Isn't It Normal for a Four-Person Squad to Have Three Members?

She just couldn't sit still, could she?~

Lin Nai sat on the sofa, watching Stelle sit down beside him.

The train was about to depart.

Would the next stop be in the past, or the future?

Random Skill: Flash Flight Ability (Allows the user to fly through space at extreme speeds as if transformed into a flash of light. Can also transform into a sphere of light. Its speed cannot be calculated.)

The train was a great place.

It could even farm two skills like this...

Three-Person Team—Isn't It Normal for There to Be Four People?

The Stellar Express sped through space.

Everything inside remained steady.

Lin Nai and Welt sat to one side, assembling a model called the Araraha Mech.

At the same time,

Welt explained the principles of warp travel to Lin Nai.

Thanks to having lived at the Herta Space Station for a while, Lin Nai could more or less understand some of it.

Dan Heng sat quietly in a corner, flipping through a book.

Kizuna sat near the phonograph, gently stirring the coffee she had carefully brewed with a spoon.

March Seven and Stelle sat on the sofa, chatting with each other.

It was at that moment

that Pom-Pom trotted over on short little legs and stopped in front of Stelle and March Seven.

"The train has exited the Space Station's safe zone. Warp will begin in five minutes."

"Please remain seated, hold on tight, and watch out for vibrations!"

Pom-Pom said with a serious expression, though his gaze was fixed squarely on March Seven.

You were the one he meant!

You restless passenger, March Seven!

March Seven smiled sheepishly. "You didn't need to come all the way over just to remind me, did you, Pom-Pom? We've warped so many times already."

"Who told Passenger March Seven to challenge herself every single time, only to fall over afterward?"

"Um... hehehe, that's called never giving up." March Seven playfully stuck out her tongue before continuing, "By the way, Conductor, could I have a glass of juice?"

Pom-Pom turned and walked away. "The train is about to begin warping. You can drink it afterward."

"Ah~ But I'm thirsty."

"Passenger Kizuna has coffee. If Passenger March Seven is thirsty enough, she can drink that."

"...I'll pass."

March Seven recalled the taste of the coffee and shuddered.

Big Sister Kizuna's coffee was not something a normal person could drink.

According to Stelle, Lin Nai had only felt briefly weak and powerless after drinking it.

Hmm.

So should that mean Lin Nai wasn't an ordinary person, or that Kizuna's coffee was simply too powerful?

The moment Pom-Pom had gone far enough away, March Seven immediately stood up.

A puzzled look appeared in Stelle's eyes.

If she remembered correctly, Pom-Pom had just told March Seven to sit properly.

March Seven said, "Oh, it's fine. I just want to see whether I can stay standing! Don't worry about me!"

Stelle said, "But don't you fall over every time?"

March Seven said, "What are you talking about?! I'll definitely improve this time!"

"Hey! Hey, hey! Please return to your seats! Warp is about to begin, so please get ready!"

As Pom-Pom counted down five seconds, the train seemed to become wrapped in a layer of pale blue energy.

Then it accelerated!!

Buzzz—

Very soon,

the warp was complete.

The train arrived at its new destination.

March Seven leaned against Lin Nai, blinking blankly in surprise. "Huh? Lin Nai?"

She had thought she would fall onto the floor.

Six-Phased Ice had already formed on the ground.

Then she discovered a warm embrace behind her.

"I saw you were about to fall, so I came over."

Lin Nai helped March Seven upright as he spoke.

At the instant of the warp,

he had noticed March Seven about to fall to the ground, so he simply accelerated over.

"Thank you..."

So warm.

"You're welcome." Lin Nai turned and saw Stelle deep in thought. "What are you thinking about?"

Whenever Stelle started using her brain,

Lin Nai felt it was terrifying...

"Mm..."

Instead of answering Lin Nai, Stelle deliberately tripped her left foot with her right and fell toward the floor.

Lin Nai froze for a moment, but he still instinctively accelerated over and caught her.

"What are you doing?"

"Testing something?"

Stelle wore a goofy grin.

Lin Nai decisively flicked her forehead.

"Ow..." Stelle covered her head and pouted. "I didn't do it on purpose."

Lin Nai's face remained expressionless.

You said you didn't do it on purpose? Were you trying to brush him off?

Your left foot had been moving around for ages before you figured out how to trip yourself with your right foot.

It wasn't like he hadn't seen it!

If he hadn't caught her, wouldn't she have taken a tumble on flat ground?

Stelle's eyes drifted away as she tried to whistle.

Only, she couldn't whistle, and for some inexplicable reason, it turned into blowing air and spraying saliva.

Lin Nai immediately covered her mouth with a tissue. "I'll teach you later. Stop spraying."

"Mmph..." Stelle wiped her mouth with the tissue and tossed it into a nearby trash can.

The others gradually came over as well.

Kizuna looked through the window at the enormous planet and sighed. "After thousands of years, has Jarilo-VI become like this?"

"Eh! Is that completely white planet our target this time?"

Kizuna nodded, folding her arms beneath her chest. "That's right. I imagine this Trailblazing journey won't be easy either."

"Spatial readings are abnormal! Star Rail stability has dropped to 12%!"

Pom-Pom suddenly appeared beside everyone and said, "The docking plan has changed. The scheduled stay at this station has been extended from seven days to indefinitely!"

Standing by the window, Lin Nai had become unusually quiet after covering Stelle's mouth.

He merely stared at the planet called Jarilo-VI, as though he were asking something.

"Lin Nai, is something wrong?"

Dan Heng noticed that something was off about Lin Nai and immediately asked.

"I... I'm fine."

After coming back to himself, Lin Nai shook his head.

After fooling around with Stelle, he had vaguely heard some ethereal, indistinct voice.

It seemed to be calling for him.

But...

What was it?

"Forget it..."

Lin Nai rubbed his temples and steadied himself. "So the anomaly this time is actually a Stellaron, right?"

"That's right."

Welt nodded. "It's the same kind of substance as the Stellaron placed inside her body."

"Aren't they both Stellarons?"

Lin Nai looked utterly confused. Could there really be any difference between one Stellaron and another?

"..."

Welt fell silent. Based on past experience, he felt that Lin Nai would not understand even if he explained.

So he simply skipped the topic, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem. In short, if we don't resolve this matter, there can be no Trailblazing."

"So! It's time for us, the Astral Express crew, to head out again!" March Seven said eagerly.

She could hardly wait!!

"This time, let this senior take Lin Nai and Stelle with me!"

March Seven patted her chest as she spoke.

"Dan Heng should come too." Kizuna looked toward the person standing nearby. "Young people should build some rapport too."

"Okay."

"Yay! An exciting grand adventure!"

"Yay!"

Watching March Seven and Stelle cheer energetically off to the side,

Lin Nai and Dan Heng shook their heads in unison. They both felt that this journey would probably be troublesome.

But...

It should be fun too.

Wait.

Shouldn't someone say something like, we're a three-person team, at a time like this?