The knight's silvery-white armor reflected the light. He must have carefully polished it every day. Argenti was still sitting in the lobby of the residential area. A knight, of course, had to strictly carry out the orders he had received.
But while keeping a close eye on the people coming and going, Argenti was also paying attention to the news.
Although Anders had negotiated with the family and obtained permission for "free exploration," the search by his brothers and sisters had yet to bring back any good news.
For twelve hours, in every corner of Dream's Edge, in the woods, in the alleys, even inside trash cans and teapots, the knights had left no corner unchecked, leaving one trail of color after another in the sweet dream. Yet not a single person had found any trace of Nero.
Once again, a disappearance had occurred without a sound. He could not keep playing around like this.
But it was not as though there were no clues at all. Besides that, there were also some other things worth noting.
Argenti checked the message Tiliandes had just sent back.
The search for Nero was still continuing. On the other hand, there seemed to be some kind of conspiracy hidden within the sweet dream. It might pose a threat to this magnificent dream and the innocent people within it. The knights naturally could not simply ignore it.
According to Tiliandes, he seemed to have caught onto a few suspicious points and was preparing to verify them. On the other hand, the family had cleared all the visitors from Clock Studios Theme Park. That was very unusual.
To prevent any accidents, Noe had stayed by the Nameless's side, responsible for protecting Nero's friends.
That was good. Argenti was quite confident in that sister's strength.
After all, he had personally seen how the two swords in her hands had torn apart the Mirror Holder's starship like the fangs of an evil omen.
Apart from that, Tiliandes had also reported a number of other circumstances in detail. He described everything he had seen and heard while following behind the Nameless, without leaving out the smallest detail, and placed particular emphasis on the security officer named Gallagher.
From the contents Tiliandes had sent back, Argenti discovered that this brother was suspicious of both Gallagher and Sunday of the Family.
The evidence Tiliandes had listed was limited, and part of his suspicion came from intuition, or rather, a "synaptic flash." After all, he was a machine intelligence.
Yet even though Argenti knew this very well, he still supported Tiliandes's suspicions, because most knights were like this, just as he could always use intuition to savor the beauty of things.
This was a blessing from the Pure Beauty. The knights' intuition was always accurate and trustworthy, like a compass that always pointed toward good fortune.
For the sake of this beautiful festival planet and those innocent travelers who knew nothing of the danger and wandered through the dreamscape, the knights were more than willing to spare some of their attention to deal with the conspiracy Tiliandes had mentioned.
Crush the conspiracy, withstand the crisis, save others... the radiance of Pure Beauty would always shine in such matters. How could the knights refuse?
And just as Argenti was checking the message from his fellow knight, Black Cutter beside him suddenly showed some movement. The change immediately excited Argenti.
After Black Cutter had found Argenti and told him its feelings and judgment regarding its little master, it had remained here. Now, this sword suddenly let out a long sword cry, then rose into the air and flew upward.
Seeing Black Cutter suddenly become excited, Argenti immediately realized what was happening.
The last time Black Cutter had separated from Nero, it had also been Argenti who first took the sword in.
And during Belobog's celebration, when the sword had suddenly become excited and flown toward a certain location, it had been precisely when Nero had also arrived at Belobog.
Because of this experience, Argenti quickly realized that Nero might have "returned." There was no longer any need to worry about that child's disappearance.
But even so, a knight certainly could not let a piece of good news cloud his judgment. A qualified knight should remain rational at all times.
So, seeing Black Cutter heading straight for the roof, Argenti hurriedly shouted, "Please wait. If you have sensed Nero's 'return,' then please remain calm and fly along the proper route.
Every inch of the Festival Planet is precious, and the buildings here are also very carefully constructed. What's more, this is a residential area. If you accidentally damage the place, it will cause a great deal of trouble!"
At Argenti's shout, Black Cutter, which had been rushing upward all this time, paused. Then it slowly came to a stop.
Argenti's shout made its sword body tingle, and it immediately remembered the battle when the two had first met. This kid had been waving the spear he had animated while saying the same sort of things to the poor weapon.
But... all right. The knight did have a point.
Getting his little master into trouble was indeed not a good idea.
