"What's wrong, Ratio? Don't look so gloomy—where's that handsome plaster head of yours?"
In another room at The Reverie Hotel, Aventurine greeted Dr. Ratio, who was already inside.
"You're late—by exactly six minutes and sixteen seconds," Dr. Ratio said, his displeasure at Aventurine's tardiness evident.
"Ah... what can I say? I got caught in the act of making friends and it took up quite a bit of time." Aventurine shrugged, sighing theatrically.
"Making friends? How does getting caught delay the process of making friends?" Dr. Ratio sneered at this explanation. "It seems our Mr. Aventurine has friendship rituals and procedures worth studying."
"Ha ha ha! Professor, you truly live up to your reputation—your wit is truly remarkable. Look, you've even made me laugh!" Aventurine didn't seem at all embarrassed, chuckling heartily as he casually tossed back a teasing remark.
Dr. Ratio remained silent, his gaze fixed on Aventurine for a long moment. Aventurine responded with a wide, inviting smile, allowing Dr. Ratio to observe him freely.
After a while, Dr. Ratio withdrew his gaze and asked, "You met her?"
"It wasn't really me meeting her," Aventurine said with a grin. "It was more like she met me."
"Is there a difference?"
"Absolutely. Her sudden appearance caught me completely off guard, throwing a slight wrench in my plans."
"Did you leave any loose ends?"
"Not at all." Aventurine shrugged. "If I had, I'd be packing my bags right now and heading back to Pierpoint to face the consequences."
"Heh. Speaking of luggage, where's yours? Do you even have any luggage left?" Dr. Ratio sneered at the mention of luggage.
"Of course I have luggage! How could I come to Penacony on vacation without luggage?" Aventurine replied matter-of-factly, but a moment later, he sighed and shrugged again, his confident demeanor suddenly fading. "It's just... temporarily being held by that man in the gray suit."
Dr. Ratio rubbed his forehead, utterly speechless at Aventurine's antics.
In Dr. Ratio's eyes, Aventurine's combination of tardiness, clumsy attempts at friendship that were easily exposed, and confiscated luggage likely cemented his classification as a fool.
"Don't worry, Professor Ratio," Aventurine reassured him casually. "It's just luggage. I have plenty of ways to get it back."
"Hmph," Dr. Ratio sneered coldly, fixing Aventurine with a piercing gaze for a long moment without responding.
"The Family—or certain individuals within it—clearly intend to make a move at the Charmony Festival. The invitation must be either a Family-orchestrated charade or a genuine invitation from another party."
"Given that this invitation has been broadcast across the cosmos, I refuse to believe the Family claims to know nothing about it."
"Therefore, even if they didn't send the invitation themselves, they must be preparing something significant..."
"In situations like this, friends become our weapons—ones we can rely on..."
"Let me think. The Astral Express and the Garden of Recollection have already made contact. As for Lumina... let's put her aside for now. The Annihilation Gang? They're not even human; I doubt we can communicate with them."
"As for the others... we'll have to make contact to find out."
Aventurine propped his chin in his hand, muttering to himself with his head bowed.
"Here's a word of advice: Lumina's power far exceeds your imagination. If you provoke her, she could crush you with a single finger," Dr. Ratio offered dryly in response to Aventurine's musings.
Though Dr. Ratio couldn't fathom the true extent of Lumina's power, he knew that during their time at the Space Station, she had effortlessly created an Emanator.
While this feat built upon the prototype already developed by a genius, Lumina's ability to imbue it with soul and life clearly transcended the realm of mortals.
In Dr. Ratio's eyes, neither "mortal" nor "genius" sufficed to evaluate Lumina.
If he had to sum her up in a single word, it would be "god."
"Ha ha ha, thank you for the warning, Professor. I'll certainly be more careful." Though Aventurine appeared nonchalant, he would naturally heed Dr. Ratio's advice with utmost seriousness.
In all of Penacony, only two things had surprised Aventurine: first, Lumina's appearance differed slightly from the rumors, and second, the Galaxy Ranger...
He could investigate the Galaxy Ranger later. With the invitation card in hand, verifying the woman's authenticity would be a simple matter.
