Chapter 2368: Chapter 2369: Nausicaa’s First Encounter

Nausicaa stood blankly, staring at the scene before her.

Sunshine cascaded down as she, clad in her soft armor, stood at the tri-forked crossroads of the city. Right ahead was a tall building, with the words "Rosewater Pavilion" on the sign shimmering with light, and illusions of rose petals floated down.

To the left was a fountain, though it was unclear what secrets lay hidden within it. The water spraying out was not only bright but also spiraled like a snake, continuously shooting upwards toward a glass corridor in the sky.

On the right stood a spiral staircase, allowing one to step onto aerial streets at various heights.

"Where is this?" Nausicaa frowned, glancing around.

Didn’t Angel say that the monocle was a communicator? So why, after using it, did she appear in this city with such a peculiar style?

Moreover, there seemed to be quite a few people in this city. Nausicaa saw silhouettes passing on an aerial corridor overhead. A distant giant chimney was emitting thick smoke, indicating people were operating inside.

She was completely at a loss; everything here made her feel unreal.

Yet the feeling of the ground beneath her feet, the rhythm of breathing the air, the warm sensation of dawn’s light on her body all gave her feedback that this place was no different from reality.

As Nausicaa was engulfed in doubts, someone suddenly called her name from behind.

"Are you Nausi...ca?"

Nausicaa turned around in confusion and saw a young woman in a mint green puff-sleeved court dress standing behind her. She held a lace-edged folding fan, and upon seeing Nausicaa’s face, she joyfully hid half her face with the fan: "It really is you, Sister Nausicaa!"

Straightaway, the young woman abandoned all regard for ladylike demeanor, flung her arms wide, and lunged at Nausicaa.

Nausicaa instinctively reached out, embracing the tender female body.

"I missed you so much~" The young woman not only clung to Nausicaa but also nuzzled against her neck, speaking in a sugary, pretentious tone.

"Miro, weren’t you in the Mirror World? How are you here?" Nausicaa looked at the woman in her arms.

Miro continued to nuzzle before saying, "I am in the Mirror World. I came here to do a task, and while I’m at it, see if there are any handsome young gentlemen."

"But don’t worry, even though I love men, I love you too~" Miro seemed concerned that Nausicaa might be jealous and added another line.

Nausicaa: That’s not what I wanted to ask...

Nausicaa was just about to speak, to continue inquiring Miro about the situation here, but Miro preempted her and said, "After the New Star Competition ended, I’ve been waiting for you to return, but you never came back—I thought something might have happened to you... Later, Mother told me, after the competition, participants have the chance to challenge the Endless Corridor, and that’s probably where you’ve been, which is why you haven’t returned."

Miro gazed intently at Nausicaa, while the question Nausicaa was about to ask got swallowed back down, and she ambiguously nodded: "Madam Brin was right, I was indeed undergoing a self-challenge, which is why I didn’t return."

"So that’s how it is! You don’t know how worried I was about you." After Miro’s string of sticky words, she seized Nausicaa’s questioning opportunity and continued, "Right, what’s the Endless Corridor really like? They say you get rewards for every level you pass?"

Nausicaa hadn’t actually entered the Endless Corridor, so she didn’t know how to answer and remained vague: "Once you get stronger, you’ll have the chance to experience it yourself. About what I asked you earlier—"

"Getting stronger, I want that too, but my talent is too poor, I’m still stuck at Advanced Apprentice level." Miro interrupted again.

Nausicaa: "With Madam Brin’s guidance, you definitely..."

Miro: "My mother is just a Third-Level Apprentice, she can’t teach me much. Besides, she prefers designing and sewing clothes over teaching me anything."

Nausicaa: "Madam Brin was once a Golden Invitation, she’ll quickly..."

Miro: "Don’t talk about her, every time I hear my mother’s name, it’s like a thousand frogs croaking in my ear, so annoying it drives me crazy. We’ve just reunified and should talk about something else."

Nausicaa actually wanted to say, Madam Brin’s nagging might be a thousand frogs, but as Lady Melo’s own daughter, you deserve ten thousand frogs.

