"Ah~ These buns are still the best!"
In the rainy city of Skywater, Aether and Paimon took shelter in a small shop. Paimon was chomping away on a large meat bun, her hands full and her cheeks puffed out.
"You're something else… It's almost time for dinner, and you're still stuffing your face with buns…"
Aether sighed helplessly.
As soon as they returned, Paimon had claimed she was starving and absolutely insisted they come here for buns.
"You don't get it~ These buns are packed with meat. So tasty!"
Paimon rolled her eyes at Aether. He just didn't know how to enjoy life—big meat buns were the best!
"Boss! Another ten buns, please~"
"Got it~ One moment, I'll make them fresh for you."
The shop owner cheerfully came over to collect the empty steamer basket from their table, grinning from ear to ear.
He'd assumed business would be slow today because of the weather.
Who'd have thought these two would show up and buy out his entire stock!
Sure, the little floating one was a bit strange, but as a regular civilian, all that mattered was good business. Best not to ask too many questions about the world beyond~
Hic~ So full…
Outside the residence arranged by Shui Xinrou, Paimon floated beside Aether. She let out a hiccup and suddenly froze mid-air like she'd glitched.
"…"
Aether almost laughed but held it back—he didn't want to be mercilessly scolded by the mighty Lady Paimon.
"Eh? That was Paimon's voice! Paimon and big bro are back!"
Before Aether could open the door, a familiar voice came from inside. The door swung open, and Yu Keke poked her head out.
The moment she saw Aether, her pretty face lit up like a blooming flower. She leapt into his arms without hesitation.
"Brother, you're back!"
"Mm~"
Aether chuckled as he caught her, his hand instinctively reaching up to ruffle her fuzzy little ears.
"Keke!"
Paimon waved happily at her too.
Neither Aether nor Paimon asked why Keke was here. She'd been with them when they were looking for a place to stay, so she obviously knew where they were staying for the time being.
"Let's head in. It's raining—we can talk inside."
Aether took Keke's small hand and pushed the door open, only to see three figures of varying ages standing in the hallway on the right, all watching them.
"Your Excellency…"
As Aether looked over, the three of them spoke in unison, a bit awkward and nervous.
"Uh~ Hello."
Aether waved casually, greeting the trio.
They were the Shui Sisters and Zhu Zhuqing from Skywater Academy.
It made sense for the sisters to tag along—after all, they'd known each other for quite a few days now. And since Keke studied at Skywater Academy, she likely had some connection with the sisters by now.
But Zhu Zhuqing being here…
Aether was a little puzzled. They say girls can bond in just a minute—could it be Keke had not only hit it off with the Shui Sisters but also become close friends with Zhuqing?
"Huh? Everyone's here? Did we miss something?"
Paimon blinked, surprised.
"Nope! Our instructor gave us the day off, so I wanted to visit you and Paimon. Sister Zhuqing, Sister Bing'er, and Sister Yue'er were worried about me, so they came along~"
Keke shook her head and explained.
"…"
Aether's mouth twitched. Wow. Keke really rolled in with a whole entourage…
Three beautiful bodyguards and a hundred-thousand-year soul beast as backup—just for a casual visit.
Wait a second!
Aether glanced around but didn't see any sign of Fire Meow Meow.
That soul beast usually sensed his presence from a mile away. If it knew he was back, it would've been the first to greet him, not Keke.
But there was no sign of it this time. Could something have happened?
Aether narrowed his eyes slightly and activated his Elemental Sight.
What he saw made his brows furrow—two blurry gray figures appeared in the backyard.
One was the massive Fire Meow Meow, and the other… a dark, shadowy silhouette even more intense.
No wonder the beast hadn't shown up—it was being restrained.
"Keke, who's in the backyard?"
"I don't know…"
Keke's expression changed, and she shook her head.
"Not long after we got here, that big sister showed up. She said she was looking for you, then just sat in the courtyard on her own.
Fire Meow Meow got really tense when it saw her and hasn't left her side since…"
"Big sister?"
Aether was taken aback. In all of Skywater City, only one woman had that kind of presence—the one who'd visited a few days ago.
"Your Excellency, that woman has an overwhelming aura. We didn't even dare get close…"
The trio approached. Shui Yue'er spoke with lingering fear on her face.
"Yeah… she feels even scarier than the Headmistress…"
"Mhm. She had this cold look, like a queen or something."
Shui Bing'er and Zhu Zhuqing added quietly.
Before Aether arrived, they'd already discussed the situation among themselves.
That woman's pressure was intense—by far the most terrifying they'd ever encountered. If Fire Meow Meow hadn't been around, they probably would've fled to find Headmistress Shui Xinrou.
But in their opinion, even the headmistress wouldn't be a match for that woman.
Purely from her aura, she was the strongest woman they'd ever met.
Only Keke didn't seem that intimidated.
They didn't know, but she'd seen firsthand that although the woman was terrifying, she paled in comparison to Paimon—at least, when Paimon went into her massive form.
Fortunately, the woman hadn't done anything hostile. She simply waited in the courtyard, just like she said, waiting for Aether.
And with Fire Meow Meow keeping watch, the girls weren't too afraid and simply waited in the front courtyard for Aether and Paimon to return.
"Alright, you all hang out here—I'll go check it out."
Aether already had a good idea who was waiting for him. He nodded and made his way toward the backyard. Paimon stayed behind, chatting with the girls.
As Aether stepped into the courtyard, he saw a tall, elegant woman sitting by a stone table, legs crossed, sipping tea at a relaxed pace.
Fire Meow Meow stood beside her, ready to strike at any moment, its eyes filled with intense vigilance.
This woman was the first human—other than his master—to ever make it feel genuinely threatened since arriving in the human world.
It could sense the overwhelming soul power emanating from her. If it came down to a fight, it didn't think it could win.
But it didn't back down. Its orders were to protect Miss Keke at all costs. No matter what this human intended, if she made one wrong move, Fire Meow Meow would risk its life to stop her.
Fortunately, the woman had done nothing aggressive. After arriving, she'd simply pulled a teapot and some cups from who-knows-where and started calmly brewing tea.
_
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