"This is it. The three monuments. The names engraved on them are exactly the ones the Conductor mentioned earlier."
Lumina quickly led the group to the three monuments.
"This is Razalina... and Tiernan," Welt said, reading the names engraved on two of the monuments.
These were the names the Conductor had mentioned on the Train earlier... If their names were engraved on these monuments, did that mean...?
However, only two of the three monuments bore names. Could the last one be for Legwork?
"Though there are three monuments, only two have names. I can't say for certain if the last one is for Legwork," Lumina explained, seemingly sensing Welt's thoughts.
"These are the monuments I told you about before," Micah stepped forward, his voice tinged with awe and nostalgia. "Back when Penacony was still called..."
"Their names are engraved on the monument, which means..." Robin's brow furrowed with a hint of sorrow, her voice tinged with respect.
They were Penacony's heroes. As a citizen of Penacony, Robin felt obligated to honor them with reverence.
"Yes, according to Mr. Micah, they passed away long ago," Himeko nodded, relaying the information to Robin.
Her gaze then fell upon the unmarked monument. "This monument without an inscription... what's its purpose?" she asked, puzzled.
"Ah, this one," Micah replied, pausing to recall the story. After a moment, he explained, "Before Dreamscape Reef came into being, its owner was still alive."
"But when we erected monuments for Razalina and Tiernan, that person insisted, 'I'll have my day eventually.'"
"So they forcefully demanded an unmarked monument for themselves as well."
"And to this day, it remains unmarked. We don't even know if its owner is still alive."
Micah shook his head, seemingly unable to comprehend such behavior.
Tap-tap-tap...
Just as the group's attention remained fixed on the Unmarked Monument, three sets of footsteps approached from behind—two light and one heavy.
The heavy footsteps seemed hurried, but as the person arrived and presumably saw something that put their mind at ease, their pace gradually softened.
"Robin..."
A relieved voice soon echoed from behind.
"Brother..."
Robin turned to see Sunday, his face radiant with relief and joy at her safety. Recalling Madam Herta's earlier cryptic remarks, a complex expression flickered across her brow. She pressed her lips together, uncertain how to face her brother.
"Go to him," Lumina said, gently patting Robin's back to give her a little courage. "Don't approach him as an interrogator. Just go as his sister."
"If you two are destined to stand against each other one day, that day is not today."
Sensing Robin's confusion, bewilderment, and lingering hope, Lumina offered her a small measure of courage.
Without another word, Robin took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and exchanged a meaningful glance with Sunday before striding to a deserted corner.
Sunday: ...
Understanding the meaning behind Robin's gaze, Sunday fell silent for a moment, his earlier joy fading considerably. After a moment's hesitation, he followed after her.
"Let's give the siblings some time," Gallagher said, noticing the gazes of Himeko, Welt, March 7th, and Stelle all turning to Sunday. His words prompted them to avert their eyes.
"I know you all have many questions. Don't rush. Ask them one by one, and I'll answer them individually."
With that, Gallagher gestured invitingly, encouraging everyone to voice their doubts, promising to address each one thoroughly.
"Are you Gallagher?"
Before anyone else could speak, Herta cut in, her brow furrowed as she posed the crucial question.
"Yes, I am Gallagher."
"..."
"Is this the 'thirteen-year-old brat' you mentioned?" After Gallagher confirmed his identity, Herta scrutinized him from head to toe. He exuded the air of a middle-aged man; to say he bore no resemblance to Lumina's description of a thirteen-year-old brat would be an understatement.
In plain terms, this was a blatant scam.
"But he is thirteen years old! I'm not lying; I'm just stating the facts," Lumina said, shrugging with an air of innocent sincerity.
Gallagher merely looked "a little" more mature than his age. His true age was still just a thirteen-year-old kid.
You can't deny someone's age based solely on their appearance, can you?
Lumina blinked innocently. Though she didn't voice her thoughts aloud, Herta seemed to have unlocked telepathy, instantly understanding Lumina's inner musings.
"Alright, alright, you're right. He is thirteen years old," Madam Herta conceded. Having seen it all, she wasn't particularly surprised by Gallagher's incongruous appearance—a grown man's face on a thirteen-year-old's frame.
She had simply used this opportunity to tease Lumina, caring nothing for Gallagher himself or his identity as a History Fictionologist.
The age of thirteen likely represented the time Gallagher had existed, from his emergence from the Fictional Reality until now.
Herta refrained from stating this aloud, knowing that revealing a History Fictionologist's true nature meant their imminent dissolution.
But...
Herta glanced at Gallagher's condition and the faint, barely perceptible auras swirling around him.
Has his true nature been exposed?
So... are you going to intervene?
Herta cast a detached glance at Gallagher before shifting her gaze back to Lumina's endlessly captivating profile.
Given Lumina's penchant for meddling and her overflowing Saintess-like tendencies, she'd almost certainly step in, right?
"Hmm?" Sensing Herta's gaze, Lumina understood what was on her mind but feigned innocence, humming softly. "Little Herta, I know I'm exceptionally beautiful, but you don't have to stare at me so intensely, do you?"
"If you keep looking at me like that, I'll get shy~"
"How about I send you some of my best photos? Then you can stare at them on your phone screen to your heart's content."
Lumina blinked flirtatiously, as if tempting Herta.
"Such narcissism," Herta muttered, rolling her eyes in exasperation. She appeared utterly uninterested in Lumina's "stunning" photos.
Well... at least on the surface.
As for her true thoughts? You'd have to ask Madam Herta herself to know for sure...