As fanatics who followed the Pure Beauty, the knights appeared almost insane in the eyes of many people, but in reality, according to the knights' creed, although the Aeons were important, they were not the most important thing.
There were many ways to walk a Path, and the knights' choice in walking the Path was to realize their own value.
This was also one of the many meanings the knights understood from Beauty, which was why they were always improving themselves and always doing good deeds.
Unlike most Pathstriders, the Pure Beauty Knights' fanatical faith in Pure Beauty was less like following it and more like drawing closer to it.
Therefore, even when they needed to look for Nero, the knights still did not relax their investigation into Penacony's current situation.
After beginning their investigation, some of them noticed the many shadows lingering over this festive planet.
This made the knights realize that something might happen here, and that it might affect many people.
To prevent things from ultimately developing in a bad direction, the knights chose to intervene without hesitation.
At this moment, Argenti was telling everyone about the Knights' investigation and discoveries, as well as the information exchange currently taking place.
During this process, Aventurine and the Astral Express crew realized that the matter they had painstakingly investigated in Penacony seemed to have already been easily figured out by the Knights.
Today, they had deeply experienced the meaning of "the more people there are, the greater the strength."
While listening to Argenti, Nero realized that he seemed to have caused quite a stir when he was in that white sea of sand.
Looking at the people around him, he estimated that no one had yet informed the others that he had already returned.
Thinking about those who might be running around because of him, Nero quickly sent messages to his friends, as well as Sister Topaz.
Although Aventurine had not said anything, he did not believe Aventurine would not tell Topaz about his disappearance.
The young people from the Xianzhou who were searching for clues in Dream's Edge were overjoyed when they received Nero's message. Afterward, Yanqing immediately sent a message to Jing Yuan.
According to the message the General had sent back not long ago, after Nero's disappearance was leaked in the Luofu because of Guinaifen's livestream, it had caused a huge stir.
Before the relevant information could even be submitted to the Alliance, the Luofu's fleet had already set out.
Thinking that now that Nero had returned, there should be no need to make such a big fuss, Yanqing soon received a message from Jing Yuan.
The General said that since they were already on their way, they might as well not turn back for now. More importantly, even if they wanted to return now, they could not.
Yanqing felt that something might have gone wrong on the Luofu's side, so he hurriedly asked for details.
Afterward, Jing Yuan sent Yanqing a long string of messages. Between the lines of those words, Yanqing could read his master's deep confusion and bewilderment.
They of course believed Yanqing, but the problem was not that Jing Yuan and the others were unwilling to turn back. The key point was that the Luofu was unwilling to turn back.
That's right. The Luofu Xianzhou, which had inexplicably started moving during the war against Phantylia, had begun moving again.
Even with the combined efforts of the Divination Commission, Artisanship Commission, and Sky-Faring Commission, there was no way to turn the Luofu's course around.
The fact that the Luofu Xianzhou had a mind of its own was already astonishing enough. Even more astonishing was that this ancient Alliance flagship was also very stubborn. It had even taken the initiative to communicate with the Sky-Faring Commission.
Specifically, a jade omen display in the Sky-Faring Commission suddenly malfunctioned and stopped responding to control. Text soon appeared on it by itself.
And that text represented the Luofu's thoughts. It said that it had to see it personally...
After reading all of Jing Yuan's replies, Yanqing's facial muscles began to twitch. For a moment, his expression became somewhat distorted, and he did not even know how he was supposed to react.
But from these words, he had a bold guess. Perhaps the reason the Luofu had moved on its own was Nero's doing.
After all, if he could fix the Matrix of Prescience by giving it two pats, then it did not seem like a problem for him to make the Luofu move with two pats either.
But...
If it was Nero, then given his personality, there was no reason for him not to tell the General.
Could he have forgotten?
The moment Yanqing thought that Nero might have forgotten to say anything and caused the higher-ups of the Luofu to be left scratching their heads for so long, the expression on his face became even more interesting.
The friends around him noticed Yanqing's ever-changing expression and became puzzled.
Bailu was still immersed in the joy of Nero returning safe and sound, and directly asked, "How is it? What did General Jing Yuan say?"
