Nahida: "Mr. Aventurine, for the sake of his sister's necklace, was willing to venture into peril and gamble with his very life."
Nahida: "While the necklace was undeniably precious to his sister, compared to her beloved younger brother, it was ultimately trivial."
Nahida: "The bond between them was so pure, so profound…"
Nahida: "It is just… tragic that so much sorrow was woven into it."
Zhongli: "Sigh, It is heartbreaking, yet it provokes deep contemplation."
Zhongli: "The world is inherently unfair, but is such a state correct?"
Zhongli: "And do we possess the capacity to shape a just world?"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Hardly!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Joy and sorrow, justice and injustice—beneath the infinite scale of the cosmos, all of it appears… utterly meaningless."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "We cannot eradicate this phenomenon, just as even the Aeons hold conflicting philosophies."
March 7th: "But what if the entire universe were united under The Harmony? Could it be achieved then?"
Madam Herta: "That is a pseudo-proposition."
Madam Herta: "Because the possibility of The Harmony encompassing the entire universe does not exist."
Madam Herta: "Unless The Harmony becomes powerful enough to challenge all other Aeons."
Sunday: "If even one as great as He cannot achieve this, then which Aeon in this world could possibly succeed?"
Jing Yuan: "I suspect… Mr. Sunday has already arrived at his own answer, hasn't he?"
Jing Yuan: "Yet I must offer you a word of counsel: your answer may not necessarily be the correct one."
Sunday: "...."
Sunday: "Thank you for the reminder, General Jing Yuan…"
Sunday: "But… one must always try… must they not?"
Sunday: "If no one ever steps forward, then will this unjust world not remain forever unchanged?"
Jing Yuan: "Sigh… do as you see fit."
Hu Tao: "Ugh… are they speaking in riddles?"
Robin: "Brother… are you hiding something from me?"
Sunday: "…Robin, do not overthink it."
Sunday: "I was merely speaking from emotion…"
Topaz: "I never expected that even with the IPC's intervention, such malignant events would still occur on Sigonia!"
Topaz: "Just what the hell are those bastards in the Strategic Investment Department doing?"
Boothill: "Heh, can that precious son-of-a-nice-lady Oswaldo even do anything humane?"
Boothill: "One day, this cowboy is gonna use his gun to love that precious son-of-a-nice-lady to death."
Stelle: "Oswaldo?"
Stelle: "I remember seeing that name somewhere…"
Stelle: "Wasn't he a traitor?"
Stelle: "One who betrayed the Nameless?"
March 7th: "He actually betrayed the Nameless?"
March 7th: "Then he definitely isn't a good person!"
Black Swan: "This memory… must also be etched deep within Mr. Aventurine's mind."
Black Swan: "Though it is a heartbreaking recollection, its precious nature makes it worthy of remembrance."
Acheron: "…Worldly disturbances are often meaningless, yet they are filled with blazing emotions."
Acheron: "Perhaps that is the true meaning of living in this world."
....
『 The scene shifts.
We return to the Astral Express crew.
At this moment, they are standing at the hotel reception desk in reality, investigating information regarding Hotaru.
[ Apologies… ]
[ I cannot seem to find any information on this artist in the Iris Family's archives… ]
[ The photo you provided does not match any records either… ]
Alley, the receptionist at the hotel, replied to Himeko after rummaging through the logs.
[ …That is within expectations. ]
[ I would like to ask something else. Do people usually leave any traces when they enter the Dreamscape? ]
Himeko pivoted to a different line of inquiry.
[ Do you refer to the records of the Dreampool? ]
[ The equipment monitors physiological indicators such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and body temperature in real-time. These are cataloged and submitted to The Family to screen for abnormal data… ]
[ Once illegal activity is detected, immediate measures are taken. ]
Alley offered a detailed explanation.
[ Feels like our every move is being watched… ]
Hearing Alley's words, Stelle couldn't help but mutter under her breath.
[ Please rest assured. ]
[ Monitoring your vital signs is strictly to facilitate a forced awakening in case of emergency. The sole motivation is the safety of our guests. ]
Alley said with a smile.
[ Could we trouble you to pull up those records? ]
March 7th asked politely.
[ I apologize… ]
[ The hotel does not possess that clearance. ]
[ That information is managed centrally by the Bloodhound Family. It is only transferred here if a specific issue arises. ]
Alley shook her head.
[ Hmm… looks like we won't find anything here. ]
Seeing that no useful information could be gleaned, March 7th was slightly disappointed.
[ At least we know who to look for next. We can ask the Bloodhound Family about the case while we're at it. ]
[ Thank you for your assistance, Miss Alley. ]
[ By the way… is Miss Robin doing well? ]
[ We are all looking forward to her performance. ]
Himeko comforted March 7th with a remark, then turned to use Robin's name as a probe.
