Stepping out of the bathroom, Durandal caught a flash of pink darting past her.
If not for her sharp reflexes, she might not have even made out what it was.
Sitting down on the edge of the bed, towel-drying her hair, Durandal replayed the moment in her mind.
'Wasn't Elysia's profile flushed earlier, ears red and all?'
Then she glanced around and realized—of course.
It was winter. The hotel windows and doors were tightly shut, the heater humming steadily.
No wonder Elysia's face had grown rosy after staying in such a cozy space for a while.
Thinking this, Durandal simply cracked open a small gap in the window. Now the air could circulate properly.
Given both her and Elysia's constitutions, a little cold breeze was nothing to worry about. Perfect!
With that settled, Durandal pulled her laptop from the suitcase, connected to the hotel Wi-Fi, and began researching which industrial systems in Mu might be worth introducing to Nagazora City.
The Far East, much like Japan, was resource-poor, and Nagazora was no exception. Its most developed sector wasn't industry but the service economy.
Yet the Far East also differed greatly from Japan.
Fifty thousand years later, the Far East would occupy a similar isolated, offshore position as Japan.
But right now, it was physically connected to the Shenzhou continent.
What eventually drove the Far East out to sea was the intense tectonic shift caused by the Ninth Honkai Eruption—the same cataclysm that formed the Mariana Trench.
Because the Far East and Shenzhou were linked, Nagazora and Sapphire City were actually quite close.
Otherwise, Su, studying in Sapphire, wouldn't have been able to pop over to Nagazora on weekends to catch Eden's concerts with Kevyn.
And for the same reason, the Third Honkai Eruption that struck Nagazora would also reduce Sapphire to ruins, leaving only a handful of survivors—our very own Valkyrie Fu Hua among them.
Now that Durandal planned to establish the Flame-Chasers' headquarters in Nagazora, she naturally wouldn't stand by and let the city be destroyed by the Third Eruption.
Why were the Honkai disasters of the Previous Era so devastating?
Because each time a Herrscher emerged, it wasn't eliminated immediately.
Fire Moth lacked the capability to detect Honkai outbreaks in advance. By the time they reacted, they couldn't spearhead into the epicenter to take out the Herrscher right away.
Fire Moth could only push inward gradually, layer by layer, from the outskirts. And because they moved slowly, resolving a single Honkai incident took months.
Why, fifty thousand years later, did most of the populace remain ignorant of the Honkai even after encountering the Herrscher of Domination?
Because whether it was Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, or even World Serpent—all three had the ability to detect Honkai reactions instantly.
They could either eliminate or turn the Herrscher, preventing the Honkai from spreading uncontrollably and causing catastrophic damage to human cities.
Of course, all of this was built upon the precious legacy left by the Previous Era.
Now, Durandal herself embodied the culmination of two civilizations' achievements—the Kaslana Strength, the Schariac Holy Blood, the Valkyrie armor from Schicksal, and so on.
Not to mention, the Gnius device sometimes offered pleasant surprises, and she even carried fragments of knowledge about the Herrschers in her mind.
In short, at least until the Herrscher of Domination of the Previous Era emerged, Durandal could ensure human society remained largely unaffected.
Take Mu, for instance. Though she was preparing early, that didn't mean she would stand idle while it was devoured by the Ninth Herrscher's pseudo-black hole.
But back to the point. Since the Far East was currently connected to Shenzhou, planning industrial relocation couldn't focus solely on the Far East's limited resources.
Right next door lay Shenzhou—rich in natural wealth and vibrant talent!
The future reach of the Flame-Chasers wouldn't be confined to just the Far East.
So from the very beginning, while establishing supporting industrial chains for the organization, they could integrate the advantages of neighboring Shenzhou as well.
Durandal lost herself in research and refining her plans, not even noticing when Elysia emerged from the bathroom.
Watching Durandal sitting upright before the laptop, absorbed in her work, Elysia couldn't quite decide whether she was annoyed or admiring.
Annoyed that the other girl seemed utterly unaffected by the same fluster she'd felt earlier; admiring that focused, diligent demeanor.
Elysia simply stood to the side, watching quietly, until Durandal finally felt thirsty and rose to fetch a glass of water—only then realizing how long Elysia must have been standing there.
"All done washing?"
Durandal walked to the water dispenser, poured herself a cup, then noticed Elysia's pink hair still dripping.
Setting the cup aside, she chided, "How old are you? Can't even dry your hair properly?" and snatched the towel from Elysia's hand, starting to gently pat the strands dry.
Durandal stood behind Elysia, slightly taller—165 cm to Elysia's 163.
On paper, the difference was small, yet Elysia appeared much more delicate and petite.
The pink towel slid down Elysia's hair, gathering lightly to soak up the moisture.
These pink locks were as vibrant as their owner, a faint, sweet scent lingering in the air.
After a few minutes of drying, Durandal, deeming it sufficient, turned to hang up the towel and pushed the window open a little wider.
The room suddenly felt rather warm.
Once the chilly breeze had cooled the heat on her cheeks, Durandal turned back to find Elysia already seated in her former spot, intently studying the content on the laptop screen.
She walked over, leaning down. "What do you think of this plan?"
Elysia propped her chin on a hand, tilting her head with a playful curve to her eyes. "Not as good as your hair-drying skills earlier."
Durandal fell silent.
"So… how many people have you dried hair for before?" Elysia asked.
Why did this feel like a trick question?
"Just one."
Durandal pointed at herself.
"Mhm~?"
Durandal wasn't sure what to make of that response.
Then Elysia added, "Well, if anyone asks you that question in the future, you should say… two, okay~?"
Hearing this, Durandal instinctively replied, "I doubt anyone would ask. After all, I probably won't be drying anyone else's hair."
The words left her mouth before she could stop them, and she froze slightly.
Meanwhile, Elysia had already turned back to the screen, slender fingers tapping at the keyboard, humming a soft tune as she seemed to help refine Durandal's proposal.
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