The revelry of the Obsidian Festival was never limited to a single day. As faint rhythms of music drifted in from afar, Felix leaned back into the soft massage chair, letting himself sink into it.
After dinner, some chose to leave. The Ursus girls departed, as did the three sisters Nian, Ling, and Shu, who said they wanted to immerse themselves in the festive atmosphere outside. Many more, however, stayed behind. They discovered the villa's basement theater, rummaged through the video shelves, and were pleasantly surprised to find a large collection of classic Columbian films from a bygone era.
There were also popular movies from various nations and cultures across Terra. Felix enjoyed the day thoroughly and later watched a film with the female executives of Tomorrow's Development. It was an old Columbian black-and-white movie, and the female lead turned out to be Yara. Seeing such a familiar face on screen felt strange, but the film itself was unexpectedly engaging.
Then, just as the male and female supporting characters began kissing passionately, Felix suddenly realized something.
In the darkness of the basement, dozens of eyes were fixed on him.
A sharp sting prickled his face. Felix paused briefly, then continued watching the movie.
Indeed, Columbian black-and-white films truly lived up to their reputation as classics. After the male protagonist and Yara escaped a mafia-surrounded casino alongside the supporting characters who had already sworn eternal love, those same supporting characters immediately moved on to scenes unsuitable for children. The film did not show anything explicitly, but the implications were more than clear to any adult viewer.
For no obvious reason, a chill crept down Felix's spine. In the darkness, countless gazes once again settled on his.
Because his Sankta halo and wings were unusually bright, Felix had deliberately chosen the last row to avoid disturbing the others. With his own light standing out so starkly against the dim surroundings, even his sharp eyesight couldn't make out exactly who was staring.
He coughed lightly twice.
The movie ended, the lights came back on, and the unsettling sensation vanished as if it had never existed. The women chatted and laughed as they left, preparing to head to the villa's enormous bathhouse.
The bathhouse here was not an Higashinese-style hot spring, but one designed in a Victorian-Columbian style. Felix moved quickly, changed clothes, and entered first. He stretched out in the warm water, feeling the day's fatigue slowly seep away. Physically, he wasn't tired, but the psychological pressure he had been under recently was considerable.
After the Obsidian Festival, he would head to Kazimierz to watch the competition and complete that thread of events. In winter, he would travel to the snowbound land of Kjerag. Then, early next year, there would be a meeting with Earl Warwick, the leader of the Tara people in Victoria.
These were only plans, of course. Who knew what changes might arise along the way?
In Kazimierz, the conflict between the Knights and the Chamber of Commerce was intensifying. Felix believed the Chamber of Commerce was indispensable, but its attempt to monopolize Kazimierz's economy and control the knights' lifeline had gone too far. He had not personally participated in this storyline in his previous life, but he knew that after this tournament, Kazimierz would undergo drastic changes.
Unfortunately, Kazimierz lay too far from Kazdel. The most direct and brutal way to overthrow a corrupt regime was replacement, but distance alone made that impractical. Moreover, there were still knights loyal to Kazimierz itself. Any intervention from his side would clearly mark him as an outsider.
The nations of Terra had only just shaken off the old belief that Kazdel never went to war. If Felix acted again, the land might well be dragged back into endless conflict.
To confront the ever-present threat of calamity, Felix had no intention of expanding his ambitions to all of Terra. Instead, he focused on gathering every available resource simply to survive.
Lost in thought, he was pulled back by voices nearby.
"Ines, I want to ask why you stayed."
"Qalaiša and Mudrock both stayed, so naturally I did too. W, you seem a bit anxious. That's not like you."
"How dare you say that to me—"
The two women, wrapped in bath towels and barefoot, came to a halt as they lifted the curtain. Their conversation stopped abruptly.
In the faint mist, the most striking sight was the golden halo.
