『 Stelle used Clockwork on the Accountant puppet, making it calm down.
[ Master, now that you have gone, I shall wait no longer for my reward... I shall seize what is rightfully mine. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Tch, this puppet actually stood up."
Stelle: "Should I say that greed stirs the heart?"
March 7th: "Without a master, this accountant probably thinks all the benefits should be his own."
March 7th: "No one else can fight him for them anymore."
Furina de Fontaine: "Sure enough, in the face of sufficient profit, there is no such thing as a 'master' in their eyes."
Hu Tao: "This accountant, does it refer to the Oak Family?"
Hu Tao: "This family seems to have done a lot of dirty deeds."
Hu Tao: "Doesn't seem like a good bunch."
Lumine: "They framed the Iris Family and wanted to defect to the IPC."
Lumine: "In the end, infighting even happened within their own family."
Lumine: "Indeed, not a good bunch."
....
『 After dealing with the Accountant puppet, Stelle arrived in front of the third kneeling puppet.
This puppet was named the Retainer.
[ I was once the most loyal guard among all the servants! ]
[ After the master was exiled, I should have taken the authority over all the people for him! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Qingque: "This Retainer, is he talking about the Bloodhound Family?"
Qingque: "Good heavens, was the Bloodhound Family that crazy back then?"
Qingque: "Talking about 'authority over all the people' right off the bat."
Qingque: "Someone who didn't know better would think the Bloodhound Family wanted to be some high-and-mighty emperor."
Stelle: "It's just ugly behavior."
Stelle: "Don't look at how glamorous these families are now."
Stelle: "Actually, in the beginning, they were all just a bunch of greedy clowns."
Furina de Fontaine: "For the Family, this must be a completely dark history, right?"
Furina de Fontaine: "No wonder Mr. Sunday only puts these in the mental world."
Furina de Fontaine: "Otherwise, once it leaks out, the Family's reputation and face would be completely swept away."
Aventurine: "You all underestimate the Family again."
Aventurine: "They are quite skilled at cutting ties."
Aventurine: "They wouldn't care about this kind of 'dark material' that isn't really dark material."
Topaz: "Just ask, and they'll say these were things from the exile period. What does that have to do with our Penacony Family?"
Paimon: "That's really shameless…"
....
『 Stelle used Clockwork on the puppet named the Retainer, making it calm down as well.
[ My former master has long departed, but why do I still fear the remnants of his creation? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Guinaifen: "Looks like it's become normal now?"
Li Sushang: "Should be normal."
Li Sushang: "It's not like there isn't a single normal one among these families."
Xiangling: "Maybe, it's just temporarily normal?"
....
『 Stelle arrived in front of the puppet named the Advisor this time.
[ The master is gone, I should have been free, but without the master's orders, I can only seek advice from the blind. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "One after another, they are all waiting for the master's orders."
Stelle: "This gives me the feeling that they were born to be slaves."
Dan Heng: "Those who truly yearn for freedom will never be bound by status."
March 7th: "Yeah, Aventurine is a great example!"
Stelle: "It has to be Aventurine, he smashed the slave owner to pieces!"
Stelle: "Isn't that much better than these softies?"
Aventurine: "Thanks for the compliment."
Aventurine: "I don't have the self-awareness of a slave."
Aventurine: "In this world, everyone lives the same; who can truly be nobler than anyone else?"
Aventurine: "It's just a matter of using one's own means."
Hu Tao: "Aventurine sees things very clearly."
Hu Tao: "That's probably the reason he can achieve what he has today."
....
『 Stelle then used Clockwork on the puppet. And so, this puppet calmed down.
[ The master is gone, so I no longer have my own master. ]
[ I should look for a new master and pledge my loyalty to them. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Paimon: "Uh… he still likes to find a master for himself…"
Lumine: "Hard to understand."
Lumine: "Is being a servant really that good?"
March 7th: "Hey, I suddenly realized…"
March 7th: "Is it possible… that the scene being played now means…"
March 7th: "The arrival of the Family is re-brainwashing these people?"
