The mask remains.
Indeed, it's still that sense of déjà vu, with a semblance of prosperity tinged with melancholy.
Just like over at the Academy, as long as you don't enter through the front gate, you won't return to the city, and can roam freely without obstruction.
And along the way outside, Fu Qian easily found many familiar sights from the past.
It wasn't just unaffected—time itself seemed barely to have passed.
For instance, the small shop on the street still displayed those abstract-featured white masks.
Fu Qian bought one and wore it casually on his face, completely unnoticed while walking through the street.
In high spirits, he then gathered a bunch of random items to wear and continued his journey to Kisaragi Chie's Fortune Teller's Cottage.
The only pity was that he couldn't pretend to be Su Gao and ask Kisaragi Chie for a discount or something like that this time.
…
"Welcome."
