"I think you've been tormented into madness."
Pela said speechlessly:
"Anyway, I called you here because there's definitely something good!"
"Your expression is off—I feel like this might not actually be anything good."
"Can't there just be a little more trust between people?" Pela frowned.
"Then can you stop smiling like that?"
"…"
"Ahem." Pela cleared her throat and said seriously:
"Anyway, it's really great to see you again. How have you been lately?"
Hearing Pela's overly familiar tone, Zeig became even more wary:
"Something's wrong. You're trying to distract me with chit-chat to lower my guard—you've got an ulterior motive!"
Pela said helplessly:
"Wow, you're going too far. When have I ever screwed you over? Do you really need to be this cautious?"
A certain someone smiled faintly:
"Heh, if it really wasn't anything troublesome, you'd have dragged me away already! Why would you stand here at the men's restroom entrance gossiping about their drama with me? You've definitely got something up your sleeve!"
"Damn it, you saw right through me!"
Pela grudgingly admitted:
"Anyway, just hear me out first—whether you do it or not is up to you!"
A certain someone also raised his hand:
"Anyway, free labor is off the table! As a member of the Astral Express, saving planets and stuff without expecting anything in return can be brushed off with the 'Trailblaze spirit' excuse. But now the Stellaron's sealed—this is a private job! Absolutely no free work, don't try to feed me big promises!"
"How could I possibly feed you a big promise?!"
Pela put her hands on her hips and said sternly:
"At the very least, we're all people with some reputation. If I did that, how could I ever show my face in Belobog again?"
"Ha, reputation? I know someone with a lot of face—she built a space station entirely with other people's money!"
"Ah? That's some thick skin."
…
Under Pela's lead, a certain someone arrived at a fountain in the Administrative District plaza.
She looked ahead and said to Zeig:
"Do you remember this place? Back when you tricked Bronya into buying you that Furong Wang, I came with her. You were sitting on that bench to the left."
A certain someone nodded:
"Of course I remember. But why bring me to the fountain? You gonna make me fish coins out of the pool?"
"As if I have that kind of free time. Besides, how much are those coins even worth? I'm taking you to play for big stakes!"
"Big stakes?"
"See that building over there?"
Pela led Zeig and pointed to the massive structure behind the fountain, explaining:
"This is Belobog's History and Culture Museum. From the day it was built until now, at least six hundred years have passed."
A certain someone looked up and examined the grand building: "So isn't the museum itself basically an artifact at this point?"
Pela nodded:
"You could say that. When you all first came here, it just so happened to be undergoing the once-every-ten-years renovation. The museum wasn't open to visitors, so you probably didn't know much about it."
"After the Stellaron was sealed, everything got back on track, so we've been pouring more manpower and resources into accelerating the renovations. Now the museum will be reopening soon."
Listening to Pela's explanation, a certain someone couldn't help narrowing his eyes.
Museum? Reopening? Calling him here? Something good?
"…"
He combined those keywords together, suddenly feeling like a detective who had seen through everything.
His gaze sharpened.
He spoke directly:
"Spit it out—what artifact got stolen!"
In dramas, whenever a museum or exhibition is involved, if nothing valuable gets stolen, it just doesn't make sense!
"…"
That single sentence instantly silenced Pela.
She narrowed her eyes:
"You think this is a game or a TV show? Mention a museum and something has to get stolen?"
"Hm?"
Pela's reaction actually made Zeig a little unsure.
He probed:
"So… nothing got stolen?"
"…It did get stolen!"
"…"
…
Under Pela's guidance, Zeig entered the museum.
Only after stepping through the main doors did he realize just how majestic and grand the place was.
The air itself carried the heavy scent of history.
"Is there formaldehyde in this air?" a certain someone couldn't help covering his nose.
"You're still worried about that? Anyway, by the time the museum opens, you definitely won't smell it anymore!"
"You're really good to me."
"…Of course."
Zeig passed by exhibit after exhibit and noticed there were hardly any items on display—only a few scattered on the walls or in corners.
"This whole museum got robbed clean."
Pela walked ahead while answering:
"Not exactly. Some got stolen, some got damaged, some just aren't ready yet."
A certain someone's eyes widened:
"Then why even open it?"
Nothing was prepared!
"Don't you think the walls and floors look brand new?" Pela said proudly:
"As you can see, after nearly a hundred days of renovation, the entire museum has been completely refreshed!"
"So you're just gonna let people come look at walls and floors?"
"Aren't there already some exhibits up? You can't just nitpick and ignore the good parts."
"Then the good parts are way too few."
"How so? Look over there—from famous paintings to Geomarrow samples, it's enough for someone to grasp the essence of Belobog's culture in just a few minutes!"
"Yeah, any more minutes and they probably couldn't scrape together anything else."
"Don't rush. When it officially opens, it'll definitely be different from now."
Pela continued wistfully:
"If possible, I really hope we can open the museum right away—especially for the kids in the Underworld. They desperately need an environment where they can absorb some culture!"
She led Zeig to a glass display case and finally stopped.
"Look at this. Any thoughts?"
Following Pela's gesture, a certain someone looked at the glass case and exclaimed in amazement:
"Whoa~ The invisible encryption tech on this artifact is truly masterful—even I can't see it!"
"Cut the crap. I know you're being sarcastic."
Pela explained:
"What used to be displayed here was the 'Meteor Fragment.' Among all the exhibits, it has the longest history and can be said to carry the most extraordinary significance!"
"Legend has it that seven hundred years ago, an extraterrestrial legion descended on this planet alongside a meteor shower. That fragment is ironclad proof of the invaders who once ravaged this land!"
A certain someone said in shock:
"Holy crap—the single most significant item got stolen? Then why even bother opening?!"
Pela nodded:
"Yeah."
She silently stared into Zeig's eyes, smiling.
"…?"
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Pela kept smiling.
"…"
"Damn it!"
"Why are you still looking at me? Go catch Sampo already!" a certain someone shouted:
"No matter what got lost, just catch Sampo! What are you standing around for? Hurry! Run! If you're too late, you won't catch him!"
…