『 While waiting for Aventurine's reply, Stelle began to talk with the three of them. Himeko believed Aventurine was a gambler who would bet everything for victory. Welt said he had confirmed the death of Duke Inferno with Dan Heng, who was guarding the Express, while March felt a bit sentimental.
Stelle walked behind March, seeing her looking up at the distant Grand Theater. "I don't know if it's too sudden, but I just feel… Miss Robin isn't dead and is still alive somewhere. Everything is just… a prank…"
"Because… isn't this a dream? How could anyone die in the Land of Dreams? Shouldn't only good things happen…?"
Looking at the distant Grand Theater, March 7th sighed, "Sigh, seeing that Grand Theater, I can't help but let my imagination run wild…"
Stelle patted March on the back to comfort her: "We will make the Dreamscape return to normal."
March 7th nodded, "Yeah, of course! In times like these, we have to count on our Astral Express crew—The Family, the IPC, everyone is just looking out for their own interests…"
After finishing, March 7th looked at the Dreamchasers on the street, sighed, and continued, "The people on the street are still so happy, nobody knows what happened… It feels so unreal, as if Hotaru and Miss Robin, and we… are people from another world."
"Ah… so annoying!" March 7th covered her head, "I want to drink some ice-cold soda to calm down…"
"But wouldn't that make me the same as the people on the street… hmm…" 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: A bit depressing, huh.
〘March 7th〙: If I weren't depressed after experiencing everything above, I wouldn't be a normal person. You're not depressed right now simply because Miss Hotaru is right by your side.
〘Stelle〙: Ehe~
....
『 Not long after they finished talking, Aventurine gave his reply. After the four of them read it, Welt looked at Himeko and spoke first: "It seems Aventurine has no further requests, so let's deal with the Family's commission first. Himeko, what do you think?"
"Among the current clues, the two murder cases witnessed by Stelle are the most direct. I suggest we start from there," Himeko replied.
"There's one thing I'm curious about. If a person dies in a dream, what about them in reality? Since we have the Family's authorization, why don't we return to reality first to verify Miss Hotaru's situation with the hotel… and we can also inquire about Miss Robin's news."
"How about this? We split into two groups. Some things in the dreamscape concern me, so I want to investigate them first and rendezvous with you later." Welt proposed splitting up; Himeko and the others would return to reality, while he would continue investigating in the dream.
"Things that concern you? …Oh, no problem, then I'll leave it to you."
"Eh? Ah… I thought I'd finally be able to see Himeko and Uncle Yang together. Well, Uncle Yang, be careful!" March 7th, she was initially disappointed that she couldn't see the two together, but knowing Uncle Yang must have an important reason for doing this, she reminded him to stay safe.
Welt smiled and nodded, "Mm. Keep in touch."
The three nodded, then walked toward the distance until they disappeared from Welt's sight.
Watching the three leave, Welt looked at the empty space behind him and said calmly, "Distinguished guest, would you mind coming out?" 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: Huh?
〘Stelle〙: Huh?
〘Kiana Kaslana〙: Huh?
〘Belle〙: Huh?
〘Hanabi〙: There's a master here too?
....
『 Then the camera panned to a coconut tree. As the tree moved left, a purple figure appeared in the supposedly empty space.
Welt was shocked upon seeing Acheron's appearance, staring at her for a long time.
"Being stared at like that makes me feel troubled," Acheron teased, hands on her hips.
"Excuse me. My name is Welt Yang, a member of the Astral Express. I believe you have already met my companions," Welt performed an apologetic bow to Acheron. 』
『 ....』
〘Luocha〙: Is this treatment for real? Mr. Welt, it seems you have a very strong opinion of me…
〘Honkai·Welt〙: It's not about you as a person, but I have a strong opinion of that face of yours.
....
『 "Welt…" Acheron repeated the name, then fell silent.
Seeing Acheron's reaction, Welt asked confusedly, "What's wrong with this name?"
Acheron did not answer, but instead asked, "Before that, won't you ask for my name?"
"I'm afraid that's unnecessary, Miss Acheron. You are a well-known figure in Penacony now."
Acheron sighed after hearing this, "What are they saying?"
