Chapter 47: Caelus: People As Handsome As Me Are Usually The Protagonist
"A game that records our Trailblaze journey?"
Asta's eyes lit up, the faint starlight from the panoramic window reflecting in her bright pupils.
The concept sounded incredibly fascinating. She leaned forward over her desk, recalling the chaotic, vibrant energy of Stelle, Caelus, and Pom-Pom in that bizarre short video. She remembered the sheer joy erupting from the usually stressed Researchers, all of them hopelessly infected by that ridiculously addictive melody.
If there were a game that could freeze these precious moments in time, permanently preserving this wonderful encounter with the Astral Express Crew...
"I would be absolutely thrilled to participate." Asta's voice was light, carrying an undisguised, bubbly anticipation. "Do you need me to do any voice acting or motion capture? Anything at all?"
"Just having your agreement is more than enough," Leon said, a warm smile resting on his face.
Asta nodded happily, though a hint of curiosity soon crept into her expression. "Then... what will I be like in the game? Will I also have those... um, particularly memorable lines or actions?"
Before she could even finish her sentence, a soft giggle escaped her lips. She was obviously recalling that brain-washing 'Ding dong ding dong~ Diu pa pa pa~' tune.
"Rest assured, it definitely won't be an abstract meme style," Leon guaranteed, patting his chest with exaggerated confidence.
However, in Asta's view, Leon's guarantees weren't exactly the gold standard of reliability. After all, his image as a shameless prankster was already deeply ingrained in her mind. Still, spending time with someone like Leon felt undeniably comfortable. The air around him was always light, free of the suffocating politics she usually dealt with.
"The Station Master Asta in the game will be elegant, reliable, and occasionally display a bit of a rich girl aura—the perfect Space Station manager," Leon explained, his tone softening. "She loves astronomy, occasionally stresses over budget reports, and is, at her core, a kind-hearted, beautiful girl."
He looked directly at Asta as he spoke. When he reined in his usual chaotic antics, that striking, handsome appearance—one that could easily cosplay as an Emanator of Beauty—truly had the power to make a person's heart race.
A sudden rush of warmth flooded Asta's cheeks. As the Station Master of Herta Space Station, she was long accustomed to handling massive crises and dealing with galactic elites, but this sudden flutter in her chest was something she hadn't experienced in a very long time.
"That... that sounds great," Asta replied, maintaining a proper, polite smile to mask her racing pulse.
So, in Leon's eyes, is this my image? she thought, her fingers curling slightly. It really makes a girl a bit shy.
"Do you need me to help you ask Madam Herta?" she asked, changing the subject at the perfect time to cool her burning cheeks. "Although she likely won't care about such a 'small matter,' it's always good protocol to say hello in advance."
"No need, I'll visit her personally," Leon replied, pushing himself up from his seat.
"I look forward to seeing the finished product," Asta said, standing up to see him out. "When the time comes, I absolutely must be the first to experience the feeling of 'playing' myself!"
After the office doors slid shut behind Leon, Asta sank back into her plush executive chair and let out a soft, breathy sigh. Her mood was inexplicably buoyant, jumping with a quiet joy.
She opened her terminal and tapped the screen, playing that abstract short video once again. Watching the frantic Pom-Pom and the vibrant Stelle and Caelus dancing across the holographic display, the corners of her mouth curled upward completely unconsciously.
Perhaps, preserving this wonderful twist of fate in the form of a game truly was a very romantic gesture.
She was already looking forward to the future. What kind of beautiful scene would it be when the Space Station Researchers—and eventually, countless players across the cosmos—got to know this group of eccentric Trailblazers? To learn about the stories that unfolded under this vast, starry sky?
"Ding dong ding dong~ Diu pa pa pa~ Beng beng~"
The light, bouncy melody echoed softly through the Station Master's office, accompanied by Asta's unconscious humming as her gaze drifted out toward the boundless sea of stars beyond the glass.
"Huh? I'll appear in the game? Well... I suppose that's not impossible."
Arlan scratched the back of his head, looking completely caught off guard. He hadn't expected Leon to seek him out specifically for something like this. As an ordinary captain of the Herta Space Station Security Department, he felt incredibly flattered. After all, Leon was an esteemed guest, someone even Madam Herta treated with a bizarre level of respect.
Naturally, Arlan agreed without a second thought.
Besides Arlan, the members of the Astral Express were also entirely on board.
