『 [ Professor, I hope you have a wonderful time at the ceremony. ]
Stelle smiled and began to bid Dr. Ratio farewell.
[ Hmph. I'll pass on the wonderful part. ]
Dr. Ratio nodded.
Afterward, Stelle continued walking forward.
But before she had gone very far, she ran into Topaz and Numby.
[ Ah, if it isn't Stelle? ]
[ It hasn't been that long, and here we are meeting again. ]
[ How have things been lately? ]
Seeing Stelle, Topaz greeted her with a warm smile.
[ Oink... oink! ]
Numby, standing beside her, also chimed in with a greeting.
[ I'm thinking about switching jobs. ]
Stelle joked.
[ Oh? ]
[ So direct? Aren't you afraid I'll take you seriously? ]
[ But then again, your life as Nameless is indeed a bit too thrilling. ]
[ I heard you guys pulled off a massive stunt recently, taking down the entire Oak Family along with it. ]
[ If there ever comes a day when you're truly tired and want to change your working environment, sit in an office, or something, feel free to contact me anytime! ]
[ Look how lively this ship is, it's really nice. ]
[ When I'm not so busy one day, I'll hold a big party on the eco-ship too. I'll definitely invite you guys when the time comes. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "Stelle, why are you always thinking about switching jobs?"
Stelle: "Isn't it because the benefits of being one of the Stonehearts seem really good?"
Stelle: "So I'm a bit tempted."
Silver Wolf: "I think you're just eyeing her Cornerstone."
Stelle: "Duh, that's literally one-tenth of an Emanator's power!"
Stelle: "Who wouldn't want that?"
Stelle: "To be fair, if I were an Emanator of Trailblaze, I definitely wouldn't care."
Qingque: "An Emanator of Trailblaze?"
Qingque: "I really haven't heard much about that."
Hu Tao: "Hasn't the Aeon of Trailblaze already fallen?"
Hu Tao: "Does that mean there won't be any Emanators of Trailblaze in the future?"
Dan Heng: "Theoretically speaking, yes."
Dan Heng: "Unless there are still surviving Emanators of Trailblaze in the world."
Stelle: "Sigh, which Aeon is still short of Emanators?"
Stelle: "I really want to be one!"
Hanabi: "Elation welcomes you~"
Stelle: "Ah, well…"
Stelle: "Being an Emanator of Aha… I'd probably just end up as a joke."
Stelle: "I wouldn't dare."
Furina de Fontaine: "Speaking of which, it feels like neither of the 'one day's Miss Topaz mentioned will ever be realized."
Paimon: "Seeing how Miss Stelle always seems to be bursting with energy, it's really hard to imagine her actually getting tired."
Paimon: "As for Miss Topaz…"
Paimon: "Will you ever actually have a time when you're not busy?"
Lumine: "The IPC's business must be terrifyingly massive."
Lumine: "Unless she's on vacation, I feel like she's busy every single second."
Topaz: "Cough… I really am very busy."
Topaz: "But it's fine, a long vacation will come eventually!"
....
『 [ I have another question for you… ]
[ …Can you transform too? ]
Stelle hesitated for a moment before asking a question that left Topaz completely baffled.
[ Trans… form? ]
[ What are you talking about? ]
[ Oh… I get it. ]
[ You're talking about Aventurine's Cornerstone, aren't you? ]
[ I'm sorry, but compared to him, my abilities might not be quite as visual-heavy. ]
[ There's no harm in telling you. The Cornerstone abilities of the Stonehearts are all different. Some can even read your thoughts directly and manipulate your desires… so you'd better be careful. ]
[ Thinking back, back in Belobog, it's a good thing Bronya arrived just in time—if she had been a step later, we probably wouldn't even be friends anymore~ ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "If Bronya had been a step later, we would've gotten to see Topaz transform!"
Bronya Rand: "Uh…"
Topaz: "I already told you, I really can't transform!"
Topaz: "Why won't you guys believe me?"
March 7th: "To be fair, I don't believe it either."
March 7th: "Unless Miss Topaz demonstrates it for us."
Paimon: "Transforming… is so cool!"
Paimon: "If only Paimon could transform, too."
Lumine: "Paimon would transform into emergency food."
Paimon: "???"
Paimon: "Traveler, you jerk, stop calling me emergency food all the time!"
Hu Tao: "Reading thoughts directly, manipulating desires."
Hu Tao: "This should be referring to Lady Jade's ability, right?"
Furina de Fontaine: "It feels like it."
Furina de Fontaine: "It seems that just as Miss Topaz said, the powers of the Stonehearts are all different."
Qingque: "Now I'm even more curious about what Diamond's ability actually is."
Guinaifen: "Maybe it's… splitting into ten?"
Li Sushang: "Surely it's not just that one ability?"
