[Inside A Guest Room At The Reverie Hotel In Penacony]
Professor Ratio stood there with his arms crossed, expressionless. A trace of displeasure and irritation had already appeared in his usually stern eyes.
The sound of the door opening rang out, followed by approaching footsteps and the door closing. Then came the playboy's voice, "What's wrong, Ratio? Don't look so gloomy... Hey, I just noticed, where's your handsome plaster head?"
The professor turned to look at the blond man before him.
"You're late. By exactly four minutes and sixteen seconds. You'd better have used that time to solve the mystery of Akivili's fall. If not, then my advice is: don't go picking fights with the Nameless."
"Picking fights?" Aventurine blinked. "Even you think that? Doesn't anyone believe I just want to make friends with them?"
Ratio narrowed his eyes at Aventurine.
With that child Nero around, he naturally believed it. But that wasn't the issue. The issue was Aventurine himself.
Judging by the way he interacted with people, most would find it hard to tell whether he was plotting against them, provoking them, or genuinely trying to make friends.
Of course, the professor wasn't going to say that outright. He merely snorted.
"A noisy fellow doesn't make friends easily. A little fact: the Atini Peacock is one of the loudest and most unpleasant-sounding birds in the universe, and you're dressed exactly like one of those gaudy peacocks."
At that, the professor paused. His gaze swept over Aventurine, and his tone became slightly heavier.
"...Looks like this peacock has had all its feathers plucked too. The Family confiscated your luggage?"
Aventurine raised an eyebrow before putting on a helpless, regretful expression.
"Yeah. The guy in the gray suit took everything. All the gift money, and the case holding my Cornerstone... Hm? Where are you going?"
He stopped Ratio, who was about to leave.
"Going home to report that some idiot has ruined everything."
Aventurine chuckled after hearing that.
"They're just a few stones. Why so pessimistic? So what if they're gone?"
"Ah... it is a bit troublesome. After all the gift money was confiscated, I don't have many Credits I can use."
"Earlier I even told that kid I'd take him out to have some fun... So, Ratio, how about lending me some money?"
The corner of the professor's eye twitched. He turned and stared at Aventurine.
"Is that really what you're worried about right now? Without that Aventurine Stone, you're nothing more than a Sigonian slave sentenced to death by the IPC, or are you saying the product code on your neck is also a blessing from the Amber Lord?"
A trace of loneliness flashed through Aventurine's eyes at those words, but he smiled again.
"...Oh, not bad. That's pretty funny. Looks like our learned friend really did his homework."
"It's my job. Otherwise, how is a gambler supposed to reclaim Penacony for the IPC?"
"Don't worry, Professor. I've got plenty of ways. The Family is afraid the IPC will make a move, which is why they've opposed us at every turn... For all we know, Penacony has been a Harmony conspiracy from the very beginning."
"If you ask me, that invitation was just a cover for something they staged themselves. Maybe they're planning to do something outrageous during the Charmony Festival..."
"Or perhaps the real inviter was someone else, and they simply allowed it so they could play along and set up an even bigger scheme. It doesn't matter. Whether it's the Family or the Watchmaker's legacy, as long as I can use it."
"Get to the point. What's your plan?" Ratio asked.
"There's no need to explain it that clearly yet. It's not time to reveal my trump card."
Aventurine kept the suspense going.
The professor's eye twitched again.
"Damn gambler. Cooperation is built on mutual trust. Isn't that part of Sigonian preschool education?"
People who were full of themselves were just as hard to communicate with as fools.
"Do you trust me?" Aventurine asked in return.
"That depends on your attitude."
Ratio tossed the question right back.
"So you don't trust me either."
Aventurine let out a scoff.
"Then that's that. Besides, I never went to school, and my parents really didn't teach me that. Unfortunately, they were gone before they had the chance."
Ratio looked at Aventurine and let out a breath.
Aventurine's straightforward admission reminded him of Stelle back at the space station.
It was exactly the same kind of answer.
Still, he had to admit that, for someone like himself who was serious and held himself to strict standards, it was effective.
The professor's stern tone softened a little.
"...I didn't mean to offend you."
———
"That's exactly why I like Godfather!" Siberian Duck shouted as she watched the scene. "He actually apologizes seriously!"
[The Father of Compulsory Education in the Star Rail Universe: Godfather's tongue is as sharp as ever. Aventurine didn't even crack under that. That's impressive.]
[Eternal Scarlet Heart: These two already sound really familiar with each other. They've probably gotten used to each other's way of doing things.]
[Hairline Receding Day by Day: Hehe, they actually seem kind of shippable.]
[I Use Pantene: Maybe it's because they're both talking with hidden barbs right now. They're obviously arguing, but neither of them is emotional. It feels less like a fight and more like everyday bickering.]
[Pom-Pom: And judging from what Godfather said, the situation doesn't seem favorable for Aventurine's mission. But the first thing he thought about was borrowing some Credits from Godfather so he'd have enough spending money to take Little Nero out.]
[Pom-Pom: Now I believe everything Aventurine said in Grandpa's room. He really is a good big brother!]
[Pom-Pom: Even Acheron warning me to be careful around him won't change my mind. I said what I said!]
———
"Don't worry about it."
Aventurine shrugged at Ratio's apology.
"But they did teach me one thing: friends are the weapon of the Avgins. With Harmony watching us so closely, the more friends we have, the better."
"Let's see... the Garden of Recollection has already made contact with the Astral Express. The Annihilation Gang... probably not happening."
"As for the Knights of Beauty, it's hard to say whether they'll accept the invitation, since they've been scattered for so long... And then there are the people from the Tavern...", As he spoke, Aventurine paced around the room.
"...Speaking of that, I ran into a woman just now who claimed to be a Galaxy Ranger. Something about her felt off. Go check her background for me..."
Before he could finish speaking, he turned around again.
Ratio was already gone.
"...Where'd he go?"
Aventurine froze for a moment before smiling helplessly.
"...Surely he doesn't dislike me that much? Sigh, looks like I'll have to rely on myself after all."
"Ah... don't tell me he just didn't want to lend me money?"
———
At the same time, wrapped in a feeling of weightlessness, Stelle suddenly shuddered awake, only to find herself standing inside a guest room.
The overall layout and furnishings were almost identical to the room in reality, except the music she had played before falling asleep wasn't there.
The lighting was also cold and dim, making the room seem as though it were submerged beneath the sea.
Stelle blinked twice.
"So this is the Land of Dreams? And... when I entered the dream just now, wasn't there some strange sound?"
She first walked around the room and found a note on the table. It was called the Watchmaker's Admonition.
There were only two short lines written on it: [Even within dreams, there are things that should be impossible. Find them, and only then may you be granted an audience.]
Just then, voices entered Stelle's mind.
"This way."
"Can you see me?"
"Please come this way!"