"[ Eternity ]... Did I hear that right?!" March 7th exclaimed, covering his mouth in surprise.
Welt examined the Black Swan. "A world so intimately connected to [ Eternity ], the [ Church of Eternity ] couldn't possibly remain completely silent."
"It claims to be the ' Land of Eternity,' yet it's not marked on the Church's star map, but can be detected by the Garden of Recollection..." Star looked thoughtfully at the Black Swan, "Are you sure Amphoreus isn't some kind of disguise for the 'Land of Remembrance '?"
"Hehe~ That's an interesting way of putting it."
The Black Swan gracefully swirled the [ Soap Sparkling Drink ] in her hand, the bubbles making a soft, bubbling sound.
"But as I just said, Amphoreus is a place where multiple Path intertwine, and [ Remembrance ]... is naturally an important part of it."
A mysterious smile played on her lips. "To increase the credibility of this information, I have visited the temporary stronghold of the [ Church of Eternity ] and obtained the approval of Chair Blake."
March 7th scratched his head in confusion. "Huh... really? Chair Blake can actually mix drinks?"
"Surprised?" Black Swan's eyes crinkled. "While you were all engrossed in the [ Charmony Festival ], that esteemed Chair was hidden amidst the hustle and bustle of the [ Dreamjolt Bar ], personally experiencing the art of bartending."
"That's absolutely true, Miss Black Swan."
A steady voice rang out, and Blake's virtual projection quietly appeared in front of everyone.
Without any further pleasantries, he turned his gaze directly to the team leader, Welt: "Please forgive my abrupt request, everyone on the Astral Express... but, I would like to ask you—"
"--Change destination."
"Uh, this conversation sounds so familiar, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before." March 7th covered his forehead, as if Kafka's image flashed before his eyes.
Xing nodded, seemingly understanding, "I see. The Church of Eternity actually collaborates with the Stellaron Hunters."
"Huh? Where did you get that idea from?!"
"Just a guess," Xing replied directly, hands on her hips.
March 7th:...
"[ The Land of Eternity, Amphoreus ]..." Dan Heng repeated the name in a low voice, his brows furrowed.
Could there be some unknown connection between that place and Ye Yan?
No... this doesn't make sense. Based on his understanding of the [ Church of Eternity ], there shouldn't be a second [ Eternity ] force in the universe.
"As His most devout followers, we had no intention of overstepping our bounds or interfering with His will."
Blake's voice carried an almost sacred solemnity; he slightly raised his head, as if gazing up at an unseen being.
"However, as this Memokeeper noted, Amphoreus is a singularity where multiple Path converge. Within it... there is a high probability that the remnants of [ Destruction ]'s evil remains reside."
He turned to the Astral Express Crew, his eyes filled with deep worry and responsibility. "If the intelligence is true, as recipients of [ Eternity ] grace, the Church must share this heavy burden of filth originating from [ Destruction ]. Purification this evil is our inescapable duty."
"Wow, you haven't forgotten your original aspirations, Chair Blake!"
March 7th couldn't help but mutter a complaint under his breath, feeling that the Church of Eternity cared more about Nanook's Destruction than the Annihilation Gang.
"For Garden of Recollection to simultaneously seek help from the Astral Express and the Church of Eternity... it seems that the danger of Amphoreus is far beyond our current understanding." Welt calmly pushed up his glasses and analyzed.
"To be precise, this is my personal request."
The Black Swan interjected gently at the opportune moment, her fingertips gracefully tracing the rim of her glass, "Have you ever heard this saying: [ Those Memokeeper travel through all realms, solely to collect all precious Remembrance ]?"
"It is my duty to salvage lost Remembrance, and the Amphoreus reflected in the Mirror of the Garden of Recollection... is like a jewel in a shop window, glittering yet unattainable."
"I need at least one sharp nail that can pierce glass, which means you all. Only [ Trailblaze ] and [ Eternity ] can penetrate Amphoreus and bring the world's [ Remembrance ] back to light."
"Miss Black Swan, you're quite cautious, aren't you?"
There's a tiny bit of anticipation for March 7th, as this is an unprecedented official collaboration between [ Astral Express ] and [ Church of Eternity ]!
