The living room buzzed with lively chatter as everyone sipped their tea, enjoying the peaceful afternoon.
However, three distinct figures were currently missing from the parlor...
The absent ones were Flandre, Komeiji Koishi, and Hong Meiling.
Of course, the reason the former two weren't in the house was simple: Flandre had remembered seeing a quaint, open-air workout park roughly a hundred square meters in size nestled nearby within the villa residential complex. Installed across the rubberized playground was basic outdoor fitness gear—things like pull-up bars, parallel bars, and waist-twisters.
With so many guests gathering inside the living room, the two little girls hadn't felt comfortable running wild inside the house. Besides, their big sisters would get thoroughly upset if they sat around button-mashing video games all day, so Flandre had simply dragged Koishi out for a fresh-air stroll.
As for Hong Meiling... while she hadn't wanted to move an inch from the cozy sofa, Sakuya Izayoi had given her a single, razor-sharp glare that sent a cold shudder down her spine, forcing her to obediently tag along as a chaperone.
Once they arrived at the playground, Flandre stood before the equipment with an air of absolute, solemn authority, explaining the proper usage of the gear to Koishi.
"For this one, you stand on this raised disc and twist your hips to work out your waist muscles..." Flandre explained, pointing down at the rotatable metal disc installed on the ground.
"But..." Koishi pointed up at the high chest-level handrail attached to the frame. "Can we really twist our waists while holding onto that?"
Flandre looked up at the support rail, which sat level with the top of their heads. Given their petite height, if they actually held onto those upper bars while spinning, they wouldn't build core strength—they would merely twist themselves into pretzel knots.
Flandre shook her head with decisive, unshakeable confidence. "Of course not! That's how boring adults use it. We play with it differently!"
"How do we play?" Koishi tilted her head, her green eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Flandre stepped onto one of the discs, wound her body back, and gave a sharp push, spinning rapidly like a top.
"Let me show you!" she called out, her voice fluttering with her momentum. "We spin on these discs and see who can keep spinning the longest without stopping!"
Seeing this, Koishi hopped onto an adjacent disc with a delighted giggle, and both of them began spinning around in high-speed circles.
Sitting on a cool stone bench nearby, Meiling overhead their conversation and grumbled softly under her breath, "Honestly, if Hina Kagiyama were standing here right now, neither of you two would stand a single chance in a spinning contest..."
Well, since the kids were happily occupied, Meiling reasoned she could indulge in a tiny bit of on-duty slacking. With that peaceful thought in mind, Meiling leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and drifted off into a tranquil nap before she even realized it.
While she slept peacefully, a sharp-eyed old gentleman with rat ears casually strolled down the cobblestone path, catching sight of the two little girls spinning on the playground gear.
"Little Flandre!" the old man greeted her warmly, his voice rich and genial.
"Grandpa Lin!" Flandre slowed her spinning disc down with her boot and waved happily. "Where are you heading off to?"
"Me? Ah, the old lady at home suddenly developed a craving for a fresh cut of Tumor Beast meat, and our kitchen ran out," the old man chuckled, adjusting his walking cane. "So she sent me down to the local district market to pick up a few pounds."
This harmless-looking old gentleman was none other than Lin Yuxia's father—the undisputed shadow ruler of the Lungmen underground, the Rat King. At this precise moment, however, he displayed not a single trace of his cold-blooded, ruthless underworld aura, looking for all the world like a ordinary retired grandfather out doing morning errands.
"The district market..." Flandre turned her head toward Koishi. "Koishi, do you want to go take a look around with us?"
Flandre paused, looking at Koishi with a touch of concern. She knew full well that one of the primary reasons Koishi kept her Third Eye firmly closed was that she wished to shield herself from the overwhelming, noisy subconscious thoughts of surrounding crowds. Given how packed local open-air markets tended to be, Flandre worried her friend might find the environment uncomfortable.
"Sure!" Koishi nodded without a moment's hesitation.
Since her Third Eye had been closed for so long, she hadn't been forced to listen to the unfiltered thoughts of strangers in a very long time. Consequently, she no longer harbored any deep fear of entering crowded spaces. Furthermore, she had only ever heard stories of bustling public markets and possessed no real concept of what Suika meant when she talked about "massive crowds."
So she readily agreed.
The two little girls quickly chatted it over, deciding that since they were out exploring anyway, the destination didn't matter, and fell into step alongside the Rat King.
"Shouldn't we wake her up first?" Before they stepped off the playground, Koishi pointed toward Meiling, who was softly snoring on the bench.
