Seen in that light, the information about the Stellaron that'd been sent to Robin had most likely come from the Dreammaster himself.
The more Sylvia thought about it, the more smoothly everything fell into place. Once the gears meshed, every question that'd puzzled her seemed to solve itself.
The Dreammaster would probably make his move after Zephyro would be driven back, while the entire Family stood united, using some unknown method to replace Harmony with Order.
It was even possible that the replacement would happen without any outsider noticing. Harmony and Order didn't seem like things an ordinary observer could tell apart at a glance.
Sylvia had no intention of voicing an opinion. She didn't understand either Path, and she'd never experienced the power of Order herself. What worried her more was Robin.
With Sunday around, Robin probably wouldn't be in danger. Of course, that assumed the Dreammaster truly saw Sunday as his successor rather than a disposable pawn to be cast aside once he'd served his purpose.
He probably didn't.
Sylvia thought it over. Even in the worst case, she should be strong enough to rescue Robin herself. The Dreammaster likely wouldn't go so far as to make an enemy of her over it.
"Have you figured something out?" Constance asked softly beside Sylvia's ear, drawing her back from her increasingly scattered thoughts.
"I've got a few ideas, but... this isn't a good place to discuss them."
They were inside the Family's dreamscape, after all. And given the Dreammaster's and Sunday's fondness for surveillance, caution seemed wise.
"Oh? Is your conclusion really that troublesome?" Constance didn't press when she saw Sylvia's reluctance. "Then I'll look forward to hearing it later."
"All right. Let's head back."
The conclusion she'd reached was shocking, but Sylvia had no intention of spreading it around. She rose from the bench and walked away. Constance followed with a smile, the flames at the corners of her eyes swaying as her hips moved beneath her dress.
--+--
While everyone waited for tomorrow to arrive, a man appeared outside The Reverie Hotel. Most of his body seemed to have been replaced with machinery, and he was dressed like a cowboy.
"Fudge me, I finally made it before that fudging Lord Ravager. Now let's see which adorable little son of a nice lady had the guts to pretend to be a Galaxy Ranger."
Speaking with a bizarre verbal tic, the man strode toward the front desk with an air that clashed with everything around him.
"Hey, you're in charge here, right? I was fudging invited to stay."
"Of course. Please present your invitation and state your affiliation."
"Fudge me, I don't have that cute little thing. But you've heard of the Galaxy Rangers, haven't you? Another adorable Galaxy Ranger checked in before me. I was just one step behind her."
"Ah, understood. Let me check that for you..."
The receptionist had seen all kinds of guests. Someone arriving without an invitation wasn't much of a problem.
Since none of the Galaxy Rangers had submitted a guest count beforehand, the system had defaulted their invitation to one person. However, she'd heard about their unusual circumstances.
They only needed to contact the previous Galaxy Ranger for confirmation, then submit an additional request to the Oak Family.
And so, Mei, who'd been resting in her room, received a call from the Family.
"Yes?"
"Hello, Miss Acheron. A gentleman claiming to be a Galaxy Ranger would like to register as a guest. We may need you to confirm his identity."
"Oh? He's here?"
A hint of relief entered Mei's voice.
"Understood. I'll come to the front desk."
"Huh? That won't be necessary, Miss Acheron. You only need to confirm over the—"
"It's fine. I'd rather confirm it in person."
As Mei finished speaking, the voice on the other end suddenly changed to a man's.
"Well, fudge me. You've got some guts, don't you? Boothill's waiting right here for your muddle-fudging face, so don't you dare run."
Click.
The call ended with a violent snap.
"...?"
The man named Boothill had spoken in a rough voice while saying some very strange things, leaving an almost visible question mark over Mei's head. Still, the Galaxy Rangers attracted all sorts of unusual people. A peculiar verbal tic wasn't impossible to accept.
After sending Sylvia a message, Mei rose and left her room.
--+--
At the same time, Topaz received a report from one of her subordinates.
"A Galaxy Ranger? Wasn't the Galaxy Ranger already with Sylvia? Why's another one here?"
When she heard that the newcomer was about to meet Miss Acheron, her interest immediately rose. Perhaps something was going on between the Galaxy Rangers.
