"Ah!"
Firefly bristled like an angry cat. To stop Robin from succeeding, she grabbed Caelus with both hands and yanked him aside. But a Glamoth veteran's strength was nothing like that of an ordinary young woman. Caelus felt the world spin before his eyes, and only after being flung away did his vision catch up. He flew for a while before crashing into one of the dilapidated buildings nearby.
A moment later.
"It's fine, it's fine. Don't cry. I'm an Envoy of Preservation—it didn't hurt at all."
Caelus was clearly the victim, yet he still coaxed Firefly as she looked on the verge of tears. He did not know whether to laugh or cry. With strength like hers, she had still been chased all over the streets by two hounds. All he could say was that women were born actresses.
"But you're obviously not an Envoy," Firefly said tearfully.
"Soon, soon. Qlipoth has already set his eyes on me. A promotion, a raise, the whole package is coming right up."
After Caelus comforted her for a while, Firefly finally stopped looking like she was about to cry. He felt touched as well. A girl who got jealous and cried over him—what an amazing girl. He absolutely had to marry her.
Uncle's Pain
Caelus turned to glance at Robin and found her struggling not to laugh. After he had taken advantage of her for so long, she had finally gotten her revenge. In the dream world, it would not hurt anyway. It had been the same when Caelus fell from the sky before.
Just wait.
Caelus mouthed the words at Robin. The little bird pretended not to understand and slowly walked ahead.
When Robin met up with the Star Rail Express crew, she had regained a superstar's composure. As the one who upheld the Family's image, she gave Himeko and Welt a perfectly measured smile.
"Everyone from the Star Rail Express, we meet again. I heard that my disappearance caused quite a disturbance outside. I'm very sorry."
Robin lowered her stance from the very beginning. She was the one seeking help now, and she knew in her heart that the only people who could help her were those from the Star Rail Express.
"Since you are here... may we assume that Miss Robin is already fully aware of Penacony's current situation?"
Himeko asked.
"Ever since I returned to Penacony, my voice has become abnormal, gradually turning into the torment of losing it altogether. I initially believed it was merely an accident—perhaps I had lived away for too long and could no longer adapt to Asdana's high concentration of Memory Matter. I regret to say that there is a traitor within the Family. He... or they, abandoned their original beliefs and exploited humanity's weaknesses in Harmony's name, turning Penacony into a planet of festivities sunk in illusory dreams. A world that has lost equality is destined to lose Harmony's favor. The voice blessed by Them... naturally can no longer sing."
Robin answered Himeko with what she had once told Caelus, adding what she had discovered while investigating Dreamflow Reef alone.
"No matter what, I cannot accept my homeland marching toward the opposite of Harmony in Harmony's name. To find out why the Clock Keeper, Mikhail, broke with the Family, and who exactly made the decision to betray them..."
As Robin spoke, she looked at Mikai, the train crew's newly acquainted friend. They had already spoken before, and faced with Penacony's perilous situation, Robin had made her choice as well.
"Mr. Mikai, do you remember our deal? It is time for me to give you my answer."
"I am willing to withdraw and no longer take the stage at the Grand Gala."
Naturally, Robin needed tremendous courage to make that decision. Outsiders were not her, so they could not understand what it cost her to lay down her responsibility.
March 7th looked at Caelus with wise eyes, clearly asking what would happen if the Grand Gala did not go ahead. Caelus gave her a look that said, How would I know? Then he walked over and took Robin's right hand.
"As long as I'm here, no one will make things difficult for you."
Caelus did not know what price Robin would have to pay, but he could make her laugh and ease her heart. That was a lover's duty.
Mikai nodded and led them somewhere else. As a gravekeeper, he naturally had graves to watch over. On a platform with a broad view, three rectangular gravestones were carved into the ground.
"You should all find the names on these gravestones familiar," Mikai said.
"Lazarina, and... Tirnan."
Welt looked over them. The three gravestones were close together and could all be seen at a glance. The ones on either side had names carved into them, while the one in the middle had none.
"They're the Nameless seniors Pom-Pom asked us to find. We came too late."