So Black Cutter slowed down, gradually descended, then turned and flew toward the entrance.
Seeing this, Argenti followed it outside. Black Cutter knew the direction where Nero was, and the knight should also go report on his mission.
Argenti ran after Black Cutter the entire way. When Black Cutter went outside, he went outside too. When Black Cutter skipped the elevator and flew directly downstairs, he simply climbed over the railing and jumped down. The hotel lobby staff and Bloodhounds were left dumbfounded for a moment.
What left these workers even more dumbfounded was that when they prepared to restrain the strange red-haired man, he instead said with considerable emotion, "What wonderful people."
"Thank you for your concern, but a knight should naturally temper himself. This height is nothing to me anymore. My body is very healthy, so please continue with your work."
Then, under the bewildered, almost life-questioning gazes of the workers, the tall red-haired man chased after a greatsword that could fly on its own and left the area covered by the eaves of the Reverie Hotel.
After that, Argenti saw Black Cutter shoot straight into the sky and quickly disappear from sight.
This made Argenti slow down, then stop. Looking in the direction where Black Cutter's shadow had disappeared, he could still "see" what kind of beautiful "trail" that determined sword, which had now reformed its ways, had left behind.
But he could not help falling into thought because of Black Cutter's choice.
Argenti realized there was a problem.
After Tiliandes exchanged information with the members of the Astral Express, the message he sent back contained this conclusion: It was difficult to determine exactly where Nero's disappearance had begun, because no traces had been left behind either in the dreamscape or reality.
However, Miss Stelle from the Astral Express had provided some information worth noting. According to her account, Nero's disappearance should have happened when they were heading to the Dreamscape Hotel, sometime after Black Swan opened the door.
Judging from this point, that Memokeeper was highly suspicious. But after obtaining further testimony from Miss Stelle, having his compatriot question the Memokeeper, and even inspecting the Memory Zone of the Dreamscape Hotel, it could be confirmed that the landing point of that Memokeeper's door was still within the Dreamscape Hotel.
Judging from this, it was more likely that Nero had disappeared in the dreamscape.
And on this point, Miss Stelle had raised a suspicious detail that everyone else had previously considered normal, but which she alone found somewhat subtle.
If Nero had disappeared in reality, then there was no reason for the Dreamscape's Dream Pool relics to fail to detect any abnormal changes in their readings.
If Nero had disappeared in the dreamscape, then that scene should have been a deep dive within a dream. Why, then, had even the body in reality disappeared?
After reading the information summarized by Tiliandes, Argenti had already sensed that something was strange about this. And at this moment, Black Cutter's action of plunging straight into the sky caused the doubt in Argenti's heart to expand without limit.
The knight frowned. Carrying that faint doubt with him, he turned and headed in another direction.
The Himeko's train was parked nearby. He was going to pilot the ship and follow Black Cutter to see exactly what was going on.
———
"So you must be Miss Acheron? Hello, I'm Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express."
Himeko spoke to Acheron, who had come to meet them with Welt.
"Hello, my name is March 7th. There's no need to introduce Stelle. You must know her." March also greeted her.
Looking at the lively pink-haired girl, Acheron frowned but did not say anything.
"Ah, it's you, beautiful lady." Noe, who was walking with the Nameless, seemed somewhat pleasantly surprised when she saw Acheron.
"We still had a mission the last time we met, so things were rather rushed. Please allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Noe, and I'm from the Knights of Beauty."
Acheron turned her head slightly and looked at this knight whom she had once met at the Ever-Flame Mansion. Thinking of the knights' exaggerated behavior, her mood suddenly became somewhat subtle.
'And... the name Noe...'
'What an astonishing coincidence...'
Of course, it was merely the same name. It would not make Acheron think too much about it. After all, whether before or after the Knights of Beauty collapsed, or even now after their reorganization... their strength, behavior, and cohesion could all be questioned, but their character alone could not.
The first requirement for becoming a knight was not strength, but character.
Even if the knight in front of her was a strange person who would become so intoxicated by "beauty" that she could not help but cry... there was no need to worry that they might have some evil purpose.
