[Lumine: Wait, what do you mean?! I'm very devoted!]
Lumine wasn't stupid. If she admitted it, how would she ever get close to all those beautiful girls again? Everywhere she went, people would probably see her as a pervert, a playgirl, or a scumbag. So she couldn't admit it. Absolutely not.
But just as she finished speaking, a certain Emergency Food immediately undermined her.
[Paimon: Lumine, but didn't you call them "darlings" in the video too?]
[Lisa: Oh my, it really does seem that way. Did my little cutie have her eyes on me too?]
[Grand Master Jean: No, there must be some misunderstanding. The Honorable Knight is definitely not that kind of person.]
Outside Mondstadt's Hunters Lodge, Lumine had just sat down when, under Paimon's bewildered gaze, she swiftly pulled her into an embrace. Before Paimon could figure out why Lumine had suddenly hugged her, Lumine whispered in her ear, "Paimon, do you think we should have Honey-Glazed Carrot Roast today, or a Paimon Stuffed Burger?"
Paimon immediately realized what was going on and hurriedly called out in the chat.
[Paimon: But the Traveler's darlings should include me too, right? After all, I'm her best companion.]
[Lumine: That's right, exactly.]
[Noelle: So that's how it is. As expected, someone who could become the Knights' Honorable Knight couldn't possibly be so fickle.]
[Kaeya: Oh~ Is that really so?]
The Cavalry Captain, who was slacking off in the tavern, said nothing. Did they really think he hadn't seen it? When Lumine had first met Grand Master Jean and Lisa, her eyes had practically been glued to their Slimes. As a man, he understood perfectly what that meant. But what did it have to do with him? Rather than exposing Lumine, it was much more entertaining to watch from the sidelines. Besides, with this Livestream Room around, it would all be exposed sooner or later.
With that thought, Kaeya couldn't help ordering several more bottles of wine, declaring that the bill would be put on some Righteous One's tab. What he failed to notice was the red-haired figure standing behind him...
[System: Alright, alright, enough about them.]
[System: Now comes the moment everyone has been waiting for—the time to hand out rewards to the protagonist.]
[Kiana: Ooh, ooh, ooh! Right, I almost forgot there were rewards.]
[Bronya: Idiot Kiana, why are you so excited?]
[Kiana: Didn't you hear? The protagonist is getting a reward! Aren't I the protagonist?]
[Fu Hua: Kiana, the system meant the protagonist in the video, not you.]
[Kiana: So that's what it meant, Class Monitor?]
At this moment, the leaders of all the major factions were waiting for the rewards to be distributed. Though rewards had been mentioned before, no one knew whether they would truly be given out.
[System: Distributing rewards...]
[System: Congratulations to Stelle for receiving the reward "Trash Can Sprite." Congratulations to Lumine for receiving the reward "Treasure Chest Compass."]
Inside the Stellaris Train, Stelle was being lectured by the train's parental figures when a miniature flying trash can with wings suddenly appeared before her. At the same time, an introduction to the Trash Can Sprite appeared in her mind:
Trash Can Sprite Abilities: 1. Where Is the Magical Trash?: The sprite could use trash cans that had previously been searched as links for spatial teleportation. 2. Resize Anywhere: It could freely change its size from palm-sized to as large as a big dumpster. 3. Trash Recycling: Every time the sprite ate a certain amount of trash, it could poop—crossed out—produce a small random amount of supplies. 4. Ever-Changing Can: The sprite could transform into every type of trash can it had seen, though only in appearance.
After Stelle explained the sprite's abilities to the Trailblaze Crew, the entire crew couldn't help contributing to global warming.
Pam: So someone could finally help Pam clean up the train's garbage?
Cleaning up the Stellaris Train's trash was no small issue. The universe had rules against littering, after all. Many Starships had once crashed into space debris, resulting in their destruction and the deaths of everyone aboard. Thus, for safety reasons, all the major factions in the universe prohibited throwing trash into space.
The Stellaris Train was no exception. Moreover, since they spent long periods trailblazing across different planets, every world had a different environment. What was ordinary trash on one planet might be a weapon of destruction on another. (For example, if modern humans traveled back to ancient times, with the immune systems of ancient people, we would be living biological weapons to them.)
Therefore, the train's garbage disposal had become a major issue. But with the little sprite, things were different. From now on, they wouldn't have to save up trash until they reached a suitable planet to throw it away.
While Pam focused on the sprite's recycling ability, Old Yang and Himeko were thinking much further ahead.
Himeko: Stelle, so it can let you teleport through trash cans?
Little Sprite: Trash.
Stelle: It says it can.
March 7th: How could you understand what it said?
Stelle: Because I am... the King of Trash!
March 7th: Weren't you Galaxy Bat Man? When did you become the King of Trash?
Stelle: The moment I got it—the sprite—I knew I was destined to become the woman of the Trash King.
March 7th: ...
Watching the two of them fool around nearby, Old Yang interrupted, "Stelle, can you demonstrate it?"
Stelle: Sure thing. Little Steel Coin, show them your true power!
March 7th: You call it Little Steel Coin?
Stelle: Yep. Great name, right?
Stelle wore an expression that said, As expected of me.
March 7th: Uh... as long as you're happy.
The little sprite... no, Little Steel Coin, immediately obeyed Stelle's command. It changed from palm-sized into a trash can large enough to fit a person inside, even opening its own lid. The Trailblaze Crew looked inside and found it spotlessly clean, without a trace of garbage.
Stelle slowly climbed inside. The instant she entered, the trash can's lid closed.
Seeing this, the Trailblaze Crew panicked and immediately overturned the trash can. Yet the Stellaris Core who should have been inside had already vanished.
At the same time, a trash can elsewhere on the train suddenly began shaking. Everyone looked over to see a filthy Stellaris Core with a Banana Peel on her head crawling out of it.
Everyone hurriedly backed away several steps, covering their noses as they stared at her in disgust.
March 7th: Stelle, hurry up and wash yourself. You stink.
Stelle: Do I?
Dan Heng: Yes. You smell like garbage all over.
Seeing the disgust in her companions' eyes, Stelle, a Stellaris Core who had only recently taken human form, declared, "This strong garbage smell is amazing~ This is the regal aura of the King of Trash!"
Leaving aside Stelle, who was currently immersed in her own "regal aura," the train's two parental figures were thinking about much more. j
Himeko: Stelle, does Little Spi... Little Steel Coin's teleportation ability have any restrictions?
Little Steel Coin: Trash, trash trash, tra-trash.
Stelle: Little Steel Coin says, "It can teleport ten times per day within a single planet, but only once per day between planets."
Old Yang: In other words, it can let you return instantly to the train from another planet at any time?
Stelle: That's right. Exactly.
Himeko and Old Yang exchanged a glance. They immediately understood just how terrifying this ability was. While trailblazing across different planets, they would inevitably encounter dangers. Although they had the beacons left behind by the Trailblaze Aeon, the beacons could not be used for teleportation from anywhere. They had to physically touch a beacon to teleport, and they could only teleport near beacons they had activated before. Yet most places they needed to explore had no beacons nearby, meaning they could not leave in time when danger arose.
(The setting here is that the Trailblaze Aeon Akivili had once left behind beacons formed from his power on countless planets throughout the universe. Nameless could activate those beacons through the power of The Trailblaze to teleport, but only within the same planet or back to the train.)
But now things were different. With Little Steel Coin, they could directly teleport back to the train whenever they encountered danger in the future. The cost, however...
Looking at Stelle's filthy state, everyone agreed: unless it was absolutely necessary, they should avoid using this ability.
Before you continue