There were plenty of Honkai scholars in the stream chat.
Soon, someone pointed out that the reason Pardofelis's eyes looked different every time was because a cat's pupils change shape depending on the time of day—a small detail.
They even referenced that little anecdote from Kosma's Reminiscence: [Formation], when he, Hua, and Pardofelis were teamed up.
Friendly reminder: this little story comes from Kosma's Reminiscence: [Formation].
Actually, the moment Elysia saw players discussing the variation in Pardofelis's eyes, she immediately thought of that Reminiscence from Kosma.
And instantly guessed why "Otto"-san had designed it that way.
No special reason—just plain compulsion.
Though, perhaps, also a bit of that "designer's satisfaction when others notice the detail and gasp in admiration."
She turned that thought over briefly, then continued tapping the screen.
Pardofelis pushed away Mei's blade, hurriedly explaining that she wasn't deliberately stalking them.
"I came to join you! I already checked all the hidden paths and alleys per Sister Eden's orders, but I found nothing at all... I was so discouraged."
"And just then, I heard Mei and Sister Vil-V were investigating the truth together, so I thought I'd join in and help out."
Pardofelis really wanted to contribute in her own way…
The players all nodded in agreement at this point.
Exactly—Pardofelis alone is a bit vulnerable. It's better for her to act with Mei. Mei can protect her.
Still, when faced with Pardofelis's team-up request, Mei remained cautious.
"I've never heard of 'investigating together' meaning you sneak around in the shadows following us."
Pardofelis scratched her head. "Well, uh… I was afraid you'd reject me. You know better than anyone how weak I am, Mei."
[Pardofelis: Please, I'm super weak.]
[Openly admitting she's here to cling to a powerhouse—that's peak Pardofelis.]
Mei: "..."
"That's quite the confident response."
Her voice carried a wisp of helplessness, and her face bore the indulgent look of "what am I going to do with you."
Honestly, you could tell right here—Mei had been in the Elysian Realm for a while.
She was starting to change. Her personality was no longer as hard-edged as when she'd just become Herrscher of Thunder.
"Self-awareness is a strength too! Even if I can't help in combat, I'm sure I'll be useful in other ways."
[Exactly, Pardofelis could pick a lock or something—she'll find a way to help, for sure.]
"You followed us just because you were afraid of being rejected?"
After hearing Pardofelis's reasoning, Mei sighed softly, still harboring a trace of doubt in her heart.
"O-of course! This is such a tense time—how could I still be thinking about restocking inventory... Even if I was, it was just a passing thought! I didn't do anything!"
Pardofelis quickly rushed to defend herself.
But her reaction was like a beginner player who stumbled into a high-level Werewolf game.
Even if she was telling the truth, it still sounded suspicious to experienced players.
At least… to Mei and a portion of players, it felt like Pardofelis was just digging herself a deeper hole.
She seemed to notice Mei's suspicious gaze.
"...W-wait a second, Mei, you're not suspecting me, are you?"
Mei: "..."
Sure, what bad intentions could a little cat possibly have? Sure, Pardofelis has no real power. Sure, the idea of her taking down Kevin and Elysia is absurd...
Picture it—Pardofelis punching Elysia, kicking Kevin, reaching the peak of her cat life… No, no, the image is too absurd.
But even so…
Mei kept silently staring at her.
Pardofelis hurriedly added, "Mei, that's a bit too much of a joke! I wouldn't dare touch Boss Kevin even if I had ten lives."
"If I did have that kind of ability, I'd take over Sister Eden's Golden Courtyard first, then have Boss Kevin and Kalpas deliver stock for me… no wait, maybe have Sister Elysia and Miss Hua watch the shop for me instead…"
After hearing all that—
Everyone had only one thought left in their hearts.
That's the flavor.
That really is exactly what this cat would want most.
To open a big store in the Realm, live worry-free, and bask in the sun every day.
["The Cat's Ambition" — by Pardofelis]
[Elysian Realm's vibes team: the cat.]
[Truly shameless. Capitalist cat, hahaha.]
[Kevin and Kalpas delivering for the cat? What is this, takeout? One cools the summer, one warms the winter—ultimate food delivery team! Genius.]
