Manager, give me a membership card too!

After editing a secret message on the data terminal and sending it to the Azure Fleet, Luo Xia put down the terminal and stood up from his chair.

"After working for half a day, it's time to relax. I happen to remember that place should be finished in the next couple of days. Let's go give it a try. After all, it's one of the country's unique attractions."

After stretching out, Luo Xia picked up the data terminal next to him again, intending to find someone to relax with him, but was surprised to find that the location signal representing Mami Tomoe was exactly at his current destination.

"That girl Mami, is she thinking the same thing as me? Hmm~~~~ Perfect, let me give her a surprise!"

Thinking this through, Luo Xia didn't waste any more time. He put down the data terminal in his hand, humming a little tune and smiling as he hurried towards Mami's current location. The shopkeeper, walking at a leisurely pace, wondered what kind of expression the girl would have when she saw him, and whether she would be startled.

Meanwhile, Mami Tomoe, leading a group of followers of all sizes, and having made a trip to the research center to pick up Alicia from Precia, finally led everyone to their destination.

Looking at the huge pool filled with swirling steam, Mami Tomoe turned around with a smile and loudly announced to the girls behind her:

"Welcome to one of Chaldea's employee perks: a super-large hot spring built from a spring source from another world. Various toiletries are available in the changing room next door; please feel free to use them. Now, sisters, let's enjoy the soothing hot spring water!"

"Oh!!!"

P.S.: They texted me at 6 PM on the 10th saying that the mobile version of DNF was about to be released, then around 7 PM they said it was delayed, and now they're playing dead and not giving a specific opening time. You're really something, Tencent.

Chapter 306 'Games' in the Hot Spring

Chapter 306 'Games' in the Hot Spring

Why...did it turn out like this?

How did things get to this point?

Looking at the huge 'wall' that stretched across the entire hot spring bathhouse not far away, Luo Xia, sitting in a corner of the hot spring bath with a white towel around his waist, sighed helplessly.

The story begins a few minutes earlier.

Having finished a day's work, Luo Xia planned to relax in the newly built hot spring bath at his home. Of course, doing this alone wouldn't be very enjoyable, so he needed someone to accompany him.

While pondering whether to bring his female companions, who were in charge of things in other worlds, to this world, the shopkeeper was surprised to find that Mami Tomoe had already arrived near the hot springs ahead of time, and judging from the signal markers on her data terminal, she was alone, without anyone else accompanying her.

Seeing this situation, Rorschach simply abandoned his idea of ​​bringing people from other worlds and cheerfully rushed to the entrance of the hot spring. To give Mami a surprise attack, Rorschach didn't even leave the doorway, instead using a short-range spatial teleportation. And then...

Then he fell into the middle of a group of girls who had just entered the hot spring, splashing water and eliciting a chorus of ear-piercing screams.

Fortunately, due to some shyness, apart from Mami Tomoe who wrapped herself in a bath towel, all the other girls were wearing the black one-piece school swimsuits provided in the hot spring changing room. As a result, apart from being slightly surprised, the girls did not suffer any actual damage.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Rorschach escaped punishment. After witnessing Mami Tomoe's angry expression and the timid looks the other girls gave him for the first time, the manager automatically shrank to a corner of the hot spring bath and watched helplessly as Mami Tomoe used her magic to divide the entire bath in two with a wall made of ribbon.

"Oh, what a disaster..."

Listening to the sounds of playful banter coming from next door, Luo Xia, who was still all alone in the end, leaned against the cobblestones behind him with a sense of helplessness. He picked up the white towel that was provided next to him, wet it with hot water, and covered his head with it.

Surrounded by warm spring water, the cozy feeling made Luo Xia's body relax unconsciously, and he became languid. Gradually, the sounds of laughter and play faded away, and his consciousness slowly drifted into a half-dreaming, half-awake state.

'Splash~'

Suddenly, a distinct sound of flowing water came from not far away, causing Luo Xia, who was about to drift off to sleep, to unconsciously frown.

