To both Loren and Juliana, their time at the Ikerite Opera House felt fleeting.
By the time they stepped outside, the sun had already dipped behind the western hills, dyeing the horizon in twilight hues.
Time flew by after that. Before they knew it, they had shared dinner, attended a live recording of the Hutton Late Night Show, and stepped out of the broadcasting company's building. A short walk brought them right back to the banks of the Yala Moat.
It was now eight o'clock in the evening, and the Golden Bee Amusement Park was already in plain view, dazzling against the backdrop of the night.
Multicolored, psychedelic lights shot from every corner, weaving glowing webs that blanketed the entire park.
"Juliana, did you know? This amusement park is actually a subsidiary of Crown Casino. Compared to ordinary amusement parks, it's far more addictive."
Loren gazed at the Golden Bee Amusement Park and introduced it to Juliana beside him.
They walked closer.
A gigantic Ferris wheel revolved at a gentle pace, each cabin glowing with a warm radiance like the brightest star in the night sky.
Every single attraction bore a prominent little golden bee emblem.
"So you've never been here before?" Juliana asked with a touch of curiosity.
"Right. As a priest, I've never set foot in places like this, even if it's just an amusement park," Loren said with a nod.
Ikerite Crown was a massive entertainment conglomerate located in the Hutton royal capital on the Southern Continent, encompassing casinos, hotels, restaurants, shops, and convention facilities.
Situated along the banks of the Yarra River, it was one of the largest comprehensive entertainment centers on the Southern Continent as well as a renowned Ikerite tourist attraction.
Ever since opening, Ikerite Crown had undergone numerous expansions and renovations, continuously broadening its scale and range of services to include more entertainment facilities, hotel rooms, dining options, and an all-ages amusement park.
Sphintos, the dean of the School of Knights, often had to head into Crown Casino to drag Frey out by the scruff of his neck.
"Still, if you come with me from now on, maybe you can drop by more often to unwind," Juliana said, nodding with mild satisfaction.
She admired Loren's discipline, which also showed he had never visited an amusement park with another woman.
While there were priests who indulged in drinking or gambling—given that many deities' commandments were quite lenient and didn't strictly forbid it—Loren was clearly of the most upright sort.
"No problem," Loren agreed.
Just as the drillmaster had told him, he must never shy away from Juliana's invitations.
Even if she only viewed him mostly as a dining companion for now, spending frequent time together would eventually let feelings sprout until everything fell naturally into place.
[Now, go have a great time with Miss Juliana. If there are no issues, I won't prompt you any further. You've done an outstanding job today; enjoy this rare date.]
As Loren escorted Juliana through the turnstiles, the Love Drillmaster's voice resonated in his ear once more.
In that instant, a warm glow welled up in his chest.
It wasn't merely from earning the Love Drillmaster's approval.
The Love Drillmaster had been hard at work all day providing him with behind-the-scenes support, yet even now, the drillmaster was still looking out for him and hoping he would enjoy himself.
*I won't let you down, drillmaster,*
Loren silently vowed.
...
"Phew."
Inside the amusement park, filled with psychedelic magic-engineering lights and cheerful, lively music, Lanqi sat in a window booth at a beverage shop, watching the two stroll past outside the glass.
Loren and Juliana wove through the bustling crowds amidst laughter, cheers, and the whirring hum of arcade machinery.
Simply strolling and chatting at leisure, the various attractions appeared like gateways to mysterious worlds, inviting them to step inside and experience an unknown, thrilling adventure.
"Meow, meow, meow... Aren't you going to play, Lanqi?" Boss Cat asked, gazing outside through the glass.
The dazzling, kaleidoscope-like amusement park felt utterly novel to it.
Supposedly, each zone in the Golden Bee Amusement Park featured unique games, such as the Giant Challenge, mini Shadow World gauntlets, high-speed horse racing, and haunted house mystery solving, as well as casual pursuits like the card game Triple Strife and dice betting, plus dart throwing and bowling. The park also periodically held limited-time challenges, holiday festivities, and other special events.
Participating in any game awarded Golden Bee coins or limited prizes. One could spend Golden Bee coins to redeem exclusive items in the park, such as outfits, furniture, pets, and rare magical items.
Now that Lanqi had left Loren to his own devices, he seemed off the clock as well. After a full day of diligent effort, it was time to relax and have a little fun.
"The work isn't over yet."
With that, Lanqi rose from the booth and continued to shadow Loren from a distance.
The park was densely packed; as long as he didn't use detection spells on Loren or stare at him too conspicuously, Loren would never notice.
"Meow."
Boss Cat floated over and perched on Lanqi's head.
It felt Lanqi was taking his responsibilities a bit too far.
Over the next half hour, Boss Cat stayed perched on Lanqi, watching Loren and Juliana's progress from afar.
Loren seemed to have gained a preliminary grasp on how to navigate a date with a woman; even his manner of speaking had taken on a faint touch of Lanqi's style.
"You taught him, and he really took it to heart, meow."
"He didn't necessarily learn it, but he's very good at imitating. That's why I need to keep watching him to ensure nothing goes wrong."
"Isn't being able to imitate the same thing as learning it?" Boss Cat asked, utterly puzzled.
"Not at all," Lanqi said, shaking his head.
"Boss Cat, let me ask you: suppose you were locked in a room filled with countless boxes of characters from an unknown land. When combined, these characters form a language. You don't recognize a single symbol, but you possess an exhaustive instruction manual written in a language you do know, telling you how to respond to any message written in those foreign characters. If someone outside who knows the language slides letters to you through the crack under the door, you can indeed communicate with them in that script, and they will believe you understand it. But do you truly understand it?"
"..."
Boss Cat's brain froze.
While Boss Cat and Lanqi were conversing, on the other side of the grounds, Loren and Juliana were immersed in the bustling wonderland.
Beneath the starry summer night, the central plaza of the Golden Bee Amusement Park felt like an awakened enchanted realm. Suddenly, a special stage event caught their eye.
Behind the stage stood a commercial-grade artificial Shadow World launch terminal, its mechanical flank embedded with a massive magic-engineering screen, while lights danced across the stage.
An event attendant in a golden bee costume stood by the entry gate, holding an illuminated sign:
[Golden Bee Amusement Park Artificial Shadow World Launch Terminal Limited-Time Event]
[Love-Hurdle Corridors Academy: Super Challenge!]
Despite how eye-catching it was, there was no line to be seen.
It appeared to be a challenge tailored specifically for couples, and the prize list was remarkably generous.
Chapter 629