『 Everyone turned to look, only to see Gallagher, Sunday, and Hotaru walking over.
Upon seeing Robin, the heavy stone in Sunday's heart finally dropped. Looking at his sister, his voice trembled slightly, "Robin…"
"I've brought Gallagher. It's time… to face the Truth," Hotaru said, looking at everyone.
Sunday quickly pulled Robin to the side, anxiously checking on her condition.
Misha scratched his head in confusion at the sudden crowd, "Ah… it suddenly became so lively. There are so many people."
Looking at the newly arrived Gallagher, Micah shrugged, "I've brought the man. As for the rest, I'll let Gallagher tell you himself… Take care, everyone."
Gallagher nodded slightly to Micah, then redirected his gaze to the members of the Astral Express. He spoke, "I promised to give those siblings some private space. Let's talk about our business first. What do you all say?"
Welt waved his hand, "No matter."
Then, changing his tone, he added, "However, Mr. Gallagher went to great lengths to gather the leader of the Family, the Astral Express, and the Stellaron Hunters all in one place. Surely you have something important to disclose?"
"Ho, even you all noticed?"
March 7th crossed her arms, looking at Gallagher with an exasperated sigh, muttering under her breath, "You might as well write 'mastermind' right across your forehead…"
"Hahaha, Mr. Yang is right. Indeed, it's time to lay all the cards on the table." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Finally, finally no more riddles?
〘March 7th〙: Yay, my favorite part—the confession segment.
....
『 With that, Gallagher glanced at Robin and Sunday conversing not far away. The corner of his mouth curved up slightly as he addressed the crowd, "Those siblings already know what they need to know. They have a clear idea of what choice to make. You, Nameless, arrived rather late, so it's only right that I spend some time clearing up your doubts."
"Before we begin, let me introduce myself once more—cough. The founder of Dreamflux Reef, the assistant to the Watchmaker, and also the one who sent out that invitation…"
"History Fictionologist Gallagher, at your service."
Hearing Gallagher reveal his true identity, March 7th looked at him with a pout (ᗜ ‸ ᗜ), saying angrily, "History Fictionologist? So everything you told us before was just made up?"
"I can guarantee you that the stories I told you earlier were all true…" Realizing that his phrasing was slightly inappropriate, Gallagher paused, "Uh, most of it, anyway. Except for the part about 'the Family accepting me back'." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: So you're really a shota uncle?
〘March 7th〙: What kind of wild description is that?
〘Hanabi〙: Then wouldn't he be… Officer Gallagher, the cop with the body of an adult but the soul of a child?
〘Silver Wolf〙: Can't hold it in.
〘March 7th〙: Why don't you say there's someone with the body of a child but the soul of an adult?
〘Elio〙: ….
〘March 7th〙: Huh?
〘Belle〙: Great Deity March, please quickly predict that I'll scratch off a hidden prize in the next lottery! It's been two years, and I've only won once!
....
『 Himeko nodded and looked at the three of them, explaining, "I've confirmed with Micah. The records concerning the Family, the Watchmaker, and Mikhail have all been verified as correct."
After hearing Himeko's explanation, Gallagher let out a sigh of relief, "Long live understanding. Then let's talk openly."
"I'm sure you all must be very curious as to why I went to such great lengths to set up a struggle for the legacy, sending invitations to so many factions, turning Penacony completely upside down…"
"The answer is actually very simple, and one you are all too familiar with. The root of everything… is the Stellaron." 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: Wow, I'm not surprised at all. We really are becoming Stellaron disposal experts…
〘Qingque〙: But looking at how prosperous Penacony is on the outside, it doesn't look like it's suffering from a Stellaron disaster at all?
〘Hanabi〙: What's so strange about that? Haven't you seen a lively, jumping Stellaron host before? Isn't that even more shocking than Penacony having a Stellaron?
〘Stelle〙: ….
....
『 "A Stellaron? Penacony is completely unobstructed, a bustling interstellar hub connecting all directions. It doesn't show any signs of contamination. How could it be related to a Stellaron?" Welt asked, furrowing his brows.
Gallagher nodded, "You are absolutely correct. So, why don't you guess what that implies?"
Stelle showed a confident smile, pointing her finger at Gallagher and shouting, "You're lying again!" 』
『 .....』
〘History Fictionologist A〙: Well, that's what you call a reputation~
〘Hanabi〙: Amusing.
〘Gallagher〙: Sigh, how can I maintain any sense of mystery when I'm grouped with you people who make up history all day?
〘History Fictionologist B〙: What do you mean by that? Believe it or not, I can write a whole chronicle about you and Mikhail right now.
....
『 March 7th, speechlessly pushed Stelle's hand down, then looked at Gallagher with a sheepish smile, gesturing for him to continue.
Gallagher smiled slightly at this scene, ignoring Stelle's smug "I got you" expression, and spoke, "A beautiful dream doesn't just appear out of thin air. If we compare the Memory Zone to an ocean, building a dreamland is like reclaiming land from the raging sea."
"To achieve such a feat, unless an Emanator of Rememberance or Enigmata lends a hand, the only other way is to use a Stellaron."
"And this isn't something that can be done by simply making a wish. It requires a considerable amount of knowledge, along with a massive investment of time and manpower, to make it so seamless. Having said all this, you should understand by now…"
Gallagher turned his head to look at the Grand Theater in the sky. "The current Planet of Festivities is the Stellaron disaster of Asdana." 』
『 ....』
〘Raiden Mei〙: In other words, the very existence of Penacony is a disaster?
〘Herta〙: Exactly. The entirety of Penacony relies on the Stellaron to exist. For the entire Asdana star system, this is a massive catastrophe.
〘March 7th〙: Other people's Stellarons either summon blizzards or awaken the Ambrosial Arbor. Now they can even build beautiful dreams. Stelle, do you have some hidden power too?
〘Stelle〙: I don't know.
....
『 "The Planet of Festivities… is the Stellaron disaster?" March 7th covered her mouth, murmuring in disbelief.
Gallagher turned back to face everyone and continued his explanation.
"The story begins a long time ago. After the Watchmaker and his companions liberated the frontier prison, they were at a loss as to how to build Penacony from scratch. Internal conflicts and external threats were endless. It was then that someone set their sights on the Stellaron."
"This Stellaron had landed in Asdana during the war era. Back then, under the appeal of the Nameless, people abandoned the idea of touching such a power. However, those with ulterior motives had always been stirring in the shadows."
"The turning point of everything occurred after Tiernan's sacrifice. The successive deaths of his two Nameless companions forced the Watchmaker to rush to the frontlines of pioneering. And this journey gave his opponents the perfect opportunity."
"By the time the Family representatives from the Montour system responded to the Watchmaker's call and arrived, the Stellaron had already been activated, seeping into the primordial synesthesia dreamscape." 』
『 ....』