"Stelle, March 7th, Little Swarm, what kind of hotel do you prefer?"
As if anticipating travelers' need for immediate rest upon arriving in Sumeru City, numerous hotels of varying styles lined the streets near the city gates, their neon lights beckoning newcomers inside.
Surveying the hotel signs lining the street, which resembled a trendy tourist strip, Lumina turned to her companions.
"Ancient Wind Hotel, Underwater Hotel, Sky Hotel, Forest Hotel, Love Hidden by the Bedside Hotel... Uh, what are these names even? They sound like tacky hotel names..." March 7th exclaimed, baffled by the bizarre names on the signs.
She couldn't understand why such cheesy names were used when Sumeru City itself felt like it was at the forefront of cosmic trends.
Are these names what's currently fashionable in Sumeru City?
"March, names don't mean everything," Lumina chuckled. "Every hotel established in Sumeru City earns its reputation. There are no undeserved accolades here."
While the hotel names were admittedly a bit quirky and simplistic, that didn't necessarily mean they were knock-off hotels. It just meant they were a bit more unconventional, catering to younger guests...
After explaining this to March 7th, Lumina glanced at the signboard and continued, "Ancient Wind Hotel probably means it's themed around the ancient style of Apricot Grove. As for the Sea, Sky, and Forest Hotels, I imagine they're either themed around those environments or actually built in those locations."
"As for 'Love Hidden by the Bedside'... that must be a couples hotel. You're all too young, so let's just rule that one out."
Lumina wouldn't dare take March 7th and the others to a couples hotel unless it was the absolute last resort. After all, she'd be branded a "bad woman," arrested, and locked up! (≧□≦)
"March, Stelle, and Little Swarm, you three should decide together. It doesn't really matter which hotel we choose, so don't overthink it."
With that, Lumina fell silent, waiting patiently for the group to reach a consensus.
"What do you two think?" Seeing the situation, March 7th turned her gaze to Stelle and the little swarm perched on her shoulder.
"I think... anything's fine," Stelle said after pondering the notice board for a moment. "It's just a place to stay. Let's go to whichever one is closest."
(There are three options here: 1. Choose between Ancient Wind, Sea, Sky, or Forest hotels—I don't mind any of them. 2. Love Hidden by the Bedside Hotel—I'm actually quite curious about couples' hotels. 3. Why stay in some crappy hotel? I'd rather spend the night with my bug companion!)
(Although there are three options, the hotel they ultimately choose is the same regardless. Only the dialogue changes slightly.)
"That's right, it's just a hotel after all," March 7th agreed with a nod. "Sister Lumina, let's go to whichever hotel is closest."
In her heart, March 7th felt a bit more pleased with Stelle. Finally, this girl is taking things seriously for once.
"Alright, let's go. The Ancient Wind Hotel is the closest," Lumina said, glancing at the distance markers on the signboard and nodding. She stepped forward to lead the way.
Lumina, accompanied by two beautiful girls and a tiny Swarm, walked through the bustling streets of Sumeru City without causing much of a stir.
Only a few pairs of eyes, trained to appreciate beauty, lingered on March 7th and Stelle... As for Lumina, she seemed to blend into the background like an invisible person, drawing no attention whatsoever.
Overly confident in her reputation on Apricot Grove, Lumina had completely concealed her aura before disembarking from the Astral Express.
Thus, as they walked, she appeared to be entirely absent from the perception of others...
This wasn't a concern, however. Lumina had unwavering faith in the civility of Sumeru City's citizens.
She was certain that even if she revealed herself, it wouldn't paralyze the streets.
But confidence aside, avoiding trouble was always the best policy. Otherwise, Lumina would have collapsed from exhaustion long ago during her wandering Medical Practice journey across the Cosmos...
Upon entering the Ancient Wind Hotel, Lumina revealed her true aura to expedite the check-in process.
As her aura, form, and appearance manifested, she instantly drew the attention of everyone at the hotel lobby's front desk. A mixture of excitement and reverence filled their gazes.
"Lady Lumina?! It's actually Lady Lumina! My idol! Aaaahhh!!!"
