Chapter 313: Penacony Arc 『 Part Eight 』, The Deep Dive into the Sweet Dream's
「 "Speak of the devil, look who's here! It's Sunday, the most handsome man in Penacony! Along with the singer, renowned across the universe: Robin!"
The young lady in the evening gown behind Sunday offered a faint smile, glancing at her brother. "He says you're the most handsome man in Penacony. How amusing."
Robin invited the Astral Express crew to take a brief rest, while Sunday requested a private word with Aventurine.
As he prepared to depart, Aventurine waved toward Stelle. "Hello, friend, doing alright? That was just a little joke earlier; I hope you don't take it to heart. Please accept my apologies for any perceived slight. To show my sincerity, I offer you 10,000 credits. Just a small token of my goodwill; consider it a peace offering."
"Thank you, but I'll pass on the gift."
"Such integrity! You're exactly the kind of friend I'm looking for. Here, take 20, 000 Credits." With a perfect smile plastered on his face, Aventurine doubled the gift without batting an eye.
"In that case, then I'll gladly accept it."
"That's the spirit!" Aventurine patted Stelle on the shoulder. "There's no need for such distance between friends. If you need anything at all, just say the word—it's on me." 」
「 ..... 」
〜DanMachi World〜
"Wait, he just hands out twenty thousand Credits like it's nothing? I—I want to be his friend too…"
"Goddess, first of all, there is no way we would ever cross paths with someone like him. And even if we did, he wouldn't exactly be looking to befriend us,"
Bell said with a helpless smile.
"That's why you have to go out there and meet these wealthy, spendthrift young masters, Bell!"
She shook Bell's shoulders excitedly.
"Someone with a penchant for gambling must be an elite from a prestigious family. When you're adventuring in the Dungeon from now on, you need to keep a sharp eye out for people like that!"
Dizzy from the shaking, Bell tried to focus his vision.
"G-Goddess… I think that Mr. Aventurine is a bit strange…"
"Strange? What's strange about him? That kind of lavish generosity, that unflappable composure—ahhh, if only our Familia had a benefactor like that…"
Hestia had already drifted off into her own fantasies.
Bell, however, knit his brows, his red eyes fixed on the faint lines visible near Aventurine's collar.
"That mark… I think I saw something similar in one of Grandfather's old books…"
Lilliruca suddenly appeared in the tavern, sitting down next to Bell with a mug of beer.
"It's a slave brand."
Hestia's daydreaming came to a screeching halt.
"…What?"
"Though he uses his clothes and accessories to hide it,"
Lili pointed toward the black serial number on the side of Aventurine's neck,
"For slaves with exceptional features, masters often mark their necks. It allows them to identify the slave's status at a glance without diminishing the value of their beauty."
"…Aventurine was once a slave?"
Even though Lili's analysis was well-reasoned, Hestia found it hard to believe. Whether it was his manner of speaking, his style, or his tone, everything suggested the upbringing of a wealthy family—not to mention that gambling habit of his…
"It's just a guess of mine, take it for what it's worth,"
Lili shrugged.
"But if he really was a slave once, then his methods are certainly worth noting. Rising from a slave to a P45 executive at the IPC while still so young… It's hard to imagine what he's had to do within the Company all these years."
—
「 Aventurine took his leave to attend to business. When Stelle returned to the crew, she found March 7th had completely transformed into a starstruck fangirl.
"Um, excuse me, are you… I mean, could you be…" In the presence of her idol, March 7th could hardly find her words. "That singer, the superstar from Epsilon… If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking. That's your song, isn't it??"
Robin nodded gently. "I didn't expect such a lovely young lady to be a fan of mine."
Welt asked curiously, "Are you, like that gentleman, a member of Penacony's Family?"
"To be honest, I am a guest just like all of you. Penacony is my homeland, but I left after growing up. I was fortunate enough to be invited back this time to perform a song for the [Charmony Festival]."
"The Sunday you mentioned is my elder brother, one of the local leaders of Penacony and the host of this [Charmony Festival]. When he heard you were having trouble, he brought me along to offer our assistance."
As she spoke, Sunday approached, announcing that the crew's previous issues had been resolved. As the de facto administrators of Penacony, they would do their utmost to settle any grievances.
After finishing these formalities, Sunday departed with Robin.
Though the journey had been full of twists and turns, they were finally able to check in. The group moved to the common lounge on the first floor. As March 7th and Stelle headed to the second floor to drop off their luggage, Himeko sat elegantly at the bar. With a flick of her finger, she slid a glass of orange sparkling water toward Welt.
"Welt, shall we have a drink first?" Himeko watched the bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass. "Penacony's 'SoulGlad' is quite famous."
"Mm…" Welt took the drink, staring at his reflection in the liquid. "…Speak your mind. We are likely thinking of the same thing."
"Do you remember the [Invitation] the Express received?"
"'We cordially invite the 'Honored Guests of the Family' to Penacony, to join other guests in a grand banquet'—it is because of that invitation that we are here."
"Your memory serves you well—but there was more to that invitation." Himeko smiled thinly. "'...Witness the impossible in the realm of dreams, find the Legacy of the Watchmaker, Father of Penacony, and thus the answer to the question: Why does life slumber.'" 」
「 ..... 」
〜One Piece World〜
Luffy lay sprawled on the deck, looking utterly perplexed by Himeko and Welt's serious discussion.
"Why does life slumber? Huh? Isn't it just 'cause you're tired and need to sleep?"
Beside him, Robin elegantly closed her book and chuckled.
"Of course it isn't that simple. The question surely involves some sort of metaphor. Combined with Penacony's 'Dreamscape' theme, it might lead to some secrets hidden behind the Family."
"Tch, boring."
Zoro sat cross-legged at the edge of the lookout, wiping Wado Ichimonji without looking up.
"Who cares about slumbering? That 'Watchmaker's Legacy' is the real thing to watch out for, right? Doesn't it sound a lot like the ONE PIECE? It probably hides Penacony's most precious treasure, like… ownership of Penacony itself? Maybe it's even related to that Star God of 『 Harmony 』 ."
Robin sighed, leaning her head on her hand.
"You two, honestly…"
She took a sip of her coffee.
"Ownership or something like that… it seems unlikely if you think about it. As the Father of Penacony, the Watchmaker must be the creator of this Dreamscape. What if the person who inherits Penacony is from the Annihilation Gang? Wouldn't all their efforts just vanish into ash?"
"Besides, the nominal masters of Penacony now are The Family. While they seem upright, these family factions are the most stubborn of all. I highly doubt they would simply hand Penacony over to someone else."
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