Another wave of dizziness came over him. Aventurine's body swayed slightly, then he covered his head, an annoyed look appearing on his face.
So far, the implementation of the plan had gone smoothly. The only unexpected part was the Harmony's means of restraint. At least, it was much more unpleasant than he had imagined.
All kinds of consciousnesses, thoughts, and countless minds overlapped and whispered in his head, carrying some kind of irresistible magic.
It made you feel like a precocious child who arrived in the classroom early in the morning, looked around, and saw all your classmates swaying around, making strange noises, and even eating their own boogers. A certain thought would naturally arise: there are actually this many idiots around me?
The feeling was truly unpleasant. Aventurine gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, "You want me to investigate the case, but you won't give me a single clue... You're really something, you wing-headed bastard.
"But then again, whether it's Robin's death or Nero's disappearance, you must all be sitting on pins and needles by now. Ratio will definitely tell you something."
Thinking this, Aventurine seemed to see the Oak Family's head looking troubled and having a headache.
Based on his brief understanding of him, it was hard for him to imagine Sunday in a panic, but even so, just imagining it made Aventurine feel much better.
Look at that. Two accidents had already put him on the edge of a cliff, with nowhere to go in any direction. All it needed was a little extra push, and the Family would jump from the highest tower in Penacony as if committing suicide.
After putting away the capsule Ratio had given him, Aventurine readjusted his mood.
He began walking through the crowd, handing out the "gift money" in his hand and putting on an act of "investigating the case."
He knew very well that the Family's little bird had never left. Sometimes, he naturally had to put on an act.
However, there really were some clues on this path of investigating "death."
For example, an old man who loved teaching others said that a "dream bubble" for experiencing death had appeared at Dr. Edward's place.
Its contents involved a monster covered in eyes stabbing someone in the stomach, followed by tall buildings and lights, as well as swaying that could make a person vomit.
The monster's method of killing seemed somewhat similar to Robin's tragic state.
There was also a lady promoting the "Song of Pure Beauty." As for that hoarse, grating singing voice and whether this lady had any connection with Pure Beauty, Aventurine found it difficult to judge.
However, judging from the attitudes of those Knights of Beauty, if Nero were here, he would only need to look at her condition to know the answers to these questions.
After that, Aventurine ran into a drunkard, a drunk who had had too much SoulGlad. He babbled nonsense about the SoulGlad demon, but judging by the usual logic of strange tales, the more inexplicable these legends were, the more likely they were connected to some horrifying story behind them.
This conversation was completely fruitless, but what could he expect from a drunkard?
As for a drink like SoulGlad, compared with ordinary soda, it clearly also had a stronger effect of numbing the nerves. Hopefully Nero had not drunk this kind of beverage. It was not suitable for a child like him.
There was also the seemingly warmhearted Bloodhound, but what could he possibly get from an employee of the Family?
There were also people who wallowed in self-pity, but he could not get any useful information from them either.
There were also Pepeshi reporters, but they still could not provide the clues he wanted.
Quite a few of the gemstones serving as gift money had been handed out when a wave of dizziness suddenly struck his mind, the curse of the Harmony. This time, it came stronger than ever before.
Almost instantly, Aventurine's vision blurred. He fell straight down, only to come to his senses in the next second and prop up his body, which was difficult to move freely.
At the same time, the voice of a familiar Fool rang in his ears, "Remember what I told you? You Sigonians are only suited to staying underneath manhole covers... Look at how sneaky you are! Smelling here, sniffing there..."
Aventurine wearily stood up and glanced sideways. A Pepeshi girl transformed into a twin-tailed young woman right before his eyes.
The Fool wore a smile, her words carrying a hint of mockery. "Is the bloody smell of death really that tempting, little peacock?"
"Hmph... So it's you. I should have guessed it. The stand-in who appeared on television after Robin died was you, wasn't it? Masked Fool."
Sparkle casually changed the subject. "I heard the Family put a curse on you? Ah, I clearly gave you such a direct hint... 'Go make friends with a mute.' Listen, just that one simple sentence...
"And what happened? Not only did you mess it up, you even got yourself dragged into it. I told you to make friends with a mute, not to become a mute yourself by being the first one to volunteer. You really let down their good intentions."
Aventurine stared expressionlessly at the pretentious Fool before him and lowered his voice slightly. "...What do you mean?"
