Himeko hooked her arm around Lucian's and hurried forward, her pace brisk as she forcefully pulled the two of them away from the park that seemed to be filled with an invisible tension, as though gunpowder lingered in the air.
Only after they had walked a considerable distance and confirmed that Kafka's intrusive figure had completely vanished from sight did Himeko's tightly strung nerves finally ease, her shoulders relaxing ever so slightly as the pressure lifted from them.
It was only in that moment of relaxation that she suddenly realized she was still holding onto Lucian's arm, her own arm pressed intimately against the firm outer side of his, her palm resting against him through a thin layer of fabric, where she could faintly feel the warmth of his skin seeping through, making her abruptly aware of just how close they were.
Just now, she had been in such a rush that the action had been entirely instinctive, driven by the urgency of the situation rather than any conscious thought.
'Bad, bad, bad… Lucian won't misunderstand, right?'
As if jolted by an electric shock, Himeko abruptly released her grip and took a small step back, her movements carrying a trace of flustered panic as she tried to put some distance between them.
"Ah, Lucian, I'm really sorry! Just now… I-I was in a bit of a hurry, so… that was improper of me!"
Himeko had never linked arms with a man in such a manner before, and for someone as composed and reserved as she was, such an intimate gesture had clearly crossed a boundary she had never tested.
Lucian turned his head slightly and looked at her, taking in this rare display of flustered embarrassment that made her seem almost like a shy young girl, and within his deep, steady gaze, a trace of knowing amusement quietly surfaced.
"Nah, it's fine. Honestly, this kind of 'impropriety,' I wouldn't mind experiencing a few more times."
It had felt quite pleasant, after all, even giving him the subtle illusion of walking side by side with his wife, a simple yet undeniable sense of happiness accompanying the thought.
Himeko froze momentarily at his words, clearly caught off guard.
'He… what did he mean? What did he mean by a few more times? Wouldn't mind… he wouldn't mind being held like that by me? Was that… flirting?'
As that thought crossed her mind, she forced herself to calm down, taking a slow, steady breath as she tried to regain her composure.
'Don't panic, Himeko! You're an elegant navigator! Change the subject! Immediately change the subject!'
Himeko struggled to maintain a calm expression on the surface, but the faint flush lingering on her cheeks stubbornly refused to fade, forcing her to quickly come up with an excuse in her mind.
If anyone asked, she would simply say she was still annoyed with Kafka.
"Ahem… Lucian... about that… the behavioral logic of the Stellaron Hunters, what do you think?"
Clearing her throat softly, Himeko adjusted her tone, attempting to sound as normal and composed as possible.
Kafka was far too cunning, her words impossible to fully trust, and yet Lucian's judgment carried a weight that she found herself relying on more than she expected.
Lucian naturally understood her concern without needing any further explanation, so he nodded slightly before speaking in a calm and certain tone.
"From a practical standpoint, it's beneficial to the Astral Express—there's no need to doubt that. I can guarantee it, though the methods they use might be kinda aggressive."
"As for Kafka... she's sincere toward Stelle—there's no issue there."
As he spoke, Lucian found himself recalling those violet eyes and the quiet resilience hidden beneath Kafka's elegance. In his view, she genuinely possessed the qualities of a good mother, even if it remained uncertain whether she could be considered a virtuous spouse.
"If you say so…"
Himeko listened carefully, committing each of Lucian's words to memory, and after a brief pause, she silently decided that the next time she encountered that purple-haired woman, her attitude could perhaps be adjusted to be slightly more tolerant.
Just slightly.
"Mom, can I make Kafka my godmother?"
Stelle suddenly interjected, her words as abrupt as they were startling, completely breaking the flow of the conversation.
"Of course not! Not now... maybe in the future..."
Himeko rejected the idea decisively, without even a moment's hesitation.
It was only natural.
Neither Stelle nor Lucian had truly settled into life aboard the Astral Express yet, so there was no way she would allow the Stellaron Hunters to take them away.
"Hahh... alright..." Stelle let out a small sigh before turning to Lucian. "Godfather, I tried. Mommy Himeko won't let me go to Kafka, so you're gonna have to find someone else."
Lucian fell silent for a moment, clearly at a loss for words.
What did she mean by 'I tried'?
Who had taught her to speak like that?
Himeko had not even been won over yet, and Stelle was already talking about finding another one—worse, she said it right in front of Himeko without any restraint.
"Hm? Find another what? What does she mean?"
Himeko asked, her confusion evident as she looked toward Lucian for clarification.
"Nothing. Well, she's still a kid, just kinda talking nonsense and joking around with you."
Lucian replied casually, reaching out to rub Stelle's head with noticeable force, his fingers tightening deliberately as if to silence her through sheer pressure.
In that instant, the sudden squeeze made Stelle tremble, her eyes rolling back slightly as she clutched her head, a strange sensation running from her scalp all the way down to her toes.
"Is... that so...?"
