—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Good grief, I didn't expect to see the shadow of the Stellaron Hunters here too!"
March 7th: "I say, do you guys just haunt us like ghosts?"
Silver Wolf: "Look at you, listen to yourself."
Silver Wolf: "You guys are allowed to go to Penacony for fun, but we aren't allowed to go for a stroll?"
Himeko: "But Miss Silver Wolf, your objective isn't as simple as just a 'stroll', is it?"
Dan Heng: "What are you planning this time?"
Blade: "Heh, what does that have to do with you?"
Kafka: "Now, now… everyone. Why be so at swords' points?"
Kafka: "You should know that, generally speaking, our actions are never to your detriment."
Kafka: "On the contrary… when you were stagnant, wasn't it us, the Stellaron Hunters, who gave you a push?"
March 7th: "Who asked you to push! Your actions are clearly ill-intentioned schemes, okay?"
Welt: "The relationship between the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters has always been one of mutual hostility."
Welt: "Therefore, your words are not worthy of trust."
Silver Wolf: "Believe it or not."
Silver Wolf: "At the very least, you in the video accepted my help, didn't you?"
Stelle: "Ahem, well, harmony brings wealth, everyone!"
March 7th: "Hey, Stelle, you guy, don't change the subject!"
March 7th: "Why are you always speaking up for the Stellaron Hunters?"
March 7th: "Are they your relatives?!"
Silver Wolf: "Tsk tsk, that's hard to say."
Stelle: "Um, everyone, let's say a few words less."
Stelle: "Watching the video is important, watching the video is what matters!"
Paimon: "Hehe, Miss Stelle looks so helpless right now."
Lumine: "I just feel like the relationship between them seems a bit weird."
Furina: "Stellaron Hunters…"
Furina: "I remember they were briefly mentioned in a previous lore video."
Furina: "Seems they are also a very powerful and famous organization?"
Silver Wolf: "Mhm! Miss Furina, you have a good eye!"
Silver Wolf: "The great name of our Stellaron Hunters—if not known by everyone in the universe, it is at least thunderous and widely renowned!"
Dr. Ratio: "Indeed, it is not just the reputation that is thunderous."
Dr. Ratio: "The bounty is even more thunderous!"
Xiangling: "B… Bounty?"
Xiangling: "Who put a bounty on them? Are they wanted criminals?"
Aventurine: "Of course, they are wanted by the Company."
Aventurine: "The bounties on these few individuals are astronomical figures!"
Aventurine: "Take this Ms. Kafka for example."
Aventurine: "Her bounty within the Company is as high as eleven digits!"
Aventurine: "That is an unimaginable amount of wealth!"
Topaz: "That's right. If an ordinary person got this money, they would immediately become a super billionaire."
Kaveh: "How much?!"
Kaveh: "Eleven digits?!!"
Kaveh: "Are you seriously not joking?!"
Silver Wolf: "What? You think that's too much?"
Silver Wolf: "I actually think the bounty is too low; it doesn't match our reputation at all."
Boothill: "Motherfudger, compared to you Stellaron Hunters, my bounty is heinously low!"
Furina: "Mr. Boothill actually has a bounty too?!"
Shenhe: "Curious question… how much is it?"
Boothill: "Can't compare to those Stellaron Hunters… it's merely a few hundred million."
Hu Tao: "Merely… a few hundred million??!"
Boothill: "Yeah, the worst among those Stellaron Hunters is tens of billions."
Boothill: "That Kafka woman is up to tens of billions!"
Boothill: "Isn't my few hundred million just 'merely'?"
Zhongli: "Indeed… at first hearing, a few hundred million gives one a sense of a huge amount."
Zhongli: "But in terms of universal rationality, compared to tens of billions or even hundreds of billions, a few hundred million does indeed appear insignificant."
Paimon: "Here it comes, here it comes again! Zhongli is as clueless about money as ever!"
Lumine: "A few hundred million can't compare to tens of billions, but that's still an unimaginable huge SUM!!"
Lumine: "If I had a few hundred million Mora, I wouldn't have to worry for the rest of my life!"
Ningguang: "Correct, a few hundred million Mora is not a small number."
Hu Tao: "I say, my Consultant, you look down on even a few hundred million?"
Hu Tao: "Those who don't know better would think you are Rex Lapis himself, able to create Mora!"
Hu Tao: "But you don't have a single penny in your own pocket! All your eating, drinking, and playing are charged to the company ACCOUNT!!"
Hu Tao: "The great foundation of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is going to be squandered away by YOU!!"
Xiao: "…."
Cloud Retainer: "…."
Lumine: "Uh… do you think there's a possibility?"
Lumine: "That Rex Lapis himself also has no concept of Mora…"
Paimon: "It's even possible… he has no Mora to spend!"
Hu Tao: "Huh? What nonsense are you talking about?"
Hu Tao: "The Lord of Geo who governs wealth wouldn't have Mora to spend?"
