Chapter 205: Sincerity is a Winning Hand
Paimon floated thoughtfully for a moment before answering, "It was when we first arrived in Erebos, on our way to that floating palace in the sky. While you and March 7th were resting, I had a little chat with Dan Heng about the universe."
"Oh..." A faint blush crept up Stelle's neck as she sheepishly rubbed her nose. If she remembered correctly, the relentless battles had left her utterly drained, and she'd… secretly dozed off for a bit.
"Hey, everyone gets sleepy sometimes! It's totally understandable," she said, a little too defensively.
Just then, Mimi, the little wisp of light hovering nearby, chimed in again. The sound, clear as a young girl's voice, echoed directly in Stelle's mind, laced with a hint of urgency. "Mimi! Mi, mi!"
Stelle's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wait, you're saying... you can collect scattered memories to recreate scenes from Erebos City's past?" The implications of that power hit her like a lightning bolt—it was the perfect solution to their current crisis.
Mimi bobbed its small, luminous body vigorously, a clear sign of affirmation.
Paimon and Wise, however, could only exchange bewildered glances, watching the one-sided conversation unfold.
Paimon couldn't hold back her confusion. "Hold on, Stelle, you can actually understand what it's saying? To us, it just sounds like... 'mimimi'!"
From her perspective, the sound only varied in pitch. Yet, in Stelle's translation, four simple syllables apparently contained a wealth of information.
Stelle immediately planted her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and flashed a proud grin. "Of course! It'd be pretty embarrassing if I couldn't, right? I am, after all, the Astral Express's... uh... diplomatic master! I'm an expert in all forms of communication!"
She didn't have the faintest clue why she could understand the little creature, but that certainly wasn't going to stop her from showing off.
Though Paimon suspected this alien visitor's self-proclaimed title of "communication expert" might be a slight exaggeration, now was clearly not the time to argue the point.
Hope surged through her. "If it can help us find the memories of Erebos City, then we can't waste any more time! Let's go, now!" Their companions were still back in the city, fighting a desperate battle against the clock.
"No problem!" Stelle readily agreed, but then a thought struck her. "But hang on a second. I need to give my companions in the group a quick update on the situation and our plan. I don't want them to worry."
She hadn't forgotten that four other teams were still scattered across Erebos City, struggling to buy them this precious time. With a flicker of intent, she immersed her consciousness into the chat group.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "@All Members Report! We found Oloronis! The process was... a little complicated, but the short version is, we have a guide now! Her name is Mimi! It says it can help us collect memories and recreate the past of Erebos City! We're heading out to find them right now!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "How are you guys doing? Can you still hold on? What's the situation with Belle?"
[Genshin Impact · Lumine]: "Received. We're focused on maintaining the seal for now. The Stellaron is being drained significantly, but I absorbed a lot of Nykado's energy attacks earlier, so I can keep things stable for a while longer."
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "And me! And me! My Stand is still inside the seal, fighting Nykado!"
[Genshin Impact · Zhongli]: "The Stone Steles remain stable; there are no major issues on my end for the time being. I will reinforce the seal here, then proceed to check on Belle's position. You should all focus on finding a way to break this stalemate."
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "He's frozen solid, but this guy is struggling constantly! If I leave, Nykado will probably break out of the ice immediately!"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Dan Heng]: "Indeed. Freezing it is not a long-term solution. We can still hear the sounds of battle from Belle's direction, so she must still be holding her ground."
[Honkai: Star Rail · March 7th]: "Oh, right! Stelle! What is Mimi?"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Mimi is..."
Before she could finish typing, the luminous form of Oloronis, which had been silent, suddenly pulsed with light. That grand yet hesitant voice echoed once more. It seemed unaccustomed to communicating with so many "outsiders," but its core intent was still clear enough for Wise to translate.
Wise leaned in, listening intently, before relaying the message. "Lord Oloronis says... it... it still hopes... that after you've dealt with the urgent matters, if you have the chance... you must... you must bring your companion back here again..." His tone was laced with a hint of uncertainty, as if he too found the Titan's request somewhat abrupt.
Stelle looked at the light, which seemed to have shrunk in on itself slightly, her expression puzzled. "Why? Is there something else?"
Wise continued to translate Oloronis's words, which were now heavy with a complex mix of emotions. "It says... because it can clearly feel that 'Mother's' aura is of the same origin as your companion's..."
"Otherwise, you would never be imbued with such a rich, such a clear mark of 'Mother'... It... yearns to see 'Mother' again... to confirm that peace..."
Stelle paused, then stroked her chin. A look of dawning comprehension—followed by an even more intense curiosity—spread across her face. "Ohhh, so that's it. Alright, I get it! After we deal with that Nykado guy, I'll try to bring March over to see you!"
It wasn't a difficult request to fulfill, and besides, her own curiosity was now burning. March, oh March, she thought, what in the worlds is this 'mother-daughter' connection you have with this socially awkward ancient Titan?
"Let's go, Mimi!" Reinvigorated, Stelle waved to the wisp of light floating in the air. "Lead the way! Let's find the lost memories of Erebos City!"
"Mi!" Mimi chirped cheerfully in response.
Leaving the Hall of the Three Fates and its ancient, heavy atmosphere behind, the group hurried back towards Belle's last known location. While carefully handling the rugged path, Stelle submerged most of her consciousness back into the chat group to continue where she'd left off.
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Don't worry, Oloronis just spoke to us again about something. It asked us to come back and meet it after we're done, and I agreed."
[Honkai: Star Rail · Stelle]: "Oh, right, about Mimi. If I had to describe it... it's like a 'small gift' Fuli gave me after it glanced my way?"
That single sentence was like a boulder dropped into a placid lake.
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "!!! Fu-Fuli?! You mean that incredibly powerful [Aeon of Remembrance] that Dan Heng was talking about?!"
[Genshin Impact · Paimon]: "You were looked at by an Aeon?! Then... then does that make you... an [Emanator]?! Just like a protagonist in a light novel?! Whoa—that's so amazing!!!"
Paimon's text was so frantic it practically vibrated on the screen, conveying an image of her flailing wildly in shock.
Stelle stared at the message. "..."
Oops, she thought, a cold sweat breaking out on her brow. I think I might have overshared.
Perhaps influenced by the recent flood of memories, Stelle could almost feel Kafka's subtle, disappointed gaze upon her—the one that always seemed to say, Oh dear, you've made a mess.
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