Someone's here? That shouldn't be the case. I clearly marked the area around the hot spring as a restricted zone beforehand. Theoretically, no one should come here to cause trouble at this time.

Reluctantly opening one eye, Luo Xia looked in the direction of the sound of water. What he saw left the man speechless.

"Huh, Mami, you..."

The shopkeeper's surprised exclamation was cut short by a hand made of yellow ribbon. Looking at Mami Tomoe's blushing face and the index finger held up in front of her cherry-like lips, Rorschach nodded knowingly, indicating he wouldn't make a sound.

Having received Rorschach's assurance, Mami looked around furtively, as if she were a thief, and only after confirming that there was no one else around did she tiptoe over to Rorschach's side and sit down next to him.

He glanced at Mami Tomoe beside him, then at the laughter still emanating from next door, and turned to whisper in the girl's ear:

"Why did you come here? Aren't you going to keep those girls company?"

"It's okay, the fog is thick over there, they won't notice me if I disappear for a while."

"Oh, so you still haven't said why you came here?"

Why do you think I came here?

Hearing Luo Xia's question, Mami Tomoe rolled her eyes at the man in front of her. Having spent some time with him, she knew perfectly well the significance of Luo Xia's sudden appearance in the hot spring, especially since she was bathing in the hot spring herself.

"Cough~ cough~ There are children next to us, Mami, don't talk nonsense. I'm a normal person. I just came to soak in the hot spring because I was tired from work. Don't get the wrong idea."

"Oh, really? Then I'll have to confirm it."

Seeing Luo Xia still pretending to be a gentleman, Mami Tomoe revealed a mischievous smile, pressed herself against the man's body and slowly slid down, disappearing beneath the surface of the water in no time.

"***!"

***.

"Huh, where did Mami-senpai go? She was just sitting next to me a moment ago."

"Yeah, I remember just chatting with Mami-nee a moment ago, how come she's gone in the blink of an eye?"

Just as Luo Xia felt he was getting into the swing of things, the puzzled voices of the girls came from the other side of the hot spring, which was separated by ribbons. And judging from the string of bubbles that suddenly rose to the surface of the water, it was clear that Luo Xia was not the only one who heard the sounds coming from next door.

Just as the store manager was considering whether to call out Mami Tomoe, an unexpected situation occurred.

"Brother Rorschach, have you seen Mami Tomoe?"

Looking at the blonde girl with pigtails peeking out from behind the ribbon wall—no, it should be called a young girl—Rorschach silently reached out and placed the towel he had previously placed on his forehead over his lap, covering a few strands of golden curls floating on the water's surface.

"Ahem~ Alicia, you can't use your ability to walk through walls to wander around. This is the men's bathhouse."

“What does it matter? Brother Luo Xia, you’re not an outsider.”

"Weren't you still angry with me just a couple of days ago? How come you're not an outsider now?"

"Hehehe, I just realized that although those classmates are childish, they're not bad kids. Oh, by the way, Brother Luo Xia, have you seen Sister Mami? She seems to have disappeared."

Glancing at the bubbles that occasionally floated to the surface of the water, Luo Xia decisively said:

"I don't know, I didn't see her. Maybe she went to get some drinks after getting hot. Why don't you go check over in the lounge?"

"Okay, I understand. See you later, Brother Rorschach!"

Guided by Rorschach, Alicia greeted him warmly, and after carefully examining the bathtub on Rorschach's side, she muttered to herself and withdrew from the wall, returning to the women's bathroom.

After all that commotion, Luo Xia leaned back weakly against the pebbles. A few minutes later, Mami carefully surfaced, raising half her head above the water. Only after confirming that no one was around did she suddenly emerge from the hot spring.

Raising her arm to wipe away the traces left at the corner of her mouth, Mami Tomoe glanced guiltily in the direction of the ribbon wall and asked softly.

"Xia-kun, Alicia won't suddenly reappear, will she?"

