『 The video continued.
[ Himeko: We're finally here. Everyone, head back to your rooms and drop off your luggage. ]
Upon reaching the lounge area, Himeko said to everyone.
March 7th and Stelle exchanged glances.
They smiled and nodded in agreement.
Then, they walked off together.
Himeko and Welt merely watched the two leave.
They tacitly remained in place.
[ Himeko: Welt, how about a drink first? Penacony's "SoulGlad" is quite famous. ]
Himeko glanced at the distant bar and joked with Welt.
[ Welt: …Speak. We might be thinking the same thing. ]
Welt knew Himeko was deliberately sending March 7th and Stelle away to discuss some information with him privately.
[ Himeko: Do you remember the "invitation letter" the Express received? ]
Himeko didn't beat around the bush and directly asked Welt.
[ Welt: "The Family's esteemed guests are cordially invited to Penacony to participate in our grand celebration." —It is precisely because of this invitation that we are here. ]
Welt's memory was excellent, and he immediately recited the contents of the invitation letter.
[ Himeko: You remember correctly—but there's more to this invitation letter. ]
Himeko nodded.
Then, she changed her tone 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." ]
Himeko revealed a piece of information that Welt had not known.
[ Welt: I don't recall such a passage in the invitation letter… Are you saying there's a hidden message? ]
Hearing this, Welt was somewhat surprised.
[ Himeko: That's the intriguing part. The "invitation letter" sent by the Family was a music box. Winding it up would play a harmonious tune. ]
[ But the one delivered to us was a bit strange… It had some discordant notes mixed into the background of the music. ]
[ I transcribed these noises, and they perfectly matched the gravitational wave frequency when the Express warped. Using the spatial curvature of the Express engine as the key—I got the passage above. ]
Himeko explained the origin of the passage to Welt.
[ Welt: …It's a distress signal commonly used by Nameless. ]
Welt's expression gradually grew solemn as he analyzed.
[ Himeko: I can't be certain. It may be a Masked Fool's trap. From the execution itself, the Riddlers or Inquisition Spirits could have done this themselves. ]
Himeko shared her conjectures.
[ Welt: When did you discover this? ]
Welt was somewhat puzzled.
[ Himeko: When we were handling that Luofu Stellaron matter. I told Pam about it first thing. ]
Himeko replied.
[ Welt: No wonder you asked to step forward earlier, and that IPC envoy also mentioned "Watchmaker." Perhaps his invitation letter also contained similar hidden messages—and was likewise deciphered. ]
Welt recalled Himeko's earlier behavior, suddenly realizing.
[ Welt: …There's another thing that concerns me. When the invitation letter was mentioned, the Family's spokesperson responded: "As the de facto managers of Penacony, the Family is obligated to resolve your concerns." ]
[ Now, hearing it, those words carry some unspoken meaning. And Miss Robin beside him… Though I don't understand singing, I could hear the strangeness in her voice—how could a singer about to perform have such an odd voice? ]
Welt recalled the events that had transpired earlier, feeling that something was amiss.
[ Himeko: You suspect the Family isn't the sender of the invitation letter, and—they're hiding something from us? ]
Himeko understood the implication of Welt's words.
[ Welt: It's not impossible. The Family inviting other factions is already unusual. Your discovery also confirms that a third party might be involved… I retract my previous statement, this "grand gathering" is not simple. ]
Welt couldn't help but sigh softly.
[ Welt: Why didn't you tell the children? ]
Suddenly, Welt asked Himeko.
[ Himeko: If this is just an internal affair of Penacony or the Family, we shouldn't interfere casually. ]
Himeko explained.
[ Welt: But you also said this might be related to "Trailblaze." ]
Welt retorted.
[ Himeko: I did say that, so… ]
Himeko wanted to continue explaining.
But at this moment, Stelle and March 7th, who had put away their luggage, returned to them.
[ Himeko: So before we set off, I already told Little March and Dan Heng. ]
Himeko met March 7th's gaze and showed a somewhat sly smile.
Seeing this, March 7th chuckled, scratching her head a bit shyly.
[ Welt: So I was the only one kept in the dark. ]
After hearing Himeko's explanation, Welt was somewhat exasperated.
[ Stelle: Ain't no biggie when Galactic Baseballer is in the house! ]
Stelle patted her chest at this moment, indicating that no matter what happened, she could easily handle it!
Seeing Stelle like this, March 7th rolled her eyes directly.
And Welt reminded: [ The situation in Penacony is complex; it's better to be cautious. ]
[ Himeko: Which faction sent the invitation letter, what is the purpose of gathering all these factions in Penacony, and why is the Family aware but silent… This trip has many, and before more facts are clarified, we must not act rashly. ]
Himeko reviewed the problems one by one and established a policy of not alerting the enemy for the time being.
[ Himeko: For now, let's focus on the Conductor's request, gather intelligence, and enjoy our "wonderful vacation"—Penacony is, after all, a famous resort planet throughout the universe, and many people might never get to visit it in their lifetime. ]
[ Everyone, go back and rest. Once you're ready, enter the dream. ]
Himeko smiled, not wanting to burden everyone further, and instead suggested they rest well first.
Hearing this, everyone nodded.
Then they dispersed, each heading to places of interest. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"
Stelle: "Weren't we going on vacation? Why, as soon as we entered the hotel, did so many conspiracies come out??"