The corner of Yanqing's eye twitched. He felt that he did not know how to put it into words. After hesitating for a long time, he said uncertainly, "The General said... the Luofu wants to come and see for itself."
"Oh." The group nodded, feeling that there was nothing strange about that.
However, a few seconds later, "What? Who wants to come and see? The Luofu?"
What happened to the several young people from the Xianzhou did not affect Nero's side. Argenti smiled and said, "According to what our brothers and sisters have said, we already know where Miss Robin is currently located. According to the normal process, we need to experience death before we can reach that place, but..."
As he spoke, Argenti raised his head and looked toward the sky. The purple galaxy filled the dreamscape, filling his eyes.
"According to our companions, that hidden corner is in the sky above the Golden Hour. They made this judgment based on the map and the dazzling lights and structures they saw when they looked up. In other words, we can also try reaching that place by flying or jumping."
"Eh? How high would that have to be?" March blinked and looked up at the illusory starry sky Nero had brought.
When she and Nero returned, they had suddenly appeared from the sky. They had already been very high up then... yet they had not seen any city or anything like that above them.
"I see... That's great!" Noe looked very happy. Since Argenti said they could jump over, then there was a high chance they really could jump over.
"Huh?" March was somewhat baffled by the Knight's reaction. Looking at Argenti and Noe, the astonishment in her eyes was completely undisguised.
Seriously? Are you Pure Beauty Knights a little too ridiculous?
"Let me do it," Nero said. "I just happened to learn how to control memoria. I can directly have the memoria carry us over!"
Since Nero had said this, everyone naturally had no objections. Even if the child could not do it, it did not matter. They could think of another way afterward.
But at least for now, they should not dampen the child's enthusiasm. Besides, Nero generally would not exaggerate the facts.
Everyone on the train knew... if March told you she could do something, then she might not be able to do it; if Dan Heng told you he could do something, then he could most likely do it; if Stelle told you she could do something, then if pushed hard enough, she should be able to do it; if Nero told you he could do something, then Nero would definitely be able to do it.
Argenti nodded. "Since that's the case, we'll just go over later. As for the Family, Anders said he's heading that way anyway, so we'll leave it to him."
———
[Dawn Pavilion]
Gallagher arrived here, his dejected gaze casually sweeping over the surroundings as he looked around before casually commenting,
"A maze of corridors and halls, traps and mechanisms everywhere... The owner of this mansion is a little too suspicious."
A sand table of the Golden Hour was situated in the center of the hall. Across the miniature version of the bustling city, Gallagher's gaze fell on Sunday, the head of the Oak Family, who was standing with his back to Gallagher.
"You're very humorous, Mr. Security Officer. I hope that sense of humor has already helped you find the murderer."
Sunday spoke with confidence at this moment. Different attitudes had to be displayed toward different people, and Gallagher was clearly not as imposing as the Pure Beauty Knights.
Moreover, he clearly still did not know some news that would be quite shocking to him.
For example, the Luofu Xianzhou was on its way here.
That was one-sixth of the Xianzhou Alliance...
"Just expressing a personal opinion," Gallagher said calmly. "What, did I hit a sore spot?"
"Mr. Gallagher, I don't have much patience. Slacking off will only make me suspect you have something to do with the real murderer even more." Sunday turned around and looked at Gallagher.
Hearing Sunday's words, Gallagher let out a disdainful snort, then sighed deeply. As he walked forward, he said, "Rogue, thug, drunkard, hooligan... I've heard too many of these pieces of trash talk, but I never thought that one day I'd be treated as an accomplice to a murderer."
Gallagher came before Sunday. "I take back what I said earlier. Your problem isn't that you're too suspicious. You're a lunatic, understand? A lunatic."
While the two were talking, a Gopher Wood Thrush stood on the eaves, watching the conversation below.
Although its surveillance at Dawn Pavilion last time had been discovered by Professor Ratio, who rewarded it with a calculation problem concerning imaginary engines and left it with a headache that had yet to go away, the Dreammaster had still come again to monitor this place.
