Chapter 321: Penacony Arc 『 Part Sixteen 』, The Eternal Matrix of the Penacony
「 Akivili?let out a helpless sigh: "...Yes, I plead guilty."
"You sneaked into the Hyai'i Zoo and splurged half an Amber Era's crew budget on 250 Nosewalker cubs. You kept them in the restroom, where they were left to breed and multiply uncontrollably, causing other carriages to be filled with sewage..." Pam grew more incensed with every word, long ears standing almost straight up.
"—Do you plead guilty?!" 」
「 .....」
〜Dragon Raja World〜
"Is this truly a Star God? What does this have to do with Akivili?"
Caesar furrowed his brows, a look of sheer disbelief crossing his face.
"He looks like a high schooler caught in a secret romance by his homeroom teacher."
Aren't Star Gods supposed to be the kind of entities that can annihilate countless galactic civilizations with a snap of their fingers?Even if they aren't like 『 Preservation 』 striking down 『 Propagation 』 with three blows of a hammer, shouldn't they at least possess a modicum of a Star God's majesty? How did it turn out like… this?
For a moment, he was at a loss for words, unsure of what to say.
"Legend has it that Akivili was the Star God who walked closest to humanity; it seems the rumors were true."
Chu Zihang looked as though he had reached a sudden realization.
"Back in the Simulated Universe, Stelle was merely imitating Akivili. At the time, I thought it was an exaggeration, but looking at it now… it seems Stelle was actually being quite conservative."
"I get the feeling Akivili doesn't seem like a Star God at all. He feels more like a human… or rather, perhaps he was originally a human who accidentally ascended to Aeonhood while following the Express on the path of the 『 Trailblaze 』?"
Caesar speculated.
"I agree with your latter hypothesis,"
Chu Zihang nodded.
"Furthermore, Pam's lifespan is much longer than I anticipated."
Initially, Chu Zihang had guessed that Pam might be a relic left to the Astral Express by the 『 Trailblaze 』 Star God before their fall. He hadn't expected the conductor to be older than a Star God… It seems that on this train, Pam is the most mysterious figure of all.
—
「 Pam proceeded to list various other offenses, such as Akivili? surreptitiously eating forty-two pieces of 'Crispy Crumbly Pam Pies.' There were forty-six cases in total, all of which Akivili was forced to admit to in the end.
Akivili? was overcome with shame: "I'm sorry… I truly am the world's worst Nameless."
Pam shook their head slowly: "…No, you aren't."
Akivili? looked up: "Could there be someone even worse than me?"
"Of course there is."
"Who?"
Pam stomped their feet in agitation: "That guy(Aha) who blew up the train into two pieces!"
....
The memory bubble concluded there. To bring a local Penacony souvenir back for Pam on the train, Stelle didn't hesitate to drop a hundred thousand Credits to purchase it on the spot.
Stelle was planning to continue exploring the area when she suddenly heard a commotion nearby.
She followed the sound and found a cute, silver-haired girl cornered in a street alley by a group of people. The situation looked dire.
The moment the girl saw Stelle, a spark of hope ignited in her eyes. She deftly sidestepped, slipping between two of the people, and rushed to Stelle's side.
"I-I'm sorry! Please, help me…"
The girl looked up, her eyes like crystalline lamps filled with starlight, gazing at Stelle with a moist, pleading look. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, casting a shadow of unease beneath her eyes.
…Completely impossible to refuse!
"Protecting a beautiful girl is my sworn duty!" Stelle declared, placing her hands on her hips with pride before pulling the girl behind her. 」
「 .....」
〜Gintama World〜
Splat.
The strawberry milk slipped from Gintoki's hand, creating a pink stain on the floor of the Yorozuya. Gintoki stared blankly at the screen showing the encounter between Stelle and the grey-haired beauty, feeling as though his world was ending.
"Hey, hey! What is this? A classic 'beautiful girl in distress' plot? Doesn't this stuff only happen in Shonen Jump? Wait… even Shonen Jump doesn't do these chance encounters with the heroine anymore! Why is this happening in reality? And why isn't it happening to me?! I've been the protagonist of this manga for years, for crying out loud!"
Shinpachi adjusted his glasses.
"Gin-san, I remember a cute girl asked you for help last week. But when you realized she was selling insurance, you pretended to have a sudden diabetic seizure and fainted."
"How is that the same thing?! She didn't want a chance encounter with me; she wanted a chance encounter with my wallet! The problem is… I've never even had a chance encounter with money myself!"
Gintoki pointed a trembling finger at the grey-haired girl on the screen.
"I want this kind! A fragile, pitiful, helpless beauty! I'm clearly the man who possesses the two greatest hallmarks of a shonen protagonist: silver natural perms and dead-fish eyes!"
"But Stelle is a beautiful girl, not a shonen protagonist—aru,"
Kagura said, picking her nose.
"Don't you know, Gin-chan? It's like they say in that manga that starts with 'JO': 'Stand users are drawn to each other.' In reality, beautiful girls are also drawn to each other—aru."
"So… don't lose heart, Gin-chan!"
Kagura suddenly pulled a set of women's clothes out of the closet.
"If you put this on and stand in the street, a really beautiful girl will definitely come—"
"Who would need that kind of help!"
Gintoki kicked the clothes away.
"Suggest that again and I'll swap your pickled seaweed for mayonnaise!"
—
「 "Hey, look! She has an accomplice!"
The two people intended to take down both Stelle and the girl with silver hair, but after a brief scuffle, they were the ones who nearly got taken down instead. Fortunately, a rather weathered-looking man with stubble approached. He was their superior; upon arriving, he scolded the pair for their incompetence and for mistaking innocent civilians for stowaways.
However, one of the Bloodhounds was persistent, insisting that the girl with silver hair was a stowaway indeed.
This greatly displeased Gallagher: "That's nonsense. Take another look, will you? The witness report says that the suspect is a lad with silver hair, and you guys are going after a girl with silver hair. Does that even make sense? She's our guest!"
He told the two to get lost immediately, stating he would handle the matter personally.
Gallagher gave a brief self-introduction and apologized to Stelle and the girl with silver hair on behalf of the Bloodhound Family.
"What about the stowaway?"
Gallagher explained: "The Bloodhound Family is the guards of the Dreamscape, responsible for all security within the dream. We received word earlier that some outlaws have used the festival as a cover to sneak into Penacony. With the Charmony Festival approaching, there's no shortage of people with ulterior motives…"
"…" The girl with silver hair suddenly took a sharp, nervous breath.
"Don't worry, miss. I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. How could such a lovely girl be a stowaway?" 」
「 .....」
( Translator-kun: My Hotaru-chan's first appearance is here!! Ugh... I have an urge to use her JP name, Hotaru, not Firefly... but let me see... )