『 As soon as the words left his mouth, the bartender turned around and skillfully picked up the ingredients to get to work. After putting on a show of his mixing techniques, the bartender carefully placed the most expensive malt juice Boothill had ordered right in front of him.
Boothill's eyes lit up. He took it without hesitation and, without saying another word, took a massive gulp, draining more than half of it in one go.
As his throat moved and he felt the burning liquid slide down his esophagus, he couldn't help but let out a sigh of pure satisfaction.
"Ahh! This flavor... Dynamite Barbecue with Rocket Fuel... It really hits the spot! Truly the finest sherry cask-aged malt juice in the cosmos."
Hearing this from the side, Dan Heng's eyes filled with doubt. He looked at Boothill and asked, "'Dynamite Barbecue with Rocket Fuel'... Is that really something that humans enjoy?" 』
『 ....』
〘Elysia〙: Mobius, you couldn't have been drinking this flavor the last time you got drunk, right?
〘Mobius〙: How is that possible! And besides, I've never been drunk!
〘Stelle〙: Hiss, what a weird flavor. I want to try it.
〘March 7th〙: I think you'd better not. Even that Flaming Rich Tea in Aurum Alley managed to knock you flat.
〘Stelle〙: You dare call that tea? I feel like if I pulled out a lighter and flicked it, that stuff would catch fire!
〘Aha〙: VODKA!!! (Sound of glass shattering)
〘Boss Du〙: If I say it is, then it is!
〘Theresa Apocalypse〙: Do all expensive drinks taste this weird?
〘·HI3· Himeko Murata〙: Don't look at me, I can't afford it. And besides, even if I could, I wouldn't try such a bizarre flavor.
....
『 Hearing this, the bartender and Boothill looked at each other and smiled. Boothill pointed at Dan Heng and teased, "Hehe, he doesn't get it at all."
The bartender bowed with professional courtesy, "As long as you two are satisfied. Please enjoy."
With that, the bartender left to mix drinks for other customers. Seeing this, Boothill planned to have a good chat with Dan Heng about their current situation. The two found a quiet corner to talk, though to avoid being missed by the Memokeeper when she arrived, they didn't wander too far.
"We'll wait for that Memokeeper for half a system hour. If she still doesn't show, we'll figure something else out. This is plenty of time for us to properly piece together the current situation. In your opinion, where does the problem lie?"
Holding his glass and staring at the pale blue liquid inside, Dan Heng replied softly, "The situation is indeed unclear. Something must have happened to the Planet of Festivities, yet the public is completely unaware. Surely someone high up in the Family is covering up the state of affairs."
"The Harmony extending invitations to other factions is unusual in itself, not to mention the IPC and the Masked Fools are involved. If the Emanator of Nihility you mentioned is indeed real, Penacony's current situation is… somewhat too complex."
Thinking of this, Dan Heng couldn't help but frown at the chaotic situation before them.
"Actually, regarding Acheron, there's another thing that bothers me," Boothill continued with a serious expression. "You know as well as I do that the factions who follow the Hunt are the last people in the galaxy you want to mess with. No sane fellow would dare impersonate the Xianzhou Alliance or the Galaxy Rangers. That's just begging for death…"
"Isn't there a saying among the Xianzhou people? The Reignbow Arbiter only decrees THEIR wheelchair with the Lux Arrow—"
"Divine decree. It's 'decrees THEIR divine decree.'" Dan Heng corrected with a calm face. 』
『 ....』
〘Aha〙: Wheelchair? Hahahahahahaha~ how entertaining! Don't say it, those two wheels under that vengeful centaur really do look like a wheelchair, hahahaha~
〘Hanabi〙: So, the Hunt rides a wheelchair while shooting arrows at the Abundance? Hahahahaha~
〘Stelle〙: That's too wild. Even Herta's Simulated Universe isn't this wild.
〘Gallagher〙: You might as well stop being a Ranger and go join the History Fictionologists. Those guys are short on talent like you.
