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Golden Hour, on a park bench.
The four of them sat in a row. Firefly and Silver Wolf were on the ends, while Sol and Stelle sat close together in the middle.
"This is Sol, the… newly acknowledged… boss I mentioned."
After hesitating for a long time, Silver Wolf finally chose what she felt was a relatively appropriate way to introduce Sol to Firefly.
Her relationship with Sol was complicated. They were not simply friends—they were rivals who recognized each other.
Well, if she stopped flattering herself, their relationship could be simplified into master and servant.
But that was not something she could bring herself to say out loud in front of Firefly. Boss was a word that at least preserved her dignity while explaining their relationship.
"Boss Sol!"
Stelle looked at him with solemn admiration and gave him a thumbs-up. "You're amazing!"
If she remembered correctly, Sol had only arrived in this world a few days ago. He had even bought a phone from their Astral Express just to get rid of his status as an interstellar caveman.
And now, just a few days later, even Silver Wolf was calling him boss.
That felt great.
She even wondered if Sol's Silver Wolf could be outsourced. She wanted to hire her for a few days to clear the Forgotten Hall.
The last Phantylia fight had been way too hard. With the Stellaron Hunters added in, they would definitely clear it with full rewards!
"Just average, really."
Feeling the girl's sincere gaze, Sol waved his hand modestly.
He officially declared this the second hype-person after Billy. It felt amazing.
"You've… broken away…?"
Firefly looked at Silver Wolf in astonishment, swallowing back the words Stellaron Hunter—a term she did not want to say in front of Stelle.
Even Kafka or Elio could not make Silver Wolf call someone boss. Among the Stellaron Hunters, they were bound together by their individual wishes, not by hierarchy.
Now Silver Wolf was appearing where she should not be, calling someone else her boss. Firefly could not quite make sense of it.
"It's nothing."
Silver Wolf swallowed her pride and forced a smile. "I just lost a game, that's all. Once I win another round, I'll go back. Very soon~"
How badly she wanted to cry for help in front of Firefly, to have her transform into SAM and carry her away.
But she couldn't.
This time, she had gambled herself away. She had no face to say it out loud.
That simple verbal agreement was like the strongest rope, binding her from running toward freedom.
Waaah…
"Is that so?"
Firefly looked at Sol, seeking confirmation with a thoughtful expression.
Losing a bet to someone else was unexpected, yet reasonable.
Silver Wolf rarely lost—but that was always with cheating. If she did not cheat, losing once made sense.
Please. Please. Leave me a little dignity.
Silver Wolf tugged lightly at Sol's clothes, screaming internally.
At least in front of Firefly—let her save some dignity.
Just like how someone who transitioned would feel awkward in front of their parents, she did not want Firefly to see her in this miserable state.
Once she eventually freed herself, she could brush it off with a casual explanation. That was how it was supposed to be.
"That's right. Miss Silver Wolf has excellent gambling etiquette—if she says she'll do something, she'll see it through."
Sol looked at Firefly with a smile.
"Yes. Exactly like that."
Silver Wolf was crying inside, but on the surface she held strong.
If she kept boasting in front of Firefly like this, she really needed to speed up her plan to regain her freedom.
Kissing was off the table… Should she sacrifice her dignity and wear animal ears, act cute, and beg?
Just imagining it made her dignity shatter all over the floor!
"So that's how it is."
Firefly nodded, no longer doubting it.
She recalled how Silver Wolf had just been teaching Sol Aether Editing. Perhaps that was the condition of losing the bet.
Still, losing Aether Editing in a single wager—that was an extremely heavy stake. She had really played too big.
That was Silver Wolf's signature skill, second only to her freedom and her life.
Which also meant that this Mr. Sol was no simple person, if Silver Wolf was willing to call him boss.
"Um… you know Silver Wolf?"
Listening to their conversation, Stelle suddenly looked at Firefly with suspicion.
Silver Wolf was a member of the Stellaron Hunters—a notorious criminal who committed crimes across star systems.
Anyone associated with her could not possibly be an ordinary girl.
"Sigh… I knew it would be like this."
Firefly withdrew her concern for Silver Wolf and let out a quiet sigh.
Stelle had lost her memories of the Stellaron Hunters and now stood in the light as a member of the Astral Express. Exposing her own shadowed identity in front of Stelle required immense courage.
When Silver Wolf had helped her earlier, she had already imagined this scene.
She had originally wanted to disguise herself as a local dancer, but that chance was now gone.
Firefly looked at Stelle, her expression uneasy. "I'm a stowaway. A member of the Stellaron Hunters."
She rarely cared about the opinions of strangers—sometimes she did not care at all.
But Stelle was not a stranger.
She was a former companion who had lost her memories and walked toward the light—someone who once made Firefly feel that her life had meaning.
She was afraid of Stelle's cold gaze, even if this was a Stelle without memories.
"Oh."
Stelle nodded with an expression that said I knew it, then asked curiously, "How's Kafka doing? Last time on the Xianzhou Luofu, I even escorted her out. We haven't been in touch for a long time."
"She's doing well. She's acting out a new script. Oh, and she asked me to bring back luxury goods from Penacony—but I'm not very good at that."
Firefly answered honestly.
"As long as she's fine."
Stelle looked very satisfied, full of a sense of accomplishment.
See? Because of her protection, Kafka was perfectly fine!
She was awesome!
Firefly bit her lip, hesitating before asking, "You… you're not just asking that, right? You don't… hate me?"
"Why would I hate you?"
Stelle blinked in confusion. "You didn't do anything hate-worthy."
It wasn't like Sol, who had directly threatened them on the Astral Express.
And even Sol, after threatening them, had still turned from enemy to friend and become the big boss she wanted most.
"Thank you. I'm very happy."
Firefly smiled sincerely.
This exceeded her expectations by far—or perhaps this was simply Stelle. Even without memories, the bond between them still existed.
Still, she seemed especially concerned about Kafka. It looked like Kafka had left a strong impression on Stelle.
Firefly felt a slight pang of jealousy, and quietly decided that she would reclaim a place in the amnesiac Stelle's heart—becoming her friend once again.
Aaaah!
Watching this scene, Silver Wolf wanted to slam her head into a wall.
Why did they have to stage a friendship-rekindling drama right in front of her?
She was just a slave who had lost her freedom!
Just then, Stelle's phone rang. She checked it and said apologetically, "Sorry, Aunt Himeko's calling me back."
She turned to Sol with a serious expression. "Boss, if you ever need help, remember to contact me. I'll give you a 20% discount!"
"Alright," Sol said with a smile. "See you."
Stelle nodded, then waved politely at Firefly and Silver Wolf. "Bye, Silver Wolf. Bye, Firefly."
After one last glance at them, Stelle dissolved into specks of light, leaving Golden Hour and returning to the waking world of the Reverie Hotel.
And then—
On the bench.
Firefly, Sol, and Silver Wolf sat together, and the air suddenly grew quiet.
After adjusting her emotions, Firefly asked softly, with a trace of melancholy, "Mr. Sol… do you think that after losing their memories, people can still acknowledge their former friends?"