Suddenly, the platform beneath everyone's feet began to shake violently.
"What happened?" March was startled by the sudden change and staggered, barely able to keep her balance.
July immediately reached out and caught March. The two people who could not keep their balance grabbed onto each other and did their best to steady themselves, and thus both managed to stand firmly.
Himeko remained quite calm, as did the two Knights of Beauty.
Stelle and Nero, on the other hand, curiously came to the edge and leaned their heads out to look outside.
After hesitating for a moment, Firefly also walked to the edge with a slightly curious look. As for Silver Wolf, she had already left. After all, she had only sent over a projection earlier.
Amid the violent shaking, the platform everyone was standing on was slowly rising. And it was not only this place that was changing.
The buildings throughout this part of Dream's Reef were changing as well, with countless houses beginning to rise upward.
In the end, the platform beneath their feet connected with another magnificent building. Beyond the long flight of stairs, a castle stood before everyone.
Above the castle was the Penacony Grand Theater, glowing with light and floating high in the sky whether viewed from Dream's Reef or the Golden Hour.
"Go forward," Gallagher said as he looked at the enormous castle-like building that had appeared before them. "His destination is in the garden ahead.
"Penacony's first, and also last, Nameless, the Watchmaker, Mikhail Char Legwork."
The young Nameless exchanged glances and nodded. No one said anything. They continued forward, walking upward, following the winding stairs and entering the deepest part of the garden, all the way to the top of the terrace, where, under the dim radiance of the Penacony Grand Theater and surrounded by flower beds, there was a pavilion.
A wheelchair stood there quietly. And upon the wheelchair, beneath the surface of the Memoria, at the place closest to the full moon in the water, an old man's figure leaned there, silent and still.
The Watchmaker, Mikhail Char Legwork, had already embarked on that endless long dream, and no sound could awaken him again.
"As expected... the Watchmaker really was the third Nameless. Even I figured it out." Looking at the old man's back, March murmured.
July, standing beside her, did raise an eyebrow and gave March a strange look, as if saying, "Really? I don't believe you."
It was hard to imagine what March, who had been looked down upon by "herself," was feeling, but this silly girl probably would not notice any of it.
"His legacy is a Dream Bubble. I guess there's something inside that only has meaning to the Nameless," Gallagher said.
"After all, when I checked its contents, I found there was nothing inside... It's probably another Trailblazing cipher or something. Even more mysterious than me."
"Well, let's take a look."
Himeko said this, then nodded at Stelle.
Stelle took a deep breath and steadied herself. She looked at the Watchmaker, then reached out toward the Dream Bubble in the old man's arms.
The instant Stelle touched the Dream Bubble, she felt the viscous Memoria substance gather together, then stretch outward in all directions with her fingertip as the center, as if weaving into a fine net that gently supported her palm.
A chill traveled along her fingertips.
Based on experience, along with this chill should have come all kinds of colorful, interwoven memory illusions... but this time, Stelle saw nothing.
When Stelle touched the Dream Bubble, everyone else watched expectantly. Their eyes were filled with curiosity and the desire for knowledge, and even Gallagher was the same.
But soon, Gallagher noticed that Nero and the two knights were completely uninterested in this. They simply waited quietly, with their gazes focused more on the surrounding buildings, flower beds, and the magnificent Penacony Grand Theater above them.
The Knights of Beauty were understandable. As long as something was "beautiful," they were interested in it. But Nero made Gallagher puzzled.
This child seemed to have little interest in what Mikhail, a senior Nameless, had left behind for those who came after him.
"Aren't you curious about what Mikhail left for you?" Gallagher could not help asking.
"Of course I'm curious," Nero said.
"But you don't look interested in it."
"Hm? Isn't Stelle looking at it right now? Would she really hide it from me after she's finished and not tell me? Besides, after she's done, I can go look at it too."
Nero said matter-of-factly, "I'll be able to see it either way, so why rush?"
Gallagher: "..."
'That... actually makes sense...'
After a while, Stelle raised her head and looked at everyone, shaking her head.
"There's... nothing inside. It's... empty."
This was clearly not the news everyone had wanted to hear. March and July looked at each other, then almost simultaneously walked forward and gently touched the Dream Bubble as well.
"Huh? What's going on..." March said in surprise.
July immediately followed, "There's really nothing in this Dream Bubble!?"
Seeing that Stelle, March, and July had all failed, Nero finally showed a little curiosity and walked forward to touch the Dream Bubble.
Seeing this, Gallagher narrowed his eyes. He felt that he more or less understood now. This child was not uninterested in the legacy. He was simply more interested in strange things.
The sky, the sea, the mountains, the buildings, sunlight, white clouds, stars... No scene, no color appeared. Within the sticky Memoria, Nero saw only darkness.
"Hm... this really does seem to be nothing more than an empty Dream Bubble," Nero said.
"..." Listening to the children's responses, Himeko fell silent.
"How could this be..." March was a little disappointed.
Gallagher cleared his throat. "Rather, this is exactly what I expected."
Then Gallagher sighed. "He always had this inexplicable faith in the Nameless. In everything he arranged, Trailblazing would always have a place. I don't know where that confidence came from..."
At this point, Gallagher's expression gradually became strange. He turned his head and glanced at Nero before continuing, "In my memories... while he was still alive, he never managed to contact the Astral Express.
"I never understood what that old man was thinking, but this empty Dream Bubble really is his style. Filled with absurd fantasies... and incomprehensible romanticism."
"That old child... I never expected him to leave any contingency plan behind anyway."
"No, Mr. Gallagher." Himeko suddenly spoke. "I think Mikhail would definitely leave the most precious thing for us."
Gallagher looked at Himeko, slightly furrowing his brows, a trace of confusion appearing in his eyes.
A certain misunderstanding had clearly arisen.
In Gallagher's understanding, Mikhail's true contingency plan was actually the white-haired little girl on the Astral Express, whose background was impossible to imagine.
That was why he was confused, because as far as he remembered, Mikhail had never successfully contacted the Astral Express.
Himeko, however, clearly held a different view and had faith in the Watchmaker's legacy.
"So... what do you mean?"
"Just as Mikhail believed in the Nameless of the future, we will also unconditionally believe in the Nameless of the past."
"They were willing to devote their entire lives to the land they loved, so how could they leave this world in haste carrying regrets for the future?"
Himeko said seriously, "This Dream Bubble definitely has something inside. We simply haven't understood it yet. Mr. Gallagher, when it comes to believing in the Watchmaker, you're the same, aren't you?"
Gallagher: "...?"
'What are you talking about? What exactly are you talking about...? I do believe in Mikhail, but wasn't his contingency plan that kid named Nero?'
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