The acrobatic performance ended amid cheers from the crowd, followed by several other acts, until it was finally time for the grand finale.
A girl with long red hair tied into twin tails stepped onto the stage.
She wore a black, horned tiara, and her outfit was stunning. Her top was a sea-blue dance costume, wrapping around her chest like a strapless bodice.
Below it, her snow-white stomach peeked out above a skirt that covered her navel, the deep and light blues interwoven like she was wearing the summer ocean itself.
Slender, fair legs extended from beneath the skirt, and she wore exquisite golden strappy sandals as she walked to center stage.
The theater lights instantly focused on the beautiful girl, drawing all attention to her.
"Thank you all for coming to watch the Zubair Theater's performance. For the finale, allow me to present the Dance of the Sabzeruz Festival."
The gorgeously dressed red-haired girl raised her hand, moving gracefully as the music began.
"Nilou!"
"Nilou!"
"Nilou!"
The audience near the front called her name the moment she appeared, showing just how famous she truly was.
Soon, the cheers quieted, and everyone focused intently on her dance.
Nolan thought that once the "Akasha Forum" was launched, if Nilou were to register an account and post videos of her dancing, she would surely gain countless viewers.
With someone like her, the "Akasha Forum" could explode in popularity overnight.
Although the "Akasha Forum" was a monopoly, without appealing content, people's online time would naturally decrease.
His later plans included running advertisements on the "Akasha Forum," so the more users, the better.
As for placing ads elsewhere—like in Camera devices or knowledge stores—he wasn't considering that for now, as it would hurt the user experience too much.
But placing them on the "Akasha Forum" wouldn't affect much at all—ads could be integrated as part of the content itself.
"What a beautiful dance," Paimon exclaimed in awe.
"This is the Dance of the Sabzeruz Festival Nilou performed during the actual festival. This is only her second time performing it on stage—it never gets old no matter how many times you watch," Dehya's friend Dunyarzad explained with a gentle smile, clearly having recovered from her earlier emotions after seeing Nahida.
"The Dance of the Sabzeruz Festival… is it really a dance performed by the Goddess of Flowers?"
Lumine's amber eyes glanced at Dunyarzad, curiosity flickering in her gaze.
"That's what the legends say. But since no one has ever actually seen the Goddess of Flowers dance, no one can be sure," Dunyarzad replied, clearly well-versed in history.
Lumine nodded, turning back to watch the stage.
Come to think of it, the Greater Lord Rukkhadevata probably knew the Goddess of Flowers quite well. Nolan wondered if she had left behind any relics.
If she had, it wouldn't be a bad idea to obtain them and store them in his Wonderland.
A few minutes later, Nilou's dance was reaching its climax.
She twirled lightly on stage, her movements as soft and elegant as drifting petals. With the final flourish, the music ended, and Nilou gave a graceful bow—her performance complete.
Applause rained down, growing louder and louder, a clear sign that the audience loved her performance.
As the show ended and people began to leave, Nolan and his companions stood up to go—only for Nilou herself to step down from the stage and walk toward them.
"Dunyarzad, Lady Dehya, it's been so long. And these friends are…?"
Though Nilou didn't read newspapers often, she had heard of the legendary adventurer, the golden-haired Traveler, and the little floating white fairy. She just couldn't recall their names right away.
Nolan hadn't expected to get the chance to meet her personally, but it seemed she was quite close to Dunyarzad.
He was about to introduce himself when Dunyarzad spoke first:
"Nilou! These are some friends I just met today—Adventurer Mr. Nolan, Traveler Miss Lumine, and Paimon. I was just about to bring them over to meet you."
Hearing this, Nilou's emerald eyes widened in surprise.
"You're the ones who saved Sumeru?"
"Hehe, just a small thing, really!" Paimon tried to sound humble but was visibly excited.
Nolan smiled and offered his hand.
"Hello, Miss Nilou. I watched your performance just now—it was truly beautiful."
"Thank you for your praise, Adventurer," Nilou replied with a gentle smile, lightly shaking his hand. To be recognized by such a renowned adventurer clearly made her happy.
[Nilou Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 350 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.3 (50/300)]
Seeing the system message, Nolan knew they had officially become friends. Reaching max affection was only a matter of time.
"Just call me by my name. If you ever have any commissions for an adventurer, come find me—big or small, I'll take them, and at the standard rate."
"Mm!" Nilou nodded happily.
She actually had something she wanted to request from the Adventurers' Guild. Hearing his offer, she suddenly felt like giving the commission directly to him instead. With a legendary adventurer watching over it, nothing could possibly go wrong. She decided to bring it up with him later.
[Nilou Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 300 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (50/400)]
"Well then, Nilou, you must be tired from performing. You haven't eaten yet, right? Why not join us for dinner so we can all get to know each other better?" Dunyarzad, in her elegant attire, invited warmly.
The mention of food instantly got Paimon excited, and neither Nolan nor Lumine objected. Dehya simply left the decision to her lady.
"All right, I'll just go let everyone know first," Nilou said with a smile—after all, it wouldn't be polite to refuse a friend's invitation, and her work for the day was done anyway.
As Nilou left, Nahida—whose spiritual projection had been quietly watching—faded away, having already taken her leave after the performance.
Earlier, with so many people around, Nahida had refrained from showing herself to Nilou, so as not to startle her and draw unwanted attention.
"Goodbye, Lesser Lord Kusanali!" Dunyarzad waved cheerfully.
As the Dendro Archon leave, Nilou returned. Dehya crossed her arms and nodded.
"Miss, let's go. How about that same place we visited this afternoon?"
