The two of them touched the patterns on their palms, yet nothing happened. They seemed like tattoos etched into the skin.
Magician raised her head. "Ordinary, right? But just like in stories, magic often requires the proper incantation."
As she spoke, she produced a magic wand out of thin air and muttered a mysterious spell at her palm. "Guchu guchu~"
Vill-V then held the wand out toward them. "You two should try it as well. How about it?"
Elysia and Minori followed suit, chanting together with the magician—
"Pa-la pa-la!"
"Guchu guchu..."
"Makabaka!"
The three patterns converged toward the center.
"3... 2... 1..."
"Let me ask you first—have you ever tried holding a cloud in your hands? I think... it must feel very gentle."
Vill-V lowered herself slightly and gently brought her lips close to Elysia's and Minori's hands, blowing softly into their palms.
Elysia and Minori immediately felt a subtle tingling in their palms, like the soft brush of a calligraphy brush's tip. Then they saw the patterns in their hands float upward, turning into swaying phantoms.
Waves, flames, and flowers gradually blurred and faded, and from within them emerged pure white clouds.
Elysia and Minori felt as though they were cradling two small clouds in their hands—warm and inviting, making them almost want to sink into them.
But clouds were clouds, unable to linger long upon the ground. Soon, they drifted away and dissipated.
Left in the girls' palms were three crystal-clear pendants.
Inside each pendant was the very image that had appeared before—surging waves, blazing flames, and blooming flowers.
"These are little gifts for my audience!"
"Ah, this pendant is just too adorable! Look, the color matches my dress today!" Elysia lifted the pendant in her hand and said excitedly to Vill-V, "Help me put it on~ I want you to fasten this beautiful pendant for me yourself."
"Yes, yes, Your Highness." Vill-V smiled and performed a servant's bow. Then she gathered Elysia's silky long hair in her hand, her arm lightly circling Elysia's fair neck as she carefully fastened the pendant for her.
Elysia touched the pendant resting against her chest, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Does it look good? Praise me, praise me..."
Setting aside the interaction between Vill-V and Elysia, Minori, meanwhile, looked utterly astonished. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the pendant in her hand.
She had been closely watching her own palm the entire time. When the cloud dissipated, her previously empty hand had suddenly grown heavy, and then the pendant appeared in her grasp, as though the cloud itself had transformed into it.
"Eh—eh—eh?! How did you do that!"
She was certain she hadn't missed a single detail, yet something unbelievable had occurred right under her nose and fingertips.
The magician bowed elegantly. "That is the secret of magic. When you are surprised, everything has already been completed in silence."
...
When it came to a ball, dancing was naturally indispensable.
"With three people, we can still dance three dances, can't we?" Elysia said expectantly.
Minori immediately grew nervous. She lowered her head timidly and said softly, "Um... Elysia-senpai, I don't know how to dance."
Elysia beamed as she looped her arm through Minori's. "Come on, come on. Vill-V and I will teach you."
"Wuu..."
Minori felt that her personality was very similar to Id Vill-V's. She was practically a delicate, submissive beauty, completely incapable of resisting others' advances and only able to let herself be led along by the nose.
Seeing that Minori was about to be teased into a flustered mess by Elysia—although the faint blush on Minori's cheeks was rather pleasing to the eye—Vill-V still stepped in to rescue her.
"Alright, Elysia, stop teasing her. A ball doesn't necessarily require partner dancing, does it?"
Elysia blinked her beautiful blue eyes and retorted playfully, "It's not teasing at all, Vill-V."
"Ah!"
Caught off guard, Minori had her glasses removed by Elysia, revealing her delicate and adorable face. Her bright eyes were filled with surprise and confusion, and her voice trembled slightly, as if startled by Elysia's sudden action.
Elysia grinned mischievously, lightly waving the glasses in her hand. "Look, Vill-V. Minori turns out to be such a beautiful and lovely girl!"
"If a pretty girl masters elegant dance skills, then when she meets someone she likes in the future, she'll be able to display her charm even better."
Looks like Elysia saw something I didn't. The powers of the Herrscher of Humanity really are convenient.
Dr. Mei might have to start worrying about a green hat soon. Kevin truly is a man burdened with sin.
However, Elysia listened to Vill-V and did not persist. She returned the glasses to Minori. "Mm, although I was really looking forward to Minori's elegant dance, at my ball, happiness is what matters most~"
"In that case, let's settle it with dance battles inside a game instead!" Elysia lifted the game console.
Vill-V's eyes sparkled with excitement as she cheered, "Yes! Video games, video games!"
Playing games with cute girls was also something Vill-V had long yearned for. Within the Mad Hatter Party, there had never been anyone willing to play games with her. Recently, she had successfully educated Bronya into becoming an internet-addicted girl, but unfortunately, Vill-V had no time to play with her.
And now she was playing games with Elysia. Let me test the strength of the Herrscher of Humanity!
Thus, Elysia's ball abruptly transformed into a gaming party. The restaurant staff standing by the walls were completely bewildered. You spent a fortune booking out the entire place... just to play video games?
While playing the latest release with the two of them, Elysia also chatted about topics between girls.
Although there was only one original girl present—Minori—the other two being a Herrscher and a transmigrator, they still chatted enthusiastically.
In the game, Elysia started out clumsy, but she quickly grew at ease, even crushing Vill-V—the seventeen-year-old girl with over a hundred years of gaming experience.
Fortunately, the clever Vill-V had not accepted Elysia's gaming wager, or she would have lost everything by now.
Afterward, Elysia discussed gameplay techniques with Vill-V and exchanged thoughts on the story's plot with Minori.
"Vill-V~ Do you have a favorite game character? We can talk about what makes them charming!"
"Me? If I really had to say... Elysia?" After all, in the Infinity Abyss and Elysian Realm, the King of Slacking, Elysia, was truly easy to use.
"Heehee~ Vill-V, you like the character Elysia? I like Elysia very much too. It seems we can discuss the traits and charm of Elysia together."