"…Are you sure you don't want to wait for the company's reinforcements? The current situation has already far exceeded our original plan."
"No, there's no need to wait." Aventurine shook his head. A faint trace of bitterness flashed in his beautiful eyes.
Request reinforcements? What use would that be? Only three people were currently involved in this plan. He had heard that Jade was planning to bring Opal into the game as well, but even so, what difference would it make?
"On this tiny Penacony, including the Family, there are at least six Emanator-level powerhouses gathered here. By my estimate, some of their strengths are so great that even the Preservation Emanator 'Diamond' himself would find it difficult to contend against them if he personally took action."
"In other words, reinforcements are no longer important. Even if the entire 'Ten Stonehearts' assembled, we probably wouldn't gain any advantage in this game. The cost far outweighs the returns—this is a very unprofitable deal."
Upon hearing Aventurine's words, Dr. Ratio fell silent. Only after a long while did he speak.
"Heh, those are truly the standard words of a capitalist. However, you are right. The company is indeed no longer suitable to continue raising the stakes in Penacony's game."
When the Strategic Investment Department was first established, the Preservation Emanator 'Diamond' promised to split the Emanator authority 'into ten parts' and grant them to the 'Ten Stonehearts' in the form of cornerstones.
In other words, if the 'Ten Stonehearts' worked together with one heart, they could display Emanator-level power. But… six Emanator-level figures. Even if all 'Ten Stonehearts' were present, they would still be willing but powerless.
...
"Himeko, we're back!"
Inside the Dreamjolt Hotel, the Astral Express crew's quarters.
The lively March 7th sprinted all the way, dashing through the long corridor and arriving at the crew's room.
'Bang—!'
The rough sound of the door opening startled Himeko so much that the coffee she had just brewed had no chance to be tasted before it made intimate contact with the floor first.
Looking at the coffee spilled all over the ground and the shattered white porcelain pieces, Miss Himeko sighed helplessly, then said to March 7th:
"March, how many times have I told you? Don't be so rash when doing things. Why don't you ever listen?"
Himeko felt extremely tired right now. Originally, only March 7th was the mischievous one in the crew, and she hadn't minded it too much. Young people should have some youthful vigor; as long as they didn't make any principled mistakes, it was acceptable.
But now it was different. There were now two more troublesome guys—Asta and Yun Fan.
The former was a problem child who liked rummaging through trash bins, while the latter was an even bigger headache. These past few days, as the navigator, Himeko felt utterly exhausted.
"Ah? Haha… sorry, sorry, Himeko! I didn't mean to. I'll be careful next time, I'll be careful!"
Hearing this, March 7th scratched her head in embarrassment, then put her hands together, stuck out her tongue at Himeko, and acted cute.
"Sigh, forget it. Just don't do it again. But you came back in such a hurry—what happened?"
Himeko sighed and looked at the pink-haired girl in front of her, asking curiously.
"Oh right, Himeko, I brought a guest back!"
"A guest?" Himeko looked curiously toward the door. In the corridor outside, a blue-haired young man dressed like a bellhop had appeared in front of Stelle at some point. At this moment, he was smiling at her.
"Who is this?"
"Hello, Miss Himeko."
Before March 7th and Stelle could answer, Misha performed the etiquette of a Nameless, then introduced himself.
"My name is Misha. Nice to meet you. Of course, you can also call me by my other name—Mikhail."
"You are Mikhail?!"
Himeko's eyes widened, her fiery red pupils filled with disbelief.
According to Pom-Pom, the mechanic Mikhail had already left the Astral Express decades ago.
Mikhail was not a long-lived species. By age, he should at least be an elderly man in his twilight years by now. Yet the person before her was clearly a young man. Could it be that he had used the same rejuvenation method as Herta?
Seeing Himeko's expression, Misha understood her confusion. He proactively explained:
"My situation is very special. Strictly speaking, Mikhail has already died. I am a microcosm of Mikhail's entire life. Misha is Mikhail's starting point, the beginning of his dream."
"So that's how it is… Mikhail, he has already passed away…"
Hearing this, Himeko fell silent. Although she had considered the possibility that Mikhail was dead, when the fact was truly placed before her, she still found it somewhat hard to accept.
Indeed, Himeko and Mikhail had no personal connection. Her understanding of him was limited to paper records and two-dimensional photos. However, he was a Nameless—one of their predecessors.
Every Nameless who walks the path of Trailblaze deserves to be remembered and respected.
"Mikha… no, Misha, your current state…"
Gazing at the blue-haired youth before her, a fluctuation of Path power flashed in Himeko's pupils.
Under the blessing of the Erudition Path, she could clearly see that Misha was not in a conventional human state, but rather something similar to a 'Memetic Entity' from the Memory Domain.
"This is a long story. Let me start with Mikhail's identity."
Misha gave Himeko a meaningful look. She understood, nodded slightly, and then mobilized the Path power within her body to create a temporary soundproof barrier.
"Everyone, the invitation letter that attracted you all to Penacony was Mikhail's masterpiece."
"Hmm, I had already thought of that." Himeko nodded.
"As the carrier of the other melody in the music box invitation, after combining with the spatial curvature of the train's engine, we successfully deciphered its contents. At that time, I had guessed that the sender of the invitation would be a Nameless. Now it seems that is indeed the case."
At this point, Himeko raised her head and gave Misha a thoughtful look.
"Misha, if I'm not mistaken, Mikhail… he should be the renowned 'Watchmaker,' right?"
— — — —