Black Swan had been watching Kallen for a long time.
But tonight would be her last invitation.
A singer of Preservation?
No.
Black Swan had made a fatal mistake.
Everyone had a past, but some people's pasts were a soundless deep sea, filled with the corpses of Nihility.
Kallen remained where she was, still holding the posture from the end of the dance.
She watched Black Swan's back pass through the dance floor and disappear through the half-open door.
The brim of the woman's hat lightly knocked against the frame, as if its owner no longer had the luxury to care about elegance.
Only then did Kallen lower her hand and rub the back of her head.
"She ran pretty fast."
She turned and went back to her booth, sinking once more into the cushions and casually picking up the now-warm glass of SoulGlad.
As expected of Miss "Makes Her Move." She had actually managed to trace her through the scattered traces of Nihility Kallen had left throughout the dreamscape.
But unfortunately, even though Black Swan had not chosen Acheron as her target this time, the result had not changed.
"Still, it's not really a big deal."
Kallen leaned back again and crossed her legs.
Now that even the feather-plucking incident had happened, the plot had probably started moving.
Maybe it was time for her to go back to reality and take a look.
Very soon, Kallen returned to the real White Night Dream Hotel.
As time moved forward and the Charmony Festival drew nearer, the lobby had grown much more crowded.
Family staff moved busily through the hall, carrying trays, guiding guests, handling endless bits of trivial business.
But Kallen's eyes did not land on them.
Her gaze fixed on the front desk, where four figures she knew all too well were standing.
The Nameless of the Astral Express.
Looks like they had finally arrived.
At the moment, though, they seemed to have run into a bit of trouble.
A female receptionist was apologizing to the group led by Welt and Himeko.
"I'm terribly sorry, but there really isn't a reservation under that name in the system…"
Himeko immediately replied, "But the message sent to the Astral Express clearly stated that rooms had already been reserved for us. Could you please check again?"
To the receptionist's credit, she was sensible enough. "In that case, I'll check one more time for you. Please wait a moment…"
A moment later, after searching again, she turned back.
"The Astral Express has four platinum suites reserved. Respectively for Mr. Welt Yang, Ms. Himeko, Ms. March 7th, and… Mr. Dan Heng."
"There are indeed only reservations for those four."
At that point, veteran that he was, Welt seemed to realize the problem.
"…Dan Heng. I understand now. No wonder there's no reservation under Stelle's name. When we replied to the Family, she hadn't boarded the train yet."
Himeko immediately stepped in to help. "Could this work? Dan Heng's itinerary changed at the last minute, so he won't be staying with us. Could you transfer his room to this child instead? The number of guests still matches."
"This child is a new passenger of the Astral Express. We can vouch for her identity."
But the receptionist still looked troubled.
"Well… even if you say that so suddenly, I'm afraid…"
Kallen did not keep listening.
At this point, the flow of the story was obvious enough.
Next would probably be the Express running out of options, Aventurine stepping in, and then him selling them a favor.
But this farce ended here.
Now that Lady Kallen herself had arrived, she naturally had to stir the pot a little.
Ever since inheriting Trailblaze's legacy, there was no way Kallen would let the Astral Express slip through her fingers during this Penacony trip.
"Hold it. I can vouch for them!"
With that, Kallen leapt down and appeared right in front of everyone.
Then she straightened up, lightly smoothed her skirt, and turned to face the stunned Astral Express crew and Aventurine.
Clearly, everyone had been caught off guard by the sudden arrival of this girl dropping from the sky.
The lobby fell silent for about two seconds.
Aventurine was the first to recover.
He had already stepped forward, ready to solve this little dispute with his usual brand of negotiation, but now his foot hung awkwardly in midair before he withdrew it.
"This young lady… may I ask who you are?" Himeko asked first.
Even if this kind-hearted girl wanted to vouch for them, they at least needed to know who she was.
Kallen immediately launched into a self-introduction.
"My name is Kallen. Kallen Kaslana. I'm a nominal singer from the Iris Family."
"Kallen Kaslana?!" Welt snapped into full alert in an instant.
