Inside Lucian's golden train car, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat quiet as Pom-Pom tightly hugged Lucian's leg and looked up at him in panic, their fluffy ears standing straight up from sheer alarm.
"Passenger Lucian! Don't do anything reckless, pom! One Aha is already more than enough for Pom-Pom to handle! Two of them would be fatal, pom!"
Looking at the terrified little conductor clinging to his leg as if afraid he might immediately summon another Aeon at any moment, Lucian could not help but laugh, then casually reached down and pinched those soft, fluffy ears, finding Pom-Pom's reaction more amusing than he probably should have.
"Alright, alright, I was joking. I'm not gonna copy that lunatic. Look how scared you got."
He patiently reassured Pom-Pom, amusement still lingering in his voice.
"Uhh, that's good then, but that joke wasn't funny at all, pom."
Pom-Pom wore the expression of someone who had just narrowly escaped a catastrophe as they finally released Lucian's leg and retreated several steps away, clearly unwilling to take any chances.
"In that case, I'll save the Aeon demonstration for another time."
*Pak-Pak!*
Right after speaking, Lucian lightly clapped his hands together, producing two crisp sounds that echoed throughout the carriage.
Immediately afterward, Welt's cane suddenly began glowing with a familiar golden radiance, and then...
*Clang!*
Two canes—one gold and one silver—abruptly dropped onto the floor, colliding against the metal surface and producing a clear ringing sound as the faint light of the Star of Eden quietly flickered within the car, causing everyone's expressions to freeze for a moment.
In that instant, Welt increasingly felt that if Lucian had existed on Earth, the Herrscher of Reason might not even have had any career prospects left.
It was only natural.
Even the Herrscher of Reason still needed understanding and analysis before creating something. Lucian, on the other hand, simply looked at an object and casually produced a flawless copy.
Truth be told, the difference was honestly becoming difficult to accept.
However, before he and the others even had time to fully process their shock, another pair of gold-and-silver Himekos suddenly appeared inside the car.
"To reward everyone for their hard work, I'll go make some coffee."
Golden Himeko smiled elegantly and spoke with grace.
"Same here."
Silver Himeko nodded in agreement.
Just like that, the two Himekos immediately turned around and headed toward the coffee machine in the Party Car with perfectly natural movements. Whether it was their expressions, posture, mannerisms, or even the subtle rhythm of their footsteps, everything was practically identical to the original Himeko's.
However, the moment they heard the word 'coffee,' Dan Heng and Welt instantly turned pale with alarm.
""Lucian! We've already seen it! Your ability is definitely useful enough. Hurry up and put away your powers!""
Almost simultaneously, the two of them shouted at Lucian with, surprisingly, the exact same sentence.
At the same time, March and Stelle hurriedly rushed over and grabbed Lucian's arms from both sides while frantically trying to persuade him.
"We already know you're amazing!"
"We seriously believe you can copy Aeons! You don't gotta prove it anymore, Godfather!"
Even Pom-Pom quickly joined the group, desperately waving their little arms.
"Right, right! We understand now, pom! Hurry and stop using your powers, pom!"
Honestly, there was no complicated reason behind their reaction.
It was simply because the one being copied was Himeko—or more specifically, a Himeko who was about to make coffee.
What made this even worse was that there were actually two of them.
One Himeko's coffee had already nearly traumatized the entire Astral Express crew before, so if there were suddenly two Himekos making coffee at the same time, they honestly suspected they might die on the spot.
Three Himekos working together around a coffee machine was no longer a beverage-related problem but a disaster-level event.
Meanwhile, Himeko silently glanced at Welt and Dan Heng with a speechless expression.
In her opinion, her coffee was only a little bitter and was not actually poisonous, so was there really a need for such an exaggerated reaction?
It was understandable for kids like March and Stelle to dislike bitterness, but even two grown men could not handle it?
Faced with the desperate pleas of four people and one Pom-Pom, Lucian eventually softened and recalled the copies.
In an instant, the gold-and-silver Himekos dissolved into particles of light and vanished just as suddenly as they had appeared. Once the two clones disappeared and nobody was making coffee anymore, everyone finally let out long sighs of relief, while the tense atmosphere inside the car visibly eased.
