『 "So that's how it is. That explains the sense of incongruity in the Family's words," Welt said, a sudden realization dawning on him.
"If this news were to reach the outside world, the reputation of the Planet of Festivities would inevitably suffer, regardless of the actual safety of the guests. With the Charmony Festival approaching, they have no choice but to conceal this."
Black Swan shook her head and said, "The safety of the guests… perhaps even that cannot be guaranteed…"
After saying this, she looked at Stelle and continued, "Isn't the monster she encountered the best proof of that? Do you need me to remind you again? It was a Meme of the Memory Zone…"
"How could a Meme that implies death and murder appear in a dream that the Family claims to be absolutely safe… In Penacony, everyone is capable of lying—perhaps even the Family themselves?"
Her tone was quite playful as she delivered the final sentence.
"Miss Black Swan, we have sufficiently grasped the current situation. Returning to your original proposal…" Himeko looked at Black Swan and asked, "May I ask for what reason the Garden of Recollection has chosen to cooperate with the Astral Express?"
Black Swan chuckled softly before replying, "Hmm, allow me to correct you… This is a personal request of mine, not on behalf of the Garden. The answer is simple, Miss Himeko. I just want to make an exchange… an exchange concerning Memory."
"Outside of my duties, I also have some… personal aesthetic pursuits. I am a Memokeeper and also a collector. I, too, wish to witness those crystalline, brilliant, and precious memories—that's easy to understand, isn't it?" 』
『 ....』
〘Memokeeper A〙: It's easy to understand, so join me! Let's go to the Herta Space Station together and collect memories from the Simulated Universe!
〘Black Swan〙: I have my principles, and besides, I don't want to go missing.
〘Herta〙: Can you Memokeepers just settle down? I don't even know how many of your mirrors I've already shut down.
....
『 "And you, the Nameless of the Astral Express, the practitioners of the Path of Trailblaze… I believe in your potential, and I also believe in the… unique radiance you will bloom with on this stage."
"That is the reason I want to be friends with you all." Having said that, Black Swan looked at the people in front of her and gave a light laugh. "The intersection of nightmares and sweet dreams… it couldn't be a more perfect cradle for Memory."
"Hmm, I understand. But before giving you an answer, we still need to have some discussion." Himeko replied, arms crossed.
"Of course, please feel free."
Black Swan didn't mind at all; she turned and walked toward the bar, ordered a glass of SoulGlad, and began to sip it slowly.
It seemed she was quite confident that the Express crew would agree to her proposal.
Seeing Black Swan walk away, Welt looked at Himeko and asked, "Himeko, what do you think?" 』
『 ....』
〘Himeko Murata〙: I'm sitting and watching.
〘·HSR· Himeko〙: I'm drinking coffee and watching.
....
『 "Her words cannot be taken entirely at face value; there are quite a few elements of deliberate inducement," Himeko analyzed, resting her chin on her hand. "But I am worried about the worst-case scenario. If the anomalies in the dreamscape truly exist, and they aren't happening naturally, but rather being driven by someone behind the scenes…"
"Then it most likely has to do with The Watchmaker's Invitation," Welt added.
"Eh? How was that deduced?" March 7th asked, her face full of confusion.
Welt said, "Setting aside extreme cases for the moment, the mastermind pushing the dreamscape anomalies must have a stance opposed to the Family, which leaves only two possibilities…"
"Either someone intends to bring in external forces to seize the opportunity to shake the Family's control over Penacony, or the Family, for the sake of self-preservation, has been forced to secretly seek help from the outside world."
"But judging by the cipher in the invitation and the Family's reaction… the former seems more likely."
Himeko continued, "This would mean that the person who sent the Nameless's cipher and the mastermind behind the dreamscape anomalies are in the same camp… or perhaps they are even the same person."
"But… that doesn't really prove anything, does it? Just looking at the methods, the Fools and the Enigmata could do it too. Didn't the IPC manage to decrypt it?" March 7th voiced her thoughts.
"Little March, don't be nervous. This is just one possibility. But if this line of cipher isn't just a simple prank, but someone intentionally inviting the Trailblaze to enter, we have even less reason to sit idly by," Himeko looked at March 7th with a faint smile, comforting her.
"Then let me talk about my discovery—unfortunately, it's bad news," Welt began.