Welt crossed his arms and replied, "Some claim you are the true culprit of these serial murders—the Annihilation Gang who came to the banquet, also died miserably under your blade, and now, you are attempting to stir up another bloodbath in Penacony."
"The Annihilation Gang?" Acheron's tone was full of confusion.
"Ifrit of Ever-Flame Mansion," Welt provided a hint.
Acheron closed her eyes, seemingly remembering something, then shook her head and said, "Died miserably… That Duke turned himself into flames with a dying body, sacrificing himself for his path. He was a firm and heroic Pathstrider. Even if he was a villain, he shouldn't be subjected to such slander."
"Not to mention, there are quite a few suspicious characters who arrived by invitation." Acheron looked at Welt, "Do they really think… a long blade is more dangerous than the Black Hole in your hand?" 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Wow, Uncle Yang also has hidden power!
〘March 7th〙: Could it be the Star of Eden that appeared when Yang's sit-up showed up?
〘·HSR· Welt Yang〙: Little March, actually, you didn't need to include the name of Yang's sit-up.
....
『 Welt tapped his cane, "A very sharp intuition. Even the Family couldn't point out the true nature of this cane."
"So you must also know, Miss Acheron, that peeking into a black hole is not a wise move. As a potential danger, your understanding of us has reached an uncomfortable level—"
"Reveal your true identity and intentions... Otherwise, brace yourself for gravitational disintegration." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Uncle Yang, cool!
〘March 7th〙: Uncle Yang, mighty!
〘Qingque〙: I don't want to pour cold water, but can Mr. Welt beat Miss Acheron?
〘Hanabi〙: Fight! Fight! I want to see blood flowing like a river~
....
『 "That kind of thing shouldn't happen… but if it can make you Nameless less wary, I'd be happy to oblige."
"Whether you believe it or not, Galaxy Ranger, Acheron… that is my identity now. And visiting Penacony is just for a long-standing Last Wish."
"I came for The Watchmaker's Legacy… that is all. I think I have been sincere enough."
"You still don't want to reveal your true identity?"
Acheron shook her head and walked behind Welt. Standing with her back to him, she said, "It's not that I don't want to, but I can't… The path I've walked is too long. Everything added to this body cannot be explained in a few words."
"Everyone has unspeakable pasts and secrets they don't want to easily show others… I won't ask more, just as I won't ask why the Astral Express is wandering the galaxy with a Stellaron."
Welt fell silent after hearing this.
Acheron turned her head and asked, "Is she alright? That Memokeeper… she didn't do anything, did she?"
"She is not in danger. Let's return to the previous topic. Whether I can gain your trust depends on how much you are willing to reveal."
"In order to find that Legacy, after checking into Penacony, I visited various dreamscapes and conducted many investigations, during which I also had contact with many guests. In the process, I gradually realized…"
"The secret of Penacony… might be closely related to the former Trailblaze." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: That must be those three Nameless, but where are they exactly?
〘March 7th〙: Who knows. It couldn't be that the Watchmaker is one of them, right?
....
『 "Therefore, I came to seek your help. I don't have enough evidence, but I want to propose a possibility: the source of all tragedy is lurking within the Family. If you are willing to trust me… we can find the facts to corroborate it together."
"Mr. Welt, I think you have already reached the same conclusion."
Welt nodded, "Mm, let's leave it at that. For now, I'll believe you have no hostility." 』
『 ....』
〘Luocha〙: You know what I'm going to say…
〘Stelle〙: Uncle Yang really shows what "differential treatment" is to the fullest.
....
『 "Share your findings with me—just the two of us. Before finding concrete evidence, I don't want to interfere with others' judgments with ambiguous speculation."
"Mm." Acheron nodded.
"...By the way, would you like something to drink? Before we go, how about two cups of Wake the Heck Up...? No, four cups."
"Because the upcoming conversation… will last a long time."
The screen then went black, and a line of text appeared.
At the same time — Hotel in the real world
Black Swan's voiceover came through, "I have been watching her for a long time. The first invitation was in the hotel's banquet hall." 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: Old Goose, are you going to make a move too?
〘Black Swan〙: After all, precious memories are truly attractive, just like how you all love to find amusement, aren't you, Fool?
〘Hanabi〙: But Hanabi-sama will never let herself become the amusement~
....