The moment he saw her, he had already felt her features resembled certain Kaslanas.
But now that she had introduced herself, it clicked immediately.
Wasn't this the Saint of Schicksal from five hundred years ago—Kallen Kaslana herself?
This was the woman Otto had spent his entire life obsessing over.
He had never imagined that even she would have a counterpart in this world.
"Oh?" Kallen glanced at Welt. "Mr. Welt, do you know me?"
But whether it was the Kallen before him or the Kallen from his own world, Welt had never been familiar with either.
As for whether he had any issue with Kallen?
Welt did not.
The one he hated was Otto. He had never had anything against the Saint of five hundred years ago.
"My apologies. You just resemble an old acquaintance of mine."
Hearing that, Kallen could not resist taking a jab at him.
"Mr. Yang, you know that kind of pickup line is incredibly outdated, right?"
"A p-pickup line?!"
Welt's expression instantly turned wonderfully complicated.
He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but Kallen had already looked away, apparently unconcerned with the matter.
"Oh wow, Uncle Yang got accused of flirting," March 7th whispered gleefully to the side, clearly delighted by the unexpected development.
Stelle kept a straight face, though the corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly.
"No, I…" Welt pushed up his glasses, trying to regain some composure. "Miss Kallen, you misunderstood. What I meant was…"
"I know. I was joking." Kallen waved a hand, completely unconcerned.
"I mean, with a face as pretty as mine, it's normal for people to mistake me for someone they know."
Welt: "..."
"Ahem." Himeko coughed lightly, steering the conversation back on track.
"Miss Kallen, thank you for being willing to vouch for us. But I'd like to confirm something first—your relationship with the Family…"
"Nominal." Kallen answered crisply.
"My singing is average, my dancing is average, and I guess I look alright. The Family probably keeps me around to make up the numbers."
That self-deprecating introduction left everyone silent for another two seconds.
Wait a second—so you're not even someone important? Then what exactly are you using as collateral here?!
At that moment, Aventurine stepped in again.
The foot he had withdrawn earlier now came forward once more, his polished shoe striking the marble floor with a sharp, clear tap.
"Miss, forgive my bluntness."
"You say you're an Iris Family singer—nominal, at that. Average at singing, average at dancing…"
"Then may I ask, on what grounds are you qualified to vouch for the Astral Express?"
His directness instantly tightened the atmosphere.
Himeko and Welt both frowned.
No matter what, this girl had acted in their defense. Her behavior might be a little chaotic, but she had unquestionably left a good impression on the crew.
Still, they could not refute Aventurine's point.
Because a nominal singer of no standing within the Family really should not have the authority to guarantee anything.
"Mr. Aventurine," Himeko said first.
"This Miss Kallen means well. If there's really a problem with the procedures, we can think of another solution."
"Ms. Himeko, you misunderstand." Aventurine turned toward her with an apologetic smile.
"I'm not questioning her intentions. It's just…"
He spread his hands in a gesture of reasonable helplessness.
"The Family has the Family's rules, and the IPC has company procedures. If the system shows that Miss Kallen lacks the credentials to vouch for guests, then naturally the front desk cannot process it, can they?"
His gaze returned to Kallen, carrying an unmistakable trace of scrutiny.
"Unless…"
"Unless what?" Kallen's interest was piqued.
Aventurine did not answer immediately.
Instead, he pulled a chip from his pocket, spun it once between his fingers, and pressed it lightly onto the front desk.
"Unless you can prove that you really do carry that kind of weight."
The chip landed softly, but the sound was enough to draw the attention of nearby guests.
Some looked curious. Some were simply enjoying the show. A few Family staff glanced uneasily at one another, uncertain how to deal with this sudden deadlock.
Kallen lowered her eyes to the chip, then lifted them back to Aventurine.
Not bad. Aventurine really did have a couple tricks after all.
To others, it might have looked like he was provoking her.
But Kallen saw it clearly.
He was testing her.
That made sense. In Aventurine's eyes, someone who dared swagger over and openly offer to guarantee rooms for the Astral Express could not possibly be some reckless nobody.
