—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "The conversation between Miss Hotaru and Blade was strangely hilarious."
Stelle: "Hotaru acting all serious is just so cute!"
Welt Yang: "The Jepella Brotherhood…"
Welt Yang: "It seems this is the scene where the Stellaron Hunters incited the Jepella Rebellion."
Furina de Fontaine: "Speaking of which, did they actually know the subsequent future that early on?"
Furina de Fontaine: "That mysterious Elio really is impressive!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "At that time, the Ever-Flame Mansion didn't even exist yet."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Yet they had already been internally designated as an indispensable… chess piece…"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Heh, as expected of the Stellaron Hunters who stir up trouble across the universe. This is indeed no simple feat."
Lumine: "Uh… looking at it this way… this Duke Inferno is just a tool through and through, isn't he?"
Lumine: "The meaning of his existence… seems to be just to receive an invitation, and then deliver that invitation to Miss Acheron?"
Li Sushang: "Not just the invitation, he delivered his life along with it to Miss Acheron."
Hanabi: "Hahahaha, buy one get one free, is it?"
Hanabi: "This is really killing me~"
Hanabi: "I have to say, this Duke Inferno really knows how to create amusement~"
Hanabi: "It's just a pity I didn't catch wind of it beforehand."
Hanabi: "Otherwise, no matter what, I would have gone to the scene to observe and learn~"
Sampo Koski: "This Sister is creating amusement with his own life."
Sampo Koski: "On this point, old Sampo here can only bow down in defeat!"
Aventurine: "Ha, the way I see it, Duke Inferno's final life experience is already qualified to enter the Tavern."
Stelle: "Absolutely brilliant!"
Stelle: "If Duke Inferno knew that his destiny was to be a tool all along."
Stelle: "He'd probably be so angry he'd spring up from the grave!"
Acheron: "Rest assured, he is thoroughly dead. He will not be springing up."
Amber: "Pfft, Miss Acheron explaining that so seriously is really funny."
Boothill: "Motherfudger, even I can't hold it back hearing you say that."
....
『 The scene shifts, returning to Stelle's side.
[ Stelle, I'm glad to see you're safe and sound. ]
Stelle followed Hotaru into a strange Dreamscape, and immediately ran into Welt.
[ Uncle Yang, you're here too? ]
Stelle looked at Welt with some surprise.
[ [Closing eyes] …This is the answer. ]
[ It's incredible, isn't it? The monster we always regarded as death is actually the guardian of the land of exile. ]
[ It follows a specific set of laws, capturing people from the sweet dream and bringing them here. ]
Hotaru explained a few sentences to Stelle.
[ We were previously confused about whether true death exists in the Dreamscape. Now it seems it was entirely a mental trap set by the mastermind to cover up the truth of people's disappearances… ]
[ And… this fortress city named Dreamflux Reef. ]
[ Every appearance of that Meme is related to the Watchmaker. Since Dreamflux Reef is the destination where it takes everyone, I imagine many of the questions that have troubled us for so long can find inspiration here. ]
Welt also spoke to Stelle.
[ The atmosphere here is completely different from the sweet dream. People live extremely loosely; there are no administrators like The Family, and their mental states are in a subtle trance. ]
[ But from the scattered words of the residents, I obtained a familiar name… Gallagher. ]
Hotaru voiced a key clue she had previously investigated.
[ That man again. He always appears at just the right moment in every key location… It does save us the trouble of finding someone. ]
[ Himeko and March have already gone ahead. ]
[ Stelle, adjust your condition. We are setting off immediately. ]』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Oh?"
Stelle: "We actually arrived in another strange Dreamscape!"
Stelle: "Confirmed. That Memory Zone Meme is a bus!"
Stelle: "But I want to ask, which genius came up with this idea?"
Stelle: "Using a hideous and terrifying Memory Zone Meme as a bus?"
March 7th: "Which genius could it be?"
March 7th: "It must be the Hound of Penacony!"
March 7th: "Mr. GALLAGHER!!!"
Gallagher: "What?"
Gallagher: "Is it not trendy enough, or is it not fast enough?"
Gallagher: "Since we are in a Dreamscape, transportation naturally shouldn't follow conventional rules."
Hu Tao: "What a way to not follow conventional rules."
Hu Tao: "But your method… isn't it a bit too much?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Such a terrifying monster, just seeing it would make someone faint from fright!"
