Nero's answer was obviously both amusing and exasperating, but the details in it still fit together with everyone's guesses.
It could only be said that, perhaps in that child's eyes, it really was seafood...
After that, everyone described what they had seen and experienced after entering the dream. Only then did they realize that they had all seen the exact same scenes when they entered.
Beyond that magnificent dreamscape beneath the sea was a room, and then, through a mirror, they arrived at a corridor called the "Hallway of Thoughts"...
Looking back on it now, the scenery there was completely different from the Penacony in their dreams... yet it matched Black Swan's description of the dream perfectly.
Once everyone realized this unusual detail, Black Swan directly gave the answer.
"Penacony's sweet dream is falling silent, returning to what it originally was... sinking into the deep sea (the Memory Zone)."
March widened her eyes at Black Swan, finding the conclusion hard to believe.
"Falling silent? You mean... the dream world is falling apart?"
Black Swan nodded.
"What happened at the dream hotel was the warning."
"...I see. That explains the strange feeling in the Family's words." Mr. Yang seemed to have figured something out.
"If this news were to become known outside, regardless of whether the guests are actually safe, the reputation of the Planet of Festivities would inevitably suffer. The Charmony Festival is about to begin, so they have no choice but to keep this hidden."
Black Swan raised an eyebrow.
"As for the guests' safety, perhaps even that can't be guaranteed... The monster those two little ones encountered in the Memory Zone is the best proof."
"Even though that child drove it away, that doesn't change the fact that it's a devastating threat to ordinary people."
"It was a Memory Zone Meme... How could a meme symbolizing death and murder appear in a dream the Family claims is absolutely safe...? In Penacony, anyone could be lying. Perhaps that includes the Family itself."
Himeko nodded and looked at Black Swan.
"Miss Black Swan, we now have a full understanding of the current situation. Returning to your original proposal..."
Himeko's expression became serious as she looked at Black Swan.
"May I ask why the Garden of Recollection has chosen to cooperate with the Astral Express?"
Black Swan remained as calm as ever.
"Allow me to correct that... This is my personal request. It does not represent the Garden. And the answer is very simple, Miss Himeko. I merely wish to make an exchange... an exchange concerning memories."
The Memokeeper, whose every inch carried an air of mystery, smiled gently, like a collector about to show treasured pieces to a friend. No matter what others thought, she wanted to explain what these collections truly meant to her.
"Beyond judgment, I also have some... personal aesthetic pursuits. I am a Memokeeper and also a collector. I wish to witness those crystal-clear, dazzling, precious memories. That's easy enough to understand, isn't it?"
"And you, the Nameless of the Astral Express, followers of the Trailblaze... I believe in your potential, and I believe you will shine with a brilliance unlike any other upon this stage."
"That is why I want to be friends with all of you. The place where nightmares and sweet dreams meet... there could be no more suitable cradle for memories."
"...I understand," Himeko said. "But before giving you an answer, we still need to discuss it among ourselves."
"Of course. Please, take your time," Black Swan said.
After that came the Astral Express crew's discussion.
Himeko did not completely trust Black Swan. She only said that her words could not be fully believed, and that quite a bit of them seemed deliberately misleading.
At the same time, Himeko expressed some of her concerns. The changes in Penacony's dreamscape did indeed exist, but those changes had not formed naturally. Someone, or some force, was secretly driving them from behind...
This Charmony Festival had invited many different factions, and Himeko had already noticed something strange about the invitation beforehand.
If this was also part of that person's plan behind the scenes... then what exactly was their goal?
Regarding this, Mr. Yang made a simple deduction. The matter was probably related to the Watchmaker's invitation.
Someone intended to bring in outside forces and take the opportunity to shake the Family's control over Penacony. Or perhaps the Family, in order to protect itself, had secretly been forced to seek outside help.
Based on the current information, Mr. Yang believed the former was more likely.
Nero stood to one side, listening to the two parental figures of the Astral Express discussing things. His feelings were hard to describe.
Back when he was playing the game, he had happily gone traveling, only for it to somehow turn into a game of Werewolf.
Now that he had come to the Honkai: Star Rail universe, he had once again happily come on vacation, only for it to become a detective game instead.
Couldn't there be someone who, like the Astral Express crew, had really come to Penacony simply to relax and enjoy a vacation?
But that also reminded Nero of something else.
That monster they had encountered in the strange dream... seemed to be Something Unto Death.
He remembered that near the end of this main story, that thing struck Firefly once, and it was said to have killed her.
However...
Nero slowly frowned.