"Boothill... Isn't he a wanted criminal? Hmm. Maybe there's an opportunity for cooperation here. I should take a look."
Topaz immediately exited the dreamscape and headed for the lobby without paying the IPC's wanted notice any mind. Galaxy Rangers pursued justice and revenge according to their own ideals, so many of them naturally ended up high on the IPC's wanted lists.
To put it more dramatically, Miss Acheron herself was technically wanted. Sylvia probably should've been as well, considering she'd helped split Jepella straight down the middle with two slashes.
Topaz had simply used a few methods to keep Sylvia off the list.
At present, Topaz held two valuable cards. One was Chadwick, and the other was the threat of death within The Reverie's dreamscape. Those two were probably enough to play a strong hand.
Chadwick, though, would work better against people inside the IPC. Diamond needed achievements and support to secure a place on the board, and that card might prove useful at the right moment. Both Topaz and Jade still hoped to obtain another bargaining chip.
Unfortunately, Topaz could only infer that a Stellaron truly existed on Penacony. She couldn't determine where it was.
With the Charmony Festival so close, she couldn't think of a better method. Surely she couldn't follow Aventurine's suggestion, provoke Sylvia's group, and have them kill her in the dreamscape.
Although...
Should every other option fail, it might still be worth trying.
For now, she'd see what this Galaxy Ranger had to say.
--+--
Sylvia returned to reality and discovered that Constance had somehow ended up sleeping in the same Dreampool as her. Before she could comment on it, she noticed Mei's message.
"So someone finally showed up... I was starting to think none of the Galaxy Rangers would come."
Mei had said she needed to return a relic to them. Yet the Galaxy Rangers had vanished from public view for years, and even with the Charmony Festival close at hand, none had appeared to challenge Acheron for impersonating one of their number.
Sylvia had almost begun to think no one would come at all.
"Constance, I'm heading out. You can... do whatever you like."
She'd figured out most of what had concerned her, and for now, she had no further use for Constance. Sylvia let her move freely. Mei still held her life in her hands, so Constance couldn't escape their grasp either way.
As for Sylvia herself, she wanted to see what a real Galaxy Ranger looked like.
She found both their name and their ideals rather cool. Had she been free to choose a faction and Path without considering anything else, the Galaxy Rangers would've ranked second only to the Nameless of the Astral Express.
Sylvia hadn't even reached the lobby when she found Mei near the bar.
She also found what appeared to be a robot pointing a gun at her.
And Topaz was standing nearby, watching.
What kind of bizarre gathering was this?
Still confused, Sylvia raised her hand. The Subspace Lance flattened under an unseen force, becoming like a blade as it thrust between Mei and the metal man, blocking the gun's muzzle.
"Sir, raising a gun here probably isn't a wise choice."
"Sylvia? Why're you here?"
Mei looked somewhat unaccustomed to seeing Sylvia drift down and place herself protectively in front of her.
Besides, neither the gun nor its bullets could hurt her, and Sylvia should've known that. Was there really any need to provoke this Galaxy Ranger?
"Fudge me, so you're the Nameless traveling with Acheron? And there's an IPC lapdog here too. Fudge me, I never knew the Galaxy Rangers' name had become so popular."
Boothill wasn't nearly as aggressive as Sylvia had imagined. He even lowered his gun. Still, he remained wary, though his attention had shifted from Mei to Topaz.
Topaz pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed. The IPC's name hadn't been serving her well lately. Everywhere she went, someone seemed to despise her.
This Galaxy Ranger in particular had looked ready to devour her the moment he spotted the badge on her clothes. What exactly had the IPC done to him?
She'd ask Aventurine to investigate Boothill's background.
Mei took hold of Sylvia's wrist and stepped out from behind her.
"Mr. Boothill, I believe you've already guessed the truth. I was waiting for you to arrive. That's why you contacted me so directly."
"Heh. Strictly speaking, you're not the one I trust. I trust your companion—the Nameless who hunted a Lord Ravager alongside the Xianzhou."
Boothill looked toward Sylvia. His gaze, which should've been sharp and dangerous, instead filled with approval.
"It's been years since I heard of an adorable Lord Ravager falling on the Hunt's territory. That's worth a proper celebration. Sister, let me buy you a drink later."
