Episode 205: Hello, I am a 'Nameless', a nobody from the Astral Express, my great name is Pam.
『 "It's a... muddle-fudger... the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath!? Those Xianzhou folks actually gave you this thing?" Boothill's eyes widened, looking at the object in disbelief. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Shinomiya Kaguya (Love Is War): "This object… it looks like it has a very deep sense of history." ]
[ Yukinoshita Yukino (Oregairu): "Xianzhou?" ]
[ Fu Xuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "The full name should be the Xianzhou Alliance—The Xianzhou Luofu." ]
[ Fu Xuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "However, I didn't expect this item to actually be in your hands." ]
[ Ningguang (Genshin Impact): "Oh? Is this jade tally a very important token of trust?" ]
[ Tingyun (Honkai: Star Rail): "It truly is incredible. To think the General would actually bestow this upon you." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "Oh? To be able to obtain our Xianzhou's Jade Abacus of Allying Oath… it seems the crisis our Xianzhou faces this time will pose a certain level of threat." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "And did you, the Astral Express, help us that much during that time?" ]
[ Feixiao (Honkai: Star Rail): "Hahaha, this looks quite interesting." ]
[ .....]
〜Honkai: Star Rail World〜
Xianzhou, Luofu—
Staring at the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath on the screen, Jing Yuan also sensed that the crisis about to erupt in Xianzhou would not be too simple.
.....
『 Standing to the side, Pam was curious about Boothill's sudden exclamation, but the two people on the scene ignored Pam; the atmosphere remained tense.
Dan Heng stood before the Jade Abacus of Allying Oath and explained to Boothill:
"This is the Jade Abacus gifted to our Express by General Jing Yuan of the Xianzhou Luofu."
"The fact that it is kept on our train is the Xianzhou Alliance's recognition of our identity as the Astral Express."
"Is that enough?"
Boothill stared at the Jade Abacus for a long while before finally slowly holstering his revolver.
"...Not bad, kiddo."
"And across these sprawlin' stars, a gentle squeeze is all it takes to rustle up a whole legion of Cloud Knights."
"Now I reckon that'd be one fudgin' sight to behold."
Boothill crossed his arms, full of praise for the power of the Jade Abacus. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Yuigahama Yui (Oregairu): "Ah? This thing is that powerful?" ]
[ Yuigahama Yui (Oregairu): "But, it's so small." ]
[ Himeko (Honkai: Star Rail): "The legendary token of the Xianzhou Alliance truly lives up to its reputation." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "This is a token of our Xianzhou; only the most honored guests shall receive it." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "Does that mean in the future, we'll be Xianzhou's most honored guests? Hee hee hee." ]
[ Jing Yuan (Honkai: Star Rail): "Heh, precisely." ]
[ .....]
『 Now, having verified his own identity, Dan Heng turned the question back to the man claiming to be a Galaxy Ranger.
"Now, it's your turn to show your true colors."
Compared to Dan Heng being able to pull out the Jade Abacus as proof of identity, Boothill seemed a bit troubled.
"Been ages since the Galaxy Rangers had the spotlight shone on 'em, and we ain't equipped with such fancy gadgets."
"But I've been around the block enough to know the way to handle these types of situations is easy as pie..."
"Alright then, feel free to toss any question my way, and let's see if my answers can't earn your trust."
"If your gut tells you otherwise, it still ain't too late to show me the door."
"And why would I play along?" Dan Heng countered.
Boothill laughed: "If I truly am a real Galaxy Ranger, you stand to lose nothing."
Dan Heng pondered for a moment and threw out the first question:
"Alright then. Tell me, what kind of organization are the Galaxy Rangers?"
Boothill gave a bitter smile: "Hey, brother, that's a tough one to answer. Strictly speaking, we aren't even a formal organization."
"Just some folks walking their own paths of justice, not exactly well-liked by worldly values."
However, Boothill's answer made Dan Heng's brow furrow slightly.
"An answer like that won't earn trust; it will only make your situation worse."
"Haha, I bet you want to know if we have a common creed?" Boothill seemed to see through Dan Heng's thoughts. "Regrettably, Galaxy Rangers don't need that kind of thing."
"We can gather together based on a shared bottom line."
"Do not bully the weak, do not kill the innocent. This isn't just an oath; it's an untouchable baseline for how to conduct oneself."
"As Galaxy Rangers, we only follow this bottom line. Once someone tries to cross it, the retribution of The 『 Hunt 』 will surely descend."
"And in this moment, the other crucial meaning of 'bottom line' comes into play."
"As long as you don't cross it, you're free to do whatever you please. You catch my drift?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "A bottom line for being human?" ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "The reason everyone gathers together… is it really for such a simple reason?" ]
[ Shizuka Hiratsuka (Oregairu): "The basic bottom line of being human. That's a good education right there." ]
[ Boothill (Honkai: Star Rail): "Muddle-fudger, isn't that natural? A person's bottom line must be followed with one's heart." ]
[ Theresa (Honkai: Impact Third): "Why do I feel like the power of 'Red' is rising?" ]
[ Murata Himeko (Honkai: Impact Third): "Principal, don't say it. You can't say that." ]
[ Billy Kid (Zenless Zone Zero): "A human bottom line, huh? But that shouldn't have anything to do with a robot like me, right?" ]
[ Numerous non-human viewers gave a like. ]
[ Nicole Demara (Zenless Zone Zero): "Enough, Billy, stop causing trouble." ]
[ .....]
『 The answer to the first question allowed Dan Heng to temporarily set aside his doubts, but immediately after, he threw out the next query.
"Then, the second big question: why exactly are you giving the Astral Express a hard time?"
Boothill sighed and patiently continued to explain.
"I'm tired of saying it—I really didn't plan on looking for trouble. It's like this: I have something I absolutely must go to Penacony for, but without the invitation those folks sent out, those old fogies at the Family wouldn't even leave a crack in the door for me."
"That's why I borrowed your name as Nameless. After all, the entire cosmos knows you're guests of The Family."
"Aren't the Galaxy Rangers also esteemed guests?" Pam muttered a question from the side.
Boothill immediately caught onto this point.
"Oh! You've hit the nail on the head. That's exactly why I'm here."
"It doesn't matter if I tell you. The Rangers are pursuing an imposter, a son of a nice lady posing as one of us. She's on Penacony right now."
"My informant is a Memokeeper. She's the same as all memetic organisms, appearing one moment, and gone the next."
"It really makes one's heart pound, but he did reveal an important clue."
Hearing this, Dan Heng seemed to scent something: "That Galaxy Ranger imposter... Who is it?"
"I suppose this is my third question?" Boothill raised an eyebrow.
"Could it be this question is hard to answer?" Dan Heng kicked the ball back.
Boothill spread his hands, looking helpless.
"It's not that it's hard to answer, I'm just afraid you won't believe it if I say it."
"According to our intel, that person calls herself Acheron, and according to our informant, she could be..."
"An Emanator of 『 Nihility 』."
As soon as these words came out, Dan Heng immediately voiced his disagreement.
"That's impossible!"
Seeing Dan Heng's shocked face, Boothill couldn't help but laugh: "Haha, your reaction is too funny. To be honest, I was just like you when I first heard it; my jaw nearly hit the floor."
"Come to think of it, 『 IX 』 never gives anyone so much as a first glance, and that's perfectly normal. What reason would THEY have to bequeath strength unto mortals?" Dan Heng scratched his head, full of doubt.
Boothill unhurriedly unraveled the mystery for him: "You have to understand, Emanators can hide their true identities. For many, staying anonymous is actually safer."
"Otherwise, there'd be wanton bloodshed across the cosmos, or even... perhaps... turning their back on the Path they're supposed to follow."
"I had the good fortune of running into an 『 Elation 』 Emanator — its appearance was no different than that of those clowns."
"If I hadn't happened to get him drunk at the time, I would have never known of its eminent status!"
"Even in the purest 『 Hunt 』, you'll find the Xianzhou Alliance under the spotlight and Galaxy Rangers lurking in the shadows."
"Paths are inevitably concepts created by people, and exist in planes beyond our understanding."
"To reckon that Nihility Emanators don't exist...? Maybe we just ain't nihilistic enough."
"So do you understand now? Your companions might be in extreme danger right now."
"If you don't want to believe me, you'd best send a message to 'em. But I'd advise you to move fast..."
"After all, none of us know what's actually happening in the Dreamscape, nor how much of what the Memokeeper said is true..."
"And that Acheron... Who knows what she intends to do?" 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Boothill (Honkai: Star Rail): "Muddle-fudger, I almost forgot the son of a nice lady is here. Hey, Acheron darlin', aren't you going to explain what you're planning to do in the future?" ]
[ Acheron (Honkai: Star Rail): "..." ]
[ Acheron (Honkai: Star Rail): "For that question, you should ask the future me." ]
[ Boothill (Honkai: Star Rail): "My Wubbaboo, you darlin', actually won't tell the truth." ]
[ .....]
『 The screen shifted.
A line of subtitles appeared.
⟦ 10 System Hours before the opening of the [Charmony Festival] — The Reverie Hotel (Reality) ⟧
"Greetings. We're the Nameless from the Astral Express, and we'd like to check in." Dan Heng stated his purpose directly.
"Eh? Astral Express? I remember that…" Alley quickly recalled the previous experience.
"Yes, that's the one. My companions have already checked in ahead of time. My name is Dan Heng; my registration info should be in the hotel system." Dan Heng explained casually.
Ally realized immediately.
"I see, but your companions said you wouldn't be coming due to a change of plans, and the check-in procedure couldn't continue."
Before Dan Heng could respond, Boothill cut in with a laugh:
"Haha, plans can't keep up with changes, right? We've made some new adjustments."
With Boothill joining in, Alley finally noticed there was another guest she hadn't met before.
"This gentleman, may I ask who you are…?"
Then, a name that made everyone's eyes pop entered their ears.
