Parlor Car.
"Sister Himeko, did something unexpected happen while clearing out the bugs?"
March 7th sounded a little worried.
Please don't let it be that the bugs got away — she'd already been messed with by illusions twice, and a third time would really be too much to handle!
"Relax, that's not it."
Watching Little March's adorably wary "I'm scared, I'm scared" expression, the kind that made you want to pinch her cheeks, Himeko couldn't help but smile and shook her head.
"Phew~ Good, that's a relief!"
March 7th patted her chest, letting out a long breath.
"This crisis has already ended, and our unexpected visitor has already left."
Himeko elegantly lifted her coffee cup, her gaze sweeping gently over her companions in the car before finally landing on the two gray-haired twins.
"Before everyone else arrives, why don't we chat about something else first?"
She set down her cup, her red lips parting to pose a rather philosophical question:
"For instance — Stelle, Caelus, what do you two think... constitutes 'pure beauty'?"
"Eating, drinking, having fun, and never working a day in your life!"
Caelus answered almost by reflex, his body sinking deeper into the sofa in perfect harmony with his lazy tone.
"Hmm..."
Stelle tilted her head, absently twirling a lock of gray hair around her finger, as though genuinely pondering this profound question.
A moment later, her eyes lit up.
"Watching a kitten eat with rapt, obsessive fascination!"
"Or, actually..."
Stelle's and Caelus's gazes briefly met in midair, the corners of their mouths curling up in perfect unison as they turned their heads toward the pink-haired girl beside them with a hundred percent synchronization rate.
"Ah Qi's eyes."
"Eh — ah~?!"
March 7th froze instantly, as if someone had hit pause on her.
A heartbeat later, her youthful, adorable little face flushed a deep, intoxicating red, like a ripe apple.
She instinctively tried to put on a stern face, pretending to be annoyed at these two for talking nonsense, but the corners of her mouth, which she desperately tried and failed to suppress, gave away the joy bubbling inside her.
No, no, mustn't laugh!
...Ugh, she couldn't hold it in~
The girl's beautiful eyes curved into two lovely crescent moons.
"Hmph~ I suppose you two do have a bit of taste after all!"
Like a proud little peacock, March 7th reached out and rested a hand on each of Stelle's and Caelus's shoulders, blinking those big eyes now praised as pure beauty, tilting her head playfully with an air of "since you two were so honest, I'll go ahead and give you some praise~"
Himeko propped her chin on one hand, watching the amusing scene with eyes full of gentle teasing.
"Mm, Little March's eyes really are very beautiful."
"Eh! Why is everyone suddenly complimenting me!"
Struck by Himeko's follow-up jab, March 7th's barely-settled blush surged right back up. She embarrassedly scratched at her pink hair, her smile a mix of sweetness and shy restraint.
"How embarrassing, hehe~"
"..."
Haxxor Bunny, watching from the sidelines, wore a rather subtle expression, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
Do you seriously not realize you're being played like a fiddle by these two crafty gray-hairs?
This "pure beauty" sugar-coated bullet works way too well!
Before long, Dan Heng and Old Yang stepped into the Parlor Car one after another.
"Is this about the aftermath of the bug infestation incident?"
Dan Heng asked, getting straight to the point.
"No."
Himeko's expression carried a hint of gravity.
"I called this train meeting to discuss the appointment we're about to keep."
"Huh... where were we supposed to be going again?"
March 7th scratched her pink hair, her blank little expression instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Aside from Dan Heng and Old Yang, who had just arrived and had no idea what was going on, everyone else was left speechless — was the aftereffect of that sweet-talking really this strong? Hachi-Seven, you rascal...
"Penacony."
Himeko sighed helplessly, and with a touch of fondness, reached out a slender finger to lightly tap March 7th's smooth forehead.
Then she produced an object.
It was an exquisitely ornate music box, its metal casing gleaming with a warm luster, its elaborate carvings showing meticulous craftsmanship.
"What's this?"
Little Duck leaned over curiously.
"This is the invitation sent by the Family."
Himeko explained, her fingertip resting lightly on the small crank.
"Turn it, and it plays a harmonious melody that conveys the invitation. But the one that reached us is a bit strange..."
As she spoke, Himeko began slowly turning the crank.
Ding-a-ling-dong~!
A crisp, pleasant melody, as if laced with magic, flowed out and instantly caught everyone's ears. At the same time, an elegant, dignified, and deeply respectful male voice rang out clearly:
"We cordially invite the Family's honored guest to Penacony, to join the other distinguished guests in celebrating the grand Charmony Festival together."
"This... sounds pretty normal, doesn't it?"
March 7th and Stelle tilted their heads, wearing identical looks of dumbfounded confusion.
Caelus, White Seele, and Haxxor Bunny, however, all frowned at nearly the same moment — since all three bodies were technically Caelus's own, the overlapping perception of three selves made them unusually sharp.
