—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Hu Tao: "I knew there was something off about where Miss Robin popped up from…"
Hu Tao: "Turns out it was Miss Hanabi in disguise all along!"
Yelan: "Miss Hanabi's mastery of disguise is truly godlike."
Kamisato Ayato: "Indeed, quite formidable."
Kamisato Ayato: "Had she not voluntarily lifted the veil, I wouldn't have noticed the slightest anomaly."
Hanabi: "Heeheehee, you flatter me, you flatter me~"
Hanabi: "It is my bread and butter, after all. Naturally, I have to put a little heart into it~"
Hu Tao: "But Miss Hanabi's sharp tongue remains exactly as it always was."
Hanabi: "Why? Is what I said wrong?~"
Hanabi: "He is just Chicken Wing Boy, isn't he~"
March 7th: "That is not the point!"
March 7th: "The point is that you actually impersonated someone's sister who just died! Isn't that way too heartless?!"
Paimon: "Exactly! You even offered to replace his sister!"
Paimon: "That's just… just… Ugh! Paimon doesn't even know what to say!"
Hanabi: "Oh my, even though he lost his own sister, he still has me, doesn't he?~"
Hanabi: "I can totally disguise myself as his sister and attend all sorts of occasions in her place~"
Hanabi: "What's the difference?~"
Stelle: "Good Aeon, and you sound so righteous about it too!"
Stelle: "Pah! You really have no shame!"
Sunday: "Heh. In the end, just a Fool without a bottom line."
Sampo: "Hey, hey, hold on there, brother! Don't go firing off sweeping generalizations like that!"
Sampo: "Just because she has no bottom line doesn't mean old Sampo doesn't have one!"
Stelle: "Let's see this bottom line of yours!"
Guinaifen: "+1, I want to see it too."
Sushang: "Me too!"
Sampo: "Ah, this… how am I supposed to show that?"
Sampo: "It's not something you can just look at!"
Stelle: "Then how do you prove you have a bottom line?"
Sampo: "At the very least, I haven't gone around impersonating people randomly!"
March 7th: "That is debatable."
March 7th: "But during the time we ran into you, I guess we didn't see you impersonate anyone."
Tighnari: "Speaking of which, did The Family already know that the Memory Zone Meme had appeared within the sweet dream?"
Nahida: "Listening to Mr. Sunday's words, it appears so."
Aventurine: "If they didn't know, why would they seal off the hotel area in the Dreamscape?"
Aventurine: "However, this act of trying to cover it up only ended up burying a few poor souls."
Aventurine: "Among them, even a VIP like Miss Robin, who was set to sing at the Charmony Festival!"
Aventurine: "So, wouldn't you say they lifted a stone only to drop it on their own feet?"
Fu Xuan: "The Family should not have concealed such a critical matter."
Fu Xuan: "If a true calamity were to occur, you could not bear the responsibility."
Dr. Ratio: "A pity. The Family only cares for its own reputation. The lives and deaths of others are evidently not within the scope of their consideration."
Lumine: "But… even Miss Robin fell victim…"
Lumine: "Perhaps The Family doesn't care about others…"
Lumine: "But someone as important as Miss Robin… surely it shouldn't be like this?"
Furina: "And Miss Robin is the sister of Mr. Sunday, the head of Penacony…"
Furina: "Seeing his sister murdered, one can tell Mr. Sunday is furious and devastated!"
Furina: "But why does he still endure it?"
Black Swan: "Perhaps… The Family is concealing something else."
Black Swan: "Something that eclipses even the death of Miss Robin."
Black Swan: "Or perhaps… Mr. Sunday is merely a puppet."
Acheron: "A puppet?"
Ganyu: "W… What does that mean?"
Himeko: "Miss Black Swan implies that Mr. Sunday might only be the head figure of Penacony."
Himeko: "In reality, privately, he does not hold such great authority."
Himeko: "The one controlling Penacony… is actually someone else!"
Sangonomiya Kokomi: "That person… must be the Dreammaster that Mr. Sunday mentioned earlier!"
Asta: "So, is that the true final boss of Penacony?"
Aventurine: "Mr. Sunday, do you not intend to introduce us to the origins of this Dreammaster?"
Sunday: "...…"
Sunday: "Regrettably, the Dreammaster is elusive; one sees the dragon's head but never its tail."
Sunday: "Even for the heads of the various Lineages, meeting the Dreammaster is by no means an easy feat."
Stelle: "From that description, they sound like a truly troublesome character."
Furina: "Then who is the Watchmaker?"
Furina: "Is he related to this Dreammaster?"
Sunday: "There is no relation."
Amber: "Speaking of the Watchmaker, I feel like he fits the characteristics of a final boss too!"
Amber: "Look at it this way: he sent out the invitations for all these factions to come and fight over his so-called Legacy."
Amber: "Looking at it like that, didn't all of this start because of him?"
