“Master, good morning!” The moment she stepped into the living room, Yae-hime saw a tiny figure shoot toward her like a cannonball, cutting through the air with a sharp whoosh. It was Little Blue.

“You’re full of energy every single day, aren’t you?” Yae-hime reached out, caught her mid-flight, and lifted her up right in front of her eyes.

“I have to stay lively every day to serve Master properly!” Little Blue replied with a bright, cheeky grin.

“Smooth talker.” Yae-hime pinched her soft cheek, then smiled faintly. “But I like it. I’ll prepare something extra for you all tonight.”

“Yay! I love Master the most!”

“Back to the point. While I was resting, did anything unusual happen?” Yae-hime released her, allowing the little girl to float freely in midair.

“Nothing unusual across Aqua Blue Star as a whole, but the footage of Master’s battle with that bug creature was uploaded online. It’s already causing quite a stir.” Little Blue’s expression straightened at once as she spoke seriously.

“You’re certain it’s footage of my fight with that Mantisman?” Yae-hime asked, a hint of doubt flickering in her eyes. Logically speaking, that kind of video should have been strictly controlled. There was no reason it should be allowed to spread freely across the internet.

“Yes.” Little Blue nodded, then lightly tapped the air. With a soft hum, a virtual screen materialized. The screen played the battle from last night between Yae-hime and Forgeblade.

The footage was blurry and indistinct, showing only the vague outlines of a strange creature and a girl locked in combat.

“……” After watching it through, Yae-hime fell into silence. The final segment, where they vanished, was nowhere to be seen. Or rather, someone had deliberately edited it out.

“It looks like this was done under official directive,” Yae-hime said, withdrawing her gaze.

“Mm, I think so too. It feels like the authorities are behind it… but I can’t figure out their intention.” Little Blue spread her hands.

“They’re preparing the public—giving them a kind of early warning,” Yae-hime replied. As someone who had lived through it once before, she immediately saw through the plan.

In her previous life, the authorities had gradually released similar photos and videos online as well. She just hadn’t expected them to act this early.

‘I clearly remember this kind of move happening about a year later… but now it’s been pushed forward.’

That was hardly a good sign.

“Perhaps it’s connected to the planet’s awakening,” she murmured softly.

“They’re quite perceptive, aren’t they?” Little Blue puffed out her flat chest with a hint of pride.

“Maybe there are people up there far more capable than we realize.” Yae-hime smiled lightly. She didn’t dwell on the matter. Compared to the convergence of two worlds, something like this was trivial.

“Anything else?” she asked.

Little Blue shook her head.

“Keep an eye on the bugs. The moment anything changes, report it to me immediately.” Compared to distant future crises, Yae-hime was more concerned about the troubles right in front of her.

“Got it! I’ll stay fully alert and keep watch!” Even as she said that, the corner of Little Blue’s eye drifted toward the Vera clones not far away. ‘Vera still isn’t enough… when will Master finally gather all nineteen Veras?’

“If there’s nothing else, go have breakfast first,” Yae-hime said.

“Master isn’t eating?”

“No need.” Yae-hime shook her head gently and turned to walk outside.

Only after her figure had completely disappeared did Little Blue lead the Vera clones toward the dining hall, where they began devouring their meal. Today’s breakfast was as lavish as ever.

Outside, Yae-hime went through three full martial routines, repeating each sequence to deepen her understanding. Every move she executed was nearly flawless. Each punch and palm strike, every motion and transition, carried a subtle, profound resonance.

This was “Intent.” The martial intent that grandmasters of the martial path could only hope to grasp after dedicating their entire lives!

If Ronald were present to witness her practice, his jaw would have dropped to the ground, his mind shaken to its core as he cried out: “What kind of monstrous prodigy is this!?”

Drawing her hands in a smooth arc before bringing them together, Yae-hime exhaled softly, concluding her practice. The mysterious aura dissipated along with her breath, fading like smoke.

“The health benefits of Taiji are quite good… though they don’t do much for me.” Lowering her hands slowly, she spoke in a calm voice. With her Celestial Race bloodline, she had no need for such methods of nourishment.

“As for the bugs, with Little Blue and the others keeping watch, there shouldn’t be any issues for now. But those coming out of the Kun Ruins… they’re a bit troublesome.” She raised her gaze toward the distance, a trace of gravity surfacing on her face.

Then she let out a soft sigh before returning to her room and logging into the game. For enemies that couldn’t be predicted, she did feel a measure of concern. But only to that extent. Life went on as usual, and games were still meant to be played.

At that moment, in Aoma Village, inside the guest room of the village chief’s house, a gentle white glow suddenly spread through the room. Almost the instant the light appeared, the two little girls turned and lunged forward, wrapping themselves around it.

“So tight…” The moment Yae-hime logged in, she felt as if she were clamped in the crushing grip of a giant vise. “Why are you like this every single time?” She glanced at Zerene and Lili, speaking with mild exasperation.

“Zzz… Zzz…” The only response she received was the faint, steady sound of their breathing.

“Fine.” Yae-hime gave up struggling, closed her eyes obediently, and waited for them to wake.

An hour later, Zerene was the first to open her bright, watery eyes. “Ahh, that felt so good!” She was still clinging to Yae-hime like a koala, showing no intention of letting go.

“So noisy… I’m sleepy…” Lili half-opened her eyes and muttered groggily.

“Sleepyhead.” Zerene curled her lips, then leaned in with a playful sniff. “Sniff sniff… mmh, Little Hime smells so nice, I kinda want to take a bite!” 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

“Cut it out. Eat your own head!” Yae-hime shot her an immediate glare.

“Oh, Little Hime’s awake already? So early, mwah!” As she spoke, Zerene actually began feeling her up.

On the other side, Lili snapped awake in an instant. “You’re not allowed to take advantage of Little Hime!” Before her words even fully settled, she grabbed Zerene’s hand and yanked it away with force.

“What do you mean take advantage? I’m just having some intimate interaction with Little Hime,” Zerene argued shamelessly.

“Not even interaction is allowed!” Lili huffed angrily. The moment she let her guard down, this girl would push her luck further. It was infuriating. She stared at Zerene, grumbling inwardly.

“Alright, since you’re both awake, get off me first.” Yae-hime rolled her eyes.

“Okay!” Zerene got up obediently, and Lili released her grip in the same motion.

The two little ones sat neatly at the edge of the bed.

“Did you sleep well?” Feeling her body finally relaxed, Yae-hime got up from the bed, her voice soft.

“Mm-hmm!” Zerene and Lili nodded quickly. How could they not sleep well when they were sleeping with Little Hime? In truth, they only spent an hour or two together with Yae-hime before falling asleep and before waking.

“As long as you slept well.” Yae-hime turned to Zerene. “There’s still some time before breakfast. Let me treat you first.”

Hearing this, Zerene immediately brightened. “Mm-hmm! Little Hime’s treatment feels really good, I love it!”

“Look how happy you are…” Lili shot her a huge eye roll.

“Hehe, looks like someone’s jealous?” Zerene turned toward her, her eyes curving into crescents, her small mouth lifting at both corners into an exaggeratedly smug grin.

For some reason, that ridiculous expression instantly irritated Lili, making her want to grab Zerene’s cheeks and stretch them apart.

“I’m not jealous at all.” She pouted.

“Oh really? Then I’ll have Little Hime’s treatment all to myself!” Zerene declared proudly.

“……” I’m not jealous… Lili thought, yet she found herself actually feeling a little envious.

“Time is precious, so stop fooling around. Zerene, take off your clothes and lie down on the bed.” Yae-hime gently patted their heads. In the next moment, her expression turned serious.