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Two hours later.
In the observation car, Stelle had already fallen out of storyteller mode—she simply didn't have enough stored knowledge to keep going that long.
Now, she and March 7th were merely sharing their own legendary adventures with Sol, inevitably adding embellishments, their enthusiasm burning even brighter.
Dan Heng and Welt Yang had temporarily abandoned their vigilance. There was no point—those two girls were too close to Sol. If anything really happened, there wouldn't be time to rescue them.
Even though Welt naturally held caution toward someone like Sol Mercer, who "inherited a name, an ideal, and a power," he could do nothing more at this moment—which frustrates him.
Just as Stelle and March 7th were speaking with great excitement—
Himeko returned with a brand-new phone in hand, addressing Sol. "Mr. Mercer, your phone has been purchased. It's the latest flagship model from the Interastral Peace Corporation—powerful and capable of handling most scenarios."
"The account is also set up. It has over ten million credits inside, which should suffice for your immediate needs."
Two hours was plenty of time for her to put everything in order.
The phone had actually been prepared as a gift for March 7th, still unopened. Now that it was given to Sol, she would just prepare another one—no trouble at all.
As for the account, with her connections, it was extremely easy to arrange.
"A new flagship model? The one I've been eyeing for so long!?"
March 7th let out a cry, envy practically dripping from her eyes.
Stelle focused on a different piece of information, her gaze exploding into golden stars. "Ten million credits!? How many Calyx runs would that take me!?"
Sol accepted the phone and praised, "It really is nice—better than anything I've used before. Truly the light of the universe."
Its exterior was simple and clean, similar overall to the smart devices he'd used before, but with flawless detailing worthy of an interstellar flagship.
He tested a few functions—very intuitive smart guidance, easy to use.
After all, smart phones merely iterate on materials and tech; their core functions never really change. Internet, communication, games—nothing unfamiliar.
"As long as you're satisfied."
Himeko spoke gently. "I've saved my contact information for you. If you need anything in the future, feel free to reach out."
On one hand, Sol's identity was mysterious—something worth monitoring.
On the other hand, this man was powerful, someone worth befriending.
The Astral Express Crew was never short on misunderstandings; turning enemies into allies was something they'd achieved more than once.
"Miss Himeko truly loves helping others," Sol remarked with praise.
"Big guy! Add me too—contact me for commissions anytime!"
Stelle stuck her phone out, smiling with sharp-minded eagerness.
"No problem."
Sol added her quickly.
Then March 7th added him as well—she wanted to check back later with Sol about how this phone performed, to decide whether she should splurge for one herself.
After closing the contact list of just three people, Sol asked Himeko, "By the way, Miss Himeko, when will the Astral Express arrive at Penacony?"
"The conductor is calibrating the train's parameters. An interstellar jump requires full preparation."
Himeko thought it over carefully and answered, "It should be about time. In fact, the conductor started this work two days ago. Judging by the schedule, it should be nearly complete now."
"You're right—the conductor is already finished with the adjustments!"
Pom-Pom suddenly appeared from the conductor's room, speaking proudly.
"Seems we can depart," Himeko said with a light hair flip and a warm smile.
Pom-Pom cast a somewhat wary look at Sol Mercer, adjusted their hat, and stood at the center of the observation car.
"Attention, passengers—the jump is about to begin. Please sit down and hold on tight. Destination: Penacony!"
Upon hearing that, Stelle and March 7th obediently sat on the sofa, waiting for the jump.
As the power of Trailblaze activated, the exterior of the Astral Express burst into radiant light.
It glided onto the silver tracks within the void, crossing several imaginary-energy-isolated star systems in an instant, entering a starry sky shrouded in mnemonic matter.
The stars outside the train blurred, as if space itself warped and trembled.
At this point, they were already close to Penacony.
A wondrous and mighty power.
Sol carefully sensed it, silently thinking to himself.
This was one of the silver tracks opened by Trailblaze. The completed silver path stretched across the universe, connecting countless sealed star systems.
Even if the Aeon of Trailblaze, Akivili, had fallen (unconfirmed), these silver tracks still retained their function.
The distance the Astral Express crossed in a moment was one even light would need tens of thousands of years to traverse.
Right then, Himeko began explaining at the perfect moment. "Penacony lies within the Asdana Star System, in an area saturated with mnemonic matter. Its true nature remains unknown, but many of its traits have been observed."
Welt said in a low voice, "If you divide existence into matter and spirit, then this is a world leaning toward the spiritual side. It carries a power that leads people into dreams. This is the foundation of Penacony, the Planet of Festivities. Its brilliance lies in the fact that it is a dreamworld."
"If you experience dizziness, hallucinations, or memory disturbances within mnemonic matter, be cautious—this means you are beginning to sink into a dream."
"Got it, Uncle Yang."
March 7th nodded obediently, already itching to see Penacony's scenery.
They had come to Penacony to rest, to ease the exhaustion from their journey.
Hopefully this universe-famous Festive Star would not disappoint her.
"It's also worth noting that recently, information has surfaced about the Watchmaker's legacy. As the founder of Penacony, countless prospectors across the universe believe he left behind substantial riches, and they've been deeply drawn by this."
"Penacony has not been peaceful lately. Everyone needs to be extra careful."
Himeko slightly emphasized her tone and cast a meaningful glance at Sol.
It was a warning—in her eyes, this mysterious guest's motive was not simple.
If he intended to stir up trouble in Penacony, he should at least tread carefully.
This place held the Harmony-aligned Family, the Preservation-aligned Interastral Peace Corporation watching over their former territory, the impending Charmony Festival attracting Memokeepers who loved major events, and countless opportunists converging here.
"Thank you for the information. I'll head out first."
Sol nodded slightly and walked toward the train's exit.
"Goodbye, Mr. Mercer."
Himeko, Welt, March 7th, Dan Heng, and Pom-Pom all bid him farewell.
Whatever they felt in their hearts, they were finally parting ways with this man.
"Goodbye." Sol waved his hand—and a large gold bar dropped onto Stelle's stomach.
He added, "Everyone, keep an eye on this interesting little gray-haired one. Looks like she's being affected by mnemonic matter."
As Sol stepped off the train, the group froze, then looked toward Stelle.
Crushed under the gold bar, Stelle's eyebrows were tightly furrowed—she seemed to be having a nightmare.
"Eh!?"
Hearing the little pink-haired girl's cry behind him, Sol strode toward the Reverie Hotel of Penacony.
The little raccoon shouldn't be in danger—most likely dragged off to go on a date with Acheron.
As for that Emanator of Nihility, he was indeed interested in meeting her.
But no rush—they would surely meet in Penacony.