One hour ago.
Near the starskiff dock.
The Astral Express was docked in a relatively isolated berth.
Every day, countless people came to visit and watch the spectacle, along with innumerable volunteers hoping to join the Astral Express and the Starsea Empire.
Under Setsuna and Himeko's orders, without exception, all of them were stopped by the Angeloids and the Cloud Knights.
Ordinary passersby had no qualification to board the Astral Express. Whether wealthy merchants or political elites, all were treated equally within the Starsea Empire.
However, among the vast crowds, there were always a few exceptions.
Inside the observation carriage.
Pom-Pom diligently cleaned the area, while March 7th fiddled with a game console recently given to her by Silver Wolf.
The rest of the crew were either sightseeing around the Xianzhou or staying at the Starsea Empire's station.
Himeko leaned back in her chair, carefully reading Starsea Empire materials on a holographic interface.
The Starsea Empire had not existed for long, yet the amount of information was astonishing. Their campaign history spanning dozens of universes alone would take ten days to half a month to finish reading.
"Oh, so that's where the children from the Research Department came from..."
Just as she was sighing—
Swish—
A message from the Sophon suddenly arrived.
"Report. According to prior instructions, the majority of irrelevant applications and data have been filtered out."
"There are still some applications I do not have the authority to decide on. Please handle them."
"Mm."
Himeko came back to her senses and nodded.
Messy applications from ordinary people could be filtered directly, but those on the recruitment list or with special identities had to be reviewed carefully.
If necessary, they would also need to be reported to the Commander.
She opened the first application and glanced at it.
"Hmm... a Memokeeper from the Garden of Recollection? Someone on the list?"
Shu—
A purple figure suddenly appeared not far away.
"Pleasure to meet you, Nameless of the Astral Express."
"I've been observing you for quite some time. You've certainly caused quite a stir across the universe."
Tap, tap, tap...
The sound of high heels echoed across the floor.
The newcomer had long purple hair and wore a fitted violet dress that perfectly showcased her alluring figure.
Her black stockings and dark violet gloves added an extra touch of seduction.
Her beauty was mature and elegant, tinged with mystery—like the classic image of a fortune teller or mage from stories.
"Hmm... you may call me Black Swan, a Memokeeper."
Black Swan gracefully leaned into a nearby seat, her gaze sweeping over Himeko, March 7th, and the rest of the train.
"I originally intended to meet your Commander directly, but... it seems his Nameless also have many stories worth hearing."
"It's not easy to meet you. This is the first time I've had to submit an application."
"Hello."
Himeko observed her with a hint of curiosity.
The Garden of Recollection, followers of the Aeon of Remembrance, Fuli. Just like Fuli's philosophy, they traveled freely across worlds, seeking interesting memories.
Whether it was stellar decay, black hole evaporation, or the fall of civilizations... on a cosmic scale, their disappearance happened in the blink of an eye. Only human memories could be preserved eternally and recorded as treasures.
In a sense, the Aeon of Remembrance was completely neutral. They recorded everything—without hatred or preference—preserving every real fact and detail.
"So, I assume you've come to the Starsea Empire to collect some unique memories?"
Himeko glanced at the holographic interface. Black Swan was indeed on the scheduled list.
Theoretically, she should have been in Penacony, but with the Starsea Empire stirring the cosmic situation, it wasn't strange for her to seek them out.
"Yes. I received certain revelations during a divination."
Black Swan smiled at her.
In the eyes of Memokeepers, the Starsea Empire was a treasure trove of memories.
The Nameless traveling across the stars, countless people from other worlds, and the most mysterious of all—the Commander of the Starsea Empire, rumored to control the Path of Trailblaze.
"Revelations? From Fuli?"
"Mm... you could say that."
Himeko thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I'll report this to the Commander later. He'll decide how to arrange things for you."
"However, Miss Black Swan, I must remind you of one thing: you must follow the Starsea Empire's rules. Without permission, do not use your abilities to probe anyone."
"I understand. Rest assured."
Black Swan smiled.
"Some Memokeepers enjoy sneaking into others' minds, freely probing and altering their memories... I do not."
"Only memories that are voluntarily shared and unmodified are truly authentic and valuable. If necessary, I'm willing to make transactions or cooperate with others."
As she spoke, she extended her hand toward Himeko.
"I can perform a divination for you. If there are memories you'd rather not keep, I can help."
"No need."
Himeko declined politely.
"There are still matters to handle here. Please wait a moment."
"Oh?"
"No problem. I can wait here—for you, and for that Commander."
Black Swan was in no hurry. She watched Himeko and the crew with interest.