Vil-V stepped in to vouch for her. "I can vouch for her. That's exactly the kind of thing little Pardofelis would do."
"You get me, Vil-V!" Pardofelis nodded rapidly. "With the Realm in this mess, I can't even run my business—how is that good for me?"
Mei looked at her. "...Leaving motive aside, you certainly don't seem to have the ability to be the mastermind."
In the end, Mei agreed to let Pardofelis join their investigation squad.
Seeing Mei agree, Pardofelis was delighted.
Probably because she felt safer tagging along with Mei, could actually contribute, and maybe help end the chaos in the Realm sooner?
Then...
She could go back to sunbathing and running her store in peace.
Just imagining it made her purr with joy~~
...
Vilmos, Mei, and their cat returned to the amusement park.
The moment they entered, Pardofelis dutifully called out.
"Lil' Elysia, Lil' Elysia, are you here?"
But no matter how much she called, the elf Elysia didn't jump out of any bushes in response.
Something about the situation felt off.
Vil-V mused thoughtfully, "That elf Elysia is quite good at playing the disappearing act."
"Where did she go?"
To improve efficiency—
Mei proposed, "Let's split up and search."
Pardofelis and Vil-V agreed.
The three of them split up.
The player, controlling Mei, couldn't shake a creeping unease.
After all, in mystery stories—
When someone's missing and no one can find them, it usually ends with the group discovering that person's corpse after an exhaustive search.
No way…
Would the writer really go that far, even with a minor character?
...They really would.
That passing thought immediately made players more nervous.
Would they soon stumble upon a shattered elf doll?
Controlling Mei, the player started running laps around the amusement park in a paranoid daze.
Yes—several laps.
Because Hokuto had deliberately extended the section where players searched for elf Elysia, even added extra dialogue to set the mood.
But in the end… nothing happened.
There was no sudden pop-out of elf Elysia saying, "Cute humans~♪", nor did they encounter any remnants of her shattered form.
They just… felt like they'd been toyed with by the writer again.
Still—
Maybe not finding her was a blessing?
Usually, when someone's missing, it means they're probably still okay.
Seems like the writer still had a sliver of mercy for elf Elysia.
Relieved, the players resumed the story.
"Whew… still no sign of her. Where could she be hiding?"
Pardofelis rested her chin in her hand, thinking.
Mei shook her head. "I haven't seen her either."
"Should we keep looking?"
Vil-V chimed in, "This kind of mechanical task doesn't match my aesthetic sensibilities at all. Who knows, she might pop out on her own later. Until then, let's try a different direction."
As soon as she said that, DoraVil reached into her outfit and somehow pulled out a [fancy hat].
"Ta-da—[Cognition Collector]."
Vil-V raised the hat with excitement and eagerly introduced it.
This hat could allow Mei to enter someone else's mental space, directly browsing their memories to see if they were the culprit.
It was a specially developed magical tool.
Players all posted synchronized question marks in the stream chat.
Browse… memories? Is this really just a magic trick?
This is basically sorcery, Miss Vil-V!!
They had wanted to complain about this for a while.
Vil-V's understanding of magic clearly far exceeded normal comprehension.
It had reached… a level where calling it "magic" no longer did it justice.
More like actual magic than sleight of hand.
"Vil-V, did you design this tool yourself?" Elysia paused the game a moment to ask, curious.
"Ah… as if."
Vil-V immediately answered Elysia's question.
"If it were just a cognition collector, that's fine. But the fact that it lets someone enter another person's spiritual world? Something this magical doesn't exist in reality."
"True enough~~"
Elysia nodded, then added a soft jab.
"But I didn't expect you, Vil-V, to call your own game-self's invention 'magical.'"
"Because it is, isn't it?" Vil-V replied honestly. "Magic is what science can't do. What science can do is called illusion."
"For example, I could blow up the moon and tell the whole world I performed the illusion of making the moon disappear."
"But I can't just chant a spell with no prep and conjure a fireball. That's not illusion."
"Even if the first example is ten thousand times more horrifying."
Elysia: "..."
"Vil-V's metaphors are… quite vivid," she said as politely as possible.
[At this rate, Vil-V, you're about to steal Elysia's 'Master of Metaphors' crown (lol).]
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