Check out my new translation!
=====
The next day.
Sol woke up early and admired the cosmos outside from the observation car.
Very few people ever get the chance to experience the immensity of the universe up close.
Watching the river of stars flow past outside the window really was quite an experience.
"Good morning, Mr. Mercer."
Himeko looked at the young man on the sofa and greeted him with some surprise.
In the early morning, she seldom saw any living creature here besides old Yang and Pom-Pom.
"Good morning, Miss Himeko."
Sol Mercer smiled and said, "Today, you look especially beautiful."
Her white long dress hugged the curves of her figure, her red hair cascaded down her back, and a golden floral branch served as a belt around her slender waist. Mature, gentle, with an elegant, intellectual aura—the kind of big sister whose presence improves one's mood.
At least, his mood was very pleasant right now.
"Hehe." Himeko's eyes glimmered as she covered her mouth with a small laugh. "It seems Mr. Mercer is in quite the good mood today."
She was wearing the same outfit yesterday, but Sol hadn't taken the initiative to compliment her then.
"Perhaps." Sol squinted happily. "I received some gifts from this world, and they feel pretty good."
Yesterday's draw had truly exhilarated him. Today, his mood was exceptionally good.
It seemed this world really was favoring him.
Himeko blinked in mild astonishment, wondering if anything strange had entered the Express yesterday.
But upon thinking it over, everything last night felt perfectly normal.
Although she didn't know what Sol had gained, she wasn't the type to dampen someone's joy.
Himeko looked at Sol and said sincerely, "Congratulations."
Sol nodded cheerfully, then asked, "Could you help me with a small favor? I need a phone from this world, a network access license, and an account I can use for transactions—in short, something along those lines."
He had a phone, but it was the newest model from New Eridu—completely incompatible with this world.
Sol casually kneaded a twenty-kilogram standard gold bar into existence, along with a handful of beautiful, multicolored gemstones. With slight bitterness, he said, "I also don't have this world's currency. Can I exchange these?"
"Uh… no problem."
Himeko was stunned, but still agreed readily.
Could he really be a native of some small world?
The last time she handled such a request was helping the Supreme Guardian of Jarilo-VI with handling of their future markets.
Fortunately, this one wasn't troublesome at all—easy to take care of.
"Thank you." Sol tossed the gold bar and gemstones to Himeko and said lightly, "Without your help, I might have had to live as a primitive for a while."
"You're welcome. It's just a small effort." Himeko caught the gold and gemstones and smiled gently. "Any extra value, I'll convert into credits for you. I imagine you'll need them."
The texture in her hands confirmed the purity of the gold. A precious metal formed only during supernova explosions—one fully recognized by the Interastral Peace Corporation as an equivalent currency that could be exchanged for credits.
And while the gemstones lacked any mysterious properties, they'd still make fine collectibles to people who liked such things.
"A very pleasant way to handle things," Sol praised, then conjured another heavy gold bar and tossed it over. "But I don't like owing favors. This is your payment."
Himeko caught the gold again and smiled. "It's also pleasant doing things for you."
He seemed like someone who wasn't good at flirting, or perhaps deliberately avoided such misunderstandings. After all, compared to gold, most girls preferred pretty gemstones.
She weighed the gold payment—alright, these hefty credits were surprising enough.
Dan Heng and Welt Yang entered the observation car and were instantly startled by the scene before them.
Then came Stelle and March 7th, who were stuck together as usual. Their expressions first froze in confusion, then their eyes filled with golden light.
March 7th stammered, "Th-This… what is this!?"
"S-So much gold—Auntie Himeko's rich now!"
Stelle's eyes sparkled as she swallowed hard.
She didn't just love credits—as she'd never touched so much credits in her entire life.
But spending these? She could buy piles of delightful snacks—ten bags per meal!
Himeko placed the two gold bars and gemstones to the side and said to Stelle and March 7th, "These are Mr. Mercer's funds and compensation. But Mr. Mercer is an esteemed guest of the Astral Express, so I can't outsource this task to you two this time."
She smiled slightly and added, "It's just a small task of buying a phone, registering information, and opening an account."
"This is the funding." She pointed at the gemstones and one gold bar.
"This is the reward." She pointed at the other gold bar.
She'd outsourced tasks plenty of times before.
But Sol's background was mysterious, and his connection with the Astral Express Crew unclear. She had to treat this carefully.
"Just buying a phone?"
March 7th gulped while staring at the pile of gemstones.
Such pretty gemstones—wearing them around the neck would surely look wonderful.
Auntie Himeko said she couldn't outsource this one, but she didn't say March 7th couldn't use her own private savings to buy a few. Selling to someone was selling to someone—little March wasn't short on credits!
"Boss! Let me join you!"
Stelle sprinted to Sol's side, her golden eyes burning with desire. "I'm proficient in all types of commission-handling methods. I've served in many locations such as the Herta Space Station, Jarilo-VI, and the Xianzhou Luofu—everyone who hired me said I was great!"
So generous—handing out piles of shiny things.
She didn't know their exact value, but based on her experience with countless commissions, they were definitely worth a fortune.
If she could establish long-term contact, her Stellar Jade income would be secured!
"No problem. If I have a commission, I'll call for you."
Sol nodded casually.
"Anytime something comes up, leave it to me!" Stelle patted her flat chest proudly. "I'm the Jade-Faced Queen of Commissions!"
"Hehe."
Sol smiled slightly, his mood improving even more.
Why hadn't Aha chosen this little laddie as THEIR Emanator?
Tsk, tsk… no vision at all.
He looked at Stelle. "Then for your first task, introduce this world to me. Just use your own experiences."
Although he knew plenty, much of it was just a broad overview. He needed more detailed understanding.
"As for the reward… just one gold bar?"
Sol had already decided to gather credits quickly—tossing gold around casually felt strange.
"No problem!"
Stelle's eyes lit up, and she readily agreed, "I'm great at storytelling! I studied under Mr. Xiyan, the cross-talk master of the Xianzhou Luofu!"
"Please begin your performance."
Sol was genuinely looking forward to it.
He wondered what the story of Trailblazing would sound like coming from Stelle's mouth.
Stelle cleared her throat and began dramatically, "It all began when Herta discovered the Stellaron, and the universe knew no peace ever since…"
At this moment, March 7th followed her good friend's lead, sitting neatly beside her and helping fill in details.
Dan Heng and Welt Yang exchanged a glance, then silently sat nearby to stay vigilant.
Himeko only smiled slightly before leaving with the gemstones and gold. She needed to settle Sol's affairs as quickly as possible.
The train was about to make the jump to Penacony.
And Sol, who didn't even have a phone, was clearly undocumented.
Such an identity couldn't openly enter Penacony.
He didn't seem inclined to ask the Astral Express for help, and the Astral Express truly wasn't in a position to intervene.
So, she could only handle Sol's matters swiftly—her small contribution.
As for how an undocumented person would enter Penacony… that wasn't her concern.