As Elysia pondered, a team of four people finally hurried into the area. They weren't wearing any uniforms, and their attire was... eccentric. One man was clad in long sleeves, shorts, and flip-flops. Another sported heavy dark circles under his eyes and an unruly afro. The third wore a T-shirt emblazoned with Robin, practically oozing with shut-in energy.
Only the last member, likely the sole woman on the team, was dressed somewhat normally. Her long red hair was tied back in a neat ponytail, giving her a crisp and efficient appearance.
The quartet's mismatched appearance was undeniably bizarre, and Elysia initially dismissed the idea of them being official personnel. After all, who would expect government agents to dress like that?
Yet, the four walked straight toward the pink crystal statue.
"I heard this is some kind of Birth-type Dimensional Rift?"
"So where are the monsters?"
"What the heck is this pink statue?"
Overhearing their conversation, Elysia finally confirmed their official status and pinpointed the location.
If this were Great Britain, a highly trained professional magic squad would have been dispatched. Having ruled out Britain, the only possibility left was White Eagle. As Elysia observed the four individuals, it suddenly clicked.
This is White Eagle. That explains everything.
To be precise, White Eagle didn't even have an official organization. Anyone dealing with Dimensional Rifts was either a subordinate of the local "White Eagle Eight" or an independent seeker of power.
The four individuals seemed to have grasped the situation as well.
"So, someone beat us to it and took care of the monster?"
"Looks that way."
"Tch, should have said so sooner. Made us waste our time for nothing."
Then came the absurd part: the four of them actually disbanded right there in public and went their separate ways!
Elysia, who had been observing nearby, was stunned.
Wait, aren't you curious who took down the monster? Aren't you worried about the safety of this pink sculpture? What if there are other hidden dangers?
In any other country, they would have immediately tracked down the person responsible, questioned them about what happened, and filed a report. But here, the moment the situation was resolved, everyone simply scattered.
Elysia had been standing nearby the entire time. With her striking beauty, it was impossible for them not to have noticed her. Yet, not a single person had approached to say hello. Good grief, do you people just not care about how Outsiders feel?
Seeing the four were about to walk away, Elysia had no choice but to approach them herself. Naturally, her target was the most normal-looking woman among them.
"Hi~ beautiful lady, could I trouble you for a few minutes?~" Elysia greeted her with her signature Ely-esque charm.
The red-haired woman paused slightly, turned around with a bewildered expression, and pointed at herself. Though she didn't speak, her meaning was clear: Are you talking to me?
"Of course! After all... you're the only other cute young girl around here besides me, aren't you?~" Elysia clasped her hands together beside her cheek, batted her eyelashes, and struck an adorable pose.
The red-haired woman froze for a moment. While homosexuality wasn't uncommon in this country, she knew she wasn't one of them. Her sexual orientation was perfectly normal.
But now, she felt a slight tremor in her heart. If it were this girl... perhaps, just perhaps, it wouldn't be so bad?
So, I'm not as "straight" as I thought. Maybe I just haven't met the right girl yet?
The red-haired woman glanced away, avoiding Elysia's gaze. She cleared her throat. "Um, I'm Caroline Dickson..."
Elysia didn't interrupt. Instead, she deliberately waited a moment to ensure Caroline had finished speaking before smiling sweetly. "I'm Elysia! It's lovely to meet you~"
"Ahem, so... what brings you here?"
"Hmm~" Elysia pondered for a moment. "I was just relaxing at home, and suddenly I found myself in this strange place. Then I saw this weird creature trying to attack ordinary people, so I sealed it away. What I really want to know is, where exactly is this place?"
Carolina stared at the beautiful, adorable pink-haired girl before her, astonished. "You're the one who killed that monster?" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Killed it?" Elysia asked. "I just trapped it, right?"
Initially, Carolina had been merely astonished by Elysia's appearance. Now, she was equally amazed by her strength. These few words had also confirmed the girl's identity in her mind.
An Outsider!
Truthfully, Carolina had noticed Elysia the moment she arrived and had been captivated by her beauty. At first, she had assumed it was just someone cosplaying, but now it was clear that this was Elysia's natural appearance.
As Carolina's mind raced, she stammered out an explanation. "Um... well, the situation is probably... you're no longer in your original world. You've crossed over to ours, and... it's highly unlikely you'll ever return. You'll have to live here from now on..."
Carolina spoke with extreme caution, acutely aware that leaving one's home behind was a deeply unsettling prospect for many. She feared her words might anger Elysia, but it was the truth, and she couldn't withhold it.
Contrary to Carolina's expectations, Elysia didn't react with sadness, grief, or anger. Instead, she poked her cheek with her index finger and mused, "Hmm? A new world? Does that mean I can meet even more cute and pretty girls like you, Carolina?"
"???" Carolina froze, stunned. "Wait, you can't go home anymore! Aren't you upset?"
"Of course, I'm a little sad," Elysia admitted, her smile briefly faltering. But the melancholy lasted only a few seconds before she regained her usual cheerfulness. "But it's not your fault, Carolina. What's done is done. Instead of dwelling on the past, shouldn't we focus on the future?"
In that instant, Carolina felt as if an arrow had pierced her heart.