Daphne and Cassandra were planning to ask Alice to help them join the Hestia Familia, mainly because the two had no idea where the Hestia Familia was currently located.
Though both Daphne and Cassandra knew where that run-down church was, and had even gone there last night after Hestia and Bell left, they hadn't found a soul inside.
Sure, they could've just asked around and found out Hestia and Bell had gone to the Loki Familia. But unfortunately, after Apollo was sent back to Heaven, the two hadn't had any time to gather information. Snatching a moment to visit that dilapidated church was already a rare opportunity.
If only they had waited just one more day, Hestia and Bell would have returned to their shabby chapel.
So, asking Alice to take them to Hestia wasn't really all that necessary.
That's why Alice agreed without much thought.
Right now, Hestia and Bell were still with the Loki Familia—they could head straight over and see them.
But if the two did end up joining Hestia's Familia, a new problem would come up: although there was a space to live in the church's basement, it was ultimately just one small room, with no extra space for two more people.
In that case, Hestia and the others would either have to expand the building or buy a new one altogether.
Even though Daphne and Cassandra were Level 2 adventurers with decent money-making skills, buying a new house was still a bit beyond their means. They'd probably just expand, since the land plot was fairly spacious.
Of course, none of that had anything to do with Alice.
Whether they would actually join Hestia's Familia or not, Alice didn't know—because after she brought them to the Loki Familia, she went straight home.
--+--
Cassandra's reaction gave Alice a tiny flicker of self-doubt, even though she'd always been praised for her looks. It wasn't that Alice particularly cared about her appearance, but as a young girl, hearing people call her beautiful still made her happy.
The fact that Cassandra fainted as soon as she saw her made Alice realize that no matter how pretty she was, there'd always be someone who didn't like her—after all, she wasn't a bag of gold.
Though this unexpected incident left Alice a little sad, as mentioned before, she wasn't the type to fixate on her looks.
After dwelling on it for just a moment, she stopped thinking about it altogether.
The materials she'd obtained from the Apollo Familia had Alice itching to get back to her workshop and start crafting her new doll.
And so.
After returning home, Alice buried herself in her workshop—for a long, long time. She didn't even come out for meals; Shanghai and Hourai had to bring food in to her.
During that time, Ais and Lefiya came by a few times to consult her about magic, but they never actually entered the workshop.
Lili did go in once, but seeing how completely absorbed Alice was in doll-making, she couldn't bring herself to say anything that might disturb her.
And so it went.
Alice remained buried in her workshop for seven whole days.
--+--
Ais and Lefiya were at Alice's home, looking a bit dusty and worn, clearly just back from the Dungeon.
"Is Alice-chan still in her workshop?" Lefiya asked, holding a cup of tea Shanghai had served, a note of worry in her voice.
For adventurers, going without sleep for a day or two was no big deal.
But seven days straight? Anyone would feel exhausted. And Alice's situation was even more unusual—seven days without rest, her body was bound to give out.
"I'm afraid Miss Alice still hasn't come out of her workshop," Lili replied. "No one knows when she'll finish. But I've been keeping an eye on her rest and meals, so that shouldn't be a problem. As for sleep… there's not much I can do."
Lili felt both helpless and concerned about Alice's almost-possessed state.
But what could she do?
"Still, Miss Alice's spirits seem quite good—she doesn't look overly tired. Hourai told me she's using magic, so there shouldn't be any issues. No need to worry."
What Lili didn't know…
Shanghai and Hourai clearly understood better. And during her time staying with Alice, if there was one skill Lili had picked up, it was understanding Shanghai and Hourai's "speech."
Though neither could actually talk, through gestures and body language, Lili could grasp about ninety percent of what they meant.
"I see…" Lefiya's worries didn't fade much, despite Lili's reassurance.
"Miss Lefiya, Miss Ais, I heard the Loki Familia is about to go on an expedition, is that true?" Lili asked, looking at Lefiya.
"Mhm," Lefiya nodded. "The day after tomorrow, our familia sets off. We probably won't be back for about a week, so we wanted to see if Alice would come out today."
Hearing that, Lili could only sigh helplessly.
Suddenly.
Ais, who had been silently drinking tea beside Lefiya, lifted her head and murmured, "Alice… seems like she's about to come out."
"Hm?" Ais' voice was so soft Lefiya didn't catch it. "What did you say, Ais?"
Ais didn't reply.
But Lefiya also sensed it—a sudden, intense surge of magical energy emanating from upstairs, precisely from Alice's workshop.
Inside the workshop.
Alice gazed at the brand-new Hourai-style doll on the table, her delight completely unrestrained. Though her eyes showed traces of weariness, her cheeks were flushed, and she looked thrilled.
"I haven't managed to complete even one of the Rose-series dolls, but I've finally developed a brand-new power system!"
"Looking back, I was so silly—having such a convenient ability like the Gap, and only using it as an escape route in emergencies."
"Using it as an energy transfer channel like this is just perfect."
"If the power reactor doesn't fit inside the doll, just place it inside the Gap to react, then transfer the generated energy back through the Gap. I'm truly a genius."
Alice leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms high above her head with a satisfied sigh.
"Sitting so long, my body's gone stiff. How many days has it been? Feels like quite a while."
She stood up, twisted her body slightly, and her joints released a series of comfortable pops.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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