Chapter 235: Rainbow Cloud Wetland

In the evening, Runnore was cool.

High clouds overlapped in scattered layers, obscuring most of the remaining sunlight; a gentle breeze blew slowly, rustling the grass and trees, and the clear air made one feel refreshed and at ease.

Sitting in the magic carriage driven by a fairy, Senior Cuique gazed at the orange-red sky; the restlessness that had been floating within her finally slowly returned to calm.

The carriage traveled on the bluestone road of the No-Magic Zone; because they were passing through a residential area at this moment, relatively low-rise residential houses lined both sides of the road.

The style of these houses closely resembled Western-style houses in the Material World, and most were primarily colored white, red, and blue. But unlike those in the Material World, because they were built using magic devices, these houses took on a wide variety of forms, possessing a unique style; some even adopted strange structures that defied the laws of physics, making one involuntarily wonder if they were in a dream.

Along the way, the group also saw a shop built on a pond; to avoid disrupting the pond's original ecosystem, they specifically used only two wooden poles to support the house, then built a spiral staircase along the poles connecting the shop to the ground; the staircase even turned into an arched bridge halfway up...

These various wonderful, exquisite, and truly bizarre buildings finally made Lin Xiaolu, who had nearly turned to ash, perk up a little. She had sat up at some unknown time, her hands gripping the armrests, silent, her eyes blinking not once as she gazed at the scenery along the road.

Xia Liang was taking photos; Bai Jingxuan had fallen asleep leaning against Senior Cuique because she was hungry; in the carriage, which should have been somewhat noisy, it was unexpectedly quiet at this moment.

"Almost there, bosses; you can already see the place you're going."

The fairy driver in front of the carriage chattered a string of strange syllables that sounded like no language used in the Material World, yet the magical girls on the carriage could all understand what it was saying: "How was the ride experience? If there's anything uncomfortable, tell me; I will listen carefully, so remember to give me a good review."

The No-Magic Zone restricted people from using magic, but that did not mean there was truly no magic here—some spells covering the entire Runnore still influenced this land, including the auxiliary spell "Mutual Understanding" that solved language barriers.

After all, most local residents used the National Language, some fairies from small settlements used Fairy Language, and people from the Material World had dozens or even hundreds of languages depending on the region... Without such spells to assist communication, it would be far too inconvenient.

The magic carriage left the No-Magic Zone along a small path and stopped beside a grassy area rarely visited by people; then came the prompt from that fairy driver:

"We've arrived."

The few still awake on the carriage looked out together, seeing only a patch of grass gently swaying in the afterglow of sunset, and a signpost standing in the grass written in multiple languages:

【Takeoff Point No. 43】

Apart from that, there was only their group and this magic carriage, nothing else.

"So where is this? Didn't we say we were going to find a place to stay?"

Jumping down from the carriage, Lin Xiaolu turned back to Senior Cuique with some confusion: "Why is there nothing here?"

"Maybe there's a secret passage, or perhaps an illusion?" Xia Liang, who had somehow already run over to the signpost in the grass, took a selfie with her phone before analyzing somewhat seriously:

"Look, the sign says 'Takeoff Point'... does that mean airships or hot air balloons will come to pick us up later?"

"There's no such thing."

After paying the fairy driver in the front seat, Senior Cuique led the sleepy-eyed Bai Jingxuan to the signpost: "So, let's continue forward; we still have quite a distance to the accommodation."

"Hmm, could it be..." Lin Xiaolu seemed to think of something, her eye corner twitching: "Don't tell me we have to fly there ourselves?"

"Otherwise what?"

Senior Cuique looked at her strangely, simultaneously grasping her hand in the air as a wand materialized: "Flight points do not prohibit the use of magic; so compared to transportation, wouldn't flying there ourselves be faster?"

"That's what you say, but..."

Lin Xiaolu opened her mouth but ultimately did not continue to argue; instead, she sighed helplessly and summoned her wand: "Sigh, it feels like a country person entering the city in a period drama; I was so stupid to expect this to be some dream fairy-tale kingdom."

"You said 'fairy-tale kingdom'?" Because she hadn't heard Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang's conversation clearly at the border earlier, this was the first time Senior Cuique heard the specific content of Lin Xiaolu's sighs.

"Yes, the kind written in storybooks or shown in animations, a place as beautiful, exquisite, and warm as a wonderland..."

