Acheron did not mind and walked straight toward the carriage ahead. Caelus quickly figured it out: his relationship with Acheron was already this close, so why would he care whose room it was? Sleeping together every day would not be a problem.
When they arrived in the observation car, Pom-Pom had already prepared breakfast. Having a Station Master like this truly earned the Nameless's admiration. No wonder March 7th liked Pom-Pom so much; Caelus was growing fonder of it too.
Himeko turned on the radio. Though seeing such a thing in this high-tech universe was rather unusual, it was still quite useful, capable of receiving broadcasts from across the galaxy.
Penacony, the Planet of Festivities, announced that it would invite the renowned singer Miss Robin to perform at the Grand Gala.
"Eh, Miss Robin is coming?"
March 7th could not help remarking on the news, and Caelus joined in.
"That name sounds familiar."
"She's that huge star. Other than planets with underdeveloped civilizations, everyone should know her, right?"
As a fashion-conscious girl, March 7th naturally listened to plenty of music. She often wore headphones in her room, so of course she was familiar with Robin's voice.
"Ah, I remember now. I saw one of her advertisements yesterday. So that means we can see the real person in Penacony."
Caelus patted his head as he spoke, feeling slightly surprised. He had only said yesterday that he wanted to marry that superstar, yet she had been invited here. What a coincidence.
"Yeah. What about it?" March 7th asked.
"It'd be great if she could become my wife."
"Keep dreaming."
"Hey, why are you insulting me?"
Caelus looked at March 7th unhappily. It was perfectly normal for him to have hopes for the future, yet she had to rain on his parade.
"I'm stating facts. Take a look at yourself. Why would a superstar ever fall for you?"
"Am I not handsome enough?"
"You look fine, but your personality is awful. What kind of man couldn't a superstar find? Why would she settle for being your second wife?"
March 7th never attacked Caelus's appearance, because he really was good-looking. The problem was that his character was terrible. Whenever he saw a beautiful woman, he chased after her and asked her to become his wife. Why would a superstar put up with that kind of grievance?
"Well, if I work hard enough, there should be a way, right?"
Caelus truly had no way to refute March 7th on that point. If Robin refused to date him because he already had a wife, there really would be nothing he could do. It was not as though he could tie her up and bring her home—then he would have to make a more elegant birdcage.
Time passed, but Caelus's days aboard the train were not boring. Whenever he had free time, he played games with Silver Wolf and Samo. When he was not gaming, he was lovey-dovey with Acheron, caring for her attentively as if she were his wife. Otherwise, he teased March 7th. He visited her room even more often than the pantry, treating it like his own home.
After waiting for roughly sixty system hours, the Star Rail Express successfully docked. Once they received their exclusive berth, everyone disembarked and took an elevator up to the hotel above, Penacony's most famous hotel—the Daydream Hotel.
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PS: Someone previously asked whether Bronya and the others had recovered their memories. There was no need to overthink it; those memories were assumed to exist by default. This simply connected to the prequel.
Wife's Colleague
"The Family's entry procedures were way too troublesome. They went through our luggage four or five times. I was starting to suspect they wanted to dig the Stellaron out of you for an inspection."
By the time March 7th brought the red carpet into the hotel lobby, she had lost an entire layer of vitality. Mentally speaking, anyway. She felt like even the raw meat being quarantined in stores had not been inspected as much as she had.
"Hmph. If they dug mine out, it'd scare them to death."
Caelus stood proudly with his hands on his hips. That was indeed true. It was not easy to hold such a grand celebration, and so many famous figures from across the universe had come. If they learned that a Stellaron had slipped in, they would definitely cry very loudly.
"That doesn't sound like a good thing. What a pity. Dan Heng doesn't like lively places, so he voluntarily gave you his room. What kind of brotherhood is that? That's clearly fatherly love..."