"Hello." Acheron nodded. "You don't seem surprised by my appearance." Acheron said.
"Since Welt decided to travel with you, it means he trusts you, and we likewise trust his judgment." Himeko said kindly.
"┭┮﹏┭┮... How moving. The trust between companions... it's so beautiful..." Noe started shedding little pearls again.
Himeko, March, and Stelle had already spent some time with her and had gotten used to this lady's habit of crying at the drop of a hat.
But Acheron and Welt still could not help glancing over.
To be honest, if they had not known that she was a knight of the Knights of Beauty, they would probably already be considering how to get this person admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
But with Argenti as precedent, at this moment, the few of them perhaps thought that anyone more or less touched by Pure Beauty was like this.
It was only now that Himeko, March, and Stelle belatedly realized another thing. That machine-intelligence knight, Tiliandes, was actually one of the few "normal people" in the Knights of Beauty.
The shock this gave them was far greater than the abnormality of the other knights.
Although it was not a malicious thought, everyone clearly had certain stereotypes about knights.
Acheron stood there, while Noe's performance directly forced the words "Your relationship is truly enviable" back down her throat.
"Miss Acheron is not a dangerous individual, nor does she harbor any hostility toward the Astral Express." Welt said. "Aventurine's previous accusation was only one side of the story."
As Welt spoke, Noe nodded along.
'Of course. How could someone who had taken action against the Annihilation Gang possibly be a bad person? Slaughtering evildoers, what a beautiful act!'
"Therefore, before we continue our cooperation, he has an obligation to provide a reasonable explanation." Welt continued.
He believed there was some deeper logic behind Aventurine's actions. This representative of the company might have noticed Penacony's secrets long ago, with every step he took being part of his preparations to uncover them.
And in Welt's consideration, in the worst-case scenario, Aventurine might even use the Astral Express to do something excessive.
Stelle did not think so. After all, everyone was a fish friend, and the Stellaron Gremlin clearly would not think like the elders.
Up until now, she still firmly believed Aventurine's claim that he wanted to protect Nero. This was the trust between fish friends.
And in the final decision, Acheron would temporarily travel with the Express crew, just like Noe.
In the eyes of the two elders, the situation in Penacony was extremely complicated, and figuring out what Aventurine, representing the company's forces, was thinking was very important.
At the same time, Himeko believed that if the plan really was related to the Express, then whoever was behind it would definitely find some way to contact the Express crew.
For now, it would be better to focus on something else.
The investigation had uncovered quite a few secrets about Penacony in connection with Robin's death, but there was still no progress regarding the missing Nero.
The only reassuring news was the message Argenti had passed along, originating from Black Cutter: Nero was safe.
Just then, a broadcast suddenly covered the entire dreamscape, and Aventurine's voice came through.
"Ladies and gentlemen..."
"Penacony's most astonishing, most grand performance in history is about to begin!"
"The Interastral Peace Corporation cordially invites everyone to the venue, Clock Studios Theme Park!"
"Mr. Aventurine is at Clock Studios. Hey, we just left there." Noe blinked, a blank expression appearing on her face. When she was without her companions, she seemed to have lost her external brain.
"If neither the actors nor the audience can make it to the venue, wouldn't all of Aventurine's preparations be wasted?" Himeko said.
Welt: "Let's go, everyone."
And so, the group set off.
At the back of the group, Acheron looked at Welt and asked in a low voice, "...Mr. Welt. Why didn't you tell your companions my true identity?"
"Just as you said, it's not that I'm unwilling, but that I can't." Welt slowly spoke.
"That long story (go play HI3)... is something I also find difficult to recount to others in just a few words. But I'm willing to trust you. My trust in you comes more from... my own personal judgment. I also believe that even if it were them, they would make the same decision."
Acheron was silent for a moment. "Thank you very much. In return, during the confrontation to come, if a situation arises that is unfavorable to the Astral Express... I will stand on your side and do what little I can."
"So... what exactly is your true identity? You're not a Galaxy Ranger? You clearly went to fight the Annihilation Gang, didn't you?"
Just as Welt and Acheron were talking, Noe's voice suddenly sounded right beside them.
