『 [ "It's a message from her, no mistake." ]
[ "She knows we are acting together, and she knows the hotel isn't safe. She wanted to find a place that would escape notice." ]
Dan Heng said to Boothill after seeing the writing left on the bottle of wine.
[ "And after going around in such a big circle, we ended up right back on the Astral Express." ]
[ "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get moving!" ]』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Boothill: "Round and round we go, and we end up back on the muddle-fudging Express."
Boothill: "Might as well have just waited on the train from the start!"
Venti: "Ehe, but then wouldn't that expensive bottle of wine be gone?"
March 7th: "Miss Black Swan, did you actually buy him that bottle?"
March 7th: "That's hundreds of thousands of credits!"
March 7th: "I wouldn't bear to buy such expensive wine even if you beat me to death!!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Isn't Miss Black Swan a Memokeeper?"
Furina de Fontaine: "A high-class profession like a Memokeeper surely doesn't lack for spending money, right?"
Black Swan: "In truth, for a Memokeeper, money is rarely needed most of the time."
Black Swan: "Therefore, regarding this bottle, it wasn't a question of cost."
Black Swan: "It was a question of how difficult it was to find."
Stelle: "Obviously, that wine wasn't easy to find at all."
Stelle: "Otherwise, you wouldn't have taken so long to notify the two of them."
Qingque: "Hehe, Mr. Boothill clearly just wanted to mooch a free drink, that's why he deliberately ordered that specific bottle."
Boothill: "It was a consensual transaction, how can you call it mooching?"
Boothill: "However, I really didn't expect that finding this bottle would waste so much mother-fudging time."
Boothill: "If I'd known, I definitely would've ordered something ordinary."
....
『 [ "You've returned?" ]
[ "Two people boarded earlier, saying they were looking for passenger Boothill." ]
[ "I had them wait in the Parlor Car first, Pam." ]
Seeing the two return, Pam stepped forward to brief them.
[ "Oh! Just in time." ]
Boothill nodded.
[ "…Two people?" ]
Dan Heng was somewhat surprised.
[ "That's her." ]
[ "Although the Astral Express welcomes every passenger, sneaking in one by one so secretively…" ]
[ "Aren't you all making yourselves a little too at home, Pam!" ]
Black Swan's form suddenly materialized.
Watching this scene, Pam couldn't help but speak up, puffing up with annoyance.
[ "My apologies, Conductor. I was discourteous, mistakenly assuming the Express was already quite familiar with the Garden of Recollection…" ]
[ "The situation in Penacony is currently labyrinthine and complex; only the Nameless are left as worthy of trust." ]
Black Swan glanced toward the direction of the Garden of Recollection, then apologized to Pam.
[ "You are that Memokeeper?" ]
Dan Heng looked at Black Swan.
[ "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dan Heng. I have seen you in the memories of others." ]
[ "And Mr. Boothill… this counts as our first meeting as well. I hope you enjoy that bottle of Asdana White Oak." ]
[ "You certainly know how to order the hard-to-find vintages." ]
Black Swan offered a slight, teasing remark.
[ "You really made me look high and low, Memokeeper!" ]
[ "I'll get straight to the point. Tell me everything you know." ]
Boothill immediately pressed Black Swan for information.
[ "That is my intention." ]
[ "But before that, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Black Swan, a Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection." ]
[ "As for the story of that Ms. Acheron…" ]
[ "Perhaps she herself knows it better than I." ]
As Black Swan spoke, Acheron's figure also walked out into view.
[ "Greetings, you two. I am Acheron." ]
Acheron greeted the pair.
[ "What?! Mother-fudge…" ]
[ "Garden of Recollection, you sold me out?!" ]
Boothill looked at Acheron, his pupils constricting sharply, unable to stop himself from questioning Black Swan.
[ "Apologies, this was my request." ]
[ "For certain reasons, I was exiled from Penacony. Fortunately, this Memokeeper accompanied me all the way, giving me the chance to slip away from the Family's control without a sound." ]
Acheron explained.
[ "Actually, it wasn't so much accompanying as it was stalking." ]
[ "And the process could hardly be called silent…" ]
[ "But never mind. Have it your way." ]
Hearing Acheron's words, Black Swan shook her head.
Her expression was somewhat helpless.
[ "I requested that she take me to a place outside the Family's sight, to contact a few trustworthy individuals—namely, all of you." ]
Acheron spoke again.
[ "Trustworthy? Haha, hahahahaha…" ]
[ "Little darling, do you take me for a lunatic or a fool?" ]
[ "How about this: first, let me put a few holes in you to see what exactly you're hiding inside, and then we can talk about trust…" ]
Boothill laughed in extreme anger.
He drew his gun directly, pointing it at Acheron's head.』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Hanabi: "Yay! Shoot! Shoot!"
Hanabi: "Fight! Fight!"
March 7th: "What kind of instigator are you?"
March 7th: "You just love watching this kind of drama, don't you?"
Stelle: "Ahem… actually… I love watching it too!"
March 7th: "???"
March 7th: "I see you're not learning anything good, just picking up bad habits!!"
Boothill: "Mother-fudger, the world is treacherous."
Boothill: "Memokeeper, you actually sold me out."
Boothill: "Sure enough, dealing with Memokeepers, if you don't keep your guard up, you'll be spun around in circles and scammed!"
Stelle: "I beg to differ."
Stelle: "I was scammed by her, but I wasn't spun in circles!!"
Paimon: "Pfft… hahahaha, Miss Stelle says such funny things."
Amber: "It really is surprising that Miss Black Swan would bring Miss Acheron along to meet Mr. Boothill."
Furina de Fontaine: "When enemies meet, eyes turn red with rage. Are they really not going to fight?"
Pam: "No fighting allowed on the Express, Pam!"
Pam: "Otherwise, Pam will throw the troublemaking passengers off, Pam!!"
Lumine: "The Conductor is very angry; the consequences are very serious."
Hu Tao: "But the Conductor is so tiny, can they really throw people off??"
Hu Tao: "Uh, hey, I'm not looking down on the Conductor or anything!!"
Welt Yang: "Mm. An angry Conductor has that capability."
Stelle: "I want to see the Conductor get angry, but I never get the chance."
Stelle: "Maybe I'll get to see it this time?"
Acheron: "I'm afraid not, because I will not raise a hand."
Acheron: "My intention is merely to seek help."
Boothill: "Son of a nice lady, you're an Emanator, and you need to ask for help?"
Boothill: "Who are you trying to fool?"
Acheron: "Emanators are not omnipotent."
Black Swan: "Ha, given the intricate situation in Penacony right now, there is a high probability these two will choose peace in the end."
Dan Heng: "Yes. Infighting among one's own side is obviously something only fools would do."
Dan Heng: "And neither of them is a fool."
....
『 [ "There is no need for this." ]
[ "I will tell you everything you wish to know, but not now…" ]
[ "If my identity had not been exposed, perhaps there would have been more time, but right now, this is our only option." ]
Acheron looked at Boothill, explaining with sincerity.
[ "Only option?" ]
[ "What do you mean, only option?" ]
Boothill raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding Acheron's words.
[ "Only by doing this can I guarantee everyone's safety…" ]
[ "Please, have the Astral Express initiate a warp immediately and leave the Asdana system." ]
Acheron's words were shocking, putting forth a suggestion that startled everyone present.
[ "What does this passenger mean…" ]
Pam couldn't help but ask.
[ "In my opinion, she holds no malice, and she speaks the truth." ]
Black Swan vouched for Acheron's statement.
[ "Mr. Dan Heng, I traveled briefly with your companions, and I know where they are." ]
[ "Please believe that the Nameless are still safe and sound, but they also require our help." ]
[ "And Mr. Boothill, perhaps you have already guessed… I was waiting for your arrival." ]
[ "Galaxy Rangers are elusive, and interactions between them are rare. Forgive me, but I could only contact you through this method." ]
[ "Only in this way could I find a true Galaxy Ranger." ]
[ "And only in this way can I fulfill a promise from long ago…" ]
[ "…To return his relic to its rightful owner." ]』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Make the Express warp immediately?!"
Stelle: "What does that mean?!"
Stelle: "Is this abandoning us?!"
March 7th: "Hey, you guys aren't going to take the train and run, are you?"
March 7th: "But… that's obviously impossible!"
Welt Yang: "Leave the Asdana system…"
Welt Yang: "Could it be…!"
Himeko: "That really is shockingly bad news."
Himeko: "It seems we might be in grave danger…"
Furina de Fontaine: "Huh?!"
Furina de Fontaine: "You mean…"
Furina de Fontaine: "The entire star system is in trouble now?!"
Hu Tao: "You're kidding, right?"
Hu Tao: "How big is a star system?!"
Hu Tao: "What in Penacony could affect an entire star system?!"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Temporarily, nothing."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "But… soon there will be."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "The Charmony Festival is about to begin, and at that time…"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "The Emanator, the avatar of The Harmony, will descend upon Penacony."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "And his power is sufficient to influence the entire Asdana system."
Zhongli: "A mighty power that influences a galaxy…"
Zhongli: "Such vastness instills a sense of trepidation."
Paimon: "That's too scary! Affecting planets and galaxies at the drop of a hat… the universe is just too dangerous…"
Paimon: "I think playing house on the continent of Teyvat is much better…"
Childe: "Heh, it's that feeling of walking on the edge of a blade that gives life its flavor!"
Childe: "I'm actually looking forward to going to the universe more and more now!"
Li Sushang: "By the way, Miss Acheron was looking for a Galaxy Ranger just to return a relic?"
Li Sushang: "Whose relic is it?"
Guinaifen: "Since she's looking for a Galaxy Ranger to return a relic, it must have been left by a Galaxy Ranger."
Acheron: "Correct. He was indeed a Galaxy Ranger."
Boothill: "Mother-fudger, if you're returning a relic, just return the relic."
Boothill: "Couldn't you have just said so earlier?"
Boothill: "Why go through all this beating around the bush and scare me into a cold sweat!"
Navia Caspar: "Cold sweat?"
Navia Caspar: "Mr. Boothill, with that body of yours, you shouldn't be able to sweat, right?"
Boothill: "It's just a figure of speech."
Boothill: "If I were still in the flesh, my back would be drenched!"
Silver Wolf: "But didn't you look pretty brave?"
Silver Wolf: "You even dared to point a gun at her."
Hotaru: "Maybe doing that made him feel more secure?"
Boothill: "I told you, never lose face even if you lose the fight!"
Boothill: "But the other party is an Emanator, for fudge's sake. Facing her alone puts a hell of a lot of pressure on a guy!"
Aventurine: "It's fine. You can bet that her blade isn't faster than your gun."
March 7th: "What if he loses the bet?"
Aventurine: "It's nothing more than a single life."
Boothill: "Hahaha, you silly muddle-fudger, you're killing me."
Boothill: "Are you telling me to go send myself to death?"
Boothill: "Talk about bad intentions!"
Boothill: "Is that even something to bet on?"
Boothill: "Do you think my gun is some high-grade artifact that can intercept an Emanator?"
Aventurine: "Give it a try. What if it works?"
Qingque: "Hehehe, this is the true meaning of 'try and die'!"
....
『 [ "Someone once told me… every rain is the heavens showing mercy to the world." ]
[ "Rain and dew are the tears of gods, flowing due to the sorrow of the mortal world." ]
[ "But precisely because they still fall, it signifies that the gods have not yet lost hope in this world." ]
[ "So…" ]
[ "How long has this rain lasted?" ]
On a dim and desolate coastline, Acheron gazed at the gloom of the sky and the black raindrops, asking a hunched, elderly figure beside her.
[ "Once, I was like you, expecting it to stop one day. Years passed like this, decades…" ]
[ "In the end, hope met its end sooner than this rain." ]
[ "It seems the gods you speak of do not exist." ]
As the elder spoke, his gaze looked toward the distance.
There, set against the black rain, countless arms, hazy and shifting like smoke, reached out from the surface of the sea, stretching toward the sky one by one.
[ "Let me tell you a story instead…" ]
[ "Mortals walking on their Path are like small boats crossing the water, leaving behind a winding wake, pushing open ripples of infinite possibility." ]
[ "Compared to the fleeting life of a human, the waves will not settle for a long time." ]
[ "And some among them, the traces of their existence were so intense that they left their own reflections within these clusters of sea spray." ]
The elder's tone was weathered and ancient, slowly recounting a story to Acheron.
[ "Just like… those shadows on the sea." ]
Acheron looked at the hideous phantom arms on the surface of the sea, her expression complex.
[ "Sin Thirsters… the obsessions of Pathstriders. They are born from the shadow of IX, regarding themselves as the original, unknowingly repeating the actions of the deceased in life." ]
[ "They are born from Nihility, and go towards Nihility, spending a life completely devoid of meaning." ]
[ "But it is exactly such a group of empty phantoms…" ]
[ "…that were once my important companions. A group of Galaxy Rangers." ]
The elder revealed the origin of these phantoms.
[ "Are you watching over them?" ]
Acheron couldn't help but ask.
[ "Watching over?" ]
[ "No, I am delivering their souls." ]
[ "That was a tragic war, a crusade that shook the cosmos. The universe witnessed the fall of the Lord Ravager Zulo, but the price…" ]
[ "Aside from those who experienced it personally, no one remembers the price." ]』
『 ....』