Li Sushang: "Though that ability is also really strong…"
....
『 After chatting with Topaz for a bit, Stelle departed.
She continued walking toward the ceremony venue, but ended up passing by a place that piqued her curiosity.
After a brief thought, Stelle decided to step inside to take a look.
[ Hello, lively young lady. ]
[ Welcome to Bonajade Exchange. ]
[ How should I address you? ]
Seeing Stelle walk in, Jade, who was inside the room, revealed a smile.
[ My name is March 7th. ]
Stelle falsely assumed March 7th's name.
[ No problem, it's fine to call you by that name. ]
[ So, Miss March 7th—what is it that you desire? ]
[ And what are you willing to pay in return? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
March 7th: "THIS LADY DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING, AND ISN'T WILLING TO PAY ANYTHING!!"
March 7th: "Ahhh! Damn it!"
March 7th: "Stelle, you jerk, why are you using my name!"
Stelle: "Come on, what's mine is yours!"
Stelle: "You are me, and I am you!"
Silver Wolf: "Lmao."
Silver Wolf: "Are you playing 'Reborn: I am March 7th in Penacony'?"
Hu Tao: "Looking at Lady Jade's expression, she must have recognized Miss Stelle a long time ago, right?"
Aventurine: "Haha, seeing through it but not saying it, that's what makes it interesting for her, isn't it?"
....
『 [ I want to be the Chairman of the IPC! ]
Stelle stood with her hands on her hips, declaring her wish with absolute confidence.
[ Oh… so that is your wish? ]
Jade's expression remained unchanged as she looked at Stelle.
[ It sounds very simple, quite easy to realize. ]
[ So, let's talk about the price, shall we? ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Simple? Easy to realize?"
Stelle: "For real?"
March 7th: "Duh!"
March 7th: "Do you think it's real or fake?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Hahaha, as expected of Miss Stelle."
Furina de Fontaine: "I knew she would make a ridiculous wish."
Navia Caspar: "Madam Jade is also a tough one."
Navia Caspar: "Hearing such a hilarious wish, she didn't even bat an eye!"
Jade: "Haha. To be honest, I've heard many wishes far more absurd than this."
Jade: "But in the end, those are merely fantasies."
Jade: "In other words, even if I could truly realize such a wish,"
Jade: "Who do you think could actually pay such an exorbitant price?"
Qingque: "I know!"
Qingque: "An Aeon could definitely pay that kind of price!"
Stelle: "Qingque, take those words back, delete them, and let me say it!"
Stelle: "You stole my line!"
Jade: "…."
Jade: "You're right, an Aeon could indeed pay such a price."
Jade: "But obviously, THEY have no such wishes."
....
『 [ No way, is this already the grand finale? ]
Seeing that Jade didn't seem to be joking, Stelle was slightly stunned.
[ Don't be too nervous. ]
[ To realize this wish, what I need is very simple: the tail of a certain animal. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Only the tail of an animal is needed to realize this wish??"
Stelle: "Holy cow, don't tell me the animal tail you want is from an Aeon?"
Paimon: "Eh?"
Paimon: "Do Aeons have tails too?"
Navia Caspar: "Aeons are so powerful, maybe they can take on countless forms."
Navia Caspar: "Growing a tail doesn't sound too strange."
Xiangling: "But… who has the ability to get an Aeon's tail?"
Xiangling: "That's basically impossible, right?"
March 7th: "So Stelle's wish to become the IPC Chairman is obviously impossible too."
....
『 [ Ah? ]
[ What animal? ]
Stelle couldn't help but ask.
[ It's a creature that stands on two legs… its fur is black, with a round head, a round brain, and very long ears. ]
[ Omnivorous, and its emotions are somewhat unstable. ]
[ Most importantly, it has mastered human language and can communicate. ]
[ Bring its tail to me as collateral, and your wish will be granted. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "???"
Stelle: "This description…"
Stelle: "Conductor, is that you??"
March 7th: "Round head, round brain, long ears, and can talk!"
March 7th: "That's right, Conductor, it's you!"
Pam: "Ahhh, how frustrating, Pam!"
Pam: "YOU MUST NOT HARBOR BAD THOUGHTS ABOUT THE CONDUCTOR'S TAIL!!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Pfft!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Madam Jade must be joking, right?"
Hu Tao: "It seems like she's teasing Miss Stelle with a deadpan expression."
Stelle: "Speaking of which, is the Conductor's tail really that valuable?"
Stelle: "Using it as collateral can actually make me the IPC Chairman?"
Pam: "Passenger Stelle, the Conductor thinks your thoughts are very dangerous, Pam!"
Pam: "EXTINGUISH THEM IMMEDIATELY!!"
Stelle: "Don't worry, Conductor!"
