"... Oh dear, friend, my expression wasn't much better than yours when I witnessed this."
Penacony, [ The Reverie ] Hotel - Dreamland
Inside the guest room, Aventurine showed Xing this brief 'crime scene'.
"You read that right, it's her, the renowned singer [ The Robin ]."
"Let me make it clear first, this has nothing to do with me. I'm just an unlucky guy who stumbled upon this scene. My the Family can vouch for this. If you don't believe me, just ask someone from the Hound Family. They hate me, they hate the company, so they would never lie."
"This isn't the scene of the crime. What I'm showing you is a [ Remembrance ]—the simplest Light Cone presentation technology, authorized by Garden of Recollection and owned by the company."
Aventurine still accused Acheron of being an outsider. "Now that things have come to this, do you still think that [ Galaxy Ranger ] is an outsider?"
" Penacony solemnly promises: in the beautiful dream woven by our the Family, the safety of every guest will be guaranteed. Those in distress will be forcibly awakened and safely returned to reality."
"What gives them the confidence to speak so confidently? Because behind this promise lies the protection of [ Harmony ]: the Family's Dreamweaver have linked their thoughts together to build an unbreakable security barrier."
"Breaking through this barrier, creating [death] within a dream... Even those Memokeeper cannot do this without the Family's permission."
"Who could do it? My friend, it could only be her, that woman who calls herself the Galaxy Ranger... an uninvited guest posing as someone else, a [ Emanator ] who conceals her true identity..."
"Of course, Penacony's [ Emanator ] are not limited to her alone; the [ Church of Eternity ] could also do this, but it wouldn't make sense to them. What do you think, my friend?"
Aventurine unilaterally denied that the two Church were the murderers. Blake himself was staying at the Morning Dew Mansion, and it was unknown how his cooperation with Sunday was progressing. The other person was nowhere to be found... As for the [ Eternity ] Emanator hidden on the Astral Express...
Instead of guessing wildly here, it would be faster to ask the Nameless in front of us directly, but now is not the time.
" Afrit's death is inevitable, Robin... her tragic fate is right before our eyes. Who will be the next victim?"
"In that case... I won't trust anyone."
"It's alright, you can make your own judgment. Building trust always takes time, and I'm willing to wait."
Aventurine placed his hands on his chest and gazed sincerely at the stars.
"I just hope you understand that around that so-called 'legacy'... Penacony, and everyone has their own ulterior motives."
"Don't choose the wrong side," Aventurine kindly reminded him. "If I were you, I would keep my distance from the Acheron."
"After all, a calculated scheme brought to the forefront is far superior to a monster lurking in the shadows... isn't it?"
Just as Aventurine was about to continue speaking, an unexpected voice suddenly rang out.
"But who says there isn't a deeper conspiracy behind these apparent schemes?"
Looking at the Black Swan that had come before them, Aventurine shook his head slightly. "... Memokeeper, I think our deal ended a long time ago."
" Aventurine is telling the truth; this [ Remembrance ] is real, without any distortion or fabrication."
"The company isn't Garden of Recollection; its capabilities are quite limited—you know that all too well."
Aventurine no longer concealed anything from Star and spoke frankly, "Friend, let's cut to the chase—I wish to establish a partnership with the Astral Express in my personal capacity."
"I told you before, I have no interest in the inheritance battle. Penacony for work. I need to reclaim some lost assets for the company, you know... the ownership of [ Frontier Prison ]."
"Thanks to the Cancer of All Worlds, this thing has caused a bad debt. The company has tried to sit down and talk several times, but the Family won't even open the door."
Aventurine said with a hint of helplessness, "The person who came wasn't qualified enough. Look at how they treat the Church of Eternity, it's like heaven and earth."
That's understandable. After all, facing two [ Emanator ], and [ Eternity ones at that]... If he were the head of a family Penacony's, his head would probably explode. Who in the world doesn't know what the Church of Eternity has done?
The apparent goodwill was all an act. The Family should be thankful they didn't send the invitation to that certain Lord Ravager, though they wouldn't have done so anyway.
Aventurine should be thankful that the Church didn't target Penacony, otherwise, they would have had a hard time explaining themselves to the company's upper management...
Wait, regarding the last time we recaptured Jarilo-VI, the Church contacted [ Eternity ] Yite and gave the company an amber crystal, which was supposedly taken from the Amber Lord.
The amber stone in his hand... Haha, he must be overthinking it. How could the Nameless from [ Trailblaze ] possess the sacred object of the Amber Lord?
"You have no idea how difficult these people are to deal with. Let me put it this way: they were able to conceal the existence of [death] before, and they'll definitely be able to cover up the Robin's death this time too."
"It vanished silently, like bubbles, and in the end, no one even knew..."
"This isn't fair, is it? So, friend, I need your help."
Seeing Xing's hesitant expression, Aventurine added:
"It's okay, I won't force you."
With the amber milk tea she gave us, barring any unforeseen circumstances, retaking the [ Frontier Prison ] would be a piece of cake.
Aventurine didn't forget the hint Sparkle gave: the drink refers to Amber Milk Tea, so the third thing is to ask the [ Church of Eternity ] for help...
If something unexpected really happens, from that Chair's perspective, it's impossible for him to help him... The Church isn't stupid enough to cooperate with both sides; they might end up offending both.
A silver-haired elf... I don't know her well.
To force the Church of Eternity to intervene, Aventurine believed that at least one member of the [ Destruction ] faction should be brought in.
Hmm... if the two from the Church aren't working, why not focus on the hidden [ Eternity ] Emanator?
"But I don't want much. Why don't you let me finish speaking, okay?"
"I have only one goal: the Family's gate is a high wall, and to tear it down, I need to first chisel a few holes in it. Once a flaw appears, the company has plenty of ways to exploit it."
"Now, the opportunity has arrived. If we can uncover the truth behind 'The Death of the Robin,' we can bring justice to the deceased and gain leverage in negotiations. Invite the Family to the table."
"A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity... I've been researching and making friends all over Penacony, all for this moment."
Aventurine looked at Star: "But I believe there are exceptions among a few factions, which is why I need you all. The Astral Express has a renowned reputation, and [ Harmony ] will give you the fairest evaluation."
"You can uncover the truth and uphold justice, while I can use this to accomplish the company's mission... That's what I call a win-win situation."
Xinghui rejected Aventurine, mainly because she couldn't make decisions on her own. Nameless could work with the company, but she had to make sure he wasn't using her.
"Don't rush, why don't you go back to your companions and talk to them first?"
"That navigator is a smart woman; she must understand the value of this deal. Here's my contact information; contact me when you have a decision."