She woke up with a start in her white pajamas, her heart racing at the sound of a loud knock on her door. Setsuna blinked groggily, her long black hair tousled from sleep, as she fumbled to check the time on her holographic clock hanging on the wall. It displayed [Planet: Tellus, Singa Sanctuary Continent, Dome: Sector 1, 7:30 AM] in bold blue digits, sending a shiver down her spine.
"Setsuna, it's me," a familiar elder female voice whispered urgently from the other side of the door to her room.
"Shit, I've overslept. I have a mid-term exam today!" Setsuna murmured to herself.
Another knock echoed through the room, more urgent this time. Setsuna's heart pounded in her chest as she reached for the door handle, her hand trembling slightly, thinking that the person outside might be her childhood nanny. As she cracked open the door, she saw a tall elder woman with long red hair tied in a ponytail, dressed in a blue military uniform. The eight stripes with one star on her shoulder indicated she was one of the commander of her guild.
The emblem of a blue dragon's head on her chest revealed her direct affiliation with the elite Hono family, as this emblem symbolized them.
"Setsuna, the maids didn't want to upset you, so they asked me to wake you up personally. Don't you have a mid-term exam today?" she inquired curiously.
"Akihiko!" She exclaimed with shock, her eyelids feeling heavy as if she wanted to close her eyes and drift back to sleep. But then she shook her head and said, "I spent too much time writing a nov— ohh no no, I mean reviewing lessons for the mid-term last night."
Akihiko had been her childhood nanny for almost ten years, from when she was three to thirteen years old. That was why she felt comfortable being informal with Setsuna. While most people in the mansion addressed Setsuna as "young lady," to Akihiko, she felt more like a mother figure than just an average subordinate.
Akihiko sighed and said, "In any case, be prepared. I'll arrange a vehicle for you. Wear whatever you want, just don't expose yourself too much. Boys nowadays are untrustworthy, especially in public schools."
Setsuna shook her head once more and stated firmly, "No, that can't be. I've requested my father to let me drive my own flying car to school today since I won't be back for perhaps another two days."
Akihiko's expression shifted to a mix of shock and concern as she asked, "But you're spending time with both of your male friends! Are you all sleeping in the same apartment or room?"
Setsuna covered her face and chuckled, realizing Akihiko must have been thinking of her as some reckless teenager. She acknowledged her tendency for recklessness but knew she wasn't foolish enough to spend time with guys in the same room, especially since she wasn't interested in anyone romantically or sexually at this age.
"Of course not! Stella and Ginevra are also with us. We'll be sleeping in separate rooms with the girls sleeping together," Setsuna replied in a serious tone.
Akihiko sighed and cautioned, "Don't be naive, Setsuna. You're a lady of high society and the future leader of the Blue dragon guild while your younger brother will be the heir of the head of Hono family; those boys must have their eyes on you."
Setsuna's alertness heightened, and she rolled her eyes not because Akihiko called her naive but because she knew Einsamer and Shan weren't interested in her. In fact, she fancied they were secretly in a same-sex relationship and even fantasized about them having crushes on each other.
She quickly covered her nose to check for a nosebleed, but finding none, she felt relieved. However, her actions only seemed to make Akihiko more suspicious.
Akihiko asked, "Don't tell me, you've already done it?"
Setsuna's face flushed red as she responded urgently, "Hah? No, definitely not. I'm not interested in that kind of thing, and I value my integrity."
After hearing the answer she wanted, Akihiko said in a stern voice, "Get ready now, Setsuna."
"Alright, alright, and you're actually the one wasting my time here."
The red-haired elderly woman appeared slightly surprised and said, "Oh, I apologize. I'll be waiting downstairs."
Setsuna closed the door swiftly and rubbed her face with her hands to become more alert as she headed to the bathroom adjoining her bedroom. The bathroom was spacious, divided into two parts. The first section housed a wardrobe with a collection of her shoes, handbags, and heels, along with a washing machine. In the second section, there was a small pool, a toilet area, a bathtub, and a shower.
After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Setsuna removed her pajamas, revealing her youthful hourglass figure, slightly curvy with more prominent breasts than most girls her age, and long, slender legs. Her silky black hair cascaded down to her hips, complementing her resilient yet elegantly ladylike physique. Despite her appearance, her personality was the opposite; she loved practicing martial arts and engaging in heavy lifting.