Kaeya: "If nothing else, this Watchmaker certainly has a significant agenda!"
Kaeya: "I just wonder… what exactly is he plotting by orchestrating such a scene?"
Silver Wolf: "Plotting for Penacony to split apart? Likes watching different factions kill each other? Or maybe he just left some treasure behind and wanted people to compete for it…"
Silver Wolf: "Anyway… it seems like any possibility is on the table."
....
『 The scene returns to Aventurine.
[ …Oh, my friend. My expression wasn't much better than yours when I witnessed this scene. ]
[ You aren't seeing things. That is her. The world-renowned singer, Robin. ]
Aventurine's tone carries a heavy sentiment.
[ H… How is this possible? ]
[ Robin, she actually… ]
Stelle is still in disbelief.
[ Let me clarify first: this has nothing to do with me. I'm just an unlucky bastard who stumbled onto the crime scene. ]
[ The Family can testify to that. If you don't believe me, go find someone from the Bloodhound Family and ask around… ]
[ They hate me, and they hate the IPC, so they absolutely won't lie for me. ]
[ This isn't the crime scene either. What I'm showing you is a memory—the simplest Light Cone manifestation technology. Authorized by the Garden of Recollection, owned by the IPC. ]
[ Now, do you still think that Galaxy Ranger is an outsider? ]
[ Penacony made a solemn promise: in the sweet dream woven by The Family, the safety of every guest is guaranteed. ]
[ Those who encounter danger are forcibly awakened and returned safely to reality. ]
[ What gives them the confidence to speak with such certainty? ]
[ Because behind this promise is the Harmony: The Family's Dreamweavers link up their minds together to construct an unbreakable defensive line. ]
[ Breaking through this line of defense to create "Death" in the dreamscape... Not even a Memokeeper could do that without The Family's permission. ]
[ Who could have done it? Friend, the only one is her, the girl who calls herself a Galaxy Ranger... An imposter, an unsought guest, an Emanator who hides her true identity...]
[ Ifrit's death was a foregone conclusion, and Robin... her misfortune was staring right at her. Who will be the next to die? ]
Aventurine's words flow ceaselessly, assaulting Stelle's thoughts.
[ If that's the case, I won't trust anyone. ]
Stelle shakes her head.
[ That's fine. You can have your own judgment. ]
[ Cultivating trust always takes time. I am willing to wait. ]
[ I only hope you understand that surrounding this so-called Legacy… Penacony is surging with undercurrents, and everyone harbors dark designs. ]
[ Do not stand on the wrong side. ]
[ If I were you, I would keep my distance from Acheron. ]
[ After all, no matter how you look at it, a scheme placed on the table is far better than a monster hiding in the shadows… isn't it? ]
Aventurine chuckles softly, seemingly unbothered by Stelle's attitude.
[ But who says that behind the schemes on the table, there isn't a deeper conspiracy? ]
Black Swan suddenly appears in the room, opening her mouth to refute Aventurine's words.
[ …Memokeeper. I thought our transaction had long since concluded. ]
Aventurine looks at Black Swan, his expression unreadable.
[ Aventurine speaks the truth. This memory is authentic; there are no distorted or grafted segments. ]
Black Swan offers an explanation to Stelle.
[ The IPC is not the Garden of Recollection. What they can do is quite limited—you know this better than anyone. ]
[ Friend, let's not beat around the bush—to speak plainly, I want to form a partnership with the Astral Express in my own name. ]
[ I told you, I'm just not interested in scrambling for "the Legacy." I just came to Penacony for work.]
[ I need to reclaim some lost assets for the IPC. If you catch my drift... I'm talking ownership of this "frontier prison."]
[ Thanks to the Cancer of All Worlds(Stellaron), this asset has long since become a bad debt. The IPC has tried to sit down and talk multiple times, but The Family won't even open the door. ]
[ You don't know how difficult these people are to deal with. ]
[ Put it this way: if they could cover up the existence of "Death" before, they will certainly be able to cover up the news of Robin's death this time too. ]
[ It will simply dissolve into foam without a sound, and in the end, no one will know… ]
[ That's not fair, is it? ]
[ So, friend, I need your help. ]
Aventurine looks at Stelle, a few degrees more sincerity in his tone.
[ I cannot trust you. ]
Aventurine's previous behavior and calculations
Make it difficult for Stelle to harbor any goodwill toward him.
