Hestia stayed until the evening, spending time with Mel exploring the valley, admiring the scenery, and observing the various transcendent animals raised by the local residents.
In the evening, Madam Heatherway took the two of them to a cliffside hotel in the canyon for dinner. The hotel overlooked the cliff, offering a broad view and a comfortable evening breeze. Inside, many locals were celebrating various joyous occasions, creating a lively and warm atmosphere.
"Here, Hestia, try this. It's a local delicacy called Tide Moon Clam. The texture is excellent," Madam Heatherway pointed to the freshly served dish on the table. It contained five wavy-shaped clams, exuding a faint, fragrant steam.
Opening one of the clams, the meat inside was fully cooked and lightly seasoned.
"It's a specially cultivated variety, so it has no fishy taste. The texture is smooth and tender, making it very popular. The downside is that it requires very specific water conditions and isn't produced in large quantities, so it's not widely farmed outside this region," Madam Heatherway explained.
"Thank you, Madam Heatherway."
Hestia and Mel each took one and began eating slowly.
The evening breeze was gentle as the three of them enjoyed their dinner, sharing amusing anecdotes and lighthearted stories. In the distance, laughter and the clinking of glasses could be heard, creating a pleasant and lively ambiance without being overwhelming.
"Hestia, you can stay here tonight. Tomorrow, I'll have Mel pick out some souvenirs for you to take back."
"Ah, thank you, Madam Heatherway."
Hestia initially wanted to decline out of politeness but reconsidered, not wanting to seem distant or ungrateful.
"Don't be so formal. These things aren't worth much, and giving them to you is a gesture of my goodwill," Madam Heatherway said, easily dispelling Hestia's hesitation.
"Meow~"
As the three chatted, a gray-blue cat approached Hestia's legs, rubbing against her and meowing softly. Its tail occasionally brushed against her legs, tickling her slightly.
"Hiss."
From the shadows beneath her feet, a large spider emerged, eyeing the unfamiliar cat and issuing a warning sound. Startled, the cat jumped up and landed on Hestia's lap.
"Ah!"
Surprised by the sudden appearance of the cat, Hestia quickly placed a hand on the back of its neck to prevent it from jumping onto the table and knocking over the dishes.
"It's alright, don't scare it," Hestia said, soothing the cat in her arms while bending down to address the spider at her feet.
The spider, however, seemed reluctant, staring at the gray-blue cat in Hestia's arms and emitting a slightly aggrieved hiss, as if saying, "You're holding it but not me."
Fortunately, the situation didn't last long. A slightly flustered server hurried over and, upon seeing the cat in Hestia's arms, quickly bowed in apology.
"I'm so sorry. This is our cat. It must have disturbed your meal. Please forgive us."
"It's fine."
Hestia handed the cat to the server. The cat, still eyeing the steaming clams on the table, meowed longingly a few more times before the server covered its eyes and held it apologetically in her arms.
"Really, I'm so sorry for the disturbance."
The server then carried the gray-blue cat away, scolding it softly and giving it a few light taps. The cat was likely in for some trouble when it got back.
"Such a cute cat," Mel said, watching the cat being carried away with a hint of reluctance.
Seeing the cat taken away, the large spider at Hestia's feet seemed to perk up, circling her feet a couple of times before leaping into her lap and settling down, refusing to budge.
"Ah, you..."
Hestia lightly tapped the spider a couple of times, not wanting to hurt it. To the spider, the taps were nothing more than a gentle pat, and it remained firmly in place.
During dinner, Hestia savored the rare and fresh dishes, occasionally breaking off small pieces to feed the large spider in her lap and the indigo serpent resting on the chair beside her. Both creatures eagerly accepted the treats.
Watching Hestia interact with them, Madam Heatherway, seated across the table, smiled warmly, her eyes misty with nostalgia as if recalling a similar scene from long ago.
"Eat up, and don't be too hard on them," she said with a gentle smile, then lifted her glass of wine for a small sip, gazing out at the night sky through the window.
Moonlight spilled over the distant mountains, and a few wisps of clouds drifted across the clear sky.
"Such a wonderful time..."
The sweet, tranquil evening passed quietly, and by the time Hestia left the valley, it was already the next afternoon.
Standing on the platform with Mel, they waved goodbye to Madam Heatherway and a few familiar residents below before boarding the tram back to the campus in Northern 1st District.
Sitting in her seat, Hestia leaned against the window, watching the scenery fly by. Sunlight fell on her eyelashes, and the shadows beneath her bangs shifted continuously, her beautiful face bathed in the summer breeze.
What a wonderful and exciting life. Beyond the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region, there is such a vast world. Listening to Madam Heatherway's stories had filled Hestia with anticipation and imagination, dreaming of the sights she would see, the new friends she would meet, and the experiences she would have.
If the past few years, living underground and dealing with family troubles, coupled with the overall decline of the Four-Leaf Crystal Star Region, had cast a thick cloud over her perception of life, then these two days of conversation with Madam Heatherway had opened a window in that cloud, revealing a different world outside.
Unconsciously, her outlook had brightened, and she no longer felt as anxious as before.
Suddenly, she felt the urge to record this feeling and anticipation. Acting on it, she secretly pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from her storage space under the table, then began sketching an imagined world with colored pencils.
It was the Snow Orchid Star Region Madam Heatherway had described, specifically the planet Seashell α-3, with its enchanting scenery.
In one corner of the drawing was a field of tilted flowers, white irises blooming among light green grass. The long, white petals and pale yellow stamens stood out against the backdrop of a clear, azure sky, untainted by a single cloud. In another corner, a few youthful, blurry figures held hands and spun in a circle, as if laughter and joy emanated from them.
Although she knew she could find images of the Snow Orchid Star Region on the Star Network, Hestia resisted the urge to search. She wanted to keep this fantasy alive in her heart and on the paper, believing that maintaining this pure anticipation would motivate her to explore and venture there one day.
Beside her, Mel was peacefully asleep, cuddling the gray moon cat, both bathed in the warm sunlight, creating a cozy scene.
After finishing the drawing, Hestia held the small piece of paper up to the sunlight, watching as the shifting light outside made the scenery and figures in the drawing seem to come alive, evoking a sense of wonder and beauty.
Putting the drawing down, Hestia glanced at the large spider resting on the table. On a whim, she lifted one of its legs, dabbed it with a bit of light red paint, and gently pressed it onto an inconspicuous corner of the drawing, creating a unique stamp. She then added the date.
"Mission accomplished," a light, cheerful voice seemed to call out in her heart. She then rolled up the drawing and stored it in her secret sketchbook.
“Places to visit in the future—under the sky where the white irises bloom.”