Perhaps it was because the little Starry Ball once held by Magician had given Elysia a small shock, that she, too, wanted to host a ball of her own.
The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment. Elysia had poured countless hours of effort into this ball, yet she had never expected that her second gathering would be met with such indifference. Anyone would feel hurt by such a drastic contrast, let alone someone like Elysia, who carried the heart of a young girl.
Vill-V had once heard Elysia mention that the first banquet she hosted had been a normal one. Kevin and Dr. Mei were there, and quite a number of people had attended, most of them new recruits from Kevin's cohort.
Unfortunately, many of them would never come again. Some had found their own paths and no longer had time for balls. Some had witnessed the cruelty of the Honkai and lost their courage. And some had already been left behind on the battlefield forever.
Vill-V recalled what had been mentioned in the summary report meeting—the casualty rate of soldiers during the Fourth Honkai Eruption had reached as high as 64.06%.
MOTH had never had many soldiers to begin with, and now more than half had fallen. MOTH had already reached the point where there were barely any troops left to deploy.
Perhaps... most of the new recruits who had attended Elysia's first banquet had already perished on the battlefield.
Another reason Elysia had organized this ball was to confirm whether the people she had once met were still safe and sound.
However... this result...
As if sensing Vill-V's gaze, Elysia blinked playfully and said with a light laugh, "Don't misunderstand, Vill-V. A lively and cheerful girl like me... wouldn't get sentimental so easily."
Vill-V walked over to her side and gently patted her small head. "Mm-hm, of course I understand. Adorable Elysia simply wants to create more beautiful moments than regrets. It's just that people care too much about the means of achieving results, and end up giving up the chance to appreciate the beauty within the process."
Vill-V did not bring up the fallen soldiers. Instead, she helped Elysia lodge a tiny complaint against those who were clearly still alive, yet did not dare to come see her.
Results were certainly important. But some things could only be experienced and gained during the process. It was a kind of understanding of the heart, an acceptance of the world, a communication with what lay beyond oneself.
It was a kind of beautiful energy transmitted only through the journey itself—a reconciliation with the world. It could not be described purely in terms of outcome or value.
Perhaps many would think it meaningless, but Vill-V felt it was meaningful.
After all, it at least gave her the chance to snuggle up to adorable Elysia, didn't it? That was extremely meaningful!
"Hehe." Elysia pressed Vill-V's small hand against her forehead, savoring the warmth of her palm. "Vill-V, you've been understanding my delicate little thoughts more and more lately. Could it be... you've fallen for me? Heehee, I like Vill-V very much too."
Aside from Vill-V, the other guests more or less harbored little thoughts of their own toward Elysia. (...Alright, Vill-V had her own little thoughts as well.)
They had probably mistaken Elysia's friendliness for romantic affection. After realizing that she treated everyone with the same warmth and that they had no special opportunity, they chose to retreat in the face of difficulty.
One of life's three great illusions: she likes me.
And besides, none of them knew how to dance, so naturally they were unwilling to stay and embarrass themselves.
Vill-V glanced around. The banquet was not even halfway through, yet only two guests remained in the hall. There were more restaurant staff than actual attendees.
One was herself.
The other... happened to be someone Vill-V knew as well. She was Kevin's new team member—Minori.
Minori's appearance here was drastically different from how she looked on the battlefield.
On the battlefield, Minori was slightly youthful in appearance, yet when she moved, she carried herself with heroic grace. The fact that she had been able to face the Herrscher of Wind alone was proof of her bravery.
An ordinary recruit would have turned tail and run long ago. That had been a Herrscher—the very incarnation of death.
Yet outside the battlefield, she wore a plain MOTH officer's uniform, gold-rimmed glasses, and twin ponytails, looking just like a well-behaved honor student.
If not for the Honkai, perhaps she would have become the student council president at some prestigious academy.
Minori's hands were clasped tightly together, her cheeks faintly flushed, as if she were nervous.
She seemed rather interested in Vill-V as well, but when Vill-V's gaze met hers, Minori quickly looked away shyly.
Her toes lightly traced a circle against the floor, and then she raised a finger to her lips and gave it a gentle bite.
Hmm. She looked like the kind of little girl who would be easily bullied by Elysia.
Since there were so few people, Elysia gathered the two of them together.
She first placed her hands on Minori's shoulders and introduced her to Vill-V. "This somewhat bashful young lady is Minori. Kevin recommended her to come here."
As soon as the words left Elysia's mouth, Minori's cheeks grew even redder. Who described someone as "bashful" during an introduction like that?
"Hello, Minori. I'm Vill-V. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Seeing Vill-V extend her hand, Minori immediately straightened her back and responded in an almost militaristic tone, "Hello, Vill-V-senpei!"
Smack!
What incredible grip strength! Vill-V's untrained hand was squeezed until it hurt.
Seeing how stiff and tense Minori was, Elysia figured she was simply too nervous and needed a bit of easing.
Her eyes gleamed mischievously as she suggested with a playful smile, "Vill-V, I thought you might perform a magic trick for Minori."
Vill-V flicked the brim of her magician's hat upward, revealing starry eyes brimming with enthusiasm. "Naturally. The exclusive magician of Elysia's ball... has already begun preparing a custom trick!"
Magician Vill-V flipped her palm over, raised her index finger, and lightly brushed her palm before opening it flat to show Elysia and Minori.
Elysia and Minori looked over, only to see a red handprint on Vill-V's fair palm—left there by Minori's grip.
Minori immediately panicked and apologized, "Ah—ah—ah! I'm sorry, Vill-V-senpei, I..."
"Alright, I'm not asking you to look at that. Take a closer look."
Minori lowered her head and noticed a blue wave pattern on Vill-V's palm.
When Minori opened her own hand, she found a flame emblem had appeared there as well.
Scratching her head, Minori looked puzzled. "What is this?"
"Oh my! I have one too~ When did this get drawn?" Elysia raised her soft pink palm, where a pink floral design had appeared. She clearly hadn't even shaken hands with Vill-V just now.