Akivili brought back four guests.
Pom-Pom forgot about the broom in hand and hurried over to the Aeon.
Just as they looked up to greet them, their expression changed dramatically after taking a closer look.
Two of them were the Aeons who had blown up the Astral Express before.
Pom-Pom didn't have time to think about why there were two Aeons. They instinctively raised the broom, ready to drive them away.
Bacchus reacted immediately, yanking Aha over and using them as a shield.
Hiding behind Aha, they only poked their head out and pointed at Pom-Pom.
"Conductor, you've gone too far!"
"I've never blown up your train, okay?!"
Hearing that, Pom-Pom froze and turned to look at Akivili.
Akivili thought to themself, That's true. You haven't.
As the Aeon traveling with them under the name "Bacchus," how could they have blown up a train in another world?
Akivili waved a hand and said coldly, "Pom-Pom, do it."
Pom-Pom sneered and raised the broom again.
The two Aeons pretended to panic, letting out one startled cry after another.
As they dodged Pom-Pom, all they did was trip up the other version of themself.
Seeing that, Pom-Pom pressed the attack and vented a good deal of frustration.
Akivili paid no attention to the chase unfolding aboard the train.
Zero automatically ignored the noise inside the train.
Jingliu still looked hesitant, her gaze lingering on the two Aeons.
Zero took her hand and intertwined their fingers.
"Alright, don't worry."
"Nothing will happen."
Akivili looked at their clasped hands and subconsciously widened their eyes.
A vague guess formed in their mind.
"My friend, I didn't get the chance to greet you earlier..."
"This is..."
Zero looked at Jingliu, and his eyes unconsciously softened.
Holding the hand of the person beside him tightly, he solemnly introduced her to his friend.
"Jingliu, my wife."
"Wow..."
Akivili was delighted at first, then couldn't help feeling a little regret.
They had missed their friend's wedding.
But that was alright.
They would definitely make up for it with the most special wedding gift possible.
The Aeon quickly adjusted their mood and led the two of them to the bar.
The two conductors had almost identical ways of storing things, and Akivili quickly found teacups and drinks.
On the other side of the carriage, Pom-Pom chased one of the "Elation" Aeons off the train.
Putting away the broom, they glared angrily at the red-haired youth.
If it weren't for Akivili... they would have thrown this guy out too.
Pom-Pom coldly issued a warning before coming over to the bar.
Just as they stood on tiptoe to climb onto a chair, their body suddenly lifted into the air. Turning around, they met an androgynous face.
Bacchus picked Pom-Pom up with one hand.
They laughed cheerfully and casually set Pom-Pom onto the chair beside Akivili.
Pom-Pom was furious. Akivili raised a hand and gently patted the top of their head, and the anger in their heart gradually faded.
Mindful of the two strangers in front of them, they ultimately said nothing.
Smiling, Akivili introduced the identities of the two guests to Pom-Pom.
One of them was Eric Fisch, the very person Akivili had been searching for after waking up.
Pom-Pom quietly observed him.
They discovered that Eric was an excellent listener.
His eyes were gentle, his voice was gentle, and he had an exceptionally kind, completely non-threatening face that made people unconsciously speak their minds.
It seemed that no matter how much darkness someone poured out, Eric would simply smile and go along with it.
It wasn't until Pom-Pom had recounted their experiences on Herta Space Station and Jarilo-VI one after another that they realized Eric wasn't just good at listening.
He was also very good at drawing information out of people.
Pom-Pom hesitated inwardly and looked at Akivili again.
The Aeon's eyes shone brightly, no longer lost.
The Aeon from before had been like a ship drifting aimlessly across the sea.
Now, they had finally found an anchor.
Pom-Pom understood Eric's purpose.
It was for Akivili.
This wasn't Akivili's world.
Yet the Aeon still wanted to learn a little more.
As though... by piecing together Pom-Pom's scattered words, they could make up for the experiences they had lost.
This time, Pom-Pom took the initiative to talk about what they had experienced on the Xianzhou.
For some reason, Akivili and Eric's husband and wife both wore somewhat strange expressions.
Even the red-haired youth who had been teasing Pom-Pom put away his smile.
"...Uh, something like that actually happened on the Xianzhou?" Akivili scratched their cheek. "That's really... hard to imagine."
