Chapter 444: Ten Years?!

"Huh? It's me! Of course it's San Yue Qi!"

San Yue Qi lowered her hand, looked at Yuan Ban Lin, then at Sakura, her powder‑blue eyes full of shock, "But you… what's going on with you? Did you eat some growth accelerator? How did you suddenly grow so big?! I remember the last time I saw you, you were still that tiny little bit!"

She gestured a height with her hand.

Yuan Ban Lin and Sakura exchanged a glance, each seeing the same confusion in the other's eyes.

(?)

Yuan Ban Lin frowned, (Sister San Yue Qi… seems completely unaware that a long time has passed?)

"Sister San Yue Qi,"

Sakura spoke gently, trying to explain, "Since the last time… when we part‑ed in Winterwood City, ten years have already passed."

"Ten… ten years?!"

San Yue Qi's tone suddenly rose, almost cracking.

Her expression froze instantly, then became absurdly vivid—ultimately frozen like an old man on the subway staring at his phone.

"What are you saying, Yuan Ban Lin? Ten years?!"

San Yue Qi rubbed her temples hard, trying to sort out the logic, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! I just got back on the train a short while ago! At most… at most a few hours! How could it be ten years already?!"

She strained to recall: that inexplicable adventure in Winterwood City, which ended with her returning to the train.

After returning, Jizi sister asked this and that… then she was exhausted, went back to her room to rest… and then…

(Is that it? Is there a blank in the middle? No!)

The severe misalignment of her time perception was about to overload San Yue Qi's little brain.

With her relatively simple way of thinking, she simply couldn't grasp the huge chasm between "a few hours" and "ten years."

She looked around; the living‑room's arrangement was completely unfamiliar.

She looked again at Yuan Ban Lin and Sakura—indeed, they were them, matching in outline, features, even gaze, but stripped of childish naivety, grown into graceful young women; Yuan Ban Lin's eyes were sharper and more confident, and Sakura's demeanor was gentler and serene.

And the "summoning" and "Spell Array" they just mentioned…

San Yue Qi jolted suddenly, a flash of Despair flickering in her powder‑blue eyes.

"Is this… Winterwood City?" she asked, clinging to her last hope.

Yuan Ban Lin and Sakura both nodded, their eyes carrying the meaning "you finally caught on."

"You… are doing the Holy Grail War?" San Yue Qi's voice trembled a bit.

The two sisters nodded again; this time, Yuan Ban Lin's eyes held eager fighting spirit, while Sakura's showed quiet resolve.

"……"

San Yue Qi fell silent.

Her powder‑blue hair seemed to droop a little.

(No way, sir… why is this happening again?!)

The little brat inside her was already on her knees, pounding her chest.

Just when she barely recovered from the chaotic Holy Grail War experience last time, not even having warmed the train's seat, why does she have to jump back into battle the moment she opens and closes her eyes?!

And it's after ten years?!

She didn't even leave a leave slip for Jizi!

If this gets mistaken as another disappearance!

Thinking of the possible "care" and "questions" she might face, San Yue Qi felt a gray‑white wave of exhaustion wash over her.

Yuan Ban Lin looked at the unabashedly complex expression on San Yue Qi's face and finally, belatedly realized—this summoned Sister San Yue Qi didn't seem… particularly happy?

Her heart gave a thud; the joy of reunion was replaced by a hint of unease.

(Could it be… we did something wrong? Forcibly summoning Sister San Yue Qi to this point in the Holy Grail War, disturbing her?)

"Um… Sister San Yue Qi,"

Yuan Ban Lin's voice softened, with a hint of caution, "Are you… not really willing to be here? Did we… do something wrong?"

"Huh? No, no, no!"

San Yue Qi, hearing Yuan Ban Lin's apologetic words, snapped out of her self‑pity, waved her hand hurriedly, forcing a radiant smile onto her face, "How could that be! I'm really happy to see you! Truly! It's just… this way of appearing was a bit too sudden, I didn't react right away, ha ha, hahahaha…"

She gave a dry laugh, trying to mask her confusion.

Her emotional intelligence told her she couldn't directly say "I don't want to fight another Holy Grail War" and "You grew so big in ten years that it scared me," as that would hurt the hearts of these two sisters who seemed to cherish the reunion.

She had to change the subject!

San Yue Qi's survival instinct began to spin wildly.

"By the way!"

Her eyes lit up as she pointed at the two red Crystal Flowers in the center of the Spell Array, "This… is so beautiful! Did you prepare it? It's a bit like something my sister… uh, Sister Chang Ye Yue gave me before!"

She did recall that Chang Ye Yue had given her a small gift, but she couldn't quite remember if it was a flower; it was red and glittering, anyway.

Sure enough, mentioning Chang Ye Yue and a gift instantly drew Yuan Ban Lin and Sakura's attention.

"Hmm!"

Yuan Ban Lin nodded, her eyes brightening again, "This is what Sister Chang Ye Yue gave us ten years ago! We wanted to use it as a link, hoping to summon her… we didn't expect it to summon you, Sister San Yue Qi."

There was still a hint of regret in her tone, but when she looked at San Yue Qi, her expression had brightened.

"Then… what about Sister Chang Ye Yue? Is she here too? Or…"

San Yue Qi seized the chance to ask, as this was also a concern of hers.

With Chang Ye Yue around, she at least had someone to discuss things with.

Yuan Ban Lin and Sakura's gazes dimmed simultaneously.

Sakura answered softly, "Sister Chang Ye Yue… after we said goodbye ten years ago, we haven't seen her since. We don't know where she went."

"I see…"

San Yue Qi scratched her head, and the little hope she had in her heart fell flat.

It seems this time she really has to rely on herself.

No, she must keep diverting the topic!

She can't let the conversation die! She needs to understand the situation!

"Um… Lin, Ying,"

San Yue Qi forced a natural, curious smile and said, "Since it's already been ten years… could you tell me how you've spent those ten years? What happened? I'm eager to know."

She clasped her hands together, making a cute "please" expression, and her powder‑blue eyes were full of curiosity.

That move indeed worked.

When they heard San Yue Qi wanted to learn about their lives, Lin and Ying's faces instantly lit up with bright radiance.

Being cared for and asked about by the admired "sister" was something that made them very happy.

"Of course we can!"

Lin puffed out her chest, her tone becoming light, "Although Chang Ye Yue sister is no longer with us, it's a bit regrettable, but being able to see San Yue Qi sister again and tell you our story is wonderful!"

Ying also smiled gently and nodded, "Hmm. There are many things we want to share with San Yue Qi sister."

The two immediately pulled San Yue Qi over to a relatively clean long sofa on one side of the living room, sitting on her left and right, and began to recount things to each other, taking turns speaking.

From the family changes after the Holy Grail War, to their individual growth and studies, and then to some amusing events and changes in Winterwood City over the years…

The sisters spoke with enthusiasm, sometimes adding details, sometimes debating them, and the atmosphere was lively.

San Yue Qi sat in the middle, her face keeping the perfect expression of "listening attentively, occasionally nodding and smiling," but inside she was already crying a river, and she frantically pounded the ground:

(Help—! I really just wanted to change the subject! No need to go into such detail! Ten years! A whole ten years of flowing accounts! Lin, you fought with which professor at the Clock Tower and won—no need to tell me that! Ying, how many flowers your plants bloomed this year—I don't need to know that either!)