Welt showed a rare smile at March 7th's complaint. Himeko, meanwhile, fell into thought and decided she'd find a chance to discuss the issue with Sylvia.
"That really could become a problem... Those children are clever, so we can't treat them like an ordinary species. We should talk to Sylvia about it later."
Sylvia had taken a completely hands-off approach and let Ruan Mei do whatever she pleased, while a genius like Ruan Mei had never cared much for rules in the first place. Himeko could only hope the planet's social order remained stable.
If it turned into a savage society ruled by survival of the fittest, Sylvia probably wouldn't be happy with it either.
--+--
Elsewhere, Sylvia and Mei were passing through the guest-room corridor. They'd only been looking for somewhere to have a few drinks, but Sylvia's sharp eyes caught sight of Himeko's fiery red hair and March 7th's unmistakable pink hair in the crowded lobby below.
"Huh? Aren't those Himeko and the others? Why didn't they tell me they'd arrived?"
Sylvia leaned sideways against the corridor railing and peered down. At the same time, she tugged on Mei's hand.
"Should we go say hello?"
"Sure."
It was easy enough to see the lobby from the upper floor. Getting back down there, however, took them quite a while.
The Reverie was simply far too large.
By the time Sylvia and Mei reached Himeko's group, they'd already finished checking in. Well, Stelle had run into a small problem with her registration, but Sunday happened to pass by and helped her check in under Dan Heng's name.
Sunday's feelings grew complicated when he saw Sylvia approach.
On the one hand, she'd truly taken good care of Robin. Without Sylvia's support, Robin might still be wandering in circles without knowing where to turn.
On the other hand, Sylvia's actions hadn't exactly helped his plans. Too many powerful people had entered Penacony, and no one knew what the Masked Fool named Sparkle had been plotting in the shadows lately.
As news of Zephyro spread, the situation had grown even more chaotic. Many factions had started making quiet moves of their own. The Family could still keep the scene under control for now, but the whole affair had become a constant headache.
Sunday didn't have much of an opinion on Zephyro's arrival. He remained confident in his plan.
As long as it proceeded without issue, Zephyro wouldn't pose any real threat.
He did wonder what Sylvia intended to do about him. Sunday couldn't imagine someone as unruly as Sylvia hiding inside Penacony and refusing to show herself.
"It's been a long time, Miss Sylvia, Miss Acheron."
Sunday maintained his polished manner and greeted them with perfect courtesy.
"It has, Mr. Sunday. Has Robin been doing well lately?"
The moment Sylvia saw him, she instinctively searched for his trademark raven. Sure enough, she found an inconspicuous bird crouched among the leaves in one corner of the lobby, watching everything that happened around it.
Sylvia glanced at it before looking away.
Sunday was as controlling as ever. He'd even stationed a raven here to keep watch.
"She's doing well, though she's been busy. Hasn't she visited you these past few days?"
"No. We've only spoken over the phone from time to time."
Robin had been preparing for the Charmony Festival in earnest while also spending most of her time at the Grand Theater, which was still being rebuilt. Sylvia had been running back and forth between two places herself, so neither of them had much free time.
Nothing seemed wrong with Sunday's attitude, but Sylvia still wanted to see whether Constance could uncover anything. She needed to know what The Family was planning.
It was always better to have a backup plan.
--+--
After Sunday left, only the Astral Express crew remained.
Still, someone was missing.
"Where's Dan Heng? Didn't Ruan Mei stop dragging him away for experiments?"
Sylvia couldn't see him anywhere. In the original course of events, Dan Heng had remained aboard the Express, but why had he stayed behind this time too?
"Dan Heng's resting. He's also remaining on the Express so we'll have someone in reserve," Welt explained.
"Hmm... It's good to be careful, but opportunities like this don't come often. He should still try to enjoy himself."
Sylvia agreed with Dan Heng's reasoning, but he had a bit too much of an ascetic streak for her tastes. There was an almost monastic quality to the way he lived, and Sylvia couldn't accept that at all.
March 7th moved closer, hugged Sylvia's arm, and asked with both curiosity and concern, "Hey, I heard another Lord Ravager's set their sights on us. Do we have a way to deal with this one?"
March still remembered their fight against Phantylia. Sylvia had inflicted a severe injury debuff on the woman the very first time they met.
Now March couldn't help hoping Sylvia might pull off something similar again.