She could sense that Himeko was extremely powerful—an Emanator of Trailblaze.
The long-vanished Aeon of Trailblaze had produced a new Emanator? Black Swan grew increasingly curious about the ruler of the Starsea Empire.
Swish—
Himeko continued processing the remaining applications.
She opened the next one, glanced at it—and froze.
"Wait, what do you mean Nameless who were lost in fringe worlds from the previous era of the Astral Express???"
"Eh?!"
A few minutes later, under the guidance of the Angeloids and the Sophon, more than a dozen young girls were brought aboard the Astral Express.
Some were pure and cute, others mature and charming. Even walking down the street, their looks alone would turn heads.
"Hello, Lady Himeko."
The leading girl with twin ponytails nervously handed over her application and identification.
"We come from the planet Salvia. We are descendants left behind by Nameless who once followed Lord Akivili."
"Um... recently, we've felt the power of Trailblaze. There are rumors that Lord Akivili has been revived."
"At first, we didn't believe it. But the sensation kept growing stronger, and some people even witnessed the Astral Express traveling across the universe."
"So... we came to the Xianzhou Luofu to see for ourselves. You... you are His Emanator, right? Lord Akivili has truly been revived, hasn't He?!"
Her body trembled slightly as she looked at Himeko, like a traveler finally returning home, unable to suppress her excitement.
The other girls were also quietly amazed.
"Oh my... it's true!"
"The Astral Express... Lord Akivili has returned!! Ah!..."
They were visibly overjoyed, whispering excitedly among themselves.
"???"
Himeko was stunned.
"Wait!! Descendants of Nameless from the previous era?!"
"Where exactly did you come from?! Why have you suddenly appeared here?!"
She looked at the group of girls—no matter how she examined them, they seemed suspicious.
Himeko had no recollection whatsoever of any so-called lost Nameless.
She tried probing them with her own power. Most of them were ordinary people, but they did indeed carry a kind of Imaginary energy similar to Trailblaze.
"Akivili has been gone for a long time, hasn't he? How could you possibly be related to him?"
March 7th asked in confusion.
"...This is a story from a very long time ago."
The twin-tailed girl at the front shook her head, her gaze distant as she began recounting an ancient tale.
"Our ancestors were indeed Nameless who followed Lord Akivili."
"In that distant era, they followed the Astral Express and Akivili, traveling through the sea of stars, connecting worlds and exploring the unknown."
"That was the most glorious time for the Nameless and Akivili. Countless people from various worlds came voluntarily to join the Astral Express. Unlike those aloof Aeons, Lord Akivili never rejected sincere followers."
"Mm..."
Himeko and March 7th both showed nostalgic expressions. This was indeed part of the previous era—they had seen records of it.
"Until one day, the Aeon of Elation, Aha, disguised Themselves as an ordinary person and boarded the Astral Express."
The girl paused for a moment.
"They maintained that disguise for an entire year before finally finding an opportunity to blow up half of the train along with an entire planet."
"The explosion occurred near the Salvia star system, interrupting the Astral Express' intended route. A significant number of Nameless were stranded in that world as a result."
"For various reasons, they were unable to board the Astral Express again and had no choice but to settle there, passing down their lineage generation after generation."
"Even though we could no longer continue the journey, every descendant remembers that we were once part of the Nameless. Unfortunately, not long afterward, Lord Akivili fell during his journey to seek the endpoint of the Tree of Existence."
"Generation after generation, we waited and lived our lives... until recently, when we finally learned that he is still here!!!"
Her voice was filled with genuine emotion. As she reached the sorrowful parts, she even began to sob softly.
"So... so we wish to follow Lord Akivili once more and fulfill our ancestors' final wish."
As she spoke, the girls bowed deeply to Himeko.
"Ah..."
March 7th couldn't help but feel moved by the story.
"So Akivili had such a past too?..."
She recalled what she knew. Everyone was aware that Aha had blown up the Astral Express, but she hadn't expected such detailed circumstances.
Being able to recount the location and cause so clearly... probably only direct participants—or rather, their descendants—could do so.
"Aha is so hateful."
March 7th sniffled along with them and gently tugged on Himeko's sleeve.
"Himeko, we should take them in, right? And they're all girls too... I think the Commander would take good care of them."
"???"
Himeko was left dumbfounded.
The girls' story was vivid, emotional, and logically coherent.
It sounded exactly like a classic tale of loyal remnants surviving in distant lands.
Even if it were fabricated, it was impressively convincing.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that it resembled some kind of dubious folk history pulled from nowhere—something about it just didn't feel right.
"Wait a minute!!!"