Chapter 21: March 7th: Goodnight, Pervert Captain Sir
After having their fill of chaotic fun aboard the massive battleship, the crew happily made their way back to the familiar warmth of the Astral Express.
Take March 7th, for instance. Even though she had spent the first half of the day grumbling about eyesores and loudly declaring Rekka a shameless pervert, she had ultimately surrendered to the sheer scale of the entertainment. By the end, she was having an absolute blast, completely letting her guard down and running wild through the corridors.
Then, of course, there was Welt Yang. The moment his hands had grazed the control stick in the cockpit, his usually stoic gaze melted into something far more affectionate than the look he usually reserved for Tesla. If Himeko had not gently reminded him that the planetary cycle was shifting into late evening, the mature, mecha-loving Trailblazer probably would have sat in that pilot's seat until the end of time itself.
Naturally, on the walk back to the train, Mr. Welt maintained a very subtle, very deliberate silence.
This was not his usual deep silence—the kind that suggested he was pondering the philosophical depths of the universe. No, this was the exact posture of a child who had just spent twelve hours screaming in joy at an amusement park, clutching a fistful of balloons and sticky cotton candy, only to be ruthlessly dragged back to reality by a responsible adult.
Even so, he tried his absolute hardest to maintain his quiet dignity as a senior member of the Express. He kept his back rigidly straight, walking with a brisk, measured pace.
"Uncle Yang?"
March 7th leaned in, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Earth to Uncle Yang! We have already gotten off the ship!"
"...Ahem." Welt cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses with a stiff finger.
"Oh man, I am exhausted!"
The second March 7th crossed the threshold into the Parlor Car, she practically liquefied. She threw herself onto the plush sofa, draping over the cushions like a boneless, pink-haired caterpillar.
"Rekka."
"Hmm?" He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed.
"That ship... will it still be there tomorrow?"
The question caused the lively atmosphere in the Parlor Car to shift into something slightly more delicate.
March 7th sat up straight, brushing a stray pink lock from her face. Across the room, Dan Heng paused in his tracks, his calm gaze shifting to lock onto Rekka.
"What makes you think it would just vanish?" Rekka arched an eyebrow, a lazy smirk playing on his lips. "You do not think my status as the Captain of the Hyperion is some kind of temporary joke, do you?"
"It is not that..." March 7th let out a long breath, her shoulders dropping in relief. "I am just a bit reluctant to see it go. That ship is so big, so incredibly cool, and it has a massive swimming pool! Not to mention that Little Cabbage who gets angry when you poke her screens..."
"Reluctant?" Rekka chuckled. "Then just go back tomorrow."
"Can we really?" March 7th's bright eyes lit up like supernovas. "Did you not say you switch your Path every single day? If you become something completely different tomorrow, will the ship still be anchored out there?"
"The Hyperion exists independently," Rekka stated, waving a hand as if discussing the weather. "It is my personal battleship. My exclusive craft. No matter what Path I randomly roll into tomorrow, the ship can always be summoned directly from the Sea of Quanta."
This was, technically speaking, the truth. 'Later' on, this ship would be an independent existence. Today, however, it was a magnificent piece of fiction he had willed into reality.
Just a little bit of conceptual sleight of hand. A harmless cheat.
"In any case, today was truly an eye-opener for me." Welt's voice broke the brief silence, carrying a heavy, nostalgic weight. He looked out the window toward the distant hull. "To be able to see such familiar things again, even out here in the deep cosmos..."
"Welt, do not talk like you are about to retire to a quiet countryside," Himeko teased, a graceful smile curving her lips as she poured herself a fresh cup of coffee. "The journey of the Astral Express is still long. I guarantee there will be plenty more surprises waiting for us in the future."
"Indeed." Welt withdrew his gaze from the window, a soft, genuine smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "The sheer creativity of young people never fails to astonish me."
As the night deepened, the warm overhead lights in the Parlor Car automatically dimmed to a soothing amber glow.
"Tomorrow I want to try that swimming pool!" March 7th kicked her legs in the air. "Today I was so busy fighting those holographic monsters in the training sector that I did not even get a chance to dip my toes in the water!"
"You still want to go for a swim after all that?" Dan Heng asked, shaking his head slightly.
"That pool looks so beautiful! You can see the actual starry sky reflecting right on the surface of the water, and it is way bigger than the observation windows on our Express!" She suddenly gasped, whipping her head toward the protagonist. "Oh, right, right! Rekka, can that pool be filled with hot water?"
"Yes," Rekka nodded, highly amused by her boundless energy. "The water temperature can be precisely controlled down to the decimal. You can even soak in a boiling hot spring if you want."
"A hot spring?!" March 7th's eyes practically sparkled in the dim light. "It has a hot spring function too?"
"Yes. The environmental projectors can simulate the scenery of entirely different planets. You could be soaking in a steaming hot spring on a freezing, snow-capped mountain, or relaxing in a pool of safe, simulated lava right at the edge of an active volcanic crater."
"I want to soak in a hot spring on a snowy mountain tomorrow!"