Well, there was only one opponent this time, and he was not someone like Ratio, who was overly perceptive, perceptive to the point of being abnormal.
It should not have any problems this time.
Just as it thought this, a strange suction force suddenly came from the side. Before the Gopher Wood Thrush could even let out a cry, it was sucked away.
The next instant, the bird had already become a sticker, stuck onto a small silver car.
This small silver car model had not been here just now. Even the Dreammaster had not noticed when exactly it had appeared.
After turning the troublesome Gopher Wood Thrush into a two-dimensional character, the hood of the small car model opened, and a slender metal tube emerged.
The metal tube nimbly went around the pillar beside it and aimed at Sunday and Gallagher below. Soon, a barely perceptible point of light lit up, and the tiny metal tube transformed into a camera.
In the outer hall of Dawn Pavilion, Tiliandres sat on a sofa prepared for guests, his blue-glowing eyes flickering slightly.
"Someone is even monitoring an interrogation like this... Deduction, there are conflicts within the Family as well."
Tiliandres muttered, not in a hurry to go inside. He planned to watch for a while longer and collect more information.
"You, the Family, broke the spine of this old dog of mine and pulled out his fangs, and now you're accusing me of murder?"
In Tiliandres's eyes, Gallagher and Sunday inside Dawn Pavilion could be seen clearly, and Gallagher's rebuke of Sunday could be heard clearly as well.
"Bastards. Only idiots who have drunk too much SoulGlad would go crazy at a stray dog on the street."
"Just what is it that's making you keep talking nonsense here?" Gallagher looked at Sunday. "Compared to me, you should be more concerned about those foreign guests making such a huge commotion at the Theme Park."
"You don't need to remind me." Sunday said, "The moment that envoy walked out the door of the mansion, I knew what she wanted to do."
"All of my servants saw it with their own eyes. His little magic trick did fool me, but it doesn't matter. I'm very happy to see the current situation. Why do you think I let him leave? And why did I specifically clear out the stage at that Theme Park?"
Sunday looked at Gallagher. "Because my target has been you from beginning to end, Hound. The bigger a commotion he makes, the more opportunities I have to make you and your true master, the Watchmaker, pay blood for blood."
Clearly, in the eyes of the head of the Oak Family, there were no losers in this game. Although Aventurine had obtained what he wanted, he had likewise obtained what he wanted.
However, he had obviously not communicated with the Dreammaster and his servants at this time. Otherwise, he would have discovered that all the spies placed by Dawn Pavilion had inexplicably stopped functioning, while over at the Theme Park, all that could be seen was a purple starry sky.
"If I really were the murderer, why would you be hiding things like this?" Gallagher looked at Sunday, without the slightest sign of panic.
"Ha, I forgot that you also have a master who's difficult to deal with (the Dreammaster of Penacony). They told you not to bother with whatever damn murder case and to focus on the Charmony Festival... Isn't that right, 'Gentle Brother'?"
Facing Gallagher's provocation and sarcasm, Sunday gave a faint cold laugh. "...Looks like your disguise has helped you learn every detail of the Family thoroughly."
"Disguise? Which of your eyes saw that I'm a fake person? Open your eyes and take a good look, haloed one..."
"Indeed, every part of you is real. Brown hair, soft and curly like Benny's (dreamscape producer); orange eyes, which remind me of Sir Whitaker's gaze (Gopher Wood Thrush family head); strange scars, the medals of Woolsey (Hound captain)...
"And the gray vest, tie, Hound badge, thermos, drink-mixing skills, identity as a security officer... They are all real, all coming from fifty-two loyal Family members."
As Sunday spoke, he listed one by one the similarities between Gallagher and the suspects he had identified through his investigation. This list had once been examined by Mr. Yang and Acheron.
"When they converge in one place, countless tiny truths weave themselves into a lie. You pluck a strand of cognition from each person and make it your own, fabricating a complete Gallagher in the dreamscape..."
"Am I right, minion of the 'Enigmata'?"
Listening to the accusation from the head of the Oak Family before him, a smile gradually appeared on Gallagher's face.