Chapter 10: Dad, Are You Looking for a Mom for Us?
Clang!
The sharp, metallic ring of a baseball bat striking the control console echoed through the corridor. Every pair of eyes in the room snapped toward the source of the noise in absolute unison.
Leon casually rested the bat over his shoulder. He turned toward Arlan, flashing a blindingly bright smile, and shot him a confident thumbs-up. "Hmm? Didn't you just say the system was dead? Look at that. A little percussive maintenance from yours truly, and the locking mechanism is back online!"
March 7th stared in absolute silence.
Dan Heng pinched the bridge of his nose.
Arlan simply stood frozen, his mouth slightly agape.
"Dad, you are amazing!" Stelle and Caelus cheered in perfect, eerie unison, hoisting their own baseball bats into the air like victorious gladiators.
Caelus quickly produced a small notebook—one that seemed to materialize out of thin air—and began scribbling furiously. He muttered aloud as he wrote. 'Important maintenance tip. If one hit fails to fix the machine, apply a second, harder hit.'
Arlan blinked, his brain struggling to process the sheer absurdity of the situation. However, years of managing highly volatile and utterly bizarre Curios aboard Herta Space Station allowed him to force his expression back to a professional neutral. He rationalized it quickly. This had to be some obscure Path ability. The sea of stars was endlessly vast, and the powers wielded by Pathstriders defied all conventional logic. Yes, that was it. Not strange at all. Completely normal. He chanted the thought like a mantra to keep his sanity intact.
"Alright, let us move out." Leon stepped forward and clapped a heavy, reassuring hand onto Arlan's shoulder, nudging the young man toward the exit. "And do not even think about pulling that 'I will stay behind to hold them off' nonsense."
March 7th gasped, her pink eyes widening as she finally caught on. "Wait, Arlan! Were you seriously planning to stay behind and act as a human shield?" She planted her hands on her hips, puffing out her cheeks. "No way! Absolutely not! Leave the Antimatter Legion to us. Your only job right now is sticking with the team and keeping yourself in one piece!"
The core creed of the Astral Express Crew was simple. Never abandon someone in need.
"Exactly. Just trust us." Stelle nodded firmly. She rolled up the sleeve of her coat, flexing her bicep in a display of supreme confidence. Unfortunately, her slender, noodle-like arm offered absolutely zero intimidating muscle mass.
A genuine, relieved smile finally broke through Arlan's tense expression. A sudden wave of warmth settled in his chest. He swallowed the polite refusals he had prepared, choosing not to argue that his injuries would only slow them down. Instead, he quietly etched their kindness into his memory. "Thank you. All of you."
March 7th leaned close to Leon, playfully jabbing her elbow into his ribs. "I did not peg you for the caring type," she whispered, a teasing lilt in her voice. "You saw right through him. You knew he was trying to shoulder the entire burden alone."
"Naturally." Leon puffed out his chest, adopting an expression of deep nobility. "Anyone who knows the great Leon will testify to my flawless moral character. I am a twenty-four-karat saint!" He paused, mentally correcting himself. Wait, no, he was just a twenty-four-karat fun-seeker. But 'saint' sounded much better for the current audience.
Ahead of the group, Dan Heng came to a sudden halt. He stared out across the yawning chasm of the station's interior. "The repulsion bridge has been deactivated," he noted, his calm gaze shifting back to Arlan.
"Yes. I shut it down earlier to delay the Legion's advance." Arlan limped over to the nearby terminal. His fingers danced across the holographic keys. Within seconds, a hum vibrated through the air, and translucent panels of hard-light energy materialized, reconstructing the repulsion bridge across the gap.
As they crossed, March 7th suddenly gasped. "Ooh! What is this shiny thing?" She darted toward a pedestal holding a glowing, crystalline card. Her eyes sparkled with recognition. "Wait, is this a Light Cone? Aren't these super rare? I thought you could only find these locked up inside the vaults of the Interstellar Peace Corporation!"
"A Light Cone?" Stelle tilted her head, her ahoge twitching with curiosity. "What does that do?"
Caelus leaned in closer, his expression equally blank. Having literally been born into the universe less than twenty-four hours ago, the twins possessed absolutely zero common sense regarding galactic technology.
Dan Heng crossed his arms, stepping into his natural role as the walking encyclopedia. "Light Cones are a proprietary technology developed by the Garden of Recollection. They are designed to encapsulate and preserve pure memories. By drawing upon the experiences trapped within those memories, a Pathstrider can significantly enhance their own combat capabilities. They function as highly potent Curios."
He glanced at the glowing object. "Rumor has it the IPC spent an astronomical sum of credits just to purchase the commercial usage rights. As for how Madam Herta acquired a private stockpile of them... that remains a mystery."
Outwardly, Dan Heng maintained his stoic composure. Inwardly, his suspicions were running wild. Were Stelle and Caelus truly employees of Herta Space Station? The station's staff were not all members of the Genius Society, but they were handpicked elites. They possessed soaring intellects, specialized talents, and sharp survival instincts. The twins, however, were... simple. Dangerously simple. Even deep amnesia could not fully explain their sheer lack of basic self-preservation and logic.
And then there was Leon. Dan Heng cast a sidelong glance at the man currently twirling his baseball bat like a baton. In Dan Heng's mind, Leon had already been permanently filed under the category of 'Masked Fool'. There was no other logical explanation for his chaotic behavior.
"The origin of these Light Cones is entirely legitimate. I can guarantee that much," Arlan interjected hastily, rushing to defend his boss's honor. Aboard this station, every single staff member was a fiercely loyal devotee of Madam Herta. Questioning her methods was practically a taboo.
Arlan gathered the remaining Light Cones from the display and offered them to the Express crew. "Please, take them. They will be very useful in the upcoming fights." With the station currently swarming with Antimatter Legion forces, any boost in combat efficiency was a necessity.
Leon casually plucked one of the glowing cards from Arlan's hand. He held it up to the artificial light, examining the swirling, ethereal energy trapped within the crystalline surface. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. 'Wait... couldn't I just make one of these?' He rubbed his chin, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes. Tapping into his own absurd, reality-bending powers, he focused his intent.
"Dad, what are you doing?" Stelle asked, having just secured her own Light Cone. She leaned over Leon's shoulder, peering at the object materializing in his palm. Her eyes widened in delight. "Whoa! Dad, your Light Cone is so cute! There is a little puppy wearing a space helmet on it!"
[Woof! Walk Time!]
"Eh? What kind of Light Cone is that?" March 7th trotted over, her curiosity piqued.
"Take a look," Leon said generously, holding the newly forged Light Cone out for everyone to see.
Arlan stared at the image on the card. His jaw dropped. "Huh? Peppy?"
He rubbed his eyes, making sure he was not hallucinating from blood loss. The adorable dog depicted in the tiny space suit was undeniably Asta's pampered pet, Peppy. Arlan had personally fed, walked, and bathed that dog since it was a puppy. He knew every spot on its fur. He absolutely could not be mistaken.
Yet, he had never seen this specific Light Cone anywhere in the station's inventory. Arlan felt his internal CPU threatening to overheat and crash. What kind of insanely bored, utterly unhinged Memokeeper would waste their time extracting a dog's memories just to forge a combat Light Cone?!
"Alright, alright, let us not get bogged down in the details. Time is money, people. Let's move!" Leon smoothly pocketed the Light Cone, whistling a jaunty, off-key tune as he strolled forward.
Arlan hurried to catch up, his confusion finally boiling over. "By the way... I wanted to ask earlier. Did you two really just call Mr. Leon your father?"
"Yes," Stelle and Caelus answered simultaneously, nodding with absolute sincerity.
"Huh? You are actually his children?" Arlan blinked, looking between the tall, gray-haired twins and the equally youthful Leon. The math was not adding up.
"Oh, no. There is zero blood relation," the twins replied, shaking their heads in unison.
Arlan stared blankly. They had no blood relation, yet they called him 'Dad' with such fierce devotion? The security chief rubbed his temples, deciding that understanding this group's family dynamics was entirely above his pay grade.
"Oh, that reminds me." Leon stopped and spun around, placing a hand on each of the twins' shoulders. His expression turned deadly serious. "Listen to me, Stelle, Caelus. I am a young, strapping, and highly eligible bachelor. If we happen to run into any beautiful ladies later on, what are you going to call me?"
He was going to meet the elegant Himeko soon, not to mention the insanely wealthy Lead Researcher, Asta. He absolutely could not have these two giant toddlers trailing behind him shouting 'Dad' at the top of their lungs. It would completely ruin his market value.
"Oh! Oh! We understand completely!" Stelle's eyes lit up with sudden realization. She gave him a sly, knowing wink. "We will just call you 'Big Brother' from now on!"
Caelus gasped, slamming a fist into his open palm. "I get it now! Dad, are you looking for a mom for us?"
"Ahem." Leon coughed loudly, shooting Caelus a pointed, expectant glare. "What did we just agree you were going to call me?"
"Big Brother!" Caelus corrected himself instantly, his golden eyes flashing with a mischievous, teasing light. "So, Big Brother is preparing to find us a sister-in-law?"
Arlan stood in stunned silence.
March 7th buried her face in her hands.
Dan Heng looked like he wanted to hurl himself off the repulsion bridge.
"Alright, that is enough comedy for one day!" March 7th groaned, massaging her temples. Her voice dripped with sheer exasperation. "If we stand around bantering any longer, the Antimatter Legion is going to swarm us again!"
She let out a long, defeated sigh. At this point, if Leon and the twins suddenly linked arms and started performing synchronized triple somersaults through the air, she would not even bat an eye.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]