Okay, so, now, Akane, Sebastian, Calira, Yumeko and I are waiting for a magic circle to magically appear at the entrance of our house.
If we went to Olympus by car, it'd take about an hour and a half and we don't really have that much time. I'm sure late people can get in but it'd be a big hit on their family name. Especially if they're the heir to their family. Akane absolutely cannot be late. As the heir to the Kabura clan.
"Ah, here it is."
We were waiting for about 8 minutes.
Suddenly, the gaps in between floorboards in front of us began to glow violet. We all backed away. A white pattern was painted onto the floorboards and then, when the process finished, it glowed violet.
"I recognise this magic circle."
Yumeko said.
"You do?! How?!"
Akane asked, surprised.
"The pattern."
"But magic circle patterns are so intricate, there's no way I'd be able to remember one even if I wanted to. Too many complicated symbols."
"Well then, Yumeko, what is this magic circle?"
Calira asked Yumeko.
You know, ever since Yumeko came, I've been sensing a spark between the two of them. Calira keeps purposely instigating Yumeko. I should tell her to stop. I'll do that either later or after the World Conference.
"It's a two-way magic circle of the rapid variant. We step inside but we won't teleport until the person who cast this magic circle summons us."
"It's more like a summoning circle."
Sebastian muttered.
"Ooh..."
Akane said, admiring her servant.
I feel slightly hopeless.
"What's the rapid variant?"
I asked.
"It means we go through several magic circles a second to get to the final magic circle. It may be a second or so slower, which doesn't matter in this case, but it wastes less mana."
Yumeko replied.
Her answer seemed almost textbook.
I wonder when we'll learn this.
We all walked into the magic circle. We waited for a few seconds, until, our scenery changed multiple times in a second and we got there the next second.
"That's... trippy,"
I said.
It felt weird.
When the scenery changed, it felt like I was falling but I wasn't. Until I finally touched the ground. That second was probably the longest of my life.
"Welcome, guests."
A voice said.
A man in sunglasses, and with mattered hair, greeted us by bowing.
"Welcome to Olympus."
I looked ahead.
There was a long path ahead of us. It was straight but a long concrete path. Beside the path were streams of water filled with fish. And on the outside of that stream of water was greenery. It was the greenest I've seen plants and grass. It was somehow an emerald green.
"Before you go on ahead, please, take these and put them on while remembering the number I tell you."
I laid out my hand.
He gave each of us a black box, which said Shirogane Enterprises on the top. The translating wireless earphones.
"These may translate and replicate voices perfectly in whatever language but they cannot fix lip-syncing. Please do not complain."
Yeah, we already know about that.
I inserted the earphones. An automatic female voice spoke in my ears.
[Turning on. Thank you for using Shirogane Enterprises Auto-deciphering earphones. Please remember that lip-syncing cannot be fixed.]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, shut up, this is the third time I've heard this today.
[Please select the language from the list.]
Then, a holographic screen appeared before my eyes, listing different languages. I looked at the others, they looked surprised but I couldn't see their screens.
Well, since I'm in Japan...
"Please select English, United Kingdom."
[English, United Kingdom selected. Listed as the first language.]
So good that they know that.
The man went in front of me.
"799, 800, 801, 802 and 803."
He went from me to Calira, Sebastian, Akane and Yumeko.
"What're the numbers for?"
Akane asked.
"Your room numbers."
"Ah, if so, I'd like to share a room with my master."
Yumeko said, boldly.
She had a rather prideful smile on her face. Calira glared at her.
"That is possible. Then you two are in room 802."
Calira gave me a distant look.
"Then--"
"No, Calira, do not even think about it."
She began pouting a minute later after I said that to her.
"Please, go in."
We went in after a 3-minute walk. Once we entered, it was bright. Like really bright. The hall was large and the staircase, in front of us, was covered in a dark blue carpet.
Usually, it's supposed to be red but I like this difference.
"Excuse me, where is room 802?"
Akane asked another sunglasses guy.
"Take the elevator to the ninth floor."
Thank god, there's an elevator. I didn't want to walk all the way up there.
"Wait? ninth floor, not eighth?"
I asked him.
He turned me.
"The first floor is rooms 0-99, and so on, so on. That means room 802 is on the ninth floor."
That's an interesting way they arranged the rooms. Almost uncomfortable. That means if we're going along with this pattern...
I'm on the eighth floor...
I won't be on the same floor as them, huh?
The man with the glasses guided us to the elevator. We thanked him and boarded it.
Calira hit the '9' button and I hit the '8' button. Everyone in the elevator began to look at me.
"Lady Anastasia, did you hit that because..."
I already knew what she was going to say. I'm kind of ashamed that she sees me as the type who plays around on an elevator. I don't blame her since I used to press all of the buttons when I was younger.
"No, it's not that. Look."
Luckily for me, there was a directory in the lift, meaning that I didn't have to explain myself. The eighth floor said 700-799.
"Oh right, your room is 799, isn't it, Lady Anastasia?"
Yumeko asked.
I nodded.
Akane, realising this, lowered her head.
"Man... Stasia won't be on the same floor as me."
My face heated up when Akane called me by my supposed 'cute' nickname. I still feel embarrassed.
I think it was Faith who started the trend, wasn't it?
Ah, she's not...
I sighed.
"Why did all that happen?"