Upon hearing this, Rorschach closed his eyes again as if sensing something. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes and nodded to Mami Tomoe.

"They've already gone far away and won't be back anytime soon."

"That's good, that's good. I was so scared. I thought we were going to be discovered. No, I can't stay here any longer. I'm leaving, Xia Jun, or those little guys will get worried."

Feeling guilty, Mami Tomoe had a persistent feeling that Alicia might emerge from a nearby building at any moment. In order not to ruin her image as Mami-senpai in front of the other girls, the blonde girl grabbed her towel that had fallen into the water and fled from the pool as if she were running away, leaving only Rorschach alone, watching the girl's fleeing figure with great interest.

Five minutes later, Mami Tomoe, having cleaned up the marks on her body, returned to the women's bath where the other girls were. Seeing Mami Tomoe, who had mysteriously disappeared for some time, Nanoha asked curiously:

"Mami-senpai, where did you go? We couldn't find you and we were all very worried."

"Sorry, sorry, kids, I got a little hot from soaking in the hot spring, so I went out to buy some cold drinks to cool down. Here, these are what I brought for you, they're delicious, have a taste."

Faced with the probing gazes of Nanoha and the others, Mami Tomoe pulled out the chilled drinks she had prepared beforehand, finally managing to appease the girls. Only Alicia, while sipping her chilled coconut juice, muttered to herself:

"That's strange. I clearly looked in the lounge area just now, but I didn't see Mami-neechan. Hmm, never mind, I guess I missed something."

Chapter 307 A Predestined Encounter

Chapter 307 A Predestined Encounter

"Gurgle gurgle~ Hoo-ha~ Enjoyable, enjoyable! After soaking in the hot spring, a bottle of ice-cold milk is truly the ultimate pleasure! Suzuka, Nanoha, would you like some too?"

A delicate white foot landed on the sofa in the lounge, and Elisa boldly tilted her head back and gulped down a large bottle of iced milk. Her face, slightly flushed from the hot spring, was full of satisfaction.

"No, no. I already drank the coconut juice that Mami-senpai brought, and I'm afraid my stomach will feel uncomfortable if I drink milk too."

"What does it matter? There's a hospital right here. If you really feel unwell, just go see a doctor. Come on, come on, it's delicious."

Seeing Nanoha's expression—a mixture of interest and fear of stomach pain—Elisa chuckled and grabbed a bottle of chilled milk from the table, walking towards Nanoha, who was drying her hair with a towel.

"Oh, it's so cold!"

"Hehehe, it tastes better because it's iced! Don't run away, Nanoha, have a sip!"

Nanoha was being chased around by her mischievous friends, eventually even escaping the lounge. Meanwhile, Mami Tomoe frowned slightly, glancing subtly at the data terminal on the table.

Fate, sitting next to the curly-haired girl, keenly noticed her unusual behavior. Curious, the girl moved closer and whispered, "..."

"What happened, Mami-nee?"

When questioned by Fate, Mami Tomoe picked up her data terminal, turned on the screen, quickly glanced at it, and then said to the girl beside her with a hint of helplessness:

"It's a bit of a shame, but I have to tell you, Fate, our vacation is canceled. A massive energy surge has occurred in downtown Haiming, and a Holy Stone Seed has attached itself to a tree. It has now affected a large area and is still growing. The local government has sent a request for assistance, hoping we can deal with that thing as soon as possible."

Upon hearing Mami's words, Fate's expression immediately turned serious. She decisively put down her drink, stood up, and prepared to head to her destination.

Watching the twin-tailed girl rush out of the lounge, Alicia and Suzuka Tsukimura, still not quite understanding what had happened, cast their questioning glances at Mami Tomoe, who remained standing there.

"Sister Mami, where did Little Fit go? She didn't even say hello, and she seemed to be in a hurry."

"I'm so sorry, Alicia, Suzuka, Fate and I have an urgent mission to take up, so we can't stay with you any longer. Please tell Nanoha and the others that we're sorry when they get back. Fate and I will finish the mission as soon as possible and try to get back."