Hu Tao: "Impossible! This is absolutely IMPOSSIBLE!!"
Childe: "It's entirely POSSIBLE!!"
Zhongli: "Indeed, in terms of universal rationality, such a possibility exists."
Venti: "Tsk tsk tsk, looks like I'm not the only one living frugally."
Diluc: "…."
....
『 After Stelle returned to her room, she immediately walked up to Black Swan, preparing to ask questions.
[ You seem nervous, Stelle. ]
[ Are you worried about that little girl? ]
[ If something is weighing on your mind, why not confide in me? ]
[ There is no one in this world more suitable to be a psychotherapist than a Memokeeper. ]
Black Swan spoke first, not waiting for Stelle to open her mouth.
[ Thank you for saving my life. ]
Stelle looked at Black Swan and said gratefully first.
[ Hehe, don't mention it. It's what I should do. ]
[ After all, you are very special… so special that many pairs of eyes are watching you. ]
Black Swan smiled faintly.
[ Um… can you confirm Hotaru's safety? ]
Stelle asked the question she desperately wanted to know.
[ Rest assured, that is a one-way door; it only leads to the waking reality. ]
[ Unless that girl holds a strong will and refuses to wake up from the dream no matter what… ]
[ But… how is that possible? ]
[ She must be rubbing her eyes somewhere in the hotel right now. ]
Black Swan explained.
[ …Actually, to be honest, I don't really trust Memokeepers. ]
After learning that Hotaru should be fine, Stelle spoke again with some hesitation.
[ It seems you have some unpleasant memories… But obviously, the upcoming cooperation is wise for you, for me, and for the Astral Express crew, right? ]
[ So you can rely on me with peace of mind. ]
[ Of course, I am not the only Memokeeper who came here—Penacony has publicly issued invitations to factions outside The Family for the first time. The Garden of Recollection wants to record this historic moment… ]
[ So you can also try cooperating with others… provided you can see them, hehe. ]
Black Swan couldn't help but tease Stelle.
[ Alright. By the way, aren't you going back to your own room? ]
Stelle scratched her head and asked in confusion.
[ No. ]
[ I want to accompany you into the dream, lest you get hurt. ]
[ Anyway, Memokeepers don't need a Dreampool… right? ]
Black Swan said nonchalantly.
[ Is that so? Alright then. ]
[ Then I'm going into the dream. ]
Stelle nodded. She prepared to lie down in the Dreampool.
[ Okay~ Then go to sleep peacefully, I will stay right by your side. ]
Black Swan's tone became very gentle and alluring. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Amber: "Miss Stelle didn't forget Miss Hotaru's safety."
Stelle: "Of course, how could I forget my Hotaru who suffered with me!"
Hotaru: "Thank you for your concern, Stelle!"
Black Swan: "Hehe, only thanking her?"
Black Swan: "Shouldn't you thank me too~"
Hotaru: "Uh… I also want to thank Miss Black Swan for the rescue!"
Black Swan: "It was a simple effort."
Nahida: "Speaking of which, Miss Black Swan enters the dream without needing a Dreampool. Is this the ability of a Memokeeper?"
Black Swan: "Yes. As Memokeepers, we have long since discarded our physical bodies and exist in the form of Memetic Entity."
Black Swan: "Therefore, we are unbound by most matter and can traverse space freely."
Collei: "Sounds… so magical!"
Lumine: "I feel like Memokeeper is a very high-end profession."
Paimon: "But to become a Memokeeper, you need to discard your physical body…"
Paimon: "Wouldn't that be scary?"
Black Swan: "Actually, in the end, it's just changing the way of existence. There is nothing scary about it."
Furina: "Really interesting, I really want to experience what it feels like to be a Memokeeper."
Neuvillette: "There should be a threshold for this thing; it's not something you can become just because you want to."
Black Swan: "That is correct. However, perhaps Miss Furina just happens to have this talent?"
Furina: "Hehe, well, I was just saying."
Furina: "I don't want to discard my physical body right now."
Ei: "May I ask Miss Black Swan, is this form of existence considered a type of eternity in some sense?"
Black Swan: "Eternity?"
Black Swan: "No, this is still far from eternity."
Black Swan: "In fact, even existing as a Memetic Entity, there will eventually be a day of dissipation."
Ei: "Then in this world, is there truly nothing eternal?"
Madam Herta: "That's an interesting question."
Madam Herta: "As for the answer, perhaps no one can solve it?"
Screwllum: "Analysis: The calculation power of the Aeon of Erudition, Nous, is peerless in the universe!"
Screwllum: "Conclusion: Perhaps Nous can give the answer to this question."
Ruan Mei: "Of course, it is only a possibility."
Ruan Mei: "After all, this question is indeed somewhat profound."
Ruan Mei: "You must know, even beings as strong as Aeons will not exist eternally."
