In the afternoon, the three young girls frolicked in Sky Lake for a while. Just as Nino was about to rise from the water after washing up, she was tackled back into the lake by a lunging Sophia before she could even react.
‘That stinky green-eyed girl is scary,’ Elliris thought as she wrapped herself in a bath towel, watching from the side before slowly dipping back into the water.
The altitude here was quite high. If it wasn’t just after midday, the water temperature would be unsuitable for bathing. Thus, now was indeed the perfect time for a soak.
If it were late afternoon approaching evening, the sun would begin to set, and a cold wind would blow through the mountains, making one shiver uncontrollably.
Elliris washed for a bit and then sat on a white stone by the lakeshore. Her delicate feet lightly tapped the surface of the lake, stirring up circles of shimmering ripples.
Perhaps she was tired from the morning walk, as she submerged her feet back into the water. The cool lake water relieved the fatigue in her feet, making her feel as though her exhaustion was vanishing, soothed in both body and mind. At some point, several colorful fish swam over, their fins trailing gentle currents as they circled and nibbled playfully at Elliris’s ankles.
“Hahaha, little guys, stop it, that tickles~” The mischievous fish made Elliris giggle uncontrollably.
Not far away, Sophia approached quietly—no shooting allowed. Wearing a devious smile, she was slowly swimming underwater toward her target.
“Take this!” Sophia suddenly surged upward, raising her hands. A massive splash, like layers of blooming petals, erupted from the lake’s surface and drenched Elliris completely. Her hair, soaked by the water, matted messily over her face, making her look like a ghost girl from a horror movie.
…
The little fish around Elliris were all frightened away by Sophia’s stunt, and the pleasant mood of playing in the water was thoroughly ruined.
Elliris didn’t react for a long time, making Sophia genuinely worry if she had actually gotten angry.
However, Elliris suddenly raised her hand: “**INTENSE LIGHT**!”
‘Tit for tat, you can’t blame me,’ Elliris thought.
“Waaah, my eyes!!” Sophia clutched her eyes and tumbled back into the water. She was indeed completely defenseless against Elliris’s sudden attack.
Sophia had been thinking of bullying Nino earlier, only to have the tables turned on her.
Nino had taken full advantage of the terrain, directly casting ice magic in the water to freeze the lake around Sophia. Sophia had been stuck right in the middle, unable to move.
It was lucky that Sophia begged for mercy; otherwise, she really wouldn’t have been able to get back to shore…
In the end, she had come over to Elliris’s side wanting to play a prank, but she didn’t gain anything there either.
Elliris and Nino: Win! Win! Win! Sophia had lost everything!
Afterward, Sophia had no choice but to wash up sheepishly and head to shore first. Once the other two finished washing and got ready, they headed toward the mountain peak that was now within reach.
The three planned to spend the night in a tent at the summit of the Peak of Phantoms. Their actual goal was to reach the Star Observation Deck at the peak. An ancient magic telescope was installed there, capable of observing celestial phenomena and interpreting destiny. When the nighttime stars reflected off the magic crystals, it was the best time for observation.
This Star Observation Deck was an ancient ruin built by the God Race. Rachel had wanted to investigate this place for a long time, but she had been far too busy lately. Thus, the three of them were essentially on a trip with a small mission.
A magic crystal from the God Race was required to activate the magic telescope, so Nino had asked her mother, Rachel, for one.
The summit of the Peak of Phantoms was naturally the highest point on the entire continent. The Star Observation Deck at the peak was also the place closest to the sun and the moon.
During the day, one could fully perceive the supreme authority and vitality brought by the sun as the source of life.
At night, one could witness the moon as the ruler of the night. Nighttime intuition and divination were more effective here, and the mysterious power could better facilitate dreams or prophecies.
The three girls finished pitching their tent before dark. Then, for nighttime safety, Nino set up a defensive barrier around the tent.
Though it wasn’t as grand as their lunch, Sophia still prepared a few small dishes. Paired with the desserts bought from Miss Mary in Nosen Town, the three ate with great relish.
Next was the mission for this trip: investigating whether the Star Observation Deck could function normally.
Nino took out the magic crystal given by Rachel and placed it in its corresponding position. Afterward, Elliris and Nino worked together to channel their mana, activating the observation deck’s magic circle.
Just as the magic circle finished activating, a meteor streaked across the sky, piercing the silence of the night.
“Sophia, Nino, this is an auspicious sign. Without further delay, let’s hurry and begin the observation.”
Elliris wanted to strike while the iron was hot. After all, this accidental meteor might bring good luck.
“Yes, Sister Elliris. Meteors are seen as guidance from the gods.”