Though wanting to say it, Nausicaa refrained, first not wanting to hurt the girl’s feelings, and second, finding no opportunity to say it. Because Miro always jumps from thought to thought, hard to hear others when she hasn’t finished speaking her mind.

Like now, Miro had already leapt to a new topic.

The topic arose, as flower rain began to fall in a part of the sky corridor.

"Oh, it’s the Blue Water Corridor! Today is Flower Rain Day, usually on Flower Rain Days, two people do the maintenance. One is Chuyao, the other is Jero! Hopefully, it’s Jero, I haven’t seen him in ages, seeing him would motivate me for a week’s work!"

Once Miro finished speaking, she pull Nausicaa toward a spiral stairway to the side: "Let’s go check, it must be Jero!"

Nausicaa hadn’t even reacted before Miro had already pulled her to the twenty-meter-high Blue Water Corridor.

Upon reaching the corridor, they saw not far away a male apprentice performing maintenance.

Even though this young man had his back to Miro, showing not even a bit of his face, Miro still took in a breath sharply.

"It’s Jero! It really is Jero!" Miro quietly shrieked into Nausicaa’s ear.

"I’m really so lucky today, first meeting you, now seeing Jero! Could it be the god of luck is blessing me today?"

Nausicaa was all too familiar with Miro. After all, during her time in Apprentice Town, she lived next to Madam Brin and her daughter Miro.

All these years, thanks to the friendship with Madam Brin, she naturally witnessed Miro’s transformation from girl to young woman.

Ever since Miro reached the age of budding blossoms, her eager heart blossomed along with it.

Her greatest daily hobby was admiring handsome, beautiful men.

To what degree, you ask? Just like the "God of Luck" she mentioned. There wasn’t a goddess of luck in the world, but the phrase associated luck with a goddess to imply good fortune; yet Miro openly changed it to god of luck, because in her eyes, no goddess could make her heart leap, only a god could.

Sometimes Nausicaa even felt sympathy for Madam Brin.

"Shall we go chat him up?" Miro said, bashfully spinning around a little: "Do you think I’m dressed a little inappropriately today?"

With sleeves that puffed so large, a skirt that billowed so wide, it wasn’t inappropriate, it was excessive.

Of course, these were words Nausicaa didn’t say. Instead, Miro’s rare quietness gave Nausicaa the chance to feel out the surroundings and her own situation fully, finally preparing to steer the conversation back on course.

Nausicaa: "Whether it’s inappropriate can wait, I have something very important to sort out, something extremely important, concerning life and death."

Although Miro usually lacked sensibility, seeing Nausicaa’s serious demeanor made her tone down her demeanor: "Did something happen to you?"

Nausicaa: "Answer my question first."

Miro nodded obediently this time.

"Where is this? How are you here? I mean this city, this world."

Milu was full of suspicion, you can only enter here using the log-in device. Nausicaa has come here, yet doesn’t even know where this is?

"When you took the task, didn’t the Task Hall personnel tell you the scenario here?"

Nausicaa shook her head: "I didn’t take any task, and I’ve never been to the Task Hall."

Milu’s expression became even more skeptical. Having never been to the Task Hall, how could she use the log-in device? The apprentices’ log-in devices are kept in a special room in the Task Hall and cannot be taken away normally.

Only Official Wizards have their own log-in devices and can take them away freely.

Although Milu was puzzled, she still explained: "This is the New City, which is a temporary name. I heard it will change once built. Also, you can only enter here using the log-in device."

"Log-in device? Are you talking about the monocle?"

"Yes, the log-in devices used by the apprentices who have taken tasks are basically monocles. But I’ve seen other types of log-in devices; a Wizard in the Task Hall, his log-in device was a ring."

Nausicaa: "You can only enter this world using the log-in device? What is this world all about?"

Milu shook her head: "I don’t know the situation in this world either."

Not getting the answer she wanted, Nausicaa felt a slight tinge of regret.

However, at that moment, a voice came from the side, answering her question for Milu: "This is the Wilderness of Dreams, a crevice between reality and illusion."

