A bottle of energy drink, still lightly frosted with ice, was gently pressed against Sirius Symboli's cheek.
The slight chill brought a moment of relief to her body, which was already feeling a bit flushed from the heat.
She sat up hurriedly, and before she could speak, she heard Starlight ask with a hint of curiosity:
"What happened? Why do you look so unhappy?"
Taking the drink handed to her, Sirius unscrewed the cap, took a small sip, and waved her hand dismissively.
"Dream Journey told me the documents weren't fully submitted, so I have to head over there again. Such a pain..."
"There, there~ Just head over then, it's no big deal. Should I go with you?"
Sirius's eyes lit up and she nodded silently.
Then, as if struck by a brilliant idea, she looked at Starlight and said:
"Starlight... I feel like my leg is cramping up~"
"Ah!? A cramp? But weren't you fine just a second ago—"
"Maybe I wasn't careful when I was resting. What should I do? Dream Journey is still waiting for me..."
Feeling at a loss, Starlight finally suggested, "How about I support you while we walk? I could even carry you on my back if I have to."
"Then, I'll have to trouble you. I'm really sorry."
Sirius stood up unsteadily, putting on an expression of great difficulty.
"It's okay, come on, be careful."
Starlight rushed forward and draped Sirius's arm over her own shoulder.
"Shall we go?"
Feeling the softness of the other's body, Sirius narrowed her eyes and couldn't help but say with a grin:
"Mm, okay."
Whether intentional or not, Sirius moved at a very slow pace.
However, Starlight didn't suspect a thing. After all, it was only natural for someone's speed to drop when their leg was cramping.
After a winding journey, they finally arrived at the clubroom of the Expedition Support Department.
The exquisite wooden door was framed with gold trim, and the plaque for the "Expedition Support Department" was exceptionally ornate.
'Is this the Gold Family's secret base at Tracen?'
After a brief moment of awe, Starlight reached out and knocked gently on the door.
"Hm? You're here..."
Click.
The door opened to reveal Dream Journey in her school uniform, squinting slightly with a smile.
"Finally made it? Oh my~ It's actually you~ Please, come in."
Stepping into the Expedition Department clubroom, Starlight was immediately stunned by the decor inside.
It didn't pale in comparison to the Student Council office at all, and it even featured very expensive leather sofas and armchairs.
A giant blackboard was covered in notes and maps.
On the other side, three elegant wooden cabinets were filled with exquisite tea sets, while the opposite table was fully equipped with a coffee machine, a small refrigerator, and a television.
There was even a toaster.
"Wow~ This is amazing."
While she was marveling at the room, Dream Journey— who had appeared behind Starlight at some point— pushed up her glasses and gave a faint smile.
"It's alright. Efficiency only improves when the workspace is comfortable, doesn't it?"
Though her voice remained calm, one could catch a hint of pride in her words if they listened closely.
"Dream-chan, I thought your clubroom would be small, I didn't expect it to be this big!?"
"Hmph, as long as Starlight likes it. I'll take Sirius Symboli to fill out the paperwork first, feel free to look around."
"Ah, okay."
Letting go of the Uma Musume beside her, Starlight was about to head toward a nearby mural to admire it when her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Sirius.
"My leg is cramping right now. She can't leave my side."
"Oh~?"
Dream Journey looked up slightly into Sirius's eyes, then turned to look at Starlight.
She waved her hand dismissively.
"In that case, I can just support you instead of Starlight, right?"
With that, Dream Journey firmly swatted Sirius's hand away from Starlight's wrist.
She then proceeded to pull the other girl toward the inner area.
Sirius, forced to limp along, immediately became disgruntled and began to protest loudly.
"Hey, you! Take it easy, I'm injured here!"
However, once the two of them stepped out the door, Dream Journey let go of the other's hand and said with a smirk:
"I didn't expect you to have such a wicked sense of humor."
"Tch, so what? I felt like it! Fine, let's just get this over with quickly, she's still waiting for me to come back."
"Heh..."
Dream Journey turned around without another word, letting out a cold chuckle as she led Sirius Symboli toward a classroom on the other side.
"Oh! This terrain model is so pretty..."
Noticing a large sandbox table next to the desk, Starlight was instantly intrigued and walked over to admire it.
After making a full lap around it, she looked toward a musket resting on a nearby rack.
"...Is-Is this real?!! Or is it just a decoration!"
"Tch... how noisy, you insolent fool—!"
Before Starlight could finish marveling, a cold and majestic voice suddenly rang out from behind her.
Her body trembled as she turned around.
She saw an Uma Musume with silver bangs and sideburns, transitioning into orange at the top and tips of her hair.
Her features were sharp and clean, carrying a natural maturity and dignity. She looked elegant yet domineering.
Her sky-blue eyes scrutinized Starlight.
However, it seemed she hadn't expected the person intruding upon her sanctuary to be a silver-gold Uma Musume.
The golden hexagram stars in Starlight's pupils were so dazzling that she was left staring in a daze for a moment.
"Um, he-hello... I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"
Starlight looked apologetically at the Uma Musume, who was now sitting up from the sofa.
"My name is Divine Starlight. Dream-chan told me to come and visit the club... I'm sorry for the intrusion..."
Brushing her hair back, Orfevre slowly stood up and stepped toward Starlight.
She looked down at the petite Uma Musume before her.
"Dream-chan? Who gave you permission to address Elder Sister like that!?"
Crossing her arms, Orfevre's tone grew even colder.
"Ah, that, haha..."
The sudden pressure left Starlight at a loss.
She could only give a couple of awkward laughs, and just as she was about to explain, the clubroom door was pushed open.
"My noble sister, while I am gratified that you would speak up for me, Starlight is my friend. Please do not make things difficult for her."
Dream Journey walked in with elegant strides, followed by Sirius Symboli, who had her hands on her hips.
"Elder Sister... since that is the case, very well—"
"Hey~ You're finally here. Dream-chan, is this your sister? She seems so serious~"
Turning to look at the approaching Starlight, Dream Journey narrowed her eyes and smiled.
"Yes, exactly. And isn't that a perfect manifestation of her character?"
"Hah~ Every Uma Musume in the Golden family is a bit unusual, aren't they?" Sirius remarked with a casual shrug.
Hearing Sirius's nonchalant teasing, Starlight couldn't help but complain silently in her head.
'I feel like you Symboli family members aren't exactly normal either, are you?'
"Hmph. Since you are a friend of my sister, you are worthy of knowing my name!"
With a grand sweep of her arm, Orfevre stood as if atop a mountain peak, looking at Starlight as she spoke.
"I am the Golden Tyrant, Orfevre!"
'So dramatic...'
"Wow, that's... that's amazing..." Starlight complimented her, playing along as best she could.
"However, Starlight-chan~ even though you are a friend of mine, I still cannot forgive you for waking my sister from her rest..."
"Eh~! I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to."
Narrowing her eyes, Dream Journey rubbed her chin while sizing up Divine Starlight.
She glanced at Sirius beside her, and as if struck by a very entertaining idea, the corners of her mouth slowly curled into an intriguing smile.
"Mm-hmm. Since you are so sincere, can you tell me what you were marveling at just now?"
"Oh, right! This musket— is it real?!"
Starlight excitedly pointed at the musket hanging on the wall and asked curiously.