March 7th: "After all, these families were fighting to the death for power before, not obeying anyone!"
March 7th: "It's impossible that they would suddenly want to find a master for themselves!"
March 7th: "Besides, why would they obey the Family?"
Himeko: "Remember what Sunday said before?"
Himeko: "After the Dreammaster brought the Family here… the five families converted one after another…"
Himeko: "The word 'converted', it's used a bit subtly."
Boothill: "Fudge, they were brainwashed, isn't that just conversion?"
Boothill: "The Family usually doesn't use armed suppression."
Boothill: "But that doesn't mean they don't have more sinister methods."
Stelle: "This makes sense."
Stelle: "The process I am executing now is actually forcibly brainwashing the people of these five families."
Stelle: "Brainwashing them into being loyal to the Family, then naturally everything will be fine."
March 7th: "That's why I said the new Master isn't a good thing."
March 7th: "Because he is also here to deprive these people of their freedom."
....
『 Stelle came to the last puppet. This puppet is called the Butler.
[ I am either my own master, or I will go to welcome back the old master; there is absolutely no reason to submit to a new master! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Silver Wolf: "Whoa, there's actually a hardhead?"
Silver Wolf: "This is unexpected!"
Stelle: "Don't look at how tough he is now."
Stelle: "Wait until I brainwash him later, he will definitely shout 'it's so good'!"
March 7th: "Speaking of which… Stelle, what you are playing is the Family."
March 7th: "But you are using Clockwork."
March 7th: "I always feel this is somewhat insulting to Clockwork."
Hotaru: "Clockwork represents a positive and beautiful spirit."
Hotaru: "It is not a dark art for brainwashing people."
Hotaru: "Using it in this scene does feel a bit inappropriate."
Stelle: "That's Sunday's fault for not giving me props for the performance."
Stelle: "If he doesn't give me props…"
Stelle: "I can only use this method to change people's emotions."
Sunday: "It was my lack of consideration."
Sunday: "You are right, such a noble spirit should not be tarnished."
Sunday: "Even if it does not align with my philosophy…"
....
『 Stelle repeated the trick and performed Clockwork on the last puppet.
[ If there is no master, who else can grant me freedom? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Alright, now all five families have converted to me!"
Stelle: "I announce that from now on, I am the new Empress of Penacony!"
March 7th: "You, an Empress?"
March 7th: "A neurotic, maybe…"
Silver Wolf: "It's just acting, don't get too into character and take it seriously."
Stelle: "Why?"
Stelle: "Am I not wise, powerful, and beautiful enough to be the Empress of Penacony?"
Hanabi: "Hey, little gray-hair~"
Hanabi: "I think you are better suited to be the Trash Can King in my dream bubble~"
Hanabi: "What do you think?"
Stelle: "That makes sense."
Stelle: "If I can be the Trash Can King, who would want to be an Empress?"
Paimon: "Uh…"
Paimon: "In Miss Stelle's eyes, the Trash Can King is greater than the Empress of Penacony…"
Paimon: "Paimon really can't understand."
Lumine: "Let me put it another way, and you'll understand."
Lumine: "The Queen of the Kingdom of Gourmet, or the Queen of Teyvat, which one would you rather be?"
Paimon: "That would definitely be the Queen of the Kingdom of Gourmet!"
Paimon: "Because I dream of having endless gourmet food!"
Lumine: "So just like how you like gourmet food, Miss Stelle likes trash cans more."
Madam Herta: "I can only say, unique taste."
Madam Herta: "I'm afraid the power of the Stellaron is too strong and accidentally damaged some of her cognitive functions."
Stelle: "My cognition is very normal!"
Stelle: "Don't you look down on trash cans!"
Stelle: "Trash cans have souls too!"
Stelle: "It's just that you can't feel them."
March 7th: "It's over, looks like your obsession with trash cans has caused hallucinations…"
March 7th: "I can't understand, what soul could a cold trash can possibly have?"
Stelle: "That's why you are destined to never be the Trash Can King in this life…"
....
