『 [ I understand the logic. ]
[ But there are too many bad women and bad men here, I'm really worried about getting backstabbed. ]
[ Stelle has been bullied so many times already, I really can't stand watching it anymore… ]
March 7th looked at Stelle, speaking with some distress.
[ IT'S OKAY, BULLY ME ALL YOU WANT!! ]
Stelle turned into that scummy mode again.
[ Eh, you…! ]
[ …No! ]
[ This young lady cannot accept that kind of reason! ]
[ …Forget it, I'd better just keep a close eye on him! ]
[ If push comes to shove, we'll just use him right back. ]
March 7th scratched her head, finally deciding that she must protect Stelle well.
She couldn't watch Stelle get bullied anymore!
[ Then I'll trouble Stelle to give Aventurine a reply. ]
[ Everyone else, take this time to organize your thoughts as well. ]
Himeko made a request to Stelle.
Subsequently, Stelle took out her phone, and contacted Aventurine.
" /Stelle: We agree to your request for cooperation. "
" /Aventurine: Not bad, not bad, the reply was faster than expected. "
" /Aventurine: Now we are grasshoppers tied to the same rope. "
" /Aventurine: Happy cooperation. Sending a small gift for good luck. "
" /Transfer Received: 100, 000 Credits. "
" /Stelle: Good, good, good. "
" /Stelle: Boss is generous, thank you, thank you! "
" /Aventurine: Oops, slip of the hand, typed it wrong. "
" /Aventurine: Let me top that up for you. Here's to a prosperous start. "
" /Transfer Received: 100, 000 Credits. "
" /Aventurine: Just as I thought, the Family intends to conceal the matter of Robin to the very end. So, regarding this case, it stays between you and me. "
" /Aventurine: But as for the other one… that depends on what excuse they are preparing to give you. "
" /Aventurine: I'll excuse myself for now. I look forward to everyone's wonderful performance! "
⚠︎ The messages ended there.
[ It seems Aventurine is very satisfied with this outcome… Let's tell everyone. ]
After finishing the conversation with Aventurine, Stelle prepared to inform the group of the result. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Furina: "Hooray! The Train Crew is fully reunited again!"
Furina: "Now Miss Stelle won't get bullied anymore, right?"
March 7th: "That's right! With this young lady here, no one is allowed to bully STELLE!!"
Stelle: "Wuwuwu, my good March…"
Stelle: "You really care about me so much, I'M CRYING TO DEATH!!"
Paimon: "Miss March 7th feels really bad for Miss Stelle."
Paimon: "When Miss Stelle talked about what she went through, Miss March 7th looked like she was going to cry from distress."
Nilou: "Mm… that really is an enviable bond."
Himeko: "Regardless, it is good that we have regrouped. If the Express Crew sticks together, other factions won't dare to recklessly scheme against this child, Stelle."
Welt: "Indeed. Previously, Stelle was all alone, which gave some people an opportunity to exploit."
Dan Heng: "My fault! I did not expect this trip to Penacony to be so perilous."
Dan Heng: "And this time, I will not choose to stay behind on the Express."
Stelle: "Wow~ Dan Heng, are you serious?"
Stelle: "Are you finally coming to cover us?"
March 7th: "If you had come earlier, Dan Heng, Stelle probably wouldn't have been bullied so miserably."
Dan Heng: "It's alright, it is not too late now."
Stelle: "Indeed, not too late!"
Stelle: "After all, the one being bullied is just the ME in the video, what does that have to do with me?"
Stelle: "I've always felt this video is deliberately smearing my image!"
Stelle: "I am the renowned Galactic Baseballer, how could I possibly be played like a fiddle by people in Penacony?"
Hanabi: "Tsk tsk tsk, Little Gray Hair, you need to recognize your own abilities!"
Hanabi: "Overestimating yourself will lead to a stumble, hee hee hee~"
Hu Tao: "Speaking of which, Mr. Aventurine is really lavish."
Hu Tao: "He starts smashing people with red packets at the drop of a hat."
Lumine: "It looks like Miss Stelle is quite happy being smashed by red packets~"
Stelle: "Of course I'm happy to get money!"
Stelle: "I don't care what goal Aventurine has!"
Stelle: "As long as he sends me money!"
Stelle: "Then he is temporarily my good BRO!!"
March 7th: "Good grief, aren't you going to hide that face of yours even a little bit?"
March 7th: "Talk about eyes open only for money?"
Paimon: "Hehehe, Paimon thinks Miss Stelle is very, very right."
Paimon: "If someone gave me money that generously, I'd be happy for a whole day too!"
Yanfei: "But throwing money at people is wrong!"
Yanfei: "This doesn't demonstrate Aventurine's sincerity at all!"
Aventurine: "Apologies, I'm so poor that all I have left is money."
Aventurine: "I really couldn't think of anything else with more sincerity to gift her."
Sushang: "What kind of Versailles speech is that?!"