Ines gasped softly and turned her face away. W stared straight ahead, her cheeks flushing as she glared at the figure before her. Then she realized that the person's upper body was completely uncovered. Her nose began bleeding instantly.
"What are you doing here?!"
W grabbed a towel and pressed it to her nose. Her face was flushed, her gaze unfocused, clearly unsure where to look.
Ines was taken aback by the reaction. "W, aren't you…?"
"I still have a maiden's heart, unlike you!"
Ines's eyes turned cold. W immediately sensed danger, spun on her heel, and bolted.
Felix watched the two women chase each other around the bathhouse, a scene like a cat toying with a mouse. He rested his chin in his hand, calmly enjoying the spectacle. The chase, however, did not last long before a sudden realization struck him.
Why was this bathhouse mixed?
As the two continued their pursuit, the remaining women entered one after another. Wrapped in towels, some blushed when they saw Felix, while others smiled with undisguised delight.
Mostima and Lemuen pulled along Lemuel whose face was red as an apple and sat down openly beside Felix, chatting as if nothing were out of place. Learning from them, the others naturally followed suit. Yelena quietly settled into the water, while Senomi, Mandragora, Susie, Avdotya, and several others occupied the other side of Felix. Degenbrecher and Carnelian also stepped into the pool. Seeing that all the good spots had been taken, W ground her teeth in regret despite having arrived first.
Yelena patted the water beside her. Only then did W realize that Yelena had deliberately left her a seat. Hmph. Even so, W would never admit she ranked below Yelena. She had known His Highness far longer, after all.
Texas and Lappland took positions directly in front of Felix. One wore a calm expression, the other a playful grin. It was obvious that Lappland had deliberately blocked his path just for fun.
Platinum glanced at the women around her, then at her own chest, and promptly dunked her head underwater, sputtering. Siege looked shy in the atmosphere and sat off to the side, though her eyes kept drifting toward Felix. Shining hugged her chest and submerged herself entirely. Margaret closed her eyes, determined not to be disturbed by what she might see.
Felix closed his eyes as well, imitating Margaret. Then, a terran-shaped figure rose quietly from the water and wrapped its arms around him.
"Mumu…"
"Hehe, surprised? Didn't expect this, did you?"
Muelsye appeared in the form of a water clone. Her body shimmered, draped with bath towels similar to those worn by the others, her face glowing with a soft blush and a mischievous smile. She had been stationed in Trimount and rarely had time to leave. Kazdel's environment was also unsuitable for elves, so she relied on water clones aboard the landship to chat with Felix and relieve her boredom. Sometimes she even joined Loughshinny and the others during massages, giving Felix an extra bit of relaxation.
Mumu leaned comfortably against Felix's chest, claiming the best spot, her eyes curved in satisfaction.
Felix suddenly felt a playful little hand pat his lower abdomen. She glanced at Mostima, who blinked in confusion. "What's wrong?"
You still ask me... what's wrong?
Another hand brushed against his arm. Felix turned to see Senomi, her face flushed, eyes wide and moist. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.
Then several mischievous feet began sliding up his calf. Felix narrowed his eyes at Texas, Lappland, Yelena, and W, all wearing perfectly neutral expressions. Some stared calmly, others shot him sharp glances.
"What's wrong?" they asked in unison.
What's wrong indeed...
Eventually, the first girl who couldn't suppress her nosebleed fled in a hurry. Several others followed, faces flushed as if overheated, no longer able to soak. Felix sat perfectly upright, like an old monk in meditation, until Mostima suddenly sat down directly in his lap.
The villa lights stayed on all night. The bathhouse lights remained lit for hours before finally going dark, and the lights in the guest rooms flickered on and off repeatedly.
The night passed in the blink of an eye.
The next morning, Felix woke alone. He glanced at the clock and realized it was already ten. For someone as disciplined as him, waking this late was rare, but last night had truly exhausted him. It felt like his exceptional stamina had finally found its purpose.