Lin Xiaolu looked gloomy: "But right now I feel like I've just come to a city that is far more developed than Fang Ting City, with a different architectural style."

"Oh, if you want scenery of that style, we should be arriving soon." Senior Cuique couldn't help but blink.

"Eh?"

"You mean, you said it? The fairy-tale kingdom?"

Senior Cuique pointed to the sky above: "The Emerald District is it."

"Wow! Oh! Hooray! Ahhh!"

Half an hour later, Emerald District, Rainbow Cloud Wetland.

Lying on clouds like a Simmons mattress and rolling around constantly, Lin Xiaolu made all sorts of strange noises like a mad person.

The location of the Emerald District on a floating island independent of Runnore was not only to highlight its special status but also to use the terrain to naturally screen travelers arriving here—ordinary people unable to use magic or spells must bring expensive flying magic devices or purchase expensive airship tickets to reach here. Therefore, travelers coming to the Emerald District were mainly magical girls, fairies, and magicians, with occasionally a few wealthy individuals who could afford such luxurious consumption.

For the wealthy unable to use magic, this place allowed them to enjoy the dreamlike scenery of the floating island, take the opportunity to network with the magic side, and purchase high-end services unavailable in the No-Magic Zone, such as fairy massages and magic hot springs; thus, they were happy to spend money lavishly here, contributing to Runnore's tourism industry.

Of course, here, the number of magical girls was ultimately the largest. A large number of magical girls settled in Runnore chose to purchase their own residences in the Emerald District or operate some shops; so, in the Emerald District, one could say "magical girls were seen everywhere on the streets and alleys."

And the Rainbow Cloud Wetland was one of the most famous inns in the Emerald District.

Calling it an inn might not be entirely accurate, because unlike hotels or inns in the Material World, it was not a single complete building or a complex of buildings.

The Rainbow Cloud Wetland was truly a wetland. However, within this wetland, viewing rooms of various sizes were scattered sporadically.

These viewing rooms were far apart from each other, making it difficult to see one another; some were built with glass structures, while others had no walls at all, open to the wind on all sides, resembling pavilions. These viewing rooms were the "rooms" for travelers in the Rainbow Cloud Wetland. All these "rooms" were equipped with complete furniture and daily necessities, and even had water and electricity supplied by spells. Except for the bathroom facilities that would be blocked by a magic light curtain during use, the entire structure of the room was visible from the outside, appearing exceptionally transparent. Of course, considering travelers' privacy, occupied rooms could also be adjusted to a "privacy state," using spells to block external views.

Travelers entering here did not need to wear shoes or socks, because the grass in the wetland was planted entirely on pristine white clouds, and what flowed through the wetland was not a swamp but hot spring water saturated with magic; simply walking through the wetland was an incredibly healing "foot massage."

And when night fell, these dreamlike viewing rooms would emit warm, soft light in the center of the grass dotted with wildflowers, illuminating the entire wetland. At such times, travelers looking out from the viewing rooms could see the moist grass and tranquil water, accompanied by a clear night sky and bright stars; this warm and romantic atmosphere conquered countless travelers who came to live here, also establishing the Rainbow Cloud Wetland's reputation.

At this very moment, Lin Xiaolu had found a patch of cloud not covered by grass and was playing on it as if she had regressed to a toddler.

"It's amazing she rushed ahead of everyone, flew so fast, and still has so much energy after arriving here..."

Xia Liang, while packing luggage, moved her body which felt uncomfortable from the long journey and let out a somewhat envious sigh: "Right now, I just want to pack things away and go to the hot spring; let's soak properly first."

"The hot springs here are worth trying."

Senior Cuique, beside her, lifted her head and glanced at her: "You can transform and soak for a while on the way there, then transform back."

"Does it have any special effects?"

"It is said that it can return the magic overflowing after transformation back into the normal body via the spring water, which helps with beauty."

After saying this, Senior Cuique suddenly paused, then added: "I heard it from others."

"Eh..."

Hearing this, Xia Liang blinked, first showing a somewhat tempted expression, then, as if remembering something, smiled cunningly: "Since the function is so good, shouldn't we all go?"

"Mm, I will tell them after the two of them return."

Cuique turned her head to glance at Lin Xiaolu nearby, then lowered her head again to pack her belongings: "You can go experience it yourself once you're done."

