NOVPUBThe time spent at the Ichrite Opera House seemed all too brief for Loren and Juliana.
When they stepped out of the opera house, they discovered that the sun had already set and the edge of the sky had turned the color of sunset.
The hours then flew by as they dined together and watched the Hutton Late Show, and before they knew it, they had exited the broadcasting company’s building and found themselves back by the Yala Moat.
Now at eight in the evening, they could see the Gold Bee Amusement Park shining brilliantly just a stone’s throw away, set against the backdrop of the night sky.
The colorful lights cast an enchanting glow from every corner, weaving a web of light that covered the entire park.
"Juliana, did you know? This amusement park is actually a subsidiary of the Crown Casino, and compared to regular theme parks, it’s far more addictive," Loren said, looking at Gold Bee Amusement Park and explaining to Juliana by his side.
They moved closer.
The enormous Ferris wheel turned slowly, each gondola shining with a warm glow, like the brightest star in the night sky.
And on every ride, there was a prominent gold honeybee symbol.
"So, you’ve never been here before?" Juliana asked with a hint of interest.
"Right, as a priest, I never came to places like this before, even if it was just an amusement park," Loren nodded in response.
The Ichrite Crown, located on the banks of the Yala River in the Royal Capital of Hutton on the South Continent, is a large entertainment conglomerate that includes a casino, hotel, restaurants, shops, and meeting facilities.
It’s one of the largest entertainment complexes on the South Continent and is a tourist attraction in Ichrite.
Since it opened, the Crown has undergone several expansions and renovations, continuously increasing its size and range of services, which include more entertainment facilities, hotel rooms, and dining options, as well as a playground for all ages.
The head of the Knight College, Sphintos, often visits the Crown Casino to arrest Frey.
"However, if you’re with me, maybe you can come to relax more often," Juliana said, nodding with slight satisfaction.
She admired Loren’s self-discipline, and it also suggested that Loren had never been to the amusement park with another girl.
While there were priests who indulged in alcohol and gambling, as the decrees of many gods tend to be liberal and not considered a violation,
Loren was clearly of the most upright kind.
"No problem," Loren agreed.
According to the Love Guru, one should never shy away from an invitation from Juliana.
Even if she currently saw him more as a dining companion, as long as he spent a lot of time with her, feelings could gradually blossom until things naturally fell into place.
[Next, enjoy your time with Miss Juliana, and if there’s no problem, I won’t prompt you further. You’ve done a great job today, so relish in this rare date opportunity.]
As Loren passed through the ticket gate with Juliana, he heard the voice of the Love Guru in his ear at the same time.
In that moment, he couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest.
It wasn’t just about receiving approval from the Love Guru.
The Love Guru had been busy all day providing support from behind the scenes, and in the end, was still considering his happiness, hoping he would enjoy himself.
I’ll do my best, Guru.
Loren swore to himself.
...
"Sigh."
In the amusement park filled with enchanting magic lanterns and lively cheerful music, Lanci sat in a window booth at a beverage shop, watching two people passing by the glass window.
Loren and Juliana weaved through the crowd, surrounded by laughter, cheers, and the sound of mechanical games operating.
The two were just strolling and chatting casually; the amusement attractions were like entrances to mysterious worlds, inviting them to enter and experience the thrill of unknown adventures.
"Meow meow meow, aren’t you going to play, Lanci?"
With its eyes fixed on the world outside the window, the Cat Boss spoke to Lanci.
The colorful amusement park felt exceptionally fresh and exciting to it.
It was said that the Gold Bee Amusement Park had unique games in every area, such as Giant Challenges, Mini Shadow World Adventures, Speed Racing, Haunted House Puzzles, as well as recreational games like Triple Strife card games and High-Low betting, and fun games of darts and bowling, not to mention the regularly held limited-time challenges, festival celebrations, and other special events and competitions.
Participating in any game could earn Golden Bee Coins or limited-edition prizes that could be used to purchase unique rewards within the amusement park, such as clothes, furniture, pets, and rare magic tools.
Now, Lanci had given Loren free rein to enjoy himself.
It seemed like it was almost time for Lanci to finish work as well, after a busy day, it was time for some rest and entertainment.
"Work isn’t over yet," said Lanci.
Having said that, Lanci stood up from the booth and left, continuing to keep a distance and watch Loren.
The amusement park staff were abundant, and as long as Lanci didn’t use magic to detect Loren or deliberately pay attention to him, he wouldn’t be noticed.
"Meow meow," said the Cat Boss, lying on top of Lanci’s head as it floated.
It felt that Lanci was perhaps taking his responsibilities a bit too seriously.
For the next half hour or so,
the Cat Boss accompanied Lanci in keeping a distant observation of Loren and Juliana’s activities.
It appeared that Loren had started to learn how to interact with a girl on a date; even his way of speaking had taken on a bit of Lanci’s style.
"You taught him, and he really has learned something, meow," said the Cat Boss.
"He hasn’t necessarily learned, but he’s good at imitating, so I still need to keep an eye on him to prevent any unexpected incidents," Lanci replied.
"Isn’t being able to imitate the same as having learned?" the Cat Boss asked, clearly confused.
"Not at all," Lanci shook his head,
"Cat Boss, let me ask you, if you were locked in a room with countless boxes containing characters from some unknown country, and by combining these characters you could make a language, you don’t recognize a single word, but there’s an exhaustive manual written in a language you understand, telling you how to respond to any message written in these characters, then if there’s someone outside the door who understands these characters, and you communicate with them by passing notes through the door gap, you could indeed converse with them using these characters, and they might think you understand these characters, but do you really understand?"
"..."
The Cat Boss’s brain crashed.
While the Cat Boss and Lanci were conversing, on the other side, Loren and Juliana were immersed in the bustling paradise of the amusement park.
Under the curtain of the summer’s starry night, the central courtyard of the Gold Bee Amusement Park became an awakened sanctuary, and a special stage event suddenly caught their attention.
Beyond the stage, there was a commercial Artificial Shadow World activation terminal, its mechanical aspect embedded with a giant magic screen, with lights dancing around the stage.
Event staff, clad in golden bee costumes, stood at the entrance, holding a glowing sign—
[Gold Bee Amusement Park Artificial Shadow World Activation Terminal: Limited-Time Event]
[Love Obstacle Corridor College, Super Challenge!]
Despite being very eye-catching, no one was seen queueing.
It seemed to be a challenge specially designed for couples, and the prize list was quite generous.