〘March 7th〙: Is this a case of a bad guy's meticulous planning being no match for a fool's sudden spark of genius?
....
『 "Whatever, you get what I mean," Boothill waved his hand. "Anyway, even though the Galaxy Rangers have been off the grid for so many years, we've still got our eyes on this universe. Many dumbasses would rather offend the Annihilation Gang than cross a Ranger."
"But that Acheron… at least from what she's done, she doesn't seem like a lunatic. On the contrary, she's very logical and methodical. She holds back when she should, and she's absolutely ruthless when decisive action is needed."
Following Boothill's line of reasoning, Dan Heng raised an eyebrow and said, "You think someone like her borrowing the name of a Galaxy Ranger has another motive."
Boothill shook his head, "I wouldn't say that for sure; I just find it a bit fishy. Maybe she really knows a Galaxy Ranger, or maybe she's trying to draw us out for some reason…" He shrugged and smiled, "Who knows."
"I'm still more concerned about the Family's anomalies. Because of this festival, Pathstriders from over a dozen Paths have been gathered in Penacony. No matter how inclusive the Family claims to be, they wouldn't make such an abnormal move."
At this point, Dan Heng thought of a possibility, "Unless the invitations weren't sent by them. In that case, the Family's insistence on holding the Charmony Festival under these circumstances… is even more intriguing." 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: Dan Heng-sensei, you are my god!
〘Stelle〙: So smart, Dan Heng-sensei!
〘Dan Heng〙: …Sigh…
....
『 "Maybe it's Xipe the Harmony pulling the strings. You find it beyond human understanding because it wasn't arranged by humans at all," Boothill shrugged.
"People do stupid things out of irrational impulses. They abandon their principles when self-interest is involved. They believe in things they know they shouldn't, and fudge— they even break their own rules!"
"But Aeons don't. THEY stick to their determined path and never turn back, even if THEY reach a dead end!" 』
『 ....』
〘Herta〙: Because violating one's own Path leads only to a single road that's easy to see the end of—a dead end.
〘Stelle〙: I have a question!
〘Herta〙: Ask.
〘Stelle〙: Since Nanook the Destruction wants to destroy everything, what will happen to him when he has destroyed absolutely everything and only he himself is left? Will he destroy himself?
〘Dr. Ratio〙: This question of yours was raised by someone a long time ago, but after all this time, there is still no answer. Just like whether the Hunt will still exist after finally killing Yaoshi, it is very difficult to give a definitive answer.
....
『 "You think Xipe's will is behind all this?"
"It may not necessarily be Xipe, but there's definitely some higher entity involved. I know it may sound pessimistic, but if human free will were reliable, why would we even need Galaxy Rangers?"
"It's much simpler when you boil it down to the Aeons and Paths, like how Lan always follows the Path of The Hunt or how the Express stays true to the Trailblaze despite Akivili's disappearance," Boothill spread his hands and laughed.
Dan Heng picked up the conversation, "But in my opinion, Akivili's fall holds significance for the Nameless."
"Oh? So you're saying the Nameless now have to take responsibility for their own choices because their 'absolutely right' leader is gone?"
Dan Heng nodded, "Exactly. I believe the purpose of the journey isn't just about following a path that's always considered 'absolutely right'..."
"It's more about doing your best to choose the 'right path' for yourself among countless possibilities, even with limited insight and judgment." 』
『 ....』
(Here is a slight explanation about the memes Boothill said. In the CN dialogue, Boothill butchers a classic Xianzhou proverb about Lan by mispronouncing 纶音 (lúnyīn, meaning "divine decree") as 轮椅 (lúnyǐ, meaning "wheelchair"). The original saying translates to "The Reignbow Arbiter only conveys their divine decree with the Lux Arrow," while Boothill accidentally says "The Reignbow Arbiter only decrees their wheelchair with the Lux Arrow...")