For this trip to the Caiyun Wetland to book rooms, Cuique had fully learned the lesson from the journey here, aboard the landship. To prevent strange dramas and ensure absolute fairness, she specifically chose a large enough view room, one that could comfortably fit four single beds.

Thus, there was no issue with room assignments; once the group arrived, they simply checked in, everything went smoothly. Cuique and Xia Liang were packing their belongings here, Lin Xiaolu dropped her things and ran straight into the clouds to play, while Bai Jingxuan, her stomach too empty, had already gone alone to the dining hall to find food—and had not yet returned.

"No no no, that's not what I meant—I'm saying… let's go soak together?"

Xia Liang smiled like a blooming flower, twirling a single index finger lazily: "It's rare to come soak in a hot spring—how lonely it would be to go alone."

"It's not that rare—we'll be staying here for nearly a month, enough for you to get sick of soaking."

Cuique said flatly: "Besides, we're not the only guests here, and the hot spring isn't just for you—it's already lively enough."

"Come with us."

Xia Liang leaned sideways, bending low until her gaze met Cuique's: "Won't you at least accompany us?"

"... Sigh. You know what my situation is."

Cuique could only sigh, lowering her voice to confirm Lin Xiaolu hadn't noticed their conversation, then looked at Xia Liang with resignation: "Fine, joking about it is one thing—but you really expect me to go with you?"

"What else?"

Xia Liang knew what Cuique was worried about, so she lowered her voice too: "I know you've lived for many years as a different gender, and you may be used to that identity—but now, you can only go to the women's bath, right?"

"Huh?" Cuique stared at Xia Liang in surprise.

"Huh?" Xia Liang responded with equal confusion.

"What are you even saying… did you misunderstand something?" Cuique frowned slightly.

"Misunderstand? But when I came, I saw male travelers in the wetland—so the hot spring must have separate baths, right?"

Xia Liang blinked: "If you plan to soak, you'll have to go to the women's bath, and you'll meet other women anyway—so whether you go alone or with us, it shouldn't matter, right?"

Cuique opened her mouth but fell silent: "Hmm… you seem to have a point, but what I mean is…"

—"What? What hot spring?"

But before she could finish, Lin Xiaolu's voice came from nearby, cutting into their conversation. She flipped over from the clouds, then ran over in quick, light steps:

"Are you guys going to soak in the hot spring? Take me with you!"

"... We were just discussing what effects the magical hot spring has."

Cuique paused slightly, confirmed Lin Xiaolu's expression was normal—she clearly hadn't heard anything extra—then answered calmly: "If you want, you can go with them later."

"Great, let's all go together."

Lin Xiaolu nodded: "So now we're waiting for Bo Xue to come back?"

Cuique lowered her eyelids: "No—I didn't mean 'we.' I meant 'you.'"

"Huh? Cui… Long Dan, aren't you coming?"

Lin Xiaolu immediately widened her eyes: "Why not?"

"Because I have things to do," Cuique turned her gaze away.

"What things?" Lin Xiaolu pressed.

"I brought a lot of documents—some I need to use tomorrow."

"Then do it after you soak."

Lin Xiaolu wouldn't let up: "Or teach me how to do it—I'll help you organize when I get back."

"This isn't a child's job," Cuique closed her eyes.

"I'm not a child anymore," Lin Xiaolu grumbled.

At that moment, Xia Liang re-entered the conversation, placing both hands on Cuique's shoulders from behind: "Bai Mei is right—since we're here anyway, soaking together is a way to strengthen our team's spirit."

"I think this has nothing to do with team spirit," Cuique insisted.

"But you could still come, right?"

Lin Xiaolu refused to let go: "Come with us!"

"No," Cuique shook her head.

"Come on," Xia Liang gently rocked Cuique's shoulders.

"No."

"Come!"

"No."

"Come on!"

"No."

Their argument gradually devolved into a silent contest of endurance, with mere words—more a test of who would yield first than any real persuasion. Unfortunately, the outcome was sealed the moment Xia Liang had drawn Lin Xiaolu into it. After all, few fathers can remain unmoved by their daughter's innocent pleading.

Thirty minutes later, Cuique, wrapped in a towel, sat in the hot spring, her entire body submerged except for her head. Feeling the warmth surround her, she leaned back against the edge of the pool and let out a long sigh.

