[ The Radiant Feldspar ] Aft pool, Xing and Firefly gaze at each other.
Wow, it really is you...
"There's still some time before the opening of the Charmony Festival, would you like to chat?"
Xing nodded and walked and talked with Firefly. When their view became more open, the two stopped at the same time.
"... Two murders, a showdown with the company's envoy, the legacy of the Nameless, a remnant of the Order who dreams of creating Paradise in place of the Aeon —you even shattered that dream in the end... what a magnificent holiday it was."
"Fortunately, you successfully solved these problems. Congratulations!" Firefly offered her heartfelt congratulations. "Now that the Charmony Festival has opened, shouldn't you set off again?"
"I wonder where the next stop is... Actually, I'd really like to go back to the Xianzhou and stay for a while." Xing scratched his head.
"There will always be a direction," Firefly smiled slightly. "After all, you are the Pathstrider for this Trailblaze..."
"Before joining the Stellaron Hunters, Elio told me that this journey would teach me how to survive. He stopped there, leaving the rest for me to discover."
"Therefore, I will pay extra attention to clues that [could keep me alive], and this trip to Penacony will be no exception."
Xing recalled Firefly's previous actions, "No wonder you were so actively investigating [ the Clockmaker ]."
"Hmm... At first I thought the answer was hidden in the [ Clockmaker ]'s riddle, but unfortunately I was looking in the wrong direction. But I did gain something else, though."
Under the influence of [ Eternity ], Firefly knew that her [ Script ] had undergone a subtle change.
"I desperately want to live, but... fate has wronged me." Firefly's tone hardened. "What I want is repayment, not a transfer of blame."
"No third party should be involved, because this is a personal matter between me and fate."
Firefly put her hands behind her back and said somewhat shyly:
"Ah, speaking of which... I've always felt I owe you a formal apology, specifically regarding the [ Iris Family Artists] matter."
Even the smallest lie can forge a betrayal as sharp as a dagger... I'm sorry, Xing.
"It's alright, you've already apologized."
With his hands on his hips, Star, the Galactic Baseballer, is known for his magnanimity; why would he get hung up on such a trivial matter?
"That situation was urgent, so it wasn't a formal apology, but I was indeed in the wrong first."
"For me, concealing is much easier than being honest... but I also want to try and see if I can express my true feelings like an ordinary person..."
In the Dreamjolt Bar, under the hazy lights, Silver Wolf stared at the ten [ Soap Sparkling Drink ] lined up in front of the bar.
The dreamlike pure white liquid only sent chills down her spine; the water droplets condensed on the glass seemed to be screaming silently.
"This..." She swallowed hard, tapping one of the glasses with her fingertip. "I remember I only ordered one?"
She looked up and gazed at Blake, who was leisurely wiping wine glasses behind the bar. He gracefully set down the glass, a flawless smile curving his lips.
"To celebrate Ms. Silver Wolf becoming the first VIP guest at the opening of [ Eternity Bar ], we are offering a special 'buy one, get ten free' gift. May the glory and generosity of [ Eternity ] forever shine upon you."
As Blake spoke, he made a prayer-like infinity symbol [∞] in front of his chest with one hand.
"I don't need it! Besides, isn't this place called [ Dreamjolt Bar ]?"
"Sigh~" Blake shook his head slightly reproachfully, as if correcting a lost child:
"Names are but illusory symbols of this world, why cling to them? The key lies in the grace of Eternity." He once again made that gesture of devout prayer towards the void.
Seeing the mixture of surprise and resistance on Silver Wolf's face, Blake let out a regretful sigh. This was what people often referred to as a trust issue...
"Sigh~ Miss Silver Wolf, I am, after all, the Chair of the [ Church of Eternity ], aren't you going to give me even the slightest bit of face?"
"Furthermore, the shop has a universal disclaimer: if any food safety issues arise... we'll compensate tenfold for any counterfeit product."
"Tenfold compensation for fakes, buy one get ten free... Are you serious?"
"Genuine or genuine."
"These words aren't meant for you to use like that...!" Silver Wolf complained frantically.
Sure enough, she couldn't use normal thinking to communicate with the [ Church of Eternity ], let alone with this Chair, who was even more abstract and unfathomable.
Silver Wolf rubbed her temples, but her gaze was inadvertently drawn to a particularly plump, light blue solid in her drink. She picked it up with her fingertips and examined it closely.
"Don't tell me this ice cube is actually edible soap..."
"Haha~" Blake scratched his sideburn awkwardly, "Miss Silver Wolf is so funny! This translucent color, this perfect shape... it's clearly the 'Tears of Eternity ' extracted and condensed from the pure natural hot spring water of our [ Church of Eternity ] holy land after undergoing hundreds and thousands of Purification processes!"
"It can not only cleanse the body and mind, but also Purification the corrupt soul..."
"Tsk, do you think I've never soaked in Church's hot springs before?! How could it possibly be this color!"
Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Blake had no choice but to 'confess' to Silver Wolf:
"Well, Miss Silver Wolf, you guessed right... exceptionally intelligent, truly deserving of the title of Stellaron Hunters."
"I don't believe what you're saying either."
"... Actually, it's specially made ice cubes from laundry detergent."
Silver Wolf:?
Blake shrugged helplessly. "See... you wouldn't believe me even if I told you."
Ah, the trust between people...
After some time, the stern swimming pool of the [ The Radiant Feldspar ]
Xing spent a pleasant time on a lounge chair by the pool, and with the appearance of the Robin, the [ Charmony Festival ] officially began!
"Distinguished guests, fellow the Family members, ladies and gentlemen, friends from all corners of the galaxy—"
"It is a great pleasure to gather with you all here to celebrate the most solemn ceremony of the Penacony Amber Era, the Charmony Festival. First of all, on behalf of the Penacony the Family branch and its Five Families..."
"And on behalf of... myself, I extend a warm welcome to all the guests!"
For some reason, upon hearing the Robin's opening remarks, Xing and March 7th instinctively started clapping.
"As you all have probably noticed, this year's Charmony Festival is extraordinary. Thanks to the efforts of all the major factions, this grand event is unprecedented in scale, with factions from across the entire galaxy invited to the banquet..."
"Furthermore, the opening ceremony, which is traditionally held at the Penacony Grand Theater, will now be held on the [ The Radiant Feldspar ] – the very airship where you, our guests, are standing right now."
"Let us give a round of applause and express our sincerest gratitude to Oti Efferfa of the Clover Family for his selfless dedication to the cause of [ Harmony ]!"
"What makes this ceremony so significant? As we all know, the [ The Radiant Feldspar ] was forced to halt its voyage due to an unexpected event in a dream, which sparked heated discussions at Twelve Hours..."
"But Penacony, we finally got the dream back on track. And with the Charmony Festival coinciding with this, it's a double blessing, giving the [ The Radiant Feldspar ]'s relaunch a new meaning."