She bent down, poked Phaethon forehead with a finger, and adopted a tone of mock "earnest advice":
"Hmph, that kick was to help you remember. Don't think trapping this Kitty with a little trick means you've won everything."
She narrowed her eyes, revealing a smile that looked sweet but was truly dangerous. "Next time you're so naive as to think you can 'reason' with a Demi-god... it won't be as simple as flying five meters, you know? Meow~"
With that, Cipher, having learned her lesson, secretly tossed a coin behind her back and vanished in a streak of light.
"Cough, cough... damn you, Cipher! Damn you!" Phaethon clutched his kidney as he struggled to his feet.
"That damned cat... the kick itself wasn't even that hard, but she sure knows how to pick her spots..." he muttered through gritted teeth, grimacing as he rubbed his lower back and vigorously brushed the dust and grass from his clothes.
***
After Phaethon returned to the small courtyard where he was staying,
Cyrene came down the stairs, rubbing her eyes and yawning widely. "Yaaawn... Little Phaethon? Why weren't you in your room this morning?... Huh? ♪"
Her steps halted midway down the staircase, sleepiness instantly replaced by shock and a hint of mischief.
Her eyes widened as she pointed at Phaethon, who was entering below, supporting his lower back with a pained expression. "You... you were out all night? And now you're coming in holding your lower back!!?"
Phaethon was caught off guard by the sudden accusation. "Hisss— Cyrene? Wait, let me explain! It's not what you think!"
"Oh? Then tell me, what is it? ♪" Cyrene quickly descended the remaining steps.
"It was Cipher! That Demi-god of Trickery!" Phaethon hurriedly clarified. "I was dealing with her outside the city all night, trying to get back the Balance Coins she stole!
"She's so troublesome, stubborn, and strong, and in the end, she cheated and kicked me..." He rubbed his back, his voice full of indignation and helplessness.
"The Demi-god of Trickery? You fought her all night?" Cyrene looked him up and down skeptically, as if assessing the truth of his words.
She walked to the table, sliced a piece of bread into the breakfast plate, and said with a scrutinizing air, "All for the money in your little treasury?"
"Of course!" Phaethon immediately straightened up, trying to look righteous and solemn.
"That's our hard-earned money! For the financial security of the Golden Eatery, it was my duty! Dealing with a Demi-god is nothing! Even if a Titan came, they'd have to cough up the cash!"
Watching his "heroic martyr" act, Cyrene couldn't help but giggle, shaking her head. "Alright, alright, I believe you. But..."
She changed her tone, a sly glint in her eyes. "Little Phaethon, isn't the midterm exam at The Grove coming up soon? ♪"
"Yeah, it's a good thing I trained a few chefs these past few days, otherwise the Golden Eatery might have had to shut down temporarily."
Phaethon pulled out a chair and sat down, picking up a slice of bread. "The Grove has a free atmosphere, but failing exams is still troublesome. Not enough credits affects future course selection... Wait."
He stopped mid-bite, looking puzzled at Cyrene. "Cyrene, how do you know about The Grove's exam schedule?"
"Hehe~" Cyrene shook her head smugly. "Because of Little Phainon, of course! He's been almost tearing his hair out at home lately, muttering all day long, 'It's over, it's over, the exam is in less than a month, I'm doomed, I'll definitely fail,' and things like that."
"Even Castorice seemed a bit preoccupied when we met recently. When I asked, she said she was worried about the exams too. ♪" She rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with interest. "Speaking of which, are the exams at The Grove very difficult to pass?"
"Difficult?" Phaethon swallowed his bread and couldn't help laughing as a certain scene came to mind. "Not exactly that difficult."
"It's mainly... well, Phainon, in Teacher Anaxa's class, raises his hand more often than he answers questions."
"Isn't raising your hand frequently a good thing?" Cyrene didn't understand.
"The problem is, he raises his hand to refute Teacher Anaxa's points!"
Phaethon couldn't hold back his laughter. "He ends up debating the teacher almost every class. And Teacher Anaxa's temper is... well, let's just say Phainon lost a lot of participation credits. Cramming now, of course he finds it difficult."
Cyrene imagined Phainon stubbornly arguing his points in class, making the teacher fume, and also found it hilarious. "I see! He really is a handful ♪"
Watching Cyrene's smiling, curved eyes, Phaethon grew even more suspicious. "Cyrene, you suddenly asking about exams... you aren't thinking of..."
"Bingo!" Cyrene snapped her fingers, her eyes sparkling.
"Of course, it's to see if I can help my little Phaethon! ♪"
She raised her chin slightly, announcing with a touch of pride. "Actually, thanks to High Priest Vittorio's tireless training, I've officially been promoted to a High Priestess for a while now!"
She paused, her tone becoming even more vibrant. "Moreover, my mastery of the 'Oronyx Prayer' art has improved by leaps and bounds! ♪"
"Now, I no longer need to rely on others' memory fragments or particularly detailed historical records. As long as I can have an in-depth conversation with the person involved, or carefully study relevant books and texts,"
"I can accurately 'fish out' those lost, blurred fragments of the past from the river of time and replay them!"
Cyrene clasped her hands together, looking at Phaethon with an expectant expression, clearly hoping for praise. "So? Little Phaethon, is your Cyrene amazing? ♪"
"Amazing! Truly amazing!" Phaethon praised sincerely, his eyes full of surprise. "The complete 'Oronyx Prayer'! That's a divine skill only the most exceptional Holy Maiden in history could master! Cyrene, your progress is astonishing!" He gave a thumbs-up without hesitation.
"Ah, hahaha~" Cyrene blushed slightly from the praise. "I'll accept little Phaethon's compliments gladly! ♪"
But then she waved her hand somewhat sheepishly, looking away. "But, my current ability is still just at the beginner stage."
"I can only replay dialogue fragments from a few key figures. I'm still far from those legendary Holy Maiden predecessors who could instantly recreate entire grand war scenes or magnificent ceremonies..."
"Cyrene, you're already incredible!" Phaethon said sincerely. But then a thought struck him, and he looked at Cyrene's face, which held an expression of "ask me what other good things I have."
His heart began to pound. "Wait... Cyrene, you're telling me this... don't tell me... you have a way to help me?"