The moment Aria, Feidric, and Douglas stepped through the Century Gate, they were utterly stunned by the scene before them.
Just moments ago, they had been in Silver Moon City, attending the Artemis Festival. Although the festival had encountered some minor setbacks, it had been undeniably lively and vibrant until those problems arose.
But now, gazing at this spectacle, the festival paled in comparison.
The wide, paved streets teemed with bustling crowds. On either side stood rows of four- or five-story buildings, all ablaze with colorful lights. Though it was night, the entire place was as bright as day.
Aria, her eyes wide with wonder, murmured, "Is there some kind of festival going on here, too?"
Having grown up in a small village within a minor Duchy, Aria's worldview was limited. Her shock at this sight was understandable.
Feidric, hailing from the Arcane Federation, and Douglas, from the Dragon Ember Empire, both boasted far broader worldly experience. Yet...
Even they had never witnessed anything like this before!
Their expressions mirrored Aria's perfectly, a trio of country bumpkins gawking at the city lights.
Just as the trio stood there, utterly bewildered, another Century Gate suddenly appeared above Aria's head. Three small animals tumbled out one after another, landing squarely on her head.
"Ouch~!" "Ouch!" "Ouch!"
Aria looked like a groundhog popping its head out of its burrow, getting bonked three times in quick succession. The Little Owlbear rolled directly into her arms, while Half the Husky slid down her collar and into her shirt. Finding the space too flat, Half slid out again a moment later, splattering onto the ground with a plop.
As for the Little Squirrel, its tiny legs churned like four little wheels as it darted away...
...only to crash headfirst into a roadside pole and freeze in place, motionless.
The sudden appearance of a Century Gate drew curious glances from passersby. In Okhema, such gates weren't uncommon; after all, the Holy Maiden frequently used them for travel. Even if the Holy Maiden herself wasn't the one emerging, it was bound to be someone closely connected to her.
Seeing Aria get bonked three times in a row, many onlookers couldn't help but chuckle softly.
However, the passersby didn't approach to strike up a conversation. Instead, they observed from a distance or whispered among themselves.
The perspective shifted back to Aglaea. In response to Aria's question, she said, "There's no festival. This is just Okhema's usual state."
"Come with me. I'll take you to your lodgings first. It's quite late, so let's rest for now. We can discuss anything else tomorrow."
Aglaea led the way, with Aria still cradling the Little Owlbear. Feidric and Douglas each carried the Little Puppy and Little Squirrel, respectively, while the trio followed closely behind. As they hurried along, they naturally observed the surrounding passersby and architecture, finding everything utterly novel and fascinating.
Starting with the passersby, Aria had initially only noticed the sheer number of them. Now, upon closer inspection, she realized that many of the clothes worn by these people were unfamiliar to her.
In different places, beauty standards can vary drastically. Some cultures might prize plumpness, while others value slenderness. Among female Dwarves, for instance, thicker hair might be considered more beautiful.
In Okhema, there was no doubt that Tribios was the standard of beauty. Her preference for elegant gowns and high heels had inspired many residents to emulate her style, with at least half the women on the streets dressed similarly.
The remaining half showcased a diverse array of outfits: blouses, dresses, sailor uniforms, black stockings, white stockings, and more. Notably, sailor uniforms paired with white stockings were the school uniform in Okhema. Just as they were passing by, a nearby school had just dismissed, and a large group of students skipped and hopped past the trio.
As for the surrounding buildings, their architectural style was unlike anything Aria, Feidric, or Douglas had ever seen before. What were these buildings for? Why were they glowing? Why were they built so tall?
Because all the buildings shared the same uniform style, the city exuded an air of symmetry and beauty. Feidric especially struggled to describe his feelings; he felt as if he had suddenly been transported to another world.
In a sense, that wasn't far from the truth. In her later years, Tribios had strived to recreate Okhema in the image of her past life. Living here gave her the feeling of finally coming home.
Just as Aria and her companions were still marveling at the sights, a sleek, wheeled "box" suddenly appeared on the road and sped past them.
Douglas froze, pointing at the receding vehicle and exclaiming, "What the hell was that thing?!"
Aglaea replied, "That's a Magitech Vehicle, a common mode of transportation in Okhema."
"Mag... Magitech Vehicle?!"
Of course, even after Aglaea's explanation, Douglas remained utterly clueless. "So... what exactly is a Magitech Vehicle?"
Feidric interjected, "I sensed a faint magical aura emanating from that 'box.' Does that mean it's a Magic Item?"
Douglas clicked his tongue. "A Magic Item that big?"
Hearing this, Aglaea fell silent, at a loss for how to explain. Finally, she said, "If you're interested, you can visit any Magic Engineering Academy tomorrow. You'll learn all about these things there."
After another moment, Aglaea finally led the group to a seemingly ordinary five-story residential building. She produced a key and handed it to Feidric, saying, "The apartment on the top floor, left side, you'll be staying there for tonight. As for Cipher, may I borrow her for the night? I'll return her to you tomorrow."
As previously mentioned, Okhema had no inns due to the absence of outsiders. The accommodation arranged for the trio was naturally a very ordinary, empty apartment. Feidric accepted the key, glancing at Cipher beside him, who wore an expression of utter despair, having long since given up resisting. He nodded quickly. "We have no objections."
The situation was clear: the child had run away from home for quite a while, only to be finally caught by her mother and dragged back. Feidric could more or less guess what Cipher would face next, but this was, after all, a family matter. He had no right to interfere. All he could do now was pray for Cipher's sake.