March 7th spoke softly beside Caelus. Firefly and Robin, who were outsiders to the matter, understood as well. The people commemorated by these gravestones were the Nameless from the Trailblaze era.
"Back when Penacony was still called the Frontier Prison, Trailblaze connected it to the stars. They were all heroes who saved Asdana. Their names should have been carved upon monuments of time, not on these tiny stones."
Mikai explained. It was clear that the Aeon of Trailblaze had arrived here back then and opened connections with other planets. Otherwise, there should only have been a one-way passage between the IPC and the prison.
"Yet now, the Planet of Festivities has nothing left but sweet dreams. Heavy history, like that prison... has long vanished without a trace."
"Their names are carved on these stones, which means..."
Robin looked at Caelus, wanting to know how he viewed the deaths of his predecessors. Caelus's expression remained calm. Naturally, he did not have much to say. He was not cold-hearted; he simply felt no more than respect for seniors he had never known, not sorrow. If he wailed his heart out now, that would only mean his acting was extraordinary.
For the first time, Robin took Caelus's hand of her own accord. This concerned his predecessors, after all, and the little bird hoped he would not be too sad.
"According to Mr. Mikai, they passed away a very long time ago."
Himeko spoke, sorrow and disappointment in her heart. If they could have spoken with the Nameless of old, they might have gained much valuable experience.
"Lazarina perished in the War of Independence. To uncover the flow of Memory Matter, she piloted a shuttle alone into the heart of the star system and never returned."
"Tirnan was a cowboy skilled with firearms—powerful and dependable. He led the people through a brutal war against external forces, but failed to hold on until the day true peace arrived."
Mikai explained how the two had died. Robin was somewhat surprised by his words. If what Mikai said was true, those two had been benefactors of Penacony as it stood today. Her brother and she had only been born here thanks to them.
"And this empty gravestone?" Himeko asked, looking at the nameless marker.
"When Dreamflow Reef was created, its owner had not yet passed away. But that person said the day would come eventually, so they insisted on setting up a blank gravestone for themselves."
Mikai did not speak, but another voice cut in. Everyone turned and saw that Gallagher had arrived, with Sunday beside him.
"Robin!"
Sunday was beside himself with excitement at seeing his sister. But when he noticed her hand clasped with Caelus's, he felt as though something inside him had shattered. His expression gradually twisted, and then he charged over with the swagger of someone who recognized no kin, shoving Caelus away in one push.
Caelus staggered from the shove. Uncle really did hit hard. He had pushed against Caelus's chest with both hands, but fortunately Sunday was not a combat type, so he was not that strong.
"Brother."
Robin called out to him, yet her gaze fell upon Caelus, worried that he had been hurt. Sunday's heart skipped a beat. If Caelus had forced the hand-holding, that was one thing, but Robin's attention leaving him for Caelus was clearly her own choice. His heart instantly went cold, and he felt as though life had lost all meaning.
Still the Stellaron
"I'm just glad you're alright."
Sunday had spent all his excitement on Caelus. When facing Robin, his expression returned to calm. He had only ever lost composure when he discovered that his sister might have been deceived by a man.
"Brother Sunday, you're alright... How did you get here?"
Though Uncle had shoved him, Caelus bore no resentment. He still sidled up to Sunday with a cheerful smile. To be fair, he did feel a little guilty. He had just wanted to get closer to Robin while Uncle was absent, only to be caught red-handed.
"Gallagher stabbed me. I thought I was truly going to die."
Sunday glanced at Caelus as he explained. He had not wanted to pay him any attention, but Robin wanted to know how he had arrived, so he could only tell them.
"Old Gallagher, that was wrong of you. How could you stab my big brother?"
Caelus was quite familiar with getting stabbed. After all, he had been stabbed all the way from Belobog.
Gallagher stroked the beard on his chin. Being called Old Gallagher when he was only a teenager felt rather strange, but given his appearance, it was not exactly incorrect.
"Who's your big brother?!"
Sunday shouted indignantly. Some humiliations could be endured, but others could not. Caelus had already switched to calling him big brother—how could Sunday possibly tolerate that?