Ei: "Is that so…?"
Ei: "Thank you everyone for your answers, I have learned much."
....
『 Through the Dreampool, Stelle returned to the room in the dreamscape.
[ Back in the familiar room… ]
Stelle looked around, feeling a sense of familiarity.
[ Over here, my dear. ]
Black Swan greeted her from the doorway.
[ How is it? No physical discomfort, right? ]
Black Swan asked with concern.
[ Feeling okay. ]
Stelle replied.
[ Then I am relieved. ]
[ I know you are sensitive to Memoria and are more easily affected by the dreamscape than others. This is also why I need to accompany you specifically. ]
[ I will use some tricks to make you feel less uncomfortable. ]
[ Don't worry, your companions are also safe. Before entering the dream, I asked both of them for a small accessory. ]
[ This allows me to sense their existence in the Memory Zone. ]
[ They have already woken up in their respective rooms. ]
[ Now, you should be able to follow me with ease, right? ]
[ Time waits for no one, let's set off for the lobby. ]
Black Swan urged, and began to walk outside.
[ March's room is right next door… let's meet up with her first. ]
Stelle thought for a moment and decided to find March 7th first.
So, she arrived at the door of March 7th's room.
[ March 7th, are you in there? ]
[ Are you there? We're setting off. ]
[ March? It's me, Stelle… ]
Stelle knocked hard on the door of March 7th's room, but there was no response.
[ I know what you are thinking. Unfortunately… that girl is not inside, and this is not her room either. ]
[ From the moment you stepped into the Memory Zone, the architectural structure of reality lost its meaning. ]
[ I can sense that she is very far away right now. ]
[ Likewise, to find the lobby mentioned by the Navigator lady… we will also have to spend some effort. ]
At this moment, Black Swan came to Stelle's side and reminded her.
[ Alright, understood. ]
Stelle nodded.
She began to follow behind Black Swan.
[ These poor little things lying all over the place… ]
[ Strange, there seems to be someone else's presence here… ]
On the way, Black Swan saw the corpses of the Dreamjolt Troupe lying nearby, her expression became somewhat puzzled.
[ Ah… it's her? ]
[ How is this possible? ]
Black Swan led Stelle down the stairs to the lower lobby, and then saw Acheron facing off against some Dreamjolt Troupe members in the lobby.
This surprised her slightly.
[ Here… are there no staff members? ]
[ Huh, why is it you two? ]
Acheron looked at the Dreamjolt Troupe in front of her and muttered softly, then, sensing people behind her, she turned her head.
As a result, she found that the newcomers were actually acquaintances.
[ You… know each other? ]
Acheron's tone sounded like she knew Black Swan, which confused Stelle a bit.
[ Yes, she is the Memokeeper I mentioned. ]
Acheron nodded gently.
[ You two, let's pause the pleasantries for now… ]
[ Let's work together to show these hospitable children out first, how about it? ]
Black Swan looked at the swarming Dreamjolt Troupe and proposed.
[ It would be my honor. Thank you both for the help. ]
Acheron expressed her thanks, then everyone began to work together to clear out the Dreamjolt Troupe.
Moments later, these ferocious Dreamjolt Troupe members were easily swept away.
[ Finally quiet. ]
[ Why did you two appear here? ]
Acheron looked at Black Swan and Stelle, asking the question first.
[ In fact, that is also the question we wanted to ask you. ]
Black Swan raised an eyebrow, throwing the question back.
[ There are some rumors circulating in Penacony, involving hidden topics such as the Watchmaker, the Legacy, and nightmares. ]
[ I was curious who was spreading the news, so I experimented according to the method in the rumors… ]
[ And actually arrived here. ]
Acheron did not mind Black Swan's wariness, but explained seriously.
[ You… shouldn't be hiding anything, right? ]
Black Swan asked suspiciously.
[ Hiding? In front of a Memokeeper, I shouldn't be able to do such a thing. ]
Acheron shook her head with a laugh.
[ Can you do it in front of me? ]
Stelle couldn't help but interject.
[ No, I didn't mean that. It was just a… figure of speech. ]
Acheron said solemnly.
[ You two came at the right time. This dreamscape is full of dangers. ]
[ Since our goals are aligned, why don't we travel together? ]
[ I can protect you from harm. In the Memory Zone, I also need the assistance of a Memokeeper, and… if we encounter The Family, having one more person means one more explanation. ]
Acheron's tone was sincere, hoping to hitch a ride with the two.
[ This… what do you think, Stelle? ]
Black Swan handed the decision-making power to Stelle.
[ Having more people isn't a bad thing. ]
Stelle thought about it and agreed directly.
[ Thank you, Stelle… really, thank you. ]
[ Also glad to travel with you again, Miss Black Swan. ]
Acheron looked very grateful.
[ Mhm… let's hope so. ]
Black Swan's tone was slightly filled with a bit of helplessness. 』
『 ....』