Manager, give me a membership card too!

Chapter 292 An Angel Descended to My Side

Although she didn't use magic from this world and didn't know anything about sealing techniques, Mami Tomoe still managed to seal the culprit behind Nanoha and the others being chased by monsters, a divine artifact called the 'Stone Seed'.

The method used is also very simple.

By shooting the constantly regenerating monster in the head more than twenty times with a magic musket, reducing it to dust that drifts away in the wind, and exhausting all the overflowing magic power, it was naturally able to 'seal' it.

If that doesn't work, keep killing; eventually, the problem will be solved.

Mami tossed the Holy Stone Seed, which had temporarily entered a dormant state due to the depletion of a large amount of magic power in a short period of time, in her palm. Having completed her combat mission, she lightly snapped her fingers, and her combat suit disappeared in a dazzling light, replaced by an outfit that Nanoha and the others found somewhat familiar.

"Wait, what's this?!"

"This outfit?!"

Facing the three bewildered little faces, Mami Tomoe smiled, gently lifted the hem of her skirt, and greeted the three little ones in front of her.

Good evening, my little cuties. Or should I call you 'junior girls'?

"Eh~~~~~~~?!" X3

Half an hour later, at a coffee table in the far corner of the Midori Cafe, Mami Tomoe, with a gentle smile, stirred the still steaming coffee cup in front of her. Only after estimating that the drink in the cup was no longer too hot did she pick up the cup and take a small sip, a look of enjoyment on her face.

"Hmm, that's really good. Although I prefer black tea, your coffee is indeed a very enjoyable and delicious treat."

"Hehe, you flatter me, Ms. Tomoe Mami. Thanks to you, our Nanoha was able to escape from the pursuit of the stray dogs. For that, the Takamachi family must thank you properly. Here, this is my secret cake, which is not something ordinary people can eat. We will come back to thank you after we have served all the other guests."

Hearing Mami's praise, the tea-haired beauty who was approaching with a tray wore a proud smile. She was Momoko Takamachi, Nanoha's mother, and also the owner of the 'Midori-ya' café.

After distributing the cake she had specially prepared to Mami Tomoe, her daughter, and her two friends, Momoko Takamachi gave everyone an apologetic smile. Although she really wanted to have a good chat with Mami, the girl her daughter had mentioned who had saved them from the jaws of a vicious dog, as the manager of the coffee shop, she had to attend to other customers and had to leave first.

"No need to be so polite, Mrs. Takamachi. Nanoha is here to keep me company. You can go and attend to your business."

"I'm so sorry, it's peak time after school and there are a lot of customers. Please wait a little longer, I'll come and keep you company in a bit."

After exchanging a few polite words, Momoko Takamachi slowly left with her tray. Mami Tomoe also put down her coffee cup and looked at the three little ones opposite her, who were making a 'I'm curious.jpg' expression.

"Alright, alright, stop looking at me like that. Ask me any questions you have, and I'll answer them as best I can."

With their senior's permission, the three girls all wore excited expressions. Elisa, the most outgoing of the three, was the first to raise her hand, indicating she wanted to ask a question.

"Mami-senpai, what did you mean by 'magical girl' earlier?"

"A magical girl?"

Gently stirring the brown coffee in her cup, Mami Tomoe wore a soft smile.

"A magical girl is a young woman with special powers. I am a magical girl, and you should have all seen my abilities before."

The smiling blonde beauty made a gun gesture, and the three little ones in front of her immediately nodded in understanding. Mami's performance in the previous battle had truly opened their eyes; those silver-white muskets flying in the sky had shattered the worldview these little ones had maintained since birth.

After Alyssa finished asking her questions, it was Nanoha's turn. Although she had just experienced a thrilling adventure, for some reason, Nanoha didn't feel any particular feelings about herself; instead, she was more interested in the school uniform that Mami was wearing.

"Mami-senpai, are you really from the same school as us? I've been here for several years and have never seen you in the middle school section before."