Himeko observed the interaction and understood that Lucian had no intention of explaining further, and since their relationship was still that of ordinary friends, she recognized that she had no right to press him for more, a boundary she was careful not to cross.
With that in mind, she simply shifted the topic.
"We originally came here after hearing there was a Stellaron disaster and intended to help, but now that the Stellaron has already been completely dealt with by you, and the connection with Jarilo-VI has been firmly established, our journey here is essentially finished."
Himeko's gaze drifted toward Belobog's prosperous new district, her expression softening slightly as she took in the sight before continuing.
"It's time to resume the Trailblaze journey and head to the next stop."
"Hm, the next stop, huh..." Lucian let go of Stelle's head and turned his attention back to Himeko, meeting her gaze directly. "Has it been decided yet? Where are we going?"
"Not yet finalized..." Himeko shook her head gently, a mild and composed smile appearing on her face. "We'll need to wait until everyone returns to the train, then vote together before making a decision."
Democratic decision-making had always been one of the Astral Express crew's long-standing traditions.
"In that case, come with me. I'll take you around, set up some Space Anchors, and speedrun the map."
Lucian snapped his fingers casually, sounding completely confident.
"Let's head to the Xianzhou Luofu next. I'll carry you through it real quick."
"Speedrun?"
Himeko paused, clearly unfamiliar with the term.
Her brows knitted slightly in confusion as she tried to process what he meant, but before she could ask for clarification, Lucian had already shifted his attention elsewhere.
"Stelle."
"Hm?"
Stelle turned back absentmindedly, a faint sheen of oil still visible at the corner of her mouth as though she had just finished eating.
"Let's go. Back to the Astral Express—I'll go with you."
"Oh! Godfather's personally making a move?!"
Stelle's energy surged instantly, her eyes lighting up as she glanced toward Himeko, clearly drawing her own conclusions.
'Is the reason Godfather finally wants to board the Astral Express himself because he finally wants to win Mommy Himeko's heart?'
Under Stelle's oddly intense gaze, Himeko quickly felt a subtle sense of unease creeping into her heart.
Why did it feel as though she had suddenly become the target of something?
Not noticing Stelle's thoughts, Lucian then called Bronya and Seele over, exchanging a few casual words with them before arranging the remaining matters. After everything had been settled, he summoned March and Dan Heng back to regroup.
After a brief chat, March vanished instantly with a light push, followed by Dan Heng and then Stelle in quick succession—each of them disappeared the moment Lucian made contact with their bodies.
When it came to Himeko, however, Lucian did something different—he reached out and gently took hold of one of her fingers.
"Let me borrow this."
With a faint smile, Lucian placed his right hand against Himeko's back while holding her index finger with his left hand, and in the next instant, the two of them disappeared together.
In the blink of an eye, the Astral Express crew found themselves back in the Parlor Car of the Astral Express.
"Pom!"
Just as Lucian's vision cleared, a familiar cry of pain reached his ears.
It sounded like Pom-Pom.
Everyone followed the sound and saw Pom-Pom lying flat on the ground, while Dan Heng was sitting directly on top of them, creating a rather awkward scene.
It seemed that when Lucian had used Absolute Hit to teleport Dan Heng, Pom-Pom had coincidentally been standing at the target location and had taken the impact head-on.
"Passenger Dan Heng, why did you collide with Pom-Pom?!"
Pom-Pom demanded, their tone filled with indignation.
"Sorry, Conductor. It was an accident."
Dan Heng quickly stood up and helped Pom-Pom back to their feet, his expression carrying a hint of apology.
"Oh? Passenger Lucian, are you joining the Trailblaze this time?"
Upon seeing Lucian, Pom-Pom chose not to pursue the incident any further, largely because they had developed a certain level of reliance on him.
As for why, it was simply because of the Aeon of Elation, Aha.
Lucian's previous act of driving Aha away had left a deep impression on Pom-Pom, to the point that they now regarded him as something of a savior. In their mind, with him aboard the train, there was no longer any need to worry about Aha suddenly showing up to cause trouble.
Over the countless years, Pom-Pom had encountered many extraordinary individuals, yet only Lucian possessed the ability to force Aha to leave.
"Yes, Pom-Pom. Am I welcome?"
Lucian replied with a slight smile, looking every bit like a friendly older brother.
"Of course! Welcome back, pom!"
"In that case, where's my room?"
When Pom-Pom heard his positive response, their long ears instinctively perked up. However, the moment they heard him ask about his room, those ears immediately drooped again.
"Uhh... there are no empty cabins left, pom... maybe you could share a room with someone?"
At Pom-Pom's words, Dan Heng was the first to speak.
"I always sleep in the archives."
Welt followed shortly afterward.
"I only have a single bed."
Stelle then added casually.
"I sleep in a cardboard box."
At this point, everyone's gaze shifted toward the two remaining women.
Himeko & March: "Huh?"
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
[For support and early access to upcoming chapters: patreon.com/VALRRR]