Sylvia raised an eyebrow.
Was this the reward for building up her reputation?
She hadn't just maxed out her standing with the Xianzhou. Apparently, she'd also filled the Galaxy Rangers' approval meter.
"If that's why you trust me, then you can certainly trust her. Strictly speaking, her contribution was greater than mine."
Sylvia gave Mei's hand a gentle squeeze, encouraging her to speak. Mei merely looked at Sylvia's ears and gave her a soft smile.
Boothill's eyes widened.
According to the information he'd gathered, Acheron wasn't the kind of person who smiled.
"Well, fudge me. Live long enough and you really do see every wonder under the stars. I can't believe you'd make that kind of face."
All right. There clearly wasn't much left to be suspicious of. Judging by the way these two acted, they'd probably been doing everything together for quite some time.
It was certainly eye-opening.
"Let's return to the matter at hand, Mr. Boothill," Mei said, steering the conversation back on course. "Galaxy Rangers wander far and rarely keep in contact with one another. This was the only method I had to reach you."
"..."
Boothill fell silent.
As he'd said, he'd already suspected that Acheron had some motive for impersonating a Galaxy Ranger. Her actions didn't make her seem like a reckless criminal, and Sylvia's reputation had given him a reason to confront her directly rather than investigate from the shadows first.
"Only by doing this could I find a true Galaxy Ranger and fulfill a promise made long ago... by returning a fallen Ranger's relic to his companions."
Mei reached into her coat and removed a bullet she'd kept close to her body.
The moment Boothill saw it, his pupils contracted.
"That's..."
"It belonged to a Galaxy Ranger named Tiernan. It was the final relic he left behind. He told me this bullet held special meaning for the Galaxy Rangers."
Boothill broke into a laugh.
"Well, well, well. So that's it. Fudge me, you really set the bait and waited for me to bite. Fine, Emanator. I trust you now. And—"
Boothill extended a hand and accepted the old, ordinary-looking bullet from Mei.
"Thank you for keeping your promise and returning this bullet to the Galaxy Rangers."
Even Boothill's flamboyant voice softened when he spoke those words. The relic clearly held profound meaning for the Galaxy Rangers.
Mei was about to tell him the story of Tiernan's final moments—the tale of how the last traces of his will had remained alone, waiting for his companions—when Sylvia suddenly raised a hand.
"Hold on. Mr. Tiernan was originally one of the Nameless. Let me call Miss Himeko back first. I think the current navigator should be here for this."
"I've got no objections. I'm not especially fond of listening to stories, though."
Boothill had relaxed considerably. He no longer seemed wary even of Topaz.
"That would be best," Mei agreed.
Sylvia opened the Astral Express group chat and tagged everyone, hoping at least one of them would notice.
Before anyone arrived, Boothill turned toward Topaz.
"Now then, I'd like to have a nice long chat with this IPC lapdog."
Topaz, who'd been listening politely until then, sighed.
"How rude. 'Lapdog' this and 'lapdog' that. I'm a senior executive with a proper contract. I didn't sell myself into slavery."
She ignored Boothill's hostility and quickly skimmed something on her phone. Having support elsewhere certainly made life easier.
Aventurine and Jade worked fast. They'd already uncovered a crucial detail about Boothill.
The person this Galaxy Ranger hated happened to be the Strategic Investment Department's greatest rival.
The Marketing Development Department.
Now they had something to discuss.
"Fudge me, I've got no patience for your yammering—"
"You're looking for information on Oswaldo Schneider, aren't you?"
"Oh? You managed to investigate me that quickly?"
Topaz met Boothill's surprise with a professional smile.
"Of course. And I believe we may have room to cooperate. Allow me to introduce myself properly. I'm Topaz of the Strategic Investment Department. Our leader, Diamond, has recently been at odds with Oswaldo."
Well, then.
It had nothing to do with the current crisis on Penacony, but the entire reason they were fighting to secure Penacony was to provide Diamond with leverage for his rise to the board.
Now a Galaxy Ranger who held a grudge against Oswaldo had practically delivered himself to their doorstep.
Not trying to learn more would've been an insult to such good fortune.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL