93. I Got Fooled Again / 94. Damn Aventurine

"This isn't exactly a problem with you around, is it? You're so close to Robin. You should be able to get the cornerstone back from Sunday, right?"

After laying so much groundwork, Topaz had finally revealed her purpose. She was afraid that what Caelus had said might really happen. Even if the company sent a fleet to conquer Penacony, it would be useless.

"You really know how to use people. Still, I'm more than willing to let you use me."

Caelus raised a hand and blew Topaz a kiss. He wasn't afraid of being used; he was only afraid that the two of them would have no connection and gradually become strangers. Any connection was a good thing.

"I was just mentioning it. Sunday might not be that kind of person. I'm only making preparations for both possibilities. If you can be of use, then you'd be a tremendous help."

Topaz said this, though she didn't know Aventurine's true objective either. With Aventurine's calculating nature, he might not even need Caelus's help.

"Then I want a kiss." Caelus raised his index finger.

"Sure. Numby, go kiss him."

Topaz agreed immediately. Then Caelus watched Numby open its abyssal maw and charge at him. He hurriedly blocked Numby's attack.

"Wait, I meant I want you to kiss me."

"You never said who you wanted to kiss you. Numby and I are of one mind. It represents me. Go on, go on."

"Stop! Hm-hm-hm, aaah!"

Caelus let out a scream full of masculine vigor. In the end, he didn't let Numby have its way, but he collapsed onto the sofa, looking as though he had burned out and turned gray.

"Aventurine has very good luck. He's a gambler who wagers everything on every mission. Either he wins it all or loses everything. That's all I can tell you."

Topaz gave him a reminder. It was almost as cryptic as a riddle. In any case, she didn't know what Aventurine intended to do, but it sounded like he was a man who gave everything he had to his missions.

"You still say you don't have me in your heart. This is already a strategic secret, isn't it? When are we getting married?"

Although Caelus didn't understand what Topaz wanted to convey, he understood her feelings clearly enough. He got up and sat beside her, reaching for her hand. Naturally, Topaz avoided him. Whenever she faced Caelus, she had to stay alert, afraid of being taken advantage of. Her evasion skill was maxed out.

"What if I say after the company takes back Penacony?"

Topaz said with a bright smile. If Caelus really had the ability to help the company reclaim Penacony, she would accept the bet and admit defeat. But statistically speaking, it was basically impossible.

"That's too difficult. I'm afraid I can't do it. The Family has an Aeon behind them, after all. That's probably why the company doesn't dare act rashly. Old Sumeru King isn't going to swing His hammer over something this trivial."

Caelus's expression froze before he spoke with a bitter look. He was still too weak, without enough power. Though he had once received the Sumeru King's gaze, that was only enough to make an impression. He didn't have the standing to ask an Aeon to act.

"You're quite rational. So work hard. I'll wait outside the dream for your good news."

Topaz smiled and encouraged Caelus. At that moment, Himeko and March 7th returned after finishing their conversation with the Family members. Seeing Caelus sitting with Topaz, little March puffed out her cheeks again.

"How did things go over there?" Caelus asked Himeko.

"I heard Gallagher is busy investigating the murder case at the Dreaming Border. We'll have to enter the dreamscape to find him."

The Gallagher Himeko mentioned was the uncle Caelus had met before. He seemed to be the leader of the Family's Bloodhounds, and he had the authority to access some Family information to assist the investigation.

"Goodbye, Topaz."

Before leaving, Caelus waved at Topaz. She waved back in farewell. She felt that although this guy was unserious, he was quite serious when it came to business. As long as he could distinguish public matters from private ones, he would be a good helper.

Caelus returned to Acheron's guest room. After lying in the Dream Pool once more, he smoothly entered the dreamscape. The location was still Clock Boy Square. Firefly, Acheron, and Welt had already discussed many matters regarding the dreamscape and exchanged intelligence. They had decided to search for clues at the Family's stronghold, Morning Dew Mansion.

"Little March, you and Himeko go find Gallagher. I can talk to Sunday, so I'll head to the Family's side."

Caelus planned to act with Acheron and Welt, along with Firefly, who openly held the identity of a Family performer. Firefly was delighted to see Caelus again so soon. She was far more proactive than Acheron when it came to expressing herself, stepping forward and taking Caelus's hand.

"Okay."

Himeko did not object to Caelus's decision. The Astral Express crew was supposed to split into two groups anyway. Himeko's group would investigate the murderer, while Welt investigated the Family's abnormalities. He had turned himself into double-sided tape.

"Even after such a horrifying tragedy, this beautiful dream is still operating in perfect order."

As they headed toward Morning Dew Mansion, Welt voiced his thoughts. Everything before his eyes remained prosperous. No one had left this dreamtown because of the undercurrents beneath the surface.

"The beautiful dream is collapsing, but not because of a particular Aeon, faction, or visitor. Its collapse stems from an inevitability within human nature. The Family refuses to acknowledge this, yet has inadvertently become the catalyst."

