This group has remarkably high emotional intelligence, except for Fischl, who's a bit slow to react. But no worries—she has Oz.
Your reactions may be a tad sluggish, but Oz more than makes up for it.
Oz steps in as Fischl's mouthpiece, praising Mona on her behalf. Truly, a bird-shaped "Voice of God."
[Mona, shyly: "Ahem, there's… no need to care for me like this. I'm plenty tough."]
As mentioned before, Mona's the type who struggles to handle being cared for, so her face turns red.
But now, she doesn't need to put up a strong front anymore—because her "strength" has arrived.
[Traveler, calling her out: "Then why are your ears all red?"]
She's a tsundere! Even if she's blushing, she'll never admit it!
Let's just say the Traveler's got a bit of a mischievous streak. With their emotional intelligence, there's no way they missed why Mona's ears turned red—this is deliberate teasing.
In the book, Mona's thoughts are exposed by the Traveler, and she squirms, the blush on her face deepening.
["Uh, uh…"]
[Mona, hands behind her back, fidgeting: "…Alright, fine… fine…"]
[Mona, quietly: "Thank you, everyone."]
For a tsundere, saying those words takes immense courage.
And hearing a tsundere say "thank you" with a flushed face? That's an immense thrill.
Readers are utterly charmed by Mona's cuteness at this point, their affection for her growing stronger. She's truly surpassing Arnold now.
It's just "Megistus," right? Such an easy name to remember! One thought of Mona's beauty, and there's nothing I can't memorize!
My soul! My DNA! Etch it in!!!
Just as predicted, finishing the island story ensures this name sticks.
In reality, Mona's face grows even redder. The thought of this moment being seen by the whole world makes her want to cover her face.
Now she really won't get married, waaah.
Everyone's quite satisfied, but Fischl? She's still not content.
[Fischl says: "I couldn't hear you. Speak louder and offer your reverence and blessings to this Prinzessin."]
Fischl's behavior is understandable—after all, Mona teased her the same way before.
Watching these two girls playfully tease each other, Yae Miko sports a full-on "auntie smile."
Stop fighting, both of you! Let me handle this—you two aren't escaping. Cute, beautiful girls are meant to be "devoured" by this big sister~!
Forget what kind of high-intensity teasing Yae Miko might unleash—Fischl's teasing alone is already more than Mona can handle.
Mona's a textbook tsundere. Asking her to say "thank you" even louder might just make her die of embarrassment.
Mona's grown up without many close friends, so she's never had much chance to say things like this.
Having never tried it before, this sudden, over-the-top moment is too much for her to bear.
Say what you will about Fischl's slow reactions, but thankfully, Oz is there to make up for it.
Oz, along with Xinyan, helps shift the conversation, steering it toward finding fragments and exploring the dream realm while also tossing some praise Fischl's way to lift her spirits.
[Oz to Fischl: "Only your keen gaze, my lady, can pinpoint the secrets."]
Like Mona, Fischl can't resist praise. The Adventurers' Guild's "Fischl User Manual" even mentions it:
Want Fischl's help? Just play along, shower her with compliments, and she'll lend a hand.
With Oz's praise, the easily swayed Fischl immediately declares she'll personally search for it.
But as we all know, the young lady doesn't move an inch. "Personally" just means Oz is flying around again.
Entering the dream realm again, the group is well-practiced by now. It's just placing fragments, finding stars, and entering the armillary sphere, right?
This time, though, it's a bit different—the process of finding stars has increased. One star isn't enough.
After everyone's step count skyrockets to first place on their social apps, they finally find the second star. Now the stars have a companion.
With the required stars gathered and the prerequisites met, the group can finally enter the armillary sphere.
This time, something's different—the water beneath the armillary sphere has receded, revealing the space below.
Descending, they find a door. Stepping through it, Mona completely loses her composure.
[Mona exclaims: "Whoa! Th-this…"]
Behind the door is none other than Mona's home.
In the book, Mona lets out a startled cry and rushes forward, spreading her arms to block something.
But with so many things—and such large ones—behind her, how could she possibly cover them all?
Whether it's the people in the story or those in reality, everyone is stunned.
They thought Mona lived frugally, but her house is this big?! And it's a standalone residence!
Thinking about it, the house belongs to Lisa (Old Goethe), so you can look down on Mona, but you can't underestimate Lisa's wealth.
Even if it's rented, the group is still shocked—especially Fischl, who genuinely thought Mona was so poor she couldn't afford food and was down to selling her underwear.
Yet Mona's house is this massive, with rooms that rival Fischl's own.
What?! You're playing the contrast game here too?! A rich girl pretending to be poor!
Among the many books scattered around the room, one has a price tag of 990,000 Mora.
And that's just one tossed on the floor. The ones on the shelves are probably even pricier, not to mention the clearly expensive astrology instruments.
Her wealth leaves even some merchants sweating—they can't compare!
What did Mona say earlier? That it was "too shabby"?
Honestly, if we didn't know you were a tsundere, we'd think you were maliciously flaunting your wealth!
Arnold, now you see why she doesn't care about your monthly salary? It's not even enough for one of her books!
Arnold, are you watching, Arnold?
[To everyone's shock, Mona says: "I'm telling you, I just occasionally lack cash. I'm not actually broke."]
[Fischl, stunned, blurts out: "You're not? I even treated you to meals and brought you to my house to eat!"]
Little Fischl suddenly feels like a working-class kid treating a mega-tycoon to street food, thinking the tycoon couldn't afford it.
She's so shocked she's speaking normally, and it takes Oz's reminder for her to switch back to her usual flair.
["Ahem! Thou hast been graced by sacred favor, accompanying this Prinzessin to the royal palace of the Immernachtreich to pay homage to the Emperor and Empress of Condemnation. Such a momentous occasion—how dare thou forget?"]
Translation: I brought you to my house to meet my parents. You can't forget something that big, right?
Mona hasn't forgotten. She even fondly recalls the cold cuts Fischl's mother made—so delicious, she wants more. Stuff it in my mouth!
It's not that Mona lacks an appetite. It's just that her thirst for knowledge outweighs her desire for food. It's a difference in spending priorities, not that she doesn't enjoy good food.
Her mouth and stomach, however, have been protesting: We're not following you in the next life.
But too bad—Mona's the one in charge of the body. Starve! Disobey, and I'll let you die of hunger!
By the way, the cold cuts Little Fischl makes are also delicious, clearly inheriting her mother's culinary skills.