『 Stelle stared at the memory bubble formed from Robin's corpse, her shock beyond words.
Aventurine looked at the stunned Stelle and shook his head. "Ah, my friend, when I first witnessed this scene, my expression wasn't much better than yours."
"You saw correctly. It was her—the illustrious Robin."
"This… how is that possible?" Stelle murmured.
"Let me clarify first: I have nothing to do with this. I'm just an unlucky soul who stumbled upon the scene," Aventurine explained. "The Family can attest to it. If you don't believe me, go ask someone from the Hound House. They hate me, they hate the IPC, so they'll never lie."
Having said that, Aventurine looked toward the previous pool. "Furthermore, this isn't the crime scene. What I'm showing you is a 'memory'—the simplest form of Light Cone projection technology, authorized by the Garden of Recollection and owned by the Company."
"At this point, do you still think that 'Galaxy Ranger' is an outsider?"
Hearing Aventurine's words, Stelle thought back to her journey with Acheron.
"Penacony made a solemn promise: within the beautiful dream woven by the Family, the safety of every guest is guaranteed. Those in danger will be forcibly awakened and returned safely to reality." 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: Not safe.
〘Stelle〙: Not, not safe.
〘March 7th〙: Are you two seriously doing this right now?
....
『 "What gives them the confidence to be so assertive? Because behind that promise is the protection of the Harmony: the Family's Dreamweavers weave thoughts into one, constructing an impenetrable line of defense."
"To break through that defense and create 'Death' within a dream… without the Family's permission, not even a Memokeeper could do it."
"Who can? My friend, only her—that woman claiming to be a Galaxy Ranger… an impostor, an Emanator who has concealed her true identity…"
"Ifrit's death is a foregone conclusion, and Robin… her tragedy is right before your eyes. Who will be the next victim?"
Aventurine's words were calculated to lead her.
"This is just your word against theirs."
Stelle chose to trust her own experiences and feelings; she believed Acheron was not the culprit behind all this.
"It's fine, you can have your own judgment. Building trust takes time; I'm willing to wait," Aventurine said indifferently, then offered his warning.
"I just hope you understand that around that so-called 'legacy,' Penacony is churning with undercurrents, and everyone has their own hidden agenda."
"Be careful not to pick the wrong side. If I were you, I'd keep my distance from Acheron. After all, a calculation laid bare on the table is far preferable to a monster lurking in the shadows… wouldn't you agree?"
"But who says there isn't a deeper conspiracy behind the calculations on the table?" Black Swan walked elegantly into the room.
"Memokeeper, I believe our deal ended long ago," Aventurine said, sounding displeased by her intrusion.
Black Swan didn't respond to Aventurine but looked at Stelle. "Aventurine is telling the truth. This 'memory' is real, with no distortions or grafts."
"The Company isn't the Garden of Recollection; what we can do is quite limited—you know this better than anyone," Aventurine explained to Stelle.
"Friend, let's not beat around the bush—to put it bluntly, I want to establish a cooperation with the Astral Express in my personal capacity."
"I told you before, I have no interest in the battle for the legacy. I came to Penacony for work. I need to recover some lost assets for the Company… specifically, the ownership of the 'Frontier Prison.'"
"Thanks to the Cancer of All Worlds, that thing has long since become a bad debt. The Company tried to sit down and talk several times, but the Family wouldn't even open the door."
"You have no idea how difficult these people are to deal with. Let's put it this way: they were able to hide the existence of 'Death' before, so they will certainly be able to cover up the news of Robin's death this time."
Aventurine looked at the bubbles in the pool and continued, "Just like this—quietly dissolving into bubbles until, in the end, no one ever knows…"
"That's not fair, is it? That's why, my friend, I need your help."
"What kind of help do you want?" Stelle asked after thinking for a long while.
Aventurine shared his plan.
"I have only one goal: the Family's gate is a high wall. To push it down, I first need to drill a few holes. Once a flaw appears, the Company has plenty of means to handle the rest."
"Now, the opportunity has arrived. As long as we can uncover the truth behind 'Robin's Death,' we can give the deceased justice and simultaneously gain bargaining chips to force the Family to the table."
"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity… I've been investigating all over Penacony and making friends just for this moment."
"This news is extremely detrimental to the Family, so they will definitely spare no effort to block outsiders from intervening, especially the Company."
"But I believe there are a few minority factions that are exceptions, which is why I need you all. The Astral Express is famous; the Harmony will give you the most impartial evaluation."
"You can uncover the truth and dispense justice, while I can complete the Company's mission… that's what you call a win-win." 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: This feels so familiar. We're on vacation, we get dragged into a case, we have to solve it, and everyone is a suspect.
〘Hanabi〙: All that's missing is a way to cut off your contact with the outside world.
〘Guinaifen〙: Holy cow, you guys are basically playing a live-action of the Angler Mystery combined with Werewolf.
〘Aha〙: Become detectives with me!
〘Phainon〙: I feel like my line was stolen…
....
『 "I can't make the decision on my own…" Stelle shook her head at Aventurine.
Aventurine was pleased; it seemed he had passed Stelle's test. He immediately replied, "No rush. Why don't you go back to your companions and chat with them first?"
"That navigator lady is a smart woman; she'll surely understand the value of this deal. Here is my contact info. Reach out to me once you have a conclusion."
Aventurine added Stelle as a friend.
"Oh, and… take this! To conduct an investigation, you need some pocket money. Don't be shy!"
Aventurine transferred 50,000 credits to Stelle.
"See you, friend. I'm truly looking forward to uncovering the truth of 'Death' together with all of you."
With a wave of his hand, Aventurine walked away, leaving a pensive Stelle and a curious Black Swan in the room.
"And now? What do you plan to do?" Black Swan asked.
"On the surface, this deal does you no harm. But Aventurine is a shrewd businessman; his calculations are never as simple as they seem."
"He doesn't know about Miss Hotaru yet—but from your reaction, he might have sensed something, and thus intentionally steered the topic toward the 'truth of death' to lure you into his logic."
"Quick reactions, clear logic… I must warn you, cooperating with that man is dangerous."
"For Hotaru's sake, we must get to the bottom of all this," Stelle said firmly. 』
『 ....』
〘Silver Wolf〙: Ooh, even knowing it's dangerous, you're charging ahead for your little girlfriend?
〘Hotaru〙: I'm not some "little girlfriend"…
〘Hanabi〙: It wasn't a date…
〘Hotaru〙: Pam shy.jpg
〘March 7th〙: Alright, Hotaru went back to her room, blushing because of you.
〘Silver Wolf〙: Tsk, boring.
....