To figure out what was going on with the pure white room, Rita sought out Kiana.
The Bug, who had just woken up, was sitting on the sofa in a daze.
Kiana sat cross-legged, her smooth, slender legs bare. Her pajamas had slipped halfway down, revealing a rounded shoulder and delicate collarbone.
Rita's first order of business upon arriving at the Far East Branch had been to observe the Herrscher of the Void within Kiana's body.
With the aid of a specialized detector brought from Schicksal HQ, she could confirm that the Herrscher of the Void's brainwaves showed no signs of awakening.
Today, Rita had secretly run the check again. The instrument was not mistaken.
The Herrscher of the Void's consciousness was still in a deep sleep.
Rita had also tried to use this instrument to scan Raiden Mei, but just as Otto had said, the device could only detect the "Herrscher of the Void" and was useless against Raiden Mei.
Rita was actually a little puzzled.
They were both Herrschers, so why did the Overseer seem completely unconcerned with the Herrscher of Thunder?
Her mission briefing for this trip didn't even mention anything about the Herrscher of Thunder.
Did the Overseer believe the Herrscher of Thunder posed no threat at all?
Or was it because of Lady Theresa?
At the beginning of spring in the first half of the year, the Third Herrscher descended upon Nagazora City, and the Far East Branch defeated her.
Afterward, Lady Theresa "recovered" the Herrscher of Thunder, a move that Schicksal HQ tacitly approved.
Even when there were voices of opposition within the organization, the Overseer suppressed them one by one.
Rita put aside her thoughts and approached Kiana.
The young girl in her thin pajamas had a slender and beautiful figure. Though she should have been at an age of youthful innocence, for some unknown reason, her posture exuded a certain enchanting allure.
The girl was currently pouting, looking somewhat unhappy.
She seemed to be lost in thought, not even noticing Rita's approach.
"Good morning, Kiana."
"Ah? Hello, good morning. Um? Uh, you are..."
Kiana looked up and, seeing Rita's gentle smile, forgot her name.
"Rita Rossweisse," the maid said, a smile on her lips.
"Ah... um, sorry, Miss Rossweisse. I've been overusing my brain lately, I didn't forget on purpose."
Rita elegantly sat down beside her. The curve of her hips, wrapped in black silk, pressed against the leather sofa, creating a beautiful arc.
Then, the maid took out some candies from her pocket.
"Flower candies from a small town in England. I only have white peach and lily flavors left. Which one would you like?"
"..."
Kiana looked at the two candies in Rita's palm, then back at the maid's face.
"Mm~"
Rita pushed them forward.
"Thank you."
Kiana randomly picked one and popped it into her mouth.
"Wow, this is delicious! Where did you buy it?"
"I made them myself. If you like them, Kiana, I can mail some to you next time."
"Eh? Really? Won't that be too much trouble for you?"
Kiana instantly perked up, thinking that the person before her was truly a kind soul.
After a pleasant interaction, Rita finally found a suitable opportunity to broach the main topic.
"When you mentioned Ye Feng, were you referring to that world you enter after falling asleep?"
"Yeah."
Bringing this up made Kiana a little angry.
After entering last night, Kiana had searched the entire St. Freya Academy but couldn't find any sign of Ye Feng.
It wasn't that the Bug absolutely had to find him.
It was just that disappearing without a word was really rude.
Besides, "that thing" was still vibrating nonstop. It was incredibly annoying, and Kiana didn't even dare to look Mei in the eye while they were together.
She had to find Ye Feng to get him to "take it off."
But she just couldn't find him.
Rita asked, "What kind of world is it?"
"It's pretty much the same as St. Freya Academy."
"The same as St. Freya Academy?"
Rita recalled the pure white room.
Could it be that we weren't in the same world?
"Yeah, the people inside... erm."
Kiana suddenly paused and said, "Sorry, Auntie told me not to reveal too much."
"Ah, it's quite all right. It was presumptuous of me to ask. Since it was the Principal's instruction, as a student, it's natural to obey."
Rita's arrival was already a matter of tacit understanding with Theresa.
Theresa naturally understood how formidable her grandfather was; completely concealing the events happening at the Far East Branch was next to impossible.
HQ had likely learned some things, but they probably didn't know the specific details.
But since they had sent someone to investigate, Theresa would cooperate fully on the surface.
Ah, but it wasn't an investigation.
This time, Rita had been stationed at the Far East Branch under the pretext of "auditing finances."
It was a direct hit on Theresa's weak spot.
Rita was in no hurry.
Her main mission this time was to observe the "Herrscher of the Void's" status, as well as Yae Sakura and Higokumaru, and to investigate Chiyou Island on the side.
If she hadn't entered that pure white space last night, investigating that world would have been her lowest priority.
---o---
From sunrise to sunset.
Twelve hours.
Mobius's entire body was so limp it could barely hold a shape, but her tongue was as sharp as ever.
Ye Feng tucked Mobius in, then walked out of the room feeling refreshed and invigorated. He glanced up at the sky; it was already late.
Ye Feng sat in the classical-style courtyard, watching the flowers bloom and fall.
Time flowed by quietly, and a new moon unknowingly came to hang in the frosty sky.
Looking at the moon, Ye Feng couldn't help but think of Jingliu.
Jingliu hadn't come back in since she last left.
Doesn't she sleep?
Emmm... It's actually possible.
If Jingliu forced herself to stay awake, it wouldn't be impossible for her to last for several months.
"Next time Jingliu comes in, which part should I develop first?"
Just as Ye Feng was contemplating this ultimate philosophy of life, a voice came from a distance.
"Mr. Ye Feng?"
Mei trotted over, her face lit with a pleasant surprise.
"It really is you. Good evening."
It had been almost a week, but this was the first time Mei had run into Ye Feng right after entering.
"Mei. Good evening."
"I didn't expect to meet you here, Mr. Ye Feng. What a coincidence."
Of course, it wasn't a coincidence.
Ye Feng had long since committed the movement patterns of the "Raiden Mei · NPC" to memory. He had waited here for her on purpose.
Did she really think he was here to admire the moon?
"It seems you have something you want to talk to me about, Mei?"
"Eh? Umm..."
Mei clasped her hands together in embarrassment.
She did indeed have something on her mind. But being called out so directly by Ye Feng was a little awkward.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about. We're good friends. I'd be happy if you told me about any problems you have."
"Yes, thank you, Mr. Ye Feng."
Ye Feng gestured for Mei to sit down and talk.
Mei hesitated for a few seconds before sitting down opposite him.
She truly had some things she needed to ask Ye Feng for advice on.
At the same time, Kiana also entered the world.
Having learned her lesson from last night, Kiana didn't search for Ye Feng blindly. Instead, she tried to initiate a "mental dialogue."
She vividly remembered the sensation from the time he violated Mei right in front of her. Now, replicating it, she did a passable job.
「Ye Feng, Ye Feng.」
Sure enough, she quickly received a response.
「Stop shouting, Kiana. Don't disturb Mei and me.」