Acheron continued. Caelus looked at her in confusion, not knowing why she said that, but he did not deny it. Acheron's sixth sense had always been accurate.

"Why do you say that, Miss Acheron?" Firefly asked curiously.

She had a favorable impression of the beautiful dream. It allowed her to become a free and ordinary person, without suffering because of Entropy Syndrome.

"When people allow their spirits to drown in a dream that demands no price, contains no pain, and offers only comfort and pleasure, they draw ever closer to decay. No matter what paradise they believe they live in, death remains an unchangeable end. And this decay spreads and expands. A change in one piece of the puzzle will eventually make the entire structure tremble, shatter, and collapse."

Acheron glanced at Firefly as she spoke. It was as though those words had been prepared specifically for her. Firefly fell silent, gripping Caelus's hand more tightly, yet she had no choice but to admit that Acheron was right.

"I won't."

"What?"

Acheron found Firefly's reply strange and asked with a puzzled expression.

"Your original question. Whether you still dream, of those who died because of you."

"I don't. Never."

"I was born without the ability to dream. I live for cold reality, burning for a glimmer of light... burning without end, until I turn to dead ash."

What Firefly said was somewhat sorrowful. Looking at her, Caelus understood a little more about how she had gotten the name Firefly. No wonder she liked the dreamscape so much. For someone who could not dream, this experience was too precious.

"That's why I envy you."

Firefly said it openly. She envied both Acheron's clarity in dreams and the relationship between Acheron and Caelus. Acheron was a capable woman, and not only in terms of combat power.

"Is that so? Then you're already living in a waking world."

Acheron gave Firefly that conclusion. Firefly nodded, then looked at Caelus beside her. If she could remain with him forever, then Penacony's beautiful dream would no longer be worth clinging to.

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Chapter 93: Fooled Again

"Someone once told me that Penacony was not like this long ago, and Penacony should not be like this."

Acheron spoke. Caelus and Firefly both listened carefully. This was likely why Acheron had come to Penacony. She had come to fulfill a final wish, so the person who had left that wish must have been connected to Penacony.

"I traveled through the reality and dreamscape of the Planet of Festivities, watching the night rise and fall. Time lingered for people, while spiritual wealth and poverty... remained forever at their own marks."

"That is why I believe the beautiful dream's collapse is inevitable."

Acheron stated her reasoning. Caelus was not surprised. Acheron's intuition was accurate. Robin had mentioned the abnormalities in the Family and the dreamscape. This place was probably finished.

"Perhaps it's possible to change all this."

Welt spoke. He did not care about the beautiful dream itself, but he cared about the people still sleeping. Before they slept themselves to death, he wanted to pull them back.

"Perhaps. But if this is the world people desire, if this is why life chooses to sleep, should we still make it change?"

Acheron looked at Welt. Firefly's body trembled slightly. She had discussed a similar question with Caelus: why did life sleep? Firefly's answer had been that it feared waking from the dream. It was precisely because people hoped to live in such a world. Acheron was merely a passerby; she had no intention of forcing everyone to awaken.

"Acheron, you got smarter after taking a nap. You usually don't talk this much, and you're not normally this philosophical."

Caelus happily took Acheron's hand. Firefly still did not release his other hand. He realized his Acheron was getting smarter and smarter. Ever since entering the dream, her insights had been unique, as though she had become a different person. Caelus felt quite gratified.

"I was always smart."

Acheron corrected him. In reality, there was nothing she needed to think about. When she encountered enemies, she just cut them down. But things in the dreamscape could not simply be cut down at will. She had come to fulfill a final wish, not to kill people.

"Hahaha, so smart that you can't remember the way."

Caelus laughed and teased her. Acheron raised her hand and tugged on his cheek. His skin was thick enough that it did not matter how hard she pulled.

The atmosphere immediately became much lighter. Firefly raised her hand and rubbed Caelus's cheek where it had just been pulled, her eyes full of concern. Acheron did not feel sorry for him, so she had to do it herself. Though she wanted this kind of flirtatious banter between lovers too.

After passing through several dreamscapes, the group arrived before Morning Dew Mansion. Since it was a structure within the dreamscape, its construction was practically unconstrained. It could be built however its creators wished, so the mansion's structure could no longer be described as a castle.

"Why is this even more magnificent than my Qlipoth Fort? Impressive."

Caelus looked at Morning Dew Mansion before him and sighed. It was so massive that it could easily hold every person in the dreamscape. This showed just how extravagant the Family was. Their faces practically said, I don't need a place this big, but I'm building it this big anyway.

Caelus was still being conservative. Morning Dew Mansion was nearly the same size as all of Belobog. Who knew how long the Dreamweavers had labored to create it?

"Acheron, if the beautiful dream collapses, do you think the people who built this place would cry for a long time?"