"We will worry about tomorrow's business tomorrow," Himeko interjected gently, setting her empty cup down. "Our Captain Sir has also had a very long day. Let him rest early."
"True." March 7th let out a massive, unladylike stretch, her joints popping with a series of satisfying cracks. "I am absolutely exhausted. Running around in that Simulated Training Room earlier... I feel like my legs are going to snap in half."
As she spoke, she pounded her thighs with her fists and let out a massive yawn, completely disregarding her usual cute image.
"Then I will head out first! Goodnight Pom-Pom, goodnight Sister Himeko, goodnight Uncle Yang, goodnight Dan Heng! And..."
She paused at the door, throwing a cheeky grin over her shoulder.
"Goodnight, Pervert Captain Sir."
Rekka pushed open the sliding door to his private quarters. He reached up, casually pulling the crisp naval cap from his head and tossing it onto the hook by the door. The pristine white Captain's uniform shimmered softly under the low cabin lights, the golden epaulets catching the faint glow. He unbuttoned the stiff first button of his collar, rolling his neck as he let out a long, heavy breath.
He was tired.
But he was happy.
He walked over to the window, his gaze passing through the thick glass to rest on the Hyperion floating quietly in the vast distance. The silver-white giant ship looked exceptionally magnificent against the endless backdrop of cosmic starlight, the crimson markings on its armored hull clearly visible even from afar.
"Hyperion..."
He whispered the name into the quiet room, the corners of his mouth curling up into a satisfied smirk.
Although today's identity was entirely fictionalized by his chaotic cheat, the heavy, metallic feeling of standing on that Bridge was incredibly real. Those complex, glowing instrument panels, the floating holographic tactical screens, and Ai-chan's huffy, cabbage-headed AI avatar yelling at him—all of it felt perfectly, undeniably real.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The soft rapping against the metal frame interrupted his quiet reflection.
"Come in."
The door slid open just a crack, and March 7th's pink head poked through the gap.
"Not asleep yet?"
"Just about to." Rekka turned around, leaning his back against the cool glass of the window. "Why aren't you asleep either?"
"Can't sleep." March 7th squeezed her way inside, casually bumping the door shut behind her with her hip. Without waiting for an invitation, she marched over and plopped down right on the edge of his bed, looking entirely at home. "My head is completely full of today's events. That massive swimming pool, that intense training room, and that... that mecha in a swimsuit..."
At the mention of the last item, the corners of her mouth started twitching violently.
"Is that glorious image popping up in your head again?" Rekka teased, his eyes dancing with mischief.
"Do not mention it!" March 7th groaned, slapping both hands over her eyes. "I was almost about to forget the trauma, but then you just had to bring it up, and now it is burned into my retinas all over again!"
"But you brought it up first."
"You mentioned it first!"
Rekka laughed out loud, pushing off the window to walk over and drop into the desk chair across from her.
"So, you couldn't sleep and decided to come bother me?"
"Is that not allowed?" March 7th lowered her hands, glaring at him with a thoroughly indignant pout. "This lady was genuinely worried you might turn into something weird again right at the stroke of midnight, so I came to check if you are still normal right now."
"I am normal for now," Rekka said, spreading his hands in a gesture of innocence. "But it is not long until midnight. Whether I will stay normal after the clock strikes twelve is completely out of my control."
"Then what will you become tomorrow?"
"I do not know."
"Can't you even predict it?"
March 7th curled her lip in mild frustration but did not press the issue further. She sat quietly for a long moment, the playful energy slowly draining from her posture. She stared down at her boots, kicking them lightly against the bedframe before she suddenly spoke again.
"Hey, Rekka."
"Hmm?"
"That Captain look of yours today... was it real?"
Rekka looked at her, the teasing smile fading from his face.
It was incredibly rare for March 7th to show such a quiet, serious expression. Her pinkish-blue eyes looked exceptionally bright in the dim, shadowed lighting of his room, searching his face for an honest answer.
"I mean, are you really the Captain of that ship? Or... did you just make the whole thing up today because of your Path?"
That was a very good question.
"Does it matter?" he asked softly.
"It matters."
"Why?"
"Because..." March 7th pursed her lips, her fingers twisting the fabric of her skirt. "Because if it is real, then you really have such a cool ship. If it is just made up... then there is no telling if the ship will still be there tomorrow. I don't want... I don't want to have had so much fun today, only to wake up tomorrow morning, look out the window, and find the ship completely gone."
Looking at the girl sitting in front of him—the girl who was usually a boundless source of smiles, complaints, and chaotic energy—Rekka suddenly felt the walls around his heart soften just a fraction.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and met her gaze dead on.
"The ship will be there."
"Really?" Her voice was small, hopeful.
"If I say it is, it is. Wake up early tomorrow. We have a snowy mountain hot spring to test out."
March 7th stared at him for a second before a bright, familiar smile broke across her face. She stuck out her tongue in a playful grimace.
"Blehh—fine. Goodnight, Pervert Captain Sir."
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