Before crossing over, the later version hadn't been released yet, so naturally he didn't know what happened afterward or how the story continued.
But near the end of that storyline, it seemed like there was a fight with Sam.
After arriving in the Honkai: Star Rail universe, however, he had already discovered an astonishing fact because of certain events.
'Firefly is Sam!'
If Firefly had really been killed by Something Unto Death, then what was going on with Sam afterward?
And there was also Robin... At the end of her story, it seemed that someone had stabbed her.
That left Nero conflicted. To figure out what was going on, he felt he should discuss it with Argenti later.
Once they found out which dream room Robin had entered, he would have Argenti keep an eye on it.
Although he didn't know who had attacked Robin, he had great confidence in Argenti's strength. As long as they didn't just happen to miss each other, no one should be able to hurt Robin in front of Argenti.
As for himself, he would follow Stelle for now and see what was going on with Firefly.
The speculation about Penacony left March a little unhappy. After all, she had come here to have fun. At the same time, she was worried, because if their guesses were correct, this would affect a great many people.
Mr. Yang, meanwhile, stood to one side, looking thoughtfully at Argenti.
During his investigation, he had received this information... A tall man in silver armor was suspected to be an intruder.
However... based on his understanding of the Creed of Beauty, as well as what he had learned about Argenti after their brief acquaintance, he did not believe someone like Argenti, a knight devoted to Beauty, would become an intruder.
Unless it was absolutely necessary to save certain people, he believed a Knight of Beauty would never do something that violated his own creed.
Moreover, while questioning some members of the Bloodhounds, he had learned another piece of information.
Not long ago, the reorganized Knights of Beauty had arrived on Penacony.
This was also confirmed by the library he had visited, where other Knights of Beauty had appeared and caused quite a stir.
However, after confirming that this lead was no longer useful, Mr. Yang still had another clue. The dependable adult man quickly showed it to everyone present.
It was a message from Silver Wolf, a member of the Stellaron Hunters.
When Mr. Yang took out his phone and played the audio for everyone, the screen turned into a chibi Silver Wolf sticker because of her interference.
Looking at the face on the screen, Mr. Yang frowned but said nothing.
"Ahem. Can you hear me? Astral Express, long time no see. Having fun in Penacony?"
"That's... that little hacker girl!" March blinked as she heard the familiar voice.
"Let's get serious. I know all of you have been investigating the strange happenings in Penacony. Rather, we're very happy to see it. Because the deeper you investigate, the better your chances of uncovering the truth behind the sweet dream."
"The Family is hiding something, aren't they? We also have some firsthand information. Now, I've decided to generously share it with all of you. It's just a pity... your wonderful vacation is about to end."
"Enter this code into your dream pool, that device you use to enter dreams, and go take a look at the hidden map! I've already packed the location coordinates for you. Just one click to copy."
"And... I assume you've already heard about Sam. Look forward to meeting him. He's straightforward and likes fair fights. I'm sure you'll get along well with him. I hope none of you get overwhelmed by his enthusiasm!"
"Oh, and he asked me to pass along a message: In the unreachable dream, the play is about to begin. Good luck. Every faction is already making its move. Nameless, don't fall too far behind!"
"Those Stellaron Hunters... They've already laid plans in Penacony too. They really never leave us alone!"
After hearing Silver Wolf's message, March reacted with obvious hostility.
Mr. Yang, however, looked thoughtful. He knew a few things about the Stellaron Hunter Sam, and earlier Nero had even shown him a very detailed image. He had found the suit of armor quite interesting.
Come to think of it, Sam was also a tall figure in silver armor...
But then Mr. Yang realized something else.
That child Nero seemed to have quietly become very familiar with the Stellaron Hunters...
Not far away, Nero wore a complicated expression before letting out a long sigh.
It was nice to receive a message from a gaming buddy, but he didn't like the contents of the message very much. Then again, if this were really a game, Silver Wolf would probably have contacted him directly.
"What's wrong?" Argenti noticed Nero's sigh and asked with concern.
Nero shook his head.
"Nothing... It's just that I came here on vacation... Adventure is nice too, but shouldn't happen while you're on vacation, right?"
Argenti paused for a moment.
"You're right. But... neither the Knights nor the Astral Express seems to have clearly defined what work actually is. Perhaps it's a bit inaccurate to classify adventure itself as work?"
"Be quiet."
Nero puffed out his cheeks, lifted his foot, and kicked Argenti lightly on the shin.
"Come see me later. I have a mission for you."
Hearing that, Argenti instinctively straightened up, his eyes lighting up.
"I await your command."
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