"Hehe, to be precise, I'm not actually a student at the Affiliated Middle School of Seisho University yet. I only moved to Haiming City a few days ago, and I just completed the transfer procedures today, receiving the necessary uniform and certificates. It will be a few more days before I can officially go to school, so Nanoha, you haven't seen me at school before."

"I see, no wonder."

Nanoha nodded, seemingly understanding, while Suzuka Tsukimura, the purple-haired girl who had been holding back her questions until now, finally spoke up after her two friends had finished asking theirs. Unlike her two ordinary friends, who possessed some special abilities, she was more concerned with something else entirely.

"Mami-senpai, may I ask what exactly was that 'thing' that attacked me, Nanoha, and Alisa earlier?"

Upon hearing Suzuka Tsukimura's question, Mami Tomoe paused in stirring her coffee, then resumed her work as if nothing had happened, speaking with a hint of difficulty:

"According to our regulations, I should theoretically not disclose any information about 'that thing' to you."

"Eh~~~~~~"

"Is it really not possible, Mami-senpai?"

"What if we don't know what that thing is, and we run into it again next time?"

"Alright, alright." Looking at the three noisy little girls in front of her, Mami Tomoe helplessly put down the spoon she was using to stir her coffee cup, reached into her pocket and took out a crystal that was rhomboid in shape and emitted a faint white light.

"Although there are regulations that prohibit the disclosure of relevant information, you are the parties involved after all, so I will give you a brief introduction within the permitted scope."

With her slender fingers, Mami picked up the glittering Seed of the Holy Stone and showed it to the three curious little girls in front of her.

"This thing is called the 'Seed of the Holy Stone'. Its specific origin is a secret. All you need to know is that it is not a native substance of Earth, but came to this world from another planet."

"Wow~ Something from outer space! Does this mean there really are aliens in this world?"

The blonde Elisa excitedly stood up from her chair in the cafe, bringing her face close to the Seed of the Sacred Stone, which was held between Tomoma's finger and thumb, her face full of curiosity.

Mami Tomoe didn't engage in the conversation about aliens, since she herself was, in a way, an 'alien'. Instead, she tossed the Holy Stone Seed back into her palm and explained:

"These Sacred Stone Seeds contain an immense amount of energy. Even a tiny leak can infect the surrounding matter. Sometimes it's plants, sometimes animals, and sometimes, even people. Even if nothing can be infected, the magic leaked from the Sacred Stone Seeds will transform into some kind of life form with extremely strong aggression."

At this point, Mami Tomoe looked at the three little girls in front of her who were listening attentively, and said meaningfully:

“The monster you encountered before was the most primitive individual formed from the overflow of the Holy Stone Seed’s energy. You three little girls should be glad that you only encountered an energy body without a host, with relatively low strength and intelligence. If you had encountered a monster with a host, misfortune would likely have occurred before I even felt it.”

With a hint of regret in Elisa's eyes, Mami Tomoe put the Seed of the Sacred Stone back into her pocket and looked at the three girls opposite her with a serious expression.

"From now on, unless you're accompanied by an adult, don't walk on those sparsely populated forest paths anymore. Even if you don't encounter any strange creatures, it's still very dangerous to run into a pervert. Do you three understand?"

"Yes. We understand, Mami-senpai!" x3

"Okay, good boy/girl~ I'll give you cake as a reward."

Seeing the three little girls nodding vigorously in front of her, Mami Tomoe smiled with satisfaction. She picked up a small fork and used it to fork up the small cakes that Momoko Takamachi had brought earlier, feeding each of them a piece of her secret-recipe pastry.

The three little ones, being fed by Mami, were too busy chewing their food to speak, looking incredibly cute.

Children are truly angels.

P.S.: If Sword Art Online doesn't let Kirito show off his power this time, the rating will drop below 5. Seriously! What is the development team thinking???