"Oh, it's something important. It's okay, Mami-nee. You go ahead and do your thing. We can take care of ourselves. Just remember to be careful."

Alicia nodded, seemingly understanding, after hearing Mami's explanation. She smiled and gave Mami a thumbs-up, while Suzuka Tsukimura beside her offered her blessing.

"Wishing you great success in your military endeavors, Mami-senpai."

Nodding to the other two in the lounge, Mami Tomoe turned and hurriedly left the room, leaving Alicia and Suzuka Tsukimura alone in the lounge. They looked at each other for a moment, then sighed in unison.

"Fate-chan and Mami-senpai always seem so busy. I hope they can complete this mission smoothly."

"Sigh, there's nothing we can do to help. We can only watch from here. If I had the aptitude to learn magic, I would ask my mother for a magical artifact so I could fight alongside Fate. Unfortunately, I can't use magic, so I can only watch Fate fight."

Alicia leaned back on the soft sofa, somewhat listless, setting aside the iced milk she was holding, no longer interested in tasting it. Suzuka Tsukimura, however, seemed thoughtful after hearing her words.

If it were these people, if it were this organization called Chaldea, perhaps they might accept the Tsukimura clan, who are outsiders.

A barely perceptible hint of crimson flickered deep within her azure eyes. The purple-haired girl pondered that perhaps she could discuss this matter with her family after returning home today.

Meanwhile, in a corridor of Chaldea, Nanoha Takamachi and Elisa Barnings are chasing each other playfully.

"Don't run away, Nanoha! If you keep running, once I catch you, I'll... hehehehe~"

Still wearing the black school swimsuit that's part of the hot spring bath, blonde Elisa spreads her arms and laughs wildly, mimicking a villain from a movie, as if she's about to relentlessly pursue Nanoha, but deliberately keeps a distance, engaging in this rare game.

However, when she turned a corner with a smile, she was surprised to find that her friend Nanoha had not continued to run away, but was standing there in a daze, looking very confused.

"Nanoha, what's wrong? Did you get a stitch when you were running earlier? Don't scare me!"

Alyssa shook Takamachi Nanoha's shoulder in a panic, her face full of anxiety and regret. She should have known better than to play so aggressively.

Nanoha Takamachi, shaken a few times by Elisa, seemed to regain her senses. She slowly turned her head, looking blankly at her friend, and said, word by word:

"Elisa-chan... I think I heard someone calling me?"

"Huh?!"

Five minutes later, looking at the tightly closed metal door in front of her, Elisa glanced hesitantly at Nanoha beside her, who still seemed somewhat dazed, and asked uncertainly:

"Nanoha, are you really sure the person who called you is in this room? I have a bad feeling about this. Let's go back and find Fate and Mami before we come back. What if there are some dangerous items in the room? We'll be in big trouble."

Compared to Elisa, whose face was filled with unease and hesitation, Nanoha Takamachi's small face held a rather inexplicable expression. She looked at the tightly closed door before her, then suddenly stepped past her friend and took a few steps towards it.

"Whoa, Nanoha, don't run around like that!"

Seeing Nanoha suddenly dart to the front door, Alisa was startled and prepared to pull her back. But before the girl could even reach out, a pinkish-white beam of light shot out from the door, instantly scanning Nanoha from top to bottom.

"Special privilege personnel detected: Nanoha Takamachi. Meets the requirements to open the classified storage room. Unlocking procedure in progress. Please wait..."

Accompanied by a pleasant mechanical sound, the mechanical door in front of the two girls slowly opened to both sides after a series of dazzling changes.

Once the main door was fully in place, what appeared before the two-meter-tall girl was a spacious hall, and in the center of the hall, a pink jewel that floated quietly in mid-air.

Welcome, my master, the Heart of the Rising Sun has been waiting for a long time.

Chapter 308 You are electricity, you are light!

Chapter 308 You are electricity, you are light!

"Wake up, Baldish!"