Leon nodded, then considered how to put it into words.
"Do you know about the 'Memory Zone'?"
"There are few problems in the universe that can perplex a genius, and the existence and origin of the 'Memory Zone' are among them."
Herta clearly knew what he was talking about.
The 'Memory Zone,' like 'Memory Bubbles,' are both aggregates formed from 'Memoria,' differing only in size.
Anything related to 'Memoria' is a collection of reality-defying and extremely dangerous things.
Besides their own people, very few can comprehend what 'Memoria' truly is.
Before the Aeon of 'Enigmata' was born from 'Sudarshana,' the concept of 'Memoria' didn't even exist in the public consciousness.
It wasn't until 'Mythus' tore numerous rifts in the boundary between the universe and the Memory Zone that the concept known as 'Memoria' was officially revealed to the public.
"Sudarshana is a Memory Zone."
Leon recalled Oblivion's words.
"That's not surprising."
Herta crossed her arms; the answer was within her expectations.
All things are inseparable from 'Memoria,' and there's no reason for 'Sudarshana' to be an exception.
"Have you found any clues about the 'memories' of that girl with you?"
Herta didn't ask why he had come.
Her gains this time could be described as a full harvest.
The successive appearance of two 'Aeons,' and the data brought by one 'Aeon's' true self descending upon the Simulated Universe, was enough for her and Ruan Mei to study for a good while and further refine the Simulated Universe project.
Herta really liked this partner of hers.
Who said crude warriors are no good? This crude warrior was great!
"I have a lead, but it seems to have made the real-world situation even more chaotic."
Leon felt his trip to Sudarshana was something of a waste.
Did he get an answer? He undoubtedly did.
But did he bring the answer back? He definitely did not.
What was he seeking this time by coming to the Simulated Universe and agreeing to partner with Herta?
"[Meet 'Fuli' again, make her drop some loot, get March 7th's 'memories' back, and then happily continue repaying favors while protecting March 7th until she's reclaimed.]"
Looking at it now, he'd gotten his wish.
Did 'Fuli' drop any loot?
She blew herself up, so did she drop loot or not?
But no matter what she dropped, it was just an empty promise that couldn't be cashed!
Leon's journey to Sudarshana had only given him a vague answer as to why March 7th's memories were lost.
He had gone from knowing nothing at all to knowing just a little.
He originally thought he could get her past back just by talking to 'Fuli,' but it turned out her 'memories' had gained sentience. Now things were getting more and more troublesome.
Both March 7th's identity and the severity of her problem were far greater than he had assumed.
Never mind what would happen after he helped her retrieve her memories.
Just wanting to help retrieve them now came with a prerequisite: beat 'Oblivion' to its knees, drag it back, and merge it with March 7th.
To be honest, aside from 'Aeons,' this was the first time he had met an 'Emanator' who could match him.
The strongest of the modern era versus the strongest in history? Interesting.
"What do you mean?" Herta raised an eyebrow.
She had gotten what she wanted, so naturally, she hoped he could find a way to break the deadlock through the Simulated Universe.
She didn't like others owing her, nor did she like owing others.
"It's hard to explain. Those who get it, get it. For those who don't, I can't elaborate."
Fuli's alt account—making this public would likely cause a huge uproar. The trouble it would bring March 7th was unthinkable. The fewer people who knew, the better.
Besides, Leon knew very well that in a situation of this magnitude, even a genius like Herta couldn't be of much help.
"Huh?" Getting such an ambiguous answer, Herta was not pleased.
She wanted to clarify whether this transaction was truly fair. She had no desire to owe someone a favor for no reason.
"Where's March 7th?"
Leon looked around but couldn't find her, so he asked.
"She said she was looking for you. I couldn't stop her, so I told her you were somewhere on this space station and let her search on her own."
Herta's tone still carried a hint of dissatisfaction with his answer.
"Sigh, she's already a bit clueless, and you're still teasing her."
Leon said with a sigh.
"What was I supposed to say? That you were abducted by an 'Aeon'? Does she even know what an 'Aeon' is?"
Herta scoffed.
A person who's never had any 'memories.'
Even her name was given to her by someone else. With not a single trace of her past self left, she didn't think March 7th would know what an 'Aeon' was.
"I'm not so sure."
Leon indeed hadn't had the chance to teach her what 'Aeons' or 'Paths' were.
But thinking back to the explosive identity he'd just learned about, it seemed it didn't matter whether he taught her or not. Some people are just born in Rome, as they say.
"Speaking of which, Roadside-Ta, do you know where the Astral Express is?"
Leon thought it best to look for the main crew.
With 'Oblivion' as a safety net, at least he wouldn't have to worry about March 7th's safety. She could more or less handle the kind of trouble he got into.
But he still preferred the journey of a lone ranger, free to pick a fight with whomever he pleased.
With March 7th around, he'd have to be more considerate of things like his conduct; otherwise, he might accidentally corrupt the kid.
In any case, he should arrange a backup plan for her first.
Whether March 7th ended up with him or the Express, as long as it was her own choice, he would accept it.
If she still chose to follow him after all the swindling and trickery, what more could he say? He'd just have to dutifully raise her for 'Fuli' until the day she came to collect.
"Where on earth did that nickname 'Roadside-Ta' come from?"
Herta really couldn't understand.
How could he possibly come up with such a nickname? Neither her abilities nor her beauty had anything to do with being 'roadside,' right? A poet who comes up with names like that?
"Call it intuition."
Leon was telling the truth.
His intuition was sharp. He just felt she was the type of character who seems like a main attraction but is actually just a sideshow.
"Intuition? You haven't even told me your name, yet you're already giving me nicknames, mysterious bow-toting man."
Herta was so annoyed she laughed.
"You won't even call me 'mysterious marksman.'" Leon corrected, pointing out he had a nickname of his own.
"The Astral Express. What do you want with them?"
Seeing his nonchalant attitude, Herta didn't press the issue further.
"Actually, I've been a Trailblazer for a long time!"
Hearing this question, Leon said nothing, merely pulling open his collar to reveal the silver and gold train ticket pinned there.
"You're a Nameless?"
Herta said, slightly surprised. "I thought all the Nameless had died out. I didn't expect a faction that exists in name only to get some new blood."
"?! What do you mean? What do you mean 'all died out'?"
Leon clasped his hands behind his head, his mouth forming an 'O' in a shocked expression that screamed, "What are you talking about?"
"Literally what it means."
Herta was actually more curious about where he got that ticket.
"The Astral Express stopped running long ago. No one knows where it is, which is why there are basically no active Nameless left in the universe today."
As someone who had reverted to youth multiple times, she was one of the longer-living beings in the universe, so she knew the Astral Express had vanished long ago.
It seems that due to the rampant spread of Stellarons, the 'Cancer of All Worlds,' most of the silver tracks laid by 'Akivili' have been destroyed.
This made travel difficult for the Astral Express. The path was arduous and obstructed, forcing it to quietly run aground.
Heaven knows what exactly happened, but for some reason, the Nameless became even harder to find than those Galaxy Rangers.
"What? Stopped running?"
What the—the info was fake?!
Is this right?"
Hmm... Leon thought about it carefully. This situation actually seemed plausible.
After all, the main crew was already formed from the very beginning of the game.
March 7th was present from start to finish, leaving no empty space in the narrative, and no one knew when they actually formed the main crew.
But now, things were completely different.
Not only had he not heard of any 'main crew,' but he had also snatched March 7th before the crew could even be formed. The timeline was clearly before the Astral Express had set off.
"That ticket of yours isn't a fake, is it?"
Herta asked suspiciously.
She had heard of the Nameless' customs. After boarding the Astral Express and reciting the Trailblazer's creed, one would receive a ticket symbolizing their identity.
Silver represents an occasional passenger, while gold represents a permanent resident of the Express.
But this half-silver, half-gold thing of Leon's... where did this bizarre item come from? Who did he commission for this knockoff? The craftsmanship is so shoddy.
"What do you mean, fake? This is a genuine antique, you 'Erudition' country bumpkin."
He felt that 'Aha' might give him a fake, but he also felt it was unnecessary.
She herself said this ticket was her most treasured possession. Even if it was a fake, it would have to be an indistinguishable one. Otherwise, what about the others in Aha's family?
"Oh?"
Herta's interest was piqued. She took a step forward.
A soft click echoed on the floor as a faint fragrance wafted over, invading his senses.
Her perfectly proportioned body leaned slightly toward him. Unfortunately, her wide witch's hat obscured most of Leon's view, causing him to regretfully miss out on some alluring scenery.
Of course, with a figure like hers that left much to be desired, she couldn't really capture anyone's heart. He probably wouldn't have seen any cleavage even without the witch's hat blocking the view.
Thinking about it that way, perhaps there was no need for regret.
"It's actually genuine. And it's a model from several Amber Eras ago."
Her slender fingers gently grasped his collar as she raised an eyebrow, carefully examining the ticket pinned there.
"Eighty thousand for a look."
Leon made a gesture for the number eight in front of her, seizing the opportunity to extort her.
"Eighty thousand what? Credits?"
Herta let go, looking at him with great interest.
"Don't you know that the attention of a 'Genius' can't be measured in credits in this universe?"
Seriously, what's the use of a grand title? Her being a genius had nothing to do with him. Did it boost his stats? It wasn't him who was the genius.
"Just how many Amber Eras have you lived, you rascal? How come I've never seen you before? Is the Xianzhou Alliance that good at raising people?"
Herta asked, looking at him.
Although the silver-and-gold style was strange, the ticket on him was indeed genuine and incredibly old.
If 'Lan' hadn't been born after the fall of 'Akivili,' she might have guessed it was from an era when the 'Trailblaze' Aeon was still alive and well.
"Humbly, it hasn't even been a month since my debut, and I have yet to suffer a single defeat."
For once, Leon spoke the truth.
But in the eyes of others, this truth was more ridiculous than any lie.
"No one's going to mock you for your age."
Herta clearly didn't buy it.
Believing his "debuted less than a month ago" act was as likely as believing she was a seventeen-year-old beautiful girl.
"Since you've been a Nameless for a long time, why are you only now asking about the Astral Express's whereabouts?"
Herta asked curiously.
His words and his identity seemed to contradict each other.
With a ticket of this caliber, he was undoubtedly a veteran of the Astral Express.
How could a veteran not know where the Express was? And why only start asking now? What was he doing all this time?
"I was reborn. In my past life, I was framed by my enemies. In this life, I swear to rewrite all tragedies and take back everything that belongs to me."
Leon said with a straight face.
"I don't know where the Astral Express is, but if you're looking for it, I can point you in the right direction..."
Seeing that he didn't want to talk, Herta dropped the subject.
"Please, enlighten me."
"The Planet of Festivities, Penacony."
Herta said, enunciating each word.
"What the heck? Are you serious?"
A question mark slowly formed over Leon's head.
Isn't that the place where that little bird was from?"
This place is related to the Astral Express? For real?"
"Lagrange Searle Mikhail."
"One of the founders who built Penacony. He's also the most recent Nameless in terms of timeline, and the only one in the current universe whose name is still known and whose tracks can still be found."
Herta showed she wasn't joking.
"If you want to know the Astral Express's whereabouts, perhaps you can ask him. As for whether he's still alive... that I can't say."
"If you're going to Penacony, I can write you a letter of introduction."
Herta said.
She decided to provide her partner with a small convenience, to show him the value of a genius's name.
What faction in the universe wouldn't give her face? A ticket to Penacony was nothing; she could get as many as she wanted.
Although the Xianzhou Alliance could also arrange it, it was clear from how this Heavenly General never acted in the Alliance's name that he didn't want to trouble them excessively.
"Penacony, huh..."
Leon stroked his chin, seemingly in thought.
I never thought the Astral Express had fallen on such hard times.
They can't even find a proper successor and have to seek out an old-timer whose life status is unknown just to ask for directions.
"Wait, is he the only Nameless left in the entire universe?"
If he was the only one, then it seemed he had no choice but to go.
"Three, to be precise. If I recall correctly, three Nameless disembarked at Penacony."
Herta corrected him.
"Legrande, the last navigator of the Astral Express. These three Nameless were from his era."
He led the crew to lend a helping hand to disaster-stricken worlds, and under his influence, the Nameless became synonymous with heroes from beyond the stars.
Back then, the Astral Express was a household name. The reason she knew these things was that even she would hear of the Nameless's deeds from time to time.
Unfortunately, the good times didn't last. Not long after Legrande's death, the Astral Express ran aground.
"Oh, there's one more."
Herta suddenly thought of another one, a person who was also quite well-known in the universe.
Although not for any good reason, it was undeniable that he was also a Nameless.
"Who?"
"Oswaldo, the current director of the Interastral Peace Corporation's Market Development Department. A former Nameless."
This one is even more of a heavyweight!
____
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