Beside her, Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, and Bai Jingxuan were all gathered together, side by side, soaking in the hot spring. Whether lucky or unlucky, only they were in the women's bath at this moment.

The Caiyun Wetland's hot springs were divided into three bathing areas: male, female, and spirit. Each area further split into indoor and outdoor sections. The indoor section included changing rooms, showers, saunas, massage rooms, and several smaller hot spring pools. The outdoor section was a vast, lake-like magical hot spring directly set among the grasses.

Spells had been set to repel insects and birds; a ring of mist stretched dozens of meters around the pool, and within that mist, barrier spells prevented anyone from entering from outside, ensuring no traveler would "accidentally wander" into the wrong bath.

After entering the bath and rinsing off briefly, everyone—as Cuique had mentioned—entered the spring in their transformed state. Once they felt a faint trickle of magic seep into the water, they all dispelled their transformations and returned to their original forms.

Of course, Cuique remained Cuique.

"Ah, the magical hot spring lives up to its reputation—this tingling, prickly sensation… wow, it's like the water is giving me a massage."

Xia Liang floated with a blissful smile, as if melting into the water: "Perfect—I feel like a scoop of ice cream dissolving into the spring."

"Is it really that comfortable?"

Lin Xiaolu, imitating Cuique, leaned half against the pool's edge, but her expression was odd: "I do feel that tingling… but it doesn't feel comfortable at all—in fact, it's kind of unpleasant."

"It means your senses are more sensitive than mine."

Xia Liang turned her face toward her: "Like a baby's skin is always more delicate than an adult's—probably the younger you are, the more intense the sensation. So for me it's pleasant, but for you it's uncomfortable?"

"I'm older than you." Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes: "Don't think you can find ways to call me childish."

"Hmm? Is that considered 'calling' me something?"

Xia Liang struck a pose of deep contemplation, then grinned: "Anyway, regardless of age, from any angle, I'm older than you, right?"

"Hah?"

Lin Xiaolu immediately sat up straight. She was about to stand up and confront Xia Liang, but then remembered she was still bathing and it wasn't appropriate to make a scene, so she could only give up resentfully.

"I also think this numb feeling is a bit strange..."

But just as the two were about to start arguing again, Bai Jingxuan spoke up. Unlike Lin Xiaolu, who felt uncomfortable but insisted on staying in the hot spring, she stood up directly, clutching her bath towel: "It's so uncomfortable staying in the water."

"See, even Boxue thinks this feeling is strange."

Seeing her do this, Lin Xiaolu felt as if she had gained support, and confidence immediately surged: "Among us, the one who doesn't fit in is clearly you!"

"What's there to say about that? After all, she's still an elementary school student; she really is just a child."

Xia Liang remained noncommittal and calm: "You are two years older than her. Do you want to compare yourself to her on this matter?"

"Hmm..."

Lin Xiaolu wanted to refute Xia Liang's twisted logic, but for the moment could not find any angle of rebuttal, so she could only look helplessly toward Senior Cuique. Then, she saw Senior Cuique, like an old monk in meditation, tightly wrapped in a bath towel, curling her legs against the edge, eyes closed, silent and motionless.

"Dragon's Beard?" Lin Xiaolu, suspecting the other might have fallen asleep, tentatively asked a question.

"What is it?" Senior Cuique asked in return.

"Ah, oh, I saw you with your eyes closed and not speaking, so I thought you were asleep."

Lin Xiaolu's tone weakened a bit, even carrying a hint of tenderness as she asked: "How do you feel about the sensation of this hot spring water?"

"You mean the problem you two were arguing about just now?"

Senior Cuique kept her eyes closed, so her head didn't move at all: "From the perspective of my personal senses, the feeling of magic flowing with the water and merging into the skin is indeed not very comfortable, but it's not unbearable either."

She paused, then added: "And, for you, this tingling sensation is actually a sign of improving skin quality. If you have such a need, having your skin tingle while soaking in the water is actually a good thing."

Splash.

Swish.

As her words fell, two very distinct sounds of entering the water followed; Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan almost simultaneously submerged their entire bodies into the water, even burying half their faces.

The hot spring suddenly became much quieter. The juniors still occasionally said a few words and made some noise, but at least there were no more arguments.