After watching the trio carry their three small animals upstairs, Aglaea finally released Cipher, whom she had kept bound the entire journey. A brand-new Century Gate materialized beside them. As they stepped through, Cipher stretched languidly.
Though the process seemed somewhat self-torturous, the goal was achieved: Aria and the others had finally been brought to Okhema. Once the trio grew accustomed to the place, their "special training" would begin.
Beyond the Century Gate lay the grand villa on the outskirts of Okhema, the residence Melly had arranged for Aglaea and Cipher. Tribios had since renamed it the Golden Courtyard. Given the estate's vast space, she planned to house all her Identities there, reserving the main quarters for herself.
Back in this space inhabited solely by her "selves," Aglaea and Cipher naturally relaxed. After a brief rest, Aglaea glanced at the Cat beside her, her other self, and a few thoughts began to stir in her mind.
Perhaps... we could resume that lewd bondage session we had to cut short earlier?
Or something else entirely?
Truth be told, after three centuries, Tribios had long become a seasoned veteran of pleasure, having rewarded herself countless times, far too many to count. Shyness was simply no longer an option.
Until now, she had only rewarded herself alone, never experiencing what it felt like to share such intimacy with another. Aglaea and Cat seemed like a perfect match, didn't they?
Without hesitation, Aglaea and Cipher exchanged a glance before rising and heading towards Aglaea's bedroom.
Feidric had worried Cipher would be disciplined that evening, but in a way, wasn't this another kind of 'discipline'?
Meanwhile, the perspective shifted to Tribios, who was, remarkably, still working.
Instead of having Aglaea come in for a perfunctory report, skipping the pointless formality, Tribios summoned Melly. Without revealing the source of her information, she directly briefed Melly on the situation in Silver Moon City within the Alliance.
Melly curled her lip at the news. "So, every Artemis Believer and Priest is compromised?"
Tch, in my opinion, they deserve it!
What do we care what happens to them?
Having lived together for three centuries, Melly was undoubtedly aware of Artemis stopping Tribios from intervening in the past. This left her with nothing but disdain for the so-called True Gods. Now, learning that Artemis had not only been corrupted but had also dragged many within the Alliance down with her, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of satisfaction.
Tribios sighed. "But we can't just say that. After all, the Twelve True Gods are also protecting this world. And the ordinary people of the Alliance are innocent. If possible, I think we should warn them. We can't let Artemis' corruption continue to spread."
"If we ignore it this time, what about next time? Maybe the time after that, other nations will be destroyed, and the disaster will fall upon us."
Melly asked, "So, Teacher Tribbie, what exactly do you mean?"
Tribios replied, "Since Okhema ended its seclusion a month ago, perhaps we should proactively...
announce our existence to the others."
Despite discussing serious matters, Tribios' cheeks gradually flushed crimson as she spoke. Her legs unconsciously tightened, rubbing lightly against each other.
It's over. Tribios thought. Aglaea's side was too efficient. She forgot I was still working here. And since all of us share a perfect, no, even stronger than empathic connection, after all, we're all the same person, this is just... overwhelming.
Admittedly, it was all a bit too stimulating. Tribios took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the effort yielded little result.
She quickly changed the subject, saying, "However...
I haven't yet decided how to reveal our existence. For now, let's send one of our spies within the Alliance to expose their identity and proactively engage with high-ranking officials. We need to discuss both the Okhema incident and the... Artemis situation."
After hearing this, Melly tilted her head in slight confusion, not questioning the order itself but rather Tribios's current state. Melly wasn't the type of oblivious NPC you find in those stereotypical stories, the kind who remains utterly clueless about the protagonist's state even when it's glaringly obvious. The moment Tribios showed the slightest sign of distress, Melly immediately noticed.
"I understand," Melly said. "I'll go issue the order right away. Teacher Tribbie, enjoy yourself. I'll take my leave now."
At first, Melly had assumed Tribios had suddenly activated some small toy.
Indeed, over the years, Melly had invented numerous small toys. After all, their structures and principles were quite simple. However, all of these devices were powered by Magic Power. Even if the fluctuations were minimal, given Melly's sensitivity to Magic Power, she should have been able to detect any activation.
Yet she sensed nothing, hence the puzzled expression that had crossed her face moments ago.
Watching Melly's retreating figure, Tribios collapsed face-down on the table, her cheeks flushed crimson. "It's over... I've lost my teacherly dignity again...
But this time, I swear I didn't do anything!"
Or rather, over these three centuries, she had long since lost any pretense of authority over Melly. Though Melly still addressed her as Teacher Tribbie, their relationship had evolved far beyond the initial teacher-student dynamic. They now shared a far closer, more profound connection, understanding each other intimately.
Knowing Teacher Tribbie all too well, Melly had long understood that she was a girl who secretly enjoyed mischievous and slightly lewd things. That's why she invented those little toys and gave a whole bunch to Tribios.
Time passed quickly, and the next day arrived. Aria, buzzing with excitement, barely slept the night before. As soon as dawn broke, she leaped out of bed, washed up, and couldn't wait to explore the fascinating city.
Beside her lay the three drowsy little creatures, looking utterly exhausted. Usually, it was the animals who tormented humans, but this time the tables had turned: Aria had kept the three little creatures up all night, leaving them completely drained and desperate for sleep.
Perfect! Aria thought. I'll leave the little ones to sleep. After finishing her morning routine, she knocked on Feidric and Douglas's bedroom door. Waking them up, she exclaimed, "Come on, let's go explore!"
.
PS: Melly 1, Tribbie 0... maybe?