"Perhaps... everyone's just taking a long nap since classes haven't started yet."
"They probably closed the gates to keep outsiders from disturbing them."
"After all... it's the Jianxing period, and it's noon. Everyone's finished their morning teaching and studies, so there's nothing wrong with taking a good, long rest."
"Cas, Little Grey, Sister Lumina, and Big Sister Herta, we shouldn't overthink things."
Compared to the others' solemn expressions, Trianne seemed much more relaxed.
She found it perfectly normal for an academy to fall completely silent at noon.
After all, they're not robots; everyone needs to rest.
"Hmm... Teacher Trianne has a point. We can't rule out that possibility, but..." Trianne's words made sense, yet... Castorice had once been a Scholar studying at The Grove.
Therefore, she knew exactly what The Grove was usually like.
Whether during classes, between classes, during the noon break, or even at night, it was never this quiet...
Of course, she couldn't rule out the possibility that The Grove had implemented some new reforms since her graduation.
Still, it was better to be cautious.
"So, how do we get across now? Should Mem fly us over or should we jump?" Stelle asked, glancing at the chasm before them and then back at the platform where they stood, still a considerable distance from The Grove.
Her gaze fell on Mem.
"No way, no way! How could that possibly work?" Hearing Stelle's suggestion, Mem understood that Stelle wanted her to carry everyone across one by one.
But that was clearly impossible. Mem was so small—how could she manage such a feat?
Jumping across was even more absurd. They'd be lucky not to fall to their deaths.
Crossing her arms like a tsundere beauty, Mem stomped her foot in mock anger, looking utterly adorable.
"Mem... no matter what, let's scout the area first, okay?"
"Let's see what The Grove's current situation is before deciding our next move."
Before Stelle could speak again or propose another unreliable and impractical idea, Mem zipped through the air, one tiny hand pressed to her forehead in a "scouting" gesture. After a quick survey, she offered her suggestion.
"Mm."
Everyone nodded in agreement with Mem's suggestion.
After a brief search of the area, they quickly found a device that would allow them to jump and fly across to the platform behind The Grove.
"I don't see anything unusual from here," Mem said, pointing at the device. "Let's use this to get to the other side and take a look."
"Right. We won't find any concrete information by searching from here," Castorice agreed with a slight nod.
Her gaze fell on the device, but she didn't move immediately. Instead, she turned to Lumina and asked, "Miss Lumi—uh, Sister Lumina, and... Big Sister Herta."
"This device...?"
Castorice had intended to ask if Lumina and Herta knew how to operate the device; if not, she could teach them. But perhaps due to the tense, eerie atmosphere of The Grove, she forgot Lumina's earlier instruction.
The formal "Miss Lumina" slipped out.
Before she could finish the title, Lumina corrected her with a gentle gaze.
For a moment, the combination of their current location and Lumina's gaze made Castorice feel as if she were back in a classroom, standing up to answer a question only to be corrected by the teacher for a simple, common-sense mistake...
Hmm...
But this time, being corrected by her "teacher" didn't make Castorice feel embarrassed or cause her to blush.
Instead, a wave of reassurance washed over her, dispelling much of the solemnity and tension that The Grove's unsettling tranquility had instilled.
Heh heh.
The adorable, slightly dazed Castorice made Lumina's fingers tremble, and she struggled to suppress the thoughts bubbling up from the depths of her heart.
But even if she couldn't control them, she had to.
With so many people around, what if she made a fool of herself?
...Though Lumina didn't actually care about that at all.
She pushed aside the distracting thoughts.
This wasn't the time to deepen her bonds with the beautiful girls.
The scholar had been dead at the Throne for some time now.
And the Black-Robed Swordsman seemed to be growing impatient.
A powerful force lay dormant within him—a force that, if fully unleashed, could shatter the restraints Herta had placed on him.
If that happened, Lumina would be quite troubled, you know.
"Don't worry, Castorice. Herta and I don't need something like that." Lumina didn't take this perfect opportunity to land a follow-up attack on Castorice.
She simply smiled, indicating that she and Herta didn't need such a device to cross.
Without waiting for a response, Lumina tapped her bare little feet lightly, and her entire body floated into the air.
"Whoa! You can fly too?!" At Lumina's sudden maneuver, everyone except Stelle and Herta wore expressions of shock and astonishment.
Amidst the stunned silence, Mem was the first to speak, letting out a cry of delighted surprise.
"Hmph." Lumina gave a cool, soft hum.
Without another word, she flew toward the other side.
Seeing this, Herta also said nothing, simply seating herself on her magic staff and flying across as well.
Both Lumina and Herta moved with incredible speed, reaching the other side in moments.
They turned and waited quietly, as if signaling the others to hurry.
The group exchanged glances and nodded. Except for Mem, they all skillfully used their devices to join Lumina and Herta.
Mem, like Lumina and Herta, simply flew across.
"My La... Um, let's keep moving. The Court of Benevolence is just ahead. We should be able to hear the sound there." Even though she had repeatedly promised Lumina, Castorice still found the address somewhat awkward.
Lumina was naturally displeased by Castorice's hesitation.
But it wasn't a major issue.
This was just the beginning. Lumina would thoroughly train... No, that wasn't right.
Lumina meant she would act like a teacher, patiently guiding Castorice until she grew accustomed to the new address.
"Right, let's hurry." Hearing Castorice, Trianne nodded and walked ahead to lead the way.
"Lady Trianne!" Castorice quickly followed, staying close by her side.
With the Grove so eerily quiet and danger potentially lurking everywhere, Castorice couldn't possibly let Trianne run so far ahead alone.
If something unexpected happened, it would be disastrous.
The minor disturbance over, the group soon arrived at the Court of Benevolence.
"..."
Upon arriving, the solemnity that Lumina had briefly dispelled returned to Castorice's face.
"Something's definitely wrong. The Grove might have already..." Castorice tried to push the thought away.
But ever since they entered the Grove of Epiphany, they hadn't seen a single soul.
Even now, standing before the Court of Benevolence, there was no one in sight.
This forced Castorice to consider the grim possibility that the Grove had met with disaster.
After all, this world was never truly safe...
"Yeah, even if we aren't scholars, we've come this far, and still no one has come to greet us," Mem observed, her expression growing serious as she sensed something was amiss.
The two... ears? Or were they hair? Lumina wasn't sure.
But as they perked up with Mem's serious posture, Lumina found them incredibly cute.
"Ah!"
Since Mem wasn't a beautiful girl yet, but just a floating object, Lumina acted without hesitation.
Catching her off guard, Lumina swept her into a tight embrace.
To keep Mem from escaping, Lumina held her body steady with one hand and gently grasped the two... hmm, things on her head that could barely be called horns.
Grabbing them, she began to pet them frantically.
All the restraint she'd shown with Castorice earlier was now unleashed.
"Mi! Mem!! Mimimi!" Caught completely off guard, Mem let out a series of panicked and protesting squeals.
But Lumina, ignoring Mem's terror and protests, continued to rub and knead them without a care in the world.
"Mem..."
As a warmth gradually spread from the top of her head, Mem slowly gave up struggling. With a look of utter resignation, she let Lumina do as she pleased.
Mem wasn't happy about Lumina's actions, but she could tolerate them.
Part of the reason was that Lumina was a super beautiful girl.
But the main reason was that, despite looking rough, Lumina's touch was surprisingly gentle, making Mem feel incredibly comfortable and warm.
Of course, there was another major reason.
Mem knew that even if she resisted, it would be completely useless.
And her own companion was just standing there, watching.
No...
She wasn't just watching. She was staring with a mix of envy and hostility, as if she wanted to rush over and take Mem's place.
Mem?
Mem was utterly bewildered.
Judging by her companion's expression... was being held and fiercely petted by this "bad woman" actually a good thing?
Mem didn't understand, but she could feel the warmth spreading from the top of her head.
So... maybe her companion was serious?
Maybe she was experiencing something good—something that made her companion incredibly envious.
In that case, Mem decided she would enjoy it. She would cooperate fully with Lumina, letting her pet her to her heart's content.
And in the process, she would savor this "good thing" for herself.
"Maybe... they really are fast asleep?"
Stelle, who had been watching Mem's situation with envy, stared at her intently for a few more moments. Resisting the urge to snatch Mem away with her feathers, she quickly shifted her gaze to Castorice and changed the subject, hoping to distract herself from her current feelings.
"Unlikely."
Hearing this, Castorice shook her head. "In my memory, the sounds of debate in the Grove never ceased, even during the deep sleep of night."
"This kind of situation is highly improbable," Castorice explained in a soft whisper, enunciating each word carefully.
Though a conclusion had already formed in her mind, she refused to believe it.
At least, until she witnessed it with her own eyes, Castorice would not accept it.
"Is—any—one—here?!!!"
Just as Castorice was trying to push away the most realistic yet worrying conclusion from her mind, Trianne suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.
It was the simplest way to determine if anyone was around.
"Er..." The shout snapped Castorice back to reality.
But she didn't stop Trianne.
After all, shouting was indeed the crudest yet most effective method.
And here, it would be even more effective than elsewhere.
Because this was an academy filled with scholars.
Shouting loudly in an academy would surely earn someone a harsh reprimand.
So, Castorice eagerly awaited that result.
"..."
But after waiting for some time, no one responded.
"No one's here!" Trianne announced with a wide smile, hands on her hips.
She seemed completely unaware of what had happened in the Grove, or the dire situation it was currently in.
"Trianne, should we go back and tell Aglaea first?" Lumina asked, multitasking by petting Mem while joining the conversation about the Grove.
Lumina and Herta knew perfectly well whether there were people in the Grove.
There were, but they couldn't respond.
After all, they were all lying somewhere, sleeping peacefully.
If Trianne's shout had been answered, Castorice and Trianne might have relaxed.
But then it would have been Lumina's turn to panic.
"Hmm... Oh, right. Lady Trianne, could I borrow the Golden Spindle, please?" After a moment of thought, Castorice seemed to recall something and asked to borrow an item from Trianne.
"Mm-hmm, Cas, here you go." Hearing this, Trianne readily agreed, decisively taking out the Golden Spindle and handing it to Castorice.
"Mm." Taking the item, Castorice briefly explained to the others that the Grove wasn't just where Calypso's roots were located; it was also a place where the [Golden Cocoon] manifested.
"Moneta..."
Castorice closed her eyes and softly chanted a few words, activating the item.
"..."
After a moment, nothing seemed to happen.
"It doesn't seem to be working. Did it fail?" Trianne asked, puzzled.
"It shouldn't have..." This clearly caught Castorice by surprise as well.
A look of pure, innocent confusion crossed her face.
"Hey, there's something over there." While the others were bewildered, Lumina stretched out her hand and pointed to something that had just appeared in the distance.
"A Dryad?" Castorice clearly recognized it.
"Let's go check it out."
Having fully vented her frustrations, Lumina felt refreshed and invigorated.
After letting go of Mem, Lumina gestured to the others.
"Mm."
Nodding, the group started walking toward the spot where the "Dryad" had appeared.
Only Mem was left floating in the air, feeling a little... empty.
"Mem?"
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Mem quickly floated after them.