March 7th grumbled, then looked up at the circular hotel floors before her. There were probably over a dozen stories, with hundreds of rooms on each floor. It was not because the floors were enormous, but because the rooms were packed tightly together. That fit this place's prison-like design rather well. Prison cells were about that size too. It felt like paying money to go to prison.
As Caelus and March 7th chatted, a male attendant with pale blue, curled hair approached them. His left eye was hidden behind his bangs, while his right eye was bright and lively. He approached Caelus with a friendly expression.
"Hello, my name is Misha, and I'm a Penacony attendant. If you need help carrying your luggage, you can come to me anytime."
Misha spoke to Caelus and March 7th pleasantly. His uniform was similar in color to the hotel's decor, so he was indeed a waiter.
"Alright, thank you."
March 7th responded politely. In truth, she did not need such services, since all their luggage was stored in devices with storage space. Misha smiled at that, then went to greet the other guests.
March 7th looked around and saw that Welt and Himeko, who had arrived ahead of them, were already registering at the front desk. She quickly hurried over and pulled Caelus along with her.
"Caelus, hurry up and check out the front desk."
Even as he was being pulled away, Caelus remembered to grab Acheron's hand. Since arriving here, she had been looking around everywhere. He was afraid she would get lost. There were so many rooms here, and they all looked exactly the same. If she entered the wrong one, she would be hard to find again.
"Miss Elly, please check this for us. We are passengers of the Star Rail Express."
Welt was speaking with the receptionist at the counter. Elly was a young woman with glasses. She looked honest enough, and her service attitude was quite good.
"Alright, I can see in the system that you have indeed registered. However, the registration lists four people: Mr. Welt, Miss Himeko, Miss March 7th, and Mr. Dan Heng. The number of people who have arrived does not match, and neither do the names."
Elly spoke to Welt somewhat hesitantly. A lowly attendant like her could not afford to offend the Star Rail Express, but she also did not dare break the rules. For the moment, things had reached an impasse.
"It's like this: Dan Heng has something to do and cannot come this time. Could we give his room to this child? As for the extra person..."
Welt spoke in a negotiating tone. Although his status was far from ordinary, he remained polite toward a minor attendant, his voice gentle as he glanced at Acheron.
"The two of us can share one room."
Caelus held Acheron's hand and gave it a shake, showing how close they were—close enough to sleep in the same bed.
"This is not a matter of rooms. I do not have the authority to make that kind of change."
Elly looked troubled. Any ordinary hotel could handle such a minor adjustment, but Penacony's hotels could not. Their rules were strict because they feared sabotage by those with ulterior motives. The Grand Gala was the most important celebration, so security was as vigilant as if they were guarding against thieves.
"Acheron, where's your invitation?"
Caelus pulled Acheron aside and whispered to her. The invitation itself was not important; she had gotten in without one. The important part was that invitations were linked to registered hotel rooms. If she had one, they would not need to waste time talking about this.
"I haven't gone to get it yet."
Acheron answered calmly, as if she could retrieve it at any moment. Caelus scratched his head, feeling like they were stuck.
"Everyone from the Star Rail Express, please stop making things difficult for her."
A voice suddenly cut in, making Caelus turn toward the speaker. The first thing he noticed was a pair of purple eyes. There was something indescribable about them, with a distinctly alien quality. The outer iris was purple, the inner layer blue, and the center a deep black. The man otherwise looked human; only his eyes were unusual.
"We encountered some problems while checking in. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience. May I ask who this gentleman is?"
Welt exchanged a glance with Himeko before speaking. Both of them felt that this newcomer was no ordinary person. His bearing alone set him apart. But in Penacony right now, you could throw a stone and hit the king of some planet, so meeting someone ordinary would have been stranger.
"I am Aventurine, of the Interastral Peace Corporation's Strategic Investment Department, a specialist in clearing non-performing assets under Director Diamond. I was invited here by the Clock Keeper. At the same time, I am also a tourist who has been waiting behind you for quite some time."
