Aventurine did not answer Kallen's question right away.
He first glanced at the chip she had pushed back toward him, then at Kallen herself, and suddenly smiled.
"Miss Kallen, you misunderstand. I'm not trying to make things difficult for you. But as you know, Penacony hasn't been very peaceful lately."
"The Family has been much stricter than usual in screening its guests. I'm merely asking one extra question on their behalf, that's all."
"Oh?" Kallen blinked. "And if I can't prove it?"
"Then I'll just have to be the good guy," Aventurine replied smoothly.
"After all, the Astral Express is an important guest of this Charmony Festival, and the IPC would also be more than happy to—"
"That won't be necessary."
Kallen cut him off.
She reached into her sleeve, took something out, and casually set it on the front desk.
It was a badge.
The insignia of the Oak Family's head—seeing it was as good as seeing Sunday himself.
If she produced that badge, then yes, it really would be enough to vouch for the Astral Express.
And yet, seeing this, Aventurine felt a flicker of disappointment.
He had been a little curious before, but in the end, was this Miss Kallen simply someone from the Oak Family?
To be honest, Aventurine was a little let down.
The receptionist, however, reacted immediately.
"So you're one of the Oak Family's honored members. My apologies for the earlier discourtesy. We'll process the Astral Express guests' check-in right away."
But Kallen clearly had no intention of stopping there.
With one casual motion, she tossed the badge Sunday had given her straight into the trash.
"…Miss Kallen, what exactly is the meaning of this?" Aventurine frowned.
"That was the head of the Oak Family's personal token. Don't you think it's a bit of a waste to throw it away like that?"
Kallen, however, could not have cared less.
"It's just a worthless badge. What's there to regret? I don't need to rely on that brat Sunday's face."
"How interesting." Aventurine slipped his hands into his pockets again, his posture relaxing.
"Then how exactly does Miss Kallen intend to prove the Astral Express guests' identities? As you've just seen, the Family has indeed tightened its inspections considerably."
Kallen answered without a moment's hesitation.
"I'm an Emanator. An Emanator of Preservation."
The atmosphere in the lobby instantly turned taut again.
"An Emanator of Preservation?" Aventurine's expression sharpened.
After all, when he had come to Penacony this time, he hadn't just been scheming against the Family—he had also come bearing a mission connected to an Emanator of Preservation.
"Miss Kallen, that is not the sort of joke one should make."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
Kallen spread her hands, and the aura of Preservation burst from her like a wave.
There was no mistaking it—an Emanator's cultivation.
And this time, she made no effort whatsoever to hide it.
Amber light spread outward from beneath her feet, instantly extending into every corner of the Reverie Hotel.
Everyone in the lobby froze in place.
And once again, Aventurine was the first to react.
Before coming to Penacony, his superiors had given him a special task.
In addition to carrying out the Penacony operation, he was to search the Asdana star system for a certain suspected female Emanator of Preservation who had supposedly appeared here a thousand years ago.
To be honest, when Aventurine had received that assignment, he had nearly gone numb.
It was absurd.
He was already more than busy enough with the Penacony affair as it was, and now they wanted him to search for an Emanator of Preservation who had appeared here only in some vague report from a millennium ago?
It was ridiculous.
Originally, Aventurine had treated it as something to do if convenient.
But from the looks of things now, had he just completed the mission the moment he arrived?
His superiors' intentions had been quite clear: this Emanator of Preservation was more important than Penacony itself.
It was only because even they understood how absurd the assignment sounded that they had not made it a hard requirement.
This was… wonderful.
"So that's how it is. I never imagined Miss Kallen would be an Emanator of Preservation. What a coincidence."
"Allow me to introduce myself properly once more. I am Aventurine—also one who walks the path of Preservation."
As he spoke, Aventurine extended a hand toward Kallen, while secretly tightening his grip on the Cornerstone in his pocket.
He wanted one final confirmation of the girl's identity.
The Cornerstones of the Ten Stonehearts were perfect for that.
His hand hovered in midair, his fingertips only inches from Kallen.
The Cornerstone in his pocket grew warm, as though something inside it had awakened.
That was the authority granted by the Amber Lord to the Stonehearts—the purest manifestation of Preservation's power in mortal hands.
Every time he used it, Aventurine could feel the heavy will of Qlipoth.
But now, that Cornerstone was trembling.
It had acknowledged the girl before him.
"Sorry, but there's no need for a handshake. I don't like people from the IPC."
Kallen's reply pulled him back to reality.