"Brother, don't get angry, Brother. Remember when we ran into trouble at the front desk? You stepped forward and helped us. I remembered that from then on. I'm someone who repays kindness, so I secretly swore that day that I would acknowledge you as my big brother for life."
Caelus explained with utmost seriousness why he wanted to acknowledge Sunday as his big brother. Sunday's chest rose and fell in anger, and even the wings atop his head seemed ready to bristle. Yet Caelus's words made perfect sense and were full of loyalty. One could not exactly scold a person for repaying kindness.
March 7th glared at Caelus from the side. Her eyes plainly said, Are you acknowledging a big brother? You're lusting after Robin's body, you shameless bastard.
"Pfft..."
Robin could not help laughing when she saw Sunday looking as though he wanted to devour Caelus alive but could do nothing about it. Her brother looked like a real person now, full of flesh and blood, with ordinary human emotions.
"?"
Sunday looked at his sister in confusion. Had Robin just laughed at him alongside an outsider? As his sister, should she not have stood up for him? What was that supposed to mean?
"Mr. Gallagher went to great lengths to gather the Family's leader, the Star Rail Express, and the Stellaron Hunters in one place. I assume you have something important to tell us?"
Welt felt that if Caelus continued talking, Sunday might be angered to death inside the dream. So he directly changed the topic and asked Gallagher.
"Hahaha, Mr. Welt is correct. It is indeed time for us to speak openly."
Gallagher nodded with a smile.
"Before we begin, allow me to introduce myself again—the founder of Dreamflow Reef, the Clock Keeper's deputy, and the person who sent that invitation. I am Gallagher, a Fictionologist. Greetings to you all."
"So you really are a Fictionologist. That means everything you told us before was made up?"
March 7th said with her hands on her hips. Even she understood the meaning of that title now. Was it not just another way of saying he talked nonsense?
"Most of it was true. Could a teenager like me really lie to you?"
Gallagher said sincerely.
"This feels strangely familiar."
March 7th's eyelid twitched as she looked at someone beside her who always claimed to be an innocent child. She had no idea how many wives that guy had fooled with that innocent appearance.
"The answer is actually simple, and you are all very familiar with it. The source of everything is the Stellaron."
Gallagher did not beat around the bush and explained directly. At that, Caelus was no longer sleepy. After all that circling around, it turned out to be because of a Stellaron again. The difference was that before Gallagher mentioned the word, none of them had ever considered that it might be connected to a Stellaron.
"A Stellaron? Penacony is completely unobstructed, a bustling interstellar hub. It also shows no signs of contamination. How could it be related to a Stellaron?"
Welt voiced his doubts at the right moment. The Star Rail Express were already experts at sealing Stellarons, and there was even a Stellaron Hunter standing beside them. Even Firefly had not known there was a Stellaron here.
"You are completely correct. So why not guess what that means?"
Gallagher countered. Welt fell silent. When something was too abnormal, there had to be something strange going on. Penacony's Stellaron disaster was more serious than either of the previous places they had visited.
"At certain times, a Stellaron can cooperate with intelligent life. It does not necessarily have to aim to destroy everything."
Caelus spoke at that moment, and Gallagher gave him an approving glance.
"As expected of the person here who understands Stellarons best."
"Does that count as understanding? It feels like I've been dealing with Stellarons ever since I became conscious. How does that saying go? A knife wielded by one of your own hurts the most."
Caelus spread his hands and did not hide his identity. In truth, everyone here except Robin knew his background. As for whether Robin knew, that was hard to say. For his sister's sake, Sunday would definitely have told her that Caelus was a Stellaron and warned her to stay away from him.
"Sweet dreams do not appear out of thin air. If the Memoria is compared to an ocean, then creating a land of dreams is like reclaiming land in a raging sea."
Gallagher nodded and continued. No one present knew much about Memory Matter studies. If Black Swan had been here, she might have understood, but that was not the important part.
"To accomplish such a feat, unless an Envoy of Remembrance or Enigmata intervenes, there is only one path: using a Stellaron."