Aventurine was a man who looked somewhat frivolous, and his words carried a strong persuasive force. His last sentence won plenty of support from the people behind him. Caelus's stalled check-in had prevented everyone else from checking in as well, and a long line had already formed.
Caught between pressure from both sides, Welt and Himeko both sensed trouble. Himeko was about to step in.
"Strategic Investment Department? You're my wife's colleague!"
Caelus suddenly pointed at Aventurine. Then, amid Aventurine's bewildered expression, he walked up and patted the shoulder of this member of the Ten Stonehearts.
Heart-Stealing Little Bird
"May I ask who your wife is?"
Aventurine's train of thought had genuinely been interrupted. He was rarely thrown off by such unexpected developments. The prepared speech he had planned was put aside as he looked at Caelus in confusion.
"Topaz. You know her, right? Did she come here?"
As he spoke, Caelus looked around expectantly, hoping to see that exquisite, stunning figure. He truly liked Topaz and had spent a long time thinking about taking her home as his wife.
"No, no. When did Topaz get married? How could I not know?"
Aventurine's expression gradually turned aghast. Topaz truly was his colleague. Caelus knowing her name meant he probably was not making things up, but was that possible? It was not completely impossible, but Caelus was clearly talking nonsense.
"What if your relationship is just that bad?"
Caelus spoke with great confidence, as if Topaz truly were his wife. Aventurine raised a hand to cover his forehead and began thinking.
"Well... we do have some differences in business judgment, but surely we are not so estranged that she would not tell me she got married."
Aventurine said with a helpless laugh. He really could not be certain what Topaz was like. Whether that woman would tell him if she got married was indeed an open question. Caelus had dragged him into a dead end.
"Do you remember when she went to Jarilo-VI to collect that bad debt?"
"I do. I spoke with her then."
"That was when we fell in love with each other at first sight and pledged ourselves to one another..."
Caelus began bombarding Aventurine with four-character idioms describing how deeply in love the two of them were. The more Aventurine listened, the more his head hurt. He had no desire whatsoever to know how Caelus had fallen for Topaz.
"You have no evidence for that. I can't tell you where Topaz is just because you said so," Aventurine said helplessly.
"As Topaz's colleague, you see her husband in trouble and won't help him out? What if it's true? If Topaz finds out you stood by coldly, she definitely won't look kindly on you."
Caelus spoke with complete confidence. He could casually resort to moral blackmail, and Aventurine, being a moral person, was actually blackmailed by it.
"You make a good point. How would you like me to help?"
After thinking it over, Aventurine decided to help Caelus. He was someone who loved a gamble. This time, he would bet that Caelus really had some connection to Topaz. With his good luck, he had never lost.
"The Interastral Peace Corporation's influence spans the universe, so your words naturally carry weight. We hope to borrow your status to vouch for these two."
Seeing that the time was right, Himeko voiced her suggestion. The Star Rail Express alone might not be enough to change the rules, but it would be different with the Interastral Peace Corporation involved. The latter had even sponsored this Grand Gala.
"That does sound interesting. So what can these friends offer me?"
Aventurine nodded and began negotiating for his own interests. Since he was helping them, compensation was naturally required. As for Topaz's share, he would simply assume it existed.
"That is an even more worthwhile topic to discuss. Since we are all guests of the Clock Keeper, why not settle down in Penacony first and take our time getting to know one another?"
Himeko said with a smile. Her voice was equally compelling, meeting Aventurine head-on. Neither mentioned what benefits they could offer, yet uncertainty lingered everywhere.
"I especially like the latter half of what you said! Friends, yes—nothing is more precious than friends, especially forthright Trailblazers such as the Nameless."
Aventurine smiled and agreed with Himeko. His gaze shifted to Caelus, and he happened to catch sight of Acheron behind him, eating a white peach. His pupils trembled for roughly ten frames, but his smile did not change.