Everyone in the bath focused on feeling the tingling sensation from the spring water to ensure it was truly taking effect on them. After a long while, Lin Xiaolu, who believed the soreness and numbness had already disappeared, spoke up again: "Um... Dragon's Beard."

"Mm?"

"Why have you kept your eyes closed since you entered the bath?"

Lin Xiaolu twisted her fingers in her hair tips, trying to wring out the moisture: "Is this also some kind of rule?"

Senior Cuique's shoulders, submerged underwater, paused slightly. Fortunately, the spring water concealed it, and the surroundings were filled with steam, so no one would notice this tiny change.

She raised her head slightly, her expression normal, as if simply organizing her thoughts, then gave the answer: "To stimulate sensory compensation."

"What is that?" Lin Xiaolu was somewhat confused.

"When a person loses one sense, the brain strengthens other senses to compensate for the missing information."

Senior Cuique spoke seriously: "So, by closing your eyes and keeping quiet, your vision and hearing will temporarily become ineffective. Only then can you focus on bathing and feel the changes in your body."

"Eh... so bathing in a hot spring is actually something that requires so much attention to detail."

Lin Xiaolu believed Senior Cuique's words, but did not try it immediately, because for her, today's bath was actually over, and she did not intend to focus on it further: "I've learned. Indeed, Dragon's Beard, you are very impressive."

Senior Cuique nodded, with no intention of continuing the topic—having finally come up with a relatively plausible reason, she did not want to slip up and reveal any flaws by talking too much. She also could not say as Senior Cuique, "Because I want to avoid suspicion and don't wish to see your bodies," so it was best to quickly steer the conversation away.

Besides that, she felt that someone seemed to be playing with her hair.

Because her hair was truly too long, after a simple rinse before bathing, Senior Cuique had already tied up the long hair at the back of her head. What she felt now was that the hair at the back of her head seemed to be pulled a couple of times by someone.

"What is it?"

Roughly sensing the direction and force of the hair being pulled, Senior Cuique basically identified who was pulling her hair and asked Xia Liang directly: "Is there something wrong with my hair?"

"Nothing."

Xia Liang did not deny it at all; there was no embarrassment in her voice at being caught playing a prank. Instead, she spoke with a hint of sighing: "I just wanted to say, Junior Senior, your hair is really good. Is this also a benefit of fully becoming a Magical Girl?"

"If you think that's a benefit," Senior Cuique said ambiguously.

Not a few people, in order to maintain eternal youth, choose to join the Nation after their ten-year service period ends and continue as Magical Girls. Although their lifespan does not increase, the bodies and true forms of these Magical Girls will maintain a youthful appearance until their lifespan reaches its end.

This was also the excuse Senior Cuique had always used to explain to her juniors why her appearance before and after transformation was almost exactly the same. Fortunately, this excuse was indeed valid; recently, Asou Enka, who had arrived in Fang Ting City, also used her own appearance to corroborate this point for Senior Cuique. No one could use this excuse to expose her identity.

"Of course that's a benefit."

Xia Liang naturally could not guess what Senior Cuique was thinking at that moment, and simply continued to play with Senior Cuique's hair: "It feels like if you separate the strands and look closely, you can see starlight, twinkling and flashing."

"Are you saying I have dandruff on my hair?" Senior Cuique asked somewhat strangely, because as far as she knew, such metabolic products should not appear on a Magical Girl's body.

"What kind of mood-killing thing are you saying? It's those star-like spots of deep blue with a bit of white, and they look very good and harmonious. They definitely aren't dandruff."

Xia Liang said somewhat helplessly, but her hand movements did not stop: "Sigh, the more I look, the more envious I get."

"Is that so? If you really want good-looking hair, I remember there's a beauty salon in the Emerald District."

After recalling briefly, Senior Cuique said: "They can provide many services combining aesthetics and practicality, such as nail art with engraved Faw runes that can increase magic activity; and hair dyes mixed with small doses of stimulants that can help with inspiration and creativity."

"Sounds like it might be interesting." Xia Liang's voice carried a hint of interest: "Shall we go try it?"

"Sure. Then will Dragon's Beard go with us too?" Lin Xiaolu's voice reached Senior Cuique's ears from another direction.

"No, I won't go, because I really have things to do tomorrow."

Senior Cuique slowly exhaled: "You two can just stroll around Runnore yourselves. You can go to the front desk to book a local guide; the guide will recommend places worth visiting for you."