"Mm, that works." Dunyarzad agreed.
With the destination decided, Nolan and the others set off toward the restaurant. It would take a while to get there, so they strolled through the night market along the way, chatting idly.
During the walk, Nilou hesitated several times before finally telling Nolan that she wanted to visit the desert in a few days and hoped he could escort her.
After all, among the "Eremites" in the desert, there were both good and bad sorts. Although she had a Vision, she had no real combat experience, and going alone would be risky.
"Oh? What business do you have in the desert?"
Before Nolan could reply, Dehya asked in surprise—she had no idea why Nilou suddenly wanted to head there.
"Ah, nothing major. It's just that all the dances I know have already been performed repeatedly on stage. Even the Dance of the Sabzeruz Festival—if I keep doing it, people might get tired of it.
"So, I want to choreograph a new dance. This time, I want it to be desert-themed, so I thought I'd go see the desert for myself."
Nilou's reason was simple—just to seek fresh inspiration for her dancing.
She had originally planned to ask Dehya to tell her about the desert's culture and scenery, but it was never the same as going there in person.
Today, after meeting the powerful adventurer Nolan, she had the idea to go and see it herself.
As for why she didn't ask Dehya, despite her fame in the desert—Dehya was Dunyarzad's bodyguard and couldn't just leave her post, so Nilou didn't want to trouble her.
"I see, so it's a research trip," Dehya nodded in understanding. After thinking a moment, she said:
"In a few days, I'll be going to Aaru Village for some business. Why don't we travel together? I won't be able to take you sightseeing in the desert, though, so you'll still need Nolan to escort you."
"Mm!" Nilou readily agreed, then turned to the side. "Mr. Nolan, what do you think?"
"As an adventurer, I have no reason to refuse a commission," Nolan replied as they walked. "When exactly, so I can prepare?"
"If we're going together, then let's follow Dehya's schedule. I still have performances the next two days—just not during those, and it's fine."
The sheer veil on Nilou's tiara fluttered in the night breeze.
"In that case, five days from now," Dehya decided, then looked at Dunyarzad. "Miss, I'll have to take a few days off."
"Mm, bodyguards get vacation too—no need to call it asking for leave. I'll just stay home and go out less."
Dunyarzad didn't mind. Her health had improved a lot, but she was still frail enough that she needed someone with her when she went out, just in case.
"Since we're decided, let's meet near the Adventurers' Guild when the time comes," Nolan said with a nod.
"No problem!" Nilou's fair face lit with a smile.
[Nilou Has Developed Good Feelings Towards You, Obtained 320 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (370/400)]
"Speaking of which, we haven't gone on a desert adventure yet. Should we join?" Paimon asked Lumine, a little tempted.
"Sure. Let's explore the desert," Lumine said after a moment's thought, her arms folded loosely across her white-clad chest.
Though the "Akasha Network" wasn't fully complete yet, its basic framework was in place. Once the "Akasha Forum" finished testing and went live for public use in the next few days, they could take a short break—perfect for a desert trip.
After finalizing the plan, they reached the restaurant, enjoyed dinner, and then went their separate ways.
Nolan, Lumine, and Paimon returned to the Wonderland.
It was already past 8 p.m. Inside, everyone had finished dinner—Noelle, Amber, and Eula were washing dishes, while Yae Miko, Jean, and Lisa had gone to soak in the hot spring.
In the living room, Fischl, Hu Tao, and the others were chatting. Nolan remembered telling Layla that Mona would be at the Akademiya's House of Daena this Saturday—the day after tomorrow.
He decided to tell Mona in advance.
Not seeing her in the living room, he knew she would be in her astrology research room.
Sure enough, when he reached the third floor, light shone from within. Through the window, he saw her fiddling with her star-track calculator.
He knocked and stepped inside.
"What is it?"
Wearing a purple skintight bodysuit and black stockings, Mona kept working without looking up—she didn't need to use her spiritual senses; she could tell who it was just from his footsteps.
"It's nothing big. I met a girl at the Akademiya who also studies the stars. She seemed curious about you, her senior…"
Nolan explained about Layla and asked if she could visit the Akademiya the day after tomorrow.
"You… why are you so eager for someone you barely know? Don't tell me you've taken a fancy to her?"
Going to the Akademiya wasn't a problem, but knowing him all too well, Mona gave him a look full of disdain for the "hopeless flirt."
A little embarrassed, Nolan ran his fingers through his hair—she'd hit the mark.
Clearing his throat, he stepped closer, crouched slightly, and rested his cheek against her soft, stocking-clad thigh. His right hand slid to the small of her back, caressing her hips as he smiled.
"Please, Mona~"
The way he addressed her made goosebumps prickle on her skin. She slapped his hand away impatiently.
"Fine, fine, I'll go. Just don't bother me right now!"
Getting her agreement, Nolan nuzzled her thigh and grinned.
"Hehe, thank you, my dear Mona. As thanks, let me give you a little massage to help you relax."
He didn't get up to leave—instead, his right hand returned to her hips while his left hand kneaded her calf.
"You…"
Mona sighed helplessly. She didn't scold him further—experience told her that would only encourage him.
Instead, she began removing her shoes, clothes, and stockings.
Better to let him have his way for now… and once she finished calculating this star track, she'd make sure he couldn't get out of bed tomorrow.
Nolan didn't know what she was thinking, but since she wasn't pushing him away, he figured she just wanted him to stop short of disrupting her work.
Naturally, he complied.
After a little more time fondling her hips, he had her turn slightly to the side, then sat cross-legged on the floor and gently placed her golden high-heeled feet together before him.
(End of chapter)