"According to reliable sources, some people in Penacony have sighted a tall man wearing silver armor. I asked the Bloodhound Family for information and also visited quite a few guests who claimed to have seen this intruder…"
"…And then I received this." After speaking, Welt paused, took out his phone, operated it for a moment, and then looked at Stelle and said, "I've sent it to you, open it and see."
Stelle opened the item Mr. Yang had sent, and then she saw a small Silver Wolf figure appear on her phone screen, sitting with her legs crossed and holding a small megaphone, smiling at the people outside the screen. 』
『 ....』
〘Herta〙: Hilarious, there's even a little Silver Wolf.
....
『 "Cough, cough, can you hear me?" Silver Wolf cleared her throat. "Astral Express, long time no see—is Penacony fun?"
March 7th leaned in, surprised, "It's… It's that hacker girl!"
"Let's get serious. I know you all are investigating the anomalies in Penacony everywhere; or rather, we are very happy to see this scene. Because the deeper you investigate, the more opportunities you'll have to learn the truth about the sweet dream."
"The Family is hiding something, aren't they? We also have some first-hand intelligence. Now, I've decided to generously share it with you all. It's just, unfortunately, the lovely vacation is coming to an end."
At this point, Silver Wolf paused for a moment before continuing, "Input this code into your Dreampool, that device you use for dreaming, and go take a look at the hidden map! The location coordinates are all packed up for you, here, just one-click copy."
"And—I assume you've already heard about Sam. Look forward to it. That guy has a simple personality and likes a fair and square showdown; he'll definitely get along with you. I hope you won't be crushed by his enthusiasm!" 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: His personality is indeed quite simple, and super enthusiastic too.
〘Silver Wolf〙: The enthusiasm I'm talking about is completely different from what you understand!
....
『 "Oh, right, he asked me to pass this on to you: In the dream that cannot be reached, the play is about to begin—keep at it, all factions are on the move. Nameless, don't fall too far behind!"
After the small Silver Wolf made a cheering gesture, Stelle's phone returned to normal.
"These Stellaron Hunters… they actually have a presence in Penacony too. They really are relentless!" March 7th said angrily, looking at the Silver Wolf that had disappeared from the screen.
Welt summarized, "The situation is clear now. The Planet of Festivities is far from as simple as it appears on the surface. Centered around The Watchmaker's Legacy, a host of factions, including the Family, all have their own agendas and are keeping each other in check."
"Although we don't yet know what this legacy is, this tug-of-war affecting innocent bystanders… is only a matter of time."
"Molten Knight Sam. It is said that this person is a remnant of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry, a genetically modified warrior by birth with cognition different from ordinary people. He acts decisively and leaves no room for error; he is a dangerous individual no less than Kafka and Blade," Welt stated the information about Sam.
"This is a threat letter. The hidden map Silver Wolf mentioned is likely the locked-down Dreamscape Hotel. For the sake of future considerations, we really do need to pay a visit to the scene."
"What if we get discovered?" Stelle asked.
"If the Family asks, we will tell them the truth: that the Express crew is investigating the Stellaron Hunters. I believe we will be understood. Depending on their reaction, we will then take the next step," Welt replied.
"It seems we have reached a consensus—then let's go back and inform Miss Black Swan," Himeko said after listening to Welt's analysis.
The three nodded and walked toward the bar where Black Swan was. 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: The waters of Penacony really are deep.
〘March 7th〙: No matter how deep, we'll make a big splash!
〘·HSR· Himeko〙: Confidence is a good thing, but you still need to be fully prepared. Haven't you noticed that Mr. Sunday hasn't spoken for a long time?
〘March 7th〙: Oh, that's true. If it were that group of dreamseekers asking for refunds earlier, he should have stepped out to refute them long ago.
〘Hanabi〙: Looks like the chicken-wing boy is getting anxious~.
〘Sunday〙: What is everyone talking about? I was just going to appease those dreamseekers.
....
—✦In Between✦—
—✦Honkai Star Rail World✦—
At this moment, Sunday, who was discussing with the Oak Family Head, looked at Himeko's message on the screen and sighed,
"The navigator of the Astral Express is truly sharp."
"Do not worry, my child. Just as I said, our plan is impregnable,"
The Oak Family Head comforted him.
"Penacony will return to the embrace of Order; no one can stop it."
—