Chapter 117: Stelle: Will the Conductor Care? Probably Not.
Dan Heng wasn't surprised by the question. He simply nodded. "That's right. The information did mention four Dragon Orbs, each corresponding to one of the four Dragon Gods."
"After collecting them all, it should be possible to unlock a deeper, more complete inheritance. But as for its ultimate potential..." He paused, then admitted with scholarly frankness, "Without a trial, the data is vague. I cannot make a definitive statement...."
He leaned forward slightly, emphasizing his next point. "Although they are both called 'Dragon Clans,' the fundamental laws of their respective worlds are vastly different. The power of the Dragon Clan in that world and the power of the Vidyadhara Dragon High Elder in ours... their essence, their manifestation, and even their adaptability likely have enormous differences. Whether they can even be compatible is another unknown."
He maintained a clear, sober perspective, refusing to get carried away by the grand-sounding title of "Four Rivers Dragon Gods."
"Alright, that's enough about the Dragon Orbs for now." With a flick of his wrist, Dan Heng stored the Crimson-Bearded Dragon Orb and retrieved something else.
It was a sleek, silver-white appliance humming with latent technology. Roughly the size of a household coffee maker, it featured several delicate spouts and a glowing touchscreen on its surface.
"This is a more suitable gain to share at the moment," Dan Heng said, his tone a bit more relaxed as he placed the machine on a low table. "The Star Rail Teas Universal Tea Brewer. According to the description, you simply input or select a beverage name on the panel, and it can precisely replicate any drink from the known universe."
"Whether it's a hot or cold drink, it can perfectly produce it at the most suitable temperature, with the best taste and the purest aroma."
"Whoa! This is amazing!" March 7th's attention was immediately captured. She circled the tea brewer, her finger curiously tapping against the smooth touchscreen. "And the name is perfect, 'Star Rail Teas'! It's made for the Astral Express! We can use this to make drinks from now on!"
Then, as if struck by a sudden memory, she clapped her hands together. "Ah! That's right! Speaking of gifts suitable for the Astral Express..."
March 7th quickly produced a beautifully wrapped, warm-looking gift box of her own. She opened the lid to reveal a strangely shaped, soft comb that looked as if it were fashioned from the tail of some fluffy creature, nestled beside several bottles of care solution that emitted a faint, pleasant scent.
"Ta-da! The first thing I got—the 'Warm and Cozy' Constant Temperature Plush Care Set!" She picked up the fluffy comb and brandished it like a priceless treasure. "This isn't just an ordinary comb! It has constant temperature heating and super-gentle massage functions. It can help Pom-Pom perfectly groom that beautiful plush fur, keep it fluffy and smooth, and even relieve fatigue! How about it? Isn't it super suitable for our esteemed Conductor?"
Watching Dan Heng present the tea brewer and March 7th pull out the plush care set, both looking so thoroughly prepared, Stelle suddenly felt a pang of isolation.
She looked at Dan Heng, then at March 7th. Finally, her gaze fell on Pom-Pom, who was standing behind the bar. Though the Conductor's expression remained as stoic as ever, their ears had noticeably perked up. A theatrical wail escaped Stelle's lips.
"Hey, hey, hey! What's going on with you two? Why are you suddenly giving Pom-Pom gifts? This makes me look bad! It's like I'm the only one who bullies the Conductor every day!" She did her best to look aggrieved, but her eyes kept darting guiltily toward Pom-Pom.
March 7th planted her hands on her hips, her voice full of righteous indignation. "We have to! The Conductor works so hard for us and takes such good care of us, especially when it comes to 'lending'us such precious'luck'!"
"We have to show some gratitude and return the favor! It's called being considerate!" She deliberately emphasized the words "lend luck," then shot a mischievous look at Stelle. "That's right, Stelle, you should probably rein it in a bit! You're always chasing Pom-Pom around for pets. What if you actually annoy the Conductor? If Pom-Pom never lends you 'luck'for your gacha pulls again, what will you do then?!"'Luck... no longer lent?'
March's words struck Stelle like a bolt of lightning.
Lately, she had been... a little too lively, hadn't she? The frequency of her Pom-Pom-chasing antics had certainly increased.
'Conductor Pom-Pom... should... probably... maybe... be a magnanimous leader who doesn't hold grudges against us small fry, right?'she thought frantically.'They wouldn't actually write down all these little "interactions" in a notebook, would they? Right?'
Stelle subconsciously glanced at Pom-Pom.
The Conductor was still standing behind the bar with their arms crossed. Their round eyes scanned the "Star Rail Teas" brewer Dan Heng had placed on the table, then flicked over to the fluffy "Warm and Cozy" comb in March's hand. Finally, their gaze landed on Stelle, whose expression had gone slightly stiff.
A sound, so faint it was almost imaginary—a tiny huff—seemed to escape Pom-Pom's nose.
Then, without a word, the Conductor turned around and began vigorously wiping the already spotless bar counter, acting as if they hadn't seen or heard a thing.
Stelle's heart thumped in her chest.
That nearly imperceptible huff and deliberately averted gaze were like a tiny thorn pricking at her conscience. She was starting to feel genuinely unsure. The Conductor wouldn't really hold a grudge, would they? No! She absolutely could not be excluded from the "Thankful Conductor Squad"!
Stelle's initiative had always been one of her strongest assets.
She immediately straightened her back, squeezed out what she believed was her most sincere smile, and announced loudly, "Alright then! We'll go give them together! The Astral Express Trailblaze crew has to be neat and tidy when giving gifts. No one gets left behind!"
March 7th eyed her suspiciously. "Wait, Stelle, you didn't pull from the gacha this time, so where would you get a suitable gift for Pom-Pom? Don't you dare just grab something random to try and fool the Conductor!" She remembered quite clearly that Stelle had been even more broke than usual and hadn't made a single pull.
Stelle smugly wiggled a finger, an expression on her face that screamed, 'You're so naive.'
"March, your perspective is too narrow! Who said gifts have to be newly acquired? This is called—inventory reuse! Preparing for a rainy day! Understand?"
With an air of great seriousness, she opened the team's shared inventory panel and pretended to search diligently. "Look, isn't that spare bamboo dragonfly I pulled before still in here? That's a great item!"
"If we give it to Conductor Pom-Pom, think about it! Later, when they're cleaning the top of the Astral Express or wiping the huge windows in the observation car, wouldn't it be easy-peasy? They could just zip back and forth like the wind!"
"I'm thinking about the Conductor's daily maintenance work! What a practical and thoughtful gift!" Stelle couldn't help but preen, thoroughly impressed with her own "cleverness."
Behind the bar, Pom-Pom's wiping motion seemed to pause for half a second.
March 7th then recalled that Stelle had indeed bought one bamboo dragonfly for a competition and later pulled another from the gacha—the very spare she was talking about now. Although she felt her friend's motives were far from pure, the gift itself was surprisingly practical.
She pouted. "Alright, alright, I guess you do have something in stock."
And so, the three of them arranged their respective offerings. Dan Heng held the high-tech "Star Rail Teas" brewer, March 7th cradled the warm "Warm and Cozy" care set, and Stelle carefully presented her spare bamboo dragonfly. Together, they walked toward Pom-Pom, who was still "diligently" wiping the counter behind the bar.
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