Chapter 320: Clockie is actually Compass-y?! Tapping into the greater Path as affection reaches new heights!
"The young Granholm, the eighth navigator of the Astral Express, active during the era of the Cancer of All Worlds."
"Granholm served as navigator for his entire life starting from the age of 17, warmly welcoming newcomers. He and the crew reached out to disaster-stricken worlds, turning the Nameless into a synonym for cosmic heroes!"
"Lore master spotted, catch him!"
"This should also be the last navigator before the Express ran aground."
"So… Mikhail lived through two navigators?"
"Oh boy, the navigator's hat passed from 'Falcon' to the 'young man', and then to the 'Watchmaker'! Now it's about to be passed into the hands of us Trailblazers!"
"Thanks to the lore master in the bullet chat!"
"And that pocket watch! It was also passed down from 'Falcon' Falcon Amundsen!"
"The value of the Watchmaker's relics is still rising!"
"He said before… he wanted to give that hat and the pocket watch to us, right?"
"We're rich, we're rich!"
"Tears in my eyes!"
"This is our Trailblazer family heirloom!"
"Summary: 'Watchmaker' Mikhail boarded the train during Falcon Amundsen's era, got off during Granholm's era, and stayed in the Asdana star system to build Penacony."
"Fellow Trailblazers! I just noticed that when we level up our Trailblaze Level, Pom-Pom gives us an item that increases our Max Technique Points called 'The Trailblaze Continues'. Looking at its appearance and description, it must be Mikhail's pocket watch!"
"Holy crap, really? How did I not notice that back then?"
"I just took a look, and it really seems to be!"
"Oh my god, so there was foreshadowing even back then!"
"Turns out we already got the Watchmaker's legacy right at the launch of the game."
…
Guinaifen naturally saw the discussion in the bullet chat as well.
She immediately opened the map and teleported!
She arrived at the Parlor Car and found Pom-Pom.
[ How is my Trailblaze Level? ]
Soon.
She found the item in the rewards section she had already claimed before.
[ The Trailblaze Continues, 5-Star, Precious Item ]
[ Permanently increases Max Technique Points by 1. ]
[ An instrument, unsure if it is a pocket watch or a compass, left behind by a certain Nameless.
It is said that the chain was the first to break, snapping suddenly during a warp jump and scattering everywhere.
Next was the back casing, which was shattered to pieces by a lead bullet.
Finally, the markings on the dial, which were gradually worn away over the long years until they were barely visible.
Damaged again and again, repaired again and again, its original appearance is no longer recognizable. Only the motionless hand still points toward an unchanging direction.
Take it, Legwork. It's yours… and then, keep walking… ]
When she read the final name, Legwork.
Guinaifen's expression froze.
The next second,
Tears streamed down her face!
"It really is…"
"Waaaaah…"
"At the time, it seemed so ordinary…!"
"Who would have thought that a totally normal item from the early game would turn out to be the legacy we've been dreaming of!"
"Feathered Spirit, you are truly evil!"
"You didn't tell me about such an important thing beforehand!"
Guinaifen wiped her face with a towel.
She adjusted her state of mind.
And continued the story.
Next up.
Were the dialogues between Micah, Gallagher, and Mikhail.
Without exception, the opening line of each conversation.
Was a question—Where are you going?
And every single time, Mikhail chose Trailblaze without a second thought!
He said to Micah: "Tiernan… how could I ever forget him? Every sleepless night, I ask myself why I didn't set off with him back then."
"The steps of the Nameless cannot be stopped… Don't worry, Micah. I'm just going back to my old trade. Wait for me to come back with peace of mind. But if, I mean if…"
"If I don't make it back in one piece, then you will be the next Watchmaker."
Next.
He instructed Gallagher: "We are going to host a grand festival, and we'll use the Watchmaker's legacy as the reason. Then… send invitations to the entire galaxy, and gather everyone here."
Gallagher: "Are you planning to go all out against the Family?"
"Don't I still have you, my friend? Haha, this is indeed difficult, but of all the steps we've taken along the way, which one wasn't difficult? Oh right, whatever method you use, remember…"
"You must make sure the invitation reaches the Astral Express."
…
"I'm crying! He still can't forget the Express!"
"Gallagher was still so young back then."
"From youth to old age, I feel like I've witnessed the Watchmaker's entire life!"
"His whole life was about adventure and Trailblaze!"
"Gallagher actually really liked Mikhail…"
"My hound, my friend. Mikhail likewise regarded Gallagher as his good friend, didn't he?"
"I really envy a friendship like theirs."
"Gallagher went from a young lad to a scruffy uncle with a stubble, never giving up on fulfilling the Watchmaker's request."
"This last line made me cry…"
"Even at the end, he still believed in his successors."
"Because this is an inheritance, a trust in companions who hold the same belief!"
…
Guinaifen, who had finally stopped crying, saw the subsequent plot.
And her emotional defenses were shattered once again.
She wept uncontrollably.
The towel was no longer enough.
Coming to the final dialogue.
This time,
It was Clockie asking Mikhail: "Misha! Where are you going?"
"Yes, Clockie. Take me to Dreamflux Reef…"
Clockie's innocent, childlike voice and the old man's deep, fading voice formed a stark contrast here.
"Last night, I had a very long dream. I dreamt of the day we first met. I want to record that dream."
"I was still small back then. In my memory, there was a very special pocket watch. It was always by Grandpa's side, sailing the distant seas with him, pointing the way for him in every adventure story."
"I wanted so badly to have a pocket watch like that too. And then, you appeared in my dream."
Clockie said proudly: "Yes! Every night, we would board the S.S. Compass and sail away together!"
"But did you know? It wasn't until the day Grandpa handed it to me that I suddenly realized… it wasn't actually a pocket watch…"
"But a compass."
"So your name should have been Compassies…"
"And the Watchmaker… is just a Nameless."
Guinaifen was completely dumbfounded!
Her mouth hung wide open!
This fact was simply too unexpected!
It completely shattered all previous notions!
And in the live stream room.
The players' situation was probably about the same.
Because even the bullet chat went blank for a few seconds.
Then,
It erupted like a geyser!
…
"???"
"!!!"
"Holy crap…"
"My goodness! So that's how it is! So that is the origin of Clockie!"
""The Watchmaker is just a Nameless?!" Oh my god, this is too romantic!"
"I have goosebumps all over!"
"He became a legend in Penacony, but what he missed most was still his journey on the Express!"
"This damn charm of the Nameless!"
"Waaaaah…"
"Tears in my eyes!"
"So, the core of the entire Penacony story isn't Harmony at all, but Trailblaze!"
"I am so fortunate to be a player of Honkai: Star Rail! To witness the journey of the Nameless as a Trailblazer!"
"To be honest, I didn't feel a strong sense of belonging to the identity of the Nameless before, but now… Yes, I am a Trailblazer! [ Puffs out chest ]"
"My fondness for the Path of Trailblaze has been completely sublimated!"
"We are already the Nameless!"