Sushang: "Is that even human language you're SPEAKING!!"
Guinaifen: "Wuwuwu, family, who understands!"
Guinaifen: "Is this the arrogance of an elite IPC employee?!"
Guinaifen: "He easily gave away money as a red packet that I can't earn even after working myself to death for a month DILIGENTLY!!!"
Guinaifen: "Wuwuwu, the gap between people is so huge!"
Boothill: "Heh, dirty capital. Think you're something special just because you have some stinking money?"
Boothill: "What kind of Wubbaboo are you pretending to be here?"
Aventurine: "Sorry, having money does make one special."
Sampo: "That's right. In this universe, you can't go anywhere without money."
Sampo: "Having money really makes you the boss!"
Stelle: "Aventurine, this young lady is very happy that you can send me red packets."
Stelle: "But as an IPC big shot, you actually only sent me a measly 200,000 credits?!"
Stelle: "This makes this young lady very unhappy!"
Aventurine: "….."
Aventurine: "I say, friend, I was just habitually sending a red packet to wish for good luck."
Aventurine: "No need to be so serious, right?"
Aventurine: "Also, we are just in a cooperative relationship, I am not your ATM!"
Stelle: "But is 200,000 credits a lot?"
Asta: "Not really? Feels like it's not enough to buy anything."
Arlan: "Miss…"
Arlan: " 200,000 credits is not a small amount…"
Stelle: "Cough cough, Arlan, don't interrupt!"
Stelle: "That's right, 200,000 credits just isn't much!"
Stelle: "Last time Lead Researcher Asta asked me to help her fight fraud, she casually transferred two hundred million to me!"
Stelle: "Then I transferred it all to the scammer to buy tea in one go!"
March 7th: "How much?!!"
March 7th: "Two hundred million?! Are you crazy?!"
Paimon: "Two… hundred million?! Is this Miss Asta that rich?!"
Asta: "It's alright, just some pocket money… it's really nothing."
Mona: "What a… 'nothing'…"
Mona: "If two hundred million is just pocket money, you must be the eldest miss of some prestigious wealthy family!"
Dori: "Oh my, I just love guests with such noble status who aren't short on money!"
Dori: "If there's a chance, I must personally visit this young lady!"
Aventurine: "…."
Aventurine: "Hearing you say that, my 200, 000 credits does seem unpresentable."
Aventurine: "Fine then, future red packets will start at a million minimum."
Aventurine: "That shouldn't be embarrassing, right?"
Dr. Ratio: "Heh, foolish behavior."
Dr. Ratio: "If you really have money to burn, you can donate it to places in need!"
Dr. Ratio: "Impoverished places are everywhere in the galaxy. Even if you donated all your stinking money, it would appear insignificant."
Aventurine: "Yes, yes, yes. The Professor's lecture is absolutely correct."
Topaz: "Tsk, you still can't change your nature of being a show-off."
Aventurine: "Sigh, who asked me to be so dazzling?"
Aventurine: "Otherwise, I wouldn't be targeted by the Family at every turn in Penacony."
Sunday: "You know in your heart why the Family targets you."
Aventurine: "Targeting me alone is useless."
Aventurine: "This luxury cruise ship of the Family has already started to leak."
Aventurine: "I'd like to see what you will use to patch it up."
Sunday: "That is none of your concern!"
Aventurine: "Heh, then I'll just wait and watch the joke unfold."
Robin: "…."
....
『 Stelle walked to Himeko's side, and informed her of the message.
[ Aventurine's goal is to reclaim Penacony for the IPC. ]
[ To do this, he must overthrow the Family. Create a large enough opening. ]
[ Since the existence of death will be covered up by the Family, where does he plan to break the game? ]
[ The entry point must be important enough that everyone pays attention, but the process cannot be too flashy… ]
Himeko nodded, then began to analyze the methods Aventurine might use.
[ Will the entry point be the hotel? ]
Stelle guessed.
[ Targeting the guests? Unlikely. ]
[ Penacony's guests include many big shots known throughout the cosmos. Even the IPC wouldn't dare to easily move against these people. ]
[ Aventurine is a shrewd businessman, he couldn't possibly fail to understand this. ]
Himeko thought for a moment, and directly negated this possibility.
[ Could it be the Family? ]
Stelle switched to another possibility.
[ His target is definitely the Family, but the method is unknown. ]
[ The Harmony's power in Penacony is vast; confronting them head-on is very difficult. ]
[ The fact that the IPC assigned Aventurine to come also indicates they do not intend to rely on normal means. ]
Himeko explained.
[ Does it have something to do with Acheron? ]
Stelle thought of Acheron, whom Aventurine was very concerned about.
She felt this might be what Aventurine would use as an entry point.
[ Aventurine has invested a considerable amount of attention in her. ]
[ But regarding this Galaxy Ranger… ]
[ We currently know very little, and cannot make any judgments. ]
Acheron was very unfamiliar to Himeko, she couldn't think of any useful information.
