[The gods bless the fertile land, where life flourishes everywhere like a blazing fire...]
After walking for some time through the passage behind the great gate, a faint, ethereal voice drifted into everyone's ears.
The expressions of Stelle, Castorice, and Mem changed instantly. Their faces tightened, and their hearts filled with caution.
"Your Excellency, be careful. There's a sound."
Castorice halted, quickly moving to shield Stelle and Mem. Her eyes were filled with solemnity and focus.
After waiting for a while without any response, Castorice relaxed slightly.
"Let's... keep moving forward."
After a moment's hesitation, Castorice took the lead, positioning herself to protect everyone behind her.
She was the only Amphorean among them, and she understood her responsibility clearly. This was Amphoreus's own affair; she couldn't rely too heavily on others. More importantly, she couldn't let them face danger just because they were helping her.
Regardless of their strength or whether they were stronger than her, Castorice had to show her sincerity.
When danger arose, she would be the first to step forward.
"So, Little Lumina, isn't your little girlfriend cool?" Herta leaned close to Lumina's ear and whispered, watching Castorice lead the way and shield everyone behind her.
Her expression was blank, her tone devoid of emotion, as if it were just a casual question. It was impossible to guess her true thoughts.
"Isn't my little girlfriend cool?" Lumina repeated, seemingly puzzled.
Her jade-green eyes filled with confusion and contemplation. She glanced at Castorice ahead, then at Herta beside her, and her eyes lit up.
"Oh~ I get it now."
Lumina had reached a conclusion, apparently understanding the deeper meaning behind Herta's question.
Well...
Actually, Lumina had no idea.
She didn't have mind-reading powers. If she could actually guess what Madam Herta was thinking, she might as well be noticed by [Nous, the Erudition] on the spot and become an Emanator of [Erudition].
All of Lumina's recent actions were just a performance for Herta.
Because Lumina had already found the perfect way to counter Herta's words.
And that was...
To tell the truth!
"Of course, my little girlfriend is just so cool."
"I can barely stop myself from falling at her feet and shouting her name."
Lumina fixed her gaze on Herta, her eyes overflowing with tenderness and deep affection.
"..."
Initially, Herta met Lumina's tender, affectionate gaze without flinching, holding her stare.
She intended to make Lumina break first, seizing control of the situation.
But unfortunately, Herta had overestimated herself.
Under Lumina's intense gaze, Herta lasted only a few seconds before breaking, hastily averting her eyes.
I can't take it... I can't take it...
No one could withstand that...
After averting her gaze, Herta struggled to calm her racing heart, muttering a complaint under her breath.
That soul-piercing gaze... Herta felt that no one could endure it for even a full minute.
Even someone as formidable as Madam Herta had only lasted a few seconds. The difficulty of holding Lumina's gaze for a minute was unimaginable.
"Heh."
Though the outcome was expected, Lumina still felt a surge of delight.
Her lips curved into a triumphant smile.
That smile, reflected in Herta's eyes, felt particularly grating.
She was mocking an arrogant loser.
Herta had initiated the attack, but what was the result?
Lumina had effortlessly neutralized it and then easily defeated her with a counterattack, perfectly embodying the role of a loser.
"Hmph..." Despite being the loser, the more Herta looked at Lumina's smile, the more her anger flared.
The intensity of her anger even managed to suppress her wildly beating heart.
"I was talking about Castorice. Why are you staring at me?"
"What, you want me to be your 'little girlfriend'?"
Herta subtly shifted away from Lumina, crossing her arms and letting out a soft huff as if she hadn't noticed a thing.
"Hmm..." Hearing this, Lumina didn't answer immediately. Instead, she pondered for a moment with a completely serious expression.
After a moment, she nodded vigorously, her face practically screaming, It would be my honor.
"If Madam Herta were to become my little girlfriend, I'd gladly give up everything—even if it meant trading luxury cars, mansions, and beautiful girls falling from the sky every day just to lie around at home."
Herta: "..."