『 [ Thank you, foreign guests! ]
[ Now the servants have regained their rationality. ]
[ Everyone! Your old master will not return; only by helping each other through the right path and encouraging each other with truth can one find fulfillment in each other! ]
[ Defeat the hypocritical phantom—embrace each other! ]
The lead master puppet began a high-pitched speech.
[ Get ready, I suppose we have to fight again… ]
Himeko saw this scene and reminded the two of them.
[ Is this immersive theater… ]
Just after Stelle complained, that group of puppets surrounded them with claws and teeth. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Great, just a moment ago I was the representative of the Family helping puppets get brainwashed."
Stelle: "Now I've become some hypocritical phantom."
Stelle: "Sunday, you don't think this sudden change of identity would make us very immersed, do you?"
Sunday: "Sorry, this must be because I prepared too hastily, leading to poor handling of the details."
Sunday: "It has made everyone's experience a bit unpleasant."
Hanabi: "Hey, chicken wing boy, your standard for directing a play is really rotten!"
Hanabi: "Not even one-tenth of my standard~"
Hanabi: "This boring and uninteresting plot almost put me to sleep."
Stelle: "Agreed, Director Hanabi's plot standard is still higher!"
March 7th: "Why do I always feel that you are flattering Hanabi everywhere now?"
Stelle: "Ahem…"
Stelle: "This is all praise from the heart!"
Qingque: "I'm afraid she fed you a love potion."
Silver Wolf: "Hey, forgive me for speaking plainly, but a love potion wouldn't make her say such insincere words."
Silver Wolf: "The only thing that can make her lose her integrity is a huge benefit!"
March 7th: "But Stelle, Hanabi is a Fool."
March 7th: "The benefits she promised you, do you think you can really get them?"
Stelle: "What benefits?"
Stelle: "Don't talk nonsense, I don't know of any benefits!"
Hanabi: "Ya ya ya, this is you looking at me with colored glasses."
Hanabi: "So what if I'm a Fool?"
Hanabi: "We Fools are also very trustworthy, okay~"
Hanabi: "Of course, provided that… you can really create fun, hee hee~"
....
『 [ Listen, snow blankets all of Asdana! The sky trembles, and the earth teeters on the brink of collapse. At the edge of the silver universe, the first buds sprout under the rising sun! ]
The puppets fought with the three of them, while making hard-to-understand remarks.
A moment later, the puppets retreated as usual, then bowed and saluted, indicating that this play had come to an end.
[ It is a pity that until the very end, they were still a group of slaves granted the right to freedom. ]
[ Thus ends the second act. ]
[ In the illusory harmony, the land of exile gradually moves towards the Planet of Festivities. ]
Sunday's sigh came faintly.
[ This is the process of Penacony gradually becoming a territory of the Family. After the arrival of the Harmony, the land of exile underwent earth-shaking changes. ]
[ These changes… are not all positive. ]
Himeko summarized.
[ This guy really loves dramatic scenes. Bet he comes from a whole lineage of stage performers. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "March, can you not be so funny when you speak?"
Stelle: "You really made me laugh to death."
March 7th: "Why, is there anything wrong with what I said?"
Hu Tao: "What you said is absolutely right!"
Hu Tao: "Think about it carefully, can't Mr. Sunday be considered as one person playing multiple roles?"
Furina de Fontaine: "There, that's called professional!"
Silver Wolf: "I think that's called a drama queen."
Silver Wolf: "I didn't expect Sunday's desire to perform to be quite strong."
Paimon: "I feel like Mr. Sunday can consider debuting with his sister."
Paimon: "Sister as a singer, brother as an actor."
Paimon: "This could be a good story."
....
『 The three walked towards the picture frame, entering the transitional space leading to the third act.
[ THEY used the planetary rings to establish the law, forging a code of conduct among the masses. ]
[ A grand lyre with black and white keys served as an instrument, while symbols of articulation and numerical notation took the form of musical notes. The downward-flowing river became a melody, and the canon of law dictated the form. ]
[ Thus, all mortals found their unique place within this symphony. That marked the fifth and sixth days. ] 』
『 ....』