Luna Belle finally pried Grace's attention away from the poor video recorder, pressed her onto a wooden chair in the parlor, and earnestly explained her plan to rebuild the Random Play video store in this world.
"So, Grace, I need your help." Luna Belle clasped her hands and pleaded with the engineer, whose eyes were still roaming for something to dismantle. "The tech here is nothing like New Eridu; we'll have to build everything from scratch. Whether it's the shop's power system or the maintenance of future projection equipment… none of it can happen without your expertise!"
Grace finally focused on Luna Belle, a spark of interest flickering in her ginger-orange eyes. She rubbed her chin, a confident grin tugging at her lips. "Starting a base from zero? Sounds way more fun than mere maintenance." She snapped her fingers and thumped her chest. "No problem, Belle! Leave it to me. Power supply, gear retrofits, gadget invention—I'm a pro. Perfect chance to test some new ideas, like converting local mana into a stable current…"
Seeing Grace about to dive into another tech rant, Luna Belle quickly cut in. "Details tomorrow! It's late; you must be tired."
Only then did Grace yawn, rolling her stiff shoulders. "Hmm… guess I am. Does inter-world travel give you jet lag?" She stood and looked around the wooden cabin. "Which room's mine?"
Luna Belle led her to a spare bedroom. Grace had no demands for comfort; she nodded, said "See you tomorrow," and shut the door with crisp efficiency. Luna Belle exhaled, fatigue washing over her. Back in her own room, she lay listening to the distant murmur of the stream, dreaming of the future as she drifted off…
At dawn, she woke cocooned in warmth on both sides. Bleary-eyed, she found Alice's peaceful face inches away, a few strands of gold hair tickling her cheek. On her other side, Ellen still slept defenselessly, one arm across Luna Belle's waist and that weighty Demi-human shark tail draped over her legs.
Luna Belle sighed and tried to wriggle free, only for Alice to tighten her hold in her sleep, mumbling. "…symmetry…"
Giving up the struggle and resigning herself to life as a "human symmetry axis," Luna Belle was startled by a soft voice beside the bed. "Lady Belle, are you awake?"
She jerked her head to see Ruoyu already standing there, bowing slightly. Ruoyu was immaculate in her black-and-white maid dress, silver hair perfectly in place, violet eyes clear.
"R-Ruoyu?!" Fully awake now, Luna Belle tried to sit up but was pinned by her two clinging companions. "How did you get in?"
Ruoyu smiled gently. "Elder Sister taught me some stealth techniques. Sometimes a maid must serve without disturbing her master's rest."
Luna Belle was speechless—what on earth did Sayu teach her? Ruoyu continued unconcerned. "Lady Belle, Lady Cecilia has invited her classmate, the earth-element Great Magician Silvana Nepuru. They are waiting downstairs in the parlor."
"What?! They're here already?" In a panic, Luna Belle tried to free herself. "Oh no, making her wait—she'll be furious…"
Her frantic movements finally roused the other two. Ellen grumbled, cracked open red eyes, glanced at the commotion and the maid, then rolled over, hugging her pillow back to sleep. Alice stirred next, blinking her beautiful heterochromatic eyes in confusion before noticing Ruoyu and the struggling Luna Belle. A blush flared across her face; she sat up gracefully, straightened her nightgown, and the display at her waist flicked to a flustered (´･ω･`).
"Good morning, Miss Ruoyu." Her voice still husky with sleep, she turned to Luna Belle. "Belle, what's happening?"
"Cecilia's earth Great Magician is downstairs!" Luna Belle yanked on clothes as she answered. "I have to get down there—can't keep guests waiting!"
Alice quickly helped tidy Luna Belle's hair and outfit. She followed Ruoyu downstairs, imagining an irritable mage kept waiting, her stomach knotting. But when she stepped into the parlor, the scene she expected wasn't there.
Tineva sat awkwardly on the side, holding a pot of herbal tea. In the middle of the room, an unfamiliar girl and Grace crouched together over a one-meter-tall earth golem made of mud and stone, discussing something in low voices.
The stranger had smooth flaxen hair loosely tumbling in natural curls. An oversized purple mage robe hung on her frame, sleeves rolled to the elbows, revealing slender forearms. She had a soft profile, small round glasses, and deep brown eyes fixed on the golem. She tapped a faintly glowing yellow crystal set in its chest and said to Grace:
"See? The energy loop's still unstable; core tremors throw off limb coordination. I tried an 'Earth' rune to dampen them, but it only lasts about ten minutes."
Grace was already twirling her shiny screwdriver, her amber eyes glowing with an intense, scholarly hunger...