"That Supreme Guardian... she was talking to us, but her eyes seemed fixed on something in the distance... as if we weren't the only ones in the room."
"Ah, could she have noticed Ye Yan?"
"An [Emanator]'s Imaginary Energy. A reasonable deduction. But I lean more toward the Stellaron. Don't forget our main reason for coming to this planet."
Dan Heng sipped the hot tea the waiter had brought and analyzed their current situation.
"Maybe I'm being oversensitive. She promised to help us. I hope she keeps her word..."
"If she doesn't, we could very well be treated as criminals tomorrow. Worst-case scenario, we'll be wanted throughout the city."
Since this was Stelle's first Trailblaze expedition, Dan Heng told her about their past experiences.
"According to March 7th, once every three worlds... we end up behind bars."
Stelle looked thoughtful. "Teacher Dan Heng has a point. Why don't we..."
"Hey, hey~ We're back from shopping!"
A familiar voice reached their ears. March 7th bounced inside, with Ye Yan following behind her, carrying a large bag of shopping and snacks.
"March 7th, you bought so much..." Dan Heng looked embarrassed. Before he could continue, March 7th took out a bottle of energy drink and stopped his mouth.
"Don't judge by appearances! Ye Yan bought all this!"
"Huh?"
Dan Heng and Stelle both turned to look at Ye Yan.
"You really can't judge a book by its cover. We never see Ye Yan spend anything, but when he does, he goes all out?"
"I promised a certain boss I'd bring her some local specialties."
Ye Yan answered truthfully. Stocking the [Sleepless Earl] teahouse with products from another world also counted as promoting friendly diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Stelle rubbed her hands together and opened the plastic bag to investigate.
"So much red sausage... and what's this lump?"
"Rock-roasted olm and fried rock crab. Both are high-quality protein. Want to try some?"
"I'll pass. I'm actually on a diet lately." Stelle waved away the food Ye Yan offered.
"You just told me, 'Remember the hard work behind every bowl of porridge and every grain of rice.'"
Dan Heng exposed Stelle's excuse. In a world that had endured a century of the Eternal Freeze, having anything to eat was good enough, let alone aquatic produce.
"I'm sorry. I apologize to this food." Stelle promptly admitted her mistake.
Now that everyone was here, there was no need to stay in the hotel lobby. They had four rooms in total, and the other three went to Stelle's room to discuss things.
After confirming there were no listening devices, Dan Heng told Ye Yan and March 7th his suspicions.
"Aww~ I think you're overthinking it. We'll have a lovely night's sleep, and tomorrow at noon, the Supreme Guardian will send someone to take us to Kliperburg to discuss how to deal with the Stellaron. You have to come along this time, Ye Yan, right?"
"We'll see. Nobody can say whether tomorrow or an accident will come first."
"Hey, hey, hey! Don't say anything unlucky at a time like this!"
March 7th had been thinking this [Trailblaze] expedition should be easier, but suddenly remembered how long it had been since they were last wanted... It seemed they had already completed three Trailblaze missions.
Ye Yan put the bulging bag of specialties into his system space and offered his opinion. "Dan Heng's suspicions are reasonable. We've only just arrived, and our information is incomplete... Why not hear my suggestion?"
"What is it?"
"Instinct doesn't lie. Sometimes, the very thing you worry about is what's going to happen."
"If Dan Heng's deduction is correct, we should take action tonight. For example..."
"Withdraw behind the scenes. Once morning comes, the truth will reveal itself."
"Seriously? You mean... we have to get up in the middle of the night and sneak off somewhere to hide?"
"It pays to be cautious around others. I agree with this proposal." Dan Heng looked at March 7th again. "I can keep watch."
Stelle stated her position. "I'm fine either way."
Three pairs of eyes settled on March 7th. She lowered her head helplessly, a sigh escaping her lips. "Aww~ What a shame. I wanted us to have a pillow fight."
March 7th hugged a pillow. Another sigh followed, but this time it came from Ye Yan.
"Ah~ Teacher Dan Heng, you misunderstood. Do you really think I'm just here for decoration? Why waste the energy keeping watch? Staying up late is bad for your health."
Yes, he had just said that to Silver Wolf not long ago.
"Let me show you the divine might of [Eternity]!"
As his words fell, three purple-black streaks snaked out of Ye Yan's eyes like spirit serpents, flickering with a dim light.
They traced eerie arcs through the air and swiftly burrowed into Dan Heng and the other two.
"H-hey, what is this?!" March 7th was startled and checked her body all over.
"Protection from [Eternity]: beneath the curtain of the world... I grant you absolute safety and concealment."
Indulging in a little chuunibyou now and then was quite fun.
"Why'd you suddenly go all chuuni? Your persona's falling apart, Teacher Ye Yan." Stelle patted Ye Yan's shoulder. In her eyes, Ye Yan had always had a cool, aloof persona.
Unlike Dan Heng, who rarely spoke and spent most of his time in the Data Bank, Ye Yan was nowhere to be seen all day, but the second you messaged him, he could pop up right in your face.
"Just felt like it. Saying it that way is pretty cool... isn't it?"
March 7th carefully felt out her body, but noticed no unusual changes. "Huh? But my body still feels the same as usual. Nothing's changed."
"What you don't know, Miss March 7th, is that we of [Eternity] prioritize efficiency and ease. Even an Aeon's blessing... won't cause you any discomfort."
"Oh, I see... Hey, since we don't have to evacuate in the middle of the night, does that mean we can have our pillow fight after all?"
Dan Heng and Ye Yan nodded.
"Yay! Stelle, we can play!" March 7th excitedly picked up a pillow and buried her face in it.
"What a soft, springy pillow~ The mattress is really comfy to sit on, too! This hotel's pillows must be goose down!" Having stayed at many hotels, March 7th delivered her verdict: she gave the Goethe Hotel eight out of ten!
Seeing March 7th's beaming smile, Ye Yan's lips unconsciously curved upward, and a soft light flickered in his eyes.
He let that joy spread through the air, while Dan Heng recalled the move from moments earlier.
"This power... feels very familiar."
Realization dawned on Dan Heng. Back on that spaceship... the instant Presiding Seat Blake appeared, he had detected this faint power.
Now it seemed that every [Eternity] Emanator probably knew this move.
"Invisibility is a great ability... Wait, doesn't that mean nobody can see us now?" Stelle suddenly realized the problem.
"Relax. We're not in any danger right now. You could still go see a show at the Golden Theater. No problem at all."
Stelle looked disappointed. "What a shame. No nighttime raid on the Supreme Guardian's lounge."
Ye Yan: ???
"Why would you say such a thing?" He didn't understand. What went through this kid's head all day?!
"That's not what I meant! Don't you and Dan Heng both think there's something wrong with her? If you ask me... why don't we just wait until the dead of night and investigate Kliperburg?"