Inside a room lined with six enormous silver doors, Ryo looked at the girl standing in front of him.
"I'm a little surprised. You're the only one who came?"
"You'd barely left before this door appeared. Who else could possibly have had time to come over?" Shana muttered under her breath before looking around.
Through the faint light shining from the doorway behind her, she took in the enormous hall. It had no windows and was supported by rows upon rows of massive marble pillars.
After making a full circuit, Shana lightly stamped her foot against the floor and looked around in surprise. "So this is Little Garden? There's nothing special about it!"
"You can't really appreciate what makes Little Garden special just by looking at a place like this. Wait until we get outside." As he spoke, Ryo gestured toward a kerosene lamp mounted on the nearby wall.
"Hng~"
A tiny orange-red flame creature with facial features that looked like a child's simple doodle suddenly crawled out from the base of the lamp and gave a soft little cry.
The moment its voice sounded, all the kerosene lamps around them suddenly lit up, filling the hall with a brilliant white glow that somehow wasn't harsh on the eyes.
"So cute..." Shana stared blankly at the little flame creature. "What is it?"
Ryo glanced at the lone kerosene lamp still glowing orange-red and explained, "It's a Fire Faerie. They're naturally born when a flame burns for a hundred years and develops a consciousness of its own. After that, the Little Garden Central Core grants them a low seven-digit Spirit Rank. They're common around natural gas deposits and volcanic regions. Normally, faeries like this are used for lighting. If you want to keep one as a pet, though, go right ahead."
"Really?"
Shana looked at the little flame creature with considerable fascination. She even rose onto her tiptoes and reached out to touch it.
Unexpectedly, it felt soft and squishy, almost like petting a cat under the chin.
The Fire Faerie, having its head rubbed, couldn't help narrowing its eyes and making a contented little sound.
After playing with it for a while, Shana asked, "Are you sure I can keep it?"
"I'll send it over to your place later. Just remember to feed it energy blocks regularly."
Ryo had barely finished speaking when he saw Shana eagerly pluck the Fire Faerie right off the kerosene lamp.
For a moment, he was speechless.
"Fine. As long as you're happy."
He turned around and continued, "I'll take you to your temporary residence first. We'll get this little guy settled in, and then this afternoon..."
Ryo paused and gave Shana a meaningful look. "You'd better prepare yourself mentally."
"Prepare myself?" Shana blinked in confusion. "For what?"
Ryo grinned.
He said with an unmistakably wicked grin, "For school."
Shana blinked.
Her entire body froze.
"S-School? Why do I have to go to school?"
Ryo stared at her in surprise. "You didn't think coming to Little Garden meant you wouldn't have to study, did you?"
"Forget the basics of math, physics, and chemistry. You've still got to learn the fundamental applications of concepts, Little Garden's combat training, the different Gift categories derived from the various mythological pantheons, and the traditions associated with them."
"And since a lot of Gift Games are based on historical events and legends..."
"In a sense, history is actually more important in Little Garden than math, physics, and chemistry."
"But don't worry. There are specialists here to teach you, and two Goddesses of Wisdom will be supervising you the entire time. I can't promise you'll get a hundred, but ninety should be within reach. Just prepare yourself mentally."
"..."
Shana was completely dumbfounded.
She had only just graduated from Wilhelmina's tutelage. It hadn't even been a week since graduation, and then Ryo had gone and observed her world.
She'd gone from the frying pan straight into the fire
This was nothing like the Little Garden she'd imagined!
Seeing her expression, Ryo gave an evil little smile before leading the dazed Shana out of the underground hall.
They passed through the corridors toward the temporary dormitories.
Just as they rounded a corner, Kurousagi, whose hair was blue as usual, came toward them carrying a stack of documents.
"Hm?"
Ryo was surprised to see her.
Meanwhile, Kurousagi jumped when she saw Ryo. "What happened? Didn't you say you were going to another world for a few weeks? Why are you back so soon?"
Kurousagi blinked at him.
Then her expression suddenly turned red, followed by a shy smile. "Oho~ Did you come back because you wanted another farewell memory before you leave? I can spare a few hours, you know. My goodness, have you gotten that addicted already?"
Ryo looked at Kurousagi, whose hair had somehow suddenly turned pink, and couldn't help complaining inwardly, 'Who's the one who's addicted here? I haven't even said anything!'
At that moment, Shana came around the corner, stepped past Ryo, and poked her head out to look at Kurousagi. "Ryo, who is she? And why does she have rabbit ears?"
Before Ryo could answer, Kurousagi let out a startled cry.
"Eh?"
She stared at Shana in bewilderment. "Where did this child come from? I've never seen her before! Ryo, where did you pick her up?"
Kurousagi's nose twitched.
She sniffed the air a few times, and her expression suddenly changed. "Why does this child smell like you?"
Ryo froze for a moment, then guessed it was because of the Flame Haze contract.
"Wait."
Suddenly, Kurousagi realized something. Her eyes widened in understanding. "Wait a minute. Don't tell me you already came back from the world below?"
"Yeah!" Ryo replied awkwardly.
"How did you come back so fast? No, wait, that's not important right now." Kurousagi looked at Ryo, then at Shana.
The girl didn't have that kind of scent on her, yet every inch of her somehow carried Ryo's presence.
Suddenly, Kurousagi seemed to understand everything. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gave a choked little sob. "Who is this child's mother? Did she come with you?"
Shana stared at Kurousagi in confusion.
'Why is she asking about my mother? And why does she look like she's about to cry? Did this rabbit misunderstand something?'
'Oh did she misunderstand the relationship between my mother and Ryo?'
With that thought, Shana earnestly explained, "My mother has nothing to do with Ryo."
Kurousagi's expression immediately became complicated.
"So that's how it is..." She sighed, walked over to Shana, and gently patted her on the head.
Then, in a soft, comforting voice, she said, "It's all right. If that person doesn't want you, then I'll be your mother instead!"
"Come on, call me Mama Kurousagi!"
Shana: "..."
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