As for Lumina, once Aventurine returned to Pierpoint, he would track down whoever had spread those rumors and give them a thorough beating.
Then he'd demand:
What exactly did you spread?
"Have you ever met Stelle?"
In the corridor of The Reverie Hotel, Acheron didn't mention Lumina's earlier deception. She silently followed beside Lumina, not uttering a single word.
To ease the tense atmosphere, Lumina broke the silence with a question.
"I don't know," Acheron replied, shaking her head. "There's a familiar feeling, but I have no memory of ever meeting her."
"Due to the influence of Nihility, my memory is very poor. I often forget things."
"Perhaps my former self once met her, or someone who resembled her, but I've forgotten now."
Acheron's tone and expression remained unchanged, yet a faint sense of sorrow drifted through the air.
With a wave of her hand, Lumina sent a green light flowing through Acheron's heart, soothing the lingering negative emotion. She then asked, "Then... will you forget me, Acheron?"
"I don't know. Perhaps I will, perhaps I won't." Sensing the dissipation of her emotions, Acheron first gave Lumina a grateful look, then shook her head, offering an ambiguous answer to Lumina's question.
"Time erases all traces, and Nihility... devours all existence."
"These two forces constantly influence me, so I'm afraid I can't give you a precise answer."
"Hm~ Is that so? Then what if it were like this?" Lumina hummed lightly, flicking her finger to summon a purple-green ring into her palm.
She gently offered the ring to Acheron, smiling warmly. "This ring contains a fragment of my power. It can resist some of the Nihility's corrosive influence, allowing you to preserve the memories of our time together."
"That way, no matter how much time passes, you won't forget me♪"
"..." Acheron stared at the ring in Lumina's hand, not taking it. After a moment of silence, she asked, her voice tinged with confusion, "Why?"
"Because I felt an instant connection with you and wanted to be friends." Lumina clasped her hands behind her back, leaning forward slightly, her eyes brimming with sincerity and tenderness.
"An instant connection? Friend?" Acheron murmured the words.
How long had it been since she had heard those words? Perhaps since the day she stepped into the Nothingness.
From that moment onward, she had lost both the ability and the right to have friends.
"Yes, that's right♪" Lumina hummed softly.
"So, beautiful Lady Acheron, would you be my friend?"
Lumina gazed at Acheron with hopeful eyes, yearning for her answer.
"..."
Acheron didn't rush to reply. She studied Lumina's earnest face, falling into a thoughtful silence.
Virtually everything and everyone in the Cosmos rejected the arrival of Nihility; it was an existence universally despised.
As a Self-Annihilator of Nihility, Acheron had never even considered the possibility of having friends.
Her sole purpose in coming to Penacony was to complete a specific task.
Had it been anyone else, Acheron might have refused outright. After all, no matter how carefully she controlled her powers, the influence of Nihility would continuously erode everything around her... But Lumina was different.
Acheron couldn't see through her; the power of Nihility seemed to have no effect on her.
Yet these were only appearances. Acheron didn't want her hasty decision, driven by selfish impulses, to harm Lumina.
So...
"I..."
"There's no need to rush your answer. The Charmony Festival and my departure from Penacony are still some time away. You have plenty of time to think it over carefully."
Just as Acheron was about to answer, Lumina sensed something amiss and swiftly interrupted her spellcasting.
I was too hasty after all... Lumina thought, a flicker of regret crossing her mind, though she wasn't particularly concerned. It was an outcome she had anticipated.
Since she still had plenty of time left in Penacony, Lumina wasn't in any rush.
"Ahem♪ Alright, let's put this topic aside for now. I'll show you to your room."
Lumina pocketed the ring with a light hum, her spirits undaunted. She quickly led Acheron to the room indicated on her room card.
"Alright, this is your room. Shall I be off then?"
"Mm, goodbye," Acheron nodded, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.
"Acheron, our promise to be friends remains in effect—forever."
"So, no matter when or where, I'll always await your answer."
"I look forward to you personally reopening this temporarily suspended topic♪"
After Acheron entered the room, Lumina left these parting words before her figure vanished.
"..."
Click!
Having stood frozen for a moment after hearing those words, a fleeting smile touched Acheron's eyes. She casually reached out and closed the door behind her.