But come to think of it, when exactly had she first realized it?
Elysia lightly tapped her chin, sinking into thought.
Perhaps it was when her notebook had become filled with that person's name—some things had just become self-evident then.
At seven in the evening, members of the Schicksal organization, clad in swimwear, formed a circle in the large hot spring they had booked exclusively. They settled along the steps inside the pool, one after another.
Rin, still in elementary school, and Griseo, who had just begun to babble, each had their own float ring. They were in the hot spring, learning to splash and paddle about.
"Rin, be careful, don't bump your head."
Seeing Rin flailing wildly in the hot spring, nearly hitting the stone edge several times, Sakura spoke with a mix of affection and helplessness.
As for Griseo, she was within her float ring, being guided back and forth by Ato and Blanca around them, letting out fits of cheerful giggles.
The others were also engaged in quiet conversations with those beside them, the atmosphere harmonious to the extreme.
Durandal, also soaking in the hot spring, observed this scene and couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion.
Most of the people here, originally, not only hadn't lived to see 50,000 years into the future—many hadn't even survived until the arrival of the Final Herrscher.
Almost every one of them carried a heavy sense of tragedy, much like the tone represented by this era itself.
Now, Durandal had gathered them ahead of time and provided an environment and stage entirely different from that of Fire Moth.
In the future, she would also do everything in her power to change each of their fates, one by one.
She was absolutely certain that since her arrival in this world, the threads of fate could no longer dictate anyone's path.
This was the world that Su struggled to observe—the one where Elysia had made a different choice.
Thinking of Elysia, Durandal couldn't help but tilt her head slightly, wanting to catch a glimpse of that pink-haired figure.
But as soon as she turned, she found the other girl already staring intently at her.
"You..."
Durandal wanted to ask how long Elysia had been watching her.
Yet, the question died on her lips.
Asking something like that in such a setting was clearly inappropriate.
"Durandal~?"
Though Durandal remained silent, that didn't mean Elysia would follow suit.
Noticing that the other's attention was finally fixed on her, Elysia gave a gentle pat to the water's surface nearby and said, "Let's play a game~?"
"A game?"
Durandal asked, puzzled, "What kind of game?"
Elysia placed a tray holding low-alcohol sake on the water beside her.
"In ancient Shenzhou, scholars enjoyed a little game called 'Floating Cups Along the Winding Stream.' You've heard of it, right, Durandal?"
Hearing this, Durandal relaxed a little—it seemed Elysia wasn't planning anything too wild.
She nodded. "I know a bit. Are you suggesting we play that? But from what I know, the ancient scholars of Shenzhou had to compose poetry when they played. Not many of us here can do that, right?"
"If we can't compose poetry, we can recite poems, showcase some talent, or something similar~? Like singing, telling a joke or a story, or even performing a cross-talk routine. What do you think?"
Elysia presented her version of the "Floating Cups" activity format.
Durandal: "There's another issue. Kevyn, Mei, Su, and Sakura are all minors. They can't drink."
As for Griseo and Rin, they were naturally excluded altogether.
"Then it's even simpler!"
Elysia laughed. "If they can't drink, they'll just have to showcase a talent, won't they?"
Durandal: "..."
Well, that made sense. She had no comeback.
But honestly, Elysia's suggestion was quite good.
A little game like this could not only liven up the atmosphere but, more importantly, help members get to know each other better.
After thinking it over and discussing the details quietly with Elysia, Durandal, as the leader of the Schicksal organization, announced the game and its specific rules to everyone.
Since the hot spring wasn't like the small stream specially dug in the courtyards of ancient Shenzhou scholars—where the tray could flow with the current—to keep the activity running smoothly, everyone would need to gently stir the water's surface by hand. However, no one was allowed to touch the tray directly.
As for determining when the tray stopped in front of someone, that would be decided by a music player app on a phone.
Elysia would select a playlist with each track averaging no longer than a minute and play it on shuffle.
When a track ended, whoever the tray had stopped in front of would have to choose: either drink a cup of sake or showcase a talent.
Of course, to keep the game from losing its fun, Elysia deliberately reminded everyone that one couldn't choose to drink twice in a row.
In other words, if the tray floated to you the first time, you could choose to drink, but the second time, you'd have to showcase a talent.
As for Kevyn, Su, Mei, and Sakura—the four specifically mentioned by Durandal—they could only choose to showcase a talent, not drink.
Everyone was quite looking forward to this little game, adapted from the ancient Shenzhou scholars' activity.
And so, with a pleasant piece of background music, the game began.
About 35 seconds later, the first track ended. Everyone looked carefully—the tray had come to a stop right in front of Mobius.
Under the expectant gazes of the group, Mobius simply reached out, took a cup of sake from the tray, and downed it in one go.
Mobius' choice left everyone feeling a hint of regret. After all, they were quite curious about what kind of talent this leading expert in biology might showcase.
Well, everyone except Durandal.
She didn't know about Mobius' talents, but she was well aware that the doctor's drunken antics could definitely be described as... spectacular.
The game continued.
This time, the music played for 47 seconds before stopping right in front of Eden.
Like Mobius, Eden also chose to drink.
Of course, her reasons were certainly different from Mobius'.
Eden herself didn't mind showcasing her talent to the group.
But she was a professional, after all.
If she performed this early on—whether singing a pop song or an opera piece—it might affect everyone else afterward.
Eden was very curious about everyone's level.
If there were any promising talents here, the talent agency she was about to establish might very well sign them, package them up, and launch them into the market.
As someone in the arts, Eden understood well the appeal of a star or an idol.
If, besides herself, there were others among the Schicksal members with the potential to become stars or idols, it would undoubtedly help shape the organization's public image to some extent.
--+--