....
—✦In Between✦—
After watching the video, Stelle immediately felt a headache as big as a bucket.
She had originally thought the next stop was simply for vacation and fun.
But she didn't expect that there might even be a possibility of forced labor?
"Hehe, about this, I originally thought I'd tell you later."
March 7th chuckled, explaining.
"So, there were hidden messages on that invitation letter? Himeko, why didn't you tell me about such an important matter beforehand?"
Welt looked at Himeko, somewhat helpless.
"Hehe, if I had told you beforehand, you would have become all worried again. So, March and I discussed it and decided to tell you once we arrived."
"Who knew it would be exposed directly now."
Himeko looked at the video, shaking her head and laughing wryly.
—
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Hu Tao: "Speaking of which, is this the adult world?"
Hu Tao: "From just a few words and a few details, you can infer so much!"
Hu Tao: "How did you all do it? This is too outrageous!"
Lumine: "Exactly, exactly, when I was watching the video, I didn't notice anything unusual."
Lumine: "But after Miss Himeko and Mr. Welt's analysis in the video, I realized that in that moment, they had already engaged in a confrontation!"
Yelan: "Mr. Welt and Miss Himeko have strong anti-reconnaissance abilities, and their grasp of important details is extremely precise."
Furina: "Is there something wrong with your focus?"
Furina: "Shouldn't we be discussing what the Family's conspiracy is now?"
Aventurine: "Miss Furina is right, the Family should explain clearly what exactly is going on."
Robin: "The Family would never harm our esteemed guests! There must be another reason for this!"
Robin: "Please give me some time; I will definitely investigate the truth of the matter with my brother and give everyone a reasonable explanation."
Sunday: "Robin is right; the Family will give everyone a satisfactory answer. Please trust us."
Paimon: "I believe Miss Robin and Mr. Sunday! Because from their demeanor, they don't seem like people who would engage in conspiracies!"
Gallagher: "Hehe, Miss Paimon, you can know a person's face but not their heart!"
Gallagher: "How do you know that beneath a magnificent exterior, there won't lurk a… unprecedented ambition?"
Sunday: "Oh? Mr. Gallagher seems to… imply something?"
In Penacony, Sunday's expression darkened slightly upon seeing Gallagher's words.
Gallagher: "Esteemed Head of the Oak Family, please don't misunderstand; I'm just giving Miss Paimon a reminder, not targeting you."
Hanabi: "Hehehe~ Interesting~ Chicken wing boy, did that person's words accidentally hurt you~?"
Stelle: "Alright, alright, everyone stop arguing!"
Stelle: "With this Galactic Baseballer here, no matter who initiated this conspiracy, it will be mercilessly shattered by my bat!"
March 7th: "Well said! I fully support you!"
Hotaru: "Fully support + 1!"
Kafka: "Fully support + 2!"
Silver Wolf: "Fully support + 3!"
....
—✦In Between✦—
—✦Genshin Impact World✦—
"Heh, interesting, the scent of conspiracy is spreading."
At the House of the Hearth, Arlecchino swirled the red wine in her hand.
She showed an interested expression.
"Father, do you think this conspiracy is truly orchestrated by the Family?"
Lyney, beside Arlecchino, pondered for a moment before asking this question.
"Hard to say. The current clues are too few to definitively state the truth."
"But… this so-called Family must be involved!"
The red wine swirled along the rim of the glass.
Arlecchino's words echoed in Lyney's ears.
.. . ..
"Master, will this Sunday be a bad person?"
In Mt. Aocang, on a stone bench not far from the pool,
Shenhe sat there, asking an elegant large bird beside her.
"What is a good person? What is a bad person? That depends on how you define them."
Cloud Retainer flapped her wings.
She asked Shenhe in return.
"Hmm… someone who doesn't harm others is a good person."
Shenhe pondered for a moment and said.
"Then, from your observation, is he a good person or a bad person?"
Cloud Retainer asked again.
"Hmm… probably a good person? He is humble and polite to others, and his demeanor seems like that of a gentleman; he should be a good person."
Sunday's previous actions made Shenhe consider him a good person.
"From the surface, that is indeed the case. But, a thousand faces also hold a thousand hearts!"
"What a person sometimes reveals might be vastly different from their true self! Therefore… He could also be a bad person."
Cloud Retainer had observed millennia of years.
Her understanding of human nature was far greater than Shenhe's. Therefore, in her opinion, merely judging Sunday's actions could not determine his good or bad nature.
"I understand."
Shenhe nodded, feeling she had learned another lesson.
.. . ..
"Brother, what do you think of this matter?"
At the Kamisato Estate of the Yashiro Commission,
Kamisato Ayaka and Kamisato Ayato were discussing.
"Hehe, my opinion is that the time is not yet ripe, and the situation is still unclear .From the current situation, the various factions have not yet reached their true stage to perform."
"Therefore, merely glimpsing a corner cannot accurately analyze what kind of conspiracy is hidden within. However, Mr. Sunday and Miss Robin, this brother and sister pair, give me an intriguing feeling."
"I have a hunch that these two might be the key to this invisible vortex."
Kamisato Ayato took a sip of milk tea.
He eloquently analyzed a few points for his sister.
"Hehe, brother's words are reasonable; let's continue watching then."
Ayaka thought her brother's analysis was very accurate and smiled, nodding.
—