[ Doing well…? What do you mean? ]
[ Is something wrong with Miss Robin? The preparations for the Charmony Festival have been proceeding in an orderly fashion, so she should be fine. I believe she will bring everyone a most spectacular performance. ]
Miss Alley's expression remained normal, tinged with a hint of confusion; clearly, she was unaware of the news of Robin's murder.
[ Yes, I am sure she will. ]
Seeing this, Himeko understood the situation.
Thus, the three bid farewell to Alley and walked to the side.
[ As expected, no one knows about Robin. That isn't surprising. ]
[ But that Miss Hotaru is truly mysterious. To think there isn't a single trace of her in the hotel system. ]
[ Even if she were a stowaway… she should have assumed a disguise after entry. ]
[ Add to that the fact she was a participant in the struggle for the Legacy… ]
[ How did she manage to infiltrate the Dreamscape unbeknownst to gods and ghosts alike? ]
Hotaru's enigmatic nature left Himeko thoroughly perplexed.
[ Besides the hotel room Dreampools, are there other ways to enter the dream? ]
March 7th pondered for a moment before asking.
[ The Garden of Recollection should be capable of it. ]
[ The Stellaron Hunters could likely manage it as well. ]
Stelle recalled that Black Swan did not require a Dreampool to enter the dream, so she reasoned that helping another enter would be a trivial matter for the Garden of Recollection.
As for the Stellaron Hunters, with Silver Wolf present, it felt entirely feasible.
[ Memokeepers possess abilities difficult for ordinary people to comprehend. In the Memoria of Penacony, they are like fish in water… ]
[ Black Swan has already proven this to us. ]
[ And that hacker girl from the Stellaron Hunters bypassed the Dreamscape Hotel's lockdown using extraordinary means. Furthermore, based on the scene Stelle witnessed, they are the ones pulling the strings behind the Hotaru case. ]
Himeko analyzed the situation for a moment and found Stelle's logic sound.
[ The Garden of Recollection… and the Stellaron Hunters. Indeed, both are possibilities… ]
[ What about the IPC? ]
[ They want to acquire Penacony, so they must have come prepared, right? ]
March 7th felt the IPC could not be cleared of suspicion either.
[ Wh—Who are you people!? ]
Just as the three were conversing, a panicked voice from a tourist suddenly rang out nearby.
The three turned towards the sound and witnessed the following scene.
[ Bravo Work Group has arrived at the designated position. Preparing to execute armed evacuation operations—listen up, brats, get moving! ]
The leader of the IPC squad, clad in company mecha armor, pointed at the people in the lobby and shouted drunkenly.
[ A—Armed evacuation? ]
[ Boss, are you drunk…? ]
Hearing the leader's words, his subordinate was instantly dumbfounded.
[ What the hell do you know? This is high efficiency! Just don't let the Director find out! ]
[ Act first, report later—understand? ]
Seeing his subordinate shrinking back in fear, the leader immediately bellowed a reprimand.
[ H—Help… ]
[ My year-end bonus was entirely spent on that snowball… ]
[ I don't want my name on the department's major disciplinary notice! ]
Another subordinate, hearing his boss speak like this, was so agitated he was on the verge of tears.
[ Hey, Stelle, look! ]
[ That voice… is it that bunch of IPC employees from Belobog? ]
March 7th, hearing the familiar grumbling of the IPC staff, immediately recognized the group.
[ Attention all guests: The Interastral Peace Corporation will be conducting special operations within the hotel. Please follow the evacuation staff to the designated safe zone, or mandatory measures will be taken! ]
The IPC team leader began broadcasting the notification.
[ —Please my ass! ]
[ You guys never learn your lesson! I told you not to drink on the job! ]
[ You few, drag him out of here immediately and send him back to his room— ]
[ —I'll call a meeting later so we can properly review how to write this incident report! ]
At that moment, Topaz arrived in a fury, standing before the group of IPC employees. After a scathing rebuke, she sent them all packing.
[ …Miss Topaz! ]
[ I didn't expect to run into you on Penacony. ]
Seeing this, the Express crew stepped forward, and March 7th couldn't help but greet Topaz first.
[ Long time no see, Astral Express crew. I've heard about your situation from Aventurine… hm? ]
Topaz responded with a smile, but just then, a message came through her communication earpiece.
[ …It doesn't matter. Do as they request and try to avoid conflict with The Family… ]
[ Report to me before taking any action. ]
[ Mm. Mm, okay. ]
[ Sigh… as you can see, the IPC isn't exactly popular in Penacony. ]
[ The Family's hospitality is merely surface-level politeness. The former frontier prison now wants to slap shackles on IPC employees in return. ]
[ Only Aventurine, who holds an invitation, is allowed to attend the Charmony Festival. We support staff… ]
[ We don't even have the qualifications to enter the dream; we can only stay in the reality hotel. ]
After hanging up the call, Topaz explained to Himeko and the others with a bitter smile.