Nausicaa’s body suddenly stiffened.

It wasn’t because of the answer, but because this voice was not unfamiliar to her.

Nausicaa slowly turned her head and, as expected, saw the ultimate goal of her strange journey this time - Angel.

Angel, with his golden hair, was leaning against the railing of the corridor, the sunlight illuminating his slightly upturned lips.

"Long time no see."

Nausicaa initially froze, then lowered her head and smiled gently: "Does this even count as long? It’s only been a few days since the Nova Competition."

"True," Angel said, without being overly sentimental with his dear friend Nausicaa. He smiled and got to the point: "When I gave you the log-in device, I thought you probably wouldn’t use it before returning to the Barbarian Cave."

Angel understood Nausicaa’s character; she was quite independent, even stubbornly so. Even in life-and-death situations, she rarely sought help from others.

So, Angel genuinely thought back then that Nausicaa probably wouldn’t use it and would just keep the log-in device as some sort of memento. That was why Angel himself forgot that he had given Nausicaa the log-in device.

In response to Angel’s teasing, Nausicaa only smiled lightly: "I still have many doubts about this place, but time is pressing now, so I won’t say more."

After she finished speaking, Nausicaa collected her smile and solemnly said: "I came in this time, hoping you could help me save someone."

Angel didn’t reply but instead turned his head to look at Milu on the other side.

Milu, however, was blushing, her eyes filled with admiration as she stared at Angel.

When she saw Angel looking her way, Milu snapped out of it, suddenly realizing... She had just been swooning over an Official Wizard?! Although she had swooned over Official Wizards before, it was always in secret; this time, it was in person.

Oh no!

As Milu’s heart beat anxiously, Angel cheerfully said: "It seems that Jero over there has something to talk to you about?"

Milu: "Huh?"

Milu turned her head and saw Jero, who was sneaking glances this way, also stunned by Angel’s words. He was maintaining the corridor, so why suddenly say he wanted to talk to that swooning girl? Clearly, he didn’t even know her?

Though these thoughts crowded his mind, Jero didn’t dare say "no." He quickly stood up, walked over to Milu, and said: "The lord is right, I do have something to discuss with Mi..."

Milu: "Milu, my name is Milu."

"Yes, I have something to discuss with Milu."

Angel: "Then I won’t disturb your conversation."

Jero nodded and quickly signaled Milu to follow him.

Once they were gone, Nausicaa finally spoke: "That Jero is not suitable for Milu. If you just wanted to get rid of her, I could have told her. You shouldn’t have let her go with him; I’m afraid she might be deceived."

Angel: "Do you really think Milu is that foolish?"

Nausicaa paused for a moment, looked towards the direction the two had gone, and saw Milu had already parted ways with Jero, heading in different directions.

Seeing this, Nausicaa chuckled softly: "It seems Milu has grown quite a bit."

Angel didn’t respond to that, instead returning to the previous topic: "So let’s get to it. You mentioned wanting me to save someone, who is it? Is it Reynaud?"

Nausicaa was just about to speak when suddenly she saw two people coming up the spiral staircase not far away.

"Didn’t you say Nausicaa was at the Rosewater Pavilion? Why did she come here?" It was none other than Nis speaking.

Not long ago, Angel and Nis had entered the Wilderness of Dreams. At that time, Angel said he had set Nausicaa’s entry coordinates at the entrance of the Rosewater Pavilion.

After entering the Wilderness of Dreams, they couldn’t find Nausicaa anywhere.

Nis thus went into the Rosewater Pavilion to see if Nausicaa had entered it. But when he looked back, he found Angel had disappeared.

He searched for a long time before finally spotting Angel on the Skye Corridor.

In haste, he hurried over.

"Something happened. She was dragged up here by someone else," Angel casually replied.

Nis also saw Nausicaa in her soft armor, and upon seeing her curvaceous body, couldn’t help but show an appreciative expression.

However, Nausicaa’s gaze didn’t land on Nis at all. Instead, it went past him to someone behind Nis.

Someone Nausicaa never expected to see here.

Reynaud.

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