[ Then that only leaves us, the Astral Express. ]
Stelle said helplessly.
[ …. ]
[ I am also considering this possibility, especially since… ]
[ He values you particularly highly, repeatedly trying to get close. ]
[ Perhaps he is also unclear about your true situation and is still repeatedly testing the waters. ]
Himeko said with a frown.
[ The clues are still too few; it's hard to reach any conclusion. ]
Stelle scratched her head, and sighed.
[ …For now, these are just random thoughts. ]
[ In any case, dealing with Aventurine requires vigilance. He is very good at grasping the human heart and knows when to make a move. ]
[ Furthermore… ]
[ He is obviously a born gambler, willing to bet everything for victory. ]
[ Alright, go talk to Welt. ]
[ He might have more insights. ]
Himeko pointed to Welt, who was standing not far away thinking, and spoke to Stelle.
[ Okay. ]
Stelle nodded, then walked in front of Welt, and told Welt about Aventurine's reply just now.
[ There is one more thing in Aventurine's words that concerns me. ]
[ Without any evidence, he directly accused that Galaxy Ranger of being the suspect who killed Robin. ]
[ Yet, he didn't mention a word about her connection to the Memory Zone Meme, or why she would be lurking around you. ]
[ This kind of obviously untenable deduction… does nothing to gain your trust and only makes him appear more suspicious. ]
After hearing Stelle's news, welt began to speak with a frown.
[ Does Aventurine have other plans? ]
Stelle asked curiously.
[ Perhaps, Aventurine's goal from the start was not to gain trust, but to make you harbor suspicion towards Acheron. ]
[ This would make the situation more chaotic, which is a result he would be happy to see. ]
[ However, regarding the Annihilation Gang who lost contact while coming for the appointment, I verified it with Dan Heng who stayed on the Express… ]
[ It wasn't fabricated out of thin air by Aventurine. ]
[ Having had contact so many times, what is your impression of Miss Acheron? ]
Welt suddenly asked Stelle this question.
[ ….Is she a very mysterious person? ]
[ Eh… strange… I seem to be unable to remember clearly. ]
Stelle was just about to answer, but suddenly realized she couldn't recall some of Acheron's characteristics no matter what.
[ …. ]
[ That actually fits the stereotypical impression given by Galaxy Rangers. ]
[ These people… are strange and bizarre, unpredictable, and like to come and go alone. ]
[ Sigh, it's no wonder she would be suspected. ]
Seeing Stelle's reaction, welt shook his head helplessly.
Subsequently, he fell silent.
And began to contemplate alone.
Seeing this, Stelle turned to find March 7th.
[ I don't know if it's too sudden, but I just feel like… Miss Robin isn't dead, and is still living well somewhere. ]
[ Everything is just a… prank… ]
[ Because… isn't this in a dream? ]
[ How could anyone die in a Sweet Dream Paradise? Shouldn't only good things happen… right? ]
[ Sigh… looking at that Grand Theater, I can't help but let my imagination run wild… ]
March 7th, gazing at the Grand Theater from the observation deck, saw Stelle come to her side, and couldn't help but vent a few sentences.
[ Are you suspecting the Family? ]
Stelle felt there was a hidden meaning in March 7th's words.
[ No no no, I'm not! ]
[ After all, it's thanks to them that we have this sweet dream that brings smiles to everyone today. ]
[ It's just, I feel like I'm starting to be unable to see through them… ]
[ The people on the street are still so happy, no one knows what happened… ]
[ It feels so unreal, as if Hotaru and Miss Robin, and us… are people from another world. ]
[ Ah… so annoying! ]
[ I really want to drink some ice-cold soda to calm down… ]
[ But wouldn't that make me just like the people on the street… Ugh… ]
March 7th began to hold her head, the current complex situation made her expression somewhat distressed. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Damn it! Look at how difficult this is making things for my March!"
Stelle: "Who exactly started this damn conspiracy!"
Stelle: "If I catch them, they definitely won't have a good ending!"
March 7th: "Good, very spirited!"
March 7th: "But unfortunately, it seems we are still a long way from catching the culprit."
Furina: "It's too chaotic, simply too chaotic."
Furina: "Up to this point, it is still full of mysteries, making it impossible to make heads or tails of it."
Fu Xuan: "For a perfectly good dream world to be messed up like this, the Family has an inescapable responsibility."
Yukong: "Correct. Since such things have happened before, the Family shouldn't have been inactive."
Yukong: "As those protected by the Harmony, you should have been able to handle this matter."
Sunday: "Apologies, the incident happened too suddenly, and it coincides with the Charmony Festival; the Family's energy is truly somewhat insufficient."
Stelle: "No matter, now that our Express Crew is involved, we will definitely uncover the truth of the matter!"
Hanabi: "Hee hee~ Will that really be the case~"
Hanabi: "The water in here might be deeper than you imagine, oh~"
Hanabi: "Let us just wait quietly for the good show to begin, nee~"
....