Seeing Lumina before them, some of the bolder individuals were about to approach for a closer look at their idol.
But the moment they noticed Stelle and March 7th beside her, they obediently suppressed their excitement. Instead, they waved from a distance and greeted Lumina politely.
Since the lobby wasn't crowded, Lumina responded to each greeting with a warm smile.
"Wow, we're like celebrities now!" March 7th exclaimed, her face flushed with excitement as she basked in the envious and worshipful glances directed their way.
"Looks like my glorious deeds as the Galactic Baseballer have reached Sumeru City," Stelle muttered, her lips curling into a cocky grin, radiating the swagger of a battle god.
"Hey, what's it got to do with you...?" March 7th couldn't help but twitch her lips as she heard Stelle's muttered comment and saw her lopsided grin. Her excitement vanished instantly, and she shot Stelle a speechless look.
"L-Lady Lumina! Welcome to Ancient Wind Hotel!"
"Your presence honors us!"
While Stelle and March 7th basked in the attention, the hotel's boss had already rushed and jumped to Lumina's side, welcoming her with the hotel's highest ceremonial honors.
"There's no need for such formality," Lumina replied, her faint smile unchanged. "Treat me as an ordinary person."
If she could, Lumina would have preferred to avoid such formalities altogether. At first, she had enjoyed these displays of reverence, finding a certain pleasure in them.
But now, after countless repetitions, she felt a growing sense of awkwardness.
Yet, knowing it stemmed from people's respect and affection for her, Lumina refrained from commenting.
"My friends just arrived in Sumeru City and don't have a place to stay yet. Could you arrange a few rooms for them?" Lumina gestured to the entities beside her—a person, a Stellaron, and a bug—as she addressed the hotel boss.
"Of course, Lady Lumina. I'll have rooms prepared for your friends immediately."
Though the hotel boss dutifully acknowledged Lumina's earlier request to be treated as ordinary, the reverence in his tone only grew stronger.
After addressing Lumina with due deference, the boss shot a glance at his subordinate, signaling him to arrange the rooms promptly.
Understanding his superior's intent, the subordinate immediately reserved all the [World Suites] in the hotel...
Knowing the boss wouldn't heed her request to be treated as ordinary, Lumina didn't press the matter further. She nodded, turned to March 7th and the others, and said:
"Stelle, March, Little Swarm, follow the boss and pick out the rooms you like. Don't worry about the cost—I'll cover it."
"Eh? Sister Lumina, aren't you staying with us? Is something wrong?" Even the silly March 7th sensed Lumina's absence and asked with concern.
"Hmm, I have a few urgent matters to attend to, so I won't be joining you all tonight," Lumina said with a wave and a smile, nodding briefly. Before March 7th could ask any further questions, she turned to the hotel boss.
"Please help them select their rooms. I must be going now."
"Just put the room charges on my tab. I'll settle the bill tomorrow."
With these parting words, Lumina gave the group a quick nod and hurried away.
It seemed she truly had some urgent business requiring her personal attention...
March 7th watched Lumina's retreating figure, wishing she could stay and share a room, perhaps even... But seeing her rush off so urgently, March 7th couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.
"Esteemed guests, allow me to show you to your rooms," the hotel boss said respectfully, having taken Lumina's instructions to heart.
As the owner of a hotel in Sumeru City, his social standing was undoubtedly high. Yet he treated Lady Lumina's friends with utmost reverence—more than a thousand percent respect!
As for payment?
The hotel boss wouldn't dare accept it, nor would he ever consider doing so.
-
World Suite
The most luxurious suite in every hotel across Apricot Grove, regardless of the hotel's grading system, the highest tier was always the [ World Suite ]!
Each [ World Suite ] contained at least a trace of the [ Irminsul ]'s aura, uniformly provided by the [ House of Daena ]. The amount of aura varied depending on the hotel's grade.
The [ Irminsul ]'s aura could purify the mind and heal illnesses...
Additionally, the [ World Suite ] serves as a symbol of power, showcasing the host's status to esteemed foreign guests.