With two [ Eternity ] Emanator acting as guarantors, things are pretty much settled!
After the projections of the Black Swan and Blake disappeared, the Astral Express Crew immediately returned to the Parlor Car and found Himeko. They explained to her in detail the unexpected meeting and the request they had made.
"A world that even the Trailblaze have never reached—isn't that an irresistible temptation for the Nameless?"
After hearing this, Himeko smiled charmingly.
"This kind of opportunity is obviously rare, so doesn't that mean we're even more powerful than the [ Trailblaze ] Aeon?" Star straightened his back instantly, as if he could already see the dawn of victory.
"Heh~" Welt chuckled softly, "That's Akivili, every stop He makes is a world that humanity has never reached before."
"The train has always traveled along the silver tracks He opened up; under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to travel to [ Trailblaze ] a world beyond our comprehension."
"But this time, perhaps we have the opportunity to leave a brand new site on the star map, and I'm getting quite excited."
Welt then turned to Himeko, his tone pragmatic. "Given the train's current condition, we accept Ms. Black Swan's suggestion to arrange a ' Trailblaze trip' to Amphoreus to refuel."
"Time isn't too tight, no need to rush." Himeko made coffee for everyone. "This [ Trailblaze trip] is special, so the train should be prepared for resupply and support before heading to the next stop."
"That's true... our battle with [ Order ] just ended recently, and we need some rest."
The three members of the [ Trailblaze ] team all expressed their agreement.
"The coffee is ready, who wants some?"
"I'm Ye Yan, and I love to drink," Xing answered quickly.
Meanwhile, the Xianzhou Luofu
In the Central Starskiff Haven, opposite the [ Sleepless Earl ] teahouse, Ye Yan quietly pushed open the door of his own milk tea shop.
"It's been so long, I've missed you terribly."
He stepped into the store, his gaze sweeping gently over the surroundings... Hmm, it was even tidier than when he left.
"Hey! Mr. Ye Yan!"
Qingque's clear voice rang out from behind the workbench. She peeked out, her face full of surprise.
"Thank you for helping me manage the shop, Miss Qingque." Ye Yan smiled kindly and handed Qingque a cup of milk tea.
"Great! It's [ Star Taro Boba ]! We're saved!"
Qingque took the milk tea, deftly inserted the straw, and sipped it with satisfaction, her face instantly lighting up with happiness.
"Hehe~ You don't know, ever since the Ambrosial Arbor Catastrophe, the old lady Taibu has had a change of heart, and her work pressure has been much less than before!" She swallowed a mouthful of sweet food and said in a light tone.
"Of course, I must clarify this point: I have always worked diligently at the Divination Commission, only occasionally slacking off for a few hours..."
"While I was away, were there any troublemakers in the vicinity?"
Ye Yan mainly inquired about the situation at the [ Sleepless Earl ] teahouse. Last time the Astral Express Crew came to Xianzhou Luofu, didn't Blake temporarily replace the storyteller, Mr. Xiyan, for a while?
After Mr. Xiyan drank the Church's newly developed [soap and laundry detergent bar, concentrated natural hot spring non-alcoholic sparkling drink], he never came to the [ Sleepless Earl ] teahouse to tell stories again.
Ye Yan guessed that Mr. Xiyan had gone to take care of his stomach and intestines; that drink had indeed been very harmful to him.
Before setting off for Penacony, Blake specially summoned his butler, Screwllum, to work as a storyteller at the [ Sleepless Earl ] teahouse for a while.
"Hmm? No, not at all." Qingque shook her head. This was the Central Starskiff Haven; who would dare cause trouble here?
And given the location of Ye Yan's milk tea shop... haha, even the most clueless thief would probably have to leave a few hundred Credits as a donation out of pity.
I've never seen a shop with such shabby decor; it's completely out of character for Xianzhou Architecture.
Speaking of interior design styles...
Qingque looked up at the rickety nightlight on the ceiling. " Mr. Ye Yan, how long has it been since you repaired this chandelier? It's wobbly and has been neglected for years; it's a potential safety hazard."