She placed her pajamas in the wardrobe but grabbed a towel, revealing a slight hint of a six-pack as she turned to glance at the mirror behind her with her shining golden eyes, a trait only found in the new generation of elite children. Swiftly, she made her way to the shower room, hanging the towel on the rack positioned in front of the frosted shower door. Entering the room, she took a quick shower, focusing on washing her hair as the cold water cascaded down her curvaceous body and silky black locks.
After the built-in system in the shower room dried her body, Setsuna left the bathroom and wrapped the towel around herself. Returning to the wardrobe, she pulled out the lowest drawer where she kept her high-quality underwear, selecting a black set to wear. Unwrapping the towel, she revealed her upper body and then wore a white shirt, black jacket, and jean.
Turning to the mirror, she smiled. Setsuna preferred a badass look over a girly one; she had admired a drummer from a rock band since she was young and aspired to emulate his style. Although he had passed away five years ago, she aimed to embody his free spirit within herself.
Effortlessly tying her long black hair into a ponytail with a royal blue ribbon, Setsuna glanced at the holographic display near the mirror, which showed the time as [7:43 AM].
Setsuna muttered urgently, "Shit, I need to go now. My sense of time is all over the place."
Exiting the bathroom, she grabbed her bag, already packed with the essentials she had prepared the previous day. After locking the door behind her, Setsuna found herself before an indoor balcony that offered a glimpse of the luxurious interior of the house. A grand circle staircase made of high-quality wood led down to the ground floor, where several butlers and maids were diligently cleaning the pristine floors and nearby objects as part of their morning routine in the hall.
As Setsuna descended the stairs, the maids and butlers paused their tasks and bowed respectfully towards the energetic young woman with long black hair.
In unison, they greeted her, "Good morning, Lady Setsuna."
She sighed wearily in response, "What have I told you? There's no need to be formal with me; I'm just like each of you."
Once again, they replied in unison, "You are our master; we are merely servants of the Hono family."
A footsteps entered the hall from another lobby and a voice could be heard "Setsuna, it is your destiny to have this privilage as a blue rank citizen, you are a lady of Hono family, the elite of high society."
A woman in red hair could be seen, she was none other than Akihiko.
Once again, she had a dissapoint look as she fully understood no amount of humbleness in her action and words could change the mind around her, nonetheless she wanted to write her own success story, not base on her family privilege but one which was self-made, which was why she chosen to worked in a band to gained a recognization from her own effort.
She continued walking toward the entrance alongside Akihiko as one of the butler opened the door for her, revealing a huge garden filled with cherry blossom sakura, meanwhile the yellowish artificial sky shined through the energy shield of the island into the garden, painted the grass, ground brick and the objects in the garden in golden hue with a blend of green and pink.
She looked around and didn't find her younger brother or father and only four security guards in black armor with the emblem of blue dragon on their chest present. Once they saw Setsuna and Akihiko, they bow with respect.
Setsuna asked the elder woman beside her "Akihiko, where is my father and brother? They often have a breakfast and enjoy their time at this time."
Akihiko replied, ''He has gone to check the northern part of the island at the newly built second vehicle factory with Aoi.'"
The island spanned thirty kilometers in all directions, and the newly constructed factory lay twenty kilometers from her mansion. Traveling by flying cars, the journey took just a few minutes.
"I understand. Please remind them once more that I may be absent for two days," Setsuna requested.
"It seems I can't sway your decision. Just ensure your safety. Given the unusual events happening lately, like the explosion in TWOD this morning and the appearance of masked individuals likely affiliated with dark organizations such as the Dogma of Yallareon," Akihiko said with concern.
Setsuna furrowed her brow and inquired, "The explosion in TWOD?"
"The news this morning was shocking. People who were caught in the explosion in TWOD couldn't wake up." Akihiko explained.
Setsuna was taken aback by Akihiko's words, understanding the gravity of the situation. Unsure of how to respond, she remained silent and swiftly changed the topic.
"I see, this event will likely impact our guild's economy, so we should be cautious with our budget for big projects. Anyway, I must leave now. Take care, Akihiko!" Setsuna said, pulling out her tablet from her jacket pocket. She selected the app that commanded her car to come to her within a fifty-meter radius.
A luxurious flying SUV appeared in the sky above the floating island, visible beyond the fence of her mansion. It glided towards the mansion, crossing over the high fence before gracefully landing in a designated parking spot.
Setsuna walked up to the vehicle and scanned her bio-data chip onto the door. Once her identity was confirmed, the door slid open for her to enter.
Inside the car, she muttered to herself as the door closed behind her, "Politics, economics, family management, and diplomacy are just not my things..."
With urgency, she steered her vehicle into the sky, heading towards one of the main gates of her guild's floating island.