For an Emanator of Preservation to say publicly that she disliked the IPC—that was no small matter.
And that was precisely the persona Kallen had prepared for herself.
With the IPC's nature, once they learned there was an Emanator of Preservation here in Penacony, they would inevitably come trying to curry favor.
But for now, she had no time to deal with that.
"Well then? Can I vouch for the Astral Express now?" she asked the receptionist again.
"Y-yes! Of course you can, Miss Kallen!" the receptionist answered at once.
After all, even setting aside Kallen's identity as an Emanator, the badge she had just thrown away was already enough to make refusal impossible.
"The paperwork is complete. Please take your room cards."
Very soon, the receptionist presented four room cards with both hands.
Himeko accepted them, then turned to look at the girl who had already flopped down onto one of the lobby sofas.
Kallen Kaslana.
A nominal singer of the Iris Family, who claimed her singing was mediocre and her dancing mediocre as well, yet who was undeniably a genuine Emanator of Preservation.
That was… a lot to take in.
"Miss Kallen." Himeko walked over immediately.
"Thank you very much for what you did just now."
"It was nothing." Kallen waved a hand. "After all, I'm also a Nameless who greatly admires the Astral Express. Once we enter the dreamscape later, I still have some things I'd like to discuss with all of you."
She meant Mikhail's legacy.
She still needed to show off with that memory bubble once they were in the dream.
"You admire the Astral Express?" Himeko and Welt exchanged a glance, each seeing the other's surprise.
They had certainly met many people who admired the Express.
But an Emanator…
That was a first.
Kallen stood at once. "That's right."
"Don't you think so? A train traveling through the sea of stars, passing from one world to another, reconnecting roads that were broken, dead, or forgotten."
"No matter how you put it, that kind of story sounds romantic, doesn't it?"
March 7th's eyes lit up immediately.
"Right? Right?! I told you we're super cool!"
"You only say that whenever you've taken some nice pictures," Stelle deadpanned.
"T-that still counts as a kind of romance!"
Welt did not join in their usual bickering. His attention remained fixed on Kallen.
As the former Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, he had seen too many things disguised as goodwill.
And yet, the girl called Kallen somehow suited his eye.
The Saint of Schicksal had had an excellent reputation, and this Kallen too had shown goodwill toward the Express first.
A person he had known, long ago.
"Miss Kallen." He adjusted his glasses, deciding to take a different angle.
"You said that once we enter the dreamscape, there are matters you wish to discuss with us. Could you tell us, in advance, what kind of matters?"
"Of course." Kallen had no intention of refusing.
After all, the more exposure she got now, the easier it would be to arrange what came next.
"I've already found the Watchmaker's legacy, and I'd like to talk to the crew of the Astral Express about it."
What???
The entire lobby was stunned on the spot.
What did she mean, she had already found the Watchmaker's legacy? Hadn't the Penacony instance only just begun?
Seeing that the crew of the Astral Express had been shocked silent as well, Kallen quickly added, "There are too many people here right now. How about we exchange contact info first, and then we can talk properly once we're in the dream?"
"Good idea." Himeko practically pulled out her phone at once.
March 7th beside her fumbled frantically for her communicator as well. "Me too, me too!"
"This is the friend slot of an Emanator of Preservation, okay? I absolutely need that!"
"Weren't you suspicious of her just now?" Stelle took out her phone at a leisurely pace.
"T-that was caution! Caution, you hear me?!" March 7th's face turned red. "Besides, Miss Kallen already said she admires the Express. That makes her one of us!"
Stelle seemed genuinely amazed at March's speed of transformation. "But we've known her for less than half an hour."
"So what? Uncle Yang already said it—companions of the Express are all people you meet along the journey!"
Soon enough, after exchanging contact information with the crew, both sides took their leave and agreed to meet again inside the dreamscape.
Just as Kallen was about to leave, however, Aventurine—who had clearly been waiting for his chance—hurried over once more.
"Hm? Didn't I already say I don't like the IPC? So, Mr. Aventurine, do you need something from me?"
Kallen stopped and looked back at him, her tone lazy and casual.
Aventurine did not take offense. He merely withdrew his hands from his pockets, spread them, and offered a harmless smile.
"Miss Kallen, I simply wish to speak with you on behalf of my superiors about a certain important matter."
"Oh? What possible business could the IPC have with me?"
But this time, Aventurine said nothing.
Instead, a purple-haired beauty stepped forward.
"The company asked me to deliver a message," she said.
"We can help you suppress that Lord Ravager from a thousand years ago once again—Kiana."
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
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