Welt felt the corner of his mouth begin to twitch uncontrollably again.
He struggled to continue his verification: "Then... Elysia, is she pink-haired, with a... particularly 'passionate' personality?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
March 7th became even more excited, almost jumping off the sofa. "Uncle Yang! Sister Himeko! Do you know Amphoreus? Have you heard of my hometown, right?!"
Her azure eyes were filled with unprecedented anticipation and a hint of fragility, afraid of being denied.
Welt looked at March 7th's gaze, a mix of longing and unease, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Of course he knew—this wasn't some epic of Amphoreus at all. This was simply a poorly adapted version of the story of the "Thirteen Flame-Chasers" from his home world!
Although the existence of doppelgangers in the universe was not uncommon, being so similar that even names and related stories were identical was beyond explanation by mere coincidence!
Himeko looked at the complex, almost distorted expression on Welt's face and asked with concern, "Welt, did you think of something?"
Welt opened his mouth, almost blurting out, "This is clearly an adapted version of the story of the Flame-Chasers from the Honkai world."
But as the words reached his lips, he looked at March 7th's hopeful eyes, as if she had finally grasped a shadow of her past, and he swallowed them back down.
He knew March 7th too well.
How deep the obsession and unease this seemingly cheerful girl harbored in her heart regarding her blank past.
At this moment, a "suspected" older sister, a "suspected" epic of her hometown, was nothing short of a timely rain after a long drought for her.
To directly expose it now would be too cruel.
Before thoroughly investigating Long Night Moon's background and intentions, he couldn't easily shatter this brief hope of March 7th's.
He was silent for a moment, and when he looked up again, his face had returned to its usual composure.
He carefully chose his words and slowly said, "I can't be certain about the specific situation yet. I just... once read some similar heroic legends in a very ancient tome that recorded various myths and stories of the universe. The names and deeds... do bear some resemblance."
He avoided keywords like "Honkai" and "Flame-Chasers."
"As for Amphoreus..."
He shook his head. "That book didn't record this place name. So, whether what Ms. Long Night Moon said is true history or a recreation based on certain circulating stories, cannot be verified at present."
The light in March 7th's eyes visibly dimmed a little, but she still tried to maintain an understanding expression: "I see..."
"However,"
Welt changed the subject, his tone gentle yet firm. "Since this Ms. Long Night Moon claims to be your older sister and can freely enter and exit the Astral Express... for safety reasons, Himeko and I believe it's necessary to formally meet with her. We want to talk to her and understand the specific situation. This is also for your safety, little March. Do you understand?"
Himeko also nodded in agreement: "That's right, little March, if she really is your sister, we'd certainly be happy for her. But before that, some things must be made clear. We need to ensure you won't be harmed in any way."
March 7th looked at the two elders who cared for her like parents, and hesitated.
She trusted her "sister," but also understood that Welt and Himeko's concerns were reasonable.
Finally, she nodded and whispered, "I... I understand. Then... next time I see my sister, I'll tell her? See if she's willing to... meet with you?"
Welt and Himeko exchanged a look and nodded.
"Good, it's settled then."
"Meet whom?"
Stelle rubbed her sleepy eyes, looking half-asleep, her voice thick with a lazy nasal tone.
Her gray hair was messy, as if it had just been spun dry in a washing machine.
"N-nothing!"
March 7th quickly waved her hands, trying to change the subject, while leaning closer to Stelle and complaining softly with a hint of concern, "Stelle, you're finally awake! Just now I tried to wake you up, but you didn't react no matter how much I pushed you. You slept like... Peppy!"
"Really?"
Stelle let out a big yawn, her eyes still a bit hazy. "How was it? I didn't feel anything... just felt like I slept really soundly."
She was completely unaware that she had staged a "sleepwalking pugilist" act last night.
Welt looked at Stelle's appearance, understanding in his heart, but showing no emotion on the surface.
He first said gently to March 7th, "Little March, you should go back and rest first, and think carefully about what we just discussed."
"Okay, Uncle Yang."
March 7th nodded, then glanced at Stelle again, before leaving the Observation Car with a heavy heart.
Welt turned his gaze to Stelle, who was sprawled on the sofa, and asked in a normal tone, "Stelle, how was your rest last night? Did you have any... special dreams?"
"Special dreams?"
Stelle tilted her head, trying hard to recall, but ultimately shook her head in confusion. "What do you mean 'how was it'? I slept okay, it's just... I feel pretty tired, like I ran all night."
She completely attributed her experience of passionately brawling with Kalpas in her dream and being thoroughly scolded to mental fatigue after being "specially looked after" by Ms. Herta in the simulated universe, not taking it to heart at all.
Welt was silent for a moment, looking at Stelle's genuinely bewildered expression, and decided not to delve deeper for now.
"I see... then get some good rest. The intensity of the simulated universe tests has indeed been too great recently."
He went along with Stelle's words, but inwardly noted this as something to observe later.
"Got it, Uncle Yang."
Stelle responded weakly, then curled up on the sofa again, ready for another nap.
System Space
Unlike the relaxed atmosphere on the Astral Express, in the System Space, Black Herta was examining the "spoils of war" from her trip to the Paradise.
She could clearly feel the distinct imprints of the thirteen Flame-Chasers quietly suspended within her, like thirteen stars.
This feeling of having "caught all" the Previous Era's top warriors made her marvel.
"It feels so strange..."
She murmured to herself, speaking to the System which was adjusting equipment nearby, "System, what's the situation?"
A cold electronic voice immediately responded:
「Reporting, Madam, the thirteen 'guests' are in stable condition, data integrity 100%. Initial connection has been established, and summoning or deep control operations can be performed at any time.」
Black Herta nodded, then thought of a crucial question: "Regarding the true form I displayed in the Paradise earlier... will'she' detect it?"
「Please rest assured,」
The System replied, 「The 'Destruction' form you displayed was essentially a'simulation' using simulated universe data and your own core power, not truly invoking the power of the origin. Its energy signature has undergone multiple layers of disguise and concealment by That Great One, making the probability of being traced and locked onto less than 0.73%.」
---------------------------------
If you'd like to read the next 70 chapters in advance, you can support me on Patreon.
I regularly post chapter previews there, so you'll always be up-to-date and won't have to wait too long.
patreon.com/SolyuraMT
And if you enjoy the story, don't forget to give me a Power Stone. Your support really motivates me to continue translating!