Sylvia carefully turned the exquisitely crafted music box in her hands before asking, "Robin, do you know what exactly the hidden message in those special invitations is?"
The starship had automatically taken off along its preset course, heading toward Penacony.
Amidst the faint vibration and the gentle push against her back, Sylvia brought up those unusual invitations.
Hearing Sylvia's question, Robin's expression turned a bit more serious.
She nodded at Sylvia and said, "Witness the impossible in the realm of dreams, find the legacy of the Watchmaker, Father of Penacony, and thus the answer to the question: Why does life slumber?"
"Hmm..."
Sylvia had heard this riddle from Himeko in the game before, but she hadn't paid close attention at the time and couldn't recall the exact wording clearly.
Now, hearing Robin repeat it, Sylvia focused on the very first line.
"Witness the impossible within the realm of dreams..."
Sylvia murmured the words softly. If her memory served correctly, death wasn't supposed to exist in Penacony's dreams.
Though she couldn't quite remember where she'd heard that conclusion.
Was Firefly's death in the storyline perhaps the necessary path to the Watchmaker's legacy?
Very likely.
As Sylvia pondered, Robin spoke up cautiously, "Yes, that precondition is quite thought-provoking. In Penacony's dreams, anything can be realized. For many, it's like another reality. So-called impossible things..."
"Death."
"Right, death. The Family promises absolute safety within Penacony's dreams—no danger whatsoever. If someone experiences intense stimulation, they're forcibly awakened."
As she spoke, Robin's expression grew troubled.
"If those factions who deciphered the secret text truly intend to seek the Watchmaker's legacy in Penacony, then they'll undoubtedly be pursuing death there."
And if someone were to die in Penacony's dreams, even flamboyantly, making sure everyone knew...
Then the reputation of 'absolute dream safety' that Penacony had built over so many Amber Eras would come crashing down.
For a planet of revelry like Penacony, that would be a massive blow.
Robin had reason to suspect whether the true purpose of whoever sent this secret message was to target the Family.
Sylvia shrugged.
She still remembered how death occurred, but the real question was how to find it when the time came.
"Try to relax; don't get tunnel vision. This message has a somewhat romantic flavor to it. Otherwise, why tack on such a question at the end?"
When pondering a problem, you shouldn't assume too many conditions. The mastermind behind this might indeed be targeting the Family, but it could also just be collateral damage.
If they got too caught up in that speculation, they might miss the real answer entirely.
"Whew... You're right."
Robin closed her eyes, took a deep breath to calm her thoughts, and decided not to speculate further.
With a long exhale, Robin placed a hand over her chest and smiled at Sylvia. "It's strange. I just feel like if it's you, Sylvia, you'll definitely be able to solve this."
Her gaze toward Sylvia flickered slightly.
Her mind kept replaying the scenes from the Xianzhou Luofu: Sylvia standing alone against an Emanator of Destruction, and ultimately severely wounding Phantylia, forcing her to flee in disarray.
Perhaps that day had left too deep an impression on Robin.
So deep that even Robin herself hadn't realized the considerable degree of trust she placed in Sylvia's capabilities.
But Sylvia just waved it off. "That's a bit of an exaggeration. I wouldn't dare say I'll definitely be able to figure it out."
She hadn't expected Robin to trust her that much. Talk about pressure.
This investigation business—she really wasn't sure about it.
"Hehe~ Just joking. I'm not pressuring you, just musing a bit..."
As she spoke, Robin suddenly lounged back lazily into the sofa and said, "My feelings toward Penacony are... complicated. Every time I return, I feel like Penacony's sweet dreams are an unending stage, forever filled with parties and revelry. It always leaves me with a sense of helplessness."
"On the other hand, my brother and I came to Penacony when we were very young. The dreams here are beautiful, and everyone in the Family works hard to construct one wonderful dream after another. I don't dislike Penacony."
Sylvia couldn't fully empathize with Robin's emotions.
But that didn't stop her from being a listener.
Fortunately, Robin wasn't really looking for someone to confide in, otherwise Sylvia wouldn't have known how to respond.
"But this time, for some reason, because you're coming along, Sylvia, I don't feel so tangled up anymore. It's like... we might actually be able to do something for Penacony, without being drowned out by the party's frenzy."
Trusting me that much, huh?
Sylvia thought to herself, then suddenly said aloud, "If your brother knew you trusted me this much, he'd probably have it out for me."
"Hehe~ That won't happen."
Robin covered her mouth with a laugh. The way Sylvia said it made it sound like meeting the parents in a relationship.
--+--
After two nights on the starship, they arrived in the Asdana star system.
Sylvia's takeaway was that this was far more comfortable than her own ship.
Of course, this starship's price tag was also much higher than Sylvia's.
But as the ship entered the star system overflowing with Memoria, Sylvia began to feel a sense of discomfort.
It felt like she'd plunged headfirst into some kind of illusion.
Thanks to her improved mental resistance and the Truth-Seeking Sigil, Sylvia was highly sensitive to mental anomalies.
Maybe she was just too sensitive and was having some sort of allergic reaction to the excessive Memoria?
Sylvia tried activating [Truth-Seeking Sigil].
She felt the skill activate successfully and take effect, but nothing around her changed in the slightest.
This made Sylvia wonder—had she just dispelled pure Memoria?
"Sylvia, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell? Do you need me to help you to the infirmary for treatment?"
Seeing Sylvia frown, Robin thought she might be having an adverse reaction to the local Memoria.
Many people experienced such symptoms, and most could adapt.
But before adapting, it was best to use some auxiliary medical measures to avoid any issues.
So Robin got up and quickly walked over to Sylvia, supporting her arm.
"Thanks. I'll go lie down in the medical pod for a bit. There's this subtle feeling of being surrounded by something. Maybe I'm just too sensitive to Memoria."
Sylvia didn't refuse Robin's kindness and made a mental note of this for now.
There was no way around it—she didn't have any method to truly understand Memoria. Simply studying the literature wouldn't be enough for her to judge this situation.
She could only wait for one person to appear.
Someone with an extreme understanding of Memoria: Black Swan.
Not just to ask questions, Sylvia wanted to obtain Memoria-related abilities from her.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.