On the way here, both Himeko and Uncle Welt had said this Lord Ravager was terrifyingly powerful and beyond their ability to defeat. March had never considered running away, so she'd come straight to Sylvia in hopes of a pleasant surprise.
Her question made Sylvia glance at Himeko and Welt.
Himeko smiled. "You're a member of the Astral Express. Even if our enemy is a Lord Ravager, the Express will never abandon one of its companions."
"Exactly! She's only a Lord Ravager. Just watch me knock her out of the sky with my bat!" Stelle planted her hands on her hips as though no one but her could claim first place.
Her confidence lacked a little force, though. More than anything, she looked adorably foolish.
A smile appeared on Sylvia's face, while Mei's expression softened beside her. The bond among the Astral Express crew was one of the reasons Mei felt willing to become part of their circle.
"Thank you for worrying about me. Leave Zephyro to Mei and me. More than anything else, I'd like you to focus your attention on the Watchmaker."
Even from Sylvia's limited understanding, the Nameless who'd visited Penacony in the past had been caught in a tangled web of conflicts. The place held a frightening number of secrets.
Sylvia wasn't good at investigations. She'd always preferred finding the people involved and asking them directly rather than piecing clues together to solve a mystery.
Himeko and the others were different. Welt had a sharp eye for detail, while Himeko had traveled widely and knew a great deal.
They also had March 7th's uncanny talent for saying the worst possible thing and making it come true.
Sylvia thought they were far better suited to uncovering the Watchmaker's Legacy.
Besides, she still hadn't found the time to investigate Misha. She might as well leave that to Himeko's group.
"What do you mean?" Himeko asked, her interest piqued.
Sylvia didn't waste any time.
"Enter the Dreamscape first. All the clues are inside."
"Guests, I'm Misha, a bellboy at The Reverie. Please allow me to carry your luggage."
Sylvia led the group onward, and Misha appeared from nowhere. He took the suitcase from March 7th's hand.
Out of everyone, March had brought the most luggage. Welt and Stelle each carried only a small bag, while Himeko's suitcase wasn't large either. March's, however, was enormous.
"Wow, what professional service! Thanks!" March said with a grin, patting Misha on the shoulder. She seemed surprised that the hotel actually had a bellboy.
"Leave it to me!"
Misha brightened at once. In fact, he looked delighted.
Sylvia and Mei exchanged a glance, growing even more certain that Misha had some connection to the Watchmaker.
Penacony was vast, even when limited to The Reverie alone. A single person could easily vanish into the crowds, and without making plans in advance, running into someone was quite difficult.
Yet Misha had managed to find the Astral Express crew among countless guests at exactly the right moment.
Sylvia didn't believe it was mere coincidence. She found it more likely that some kind of force had guided him.
Walking at the rear, Himeko noticed the strange expressions on Sylvia's and Mei's faces. Curious, she began studying Misha's back.
Could he be a clue too?
Himeko watched him throughout their walk. March 7th and Stelle noticed nothing, but the longer Himeko observed him, the more she sensed something was wrong.
First, she didn't see a single other bellboy in The Reverie wearing a uniform like Misha's.
Second, although The Family's staff members didn't greet each other loudly, they exchanged brief looks or quietly asked for updates whenever they crossed paths.
Yet not one hotel employee greeted Misha during their entire walk. No one even made eye contact with him.
That was strange.
The Family's internal structure differed from most organizations. A disliked member would never have been assigned to serve guests in The Reverie's main lobby.
That didn't mean members of The Family never had conflicts. However, they wouldn't play such a cruel joke while serving their guests.
Himeko almost asked about it several times. Since Misha was right in front of them, however, she restrained her curiosity and decided to wait until they entered the Dreamscape.
--+--
After entering the Dreamscape, March 7th and Stelle immediately left to have fun. Himeko and Welt took charge of the investigation.
Sylvia wasn't sure whether Stelle had wandered into the space between dreams this time. In any case, she hadn't seen Stelle after they arrived.
Misha, of course, hadn't come with them.
Only then did Himeko mention the problems she'd noticed.
"...Misha isn't an ordinary person, is he?"
"He certainly isn't. He appeared out of thin air."
After Himeko explained what she'd observed, Sylvia shared what she and Mei had noticed earlier.
Welt adjusted his glasses after hearing the full account. "From your description, it sounds somewhat like a Memokeeper's methods."
"It does, but why would a Memokeeper bother working as a bellboy?"
Who could stop a Memokeeper from infiltrating Penacony? There was no reason for one to crouch in a bellboy's post.