Chapter 293 A Small Gift

Chapter 293 A Small Gift

"Nanoha, Suzuka, Elisa, the collection of the Sacred Stone Seeds is not over yet. The three of you should avoid going to any remote places recently, understand?"

"We understand, Mami-senpai."

"Okay, good boy. Here, this is my mobile phone. If you notice anything unusual, you can use it to call me. Of course, you can also use it to visit me during holidays."

"Oh~~~ This is a model I've never seen before. Is it new technology?"

Seeing the three little girls holding the data terminal and turning it over, Mami Tomoe smiled and explained to them what the data terminal could do.

After a brief chat, Mami Tomoe looked at the sky, which had completely darkened, waved goodbye to the three somewhat reluctant girls, and began her journey home.

[Ding~ Verification successful. Welcome back, Mami Tomoe.]

As a slightly mechanical female voice rang out, the alloy-cast doors slowly opened to both sides.

Nodding a greeting to the girl who was standing guard to the side, Mami Tomoe, dressed in a white uniform of the private Seisho Junior High School, walked into a hall.

It was bustling with people.

Many uniformed staff and researchers in white coats hurried past the girl, discussing topics that sounded daunting.

With her amber eyes scanning the surroundings, the blonde girl quickly found her target and strode towards a corner of the hall.

"Lord Rorschach, negotiations with the local authorities have concluded. They are eager to cooperate with us to address the issue of the Seed of the Holy Stone. Furthermore, they have also expressed a desire for an alliance, requesting that we send starships to protect their territory."

"Protecting territorial security? Want to learn technology? Fine, whatever. As long as they don't cause us trouble, we can still leak some less important technologies to them. Notify the person in charge of handling business negotiations to find a time to sign the contract. That way, we'll have an official status, making things easier for us."

"Yes, Lord Rorschach!"

"Besides these, is there anything else that I need to review?"

"There's one more thing. The research department submitted a report earlier. They've made some progress on the research into local 'magical devices.' If we give them some more time, they'll be able to produce replicas."

Upon hearing this news, Luo Xia's lips curled into a satisfied smile, and he praised:

"Well done. Once we overcome the technical hurdles regarding magical artifacts, Chaldea's strength will rise to another level. Tell the research department that we have both money and manpower. As long as we can solve the problem of replicating magical artifacts, all participants will not only receive material rewards, but their salaries will also triple from now on."

After handling some routine tasks at his desk, Luo Xia picked up a steaming cup of black tea, took a small sip, and relaxed back on the sofa.

Just then, the door was knocked on with a crisp, rhythmic knocking.

'Knock knock knock~'

"Please come in."

"Excuse me, Xia-kun."

"Oh, it's you, Mami. How are you settling into the new world?"

The girl who pushed open the door was Mami Tomoe, dressed in a pure white school uniform. The blonde girl had a smile on her face and her eyes were shining. As soon as she entered, she walked towards Rorschach with a smile.

"It was alright, the residents here are very friendly. Although there were some minor incidents, I met some very cute, obedient and sensible children today, chatted with them for a while, so it was a very fulfilling day."

Without any hesitation, Mami Tomoe sat in the man's lap, stretched out her slender, fair arms, and wrapped them around his neck with a smile. She raised her head and offered him a kiss before nestling into Rorschach's embrace with a satisfied look in her eyes.

He subconsciously licked his lips, a doting smile appearing on his face. He reached out and smoothed the girl's golden hair, saying with a smile:

"Whatever makes you happy. Actually, I still think you should stay in your original world. Your friends, your classmates, and all the traces of your life are there. It would be too tiring for you to keep following me around."

"I do not care."

The blonde girl tightened her grip on the man's arm, listening intently to the steady, powerful heartbeat in her ear, her smile revealing no trace of regret.

“My parents are gone, and the harm caused by the witches has been eliminated thanks to the intervention of the Law of Cycles. Apart from Madoka and the others, I have no other attachments in that world. Rather than staying there doing nothing, I'd rather stay by Natsumi's side. Not only can I see you every day, but I can also witness many amazing things.”

