That bellboy—
Was none other than a Nameless.
Lagwork Sharr Mikhail.
The legendary Watchmaker.
The one who invited powers from across the universe—
Mikhail.
He was born on an ocean world.
The adopted son of a famed navigator.
By chance, he boarded the Astral Express—
And from that moment on, his journey began.
He met countless companions along the way,
And made immense contributions to the development of Penacony.
As a mechanic aboard the Express—
He was, in a sense, Evan's senior.
After all—
Evan was also a mechanic.
Mikhail once claimed he wasn't good at much beyond repairs.
That his only real talent was—
telling stories.
The "Watchmaker"?
His greatest lie.
Penacony's grand gathering?
His final lie.
"Misha?"
"What a strange name…"
March 7th muttered, not thinking much of it.
"But wow… this place is HUGE!"
"Look at all those rooms!"
"That's insane!"
She wasn't wrong.
Even Evan was stunned.
No five-star hotel on Earth could compare to this.
An entire planet—
Filled with rooms.
How could anyone not be amazed?
The moment they entered—
They were already inside the grand lobby.
At the center was the check-in area.
On both sides—
Rows upon rows of guest rooms, stretching endlessly.
Far in the distance stood a massive structure—
Like a celestial body.
Rumored to be connected to the dream world.
But no one knew exactly what it was.
"I wonder if Mr. Yang and the others are done yet…"
"I'm more curious about our rooms—hope we're all together!"
"Let's go, let's go! Find them!"
March didn't wait.
She grabbed Stelle with one hand—
And shoved Evan forward with the other.
After they left—
A small figure slowly appeared in the lobby.
Misha.
"Working at the Reverie Hotel is great…"
"I get to meet so many travelers from afar…"
"And hear so many adventure stories…"
"Astral Express… I remember now…"
"Trailblazers…"
"What does 'Trailblazing' mean?"
"I hear people say it's about exploring unknown territories…"
"Penacony must have a history like that too…"
"Delicious SoulGlad…"
"The Dreamjolt Troupe performances…"
"They were all built through countless acts of trailblazing…"
"…It must've been hard."
After murmuring to himself,
Misha pushed his cart and left.
Yet—
Neither the guests passing by,
Nor anyone in the lobby—
Seemed to notice him at all.
Strange.
Meanwhile—
The Express crew had almost finished checking in.
As invited guests,
They avoided the usual complications—
Like missing identity records.
After all—
There was nothing credits couldn't solve.
If records didn't exist?
Money could fix that.
At the same time—
Penacony was growing livelier by the second.
Just outside the hotel—
An IPC starship landed.
A blond man stepped down.
Wearing sunglasses,
His sharp gaze swept across the crowd like a hunter searching for prey.
Soon—
His eyes locked onto a group.
A faint smile curved his lips.
"Nameless, huh?"
"Interesting… Penacony really invited quite the crowd."
"The Watchmaker's legacy…"
"The land of dreams…"
Aventurine toyed with the stone in his hand, smiling faintly.
Beside him stood another man—
With a plaster-covered head.
"Professor Ratio, it's an honor to attend this grand event with you."
"Don't misunderstand," the man replied coldly.
"I have no interest in fools."
"I'm here for one question."
"Why does life sleep?"
"The Watchmaker truly lived up to his name."
"A question like that… fascinating."
Aventurine chuckled.
"As expected of scholars from the Intelligentsia Guild."
"This Harmony Festival is getting more and more interesting."
As they entered—
A graceful woman appeared silently in the lobby.
Her gaze swept across the room—
Before settling on the Nameless.
"A messenger of the divine?"
"Recent revelations from the Garden… a mortal granted the power of memory…"
"Strange… he doesn't feel like a memetic lifeform."
"How interesting~"
"I wonder what kind of memories you carry…"
Her gaze lingered on Evan—
Before she vanished.
Black Swan.
A memokeeper.
For her—
Penacony was a treasure trove.
Memories.
Aventurine's.
Acheron's.
Everyone's.
And Evan—
Was especially intriguing.
Back in the lobby—
March dragged everyone over.
They saw Himeko frowning slightly.
"How is that possible? No record?"
Welt noticed Evan and Stelle returning—
And suddenly realized something.
When the Express accepted Penacony's invitation—
Those two weren't onboard yet.
So naturally—
Their records didn't exist.
"These two are new passengers aboard the Astral Express."
"We can vouch for them."
The staff hesitated.
"That may be so… but without prior registration, we can't process check-in…"
That was true.
The invitation had been issued long ago—
Before Evan was even on Jarilo-VI.
Before Stelle was even… created.
So missing records?
Perfectly normal.
"Given the current circumstances…"
"Allow me to act as their guarantor."
A flamboyant voice sounded from behind.
Everyone turned.
A man in sunglasses approached—
Followed by the plaster-headed scholar and a group of IPC security personnel.
"Who are you?" March asked, hands on her hips.
"Why should you guarantee us?"
The man smiled.
"Aventurine."
"Strategic Investment Department, IPC."
"Specialist in non-performing asset liquidation."
"Invited here by the Watchmaker."
The moment he spoke—
Whispers erupted around them.
"Aventurine?!"
"One of the Ten Stonehearts?!"
"He's here too?!"
The name carried weight across the universe.
Himeko was about to respond—
But Evan stepped forward first.
His gaze landed on Aventurine.
Three incomplete Cornerstones.
Roughly thirty percent of an Emanator's power.
As expected—
Aventurine lived up to his reputation.
"Mr. Aventurine," Evan said calmly,
"It's fortunate you're willing to vouch for us."
"But I'm curious—"
"Why?"
"The IPC doesn't do charity."
Aventurine smiled.
"That's true."
"We never make unprofitable deals."
"But the IPC and the Express are… allies."
"And you are the renowned Nameless."
"How about we make a deal?"
His gaze swept across the group—
Before settling on Evan.
"I'll act as your guarantor."
"But in return—"
"During your stay in Penacony…"
"I hope you'll look after me."
"Let's have a pleasant cooperation."
Evan smiled faintly.
He glanced at Himeko and the others.
No objections.
"Very well, Mr. Aventurine."
"Looking forward to working with you."
"Likewise."
Aventurine narrowed his eyes.
Holding the Aventurine stone—
He had the courage to bet everything.
And yet—
He had the distinct feeling—
This man had already seen through him.
So why—
Would he still walk into the trap?
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