"And this was not something a simple wish could accomplish. It required considerable knowledge, as well as vast amounts of time and manpower, to make it this seamless. Having said that much, you should understand now."
"The Planet of Festivities as it exists today is Asdana's Stellaron disaster."
Gallagher's explanation greatly shocked the train crew. They had never dealt with a Stellaron disaster spanning such an enormous area.
Gallagher then explained the situation in detail. After the Clock Keeper and his companions led the prison to victory in the War of Independence, their real suffering had only just begun. Being able to fight was useless on its own. Countless people needed food and drink, but that was clearly not where the Path of Trailblaze excelled.
That was when someone set their sights on the Stellaron. It had arrived on Asdana during the war. Others did not know its dangers, but the old Nameless did. At their urging, everyone sealed it away. Since this place lacked the conditions to properly seal a Stellaron, they were fortunate that it was dormant and had not awakened to cause trouble.
For Robin's Sake
If the old Nameless had still been around, they could indeed have kept things under control. But as Gallagher had said earlier, two of the three Nameless had died, leaving only the Clock Keeper to hold everything together. He could not possibly keep watch over the Stellaron while dealing with both internal strife and external threats.
The result was that when the Clock Keeper returned from one of his expeditions, he discovered that the Family from the Montour star system, allies he had brought in, were willing to help build Penacony with him. Naturally, he was overjoyed. Little did he know that these allies were the ones who would stab him in the back. He had been kept in the dark all along.
The Stellaron had long since been activated by members of the Family and seeped into Asdana's primordial dreamscape. The Family helped the Clock Keeper suppress the internal unrest, then joined Penacony's construction in Harmony's name, eventually becoming the Five Great Families of today.
Yet paper could not cover fire forever. The Clock Keeper eventually learned what the Family was doing with the Stellaron. Unfortunately, the forces under his command could not contend with the Family at all. In the end, he could only create Dreamflow Reef and hide here, hoping that one day someone would see through the Family's conspiracy.
As for the Family's conspiracy, enjoying sweet dreams came at a price. The lives of dreamers would be drained by the Stellaron to nourish the dreamscape, creating a cycle. It was quite in line with a Stellaron's nature of opposing intelligent life.
"Then where is the Stellaron now?"
Himeko could not help sighing after hearing the story, but their priority now was still to seal the Stellaron. They had to find it first.
"Then you'll have to ask that wing-headed brat. The Stellaron has always been under the Family's control, and he is the face of the Oak Family. He must know perfectly well."
Gallagher looked toward Sunday. After talking for so long, it was time for someone from the Family to speak. Otherwise, there would have been no need to bring Sunday along.
"It... is the Penacony Grand Theater itself."
Sunday fell silent for a while before speaking. His internal struggle came from not wanting his sister to learn about the things he had concealed for the Family. At that moment, he could clearly feel the sorrow filling his sister's gaze.
"So it really was that. The Family's incarnation, the first building to appear within the sweet dream—it is the true culprit behind Penacony becoming what it is."
Robin's voice carried sorrow. She had not only learned that the Family who raised her were traitors to Penacony, but also what her brother had been doing behind her back.
Taking advantage of Robin's sadness, Caelus came to her side and secretly took her hand. Feeling the warmth in his palm, Robin glanced at him. Even her brother had learned to deceive her. Perhaps the only person she could trust was this man who had always tried to make her smile.
"The person who used the Stellaron to accomplish all this... was likely Mr. Gofei Mu, the current Dream Master."
Sunday said through gritted teeth. Half his hatred was for the Dream Master, and the other half was for Caelus. If the Dream Master had not caused this mess, would his sister be looking at him with such disappointment? What disgusted him most was that another man had taken advantage of her vulnerability. Women were easiest to deceive when they were sad. Her state of mind had completely collapsed.
"The Dream Master has always been elusive. Even the heads of the Families rarely get to see him. Besides... Mr. Gofei Mu showed kindness to my sister and me. I truly do not wish to face such a result."
Sunday took a deep breath and forced his attention away from his sister and Caelus. If this continued, he truly would not be able to stop himself from making a move. Right now.
Before you continue