At this point, they had gained a preliminary understanding of Lucian's terrifying ability.
In short, he copied things completely without regard for the consequences, and for now, the only two absolute taboos were replicating Himeko and Aha.
"If nobody wants coffee, then forget it. I'll just drink it myself..."
Himeko crossed her arms and let out a disappointed sigh, her face filled with regret.
Evidently, on this train, nobody appreciated her coffee artistry, and nobody shared the same hobby as she did.
At least when it came to coffee, she was undeniably lonely.
As if realizing something, however, she suddenly turned toward Lucian.
"What about you? Want a cup? Hand-ground coffee."
Himeko asked casually without expecting much, but Lucian actually nodded without hesitation.
"Yeah, I'll have a cup. I wanna try the coffee you made yourself."
"If you don't want any, then fine—hm?"
Himeko stopped midway through her sentence and blinked in surprise.
"You want to drink my coffee?"
Her ruby-colored eyes widened slightly.
In fact, she had already mentally prepared herself to hear Lucian politely reject her, only for the situation to suddenly reverse.
He simply nodded again and smiled.
"Yeah, I do. Just make mine the same as yours. I wanna see what your taste is like."
Himeko visibly brightened at those words, and a faint smile immediately appeared on her face as the disappointment from earlier vanished almost instantly.
"Alright."
After saying that, Himeko turned and left the golden car, heading toward the Party Car to personally brew the coffee, her footsteps even seeming slightly lighter than before.
Soon enough, when she finally disappeared, Dan Heng, Welt, and March simultaneously raised their thumbs toward Lucian.
"Daring to drink Himeko's coffee, you're seriously something else."
March spoke in an awed tone, the admiration in her eyes completely genuine.
Pom-Pom also tried to give Lucian a thumbs-up before realizing they didn't actually have thumbs. After staring at their paws for a moment, Pom-Pom awkwardly raised both hands anyway.
Meanwhile, Stelle quietly leaned closer to Lucian and whispered mysteriously,
"Godfather, is this also part of your plan to win over Mommy Himeko? You're seriously a warrior charging into battle for love. I'm so proud of you!"
For the sake of picking up girls, her godfather was even willing to drink death coffee—that level of devotion was truly worthy of admiration.
At least, that was what she genuinely believed.
"Heh, you little brat, you're always spouting nonsense."
Lucian directly pressed his hand against Stelle's head and vigorously rubbed her hair, thoroughly messing it up until she started crying out for mercy.
"Godfather, I was wrong! Godfather, stop squeezing! Gah! You're about to squeeze all the intelligence outta me!"
Stelle struggled desperately while trying to protect her head, but unfortunately, her resistance was completely ineffective against Lucian's merciless assault.
Not long afterward, Himeko finally returned carrying the coffee, and the moment March smelled the familiar aroma drifting through the air, she immediately wrinkled her nose as if facing a great enemy and silently retreated behind the others.
Dan Heng maintained a calm expression, but his feet had already begun quietly moving backward.
Welt lowered his head and calmly retreated behind the group without saying a word, his movements so natural that nobody would have noticed if they were not paying attention.
Even Pom-Pom subconsciously backed away together with them.
As for Stelle, there was no need to mention her at all—the moment she noticed the coffee in Himeko's hands, she immediately turned around and ran off.
"My room still isn't cleaned up! Don't call me for meals!"
"Hey! I'll help you clean it!"
March hurriedly chased after Stelle as though she had suddenly remembered something important as well.
"Umu, the data bank has been updated. I'll go take a look."
Dan Heng also decisively escaped.
"I'll help you organize the materials."
Welt followed Dan Heng and slipped away at remarkable speed.
"W-Well, the train windows still aren't cleaned properly, pom..."
Pom-Pom was the last one to flee while mumbling excuses to themself.
In just a few seconds, everyone had vanished without a trace, leaving only Lucian where he stood, calmly waiting for Himeko to approach him.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Himeko walked over carrying two cups of dark-colored coffee that emitted a rich aroma—thin wisps of steam slowly rose from the surface, carrying that uniquely intense scent through the car.