"You know better than I do," Sparkle said, narrowing her eyes as she looked at Aventurine. "Who was the one staring helplessly as the little bird who couldn't sing died right in front of him? Of course it was you, little peacock~"
"I'm asking you... What do you mean by becoming a mute?" Aventurine looked at Sparkle.
"Don't play dumb. Because you're about to become just like her, unable to speak ever again." Sparkle giggled.
Aventurine fell silent and let out a faint hum that sounded neither quite like a laugh nor anything else.
"But in my opinion, that's not necessarily a bad thing, because..."
"Because I'm about to touch the truth, right?" Aventurine said.
Sparkle raised an eyebrow. "...Oh?"
"Fool, why do you think I'm carrying this broken bag around and handing out cheap jewelry all over the streets?" Aventurine looked at Sparkle.
"I'm doing all this for you to see. The more miserable I look, the more likely I am to lure you out... I've been waiting for you for a long time. Considering how hard I've worked, won't you reward me with an answer?"
"What reason do I have to help you?"
"Don't you want Penacony to descend into chaos? So do I. And I can make it happen."
Aventurine looked at Sparkle, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"When I came to Penacony this time, my objective has always been very clear. I was also invited by the Tavern, so let's communicate in the Fool's way."
"When is a person most likely to take extreme action? What kind of person can take extreme action without arousing suspicion?"
Sparkle looked at Aventurine, hesitated for two seconds, and then the smile on her face grew radiant.
"Oh, I get it. The truth isn't important to you."
"Of course. From an individual's perspective, most things in this universe aren't important." Aventurine shrugged.
"I'll prepare a grand opening performance for the Family's downfall. When it reaches its climax, the walls will collapse, the people will awaken, and those who cannot speak will speak again."
Aventurine left.
Being "imprisoned" by the Harmony at present made him involuntarily recall some things that had happened in the past.
When this string of product codes had been branded onto his neck, the person who bought him had "kindly" called it a talisman...
But he was not the only one. There were other slaves as well, and the struggle for survival had begun much earlier.
When is a person most likely to take extreme action?
When there is nowhere left to go.
What kind of person can take extreme action without arousing suspicion?
Someone already under suspicion.
Everything, or nothing.
At the gambling table of life, every raise was an all-in. Whether one was the dealer, a player, or merely a spectator did not matter. Only those who were prepared could become winners.
———
"Gallagher, what brings you here?" Inside a bar, the long-life species woman behind the counter greeted him. She seemed to be a warm and enthusiastic woman, much like Serval.
"A few old friends came looking for me. Are you free now, Oti?" Gallagher replied flatly, still looking like the same disheveled middle-aged man.
"I've been free all day." The woman known as Oti looked toward the Astral Express crew and the two Knights of Beauty behind them.
"Everyone, welcome to the Reverie Bar!"
"We sell everything on the drink menu except SoulGlad. We don't have that boring drink here. Nothing in the bar is for sale, except happiness. All we wish is for you to laugh to your heart's content."
"That's a good opening line." Tirandes took a step forward and praised her in his unique mechanical voice.
But compared with the impassioned Argenti and Noe, who was moved to tears, the praise from this mechanical knight seemed rather thin. It was concise to the point that it hardly sounded like something a Knight of Beauty would say.
It sounded like a gourmet who could barely protect his own tongue and could only give a numb "tasty" or "not bad" when tasting food.
Afterward, everyone heard Tirandes muttering to himself as if no one else were around. "According to my analysis, a beverage like SoulGlad possesses a certain degree of addictiveness."
"Considering Nero's age, we should strictly prohibit him from consuming this beverage... Of course, other alcoholic beverages are also forbidden."
"Mm-hmm! You're right, Anders!" Noe kept nodding.
"However, the decoration and atmosphere of this bar are quite good. It is very suitable as a gathering place." Tirandes continued.
"Mm-hmm! You're right, Anders!" Noe continued nodding.
No matter where they were, they seemed to be in a world of their own. This somewhat inexplicably serious analysis was quite in line with everyone's usual impression of the Knights of Beauty.
In this universe, there probably was no creature more self-satisfied than a Knight of Beauty.
Oti looked at the two people talking to themselves, blinked, and then laughed. She said openly, "What would you like to drink? I'll prepare it."
She was clearly a woman with an extremely strong capacity to accept and adapt.
"One milliliter of machine oil, two small spoonfuls of Imaginary fuel, three corroded bolts, then fill it with alloy solution, and finally add two drops of lubricating oil." Tirandes spoke with complete seriousness. "In my homeland, this drink is called the 'Mecha Knight.'"