[ That's alright. I won't force you. ]
[ But what I want isn't much. Why not hear me out first, alright? ]
[ I have only one goal: The Family's door is a high wall. To push it over, I first need to chisel a few holes in it. ]
[ Once a crack appears, the IPC has plenty of methods. ]
[ Now, the opportunity has arrived. ]
[ As long as we can uncover the truth of Robin's death, we can bring justice to the deceased, and simultaneously gain leverage for negotiation, inviting The Family to the table. ]
[ A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… I've been investigating everywhere in Penacony, making friends far and wide, all for this very moment. ]
[ This bad news is extremely detrimental to The Family, so they will spare no effort to obstruct outsiders from intervening, especially the IPC. ]
[ But I believe there are minority factions that are exceptions. This is why I need all of you. ]
[ The Astral Express is renowned far and wide. The Harmony will also give you the most impartial evaluation. ]
[ You can uncover the truth and uphold justice, and I can use this to complete the IPC's mission… that is called a win-win. ]
Aventurine is not discouraged, continuing to bewitch Stelle, attempting to pull her into his camp.
[ I can't make the decision alone… ]
Stelle shakes her head again.
[ No rush. Why not return to your companions first and chat with them? ]
[ That Navigator lady is a smart one. She will surely understand the value of this deal. ]
[ Here, my contact info. Contact me when you have a conclusion. ]
[ Oh, and also… take this! ]
[ To conduct an investigation, you need some spare cash in hand. Please, don't be polite! ]
[ See you around, friend. ]
[ I truly look forward to uncovering the truth of death alongside you all. ]
After giving his contact information
And some credits to Stelle, aventurine walks straight away.
[ (Aventurine just sauntered off... He really doesn't mean to force it, but something still seems off...) ]
Stelle watches Aventurine's retreating figure, muttering in her heart.
[ …What next? What do you plan to do? ]
Suddenly, Black Swan speaks up to ask.
[ (Black Swan... What is she thinking?) ]
Stelle walks up to Black Swan, ready to properly hear her perspective.
[ On the surface, this deal has no downsides for you. ]
[ But Aventurine is a shrewd merchant. His abacus is never as simple as it appears on the surface. ]
[ He doesn't yet know about Miss Hotaru—but from your reaction, he may have sensed something, intentionally guiding the topic toward the truth of death, winding you into his logic. ]
[ Quick reactions, clear logic… I must warn you, cooperating with that man is dangerous. ]
Black Swan analyzes the pros and cons for Stelle.
[ Can I toss a die to let it decide for me? ]
Stelle feels this matter is truly too difficult to decide.
[ Your thinking bears some resemblance to that gambler now. ]
[ regardless, be cautious. ]
[ The path of Trailblaze is not singular. In a dark forest surrounded by wolves, you must first ensure you can escape with your life. ]
[ As for other questions… ]
Black Swan falls silent, waiting for Stelle to ask other questions.
[ Did "Death" kill Robin? ]
Stelle thinks for a moment and asks.
[ I dare not confirm that both incidents were the work of the same perpetrator, but that massive wound… it closely resembles its wing-blades. We have both witnessed the moment it strikes. ]
[ Moreover… currently, there is no second possibility for causing true death within the dream. ]
Black Swan explains.
[ Then does this have anything to do with Acheron? ]
Stelle asks again.
[ Apologies, I cannot answer that question. ]
[ That Ranger is too mysterious; I fear no one can give a definitive conclusion. ]
[ But without a doubt… she is the most unique guest at this banquet. ]
[ Just as Aventurine said, you had best keep your distance from her. ]
Black Swan shakes her head, unable to give an accurate answer.
[ Are there any other anomalies? ]
Stelle muses for a while.
[ Two victims appearing in such a short span of time… the matter itself is overly abnormal. ]
[ There are two possibilities: the collapse of Penacony's dreamscape has begun to accelerate, making "Death" unusually agitated, and The Family's protection is starting to become fragile. ]
[ Or perhaps, all actions are within someone's plan. ]
[ If someone did this intentionally… first a "stowaway," then "The Family's star." The killer's intent is inevitably somewhat thought-provoking. ]
Black Swan recalls everything, analyzing seriously.
[ This is all too sudden. I can only offer conjectures. ]
[ After leaving here, go have a detailed chat with your companions. I hope you can untangle the source of these chaotic thoughts. ]
Black Swan looks up at Stelle, offering a few words of advice, before leading her through the chaotic dreamscape.
[ Come, this way—just a short walk. Don't get lost. ]
Black Swan leads Stelle to the edge of the dream.
[ Leave from here. ]
[ And then, we must say goodbye. ]
[ This is all just like… a nightmare. ]
[ Unfortunately, memory does not lie… what we just saw was reality that truly occurred. It will not dissipate from your mind just because you wake up. ]
[ But do not be afraid. Listen to the choice of your heart. ]
[ We all walk through the world like this, leaving shadows of varying lengths, and finally… leaving behind precious memories. ]
[ …Ah, please wait a moment. ]
Black Swan suddenly stops, then she gently strokes the base of Stelle's ear and hands a card to her.
[ This will do. A small parting gift. ]
[ If one day, you are unfortunate enough to sink into the deep sea of the Memory Zone without a Memokeeper by your side—it will guide you to a way out on my behalf. ]
[ I also pay great attention to social etiquette… just consider it my apology for keeping things from you. ] 』
『 ....』