Furina de Fontaine: "And you actually use it as transportation!!"
Gallagher: "Is it really that scary?"
Gallagher: "I look at it usually and think it's quite cute."
Topaz: "Is the aesthetic sense of a History Fictionologist… somewhat different from normal people?"
Aventurine: "Probably."
Aventurine: "Otherwise, you can't explain why he thinks that thing is cute."
Gallagher: "Sigh, you get used to it after looking at it for a long time."
Himeko: "So, Mr. Gallagher, what exactly is your intention in using this method to pull people into Dreamflux Reef?"
Robin: "That is also what I want to know!"
Robin: "To think such a place was hidden outside of The Family's sweet dream…"
Robin: "Does The Family truly not know about this?"
Gallagher: "Don't be in such a rush."
Gallagher: "Since the video has played to this point, the answer should be revealed soon."
Gallagher: "So, just watch slowly."
....
『 [ The true Dreamscape, the land of exile… ]
[ Before setting off, let's chat with everyone again. ]
After calming herself down, Stelle decided to talk to Hotaru and Welt again.
[ I'm sorry. I couldn't tell you everything I knew until now. ]
Seeing Stelle walking towards her, Hotaru spoke first.
[ Why didn't you reveal your true identity before? ]
Stelle was still hung up on this question.
[ There are two reasons. First, the script — in the future Elio saw, the confrontation between Sam and the Astral Express is inevitable. ]
[ I tried to break the shackles of the prophecy, but this is the best I could do. ]
[ Other than that… it was my own selfishness. ]
[ I wanted to travel with you as Hotaru… rather than Sam. ]
Facing this question, Hotaru explained sincerely.
[ It's okay. I didn't take it to heart. ]
Stelle accepted Hotaru's explanation.
[ …Thank you. ]
Hotaru smiled.
[ Do the Stellaron Hunters… also want the Legacy? ]
Stelle asked curiously.
[ Elio gave me only one instruction — to pursue the "Grand Legacy" alongside the Astral Express. ]
[ This means the Watchmaker's Legacy is significant to the Trailblaze's journey, and to you. ]
[ In the past, Elio's scripts always revolved around a specific Stellaron. ]
[ But after you appeared, this rule seemed to no longer apply. ]
[ Perhaps he also saw an impossibility in the future. ]
Hotaru spoke in detail.
[ So, what exactly is Sam? ]
Stelle couldn't stop thinking about Sam.
[ Do you remember the medical cabin I told you about? ]
[ That is Sam — the Glamoth Iron Cavalry of the Firmament Front, Fyrefly Type-IV Strategic Assault Mech. ]
[ It is the cradle of my life, the meaning of my birth into this world, and for a long time, it was… the appearance I was supposed to present to the world. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Lumine: "Medical cabin???"
Lumine: "This is the medical cabin Miss Hotaru mentioned before?!"
Lumine: "I thought…"
Qingque: "Thought it was a cold, icy dome where you just lay inside unable to move, right?"
Qingque: "I thought so too!"
Qingque: "Who knew this medical cabin was actually a cool mecha?!"
Bailu: "Oh no, the concept of a medical cabin has been shattered in my brain!"
Stelle: "Um… if I ever get unluckily injured!"
Stelle: "Please make sure to get me a medical cabin like that so I can recover in peace!"
Dan Heng: "The Glamoth Iron Cavalry of the Firmament Front… as far as I know, they basically ceased to exist long ago."
Hotaru: "That's right… I am the only… survivor…"
Furina de Fontaine: "The only survivor?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Suddenly I feel… is this another tragedy?"
Welt Yang: "According to rumors, the final end of the Empire of Glamoth was extremely tragic."
Welt Yang: "So… this is indeed a tragedy…"
Acheron: "Miss Hotaru also bears a past she cannot bear to look back on."
Acheron: "Therefore, she embarked on a new journey, solely to find her own new life."
Hotaru: "Yes… that is also the main reason I joined the Stellaron Hunters."
Black Swan: "Sigh, including Miss Hotaru, there are now three people with sorrowful pasts."
Nahida: "Miss Hotaru, Mr. Aventurine, and Miss Acheron, correct?"
Hanabi: "Hehehe, as expected of the Planet of Festivities, Penacony!"
Hanabi: "It really is lively!"