This knight lady, who had been walking ahead with her other companions, had somehow arrived between the two of them without either noticing, and she seemed to have heard their entire conversation.
For a moment, both Acheron and Welt panicked inwardly.
But when they noticed that Noe had eyes as clear as Nero's, with a certain touch of March 7th's colors in them, the two immediately realized something.
There was no need to panic. This knight lady was different from the other members of the Knights. At least, she was easy to fool.
So Acheron shook her head. "No. Just as you thought, I am a Galaxy Ranger. It's just that the source of my power is somewhat special."
"I knew it." Noe nodded. She believed her, and then said cheerfully, "It's fine, I understand. Mm... we all understand. After all, during the time when He fell, people often said that the source of our power was a mystery too."
As she spoke, the knight lady shook her head again and said, "Although knowing how to borrow external objects is also a manifestation of wisdom, one still needs to temper oneself. If you attribute every source of power far beyond that of ordinary people to a Path, that would be too one-sided."
"Tempering oneself has been a fundamental principle engraved in our hearts from the moment we become knights. Don't let my appearance fool you. I have never slacked off when it comes to tempering myself. Argenti and Anders have both praised me!"
Looking at Noe, who had successfully been fooled, Acheron and Welt exchanged a glance. They could both see the complicated yet remarkable expression on the other's face.
In any case...
The Knights of Beauty really did have talents emerging one after another.
Take the three they had interacted with the most so far...
Miss Noe clearly looked like a woman with the bearing of a Yamato Nadeshiko, but her cerebral cortex seemed to be unexpectedly lacking in folds.
As for Mr. Tiliandes, he was clearly a machine intelligence and should have been more inclined toward using his brain, yet his current behavior in front of others was that of a ruthless person who did not say much and simply acted when he decided to do so.
And then there was Argenti... He was too serious, too fanatical, to the point that people could call him a lunatic...
After some time, in front of Clock Studios Theme Park, the group stopped there. March was expressing her opinion, "We're back here again. Aventurine actually picked such an attention-grabbing place... This guy is going way too far, isn't he? Does he really think he's a big celebrity?"
The Stellaron Gremlin beside her blinked and seriously corrected her good friend. "Strictly speaking, although Aventurine isn't a celebrity, as a company executive and one of the Ten Stonehearts, his fame in the universe is no less than that of most celebrities. In fact, in the business world, his reputation may even be greater than Miss Robin's."
March glared at Stelle unhappily. "Of course I know! I was just making a joke, a joke!"
Looking at the now completely empty theme park, Himeko raised an eyebrow. "Not a single person? The Bloodhounds dispersed the visitors earlier, and now they're nowhere to be seen either..."
"It's practically like inviting us into an urn." Noe said.
The group made some preparations there before continuing forward. At the same time, Aventurine's voice sounded through the broadcast again.
"Ladies and gentlemen, all you dreamers, tycoons, Clockmakers, and distinguished guests of the Family, and of course, the renowned Astral Express, Nameless! Welcome to the Interastral Peace Corporation's show!"
When everyone arrived at the center of the stage, Aventurine's voice sounded much more solid. He spoke in that same annoying tone as always, "You're quite late, everyone from the Astral Express, and also... our uninvited guests."
"We came to keep our appointment, Mr. Aventurine. According to proper etiquette, you should also show yourself." Himeko said.
"Of course I will." Aventurine said. "But before that, I'd like to properly introduce tonight's main star once again... Please give a round of applause for the Stellaron Lady!"
As Aventurine's voice rang out, Stelle froze for a moment.
She had actually already been stunned earlier, because as soon as she came in, she had sensed a tense atmosphere. It made her feel as though the trust between fish friends had been betrayed.
Of course, there was no concrete evidence. It was only... intuition... At least Aventurine's current manner of speaking and behavior gave her that feeling.
But soon, Stelle thought of something else. She blinked and came to her senses, then let out a cheer filled with a certain soaring emotion and pride, "Mom, I'm on TV!"
[T/N: New fanfic chat—"Genshin Impact: Just Another Guy who Transmigrated". Currently, it has a Powerstones Goal for 5 bonus chapters. It ends on Monday, so rain those Powerstones.]