After dealing with the chaos stirred up by Sparkle, a fuming Lynelle began scouring all of Belobog for that bratty Masked Fool.
Unfortunately, it seemed Sparkle had already caught wind that Lynelle was out for trouble and had left Belobog long ago, causing Lynelle to come up empty-handed several times.
At least, with Sparkle gone, the Aetherium War tournament concluded smoothly.
Though the custom Aether Spirit Lynelle created was so broken that Giovanni outright banned it, she didn't feel too sorry about it—after all, this time she'd gained one, no, two electronic pets.
Only, these two electronic pets seemed to need a bit of fine-tuning.
At the very least, they should avoid mistaking their owners "stacking together" as them fighting and rushing in to break it up.
Anyway, after resting in Belobog for a few days, the trio bid the city farewell and returned to the Express.
According to the itinerary set earlier by Pom-Pom, before heading to Herta Space Station, the Express needed to make a stop at Washtopia for a thorough cleaning.
Of course, Pom-Pom thoughtfully gave Lynelle other options—if she couldn't be away for so long, she could request temporary leave from the conductor.
But Lynelle had no intention of slacking off.
Not only would this Washtopia storyline involve meeting a certain famous random-spawn character from Honkai: Star Rail—Argenti (who pops up randomly across the universe)—Lynelle was also quite interested in meeting the "Evernight" hidden within March 7th.
"I mean…"
Looking at the excited faces of Stelle and Lynelle sitting in the Express's parlor car, March 7th said helplessly, "It's just a trip to Washtopia, you two don't need to get this worked up, right?"
"Wrong."
Stelle made a big X with her arms. "Venturing into unknown territory is a form of trailblazing. And since I've never been to Washtopia before, this is part of trailblazing!"
"Wow, never knew you had that kind of awareness."
March 7th giggled and shoved a cleaning tool into Stelle's hands. "Then you can handle mopping the floors and wiping the ceilings later, alright?"
"Sure thing, I'm used to that, I mop in my room every day… Mph?"
Stelle looked puzzled as Lynelle suddenly covered her mouth.
"Alright, March, let's not let Stelle steal the conductor's job."
Lynelle firmly pressed the struggling Stelle against her chest to stop her from saying anything outrageous. "As for mopping the floors… maybe we can ask Dan Heng?"
"Phew…"
The moment Stelle freed herself from Lynelle's embrace, she gave a thumbs-up. "Azure Dragon Cleansing the World, my friend."
But before Dan Heng could retort, a sudden emergency stop interrupted their conversation. Almost the instant it happened, the scenery outside the train windows shifted to a dim, reddish hue.
"Oww, that hurts…"
March, who'd completely lost her balance, shook her head and then belatedly realized, "Wait, it doesn't actually hurt?"
"Ahem…"
Himeko elegantly set down her coffee cup, seemingly unaffected by the jolt that had tossed everyone about. "March, be careful when you get up. Lynelle is under you."
"Huh?"
"What do you mean, 'huh'…"
Lynelle moved her head, nudging the softness of March 7th's chest. "Hurry up and get off! Anyone would think the three of us were playing a stacking game!"
"You're… not wrong…"
Stelle's strained voice came from the very bottom. "But I think… you guys… need to go on a diet…"
"…Maybe we should keep pressing down on Stelle a bit longer?"
"I agree."
"Alright, alright, enough messing around."
Dan Heng frowned slightly, gazing out the window. "It seems we've run into trouble."
"Passenger Dan Heng is correct."
Pom-Pom came pattering over just then. "Just now, the train suddenly entered a strange obstructive zone, which caused the emergency stop you all felt."
"And the worse news is, since there are other ships in this obstructive zone too, we've ended up in a collision."
"Uh…"
Stelle silently pulled out her terminal. "Do we need to call the space cops?"
"First, you'd have to make sure they could get here."
Dan Heng spread his hands. "After the collision, two passengers came aboard our train. But… well, it's hard to describe their situation."
"What do you mean, 'hard to describe'?"
March 7th asked curiously.
"…You'd better see for yourselves."
As Dan Heng stepped aside, the trio's eyes fell upon the rear of the parlor car. There, a tall, red-haired man in ornate knight's armor was… directing praises toward the Express's potted plant.
"Shining cosmos, the anomalous state of its other side, blooming like brilliant pigments… You, are truly beautiful."
"A lady?"
But just as March 7th started to approach with Lynelle and Stelle, the tall knight seemed to sense them and turned, performing a formal bow toward March.
"Allow me to offer my sincere praise. You are like a flower in a winter snowfield. Oh? And here is yet another beautiful being, and this one—a lovely maiden pure as a pink tulip… A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"I have yet to introduce myself—I am Argenti, hailing from…"
"From the Knights of Beauty?"
Lynelle tilted her head curiously, then devoutly placed a hand over her heart. "The Aeon of Beauty Idrila's grace is unparalleled throughout the world."
"!"
March 7th swore it was the first time she'd visually understood what it meant for someone's "eyes to light up."
As if Lynelle had uttered some magical phrase, Argenti's expression instantly turned toward her like he'd found a kindred spirit.
"The Aeon of Beauty Idrila's grace is unparalleled throughout the world!"
"Madam, could it be that you, too, are a believer in the great Idrila? Might I inquire as to her honored titles?"
"Ah, I wouldn't go so far as 'believer'… but I do know a thing or two about your Knights of Beauty."
Even though she was prepared, Lynelle was nearly startled by Argenti's sudden intensity and quickly replied.
"My name is Lynelle, this little gray-haired one is Stelle, and the pink-haired one is March 7th… By the way, if you're asking for my view on Beauty, my answer is: even though Idrila's whereabouts are unknown now, I believe Beauty still exists in everyone's hearts."
"Yes, that understanding is not incorrect."
Argenti nodded eagerly. "I boarded the Express presumptuously, originally to cooperate with everyone to overcome this difficulty."
"But to meet a lady like Miss Lynelle, who still believes in Beauty—it truly brings me immense joy."
"Might I ask, Miss Lynelle, if you wish to embark upon…"
"Hold on, hold on!"
Lynelle hurriedly cut off that dangerous topic. "I've already got enough complicated fates tangled up in me—if I add any more, it'll be unbearable…"
"Is that so? What a pity… But rest assured, even so, I shall protect you from the remnants of Propagation."
"Hm?"
Welt immediately perked up nearby.
"Remnants of Propagation? What does that mean?"
"Well… it's difficult to explain in a short time, but to put it in plainer terms…"
Argenti glanced toward the passenger cabins behind him. "Right now… the Express is likely harboring quite a few bugs."
--+--
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.