"There seems to be some dissonant noise mixed into the background music."
At Caelus's remark, Dan Heng and Old Yang immediately focused their attention and listened closely, and sure enough, picked out the discordant tones within.
"Given the Family's resources and how seriously they take this," Old Yang said, his eyes deep in thought behind his glasses, "there shouldn't be such an obvious audio flaw in an invitation."
Hearing Caelus's words, Dan Heng and Old Yang concentrated a bit more,
"Given the Family's scale, there shouldn't be such an obvious flaw in an invitation."
Old Yang pushed up his glasses.
"Exactly."
Himeko nodded approvingly, her expression growing more grave. "This is no accident. So I managed to isolate and transcribe that noise."
She picked up a nearby tablet and tapped it lightly.
"I found that its frequency fluctuations match exactly with the gravitational wave frequencies produced during the Express's leaps."
"..."
Dan Heng's brow furrowed slightly, his voice dropping low.
"That's a distress signal commonly used by the Nameless."
"That's what I thought at first, too."
Himeko nodded slightly, then shifted her tone. "But after further analysis, it seems more complicated than that."
"I tried using the Express's engine's spatial curvature as a decryption key, to reverse-compile and translate the noise..."
She tapped the tablet again, and a processed, synthesized voice played:
"...Behold the impossible things within the dream, seek out the legacy of Penacony's father, the Watchmaker, and then answer: why does life fall into slumber?"
The car fell into a brief silence.
That riddle-like message, in the texture of synthesized speech, felt strikingly out of place and eerie amid the lingering elegance of the harmonious melody.
"Oh~?"
Haxxor Bunny, who had been idly swinging her slender legs wrapped in ultra-thin white stockings, stopped moving them. She crossed her arms and sat up a little straighter on the arm of the sofa.
A glint of keen interest flickered in her silver-gray eyes.
"A cipher? Interesting."
"Taking everything into account," Himeko said, stopping the music box's melody with its hidden dissonance, tapping a finger lightly on the ornate lid, "I think this might be the Masked Fool's doing."
She paused briefly, then added, "Though judging by the method alone, a Riddler or a Query Demon could pull this off too."
The [Enigmata] path has no shortage of devoted followers, and the Riddlers stand among the very best of them.
They were once palace poets, painters of light and shadow, shapeshifting masters, or occult monks, each shining brilliantly in their own field — but after encountering the Aeon, they became a group of baffling figures who spouted nonsense and wrote delusional ramblings.
Query Demons appear and vanish without warning. Each one asks only a single question, and once it receives an answer, it moves on elsewhere.
Their origin is a mystery no one can pin down for certain.
They might be creations of [Enigmata] — or, just as likely, creations of Elation.
Aha holds all things in the universe of unknown origin and strange behavior equally suspect.
"Want my — the Watchmaker's — treasure? If you want it, you can have it all — go find it! I've put all my treasure somewhere in Penacony!"
Caelus spread his arms wide and recited it in a proclaiming, world-announcing tone.
"Kaboom — is it time for a Great Treasure Hunt Era?"
Stelle's eyes lit up.
"So One Piece is real after all!"
Himeko was briefly at a loss for words. "The phrasing is a bit off, but the gist is the same."
"When did you find this out?"
Old Yang asked.
"While you all were dealing with the Luofu Stellaron, I told Pom-Pom right away."
Himeko's answer made the younger ones present blink in surprise.
That early?
"..."
Old Yang fell silent for a moment, picked up the exquisite music box, and studied it carefully once more.
"It seems this grand event is far from as simple as it appears on the surface."
"This may be connected to [Trailblaze]. I think it's necessary to let everyone know in advance, so they can be mentally prepared."
Himeko's tone softened, that gentle, reassuring quality of a Navigator resurfacing.
"Of course, there's no need to jump at shadows or get overly tense about it. Penacony is, after all, a paradise renowned throughout the cosmos, a place countless people dream of visiting — many spend their whole lives without ever setting foot there."
Himeko smiled encouragingly. "Let's go there with a bit of caution, keep our eyes open, gather whatever information we need, and also enjoy this rare, wonderful vacation to the fullest!"
The train meeting ended.
"You should all spend some time packing your things. I hear the Family's entry procedures are quite complicated — if you run into trouble after you've already checked in, it'll be too late to fix."
Dan Heng reminded his companions.
He didn't care for overly noisy places, and someone had to keep handling work on the Express, so he wasn't joining this trip.
"Sigh, I knew all along you were allergic to amusement parks."
Caelus shook his head regretfully.
As for luggage?
They practically wanted to bring along their desktop computers and their own beds!
Not that it mattered — they had large-capacity spatial equipment, Herta's hat, which was a hundred times roomier than the Serenitea Pot anyway.
But considering they'd finally made it to the dream destination Penacony, holing up in a room to play video games would show more than a little disrespect toward the place's reputation as the Land of Dreams.
"Hey — hey hey! Attention all passengers, the Express is about to make a leap. Five minutes to countdown."
Pom-Pom's voice came through the car's speakers.
"Please note: jumping, handstand spinning, and other high-risk, non-essential behaviors are strictly prohibited during the leap. All passengers, please remain calm and wait in the most normal, stable posture — Pom!"
"Huh? Jumping, fine, I get that."
Haxxor Bunny's mouth curled into an odd, subtle expression. "But who does handstand spins during a leap?"
She scanned the car with a look full of complaint, searching for agreement.
Then she saw three hands slowly rise into the air, even with a hint of pride.
Stelle, Caelus, March 7th.
Haxxor Bunny pointed a finger at them, wanting to say something.
"...OK~"
In the end, she swallowed her mountain of complaints back down and waved a hand weakly.
"You win. I clearly underestimated you all."
"Caelus-cub, how are we playing this time?"
Stelle was already rubbing her hands together eagerly, itching to get started.
Little Duck and White Seele, long since used to this, exchanged a knowing look and scooted over to a spot with a good view and relative safety, settling into spectator mode, ready to enjoy the traditional performance.
Haxxor Bunny didn't leave either — she wanted to see what kind of new tricks they'd come up with this time.
"'Episode Four: The Trailblazer Who's Bored During a Leap' — let's pay homage to the original this time."
Caelus pulled Herta puppets out of his spatial ring, one, two, six... eight of them.
"Star-baby, bring out the goods."
"Oh!"
Stelle eagerly complied, likewise pouring out eight Herta puppets from her own spatial equipment in a cascade.
Sixteen exquisitely detailed Herta puppets lined up neatly in the car's aisle, a truly spectacular sight.
They wore a dazzling variety of outfits — the classic Herta uniform, a black-and-white maid outfit, a playful nurse's outfit, a lavishly high-slit qipao...
"Loy! Al! Ty!"
The Herta puppets raised their arms and chanted.
Caelus nodded, satisfied.
After looking them over once more, he decided uniform outfits had more charm after all, so he had the puppets go change back into the classic uniform.
"Bronie."
He turned to Haxxor Bunny, who was watching the show, with a beaming smile. "Time to check whether you've been slacking off on your hacking skills lately. I've got a little assignment for you —"
Caelus pointed at the impressive formation of puppets. "Modify their behavior program."
As Bronie's original body, Caelus wasn't quite on the level of Silver Wolf or Haxxor Bunny when it came to Aether Editing and hacking, but he was still a top-tier player in the cosmos by any measure.
Doing the modifications himself wouldn't have been hard.
But when there's a top-tier tool right there for the taking, why bother doing it himself?
"Tch!"
Haxxor Bunny saw through her Sensei's little laziness scheme at a glance and rolled her eyes irritably.
"I can tell you're just having a full-blown lazy fit and want to rope in some free labor!"
Grumbling as she said it, she resigned herself to the task and booted up Aether Editing, her ten fingers flying across the virtual keyboard, her expression a strange mix of resignation, disdain, and a bit of "this request is really something else."
"Alright, next we just follow along with the Hertas."
Caelus clapped his hands, and the Herta puppets immediately sprang into motion.
"Gu~ru~ru~"
"Guru-ling~"
"Guru-guru~"
"Time to twirl~"
"Spinning in circles~"
The little Hertas spun around in all sorts of ways at once — bodies stiffening and flipping forward, rolling on the ground, spreading their arms into a 360-degree spiral, curling themselves into balls and rolling around.
Some struck an elegant idle pose, spinning on one foot like a swan-lake performance.
Cute voices paired with soft, adorable faces made for an overwhelmingly charming sight!
Whenever they bumped into each other, they just kept on spinning.
"So cute!"
"This young lady wants to join too!"
March 7th and Stelle were the first to jump into the fray, with Caelus close behind.
"..."
Haxxor Bunny watched the whole scene, mouth hanging open.
What on earth?
She hesitated for a couple of seconds, then snapped a photo of the scene and sent it to Silver Wolf.
...
In a certain room awash with dazzling neon effects, Silver Wolf was in the middle of an intense, high-stakes team battle, working to sharpen her gaming skills and surpass a certain bunny.
She was on her smurf account, and she wasn't even cheating!
Suddenly, a message came in from the account she'd flagged for priority notifications. Everyone else's messages could wait until after the match, but the bunny's were different.
Still, she just glanced at it once — and got completely sucked into the video, unable to look away.
"Pfft!"
"Hahahaha~!"
"I'm dying laughing, those Herta puppets look so dumb! Hahaha!"
Suddenly, a flash of red light swept across the screen, and everything in front of her turned from color to black-and-white.
Silver Wolf's face instantly went rigid, and she let out an anguished, world-shaking wail.
"No!"
"My promotion match!"
"You wretched bunny, was this your plan all along!"
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