Stelle: "How could I possibly take your tail to grant a wish?"
Stelle: "What IPC Chairman position?"
Stelle: "It's not even worth a single hair on the Conductor's tail!"
Pam: "Cough… if just one hair from my tail could exchange for that position, Pam would still be quite willing to pluck one for you…"
March 7th: "Ah, well…"
March 7th: "The Conductor certainly knows how to weigh the pros and cons! (covering mouth laughing.jpg)"
....
『 After Stelle figured out what Jade was referring to, she was instantly left speechless.
[ Haha, until we meet again, Miss Stelle. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Charlotte: "She called out her name directly."
Charlotte: "Madam Jade indeed recognized Miss Stelle's identity long ago."
Stelle: "So I was toyed with?"
Stelle: "But is the Conductor's tail valuable or not?"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "From the perspective of species rarity, it is extremely valuable!"
Lumine: "Species rarity?"
Lumine: "Oh…"
Lumine: "In that case, Paimon is also very rare, so is she also very valuable?"
Lumine: "I wonder how many Mora she could be exchanged for?"
Paimon: "?"
Paimon: "How dare you, Traveler, you jerk, actually think about exchanging me for Mora!"
Paimon: "I'm so angry!! (angry.jpg)"
....
『 Stelle bid farewell to Jade and walked out of the Bonajade Exchange.
But before she had taken more than a few steps, she saw yet another familiar face.
[ We meet again, my dear friend. ]
[ You have walked further upon the path of Beauty than I, and I offer you my heartfelt salutations! ]
The one Stelle met this time was Argenti. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Why are there familiar faces all along the way?"
Stelle: "Did you all come up here to play?"
Boothill: "Hey, we're all prominent figures after all, isn't it normal to be up here?"
Boothill: "Besides, this airship looks luxurious, but it's actually not that big."
Boothill: "Running into acquaintances is the most muddle-fudging normal thing ever!"
March 7th: "So who will we meet next?"
March 7th: "Miss Black Swan, Miss Acheron?"
March 7th: "Or Miss Hotaru?"
Stelle: "I don't think we'll run into anyone else."
Stelle: "Because it looks like I'm almost at my destination."
....
『 [ Really? Then, when will I be able to unlock a new Path? ]
Hearing Argenti say she had walked further on the Path of Beauty than he, Stelle immediately blurted out those words.
[ Unlock? What a poetic and beautiful way to put it, but you are already walking upon the Path of Beauty. ]
[ I have heard of your valiant deed in leading others to vanquish the Omen of Evil. ]
[ Though the tale bears a tinge of regret, you have undoubtedly championed Beauty and justice. May Idrila smile upon you. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "I'm already walking on the Path of Beauty?"
Stelle: "For real?"
Stelle: "How come I don't feel the power of Beauty within me?"
Stelle: "My friend, are you pulling my leg?"
Argenti: "My dear friend, you jest."
Argenti: "Your actions undoubtedly align with the essence of Beauty."
Argenti: "Saying you walk upon the Path of Beauty is entirely fitting."
Stelle: "Does that mean I'm still not beautiful enough?"
Stelle: "So my power is weak?"
Stelle: "Tsk tsk, maybe I need to dress up properly."
Stelle: "When I become as beautiful as Idrila, maybe I can directly become the new Aeon of Beauty!"
March 7th: "Oh~"
March 7th: "Heavens!"
March 7th: "This unique train of thought!"
March 7th: "IT REALLY LEAVES ONE SPEECHLESS!!"
Hotaru: "Haha, it really fits Stelle's personality."
....
『 [ The Omen of Evil? ]
Stelle didn't quite understand the professional term Argenti used.
[ If an admirer of the Beauty gets lost in the pursuit of power, they risk descending into "the Omen of Evil," a form which is neither human nor beast. ]
[ Although Mr. Sunday did not cross paths with the Path of Beauty, his actions were no different from the Omen of Evil. ]
[ A tragic soul who lost his way on the path toward goodness… it truly makes one sigh in grief. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "To be fair, the thing Sunday turned into was actually quite high-class."
Stelle: "It doesn't really count as an Omen of Evil, right?"
Stelle: "If we're talking about an Omen of Evil, Phantylia, who fused with the Ambrosial Arbor earlier, fits much better."
Qingque: "What Mr. Sunday turned into was the prototype of an Aeon, its essence was terrifyingly high!"
Qingque: "Calling it an Omen of Evil is a bit of a stretch."
Argenti: "Everyone might have misunderstood. I did not say he was the Omen of Evil itself."
Argenti: "But rather that his actions were no different from an Omen of Evil."
Furina de Fontaine: "Well, that's true."
Furina de Fontaine: "Mr. Sunday's actions indeed weren't great."
Furina de Fontaine: "It was far too stubborn."
....