March 7th thought Aventurine was very good with words and was about to put her hands on her hips to show how much she liked that statement, only to find that Caelus had already done so. She could not help smacking his arm.
"I have an appointment with Mr. Sunday of the Family. I can ask him to handle this matter later. Don't worry, Miss Elly will not be put in a difficult position."
Aventurine explained where his help would come from. It was quite reasonable. He was not staking the Corporation's reputation, but calling in a hotel executive—someone with enough authority to change the rules.
"My apologies for keeping you waiting, Mr. Aventurine."
A harmonious voice came from behind them. Caelus felt like this was happening again. Every time he was talking, someone suddenly barged in, like an unexpected monster crashing into a hunt.
When Caelus turned around, his gaze seemed to be drawn by a magnet and landed on a girl wearing a purple-and-white formal dress. She was so fresh and beautiful, with jade-green eyes that seemed capable of speaking. What was most unforgettable was the pair of bird wings growing behind her ears, along with the floating halo above her head. Three small flowers grew on the halo. Those distinctive features made Caelus's heart stir instantly.
"Speak of the devil. Look who has arrived—Sunday, Penacony's most handsome man. And the singer famous across the universe—Robin."
Aventurine smiled and raised a hand in greeting. The person he had mentioned meeting was the one traveling with Robin, but Caelus paid no attention whatsoever to what that man looked like. His eyes were filled only with the beautiful Miss Robin.
"You're Robin? But isn't Robin supposed to have black hair?"
Caelus blurted out at the worst possible moment. The Robin before him had pale blue hair with a slight violet tint, completely different from what he had seen in advertisements. That was why he asked curiously.
That threw Aventurine's prepared speech into disarray again. He did not even know how to interpret Caelus's words. If anything Caelus said were remotely normal, Aventurine could have responded. Why did this man not know what Robin really looked like, yet still dare to be the first to approach her?
At his words, Robin's emerald eyes fell on Caelus. She had seen plenty of people strike up conversations with her, but someone who began like Caelus had was truly a first.
"Hehe, sir, you must have seen the lip gloss advertisement I appeared in. I only dyed my hair for that, then dyed it back afterward."
Robin laughed softly and explained in a gentle voice. She did not act at all like a superstar renowned across the universe, and her attitude was exceptionally warm. Even though Caelus had said something utterly absurd, she simply laughed it off. Caelus only felt that his heart had been stolen by her just now. He needed to find a way to make her return it.
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PS: This matter involving Topaz was also recorded in Chapter 158 of the prequel.
"Star Rail, Starting by Picking Up a Lost Acheron"
You're a Diva, Right?
"Everyone from the Star Rail Express, please come over here and rest for a moment."
Robin raised her hand in an inviting gesture. The people from the Star Rail Express knew it would be rude to keep occupying other people's space while chatting, so they followed Robin to the lounge area of the hotel lobby and continued their conversation amid the surrounding sofas.
"Um, may I ask, you... no, I mean, are you perhaps..."
March 7th had practically left her body at this point. She wanted to greet Robin, but felt that the gap between them was too great, so the words she wanted to say became stuck. This was the real galactic superstar, in the flesh! Stammering was unavoidable.
"You're a diva, right?"
Caelus interjected from the side. March 7th immediately stopped stammering and gave Caelus a meaningful look. Aventurine raised a hand to cover his face, while the amusement in Sunday's eyes gradually cooled. Human hearts were complicated, but at that moment, everyone thought the same thing—Is that something a person can say?
"You sang 'If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,' right?"
After Caelus interrupted, March 7th's stammering vanished. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at Robin. How famous was that song? Records of it were sold on practically every planet connected to interstellar civilization. Her title as a galactic superstar was no exaggeration.
"I never expected such a cute young lady to be one of my fans."
Robin said with a smile. She spoke warmly and without any arrogance of a superstar. Even though Caelus had just said something outrageous, she merely smiled and let it pass.
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