Chapter 297: Welt's Confession
Stelle, having returned with the others, stretched languidly, her joints popping in a satisfying series of cracks. Far from looking tired, she seemed to have enjoyed the excursion immensely, a vibrant energy still buzzing under her skin.
"Ah—! We're finally back!" she declared, her voice echoing with contentment. "It's a bit of a shame we didn't get to soak in one of Natlan's natural hot springs, but Okhema's Bath Palace is pretty good too! March, come on, let's change and go for a bath!"
Even as she spoke, she was already rummaging excitedly through her room, pulling out the Okhema-style bathrobes they had been provided.
March 7th was instantly swept up in Stelle's enthusiasm, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, you're right! A bath is the best way to relax! Dan Heng, want to join us?"
Dan Heng, who had already settled back into his usual cool and composed demeanor, simply shook his head. He held his spear, Cloud-Piercer, as he walked toward the balcony connected to their suite, which overlooked a stunning panorama of Okhema.
"You two go ahead," he said, his voice calm. "I need to organize the records from this world's commission." He had to archive all the important information they had gathered—the details of the battle in Natlan, the characteristics of the Abyss, and their interactions with the locals. It was a task he approached with his typical rigor and sense of responsibility.
And so, with a shared giggle, Stelle and March 7th grabbed their bathrobes and headed for the bathing area.
Not long after, the gentle sound of running water and the relaxed chatter of the girls drifted from within the large, private bath. One could even faintly hear the cheerful sound effects from Stelle's phone as she played a game while soaking in the warm water. Her ability to recover her energy was, as always, extraordinary.
In stark contrast to the Astral Express crew's restful atmosphere, Welt was currently facing a rather delicate situation.
He had returned to the same room on Herta Space Station where he had previously discussed the matter of Amphoreus with the master of the station herself. The instant his form solidified from the teleport, a gaze as sharp and precise as a surgeon's scalpel locked onto him.
Herta, seated at the head of the table, wore no discernible expression on her exquisite, doll-like face, but her eyes—which seemed capable of piercing through the veil of reality—narrowed ever so slightly.
"Welt," Herta began, her voice a fraction faster than usual, betraying a sliver of what she would call 'interest.'
"Your internal energy reserves, at that very instant, showed an abnormal, significant, and non-linear decay. The total decrease was approximately twenty-seven point three percent."
She continued, her analysis cold and methodical. "According to conventional energy dissipation or consumption models, it's almost impossible for a decrease of that magnitude to occur instantaneously, without any observable process."
Herta leaned forward slightly, her gaze scanning Welt's body like a high-precision instrument. "Explain it. This violates the fundamental logic of energy conservation." Her analogy was pointed. "It's as if a massive lake suddenly lost a portion of its water, yet there were no signs of evaporation, diversion, or leakage. What did you do?"
Welt was momentarily startled. He hadn't expected Herta's perception to be quite so keen. He had done his best to conceal his aura upon returning, ensuring his Path-driven power was stable, yet she had instantly detected the not-insignificant expenditure from participating in an otherworldly battle and maintaining high-intensity combat. More than that, she had accurately identified the abnormality of the consumption.
Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Welt's mind raced behind his composed exterior.
The Astral Express crew desperately needed Herta's help, especially concerning Amphoreus—a world that even Akivili the Trailblazer had never set foot in, a place with a bizarre time flow and immense, hidden secrets.
However, fabricating a lie was not his style, nor did it align with the principle of sincerity he and the Astral Express crew consistently upheld. Honesty, after all, was the foundation of cooperation.
On the other hand, the existence of the multi-dimensional chat group was a unique opportunity, one brought to them by Stelle. Although every member of the Astral Express knew about it and participated, it was ultimately Stelle's 'cheat.' As an elder and a companion, Welt had always respected that. He could not, and would not, unilaterally reveal their biggest secret to an outsider without consulting her first—even if that 'outsider' was Herta of the Genius Society.
"Regarding this matter, Ms. Herta," Welt began cautiously, his tone steady and candid, "it involves some… rather special circumstances. I need to first consult with the other party involved. Please wait a moment."
He was, of course, referring to Stelle. Based on his understanding of the girl, she would most likely not mind telling Herta about the chat group. She might even find it an amusing thing to show off. still, procedural respect was necessary.
Herta's exquisite face registered a barely perceptible twitch of an eyebrow. She crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair with a hint of teasing in her voice. "Oh? So mysterious? Is this some cosmic secret that requires even me to sign a confidentiality agreement? Does it warrant a special meeting to discuss?"
Although her words carried a note of skepticism, Herta didn't show any genuine displeasure. It was more akin to a scientist's instinctive curiosity when encountering an unsolved mystery, coupled with a slight annoyance at being kept out of the loop.
Welt offered no further explanation. He simply opened the chat group interface and sent a brief message to Stelle, who was currently enjoying herself in the bath palace, explaining the situation and asking if she was willing to disclose its existence to Herta.
At that moment, in the spacious private bath of Okhema's Bath Palace, Stelle was comfortably immersed up to her neck in the steaming water, letting its warmth soothe the fatigue from her muscles.
Floating beside her was a waterproof tablet, its screen displaying a simple touchscreen game. She poked at it with water-beaded fingers, creating soft tapping sounds that echoed in the steamy room.
Upon receiving Welt's message, Stelle merely glanced at it, not even pausing her game. She replied directly, her tone carrying the languid, matter-of-fact air of someone thoroughly enjoying a hot bath.
"Sure, telling Ms. Herta is no big deal. We were going to ask her for help anyway, so what's the point of hiding it? And besides…"
Stelle's lips curled into a cunning arc, the gears of her own little schemes turning in her mind. On one hand, she genuinely believed that honesty with allies was the right policy. On the other, she harbored a few thoughts of 'showing off' and getting a bit of well-earned satisfaction.
'It's good to let her know!' she thought smugly. 'Lest she always thinks it's my duty to test the Simulated Universe for her, while being stingy with the rewards. Hmph, the rewards aren't bad, but a trailblazer's greed is boundless!'
'So what if you're a genius with a big brain? Can you casually travel through worlds? Can you pull all sorts of magical items out of thin air? This is called 'protagonist luck,' understand?!'
After receiving Stelle's clear and unsurprising affirmative reply, Welt felt reassured.
He looked at Herta, who was waiting with an air of patient amusement, cleared his throat, and began to explain in a manner as objective and concise as possible.
"Ms. Herta, it was not an intentional concealment. The situation is this: Stelle… she accidentally connected to a special existence that can only be described as a 'multi-dimensional chat group.'"
"This chat group can connect different worlds. Just now, through this group, we accepted a request for help from a world called 'Teyvat.'"
"We traveled to the 'Natlan' region of that world to assist the local residents in combating an invasive energy they call the 'Abyss.' The energy loss you perceived was mainly incurred during that otherworldly operation."
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]