This was not an excuse, but the truth. Senior Cuique indeed had a prior appointment tomorrow, and this appointment was actually quite important to her.

That was, she had to go to the Research Institute to find Emerald.

The method to heal the Soul Gem that Emerald had once promised her was there.

Senior Cuique had been preparing since last November, undergoing several preliminary examinations and preparatory treatments for her true form, all to ensure the treatment could be completed smoothly tomorrow.

She was unwilling to wait any longer, for mending the Heart Gem and restoring her true form was equivalent to restoring her combat power; naturally, the sooner this was done, the better.

The Emerald side seemed to have some request as well, so she had been persuading Senior Cuique to go to the Research Institute as soon as possible. Their thoughts were basically aligned, and they finally set the date for tomorrow.

As for whether this meeting would be a trap?

Senior Cuique could not confirm with one hundred percent certainty that it was not a trap now; in fact, when she first met the Emerald, she felt that no matter how one looked at it, it was a trap.

It was just that during several months of cooperation, the help provided by the Emerald and the attitude displayed showed a strange sincerity. Although this Chief of the Research Institute often made people feel unreliable and always mixed in a bit of personal eccentricity when doing things, at the same time, the other party almost never hid any news; most of the matters Senior Cuique asked about received answers. One could say she was excessively frank.

This frankness was the greatest difference between the Emerald and the Golden Jinlv Maoyan, and it was also the reason why Senior Cuique was very resistant to having too much entanglement with the Golden Jinlv Maoyan yet was willing to come to the Realm to meet the Emerald.

Senior Cuique thought thus, gradually sinking into her own thoughts, paying no mind to the hands of the several juniors playing with her hair, even though the hands behind her head had changed from one pair to two pairs.

The group soaked in the hot spring for a while longer before leaving because the several juniors began to feel dizzy.

In the changing room, she dried her hair and wiped her body dry, then left the scenic room wearing a bathrobe. Walking barefoot on the wet ground, the sensation of the grass beneath her feet and the evening wind blowing against her face made Senior Cuique involuntarily squint her eyes, yet she regained her alertness because footsteps from others approached from ahead.

It was a group of strange female travelers, and most of their faces were quite young; they also possessed a magical fluctuation relatively stronger than ordinary people. Without a doubt, this was also a group of Magical Girls.

In the Emerald District, brushing past unfamiliar Magical Girls was an extremely common occurrence, so Senior Cuique did not think much of it; she simply stepped aside to let this group of strange travelers pass.

The Magical Girls on the opposite side noticed Senior Cuique's behavior, so they all nodded and thanked her, then passed by her side and headed straight for the magical hot spring not far away.

It was just meeting a group of strangers; that was what Senior Cuique thought. Her gaze hardly lingered on this group of Magical Girls; they appeared in her vision merely because they happened to pass by.

However, when the last Magical Girl in the crowd swept past Senior Cuique's almost unfocused eyes, Senior Cuique suddenly felt an incredibly intense sense of familiarity.

This should be someone she had known before, someone she could even say was very familiar.

Realizing this, Senior Cuique instinctively turned her head, wanting to take another look at the other person's figure to confirm their identity. However, what she saw was not the backs of that group of Magical Girls, but the faces of the several juniors.

The several juniors had also changed their clothes and come out of the changing room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, let's go back!" Lin Xiaolu waved at Senior Cuique.

"Ah... I feel much better after soaking in the hot spring."

Xia Liang raised both hands behind her head and stretched: "While my whole body is relaxed, I must hurry back to sleep."

"My head is so dizzy..."

Bai Jingxuan, who had almost fainted from soaking in the hot spring, walked over with unsteady steps, then very naturally went to Senior Cuique's side and reached out to hug Senior Cuique's arm. Perhaps because Senior Cuique's body temperature was relatively low, hugging her at this time felt cooler, so Bai Jingxuan let out a very relaxed sigh: "Ha..."

Forget it, let's just take the children back first. Senior Cuique thought this.

Since it was someone familiar to her, she should not have forgotten the other person's existence yet; she would just recall which acquaintances had returned to Runnore and contact them later.

Having made up her mind, Senior Cuique looked once more toward the direction of the hot spring before leaving, but that group of Magical Girls had already entered the changing room by then, and their figures were no longer visible from the outside.