Aventurine, the man with short golden hair, a luxurious coat, feather-shaped earrings, and eyes as beautiful as colorful light...
Like Topaz, he was one of the Ten Stonehearts, a member of the Strategic Investment Department of the Interastral Peace Corporation, serving under Diamond as a specialist in liquidating bad assets.
"I'm glad to hear you say that. Then about the guarantee..." Himeko said.
"Miss, you've seen it yourself. For my sake, let this lady check in. I have an appointment with Mr. Sunday of the Family. I'll ask him to handle this matter later. Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble."
Without much hesitation, Aventurine spoke directly to the hotel attendant, Ellie, not far away.
For him, doing the Astral Express a favor was already part of his plan. Besides, Nero was also one of the Nameless, so whether his plan required it or not, he was more than happy to help.
Unfortunately, whether it was the Nameless standing before him or the people from Belobog and the Luofu who had arrived with the Express crew, Nero didn't seem to be anywhere in sight.
'Where did that kid go?'
"Th-That... but..." Ellie still looked hesitant.
Just then, a gentle and steady male voice sounded.
"Ellie, don't worry. The Family can't let our guests enter the dream with burdens on their minds."
Everyone turned toward the voice, but their eyes did not first fall on the elegant man in a white formal suit, with white wings by his ears, a halo above his head, and a calm smile.
Nor did they first look at the famous singer Robin, who was also wearing a formal dress nearby.
Instead, their eyes landed on the white-haired boy standing between them, dressed in a loose white robe.
Stelle blinked twice.
No wonder Nero had suddenly disappeared. So he had gone to find Robin.
Not far away, Aventurine smiled lightly.
The friends Nero had invited all seemed to understand after seeing the scene, then quickly showed expressions as if it were only natural.
It made sense. Nero always seemed to have unexpected friends all over the universe.
As for the other guests, they simply stood there in a daze.
The Halovians were already known for their beautiful looks, but now it seemed someone even more extraordinary had appeared among them.
In the distance, a guest who had just returned to reality and stepped out of his room froze as he looked over. Then he quickly walked forward, leaned over the railing, and rubbed his eyes hard.
He couldn't help thinking of the things he had seen in the dream earlier, along with the beautiful ships docked outside Penacony when he arrived.
"My Idrila... I'm not still in the dream pool, am I?"
The guest raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face. It hurt a little.
This wasn't the first time he had slapped himself. The last time was because he thought he had seen the Knights of Beauty in the Golden Hour.
In front of the hotel lobby reception desk, Aventurine winked at Nero and said, "Speak of the devil. Look who's here... Sunday, who until today was Penacony's most handsome man! Oh, and the singer famous across the universe, Robin."
Aventurine's words made Robin laugh. As she reached out and rubbed the child's head beside her, she looked up at her brother with a smile.
"He said you used to be Penacony's most handsome man, Brother."
Sunday narrowed his eyes and glanced at Nero again. Then he let out a quiet breath, his gaze passing over Aventurine, the Astral Express crew, and the friends Nero had brought before finally returning to Aventurine.
His expression didn't change. He simply made a welcoming gesture.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Aventurine. This way, please. Let's talk somewhere private."
Aventurine shrugged and didn't refuse. However, instead of following Sunday immediately, he crouched down in front of Nero with a smile.
"I dealt with that Scott for you last time. Go get familiar with this place first and pick up your room key. After that, I'll take you around."
"There are quite a few famous brands from civilizations across the universe here in Penacony. If you like anything, just say so. Or we can visit the auction house later."
Aventurine gently patted Nero's head, nodded to Robin, then walked around the two of them toward Sunday.
Standing in the shadows, Sunday watched everything.
After the two men left, Robin finally spoke, "All right, everyone from the Astral Express. Leave this to me."
Himeko nodded.
"Thank you, Miss Robin."
Then she looked at Nero and said with a hint of affection, "Our little Nero really knows a lot of people."
"Hehe..." Nero let out two silly laughs.
With Robin handling things, Stelle's problem was easily resolved. Naturally, everyone else's rooms were also arranged.
And because it was the superstar herself who stepped in, everyone's treatment was immediately upgraded to the highest level.
Afterward, Robin led everyone to a lounge area. Along the way, March chatted nonstop, showing the excitement of a true fan. Meanwhile, Nero, who had known Robin for a long time, stayed quiet instead.
As for the reason...
It was probably because of the conversations from the guests and Family members around them.
"Hey, who's that kid? So cute, like a porcelain doll."
"Really good-looking. It's my first time seeing such a beautiful child. I'm a fan of Miss Robin... but even as a fan, I think he's even prettier."
"You can't even tell what race he is just by looking. Other than followers of the Path of Beauty, there probably aren't many races in the universe prettier than the Halovians."
"I think I understand why that IPC envoy said Mr. Sunday used to be the most handsome man in Penacony."
"That child also seems very close to the Nameless. He feels like someone extraordinary."
"He definitely is. If you ask me, that child must have an incredible background. I've seen so many VIPs, but I've never seen anyone personally escorted by both Miss Robin and Mr. Sunday."
"And he also seems to have a good relationship with that IPC envoy. Judging by his clothes, he looks like someone from the Xianzhou... My goodness, now that I think about it, he alone has close ties with the IPC, the Family, and the Astral Express."
"Tell the others to take good care of that child, and his friends too."
"Yes."
"..."
Some people lowered their voices while others didn't, but no matter what, none of those conversations could escape Nero's ears unless he deliberately chose not to listen.
At that moment, Nero sat on the sofa with both hands tightly clenched together. It looked like steam was about to rise from his head.
'S-So embarrassing...'
Everyone was looking at him...
This wasn't the Xianzhou Luofu, where he had already gotten used to living. To Nero, this place was almost completely unfamiliar. Surrounded by all those voices, it was hard for him to stay calm.
Besides, even back on the Luofu, once there were too many people around, he still found it hard to act naturally.