Hearing this, Herta's mouth twitched. She suspected Lumina had completely butchered the sentence structure.
But on second thought, Herta understood the true meaning behind Lumina's words.
This girl wants to have her cake and eat it too.
Dream on.
At least the second half of that is a dream.
As for the first half...
Herta didn't immediately respond. Instead, after having created some distance, she quietly closed the gap again.
Thump~
A soft, almost imperceptible thump echoed in their ears as their bodies brushed against each other.
Herta's shoulder and arm were now pressed firmly against Lumina's.
"I might not be able to grant the second half of your wish, but the first half... I can make that happen quite easily, you know~" Herta first glanced at the group walking cautiously ahead, then wrapped her arms around Lumina's, leaning in to whisper by her ear. She exhaled a warm breath, her voice laced with a seductive allure that even she herself hadn't noticed.
"Ah..."
This was the first time Lumina had ever heard such a tone from Herta.
As the words, carried on a wave of warm air, reached her ear, they sent visible ripples through her heart.
Though Lumina had no idea where Herta had learned to speak like this...
...to be honest, she loved it.
Lumina loved this way Herta spoke. If it could become a permanent feature, that would be even better.
She imagined herself resting her head on Herta's lap, listening to that endlessly seductive voice whispering in her ear. The mere thought was pure bliss, pure indulgence.
But first things first—she needed to deal with the matter at hand.
"Alright, alright," Lumina said, her tone playful. "So, esteemed Madam Herta, what method will you use to grant my wish?"
Though Lumina knew Herta was perfectly capable of that kind of thing, it didn't stop her from playing along.
Whether Herta would actually go through with it or not, Lumina certainly wouldn't.
Once things reached a certain point, Lumina would simply overpower Herta with her immense strength and force her way out.
At that point, no matter how resentful Herta felt, there would be nothing she could do.
And what if all that suppressed anger built up inside Herta until it reached an incredibly powerful state?
Well, what would happen would happen.
Even if her rage reached unprecedented levels, drawing the gaze of the Aeon of Destruction and transforming her into a mighty Lord Ravager, Lumina wouldn't care in the slightest.
Just a mere Lord Ravager. Lumina beats up Lord Ravagers. Lumina tea—no, Lumina educates Lord Ravagers.
The last Lord Ravager who dared to prance around in front of her... well, Lumina didn't need to spell out what happened to them, did she?
So, just a mere Little Herta. Before my absolute strength...
...all her schemes and trickery will be shattered by a single punch!
This was the thought running through Lumina's mind.
Driven by this conviction, Lumina wasn't afraid of anything Herta might say.
If Lumina could foresee these possibilities, then Herta surely could too.
Herta understood this perfectly, yet she remained fearless.
It's fun to tease her, and it'll gradually get Lumina used to these terms of endearment, Herta thought.
Changing Lumina and infiltrating her heart wouldn't happen overnight.
First, she would slowly alter Lumina's familiarity with the outside world, making her extremely bold with her words.
The kind of boldness where she'd seem proactive and nonchalant about intimate requests.
Then, the next step would be to transform all that verbal boldness—that proactive, nonchalant talk—into actual...
But this process is going to be a bit tough on me, Herta muttered to herself.
Looking down the seemingly endless road ahead, she couldn't deny feeling a little troubled.
But troubled or not, Herta had no intention of backing down.
Winning over Lumina, making her willingly call her "Big Sister"—this was Herta's lifelong ambition!
So-called Aeon Mysteries? They can all take a backseat for now.
With this thought, Herta took a deep breath. Leaning close to Lumina's ear, she continued in that seductive tone, whispering, "And how should I help you achieve that?"
"Like this, of course."
Herta paused, as if gathering her words—or perhaps her own emotions.
A moment later, her voice flowed like a gentle stream into Lumina's ear, seeping into her heart.
"From now on, I'm your Little Girlfriend."
"And you, naturally, are my..."
"Big... Boyfriend!"
The opposite of "Little Girlfriend" is naturally "Big Boyfriend." Even though they were both girls, it was just a title—it wouldn't change anything fundamental.
As long as it clearly defined their current relationship, that was all that mattered.
"..."
Herta's plan might have been incredibly effective. The words struck Lumina's heart, making it tremble.
Lumina had considered that Herta might call herself "Little Girlfriend."
But Lumina had never imagined that Herta would actually say the words "Big Boyfriend" to her...
While Lumina didn't mind hearing those words from a beautiful girl like Herta, it still felt a little weird, right?
"Cough, cough. I can accept 'Little Girlfriend,' but let's forget about 'Big Boyfriend.'"
Lumina cleared her throat, rejecting Herta's "Big Boyfriend" title while accepting Herta's self-proclaimed "Little Girlfriend" status.
In truth, Lumina wasn't particularly bothered by the "Little Girlfriend" relationship either.
She had only intended to befriend a beautiful girl—perhaps a slightly closer friend, but nothing more profound.
However, if the beautiful girl herself wanted it, Lumina wouldn't fuss over a mere change in title.
After all,
Title ≠ Reality.
Just because you're my "Little Girlfriend" doesn't mean I'll treat you like one.
Hmm... speaking of which, how exactly is one supposed to treat a "Little Girlfriend"?
Lumina wondered silently.
She didn't dwell on it for long. Little Girlfriend... it probably just means treating her like a lover.
Lumina would allow Herta to call herself "Little Girlfriend" and would even use the term herself.
However, when it came to anything lover-like, Lumina would draw a hard line.
No kissing. No more intimate acts. Lumina would permit none of it.
At most, they could hold hands, hug, or sleep in the same bed—activities befitting close female friends, but stopping short of a romantic relationship.
To put it simply, there were two rules:
First: No kissing on the lips. Kisses on the cheek or forehead would be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Second: Absolutely no skin-to-skin contact without clothing as a barrier.
...Unless Lumina herself initiated it.
Like that time in the small grove when she'd done that to Herta... their skin had achieved a shocking zero-distance contact.
But that didn't count, because Lumina had consented.
The rule was simple: if Lumina didn't want it, it counted.
Having established this "fair clause" in her mind, Lumina returned her attention to the present. She looked at Herta beside her—a woman of devastating beauty, whose brilliance could outshine the entire Cosmos. Lumina's eyes darted, and then, with a bold, "manly" sweep of her arm, she pulled Herta into her embrace as if Herta were truly her Little Girlfriend.
"Little Herta, my Little Girlfriend, aren't I handsome!"
Lumina puffed out her chest and held her head high, her voice brimming with confidence. She seemed utterly pleased with her actions and words.
"..."
Lumina's satisfaction was her own business. As for Herta, being pulled into Lumina's embrace—even if a bit roughly—was something she actually quite enjoyed.
But she would have preferred to switch roles, to be the one roughly pulling Lumina into her arms...
Still, this wasn't bad.
Inhaling deeply, Herta savored the fragrant scent wafting from Lumina's body.
If her scent is this intoxicating through her clothes, Herta mused, what would it be like to strip her bare and press my nose against her skin...?
As the thought crossed her mind, Herta's gaze drifted down to Lumina's chest.
After a moment's consideration—ignoring the perilous dangers of The Grove and the presence of the three others ahead—
Without hesitation, Herta shot her hand out, reaching for Lumina's chest.
She's touched mine, but I've never touched hers. Unfair.
Only by touching back can we achieve true fairness.
But alas.
Herta's hand met only empty air.
At the same time, the figure holding her vanished. Herta nearly lost her balance and stumbled to the ground.
"Hmph."
Seeing Lumina standing a short distance away, a serene smile on her face as if nothing had happened, Herta let out a cold snort.
She calmly patted down her clothes, saying nothing.
What could she say? It was exactly what she'd expected.
Deciding not to pursue the matter with Lumina any further, Herta silently fell in line behind the three others.
Soon, the group passed through the corridor and emerged into a vast, open space...