While practicing one day, the girls see President Aria in his own little gondola. But he doesn't see them... instead, he disappears down a canal that's normally closed off. According to Alicia, there's an old legend on Manhome that tells of the Kingdom of Cats, a strange realm that people aren't allowed to enter. Could such a place really exist?

Akari has been given her very first solo job: carrying a shipment of Neo-Venezian glassware. They're beautiful pieces that sparkle in the sun, but the glassmaker's apprentice has a disposition that's anything but bright. He's sour and angry, and he's the one who'll be traveling with Akari as she delivers the shipment. Will Akari be able to handle the pressure of fragile cargo and a critical taskmaster?