"Hero! Where on earth did you vanish to?" Eclair's face, flushed with irritation, suggested she had been searching for Zhang Fan for quite some time. Indeed, she had mentioned meeting him after an hour, but now, an hour and a half had elapsed.
"Captain Eclair, my apologies. I met a friend and lost track of time," Zhang Fan said apologetically, realizing he had completely forgotten about Eclair after meeting Holo.
"A friend?" Eclair looked at Zhang Fan in disbelief. Summoned from another world, how could he possibly have friends here?
"Just a new acquaintance," Zhang Fan assured her.
"Lewd Hero!" Eclair's attention turned to Holo beside Zhang Fan. The stunning beauty of the girl didn't escape her notice. Eclair scorned Zhang Fan's quick acquaintance with such a lovely girl, suspecting him of being a habitual flirt.
"Why would you say that?" Zhang Fan protested, bemused at being labeled a pervert by a young girl.
Eclair handed Zhang Fan a small bag of coins with a huff. The jingling metal inside indicated money.
"Compensation, huh? Much appreciated," Zhang Fan chuckled, accepting the bag. Money was essential for survival, and he felt the pinch of being penniless. The amount wasn't substantial but would suffice for his basic needs.
"What do you mean by that?" Zhang Fan, instead of keeping the coins, handed them to Holo, surprising both Eclair and Holo.
"Let Holo manage it. We'll be together for a while, and I trust she'll use the money wisely," Zhang Fan explained casually. He had no particular attachment to money and saw Holo as a capable manager.
"Alright then, I accept," Holo replied calmly, accepting the coin bag.
"Come with me. There's someone you should meet," Eclair said abruptly, her irritation evident. Her tone suggested jealousy at Zhang Fan's closeness to Holo.
"Who are we meeting?" Zhang Fan asked, puzzled.
"You'll see," Eclair replied curtly and walked away, indicating Zhang Fan should follow if he wished.
"Is that little doggy jealous of me?" Holo teased, perching on Zhang Fan's shoulder and whispering playfully.
"Impossible, she's just a kid," Zhang Fan chuckled, dismissing the idea.
"The heart of a girl is sensitive and hard to fathom," Holo quipped, hopping off his shoulder.
Unable to unravel the enigma, Zhang Fan mused over her words.
"Let's go, or we'll lose Eclair," Holo prompted.
Rushing after Eclair, Zhang Fan, and Holo found themselves outside a grand building resembling a cathedral. Inside was Flonyard's largest research institute and library, a treasure trove of magical and mechanical knowledge.
"We'll find a way back to your world, I promise," said Ligotta Ema, a young fox-eared researcher, upon their arrival. She seemed anxious about not having made progress in finding a way for Zhang Fan to return to his original world.
Eclair explained the difficulty of returning Zhang Fan to his world. Zhang Fan, however, nonchalantly mentioned he had his own way back, causing a stir among those present. He assured them not to worry, preferring to keep his method a secret for now.
As they delved deeper into the institute, Zhang Fan realized the depth of the world he was now a part of and pondered the mysteries and possibilities it held.