Interlude — Eternal Fire Mansion, End
After the playback finished, the barrage of comments went silent for a moment, as if a pause button had been pressed, then countless comments flew in.
[Star: Honestly, setting aside Duke Inferno's future achievements, he's truly handsome.]
[Sparkle: Hahahahaha, what was that? Such a big boast, directly declaring war on four Trailblazes, yet he died so quickly.]
[Giovanni: What a delightful play, Afrit. You will surely become an excellent clown. The God of Amusement must regret not guiding you onto the Trailblaze of Amusement.]
[Sampo: harmony, Amusement, Preservation, Memory. The major powers in the universe have basically all been declared war upon. That's quite a boast.]
[Welt: Although the Eternal Fire Mansion, or rather the Annihilation Gang, does possess considerable strength, to wage war simultaneously against four factions is still a bit too fantastical.]
[March 7th: But he didn't mention The Hunt? I thought major powers like the Xianzhou or the Sea Ranger would have been declared war upon.]
[Sushang: Is it possible that if he declared war on The Hunt, The Hunt would actually start a war?]
[Star: The Xianzhou didn't participate in Penacony's Harmony Festival, so — in reality, his targets for war should be the esteemed guests who were invited!]
[Star: And also, think about it, that Sea Ranger — Acheron, wasn't it she who slew Duke Inferno?!]
Upon hearing what Star said, everyone felt it made a lot of sense. After all, The Hunt hadn't even been mentioned, yet he was still cut down. Thinking about it that way, the Duke seemed a bit pathetic.
Tsk tsk.
Just as everyone was chatting animatedly, the light screen, which had previously gone dark, lit up once again…
[Viewing continues, now playing: — Aventurine: All or Nothing]
[At the same time, in the Golden Hour, Astral Express's perspective]
As the screen changed and the subtitles faded, the camera moved to the streets of the Golden Hour. By a surlada fountain, the Trailblaze Crew finally met.
Besides them, there was also the purple-haired older sister mentioned earlier — "Sea Ranger" Acheron. She was tall and elegant, exuding a cold, mysterious aura.
At this moment, Himeko was the first to break the silence: "This must be Ms. Acheron, I presume? Hello, I am Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express. It's a pleasure to meet you here."
March 7th, standing beside her, also smiled and introduced herself: "Hello! I'm March 7th! As for Star… hehe, you must know her already!" After speaking, she playfully winked at Acheron.
Acheron nodded slightly, acknowledging their greetings. Her voice was deep and magnetic: "Hello. You don't seem surprised by my appearance."
Himeko explained: "Since Welt decided to travel with you, it means he trusts you, and we likewise trust his judgment."
Acheron couldn't help but show a hint of envy, remarking with emotion: "Your relationship is truly enviable."
At this moment, Welt, standing nearby, smiled and nodded in agreement with Himeko's statement, then continued to explain: "Ms. Acheron is not a dangerous individual, nor does she harbor ill will towards the Astral Express. Aventurine's previous accusations were merely one-sided."
"Therefore, before we continue our cooperation, he has an obligation to provide a reasonable explanation."
Upon hearing this, Himeko turned to look at Welt. She asked: "Are you trying to… create a situation where all three parties are present?"
Welt raised his hand and placed it on his chin, his expression serious and thoughtful as he replied:
"There must be a deeper logic behind Aventurine's actions. I suspect he was aware of Penacony's secrets from the very beginning and has been constantly planning to uncover them."
"In that case, the Astral Express's position in his plan becomes crucial. In the worst-case scenario… he might use us to do something out of line."
"Assuming things really escalate to that point, having one more ally is one more safeguard. Penacony is riddled with factions, and the situation is far more complex than Belobog and the Xianzhou."
[Guinaifen: Eh, so the Astral Express will come to the Xianzhou? Which specific one will my family go to? If you come to the Luofu, Xiao Gui Zi can be everyone's tour guide.]
[Fu Xuan: Friends from afar are always welcomed with fine wine. Members of The Train, the Luofu welcomes you at any time.]
Star, full of energy, said: "Protagonists exist for this very reason!"
March 7th sighed, then brightened up and said: "You're talking nonsense again… but your momentum is good. Regardless, we cannot ignore the safety of Penacony."
Himeko was also amused by Star's words, but she quickly suppressed her smile, composed herself, and then said seriously:
"To unravel the mystery of the Clockmaker, we will inevitably need the information held by the Company. Even if dangers lurk ahead… facing difficulties head-on is Trailblaze, right?"
"It seems there are no objections then… Ms. Acheron?" Welt turned to Acheron, his eyes questioning.
Acheron nodded slightly, indicating agreement: "I will, of course, accompany you."
"Then let's set off!" March 7th excitedly raised her arms, hands on her hips, as if suddenly remembering something, and blinked her big eyes, asking everyone, "But, where do we find him?"
Himeko, however, just gently shook her head, her tone very calm: "Don't rush. If someone has truly set up a game… he will certainly find a way to invite us to play."
No sooner had she spoken than Aventurine's voice echoed through the broadcast across the entire Golden Hour.
"Ladies and gentlemen—Penacony's most astonishing and grandest performance is about to begin—"
"The Interstellar Peace Corporation cordially invites everyone to Clock Studios Theme Park!"
[Himeko: He used the most enthusiastic tone to invite everyone to witness his death.]
[March 7th: Sigh, after knowing his past, I, young lady, should have been angry seeing this scene, but now I can't even get angry.]
[Bronya: Alas, his words were full of bluster and exaggerated pretense, but I could only hear a sense of desolation.]
After seeing Aventurine's past, the members of the Trailblaze Crew could no longer see him as a completely bad person; only attitudes akin to sympathy or pity remained.
In the video, Himeko crossed her arms: "See? If the actors and audience don't show up, wouldn't all of Aventurine's elaborate preparations be for nothing?"
"Let's go, everyone," Welt replied, "It's time for us to uphold the Trailblaze."
"Ugh, I have a bad feeling about this," March 7th suddenly said, "But, without further ado, let's head to the Theme Park now!"