[ No wonder Aventurine is looking for partners everywhere. It turns out he can't get IPC support inside the Dreamscape. ]
Hearing Topaz's explanation, Himeko had a sudden realization.
[ I heard his situation isn't optimistic. You're helping investigate some… matters unfavorable to The Family, correct? ]
[ Outside the dream, let me know if you need anything. The IPC never mistreats its partners. ]
Topaz spoke sincerely to the three of them.
[ Thank you, Miss Topaz. ]
[ We were just about to find the Bloodhounds to ask about the case. Perhaps you've already dealt with them? ]
Himeko asked Topaz about the whereabouts of the Bloodhounds.
[ There, they're following right behind. Just go to them… ]
[ Perfect timing, actually. Help me divert their attention; being stared at constantly is unbearable. ]
Topaz subtly pointed to a spot not far behind her, where two members of the Bloodhound Family were on stakeout.
[ By the way, Stelle. ]
[ How does it feel doing business with Aventurine? You must not be used to it, right? ]
[ That's just his style. 'All or nothing' is his old catchphrase. ]
[ He always cozies up while pushing his clients to take risks alongside him… ]
[ Everyone has their own aspirations, so I won't judge too much. ]
[ However, Aventurine's luck is indeed very good. Most cases he handles end perfectly; he's basically never lost a gamble. ]
[ So, regarding the reclamation of Penacony… I am also waiting to see what happens. ]
Topaz turned her gaze to Stelle and suddenly began chatting about Aventurine.
[ Provided our interests align. ]
Stelle replied.
[ Of course. ]
[ It's a transaction, after all. What matters is which side of the table you're sitting on. ]
[ As for the two cases… apologies, I don't have much information either. ]
[ I can only entrust the details to your continued investigation. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Sadge, Can't find any trace of Hotaru in reality."
March 7th: "Uh… isn't it normal not to find anything?"
March 7th: "After all, Miss Hotaru seemed super mysterious from the start."
Stelle: "My precious Hotaru, how on earth did you enter the dream?"
Hotaru: "About that… I…"
Silver Wolf: "Heh heh heh, obviously we Stellaron Hunters kidnapped her and forced her in!"
Stelle: "Oh, I don't believe you."
Silver Wolf: "Eh? Why don't you believe me!"
Stelle: "If you hadn't said it like that, I might have believed you. But since you said it on purpose, I don't believe it."
Silver Wolf: "Damn it, what kind of accursed reverse psychology is this!"
March 7th: "Speaking of which, Miss Topaz, so you're on Penacony too."
March 7th: "But why are your subordinates still so goofy?"
Stelle: "Did they get brain damage from my bat back in Belobog?"
Stelle: "I'm not taking responsibility for that!"
Topaz: "Ahem… apologies."
Topaz: "My subordinates are truly too foolish."
Topaz: "When we get back, I'll put them through an ultra-long training cycle. I guarantee they'll be brand new men!"
March 7th: "Brand new? Sounds like those employees are in for some bad luck again."
Furina de Fontaine: "Is that what IPC employees are like?"
Furina de Fontaine: "The equipment they're wearing looks quite impressive!"
Hu Tao: "To think they have to be fully armed just to go out on a mission!"
Hu Tao: "Is their casualty rate super high? I feel like these are all potential clients for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"
Hu Tao: "When the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor finally breaks into the cosmos, maybe I can launch some custom packages for IPC employees?"
Hu Tao: "Like a 50% discount for group purchases of a hundred, plus a deluxe crossing-over service?"
Lumine: "...."
Paimon: "Hu Tao… maybe you shouldn't say that…"
Topaz: "Miss Hu Tao… I don't think IPC employees need those… just yet…"
Topaz: "However… the universe is vast, and there will always be a need somewhere. That is indeed a business opportunity."
Topaz: "If you're interested, feel free to find me. I can help you research how to expand the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's operations into the cosmos."
Hu Tao: "Aiya, that sounds wonderful! Thank you, Miss Topaz!"
Topaz: "No need to be polite, Miss Hu Tao. It's a simple favor—consider it making a friend."
Xingqiu: "Good heavens… with Miss Topaz's help, could Director Hu's Wangsheng Funeral Parlor actually flourish across the universe?"
Lumine: "It's too weird, it's just too weird!"
Venti: "Ehe, if that really happens, wouldn't Consultant Zhongli strike it rich too?"
Zhongli: "If the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor truly sees such a day, then in terms of universal rationality… indeed!"
Stelle: "By then, we'd probably have to call you Chairman Hu and Director Zhongli?"
Stelle: "But the moment I remember you guys run a funeral parlor, I just can't keep a straight face."
....