To many people, his reaction might have seemed like an overreaction.
But Aventurine had always trusted his luck.
"Mr. Aventurine, was it?" Kallen said at last.
"One of the Ten Stonehearts of the IPC. A senior executive of the Strategic Investment Department."
"It seems Miss Kallen has done her homework on the IPC's structure."
"Not really. I just did a little research before coming to Penacony." Kallen lightly tapped the chip with one finger.
"When you come to a place like this, it pays to be a little careful. Don't you think?"
She pushed the chip back toward him.
"But what you said just now… proving that I carry enough weight?"
So basically he wanted her to prove her DPS.
1111, today the author has once again received a task from his teacher!
Promoting another original novel. Interested readers can take a look.
Synopsis:
On September 1st, you are an evil wizard. You need a human sacrifice, and just then a girl named Lin Xiaoruo enters your sight. You decide to make your move one month later…
On October 23rd, you are a cultist. You want to murder your cousin, and you've prepared everything perfectly, while your cousin is completely unaware. Unfortunately for you, she has a close friend named Lin Xiaoruo. Fine—then they'll die together…
On /, you are the leader of a cult. Your grand evil plan is on the verge of success. The only thing standing in your way is an ordinary girl. You ask her to state her name before she dies, and while muttering "Seriously, does this ever end…?" she replies that her name is Lin Xiaoruo.
Hell-Level Dungeon? Watch Me Turn It Around!
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 178)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 150)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League ( 126 )
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter110)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter190)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter105)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter225)
Can Playing Games Save the World? 65
Crossover Anime Multiverse: The Demon Hunter of an Unnatural World 77
From Junkman to Wasteland 66
Weekly Refresh of Overpowered 31
I'm Grinding Proficiency Like 46
From Kiana, Lord Ravager, Onwa 195
Honkai: Is This Still the Prev 42
Elf: My Starter Pokémon Is Inc 65
Warhammer: My Primarch Is Remi 170
From Demon Slayer to Grand Ass Volume2/5
The Way the Umamusume Look at 68
Uma Musume, but My Cheat Power 225
Naruto: Weaving the Future, Be 65
Zenless Zone Zero, but Kamen R 76
Multiverse Crossover: The Perf 66
My Cyberpsycho Girlfriend 65
Uma Musume: The Dark Trainer 210
Uma Musume: A Calamity Born fr 154
I, a Reincarnation-Loop Player Volume4/30
The Violent Girl Group Is Beat 115
Uma Musume: The Horse Girl Who 67
Uma Musume: From Beginner 130
Becoming a Horse Girl, I Will 85
Uma Musume: I Want All 105
I Can Copy Unique Skills 100
Summoning an Evil God, but the 70
Supernatural Multiverse 90
My Harem Is Indescribable 85
Jujutsu Kaisen: Heroic Spirit 90
"I'm just a Valkyrie passing through." 68
Uma Musume: Today Is Another Romantic Battlefield 100
Still playing traditional Honk 69
The Most Filial Son Under Heav 75
What Should I Do After Switchi - Volume2/3
Reincarnated as a Demon, Skill 60
Hell-Difficulty Dungeon? 55
Transmigrated as Sukuna 71
Checking In in Demon Slayer 75
The Reincarnating Trainer of Tracen Academy 80
I Refuse to Become a Heroic 66
My Best Friend Into a Slime? 58
A Saiyan Stands Above Marvel 65
What Do You Mean by Using a Lab Mod to Be the Hero? 63
Tanya Starts from Re:Zero 59
Why did they assign me to Uma 55
MYGO Beauties 56
DanMachi: Emiya the Giant Hero 45
The Gacha Merchant Who Started 49
Honkai's Otherworld? Wait—Who Are You People?! 36
Emiya Shirou, Determined to Slay Every Curse and Evil Spirit 35
The Uma Musume Who Became 30
I'm Definitely Not the King of 35
After Maxing Out Every Class 35
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin
My patreon : patreon.com/queen_sin