"Finally out of that damned place…"
Everyone aboard the Astral Express let out a collective sigh of relief at the sight of their original destination, Washtopia, ahead.
After all, their earlier escape from the Swarm hadn't been exactly smooth sailing.
Perhaps because Lynelle had captured the leader of these True Stings, when the giant True Sting saw its boss beaten down by her, it actually launched itself straight toward the Express's warp trajectory.
Luckily, Lynelle reacted quickly and warped the entire train another distance away, buying Pom enough time to accelerate the engines.
Otherwise, they might've ended up as another snack for that colossal bug.
"Haaah… I don't even feel like moving a muscle…"
Lynelle, completely drained and limp, was buried in Stelle's lap, her voice soft and muffled.
"Passenger Lynelle really saved the day this time. Well then, since it's getting late…" Pom-Pom checked the time.
"Everyone, get some rest. We'll stay on Washtopia overnight and head to Herta Space Station tomorrow."
"Alrighty!"
"Oh, and one more thing…"
Seeing everyone about to disperse, Pom quickly added, "If you'd like, you can spend the night at one of Washtopia's hotels and experience the unique environment here. Especially passengers Stelle and Lynelle, since it's your first time—don't miss this chance, Pom!"
"Well, that sounds good," Himeko thought for a moment.
"How about you join us too, little March? I need to renew my subscription on Washtopia anyway, so I can show you around."
"I'll stay on the Express for now. What about you, Dan Heng?"
"Same. While you're all off the train, Mr. Yang and I plan to inspect the interior thoroughly, just in case any insect eggs remain."
A few streams of water coalesced around Dan Heng's fingertips—looked like his expertise was perfectly suited for the task.
"Alright, it's settled then, Pom! Passenger Lynelle, you used the most energy today, so make sure to get plenty of rest, Pom!"
Pom-Pom waved their short little arms, calling out to the group disembarking.
But… would Lynelle really be able to rest properly?
"...I mean, really."
Lynelle couldn't help but chuckle at the pink-haired head peeking over the side of her bed.
"Stelle's sleeping right next door, you know. If you're not careful, you'll wake her up."
"I'll keep it down…" March pointed toward Lynelle's door. "I even took my shoes off to sneak in quietly!"
"Alright, alright…" Lynelle sighed helplessly and shifted over, making a small space beside her.
Due to Washtopia's tourist volume, Himeko hadn't been able to book a double room for her and Stelle. So all four of them got single rooms, though Stelle's was right next to Lynelle's.
"Hehe… I just couldn't help it."
March scratched her head sheepishly, then nimbly slipped under the covers beside Lynelle.
"So, out with it. What's got our usually carefree little March so worked up that she can't sleep and has to sneak into my room in the middle of the night?"
"What else could it be? It's about what happened earlier." March gestured animatedly.
"After we got back, I just couldn't fall asleep, so I started thinking about when I saw that other 'me.' And I realized… I don't think it was an illusion from the True Stings."
"Or maybe I did inhale some of their wing dust later, but that vision of the other me… she definitely appeared before I was affected!"
"I was in the passenger car the whole time before that. Illusions take time to set in—how could I start hallucinating the moment I stepped through the door?"
"Heh…" Lynelle reached out and pinched March's cheek. "Looks like this whole thing really got to our little March, huh… You're even starting to use your brain."
"Hmph, what do you mean 'starting to'? I've always been smart!" March sniffed. "It's just that with you guys around to do the thinking, I usually don't bother."
"Fine, fine…" Lynelle sighed. "But you're actually right—that wasn't an illusion from the True Stings."
"You know, March, when I use my Herrscher authority to shift into a data state, my life form is pretty unique. My perception doesn't rely on traditional senses like sight, but on electrical signals and mental awareness."
"So, if she were really an illusion created by the True Stings, I wouldn't have been able to see her at all, since I don't have a physical body to inhale wing dust in the first place—that'd be as ridiculous as saying a virtual avatar can catch a cold."
"Eh? S-so it was real after all…"
Lynelle immediately felt the soft figure pressed against her tremble slightly, then burrow deeper into her arms.
"Then, could she…?"
"Relax, I know what you're worried about." Lynelle patted March's head. "Probably not."
"The reason's simple: after the whole Jarilo-VI incident, I ran multiple mental checkups on you guys to make sure there were no lingering effects from the Stellaron. But your results always came back normal."
"Like I said before, I'm very familiar with cases involving multiple personalities—I could list seven or eight different scenarios for you. So, do you know what your situation most likely means?"
"What… does it mean?"
"It means she's probably not hostile toward you, and back then, she was actively avoiding my detection."
Lynelle smiled. "Because to evade my mental probes, the first requirement is having an extremely high degree of control over your own body, plus a place inside to hide."
"And if this presence had any ill intent toward you, with that level of control, she could've done whatever she wanted to you long ago."
"So, the other personality inside you either needs something from you, or she's the type that's completely infatuated with herself—a real narcissist."
"Wha—?!"
March's face flushed bright red. "N-narcissist? R-really…?"
"More than whether it's true or not, I'm surprised our little March actually understood that term." Lynelle looked at her with a teasing glint.
"Ah… how they grow up… secretly reading all sorts of questionable things now."
"Hey, why do you sound like some old mother hen!"
After grumbling a little, March soon let out a soft sigh. "So… I shouldn't worry about it for now, right? Just let time pass, and the truth will come out eventually?"
"Exactly. Look on the bright side—maybe your other half is just lonely and wants to talk to you."
Lynelle grinned. "Thinking of it that way, doesn't she sound kinda cute?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it…" A goofy smile returned to March's face. "Hehe… I feel so much better after talking with you, Lynelle."
"Well then, I'll head back to sleee…"
But the previously energetic March 7th, who had just sat up to leave, suddenly sounded extremely drowsy.
In the span of a single sentence, she had already closed her eyes while sitting up and drifted off to sleep.
And then…
A pair of crimson eyes snapped open in the pitch-black room.
--+--
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.