Erin followed Maris to the entrance of the corner shop, and before the shimmering light screen, the blonde Erin looked up and saw the shop sign—
Alice and Duncan's Antique Shop.
The sign looked old, yet the characters were quite clear. Although it was an ordinary line of text reflected in Erin's eyes, it seemed to emit a faint glow, spreading a marvelous, warm power in her mind.
"This is the most important place in every assembly hall. The puppets call it 'Alice's House,' " Maris's voice sounded beside her, and the spring-loaded maid patiently explained, "In the era when the Ancient Saints hadn't left, the Mind Body of the Puppet Progenitor, Alice, was long associated with the Garden Network—she would sit in this shop, welcoming puppets who came to visit her.
