At the fountain, a little girl had latched onto Silver Wolf's arm and refused to let go. She was one hack away from pulling out her [Aether Edit] when a red-haired guy who called himself the Knight Captain swooped in to rescue her.
So the Church isn't all bad… like hell it isn't! This bunch of fanatics who can't go two sentences without chanting [Eternity]—she was definitely going to give them a taste of their own medicine.
That's how Silver Wolf got the brilliant idea to graffiti the statue of the [Eternity] Aeon. Unfortunately, she got caught red-handed by Pontiff Blake before she could finish.
On the way to the dungeon, she was first treated to the Church's signature hot-spring experience. She even spotted a ribbon-draped woman muttering to herself.
"This is too much… too much… soap… The stars heed the prayer of despair, the grand detergent that gathers… no, death."
"The Stellaron—no, soap must never spread here! Ah… what am I even saying…"
Silver Wolf: ?
Sigh~ Another poor soul driven mad by the [Eternity Church]. That outfit looks awfully familiar, though…
...
Several days later, aboard the Astral Express. Everyone gathered once more in the parlor car.
"Ahem, sorry to keep all passengers waiting, pom. Since this is important, your Conductor took a little extra time to prepare, pom."
Stelle was surprised. It was rare for the Conductor to speak up personally—what could be so serious?
"By now, all passengers should know our next destination, pom: the Planet of the Festivities—Penacony."
"Conductor Pom-Pom knows everyone's been looking forward to that famous cosmic resort, but before we depart, there are a few things I must remind you of again."
"First, Penacony lies in the Asdana system, a region rich with memoria. It was once one of the [Great Rifts] where memoria leaked on a catastrophic scale. Even after thousands of years, the memoria density ahead remains above average."
"Usually… there shouldn't be any major issues… but reactions vary from person to person. If anyone experiences dizziness, hallucinations, or memory confusion, do NOT take it lightly!"
Pom-Pom glanced at Adrian. "Still… with Passenger Adrian aboard, we should be fine."
"Teacher Adrian, quick—bless Pom-Pom with the purest [Eternity] blessing!"
"There's a purity scale now?"
"Hehe~ Out of curiosity last time, I asked Priestess Freesna to bless me, and it came with some weird side effects. I kept saying stuff even this girl couldn't understand."
"How dare you question Priestess Freesna's faith?!"
Of the two known Emanators of [Eternity], Freesna is one—and she was Ite's very first Emanator. That pedigree speaks for itself.
…Only two Emanators feels way too few.
Stelle turned to Adrian. "You sure you don't want to recruit a couple more [Eternity] Emanators?"
"No rush. You might meet the next batch at our very next stop… and the numbers could exceed your wildest imagination."
Seeing Adrian deliver the most horrifying line with a perfectly straight face, Stelle's gaze drifted to Pom-Pom.
"Using the Asdana system as our jump origin, the closest notable worlds are the ocean planet Lushaka and the onyx world Melustanin."
March 7th suddenly had a terrifying thought: Is Teacher Adrian planning to turn an entire planet's population into HIS Emanators…?
"Pulling the cryptic act at the critical moment—classic Teacher Adrian."
"Ahem!" Any more and the conversation would derail completely. Pom-Pom continued, "Penacony is territory of the Family, and this is the first time the Family has extended an open invitation to other factions."
"Remember: the Express has been invited as guests. Follow the rules that need following."
"Got it—when in Rome, pom! Don't worry, Conductor, we won't embarrass the Nameless."
"Then that concludes this route briefing. There's still some time before the jump; everyone can double-check luggage."
"Conductor Pom-Pom will broadcast when the jump begins, pom!"
Stelle tracked down the rest of the crew. A brand-new planet—she was still the rookie here, so she wanted to gauge everyone's mood.
"On Family turf, we probably won't run into any life-or-death adventures—which is honestly a little disappointing to me, but a rare chance to relax. Enjoy it."
Welt looked unusually at ease. Thrilling journeys were wonderful, but timely rest was just as vital.
"Hehe, Stelle, you're as calm as ever. Little March is practically bouncing like a kid on a field trip."
Himeko smiled as she brewed coffee—hers and March's pre-jump ritual.
"I'm excited too, but I'm just more mature and composed," Stelle added.
She still had no idea how Himeko managed to keep a single drop from spilling during jumps.
"I'm sure Penacony won't disappoint. That said, there are a few details about the Family's invitation this time that still bother me… but we can discuss later. For now, enjoy the vacation."
"Oh, and if you get the chance… ask Adrian if he has coffee-flavored milk tea."
"Huh?"
"Even I… like to switch things up once in a while."
Himeko was genuinely curious how Adrian brewed his milk tea—and why it was always the exact same flavor.
Speaking of Himeko's coffee, even Conductor Pom-Pom gave it a wide berth. The most terrifying beverage Pom-Pom had ever encountered… though she'd never say that to Himeko's face.
Before the coffee finished brewing, Stelle slipped into the archives.
"I already talked it over with Mr. Welt—I'll stay behind and watch the Express this time. Have fun in Penacony."
"You should come too. Chances like this don't come often…"
In Stelle's opinion, Dan Heng hadn't left the Express in forever—not for Jarilo-VI's Sun Festival, not for the Xianzhou Luofu's ghost-hunting squad in Sui Garden.
"Thank you, I appreciate it. But I don't do well in overly lively places, and someone has to mind the Express."
"Don't worry about what happened on Xianzhou. Penacony isn't our final destination. There's still plenty of road ahead. Once everything's settled, I'll catch up naturally."
"You'd do better to check your own luggage. I hear the Family's entry procedures are a nightmare. Realizing you forgot something after check-in would be too late."
Dan Heng chose to stay behind as always. Stelle respected it and headed to March 7th's room instead.
"Hmm… camera, check; change of clothes, check; toiletries… oh no! The travel bottles I ordered still haven't arrived!"
"But Penacony's resort hotels are supposed to be ultra-luxury, right? Their toiletries can't be bad."
Visiting March made Stelle's speech turn cryptic: "March, what did you do with the soap Pontiff Blake gave you?"
One bar of soap could replace an entire toiletry kit—even if it was combat-grade soap.
"You're right! If I just bring the soap, I'll have tons of extra suitcase space! What else should I pack…?"
Whoosh!
Stelle laid out her personal belongings in front of March: fire spear, mimicry bat, Mask of Fools.
"I could always bring myself."
"Your suitcase can't fit me! Walk on your own, okay?"