After washing up, he yawned and headed downstairs. The girls had gone out together to enjoy the Obsidian Festival, leaving behind a lavish breakfast neatly covered with plastic wrap and a note on the table.
"We went out to have fun. Breakfast is on the table."
Below the simple message were all their signatures.
As he ate breakfast and drank his milk, Felix reflected, "So the saying 'gentle embraces are a hero's grave' really is true. If I had to live like this every day, I probably wouldn't get any work or fighting done. Just recovering stamina alone would take forever."
"Doctor Kal'tsit, Amiya, the Doctor, and other Rhodes Island operators will arrive in Siesta at 2:15 this afternoon," a clear, clever voice chimed from above. "Do you need to arrange a meeting with Doctor Kal'tsit and the others?"
"Didn't they already have a meeting with Cronin?"
"Yes. The meeting is expected to last sixty minutes."
"Then we'll discuss it after that."
"Understood."
___
Eyjafjalla had thoroughly enjoyed her time at the villa the previous afternoon and evening. However, she had booked a hotel long in advance and did not wish to trouble Felix by asking to stay over. She knew that many of her older sisters were already staying at the villa, and rooms might be limited. As always, the considerate girl chose the hotel instead.
Early the next morning, she changed into a light dress patterned with flower petals and stepped out onto the streets of Siesta. Following the main road, she headed toward the volcano. As she walked, Eyjafjalla sensed a subtle but distinct change in temperature. Slightly puzzled, she summoned her Clever drone and began to inquire about Siesta's recent climate conditions.
Sensitive to such phenomena, she had already obtained certification as a natural disaster messenger. However, out of concern for her safety, her parents had never allowed her to put those qualifications into practice.
"High," replied the drone. "Today's temperature in Siesta is one degree higher than yesterday, reaching a new record."
Eyjafjalla turned toward the source of the heat, her gaze gradually sharpening.
"Eyjafjalla, what are you doing here?"
Mostima waved as she called out. Standing beside her was Angelina, eating an ice cream. Dressed in cool summer outfits, the two approached Eyjafjalla with relaxed smiles.
Eyjafjalla was usually gentle, sensible, and considerate, with an emotional intelligence that made her easy to like. Her research into Originium was no less impressive than that of her parents. Though she was still an ordinary operator for now, Mostima knew that once Eyjafjalla fully matured in a few years, she would be capable of taking on far more significant responsibilities.
Angelina was the same. Her Originium Arts were well suited for both combat and messenger work. Mostima did not yet know where Angelina's future focus would lie, but she was certain that Angelina would become a key figure in Tomorrow's Developmenting efforts.
"Mostima, Angelina." Eyjafjalla smiled, but the expression quickly faded. "Um… I think the temperature in Siesta is a bit abnormal. It's hotter than usual this year, and the source seems to be that volcano."
She raised a slender finger and pointed toward the volcano in the distance. Mostima nodded thoughtfully.
"I've felt it too since entering the city. But it doesn't quite feel like a natural disaster. It's hard to say. Should we go take a look?"
"Huh? Just the three of us?" Angelina asked, naturally counting herself in.
Mostima blinked her striking blue eyes and pulled a lock and key. "Don't worry. With me around, nothing's going to happen to us."
The three of them headed toward the volcano and soon reached the first line of defense. A tall wire fence encircled the area, topped with barbs to prevent anyone from climbing over.
Angelina's body lifted gently into the air. She extended her hands to Mostima and Eyjafjalla, and the three floated somewhat unsteadily before crossing the barbed fence and landing safely on the other side.
They had gone only a few hundred steps when Mostima suddenly halted. She quickly pulled the other two into the bushes. From ahead, faint voices drifted toward them.
"It's so hot. Why are they still mining obsidian in this weather?"
"Keep it down. The pay's good. If Lord Cronin hears you complaining, you'll lose your job."
"Alright, alright."
Mostima smiled faintly. It seemed they were not the only ones sneaking around.