“Come on, Ellie, this is the moment I’m most interested in.”
Sophia adjusted the magic telescope to the proper orientation. Following Elliris’s instructions, she projected the refracted moonlight onto the prophecy board.
Elliris and Nino combined their strength to continuously pour mana into the magic circle. On the prophecy board ahead, the jumping characters of the Rune script gradually revealed the following lines:
[Nino Rialti, you shall have your wish fulfilled and assist your monarch.]
[Sophia Omnia, after enduring many hardships, you shall gain glory and restoration.]
[Iris Omnia, the Triple Path favors you; your future is limitless.]
‘In my modern world, these all look okay. They probably count as “good fortune” sticks, right? The monarch Nino is supposed to assist is obviously… but this Triple Path favor, why does it feel like it’s not a good thing for me?…’ Elliris thought.
“And now, we invite Miss Sophia to share her outlook on her future hardships~” Elliris said with a giggle, holding her hand out like a microphone in front of Sophia.
“Haha… it’s really nothing. I’ll just take it one step at a time~” Sophia replied somewhat dismissively.
Elliris was a bit puzzled. She suspected Sophia was hiding something from her.
“Sophie, have you done something bad lately? Hmm?” Elliris asked, narrowing her eyes.
“It’s nothing, just a small episode, and it’s already resolved~ A while ago, I went to find the Dwarf master again. I initiated a duel and got pummeled… so I was just a little unhappy.”
Sophia responded vaguely. She used her training with Black as an excuse, thinking she couldn’t let Elliris keep questioning her. She then asked Elliris back in a teasing tone.
“Oh, right. You said last time you were preparing return gifts for the children in Sindar Town. Have you picked them yet? Want me to give you some advice?”
“Not yet~ Giving money is too tacky. I feel like giving the children new clothes would be better. Seeing them dressed in rags makes my heart ache a little…” Elliris said bitterly. At this moment, Sophia had successfully diverted the topic, and Elliris began to worry about those children.
“Mm-hmm, as expected of my good sister. You think just like I do~” Sophia said, her eyes flashing with joy.
‘Good, good. As expected, my skills are superior. I can’t let Ellie find out that I’m about to go on a long journey…’ Sophia thought to herself.
—
Late at night, the light was still on inside the tent pitched not far from the Star Observation Deck. The lighting crystal inside the tent emitted a warm yellow glow, casting the silhouettes of the three young girls.
The night in the deep mountains was exceptionally quiet. Only the occasional chirping of insects came from the distant forest, mixing with the light crackling of the campfire outside.
Nino was curled up on one side next to Elliris. Between them sat a tray with some unfinished cookies.
Nino’s cheeks were flushed pink by the glow of the lighting crystal. “To be honest, Sky Lake was so beautiful today. I was absolutely mesmerized~”
“Indeed, Nino. That lake was so—big! It was like a mirror embedded in a mountain basin!” Elliris gestured wildly with her hands. Because she reached so high, she brushed against the tent fabric, causing it to wobble slightly.
Sophia leaned against the tent pole, leisurely playing with the tips of her cherry-white hair as she looked at the sky outside the tent.
“The clouds happened to clear out today. If the weather stays good in the early morning, tonight will be a great night for stargazing.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Elliris poked her head over.
“Stargazing?! That sounds great! I’ve never seen a sky full of stars while camping like this!” Elliris’s eyes sparkled as she propped her hands on Sophia’s lap.
Nino sat up, hugging her knees with a light laugh. “Sister Elliris is so energetic tonight. But it gets a bit cold after the early morning hours; we’ll have to wrap ourselves in small blankets.”
“Little Nino is interested too? Alright then, let’s all wrap ourselves in blankets and watch the stars together later~ I’ll go make a few cups of hot cocoa. We can drink them together, okay?”
And so, Sophia prepared the nighttime hot cocoa. The three young girls went outside, wrapped in blankets and huddling close to one another.
Tonight was cloudless, and the vast starry sky hung upon the distant firmament.
It looked like billions of crushed diamonds embedded in a celestial scroll, burning faint trails of light onto a backdrop of noble black velvet.
One could even see the aurora here. The pale green aurora was like silk stretched out by a god, flowing slowly down from the sea of stars.
Starlight and aurora intertwined, tinting the night sky into a translucent glaze.
Looking at such a beautiful scene, the girls began to chat about late-night topics.
They talked about everything from today’s outing plans to their childhood embarrassments, and from their favorite desserts to their wishes for the future.
Every word was wrapped in the gentle sweetness of youth, brewing into the most beautiful of memories under this quiet, starry night.