"Miss March is incredibly enthusiastic about learning the sword," Yanqing said with a smile, watching March 7th's fervent determination.
"And now she has a concrete goal to work towards."
"While it's not exactly a good situation, if we use this goal cleverly, we can treat it as an unexpected benefit."
The process of learning swordsmanship is notoriously tedious. Initially, Yanqing had worried whether March 7th would be able to persevere. Just last night, he'd been racking his brain for ways to set a customized goal for her.
Before he could devise anything, however, today's apprenticeship ceremony had unexpectedly delivered just what she needed.
"Hehe, what's that called?" March 7th giggled, then seemed to be trying to recall a Xianzhou idiom. But her limited mental capacity left her momentarily tongue-tied.
"Oh, right! It's called 'Heaven helps this young lady'!"
After a moment's thought, March 7th planted her hands on her hips, her face beaming with confidence, and declared the phrase with unwavering resolve.
"Heh, it's good that Miss March has such ambition." Yanqing didn't want to dampen her spirits, but he still felt compelled to remind her, "Miss March, please remember: if you aspire to become a Great Hero, there are no shortcuts. The only way is through self-improvement."
"Mm-hmm, Master Yanqing, I understand!" March 7th stood ramrod straight, looking like a fresh recruit receiving orders from her commanding officer.
"Oh, right," Lumina finally spoke up after a long silence, having been preoccupied with sipping her taro bubble milk tea.
Producing the Phantylia Kitten from who-knows-where, she held it in her arms and gestured toward the group. "This cat belongs to a relatively powerful species in the Cosmos. March can use it as a sparring partner."
Phantylia Kitten: ...
The Phantylia Kitten glanced at the assembled group, then back at Lumina, a flicker of surprise in its eyes.
This one... she didn't just roughly yank me out and toss me on the ground?
Despite its surprise, the Phantylia Kitten didn't dwell on it, simply assuming Lumina had experienced a momentary pang of conscience.
"Um... Sister Lumina, is this little kitten really up to it?" March 7th asked hesitantly, eyeing the kitten that looked like it could be felled with a single sword strike.
"Don't worry," Lumina assured them, crouching down to gently place the Phantylia Kitten on the ground. "Even all of you combined might not stand a chance against it. Using it as a sparring partner is practically overkill."
Lumina smiled softly, explaining, "Think of it as using a high-quality material for a low-level task."
"Huh? All of us together might not be able to beat it? No way!" March 7th, Yanqing, and Yunli gasped in disbelief, their pupils shrinking in disbelief.
If Sister Lumina had said she herself couldn't defeat the kitten, March 7th would have believed her instantly.
If she had said that March 7th, Master Yanqing, Master Yunli, and Stelle combined couldn't defeat it, March 7th would still have accepted it.
But...
How could even Little Swarm, supposedly an Emanator, be no match for this tiny kitten?
If even Little Swarm couldn't defeat this kitten, then...
March 7th's gaze gradually drifted downward, settling on the Phantylia Kitten resting on the lawn. A flicker of shock crossed her eyes.
Could this Little Kitten be an Emanator?
"March, don't let your imagination run wild," Lumina said, cutting through her thoughts. She didn't need to guess what March 7th was thinking—her expression gave it away.
The recent battles involving Emanators had left a shadow on March, making her feel an innate sense of awe and fear toward these powerful beings.
"Oh, thank goodness! You scared me half to death! I thought I was going to have to spar with an Emanator," March 7th sighed in relief.
Even though her own Sister Lumina and Little Swarm were Emanators, those relationships were entirely different. March 7th couldn't help but feel nervous around unfamiliar Emanators, especially those she was meeting for the first time.
After all, one had nearly destroyed the Luofu over a trivial disagreement, while another had plunged the entire Asdana Star System into an endless Sweet Dream...
"Meow~" The Phantylia Kitten stood up from the lawn, licked its paw, glanced at March 7th, and then fixed its gaze on Lumina.
Are you kidding me?
Fight the pink-haired idiot?
Seriously?