Hanabi: "To actually gather a Glamoth Iron Cavalry, an Avgin, and…"
Hanabi: "Uh, right, Acheron, where are you from?"
Acheron: "…"
March 7th: "???"
March 7th: "What kind of hell joke is that?!"
March 7th: "Miss Hanabi, can you please not speak so unpleasantly!"
Stelle: "It seems I haven't spanked her yet!"
Stelle: "You just wait, sooner or later I'll make you cry your eyes out!"
Paimon: "Miss Hanabi really speaks as always… with absolutely no filter…"
....
『 [ Mm, let's leave it at that for now. ]
Stelle had nothing else to ask for the moment, so she prepared to end the chat.
[ The time scale in Dreamflux Reef is different from reality. You must never let down your guard. ]
[ You are sensitive to Memoria. If you're not careful… you might get lost in this Memory Zone. ]
Before Stelle left, Hotaru, in a very concerned tone, gave her a few more instructions.
[ If you have any worries, feel free to speak up and discuss them together. ]
Stelle came over to Welt.
[ Uncle Yang, that slash from Acheron… ]
Stelle recalled the slash from before, feeling some lingering fear.
[ No wonder Miss Acheron was always reluctant to draw her blade… ]
[ It's hard to imagine such terrifying power contained within that plain scabbard. ]
[ If Aventurine's power didn't stem from the Preservation, I'm afraid the entire Dreamscape would have been affected. ]
[ No need to feel burdened by this. ]
[ Even without the Stellaron inside you, Aventurine would have found other ways to achieve his goal. ]
[ For now, let's trust Miss Acheron. ]
[ Considering her strength, we probably don't need to worry. ]
Welt was also very emotional about Acheron's slash earlier.
[ Then, Uncle Yang, what do you think of that Gallagher…? ]
Stelle began to ask about Gallagher this time.
[ When you were conducting your investigation, he provided key information: Mikhail — the former Watchmaker — built today's Penacony together with The Family… ]
[ And then broke with The Family for some reason. ]
[ But the problem lies exactly there. You were clearly investigating a murder case. As a security officer, why did he beat around the bush and start telling stories about his past with the Watchmaker? ]
[ Now this name appears again from Miss Hotaru's mouth… ]
[ It's hard not to be suspicious. ]
Welt believed Gallagher was very suspicious.
[ Uncle Yang, speaking of Hotaru, how did you meet her? ]
Stelle followed up with another question.
[ Before we found you, she had already revealed her identity as a Stellaron Hunter to us and shared a lot of information. ]
[ The true identity of that Molten Knight turned out to be a young girl… For her, this is certainly a secret not easily revealed to others. ]
[ From this point of view, we can believe she has the willingness to cooperate. ]
[ However, she also has some secrets she hasn't fully bared. ]
[ I always have a feeling that girl's condition is different from ordinary dreamers… I hope it won't cause any danger.] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Good grief, when Aventurine took that hit, he actually protected the Dreamscape in a roundabout way?"
Stelle: "He really… I'm crying to death!!"
March 7th: "Tsk tsk tsk, this is the gold content of the Preservation!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Mr. Aventurine truly lives up to the name of Preservation!"
Silver Wolf: "What? Aventurine's gold content has risen again?"
Silver Wolf: "He really is someone with 'gold' in his name after all!"
Qingque: "You have 'silver' in your name, feels pretty good too."
Silver Wolf: "What's good about it?"
Silver Wolf: "Can silver be more valuable than gold?"
Stelle: "Then why don't you just change your name to Gold Wolf?"
Stelle: "Listen to that, isn't it much more domineering?"
Hotaru: "G… Gold Wolf??"
Hotaru: "Pfft!"
Hotaru: "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to laugh out loud!"
Hotaru: "It's just… that's really too funny!"
Silver Wolf: "What a 'Gold Wolf'…"
Silver Wolf: "Great name, but don't ever name me again next time!"
Silver Wolf: "I CAN'T HANDLE SUCH A WEALTHY NAME!!!"
Stelle: "Sigh, and here I gave you such a good name."
Stelle: "Since you can't handle it, let Argenti use it."
Stelle: "Argenti, from now on you are Goldenti!"
March 7th: "Hahahaha. Branches of gold and leaves of jade, is it?"
Argenti: "Apologies, my dear friend, but I strictly refuse!!"
Boothill: "Motherfudger, you really are a naming genius!"
....