"That Scott... even though he's a scumbag, he really does keep his word."
"He let his pig squeals echo throughout Aurum Alley and even came to The Sleepless Earl's doorstep to apologize to the Young Proprietress in person."
"There's a reason he managed to become a minor leader in the Interastral Peace Corporation."
After leaving Aurum Alley, the group returned to the rear garden of the Palace of Astrum.
The moment she arrived, March 7th seemed to be back home.
The heroic posture she had been maintaining, the tension in her body and spirit, instantly melted away, replaced by a faint hint of laziness in her eyes.
"Keeping one's word... that's a virtue we should all learn from," Lumina said with a gentle smile, her gaze falling on March 7th. "If you had lost, March, would you have honored the bet?"
"Huh... me?" March 7th froze, then frowned, pondering for a moment. Finally, a serious expression appeared on her face as she nodded firmly. "I would. A bet is a bet."
"If I lost, I would absolutely never break my promise."
"It's just..." March 7th trailed off, her body fidgeting awkwardly. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks, and she looked a little embarrassed. "If the losing condition was something... really embarrassing, I'd probably swallow my pride and beg the other person to see if we could change the terms of the bet..."
After all, the terms are set before the fight. In the heat of the moment, it's easy to agree to anything...
"But of course," she added quickly, "if they absolutely refused to change it, I would still honor the agreement."
"No matter how embarrassing or difficult it was, I would accept the fact that I lost and follow through!"
If she had lost, March 7th would definitely have honored the bet. The only difference is that, while fulfilling the terms, she couldn't be as brazenly shameless as Scott.
Basically... March 7th just wasn't as thick-skinned as Scott.
"Is that so~?" Lumina drew out the words, a slightly mischievous smile playing on her lips. It was impossible to tell what kind of scheme she was cooking up.
"Uh... Sister Lumina, wh-what's wrong?"
Although March 7th didn't grasp the deeper meaning hidden behind her dear Sister Lumina's smile, being stared at like that still made her feel a little... uneasy.
It was like...
Like a big bad wolf eyeing a little lamb, ready to devour it.
Yep, no doubt about it. I'm the little lamb, and Sister Lumina is the big bad wolf...
But... a big bad wolf as beautiful and warm as Sister Lumina... maybe that wouldn't be so bad?
Even if she ate me, wouldn't I, the little lamb, still come out ahead?
March 7th muttered inwardly as her thoughts began to drift into increasingly strange territory.
"March 7th."
"March 7th?"
"March 7th!"
Seeing March 7th frozen in place, head bowed and staring at the grass below, lost in thought, Yunli seemed to have something to say and called her name softly a few times.
When March 7th didn't respond, Yunli raised her voice and called her name more loudly.
"Huh? Oh, right, Master Yunli!"
Lost in her own world, March 7th jolted at Yunli's shout. Her heart skipped a beat as her mind snapped back from its wayward path to reality.
"March 7th, don't worry. You won this bet."
"So, you don't need to stress about how to honor the wager if you'd lost, or what others might think of you."
Yunli, assuming Lumina's earlier words had upset her, spread one hand and offered a simple reassurance.
"Mm, it's fine. I wasn't really bothered by it," March 7th said, shaking her head to show it hadn't affected her much.
"Then what were you thinking about just now? You seemed so... absorbed," Yunli asked, her curiosity piqued.
March 7th's reaction earlier—the blush aside—had been strange. Her body language felt... off.
It was as if... she'd thought of something particularly exciting.
Could it be...
Yunli looked March 7th up and down, then raised an eyebrow as if she'd figured something out.
"Umm... Just now, I was thinking..." Hearing Yunli's question and feeling her gaze sizing her up, March 7th panicked.
No, no, no...
If I say what I was actually thinking, or if she finds out... wouldn't that be even more socially devastating than making pig noises throughout Aurum Alley?
"I... I..."
March 7th stammered, her long-unused, rusty brain spinning frantically as she tried to come up with a plausible excuse.
"I..."
"Were you thinking about what you'll do once you become a great hero?"
Before March 7th could invent a reason, Yunli crossed her arms, a knowing smile on her face that said, I get it.
"Huh? Uh... Oh, right, right!" March 7th froze, initially bewildered by Yunli's words. But she quickly caught on and ran with the suggestion.
"Hehehe, imagine those towering IPC mechs... I'd take them down in a few quick moves! Then, when I see injustice on the road, I'll have the confidence to step in and help."
March 7th chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of her head with a goofy expression. She breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Thank goodness Master Yunli didn't figure anything out. Otherwise, I'd want to dig a hole with my bare hands and stick my head in it...
"While standing up for justice is a good thing, you should always observe the situation carefully before drawing your sword," Lumina said with a gentle smile, having noticed March 7th's shifting expressions but choosing not to comment. "Strength is one thing, but if you're outmatched, don't get involved. Your own safety is the top priority."
"The other reason is also for your own safety. Before you rush in to help, take a good look and make sure they actually need assistance."
"Why? Wouldn't you know if they need help just by looking?" March 7th asked, her small face filled with confusion.
"Because the 'injustice' you see might be a trap set by villains," Lumina explained simply. "Their goal is to extort heroes like you, March, who rush in to help."
"Huh? People actually do that?"
March 7th froze, stunned by Sister Lumina's answer. She had never imagined someone would fake being in distress...
"That's right," Yanqing and Yunli agreed, nodding in unison.
Yunli added, "So, under normal circumstances, you can't just rush in to 'see injustice and draw your sword' every time you encounter something that looks wrong."
"People will just see you as a foolish hero and take advantage of you."
"I see..." March 7th pondered for a moment, then looked at Yanqing, Yunli, and Lumina with a solemn nod. "Master Yunli, Master Yanqing, Sister Lumina, I promise I'll observe the situation carefully before I step in to help!"
"Er..." Seeing March 7th's earnest expression, the three exchanged glances, each seeing the same exasperated look in the others' eyes. They were all thinking the same thing.
Without a doubt, they couldn't bring themselves to trust March 7th's goofy earnestness.
But it didn't really matter.
As long as March 7th's strength was overwhelming enough, it wouldn't matter if scammers lured her into a trap by faking an injustice.
One sword breaks ten thousand techniques.
She could simply turn their fake crisis into a real one.