"No need!" Flandre replied after a moment's thought. "Sister Meiling has been super tired lately. We'll just come back and wake her up when we're finished having fun, right before we head home for dinner."
Koishi nodded in agreement, taking Flandre's hand as they strolled down the avenue alongside the Rat King.
Winding through several residential alleys and bustling side streets, the trio eventually arrived at the primary entrance of the district market the Rat King had mentioned.
"Wow... there are so many people!" Flandre couldn't help but gasp, staring in utter awe at the dense sea of shoppers squeezing through the gates.
Koishi's eyes widened to the size of saucers. While she had mentally prepared herself for a crowd, the chaotic, bustling scene before her completely shattered her expectations. The entrance was tightly packed with people—shoppers shoulder-to-shoulder, one stream forcefully pushing their way in while another squeezed their way out with loaded grocery bags. It looked as though there wasn't a single inch of open space left to walk through.
"Grandpa Lin, do you really buy your groceries here every day?" Flandre asked, halting in her tracks and staring at the bottleneck in disbelief.
"Haha, it's only the main archway that's a bit narrow, so it bottlenecks easily," the Rat King chuckled softly, stroking his white beard. "Once you push through into the main stalls, the lanes open up significantly. And don't let its humble, rustic appearance fool you—the produce and fresh meats sold here are the absolute freshest in the entire district. You see? Everyone shopping here is a seasoned local resident."
With that, the old man shuffled forward, smoothly squeezing his way toward the entrance.
Flandre and Koishi looked at the tightly packed crowd. Koishi asked with mild hesitation, "Are we really going inside?"
"We've already walked all the way here!" Flandre declared, cracking her knuckles. "How about we each use our own special tricks to get through, and meet up inside the market?"
"Mm-hmm! See you on the inside!" Koishi agreed with a bright smile.
She took a single step forward, and in that exact millisecond, her physical presence vanished entirely from Flandre's perception.
This was her unique [Ability to Manipulate the Subconscious]. By altering the subconscious perception of those around her, she rendered herself completely invisible to human awareness. Even if she walked directly in front of someone or brushed past their sleeve, their brain would simply fail to register her existence entirely—an ability that was, for all practical purposes, a stealth master's ultimate dream.
Having activated her ability, Koishi casually strolled straight into the densely packed crowd. Without even realizing why they were doing it, the shoppers naturally parted, leaving a smooth, open path for her to glide through with effortless ease.
Seeing Koishi slip through, Flandre grinned, her body bursting into a swirling cloud of tiny crimson bats. Amidst the startled yelps and gasps of the surrounding crowd, the crimson swarm zipped over everyone's heads, landing cleanly in the open courtyard inside before reforming back into the little vampire.
Upon landing, Flandre raised both arms high into the air like a grand stage performer finishing an elaborate act, striking a proud pose as she looked around.
Fortunately, her distinctive red dress and vibrant wings were well-known across Lungmen. Although quite a few local shoppers were startled by her sudden bat-teleportation, once they recognized Flandre, they merely offered amused, fond chuckles and friendly waves.
Flandre turned back toward the entrance, where His Excellency the Rat King was still patiently inching his way through the bottleneck with his cane.
As for Koishi... as long as she chose not to be noticed, no ordinary mortal in the market could see her. However, Flandre was certain she was already inside, wandering through the colorful stalls. As for why she hadn't met up at the central arch yet, she had likely stumbled across something fascinating.
Driven by curiosity, Flandre began strolling down the market lanes. Before long, she felt a soft, invisible hand tug gently at her sleeve, pulling her toward a quiet corner stall.
She looked down—and sure enough, Koishi's presence materialized right beside her.
Koishi raised a slender finger, pointing toward the dark interior of a nearby live seafood stall, leading Flandre inside.
"What's in there?" Flandre whispered, tilting her head.
Koishi pointed toward a dimly lit holding tank tucked away in the back of the shop. "There's a very, very strange creature in that basin."
"Strange?" Flandre was thoroughly intrigued. A seafood shop was normally packed with standard fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish—what could possibly be "strange"?
Still, she followed Koishi deeper into the stall.
Moments later, her eyes landed on the anomaly Koishi was pointing at.
Resting inside a shallow glass tank was a pitch-black, slippery "fish." But calling it a fish wasn't entirely accurate—unlike any normal aquatic creature Flandre had ever seen, this black creature actually possessed a fully formed pair of thick, muscular legs!