko had ever encountered. But the other part was Lumina's unique aura. Combined, these qualities formed an irresistible force that no one could possibly resist...