It had to be said that for a village girl who had grown up without much material luxury, shopping was indeed a fantastic way to relieve stress—especially with Daidalos footing the bill the entire time. Even though Sonia wasn't short on money now, taking advantage of little perks was a temptation she could never resist.
And this delightful experience reached its peak at a dessert shop. Seeing the two beauties, big and small, holding hands, the shop assistant generously ladled on extra scoops of ice cream to spoil them rotten, unable to keep from blurting out, "You and your daughter are both so pretty!"
Sonia swore this had to be the only time in her life she didn't mind someone mistaking her for a mother. Even if she bore children of her own in the future, she would most likely despise being seen as a mother. Chuckling as she accepted the compliment, she scooped up the fuming little empress and giggled, "Good girl! Mommy and Daddy will take good care of you from now on."
"Are all you people in the Starry Sky blind?! My hair is white right now and yours is red—how could anyone get that mixed up?!" Diya was so infuriated that she shoved more than half of the ice cream into her mouth in one bite. Her cheeks ached with cold, but she didn't dare spit it out, leaving her puffing out frosty white breaths with frantic "ha-hoo, ha-hoo" gasps.
Still, it was hardly surprising that the clerk had mistaken them for mother and daughter. After all, Diya had been scampering around leading Sonia by the hand; though sisters were an option, the huge difference in their hair color made mother and daughter seem more plausible.
People were inevitably influenced by their surroundings. The bustling, festive atmosphere of the Starry Festival did wonders to dilute the frustration of having had to abandon their mission. Besides, over the past month, the two of them had been relentlessly focused on boosting their strength and hardly rested at all. Sonia's sweat had drenched every corner of the training hall, while Diya had mastered three new miracles, constantly bracing themselves for the second round of challenges. Apart from the occasional visit to Yaxiu's bedroom, they hadn't dared slack off for a single second.
Now that they could stroll through the streets together—and with their closest friends, at that—even minor romantic grievances could be set aside for the moment.
Although the Sword Princess and the Witch were sorry they couldn't intervene in the second round of the ritual, relief outweighed their regret—much like studying tirelessly for an exam only to discover on the day that you forgot to print your admission ticket. But since the exam was over anyway, they could happily go off and have fun.
When they passed by the Kuro clothing store, Felix—who sensed that nothing good would come of this—was dragged inside by the trio anyway. Sonia picked out this autumn's classic look for her: a black camisole vest dress, an off-the-shoulder boatneck short-sleeved top, and a form-fitting mini skirt.
At the thought of what she would look like wearing that, the hairs on Felix's body stood on end. She pleaded, "Could you at least let me wear pants?"
"No way! This Seat insists on seeing you in a skirt today." Sonia slapped her bottom with a giggle. "This is an order. No defying allowed!"
Felix's mouth twitched. After a moment's contemplation, she suddenly asked, "In the interest of fairness, may I pick an outfit for the Sword Seat as well?"
Sonia was fearless. "Sure! What do you want me to wear? I don't even mind men's clothes."
"This."
Seeing the quick-drying long-sleeved athletic suit Felix brought out, Sonia blinked. "No problem... but is there something special about this outfit?"
"Nothing at all. It's just a long-sleeved athletic suit that quickly wicks away and evaporates sweat." Felix shoved the sportswear into Sonia's arms. "That way, the Sword Seat won't get sweat all over everything."
"Oh, little Feili, you're so thoughtful... Huh?"
Seeing that Sonia had caught on, Felix lowered her voice and said, "After all, even I would be startled to find sticky sweat all over someone who can't move."
"Go change already!" Thoroughly flustered, Sonia shoved Felix into the line for the fitting rooms. Turning around, she saw Daidalos stifling a laugh and Diya looking completely disgusted.
"You're so gross, Sword Princess."
"None of your business!"
"I have to use him too! At least take a shower after working up a sweat before you use him, would you?!"
"I usually shower right away, but the water in the gym was cut off that day and I acted on a whim..."
Passersby who overheard their exchange assumed they were discussing some kind of adult toy—which, truth be told, wasn't too far from the mark.
A moment later, when an uneasy Felix emerged, stars sparkled in all three women's eyes.
"Done looking? Once you're done, I'm changing back—"
Sonia hurriedly grabbed her. "No changing back! Just wear it out! Let your hair down... Wow, so cute!"
"A blonde beauty who can almost rival Aunt Bogin!" Diya offered extraordinarily high praise.
Just then, a girl in a purple-and-blue maid uniform walked brazenly past their eyes. Once she turned the corner, Daidalos, Sonia, and Diya all blurted out excitedly at the same time: "A maid uniform!"
Felix went numb. She put up a desperate struggle. "I am the second child of the Vosloda clan! I can't humiliate myself like this!"
"I already desperately want to see you in a maid uniform. You don't need to tempt a rich-hating village girl like me any further." Sonia scanned the merchandise racks around them. "Still, how do you put together a maid outfit... Come on, let's go ask!"
As they wove through the display racks, Sonia caught a glimpse through the gaps of the purple-and-blue maid standing in the corner, seemingly chatting with someone.
