"So this is the Astral Express? It seems a bit bigger on the inside than I imagined."
Noldrei observed his surroundings.
He had just stepped into the Parlor Car, which also appeared to double as the dining area. A large pile of gifts of unknown origin was stacked in a corner, their exquisite wrapping suggesting high quality.
"Welcome. This is your ticket as a member of the Nameless."
"If you ever find the end of your journey, or discover a place you wish to stay, you can return this ticket."
"See? Each of us has a similar one."
Himeko handed a golden ticket to Noldrei.
Noldrei examined the ticket in his hand, then glanced at the others around him. Just as Himeko had said, they all wore their tickets in a conspicuous place.
Without any fuss, Noldrei clipped the ticket to his collar.
"Then I'll accept it graciously. As companions on the same ship, if any of you need help on the road ahead, please don't hesitate to ask."
Noldrei's speech was simple and direct, a far cry from the cryptic, roundabout way he'd spoken with Dan Shu.
March 7th was still a little nervous. She was actually quite scared of Noldrei, mainly because every Xianzhou native she had met seemed to have an indescribable feeling about this young man.
"Alright! My safety is in your hands from now on!" Stelle stepped forward and shook Noldrei's hand firmly, making it clear she wouldn't be holding back.
She knew her own situation all too well. This journey had already thrown her into countless crises.
From the Space Station to Jarilo-VI, she had been fighting for her life on the edge of death nearly every time.
Stelle was a normal person, not some kind of battle-crazed Saiyan. Of course she wanted a few more layers of protection for her life.
And on the Xianzhou, Noldrei had left an exceptionally good impression on her.
As an NPC, Noldrei was practically a god. He had led her directly to the local government's top brass. Then, at a moment of crisis when everyone was at their wits' end, he had single-handedly solved the problem with just a few words.
What was a badass? This was a badass!
With a badass like this leading the charge, Stelle figured all she had to do was follow behind and rummage through trash cans.
Mr. Yang pushed up his glasses, trying his best to keep his voice steady. "Welcome aboard. We have three rather… lively young people here…?"
He wasn't entirely sure if these "young people" were truly young, but their behavior was certainly no different from that of youths.
"From now on, you may need to help look after them. Dan Heng is fine, but March and Stelle are quite boisterous. You'll get used to it after spending some time with them."
'This Old Yang seems a bit unreliable,' Noldrei thought.
Wasn't he a young person too?
Noldrei considered himself very young, even younger than anyone else on this train.
But as for looking after them, taking care of two more didn't seem like a big deal. He had already looked after plenty of people back on Earth, so what difference would two more make?
"Don't worry, I'm most accustomed to taking care of young people. I raised a lot of them back home. Every one of them is hale and hearty now, living much better lives than before."
Noldrei said this with considerable pride, feeling he had already fully integrated himself into their lives.
Look at him now. Did he look anything like a man from the future?
Mr. Yang had a feeling Noldrei had misunderstood, but he figured it probably wouldn't cause any major trouble.
Dan Heng remained quiet, as usual.
He stood like a statue, perhaps due to some dark past that had forged his current personality.
March 7th hesitated for a long time, only gradually returning to her cheerful self after seeing how well everyone was getting along.
She stepped forward and asked, "What brought you out into the universe? Everyone on this train has their own…"
She paused, wondering for a moment if she herself had a reason to be on the train.
"...has their own reasons. Besides finding your own train, do you have any other purpose for setting out?"
Noldrei didn't hold back. He explained his original reason for coming to this world.
His expression turned serious. "I came to this world to eliminate proliferationism!"
'Does he have to be so serious?!' March 7th was startled by his sudden shift in tone. This "proliferationism" sounded like something truly formidable.
Noldrei explained, "In the future, humanity will be caught in an endless history of development and conflict. I descended here to solve this problem. Proliferationism cannot be allowed to be born into this history!"
Stelle scratched her head, completely failing to understand what the guy was talking about.
Mr. Yang and Himeko exchanged a glance, equally confused about what this "proliferationism" was. But the man's earnest demeanor made it clear he wasn't just spouting nonsense.
Mr. Yang asked curiously, "What about the Honkai? I mean, compared to that proliferationism, which one is more dangerous?"
Noldrei replied with a hint of disdain, "I used the methods of proliferationism to solve the Honkai. What I'm talking about is the crisis that proliferationism itself brings to humanity! I want to find a way to break it, to prevent humanity from treading the same mistaken path again."
Mr. Yang was at a loss for words. He recalled the history of the Honkai and the devastation it brought upon humanity. It was clear just how important this "proliferationism" was to Noldrei.
Noldrei elaborated further, "It is an ideology inherent to life itself, a new society constructed from a part of the self, and the crisis it brings. What I want to fight is this human ideology that is destined to develop."
Dan Heng found the explanation a bit vague. "Have you found a solution yet?" he asked, intrigued.
Noldrei threw up his hands in defeat. "If I had a solution, would I need to travel all the way into the universe to find a new one?"
'So that's his reason for traveling the cosmos.'
While Dan Heng wasn't sure if Noldrei was telling the truth, the very act of trying to fight against a fundamental ideology of life was already absurdly ambitious.
Mr. Yang felt a pang of empathy, his mind flashing back to the extremism of the US and USSR during the Honkai era. Now he understood how Noldrei had been able to step in on the Xianzhou and guide the shift in their beliefs.
Though Stelle didn't understand any of these profound concepts, it didn't stop her from unconditionally supporting her new train-mate.
She patted Noldrei's shoulder. "Whatever that proliferationism thing is, when the time comes, you just say the word, and we'll fight! Don't be afraid of it!"
Seeing her gung-ho attitude, as if she were ready to charge into battle, Noldrei placated her, "Don't worry, I've already observed the state of this galaxy. It's not necessary right now. Most of the life I've seen in this universe hasn't even reached the standard of living for proliferationist humanity. Your lives are too harsh. First, finish your era of geneticism and treat yourselves a little better. We can talk about the rest later."