"Careful!"
Welt blocked Himeko's path, as the bar of soap suddenly exploded… Thick smoke filled the entire train car.
"Whether your world has the concept of day or night, allow me to wish you a good morning, noon, and evening!"
As the smoke cleared, a man with golden hair and emerald eyes appeared in the car. Strands of his hair shimmered like precious metal refined by holy flames, glinting with a silken cold light as they fell.
Seeing that golden hair, Welt recalled an unpleasant memory.
Those emerald eyes were like frozen lakes, their edges tinged with the blue of northern ice. When his eyelids lifted, a powerful surge of Imaginary energy spread through the car.
He wore a robe embroidered with silver threads, his body radiating holy light as he moved. At the center of his collarbone floated an "∞" shaped cross, defying the laws of physics.
It wasn't worn but formed by two streams of liquid white silver and black gold, eternally twisting and entwining in the air.
Whenever the candlelight flickered, that paradoxical shape cast a twin shadow on the floor. His slender fingers bore three distinct rings of authority.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The energy detector finally sounded its alarm. Himeko cursed inwardly—[Emanator]-level signatures, and more than one!
"Ahem! Travelers of the [Trailblaze]… no need to panic. We mean no harm."
Blake wisely kept his distance from the pair, knowing that leaving a bad impression would tarnish HIS reputation.
"State your purpose. Otherwise, I'll have to ask this gentleman to prepare to be torn apart by gravity."
"Hahaha… Well said! That aligns perfectly with the third of the Eight Virtues of the Aeon of Eternity!" Far from alarmed, Blake's eyes gleamed with excitement.
Welt: ?
He retracted his cane, speculating about the man's intentions on the Astral Express.
Was he here for Adrian? Or merely passing through to preach [Eternity]?
"Eternity… Are you the current Pontiff of the [Church of Eternity]?" Himeko, noting his attire, sought to confirm his identity.
"No, dear lady, I must correct you. There's no such thing as a 'current' Pontiff. Thanks to a certain chuunibyou elf, people think my position has been passed down for a hundred and eighty years… Ahem, I digress. Let's start over."
"In the past and the distant future, there is only one Pontiff—me! Blake Hale!" Blake raised his hands, holy light once again illuminating his head.
Himeko frowned. Where was that light coming from?
"I'm Himeko, navigator of the Astral Express."
"Welt Yang."
After introductions, Himeko took the lead:
"Mr. Blake, the detector's alarm doesn't lie. Let's be clear—can you ask your companion hiding in the shadows to show themselves?"
"Of course, no problem." Blake clapped lightly, waiting for Freesna to reveal herself.
"My apologies, friends. My companion has a small bad habit."
"Whenever she arrives in an unfamiliar place, she uses [Veil of Eternal Night] to conceal her presence and body, observing quietly."
"Also, her manner of speaking… to most people, it might be hard to understand. But don't worry, I'll serve as a fine translator."
A few seconds later, a silver-haired figure emerged through a black curtain. Her hair stirred trails of stardust, and ice crystals formed and fell with her breath, causing the car's temperature to plummet.
"All actions and words are in pursuit of the [Eternity] Path. How could mere agents comprehend?"
"Haha… Let's not translate that one."
Himeko studied the elven girl. "I presume this is the Church member Mr. Blake once commissioned the Company to find?"
"Miss Himeko is as sharp as expected. She is indeed a priestess."
"If circumstances allowed… how I wish you could join the Church of Eternity! We need talents like you, Miss Himeko. With your addition, we could better offer everything to Ite!"
Welt's mouth twitched. As expected of the Pontiff, openly poaching people! If the conductor heard this…
Wait, where was Pom-Pom at a time like this?
Even without Pom-Pom's presence, Welt and Himeko remained vigilant. "For the Pontiff and a priestess of the Church—two [Emanators]—to visit the Astral Express… Let's return to the original question. What brings you here?"
"Hm~ I can sense that HE rested here… Traces of HIM linger." Freesna closed her eyes, feeling the air.
"Our purpose? You two might have guessed some of it—we're looking for Mr. Adrian," Blake said, suppressing the boundless excitement in his eyes. In front of outsiders, he had to act normal.
If he caused Adrian to drop his facade, Blake would truly become a sinner.
As HIS most loyal follower, Blake would never let that happen.
Thus, he had to play this role to perfection!
Freesna, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy… This guy, always spouting chuunibyou nonsense, had honed his acting skills to perfection.
"Adrian…"
Himeko and Welt exchanged a glance. So Adrian really was connected to the Church.
Noticing the fleeting change in their expressions, Blake patiently explained:
"Rest assured, with Mr. Adrian's eloquence and skill, he'd never do something foolish like offend the Church. Even if he can't join us, we'd still like to invite him to visit the Church."
"Setting aside my role as Pontiff, we're on good terms personally. It's been… a thousand years since we last met. I miss him dearly."
As he spoke, Blake approached the table, noticing two steaming cups of coffee.
"Hm, all this talking has made me thirsty. May I…?"
"Help yourself." Himeko didn't mind someone drinking her coffee. She had plenty in reserve and could brew more.
Blake thoughtfully handed a cup to Freesna as well.
Neither Himeko nor Welt sensed any danger from them. Were all [Eternity] Emanators this amicable?
Seeing Blake pick up the brewed coffee and even share it with his companion, Welt's reaction was unexpected—he didn't stop him.
He couldn't help it. After Adrian's example, he wanted to see if [Eternity] Emanators could withstand Himeko's coffee.
As Blake took a sip, his expression was initially one of enjoyment. But gradually… his brows furrowed.
By the end, he struggled to control his micro-expressions. He'd chosen this path, and he'd walk it to the end, no matter what.
"Ahem… ahem!" Blake nearly spat out the coffee. In an instant, his face shifted from genial to slightly strained.
By the Aeons, had the Astral Express developed beverages as defensive weapons?
Seeing this, Welt nodded in satisfaction, as if confirming something.
As expected, even a mighty [Eternity] Emanator couldn't resist Himeko's coffee.
"Not bad… Miss Navigator's coffee-brewing skills are exceptional. If circumstances allowed, I'd love to bring some back to the Church to share this delight with the other followers."
While praising the coffee, Blake glanced at Freesna, hoping for her opinion.
"Hm~ This coffee tastes quite good… Blake, if Miss Navigator is willing, we could bring some back."
Blake, Welt: ???
"Ahem!" Blake coughed twice. Are you serious?
Did the Aerya elves lack taste buds?