The Aeon glanced at Zero and quickly changed the subject, asking about the train's new companion.
This Nameless immediately drew the attention of both Aeons.
Eric suddenly asked, "Akivili, do you believe in fate?"
The Aeon said nothing.
Eric continued, "This Nameless might just be the savior who overturns everything."
Akivili couldn't help complaining, "What is this, some monster-fighting leveling game? Then who's the final boss?"
Half jokingly, Eric replied, "If I'm not here, then it's Nanook."
Bacchus laughed dryly a few times.
"...You're not even the villain, so why say that?"
Eric only smiled without answering.
Bacchus: "..."
When they learned that the Hunt of this world had destroyed one-third of the realms, they knew that their friend probably... wouldn't keep drawing the Hunt's hatred anymore.
And as the Xianzhou native who was supposed to have been "sacrificed," they should have accompanied their friend in carrying out that plan.
Now, their friend might no longer need them.
Bacchus almost laughed.
They and their friend were destined never to become comrades who entrusted each other with their backs.
Only by taking what each needed and making use of each other could their relationship continue.
Bacchus stood up and urged,
"It's getting late. Let's head back."
Eric also stood.
"Conductor, where's Dan Heng's room?"
"Oh, right. Do you have any paper and a pen?"
Pom-Pom hesitated for a moment before telling him the exact location.
Eric paused.
"...Why is he living in the Archive?"
Hearing that, Eric's wife also froze.
The two took the paper and pen and headed toward the Archive.
Bacchus found an excuse and left Akivili and Pom-Pom alone together.
Neither spoke for a while before Akivili broke the silence.
"Pom-Pom..."
"I thought... I thought he..."
They had found the only truth in a false world.
The emotions they had suppressed for so long had finally found an outlet.
Akivili stopped controlling their expression and laughed out loud.
After a while, they said, "Pom-Pom."
"You figured it out a long time ago, didn't you?"
'I don't belong here.'
'I'm not your Aeon.'
Pom-Pom remained silent.
Akivili smiled.
"Sorry. Maybe what I'm about to do is a little abrupt..."
They bent down, hugged Pom-Pom tightly, and said softly, "No matter which version of you it is, you're the greatest conductor in the universe."
Half a minute later, Pom-Pom's slightly muffled voice sounded.
"Hmph. Of course I am, pom."
Ten minutes later, the train received another visitor.
Pom-Pom jumped down from the bar stool, and Akivili stood up as well.
Bacchus opened the door first and accepted what the visitor handed over.
It was a finely crafted wooden box made from high-quality materials, with a letter placed on top.
Akivili asked, "What's this..."
Bacchus set the box on the floor and shrugged.
"It's from the Xianzhou..."
Their gaze stopped on the people behind them, and they changed their words midway.
"Look, Eric. That General sent you a gift to thank you."
Eric raised an eyebrow.
The next moment, the box disappeared.
Pom-Pom rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
Eric bent down, handed them a note, and said with a smile, "Read it later."
Pom-Pom put away the note and nodded.
After they left, Pom-Pom unfolded the note and followed the instructions to the entrance of the Archive.
On the floor to the left were more than a dozen bags, most of them snacks, with a smaller number of books.
On the windowsill to the right sat a gift bag.
Pom-Pom continued reading the note.
The things on the left were gifts for passenger Dan Heng.
The one on the right was Eric's gift to the Astral Express.
Pom-Pom thought, 'Why bring gifts at all?'
Reading further, their smile disappeared.
What did he mean by borrowing a company executive's black card?
And telling them not to worry because he'd left a backup plan?
Eric never made a losing deal.
In exchange, he asked the Nameless to lend the Xianzhou a hand whenever it was needed.
Pom-Pom opened the gift bag and found a black card and a pile of stones faintly glowing with golden light.
Patiently, they finished reading the note.
Pom-Pom nearly fluffed up with shock, looking from the stones to the note.
'What is this?'
This pile of stones might be creations of an Aeon, or they might be fragments of an Aeon?
As for what they actually were...
Eric said Pom-Pom could guess.
The hand holding the note trembled slightly.
'Creations of which Aeon?!'
'And what did he mean by fragments of an Aeon? Does he mean what I think he means?!'
'Akivili, just who exactly is your friend?!'