When she peeked her head out to look, her hand reflexively darted out to cover Diya's eyes.
"Why are you covering my eyes... Whoa!"
Diya pried Sonia's fingers away in annoyance, but the instant she saw the scene in the corner, an involuntary cry escaped her, and she clamped a hand over her own mouth.
There in the corner, the girl in the purple-and-blue maid uniform was locked in a passionate kiss with a man, one of her legs already raised as if to straddle him.
To go this wild right in a corner of a public venue—Sonia and Diya, who up until now had only ever tried single-player games, flushed crimson. After staring wide-eyed for several lingering seconds, they bowed their heads apologetically and hurried off to pay and leave.
Only after exiting the clothing store did they let out a long breath, as if the scene they had just witnessed had left them breathless.
Diya clutched Sonia's sleeve and said excitedly, "Sword Princess, did you see who was in that man's arms..."
Sonia nodded. "I saw! There was another woman!"
"Yet another two-timing, despicable bastard," Felix said coldly.
"Hey!" Sonia slapped Felix's fair shoulder in displeasure. "Who are you cursing at?!"
Felix said, "I wasn't cursing at him. Besides, aren't I speaking up on your behalf because of the injustice?"
Sonia replied, "You're still not allowed to curse! You can only speak for me when I clearly show that I want to curse at him!"
Diya chimed in, "Exactly, exactly!"
*By the little horn, these two idiotic empresses who jumped right into the fire pit are so hard to serve. Serves them right to get stuck with a scumbag,* Felix cursed viciously in her heart.
"Still, it's pretty normal in aristocratic circles," Daidalos commented. "The fact that they didn't invite us to join in already means they're on the reserved side."
"Are Starry Sky aristocrats really that messed up?" Diya asked. "The atmosphere over in Gospel is much better."
"It really is quite normal. Aristocrats generally keep lovers, and a wife joining in on the fun with a lover wouldn't make the news at all." Felix clenched the hem of her skirt and said in a snide tone, "The Sword Seat and Witch Seat should learn more about the multiplayer entertainment popular in aristocratic circles. Who knows, it might offer helpful guidance for your future lives together."
Daidalos stared wide-eyed at Felix with a look that said *if you don't look for trouble, you won't get hurt*, taking an instinctive step backward. It took three mental laps for the Sword Princess and Witch to grasp Felix's subtext. Trembling with rage, they flanked Felix and seized her from both sides.
"Let's go pick out some swimsuits."
"Why not go straight to a lingerie shop? They don't restrict how many people can be in a fitting room."
"Hey, um, you're misunderstanding! I didn't mean anything by that, really..."
"Don't be in a rush. You'll have plenty of time to panic soon enough."
...
Once Sonia and her companions had left the clothing store, Observer finally released Nether Demon's shoulders.
Mirror Master, who had been hidden against Observer's chest, stepped quietly to the side, her face an open book of disappointment.
"I don't know if saying this will make you feel any better," Nether Demon said, running her tongue over her lips. "But I found it utterly revolting too—both physically and mentally."
"I understand," Mirror Master murmured softly. "To conceal our identities, our only possible choice was to have Nether Demon shield us, using intimate behavior to embarrass them into leaving. Otherwise, had they caught sight of my outline or his, they might have recognized us."
"Then again, if he had kissed you while I wrapped my arms around the two of you, wouldn't that have achieved the exact same result?" Nether Demon spread her hands with a chuckle. "Actually, that's how it should have been. After all, you two are the ones who are..."
Mirror Master drew a deep breath and looked down without answering. While Nether Demon appeared to be offering a kind reminder, her poorly concealed smirk revealed that she was merely relishing piercing through to a cruel truth: if forced to choose someone to kiss, Observer would rather pick the Nether Demon he despised to the extreme.
"Ah, you bit my tongue until it bled. Observer, you're so perverted."
"Is sticking your tongue in considered kiss etiquette among you Evernight elves?"
When Black Demon and Dead Frenzy walked over and overheard this exchange, Black Demon shouted in deep annoyance, "What did we just miss?! Do it again! Do it again!"
"Sure!" Nether Demon offered generously. "First, Mirror Demon, hurry up and hug Observer, then watch helplessly as Observer kisses me by force—"
*Thump.*
All five froze simultaneously, quietly feeling the ripples of sorcery mana surging through their bodies. To any ordinary sorcerer, this would be an utterly mundane sensation, yet to them, it was the sole proof that they truly existed.
"Let's go."
"Can we make a huge mess? We can, right? Right?!" Black Demon clenched her fists, asking feverishly in her seventeenfold chorus of voices.
"Observer, Observer! Considering you just violated me, how about letting me have a little extra fun?" Nether Demon coaxed, clinging to Observer's arm.
Dead Frenzy and Mirror Master looked at Observer. Though neither spoke, Dead Frenzy had just been provoked by Nether Demon, and Mirror Master was still nursing the embarrassment from moments earlier; neither was in a good mood.
Observer walked swiftly ahead, leaving behind only a single sentence:
"Suit yourselves."
As Observer stepped out of the clothing store, what followed behind him were no longer human beings.
They were four Demon Kings, unbound from their chains.
Chapter 856