Chapter 241: Three Rules
"But!" March 7th immediately raised a finger, her expression snapping into one of extreme seriousness as she laid out the most crucial condition.
"We have to agree on three rules first! The first, and most important one!" She took a deep breath, practically gritting her teeth as she emphasized each word. "You absolutely, absolutely, absolutely—must not call me 'Mother' in front of anyone else anymore!"
The title was just too… too mortifying! "You can call me 'March,' just like Stelle and Dan Heng do. Got it?"
Just then, a certain individual nearby, who possessed an uncanny inability to read the room, decided to display her meager "linguistic wisdom."
Stelle cupped a hand over her mouth, leaning conspiratorially toward Dan Heng's ear and "whispering" loudly enough for the entire chamber to hear.
"Hey, if not 'Mother,' then she can still be called 'Mom,' 'Mama,' or 'Dearest Mother'… Aren't they all the same? What's the big deal? Does changing the title really make a difference?"
"Stelle—!!!"
An irk mark pulsed visibly above March 7th's head. Whatever coolness and decisiveness she had managed to muster moments ago evaporated, instantly replaced by pure, unadulterated fury.
Without another word, she swung her fist with lightning speed. Two swift thwacks echoed in the hall, precisely creating a pair of fresh, new bumps on that forgetful gray-haired head.
"Ow! That hurts!" Stelle immediately crouched down, clutching her head with both hands and letting out an exaggerated wail. "March, you hit too hard! I was just helping you expand your vocabulary!"
Standing by, Dan Heng helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead, sighing deeply in his heart. 'This one… she never learns. She was only reliable for a few minutes…'
After scolding the show-off, March 7th turned back to the little jellyfish, which seemed to have shrunk back, intimidated by the sudden outburst of violence.
With her hands on her hips, her tone was firm. "Did you hear me? If you don't agree to this, then the deal's off. I absolutely will not take you with me!"
Feeling March 7th's obvious resolve, the little jellyfish's glow dimmed for a moment, as if it felt wronged. But after a brief internal struggle, it finally floated up and down in a clear "nodding" motion, signaling its agreement.
Seeing it yield, March 7th finally let her serious expression melt away, a warm smile blossoming on her face once more. She reached out a finger, carefully touching the cool, soft top of the little creature.
"Since you'll be following me from now on, you can't be too conspicuous. You'll need a new name."
March 7th tilted her head in thought, and then her eyes lit up. "Got it! From now on, you'll be called—Little Yue! The 'Yue' from March 7th! How about it? Sounds good, right?"
Hearing this, the little jellyfish—now to be called Little Yue—flared with a starlight so brilliant it was like fireworks blooming in the night sky. It excitedly circled March 7th, its soft tentacles tracing elegant blue arcs in the air, its pure, undisguised joy almost overflowing the entire Hall of the Triune Fates.
Watching March 7th interact with Little Yue, her smile bright and genuine, Stelle rubbed the sore bumps on her head and exchanged a look with Dan Heng. Both of them saw a hint of relief in the other's eyes.
Regardless, gaining a new companion—even one who might need some careful nurturing—was, all in all, a good thing.
At this moment, Dan Heng spoke up. "Since matters here are temporarily concluded and we have new clues and goals, it's time for us to leave."
"I agree!" Stelle immediately jumped to her feet to concur, pointing at the two prominent bumps on her head with a look of utter indignation. "Suddenly, I don't feel like wandering around outside anymore! If I go out with these two big bumps, Lumine and Paimon will definitely laugh themselves to death!"
She struck a dramatic pose. "How can I, the dignified Stelle, the future 'Trailblazer of the Year,' swagger through the streets with such 'prominent horns'? Don't I care about my image?!"
Her comical remarks managed to lighten the previously heavy and melancholic atmosphere. March 7th couldn't help but let out a giggle, and even Dan Heng's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
Leaving the Hall of the Triune Fates, still shrouded in its temporal mist, Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng—plus the newly joined blue jellyfish, Little Yue, now floating gently by March 7th's shoulder—returned to their temporary private bathhouse in Okhema City via the domain anchor.
Warm, slightly humid air enveloped them, dispelling the ancient chill that had clung to them from the temple.
This brief exploration had yielded some peculiar gains: a consciousness clone of a Root Titan from Amphoreus, now a pet jellyfish named Little Yue, and several pieces of gossip about March 7th's background—more than enough to spark some lively discussions among the Astral Express crew.
Stelle's gaze subconsciously drifted toward March 7th, who was curiously observing the bathhouse environment, and the small jellyfish radiating a soft starlight on her shoulder. Her lips habitually started to curl up, forming that exclusive smirk of someone who had just found a new source of amusement.
However, the instant her gaze met March 7th's, she received an extremely "friendly" warning look, accompanied by a deliberately clenched fist.
"…" Stelle instantly swallowed the teasing words that had been on the tip of her tongue.
She silently opened the Chat Group interface, her eyes scanning the increasingly active discussions now that Hu Tao and Venti had joined. Her finger hovered over the input box for a long, long time, but in the end, she didn't dare to send out the bombshell news of "March 7th unexpectedly becoming a mother in another world."
It wasn't that she had undergone a sudden personality change, but rather that she had rationally assessed the risks.
Given March's personality, if the group members found out and repeatedly teased her, she might just become enraged enough to strive for self-improvement. What if she was truly provoked and went to Paimon to learn the techniques for using that Stand ability, "Paimon's Star," which could deliver high-speed, continuous punches?
Stelle shivered. She did not want to face a "Meteor-style Ora Ora Barrage" on the Astral Express every day; her body definitely couldn't withstand that.
Of course, Stelle's silence was merely the result of weighing the pros and cons. If one day she believed that the joy brought by spreading this amusement far outweighed the pain of getting a good beating from March 7th, then she would not hesitate to bravely sacrifice herself for the great cause of entertainment.
Temporarily suppressing her gossiping heart, the now-idle Stelle sat cross-legged on the soft carpet and began to tally her gains from arriving at Amphoreus. She suddenly remembered that the Chat Group's [Temporary Stelle of Amphoreus] world event had ended, and those generous point rewards had not yet been claimed.
also, she recalled that she still had one last 80% off ten-pull opportunity for newcomers that she hadn't used.
Thinking of this, Stelle's mood couldn't help but become excited. However, this excitement was quickly blanketed by a layer of worry.
Drawing lots, for them, was never a simple, crude "click and done" affair. It was a sacred activity imbued with metaphysics, faith, and a deep sense of ritual.
And now, the biggest problem arose—they were missing the most core, most indispensable part of the ritual: the Astral Express crew's most, most, most important mascot, the great Conductor Pom-Pom.
Stelle couldn't help but rub her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Without Pom-Pom's fluffy body to pet, the sense of security for this draw had plummeted to rock bottom.
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