"Ah?"
Even Oti could not help standing there dumbfounded after hearing Tirandes's words.
Fortunately, this was a dream, so all the materials needed could be found... At least, she could imagine it.
She quickly brought a pitch-black drink with a metallic sheen and placed it in front of Tirandes.
The mechanical knight picked up the glass and took a sip. His eyes, which glowed faintly blue, flickered slightly. Then he said sincerely, "A nostalgic taste."
"You can add this Mecha Knight to the special drinks limited to mechanical lifeforms. I believe quite a few inorganic lifeforms will like it."
Oti nodded with some embarrassment.
Afterward, Gallagher decided to personally mix a drink for the Nameless. During the process, he also said some things that were hard not to pay attention to.
For example, Mikhail had once taken him horseback riding through the wilderness of the dreamscape...
The Watchmaker's legacy, a term that seemed to connect all the conspiracies within the beautiful dream. And the name Mikhail, which had previously appeared floating through the Dreamscape Hotel, was also difficult not to become suspicious of at this moment.
After that, Gallagher began telling everyone about the case, as well as Mikhail.
During this process, everyone learned from Gallagher that the Watchmaker seemed to have been at odds with the Family. The two sides stood opposed to each other.
The Watchmaker, Mikhail, was an unspeakable stain on Penacony's history of leaving the Family, and the initiator of the changes in the dreamscape.
Unfortunately, although Gallagher said quite a lot, he never mentioned anything related to Nero.
Logically speaking, the Family should already have passed this matter on to the Bloodhounds at the request of the Knights of Beauty... This prompted Noe to take the initiative to ask about Nero's whereabouts afterward, just as she had asked the Astral Express crew at the time.
As a result, Gallagher could not provide any information either.
In that case, they could only hope that the mysterious Watchmaker's information would help in determining the truth behind Robin's death or in finding Nero.
Gallagher took everyone to Clock Studios Theme Park.
There were quite a few Bloodhounds here. Apparently, Sunday himself had ordered the place sealed off.
During the time everyone had spent in the bar, quite a few extraordinary things seemed to have happened outside.
Gallagher found a quiet place outside and began telling everyone some historical stories. He seemed to know a great deal about Penacony's origins and was very clear about how the people of the frontier prison had shattered the shackles imposed by the IPC.
Such a long history, combined with the fact that Gallagher seemed to know the Watchmaker, prompted March to ask the security officer's age out of curiosity.
However, when the scruffy-bearded middle-aged man innocently said that he was thirteen years old, everyone froze.
As far as March was concerned, this was the first time she had ever seen someone who looked like they had grown up in such a hurry.
Ordinary people grew normally. Xianzhou natives grew very slowly. As for Nero, due to certain special reasons, his body was different from ordinary people, and could even be described as a divine body.
Among all these unusual growth patterns, this security officer was truly one of a kind. Among all the seemingly normal ranges, he had chosen the one that looked the most absurd.
However, Gallagher did not seem interested in talking any more about his age and continued telling the stories of the past.
There seemed to be a great deal hidden within Gallagher's account. Although he described some stories from the distant past, he was evasive about some of the more important events.
He said that he was one of Mikhail's many "children," and that doing nothing at all was his greatest betrayal of Mikhail. He also said that the Oak Family had framed the Watchmaker and treated him unjustly.
According to Gallagher, there had been a true traitor. They had failed in their long struggle. In the end, he described himself as a stray dog whose connection with his companions had been severed, and even Mikhail had died in an uninhabited corner.
But this story, which seemed like a great tragedy unfolding, was not over yet. Gallagher said that someone had inherited the name "Watchmaker" and continued resisting the Family's activities until now.
Yet he also said that he did not know who had inherited that name.
Through Gallagher's account, everyone learned more information, but they also gained more questions. The matter had not been resolved. Instead, it had become even more confusing.
While everyone was digesting this information, Gallagher seemed to notice some commotion inside the theme park. He said goodbye and left.
Behind him, Tirandes glanced at Noe and said, "The development of this matter is truly full of suspicious points. I originally thought we were only coming here on vacation and to welcome Him."
"Storm clouds are gathering. The Oak Family's head would not seal off the theme park for no reason. You should stay here in case anything happens to His friends."
"My logic processor tells me that the security officer has left many things unexplained. I'll go investigate."
Noe nodded.
Thus, the mechanical knight also left.