Upon learning that they were not only the core protagonists of the game but could also experience the meta-joy of a "double Trailblaze," Stelle and Caelus lost their minds. They were so hyped they practically blew the roof off the Express parlor car.
"People as handsome as me are usually the protagonist anyway!" Caelus declared, striking a dramatic pose. Stelle nodded sagely beside him, already imagining the dialogue options she would pick for herself.
"Sigh... why are Stelle and Caelus the main protagonists?" March 7th muttered, crossing her arms. Her tone was full of playful defiance as she puffed out her cheeks. "I think I could be a protagonist too, you know!"
"Because I met Stelle and Caelus first," Leon explained, chuckling at her pout.
"Alright, fine. But does that mean I'm at least part of the main protagonist group?" March 7th asked, her eyes sparkling with renewed expectation.
As for the two trash-panda Trailblazers, they were already pacing the floor, entirely impatient to see the finished product.
"Huh? You want to put me in a video game?"
Herta's puppet tilted its head, receiving Leon's inquiry with her usual brand of utter apathy. She waved her jointed hand dismissively.
"Whatever. Do what you want, just don't disturb my experiments."
She paused, her artificial eyes narrowing as she suddenly remembered something far more important. "Also, where are your haploid cell samples? Haven't you extracted them yet? If you're struggling to do it manually, don't you have nocturnal emissions? We can collect those too, you know!"
Leon choked on his own saliva, staring at the puppet in sheer disbelief.
Somatic cells aren't enough for you people?! Why the hell are you so obsessed with my reproductive cells!
"Forget it," Herta sighed, waving her hand again to cut off his internal screaming. "A Genius Society member will be arriving at the Space Station soon. You two can meet then."
Herta didn't dwell on the topic of his genetic material any further. She firmly believed that Ruan Mei would have a way to extract what they needed. After all, Herta wasn't a specialist in biology, whereas Ruan Mei was the absolute authority. As a master in the field of life sciences, Ruan Mei's unmatched achievements had even earned her the direct gaze of Nous, the Erudition.
Still, beneath her dismissive exterior, Herta was actually a tiny bit curious about how Leon planned to design her image for this game. After all, up until this point, Leon had never seen her true, original body. All he knew was the appearance of her Herta Puppets.
Of course, it was merely a fleeting hint of curiosity. Nothing more.
Ring ring...
Just as Leon stepped out of Herta's office, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen. It was a message from Silver Wolf.
[Silver Wolf]: What did you do this time? Elio suddenly let out a sharp screech and is now frantically scratching his head in frustration.
Leon stared at the screen.
...Could it be because I'm preparing to make the Star Rail game, thereby stirring up the trajectory of the future script once again?
[Leon]: I'm planning to make a video game called Honkai: Star Rail to record the journey of the Trailblaze.
[Leon]: By the way, there will be in-game models and images of you and Kafka in it. Is that okay with you guys?
He had only just remembered that Silver Wolf and Kafka—two of the absolute most important characters in the opening prologue—hadn't actually given their consent yet.
[Silver Wolf]: Huh? A game?!
Even through the text, Leon could practically see Silver Wolf's gamer instincts activating. She, the universe's premier hacker, loved playing games more than anything else in existence.
[Silver Wolf]: I have absolutely no problem with that... As for Kafka, hold on, I'll ask her.
Somewhere across the cosmos, Silver Wolf peeked over her console and looked at Kafka.
"I know. Leon just contacted me too," Kafka said, a slow, elegant smile spreading across her lips as she noticed Silver Wolf's gaze.
A moment later, Leon's phone buzzed again.
[Kafka]: I have no problem with it either... I look forward to seeing exactly how you design me.
[Leon]: Rest assured. I guarantee I will perfectly showcase your charm and make millions of people fall madly in love with you.
[Leon]: By then, half the universe might just start calling you 'Mommy'.
[Kafka]:...
Leon couldn't help but chuckle out loud. Even separated by lightyears, he could vividly picture Kafka's helpless, yet deeply amused expression staring back at her screen.
However, what Leon said was absolutely no joke.
In his previous life, he knew the plot perfectly. Ever since that iconic opening performance on the Space Station, Kafka had firmly established the affectionate, teasing, and universally accepted title of "Mommy" in the hearts of countless players, all thanks to her dangerous elegance and utterly unique charm.
The universe was about to experience that exact same cultural reset.
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