"Me? I'm Pam, a new Nameless who's also with the Astral Express." 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Pam (Honkai: Star Rail): "Wait, if you're called Pam, then what am I called?" ]
[ Boothill (Honkai: Star Rail): "Muddle-fudger, it's just a name, what's the big deal?" ]
[ Chika Fujiwara (Love Is War): "Hahahaha, after knowing what kind of existence Pam is, seeing such a big man call himself Pam is too funny." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "To think even Pam's name is going to be lost…" ]
[ .....]
『 Fortunately, Dan Heng stepped up in time to bail Boothill out.
"He is also my companion."
"Just before he boarded the train, we had already replied to the Family's invitation."
"So there shouldn't be a record of him in your system. Is there any way to make an exception?"
"Hmm, among the Nameless who checked in earlier, there was one in a similar situation." Alley nodded. "It seems like a lot of people are joining the 『 Trailblaze 』 these days."
"There have been precedents for this; in principle, it should be fine. Please allow me to contact your companions."
Having said that, Alley took out a communicator and tried to dial the numbers of Himeko and the others who were in the dream.
But the "ring-ring" sound went on for a long time, and no one ever answered.
"...I'm sorry, dear guests, but it seems I'm unable to reach the other members of the Astral Express." Alley looked at the two with an apologetic gaze.
"Can't get in touch? What does that mean?" Dan Heng asked, puzzled.
After checking, Alley responded:
"I am very sorry; this is the first time I've encountered this situation as well."
"However, the system shows that those guests are still in the Dreamscape."
Hearing this, Boothill immediately offered a suggestion:
"How about this: you tell us the room number, and we'll just go over and take a look ourselves."
But this reasonable request was also politely declined by Alley.
"I'm afraid that's not appropriate. I must verify your identities before I can disclose the guests' personal information."
"Then just pick one, like Welt, and force-wake him up. Wouldn't that do it?" Boothill crossed his arms and stared at Alley. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Welt Yang (Honkai: Star Rail): "Oh? Wake me up?" ]
[ Welt Yang (Honkai: Star Rail): "Interesting." ]
[ Boothill (Honkai: Star Rail): "What's wrong with that? I don't know you guys anyway; any name will do." ]
[ Theresa (Honkai: Impact Third): "You need to know the identity to contact them, but you need to contact them to know the identity." ]
[ Theresa (Honkai: Impact Third): "It seems we've hit a dead loop all of a sudden." ]
[ Serval (Honkai: Impact Third): "Oh my~ it looks like things are going to get troublesome." ]
[ .....]
『 However, this proposal also made Alley look troubled.
"This…"
"That won't work either. We have strict regulations limiting the use of forced awakening; it cannot be done casually."
"This won't work, that won't work… then what's your solution? You can't expect the two of us to sleep on the floor at the front desk, can you?" Boothill seemed a bit impatient.
Looking at the anxious Boothill, Alley maintained her business-like attitude.
"Please wait patiently. We must first contact your companions before we can verify your identities."
"But the problem now is that you have to confirm our identities before you're willing to contact our people." Dan Heng pointed out the contradiction pointedly.
For a moment, the atmosphere fell into an awkward stalemate.
"That is indeed how it is." Alley nodded, embarrassed.
But Boothill soon couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Fudge! Look, nothin' personal, stop with the bureaucratic runaround."
"Little girl, I'm not aiming this at you."
"Let's just talk business. If you can help us, do it quickly. If you really can't, find someone who can solve this to take over, alright?"
Boothill's outburst flustered Alley a bit, and she quickly replied:
"Please calm down, dear guests! I do recall that Mr. Sunday, the Oak Family Head, personally handled this issue earlier."
"Please sit for a moment; I will contact him immediately."
With that, Alley hurried away.
Watching her back, Dan Heng had an idea of the situation.
"That person probably isn't intentionally making things difficult for us; she might genuinely not know how to handle it."
"The situation doesn't look good." Boothill showed a rare bit of worry. "You tried on the train too; they really didn't reply, right?"
At this moment, Dan Heng seemed to think of something and muttered a sentence to Boothill.
"Something doesn't seem right. I need to leave for a moment. You can stay here with the receptionist."
With that, he said no more, turned, and left.
Watching his back, Boothill shouted:
"Sure thing — just don't keep me waiting forever."
(Dan Heng seems pretty worried about his companions. I should give him some space. Stressing out about it won't help anything.)
After Dan Heng left, Boothill wandered around alone, chatting with a few passing travelers and specifically seeking out people dressed as servants, hoping to squeeze some useful info out of them.
To his surprise, not a single one of these fellows could clearly explain what strange things were happening inside the dream.
After getting a round of vague assurances from Coty of the Bloodhound Family, Boothill turned around full of doubt and walked away with heavy steps.
(Well, looks like I won't get any fudgin' clues outta these people— they're clueless.)
After finishing his investigation, Boothill happened to spot Dan Heng strolling back from not far away.
"Back already?"
"Hasn't she returned yet?" Dan Heng looked around, searching for the receptionist who had left earlier, but she was nowhere to be seen. Beside him, Boothill was getting impatient.
"Nope. I'm starting to wonder if sending her to contact Sunday was a good idea."
.....