"Take this thing called the Seed of the Holy Stone, for example. It's something I never imagined before. A small stone can actually generate such a huge amount of energy, it feels almost the same as the Soul Gem."

Releasing the hand that was hanging around the person's neck, Mami Tomoe took out the Sacred Stone Seed she had obtained earlier from her pocket. Looking at the magnificent sapphire, a hint of intoxication unconsciously appeared in the girl's eyes.

Women are like dragons; they have absolutely no resistance to these sparkly little trinkets. Even the gentle, kind, and virtuous Mami Tomoe couldn't control her longing for beautiful gemstones.

"If you want it, let's make this into a necklace. The color will look really good on your skin."

"Is this really okay? Isn't this an extremely important 'ancient heritage'? Wouldn't it be a waste to use it to make jewelry for me?"

Upon hearing this, the blonde girl's face lit up with longing, which quickly turned into a hint of unease and worry. Although she did indeed love the color and appearance of the Seed of the Holy Stone, she didn't want to put Rorschach in a difficult position because of her own affairs.

Looking at Mami Tomoe, who was holding him cautiously, Rorschach smiled slightly. He didn't answer directly, but showed his attitude through his actions.

Reaching out his right hand, Luo Xia took the shimmering Holy Stone Seed from the girl's palm. With a thought, a metal ornament on the desk turned into scalding liquid under the man's powerful mental energy. It twisted and transformed in mid-air, eventually weaving into a simple and elegant necklace prototype. In the very center of this necklace prototype, there was a diamond-shaped hole about the size of a finger joint.

Gently releasing the fingers that had been holding the Seed of the Holy Stone, the deep blue crystal floated slowly to the cooled necklace and gently inserted itself into the prepared notch.

As the four legs around the Seed of the Sacred Stone, carved with simple patterns, came down, a gemstone necklace, not particularly ornate in design but perfectly matching Mami Tomoe's temperament, appeared before the girl's eyes.

Do you like it?

Holding the necklace that was floating in mid-air in his hand, Luo Xia smiled and looked at the girl in his arms who had a touching expression on her face.

"like!"

"Here, let me help you put it on."

Gently unfastening the clasp on the necklace, Luo Xia held the two ends of the gemstone necklace close to the girl's slender, snow-white neck.

Mami Tomoe raised her head slightly in agreement, her face flushed with embarrassment as she narrowed her eyes.

"Okay, that's enough. Hmm, it looks pretty good."

As the girl felt a slightly warm touch near her collarbone, she heard the man's voice, tinged with admiration.

Curiosity made Mami Tomoe slowly open her eyes, and then she saw the blonde girl in the mirror in Rorschach's hand.

Her smile was enchanting, her eyes sparkling.

Her golden hair was smooth and silky, as if it had its own soft light source, illuminating the girl's gentle and pretty face that could express both joy and anger. Her amber eyes sparkled with captivating light, like a deer wandering in the woods in spring, making it impossible to look away.

Her features, seemingly carved from the finest jade, now revealed a shy yet joyful expression. Her slender fingers couldn't help but caress the sapphire on her collarbone, which looked even more magnificent against the backdrop of her porcelain-white skin.

The gemstone is beautiful, but the person is even more beautiful.

Looking at Rorschach, whose face was completely devoid of any intoxication, Mami Tomoe gently stroked the necklace on her chest with her slender white fingers while slightly raising her head.

"Xia Jun, am I beautiful?"

"You're so beautiful, Mami."

"Actually... I could be even more beautiful."

With a slightly shy smile, the blonde girl raised her hand and flicked out an orange-yellow ribbon, firmly locking the door to Rorschach's office.

With her chest slightly puffed out, the girl's slender fingers unbuttoned her clothes one button at a time, her face displaying a charming smile that Luo Xia had never seen before.