Remembering what Acheron had said earlier, Caelus pointed at Morning Dew Mansion. Acheron seriously considered the question, then nodded.

"They would."

Welt and Firefly were speechless. As guests, was it really appropriate to curse someone's house into collapsing before they even entered? That clearly was not what Acheron had meant before, but Caelus had led her astray again.

"Hello."

Welt called out from the entrance of Morning Dew Mansion, but no one answered from inside. Puzzled, he entered through the open gates and found grand corridors and all kinds of artworks before him, but not a single living person.

"See? I told you a house being too big is no good. The butler probably got lost."

Caelus spoke carelessly and continued forward. Welt wanted to stop him, but after thinking about it, he decided advancing was better than guessing. They had come to investigate anyway.

"Something is wrong. We're nearing the mansion's inner area. Forget the butler—where did all the security personnel go?"

Welt spoke as they neared the central area and stopped walking. The butler could have been busy, but if the guards had left their posts, then something truly serious had happened.

"Let's keep going. The answer may be ahead."

Acheron placed her right hand on the hilt of her katana as she spoke. At the same time, her presence became invisible, almost blending into the air. To outsiders, she seemed like someone who did not exist.

"This is presence concealment. I'm currently the suspect Aventurine mentioned, so it wouldn't be appropriate for me to appear in an important Family location."

Acheron explained. No wonder Caelus said she had become smarter after sleeping. She had already thought about how to hide herself while investigating.

"Firefly, you can stay a little closer to me. I can conceal your presence too."

Acheron spoke to Firefly. In her eyes, Firefly was also someone who needed to remain hidden. If the Family discovered that she was a Stellaron Hunter, who knew how much trouble they would cause?

"Okay, thank you."

Firefly smiled and nodded, then approached Acheron and concealed herself. Seeing his two beloved women getting along so harmoniously, Caelus felt deeply gratified. As long as the harem did not catch fire, he could relax.

"Firefly, you're a stowaway, yet you're not nervous at all about coming somewhere like this. Does that performer identity of yours actually work?"

Caelus spoke to Firefly. He still remembered how she had asked him for help while being chased by several Family Bloodhounds. Firefly had been truly adorable back then.

"Ah, do you prefer girls who are a little more scared? I'll work on it."

Firefly seemed to realize something. She raised both hands before her chest and promised Caelus. As a woman who could fight her way through a battlefield seven times in and seven times out, she was quite willing to occasionally pretend to be pitiful and helpless.

"?"

A huge question mark appeared over Caelus's head. He felt as though someone had set him up. Had Firefly been like this before? Was that performer identity just an act for him?

With that strange thought in mind, Caelus entered the depths of Morning Dew Mansion. Yet there was still no one there. Not only was no one around, monsters were wandering everywhere. They all had purple shells and appeared to be products of the same series.

"These are Memes."

Welt was highly knowledgeable. The moment he saw the purple monsters, he knew they differed from the Dreamjolt Troupe. At some point, this mansion had become a monster mansion. It felt like watching a horror film, as though all the people inside had been eaten by monsters.

"I'll handle it."

Acheron pressed a hand against her sword hilt and moved forward. Her figure flickered several times like a slideshow. When she reappeared, every monster had already been cut down and vanished, without even stirring up a breeze.

Chapter 94: Jail Aventurine

"There are two sets of footprints here."

Welt had long since stopped finding Acheron's capabilities surprising. He bent down and pointed at the footprints on the carpet. This could be considered their only clue.

"Can you tell whose footprints they are, Mr. Welt?" Acheron asked.

"Hmm... The pattern is unique and extremely flamboyant. Judging from the size, they should be men's shoes. I'd guess... there's an eighty percent chance they belong to Mr. Aventurine, the Interastral Peace Corporation envoy."

Welt made his guess based on the patterns on the soles. Caelus scratched his head. Just how arrogant was Aventurine in his actions that someone could identify him from a shoe sole? That was too absurd.

"What about the other set?"

"The two sets of tracks are not one in front of the other. Since they are almost parallel, the companion was likely not his subordinate."

Welt was not a prophet. Being able to guess Aventurine was already impressive enough. As for the other person, that was impossible to figure out even after racking his brain.

"The company desires to reclaim Penacony. It is not surprising that they appeared here."

Welt rose to his feet. This was good news. At least before they arrived, someone else had come to visit, and they had not found the place empty from the start. The open doors along the way might have been opened by Aventurine as well.

"With things this strange, Aventurine didn't kill my uncle, did he?"

Caelus looked at the empty hall. People could not die in the dreamscape. At worst, Uncle would be sent to Dreamflow Reef to reunite with Robin. Thinking about it carefully, that was quite a dark joke.

"What do you mean?" Welt asked in confusion.

"Aventurine is using two cornerstones of the Ten Stonehearts to negotiate with the Family. I think he may have come this time to demand the cornerstone back. If Sunday refuses, the conflict will definitely deepen."

"Cornerstones... Let's pick up the pace."