Aventurine clawed at his hair in frustration, practically tearing it out. Seeing that he was close to driving him mad, Caelus could only rein himself in a little.
"Who killed Robin?"
Caelus asked that universal classic line. Seeing that he had finally gotten back on track, Aventurine was so moved he almost cried.
"Let me make this clear first: this had nothing to do with me. I was just an unlucky bastard who happened to stumble onto the scene. The Family can vouch for me. If you don't believe me, ask someone from the Hound Family Line. They hate me, and they hate the Company, so they certainly wouldn't lie for me."
Aventurine explained earnestly. He did not dare take the blame for this. Besides, perhaps it was an illusion, but ever since meeting Caelus, he had felt as though Caelus had been leading him around by the nose. So many things seemed to be under his control, yet not under his control at all. It was simply baffling.
"Even now, do you still think that Pathstrider is an outsider to this matter?"
Aventurine spoke. Caelus looked at him silently and finally understood. Aventurine wanted to pin Robin's death on Acheron, and Caelus had no way to refute him.
"Penacony solemnly promised that, within the beautiful dream woven by the Family, every guest's safety would be guaranteed. Anyone in danger would be forcibly awakened and safely returned to reality."
"What gave them the confidence to make such a claim? Because behind that promise lies Harmony's blessing. The Family's Dream Weavers linked their thoughts as one and built an impregnable line of defense."
"To breach that line of defense and create death in a dream, even a Memokeeper could not accomplish it without the Family's permission."
"Who could do it? My friend, only she could. That woman who called herself a Pathstrider—an uninvited impostor who had concealed her true identity. An Emanator."
Aventurine had cleverly made use of Grand Duke of Fiery Nether's death. By normal logic, an Emanator capable of silently killing Grand Duke of Fiery Nether could naturally kill someone in a dream too. That was the power of an Emanator.
Caelus was also glad that he had taken that blow for Firefly. If not, he would never have encountered Robin. Seeing the little songbird murdered now, his mind probably would not have been enough to process it. Under this intelligence-sapping aura, a few words from Aventurine might not have made him suspect Acheron, but they could have turned him into cannon fodder.
But Aventurine never could have imagined that such a powerful female Emanator as Acheron would fall for an improper, even abnormal, guy like Caelus. Caelus's advantage was that he already knew things Aventurine did not: Acheron was his beloved woman, and Robin was not dead, but had been taken into the depths of the dream. With those two facts, no matter what terrifying truths Aventurine threw at him, he would not lose his composure.
"It's fine. You may make your own judgment. Trust always takes time to build, and I'm willing to wait."
"I only hope you don't choose the wrong side. If I were you, I'd keep my distance from Acheron. After all, a scheme laid bare is still far better than a monster lurking in the shadows... isn't it?"
There was nothing inherently wrong with Aventurine saying that, because he did not know about Caelus and Acheron's relationship. But to Caelus, Aventurine was telling him to stay away from his wife, while calling his wife a monster in the shadows.
Caelus's fists clenched. He reached for his baseball bat. Today, he would see whether one of the Company's Ten Stonehearts could withstand a baseball bat of Destruction.
Black Swan suddenly appeared, drawing Aventurine's attention away. He did not see Caelus pull out his baseball bat. Black Swan was a conscientious Memokeeper; Aventurine had once been her collaborator, and she had received the final payment. She could not just watch him get beaten to death.
"But who's to say that there isn't a deeper conspiracy behind the schemes in plain sight?"
Black Swan said with a smile. Though she had never seen Caelus and Acheron's memories, she had seen countless people. Naturally, she could tell that they were each other's only one, willing to throw away their lives for the other.
Aventurine had clearly never been in love. If he knew a little more about women, he would not have failed to see the relationship between Acheron and Caelus.
"Memokeeper, I believe our transaction ended long ago."
Aventurine frowned at Black Swan. Black Swan suffered in silence. She had come out to save him. If Acheron had heard what he just said, the Company's Ten Stonehearts would become Nine today. This was no joke.
"What Aventurine said is true. This memory is real, with no distortions or grafted elements."
Black Swan said to Caelus. She no longer paid attention to Aventurine, who could not recognize goodwill. She had always felt that Caelus seemed to know something; otherwise, he would not have reacted so bizarrely to Robin's death.
"What do you want me to do?"
Caelus put away his baseball bat and asked Aventurine. If he had any other choice, he definitely would not listen to Aventurine's nonsense. Not a single word out of this man's mouth was fully true. But Caelus did not mind. He intended to use Aventurine too.
"I told you long ago that I have no interest in this inheritance war. I came to Penacony solely for work. I'm here to reclaim some lost assets for the Company—the ownership of the Border Prison."
Aventurine revealed his goal with a smile. After all that buildup, he had finally gained Caelus's trust. He did not know how much of that trust was genuine, but at least Caelus was easier to deal with than the Family.
"How can I help you?" Caelus asked.
"I don't want much. I have only one objective. The Family's gates are a high wall. To tear them down, I first need to chisel a few holes into them. Once a crack appears, the Company has plenty of methods."
"Now, the opportunity has arrived. As long as we uncover the truth behind Robin's death, we can give the deceased justice while gaining bargaining chips to invite the Family to the table."
"This terrible news is extremely unfavorable to the Family, so they will certainly spare no effort to stop outsiders from interfering—especially the Company."
"But I believe a few factions are exceptions. That is why I need all of you. The Star Rail Express is famous, and Harmony will give you the fairest assessment."
"You can uncover the truth and uphold justice, while I use this to complete the Company's mission... That is what they call a win-win."
Aventurine always spoke like this, firing off words like a barrage and giving Caelus little time to think. Still, the general meaning was clear enough that even someone of average intelligence could understand.
Aventurine himself was being fiercely guarded against by the Family, so he could only have the Nameless of the Star Rail Express secretly investigate Robin's cause of death. Once they confirmed the secret that people could die in the dream world, it would become a bargaining chip for the Company's attack. If an ordinary person had died, it might have been manageable, but Robin was a Cosmic Superstar. The Family could not ignore it. If they did not want that secret exposed, the Company's efforts to reclaim Penacony's ownership afterward would become much easier.
"I'll ask my companions and give you an answer."
Caelus could not decide this matter alone, because it meant openly opposing the Family. If they truly became the Company's lackeys, they still had to see what the adults thought.
"Of course, my friend. Here is my contact information."
Aventurine left after giving him his contact information, leaving Caelus alone in the room with Black Swan. She walked over and hugged him. Compared to their earlier intimate contact, this embrace was rather restrained.
"Aventurine's words are highly suggestive. Don't let him lead you around."
Black Swan said gently. She was confident that her words were far more credible to Caelus than Aventurine's. Though they had known each other for only a short time, he simply preferred trusting women.
"I know. But I was entrusted to investigate the secret the Family has hidden as well. It really is a win-win."
Caelus nodded. Black Swan had proven through her actions that she stood with the Star Rail Express. After all, their previous deal had already been settled; cooperating with Aventurine was, at most, a side hustle.
"I didn't expect you to be quite devious too. I misjudged you."
Black Swan smiled. She knew Caelus would not be so easily fooled. After Aventurine said so much, he might as well have started with two words: cooperate. It truly had not been easy for him.
"How could I trick you into becoming my wife if I wasn't bad?"
Caelus raised an arm around Black Swan's slender waist. She let him, displaying an older woman's composure and offering no resistance to his pursuit.
"I never agreed to that."
Black Swan said with a smile. With a casual touch, she pulled a tarot card from behind Caelus's ear. It was numbered zero, and it bore the image of Black Swan's own back, as though she were gazing somewhere ahead.
"This is a souvenir for you. I have my own matters to attend to, so I can't stay with you forever."
Black Swan placed the tarot card in Caelus's hand. The words token of love immediately appeared in his mind, and his gaze toward her became even gentler.
"This isn't a token of love. Don't misunderstand! And don't touch me randomly!"
Black Swan realized that Caelus had misunderstood her and hurriedly tried to correct him, but he had already begun touching her all over, leaving her both embarrassed and annoyed, yet also amused.
"Return to the normal dream world."
Black Swan gave Caelus a hard slap. As her soft hand struck him, he felt as though he had floated up from beneath the water's surface. After a sensation of weightlessness, he had returned to the dream of Golden Hour.
"Repeatedly waking up in dream pools isn't good for your body. Your companions have all returned to this dream as well. Go have a proper talk with them."
Black Swan's voice reached him, but she was nowhere to be seen. Caelus felt a little regretful. He had only just grown close to such a gentle and beautiful older woman, yet he did not know how long it would be before they met again.
Caelus took out his phone and found that the group chat had many messages, along with a concerned message from Firefly. She seemed extremely anxious.
So Caelus messaged everyone and arranged to meet beneath Clock Boy's statue. It was a famous landmark, so it was easy to find.
A short while later, Caelus arrived at the statue. Himeko, Welt, March 7th, and Firefly had all come. Firefly had even brought Acheron. Caelus had previously wondered whether Acheron could arrive safely, since her terrible sense of direction was more frightening than any monster.
"Caelus, are you okay?!"
The instant Firefly saw Caelus, she was so moved that she nearly cried. Like a firefly darting through the air, she threw herself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
March 7th, who had already been terribly worried about Caelus, froze. She had wanted to hug him too, so how had this woman gotten there first?
"Firefly, where did you go earlier? I couldn't find you."
Caelus patted Firefly's soft back and asked. Seeing her here reassured him. At the same time, he wondered what would have happened if he had not saved her. Dreamflow Reef was not dangerous at all; after Firefly was sent there, she probably would have immediately returned to the ordinary dream, just like going on a trip.
"I... actually, I hid."
Firefly did not know how to explain. She wanted to tell Caelus that she was Samo, but what had Samo done? After mistakenly believing Caelus had died, she had wanted to burn all of Penacony as his burial offering. How could the girl possibly say that aloud? Better to put it off for now.
"That makes sense. Acheron and Samo fought like that, and it would have been bad if you got caught in the crossfire."
Caelus nodded without doubting Firefly's words. When he returned to the Dream Hotel, he had barely spoken a few sentences before Black Swan kidnapped him. He had not had time to return until now.
"By the way, what did that woman do to you? She took you away, so she definitely isn't a good person."
Firefly also remembered Black Swan taking Caelus away, and she was furious. If Black Swan had been here, Firefly might have turned hostile and attacked on the spot.
"Don't say that. She took me to discuss business."
Caelus patted Firefly's back to soothe her. Seeing her unhappy, he rubbed her head too, and that finally cheered Firefly up a little.
"Caelus, I'm sorry. It was all because of me that you got hurt. It's wonderful that you're really okay. From now on, I'll never leave you again."
Firefly had experienced the feeling of losing him and getting him back. There was nothing left for her to hesitate over. No script had anything to do with her anymore; she only wanted to be with Caelus properly.
"Do you want to be my girlfriend?" Caelus asked with a smile.
"Yes. If you don't mind, I'll definitely treat you well."
Firefly nodded firmly. A man willing to save her with his life was worth more than countless sweet words. Caelus had not known that he could revive after being killed, so he had truly traded his life for a girlfriend.
"Hehe, that blow really was worth taking. I was clearly fine, yet I got another wife."
Caelus brushed aside Firefly's bangs and happily kissed her forehead. Firefly blushed, but she still held tightly to his clothes.
"I-I'm not your wife."
"Ahem. We're still standing right here."
March 7th could not take it anymore. Watching Caelus flirt with that newly arrived woman, she felt like a pebble by the roadside. How long had this guy even been in Penacony? He had already hooked up with another woman. March 7th was furious. He had clearly said before that he cared about her.
"March 7th, Himeko, Uncle Yang, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Firefly."
Caelus held Firefly's hand and introduced her to his companions. She was a brand-new girlfriend, still fresh off the press. For some reason, when he hugged Firefly, he felt that she was very hot, as though she had gone somewhere and returned before cooling down. But there was no need to worry too much about things in a dream.
"Hello, Miss Firefly."
As one of the parental figures aboard the train, Himeko naturally had to show acceptance. Caelus was always getting involved with different women, but he had never approached any of them just to play around. What was there for her to oppose?
"Hello."
Firefly shyly leaned against Caelus. She had not expected to meet the family so soon, but thinking that she might travel with the Station Master in the future gave her more courage. Since she had decided to be with Caelus, these things were inevitably unavoidable.
"Himeko, what happened when you were at the Dream Hotel?"
Caelus asked curiously. His experiences at the Dream Hotel had been so wild that there were almost too many to count. In comparison, March 7th and Himeko's group seemed to have had a much more ordinary time.
"Ugh, it makes me mad just talking about it. Forget running into monsters on the way—we were even caught by the Family. After discussing a few things, they sent us away."
March 7th said indignantly. From her scattered words, Caelus understood that the two of them had done nothing and had practically gone there for nothing. Even watching Acheron and Samo fight would have made the trip worthwhile, right? But they had not even seen that. No wonder March 7th was so angry.
"The Family members told us that a guest had died in the dream. They were vague about the victim's identity, but because of the Star Rail Express's reputation, the Family wanted to ask us to uncover the truth of the case and find the murderer."
Himeko explained what they had discussed with the Family. Caelus was quite surprised to hear it; he had not expected the Family to seek cooperation with the Star Rail Express.
"What a coincidence."
"You know who the victim was?"
Seeing Caelus's unusual reaction, Himeko knew that he might have experienced something during his disappearance, so she asked.
"Yes. It was Robin."
Caelus answered honestly. This was not exactly a secret. If the Star Rail Express truly investigated, they would find out sooner or later.
"W-What? Caelus, say that again. That huge star?"
March 7th was utterly stunned. She grabbed Caelus's arm and asked in a voice seeking confirmation. How could she believe that Robin, whose songs she had been listening to yesterday, was already dead today?
"No wonder the Family was so vague. If it had been anyone else, they would not have needed to be so cautious."
Himeko showed a look of understanding. Though she had heard Robin sing as well, this was not the time to discuss personal feelings. They had to consider the matter from the train's interests.
"Actually, Black Swan took me away earlier to meet Aventurine."
Caelus held March 7th's hand as he explained his experience to Himeko. Once they heard Aventurine was the source of the information, Welt had little reason to doubt it.
"Miss Robin's case has clearly exceeded their expectations, forcing the Family to go with the flow and seek aid from outsiders. With the Grand Gala approaching, they must be stretched thin. What the Family needs to guard against most are ill-intentioned guests, such as that Company envoy."
Welt spoke.
"But Aventurine is guarding against Acheron."
Caelus added. This triangular relationship was truly interesting. To the Family, Aventurine was like a flood or a beast, while to Aventurine, the mysterious Acheron was far more frightening than the Family.
"What's there to say about that bastard? His reason for suspecting Miss Acheron is ridiculous. Why blame Acheron just because the Annihilation Gang got wiped out? She's been with us the whole time. When would she have had the chance to commit the crime?"
March 7th said angrily. In her eyes, Aventurine merely wanted an excuse to push the murder onto Acheron while smearing the Star Rail Express as well, because Acheron was now a member of the train crew. Aventurine could not possibly be unaware of that. Still, he probably suspected that Acheron had boarded the train for some purpose, just as she had concealed her identity as a Pathstrider.
Before you continue