'Would Lucian also find an excuse to refuse it, just like everyone else?'
As that thought crossed her mind, a gentle yet expectant smile rested on Himeko's face, though deep within her beautiful eyes, a trace of nervousness remained hidden, difficult to notice.
Lucian merely smiled faintly before accepting the coffee from her hands without any hesitation.
"Thanks. Honestly, I've been looking forward to trying the coffee you make for a really long time."
Before transmigrating into this world, Lucian had already been extremely curious about just how terrifying Himeko's coffee actually was.
Was it like drinking lava?
Or perhaps like swallowing poison?
"What do you mean, 'a really long time'? Didn't we just meet not that long ago? You're full of nonsense."
Himeko giggled softly before urging him onward.
"Hurry up and take a sip already. If you like it, I'll prepare enough for two people from now on. If you don't like it, then I—"
Before she could even finish speaking, Lucian had already naturally raised the cup and taken a sip.
In that instant, the rich liquid flowed across his tongue.
'Mm... not gonna lie, this flavor really is... something else...'
In his mouth, it was instantly recognizable.
At first, a strong bitterness struck his tongue, followed by a rich and lingering aftertaste that remained in his mouth for quite some time.
Truth be told, the coffee was actually quite good and not nearly as bad as everyone thought. As long as one understood how to appreciate that intense bitterness and thick texture, the taste was genuinely excellent.
Lucian carefully savored it for a moment before raising his gaze toward the slightly nervous Himeko and offering his sincere praise.
"Mm, the flavor's really rich, and the refreshing effect is definitely top-notch. I like it a lot."
Aware that this coffee was the result of her heartfelt effort, he naturally had no intention of disappointing her.
Meanwhile, the moment those words left Lucian's mouth, Himeko's beautiful eyes instantly lit up.
'He... he said he liked it? He actually liked it?'
An indescribable joy mixed with a subtle sense of satisfaction quietly surged through Himeko's heart, causing her fair cheeks to become faintly flushed.
"Really? I'm glad you like it!"
Even Himeko herself failed to notice the obvious happiness and lightness hidden within her voice.
It was truly wonderful.
At long last, there was finally someone who could share her coffee with her.
As she watched Lucian calmly take another sip, the final trace of nervousness lingering in her heart completely disappeared, replaced instead by a warm and comforting feeling.
'It seems our tastes are surprisingly similar...'
As she thought that, Himeko's favorability toward Lucian unconsciously rose by several more points.
"Looks like you're the only one who truly understands my coffee..." Himeko revealed a beautiful smile, and her tone unconsciously became more intimate than it had been before. "You know, we can research new blends together from now on if you'd like."
"Sure, though I'm just afraid you won't like my craftsmanship."
Lucian lightly swirled the cup in his hand, watching the dark liquid gently ripple inside, and replied with a meaningful smile.
"Fufu, I won't..." Himeko replied with a chuckle, shaking her head without the slightest hesitation. "I'm sure we'll make a great team."
"Sooo... we're partners now?"
Lucian asked with a raised eyebrow.
Himeko froze for a brief moment before immediately turning her head away, a faint blush quietly appearing on her cheeks.
"What do you mean by 'partners'... we're just coffee friends..."
After awkwardly explaining herself, Himeko quickly turned around and left before Lucian could continue teasing her.
*Tap-Tap-Tap—*
As she walked away, the crisp sound of her high heels echoed through the corridor, carrying an unusually cheerful rhythm.
In fact, even her departing figure seemed noticeably lighter than before.
At the same moment, Stelle, who had been secretly eavesdropping from not far away, finally poked her head out from behind the corner.
After watching Himeko disappear into the distance, she could not help but mutter to herself in awe.
"Did Godfather's taste buds break...? Or is this the power of true love...?"
Judging from the current situation, Himeko was already completely unable to escape her godfather's grasp.
Still, the progress was simply too fast.
At this rate, it was probably time to start searching for the next godmother.
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
[Support and get early access to upcoming chapters at: patreon.com/VALRRR]