Sylvia shook her head. She truly didn't have time to investigate Misha herself.
Her main concerns were the Dreammaster's movements and Zephyro. More recently, a Lord of Silence had been added to that list.
Those matters weren't suitable for dragging Himeko's group into danger. Misha, on the other hand, seemed to have ties to Dreamflux Reef and might be more closely connected to the Watchmaker.
It was better to leave him to Himeko.
"The place I'm taking you next is connected to the Watchmaker. Misha lives there too."
Himeko smiled and nodded. So this was the real reason Sylvia wanted them to investigate.
"Let's go. We should find somewhere without any people first."
Looking at the calm faces of Himeko and Welt, Sylvia couldn't stop a mischievous smile from curling at the corners of her mouth.
Mei sensed the wicked thought in Sylvia's mind and shook her head.
And you claim you don't enjoy causing trouble. Aha certainly knew what THEY were doing when THEY took an interest in you.
Himeko and Welt had no idea what Sylvia was plotting. They followed her into an empty alley.
Sylvia suddenly turned and smiled at Welt.
The instant Welt sensed something was wrong, a sharp blade emerged from the shadows and tore Sylvia's body apart.
The smiling remains were burned into their eyes.
Watching a monster kill someone with Kiana's face gave both of them a terrible shock. Welt almost created a black hole on the spot, while Himeko was already raising a hand to deploy her drone.
They only stopped because Mei stood beside them, shaking her head and sighing without the slightest hint of concern.
Welt drew a breath and calmed his surging emotions. At times like this, there was no denying the strange trauma caused by seeing such a familiar face.
How many times had Sylvia tricked him now?
She wasn't even from Earth. Where had she developed such a terrible sense of humor?
"Please don't worry. It only looks frightening. You may call him Sleepie," Mei said, making a rare effort to introduce the creature to Himeko and Welt.
She reached out and patted Sleepie, who'd poked his head from the shadows and began nuzzling her for affection.
The contrast was so absurd that Himeko couldn't keep her composure.
"Sylvia really was grinning to herself earlier. She'd been waiting to spring this on us."
Mei looked at the visibly irritated Himeko, and a smile appeared on her face.
"Miss Himeko, I understand how you feel. I'll make sure to discipline her properly."
Their eyes met, and Himeko immediately understood that Sylvia had probably frightened Mei with a similar trick before.
Sylvia usually seemed mature, but every so often, she became far too mischievous.
At least March 7th wouldn't play a prank like this.
"I'll leave it to you, Miss Acheron."
Welt adjusted his glasses. The reflected light hid the look in his eyes.
Mei's smile widened.
Sylvia had brought this on herself.
"All right, you two. Let's head to Dreamflux Reef."
At Mei's signal, Sleepie wrapped his sharp limbs around the three of them. A moment later, they sank into the shadows.
--+--
Dreamflux Reef.
The moment Mei landed, she reached out and seized Sylvia's smug face.
"Ow, ow, ow! Be gentle! Himeko and Uncle Welt are right there!"
Sylvia clung to Mei's arm and begged for mercy. Mei ignored her completely, as did Himeko and Welt when they landed behind them.
Instead, they began discussing Dreamflux Reef.
"Follow this road to the end, take the elevator up, and find a man named Micah. He can tell you everything you want to know."
Himeko ignored Sylvia's struggles beneath Mei's hand. She gave Sylvia a dazzling smile, then hurried away with Welt.
Pom-Pom was still waiting for their report. At the very least, they needed to bring back news of the three Nameless.
Only after Himeko and Welt had gone did Mei release Sylvia. She looked at the girl's reddened cheeks and sighed.
"Stop playing pranks like that. What'll you do if someone attacks Sleepie because of you one day?"
"...But you were there."
Sylvia crouched on the ground, rubbing her cheeks with both hands as she gave Mei a wounded look.
"Get up. This isn't like the old days. Come on. Let's try one of Dreamflux Reef's special drinks."
Mei reached out and gently stroked the top of Sylvia's head.
This woman was already an Emanator. If she'd truly wanted to break free, she could've escaped with ease.
She'd only pretended to be helpless because she knew she'd deserved the punishment.
"Hah... Himeko and Uncle Welt are far too composed. If that had been March 7th, she might've hugged me and cried for a while."
"Try acting like a decent person. When everyone else ties you up and beats you for this, I'm not saving you."
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL