"We've reached Jarilo-VI's crown jewel—Belobog! My god, it's gorgeous…"
"What's gotten into you this time…" March, who'd just walked over, pressed a hand to her forehead in exasperation.
"Sometimes I really consider pretending I don't know you two when we're out in public…"
"Oh no you don't!" Lynelle threw an arm around March.
"Weren't you the one who said, before we got off the train, that you're the face of the Astral Express? How can you just run off like that?"
"Maybe you should reflect on your own behavior instead!" March huffed, cheeks puffing out.
"Anyway, you still haven't answered my question from before we disembarked. Especially you, Stelle."
"Don't look at me." Lynelle immediately put some distance between herself and Stelle.
"I change clothes pretty often. You could probably tell the time and weather just by looking at my hair accessories or tights."
"I know about Lynelle's habits. Actually, Mr. Yang was the first to notice that quirk. Seemed like he'd seen something similar before from his expression…" March scratched her head.
"But Lynelle, why do your clothes wear out so fast? I've seen you tossing out piles of torn dresses and tights pretty often…"
"…Well, that's actually because of my special ability, you see?" Lynelle deflected, a little guiltily.
"A-anyway, about your earlier question… Stelle does change clothes every day. It's just that her entire wardrobe is filled with identical outfits."
"Huh?!" March immediately shot Stelle a weird look. "What kind of anime protagonist are you?!"
"Maybe she really is one!" Lynelle laughed. "Don't you think, March, that everyone on our train has their own mysterious past?"
"I'm sure that's true for you guys, but not necessarily for me." March shook her head. "Maybe I just had a string of bad luck and accidentally got sealed inside the Six-Phase Ice?"
"How could that be… March, let me tell you a universal constant: anyone with pink hair is usually anything but ordinary."
"No way… Huh?" Just as March was about to retort, her gaze was abruptly captured by a moving white shape in the distance.
To be precise, it was a figure.
"Hey, look! There's someone over there!"
"That insignia looks like the Interastral Peace Corporation… and a pretty high-ranking one, too. But what's a Corp member doing here?"
"Not sure, but we can just go ask." Lynelle glanced toward the distant white-haired figure, a flicker of understanding in her eyes.
In the future market segment of Belobog's storyline, March and Stelle did run into Topaz once before entering the city, if she remembered right.
But didn't they meet a Corp employee first, who then introduced them to Topaz?
Still, these things usually weren't a big deal—you had to account for the butterfly effect and all… Wait a minute?
A puzzled look crossed Lynelle's face.
The person approaching from afar was definitely Topaz, no doubt about it, but…
Where was her Numby?
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Topaz, an investment specialist with the Interastral Peace Corporation." While Lynelle was lost in thought, March and Stelle had already struck up a conversation with Topaz not far away.
"I see, so you're the famous Nameless travelers I've heard about across the cosmos. I heard the liberation of Jarilo-VI was closely tied to the Nameless. You wouldn't happen to be the key players behind that effort, would you?"
Clearly, as a top talent from the Strategic Investment Department, Topaz was exceptionally skilled at breaking the ice. She quickly put March and Stelle at ease.
"Well, it wasn't really us. Most of the credit goes to Lynelle… Hey, why is Lynelle just standing over there by herself? Lynelle, get over here! We're talking about you!"
"Ah, so it's this young lady… Hello, hello." Before Lynelle could even react, Topaz had already grasped her hand firmly.
"But… Miss Lynelle, you look somewhat familiar to me. You wouldn't happen to be from…?"
"You're overthinking it, Topaz. The one you've seen is probably just Lynelle's alternate self," March quickly interjected, having recently pestered Mr. Yang to learn more about Earth's history.
"You know how it is, right? Across the universe, there are lots of people who look similar but aren't the same…"
"The alternate self theory, yes, I'm familiar." Topaz nodded. "It's just… the 'Lynelle' I know is rather… uniquely notorious."
"Notorious?" Stelle's interest was immediately piqued. "Do tell!"
"Ahem…" Topaz threw an awkward glance at Lynelle, then lowered her voice. "Let me be clear, I bear no ill will toward Miss Lynelle whatsoever!"
"Actually, the 'Lynelle' I know is a complete playgirl who specializes in toying with women's hearts!"
Lynelle guiltily averted her gaze, only to meet Stelle's teasing eyes.
"Listen, I have a friend… Don't worry, this is absolutely not a case of 'a friend of a friend.' Anyway, this friend is a dear older sister of mine. She used to have a house, a car, a happy life, a harmonious relationship with her mother and daughter…"
"But then, thanks to that Lynelle's scheming, my poor friend… not only did she lose all her assets to that Lynelle, but her beloved mother was put into a vegetative state by her. Worst of all, Lynelle turned her against her own wife, and now even her seven children want nothing to do with her!"
"?!"
For some reason, a name that seemed laughable just at the thought popped into Lynelle's head.
"Wow, that's awful!" March hastily covered her mouth, then pulled Stelle away from Lynelle's side.
"My dear Stelle, you mustn't be fooled by that vile woman!"
"Wahhhhh…" Stelle immediately buried her face in March's chest. "March, you're too late. I've already been… wait, no, that bad woman has already had her way with me…"
"Hey, hey…" Lynelle looked on helplessly at the two. "Don't blame the original for what the alternate self did!"
"Oh? Sounds like you two have quite the history as well…" Topaz watched their performance with great interest, then subtly glanced at Lynelle, who was trying to reclaim Stelle.
"Nothing of the sort! How could I possibly be like that…"
Lynelle grumbled, pulling Stelle back to her side—but not before signing an unequal treaty with the despicable little March, costing her five cups of bubble tea.
"Are you so sure?" Topaz smiled mysteriously.
"Anyway… I'm very glad to have met all of you. As it happens, I have some business to attend to here on Jarilo-VI, so I'll take my leave now. Safe travels, everyone."
"If you're lucky, you might just spot me at the festival later?"
"She seems to be in a real hurry…" Watching Topaz quickly disappear from view, a few traces of doubt surfaced on Lynelle's face.
Then, it suddenly hit her—something she'd already noticed but had "subconsciously" overlooked.
Wait a minute, where was this Topaz's Numby?!
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.