Void Star Sea.
Nolan shifted his gaze toward Kafka and Silver Wolf, signaling them to come over.
Though clearly displeased, they still walked forward against their will. Kafka's expression was complicated. Looking at Nolan, she parted her soft lips and said,
"According to Elio's prophecy, Stelle is connected to a major crisis the galaxy will face in the future. She is one of the possible solutions to that crisis."
"Oh? A galactic crisis? That sounds serious. What exactly is it?" Nolan asked curiously.
The gray, shoulder length haired girl also turned to look at Kafka.
"We don't know the specifics yet," Kafka replied. "But what's certain is that one day in the future, we will inevitably face Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction."
"Facing an Aeon directly? Then it truly is a major crisis." Nolan nodded.
That Aeon of Destruction scattered Stellarons across civilizations, bringing disaster wherever they went. If things continued like that, the civilizations of the galaxy would eventually be wiped out.
Confronting that Aeon was only natural in the end.
And Stelle's uniqueness indeed gave her the possibility of standing against an Aeon. Of course, that was only if she grew smoothly.
"Then what about her origins?" Nolan continued.
"She was likely cultivated by Elio as a vessel capable of fusing with a Stellaron. She has no past. But I spent some time with her before, helping her learn basic life knowledge.
"To let her board the Astral Express and begin anew, to find her own path through adventure, I sealed her memories. The only thing she remembers is me."
Kafka explained calmly.
"I see." Nolan nodded in understanding, then looked at the gray haired girl beside him. "That's roughly the situation. What do you think? Do you want her to restore your sealed memories?"
"I… don't know."
Stelle lowered her head slightly, her thoughts in turmoil. She did not know whether she should reclaim her lost memories or abandon the past and start over.
"If you can't figure it out right now, then leave it for later," Nolan said gently. "If you don't like it, there's no need to force some vague responsibility onto yourself. Just choose the life you prefer. I'll help you."
"Mm. Thank you." Stelle nodded softly, developing a faint bit of goodwill toward him.
[Stelle Has Developed Good Feelings Toward You, Obtained 820 Affection Points. Current Affection Level: Lv.4 (220/400)]
"Come on. I'll take you somewhere to stay first."
Nolan smiled lightly and opened a spatial rift, preparing to take Stelle out of the Void Star Sea.
"Hey, you bastard! Are you seriously leaving us here?!" Silver Wolf shouted irritably.
"You two can stay here for now. I haven't decided how to arrange you yet."
In truth, Nolan already had an idea. He would grant them Waymarks, let them return to their usual work most of the time, and summon them whenever he needed their help.
After all, their identities as Stellaron Hunters were quite useful, especially Kafka's position as deputy leader. Controlling her was practically the same as controlling the Stellaron Hunters organization.
Next time he had the chance, he could have them lure out the other Stellaron Hunters and take the opportunity to control them with Command Seals as well.
He had already controlled two of them. Adding the rest would not make much difference.
Especially their leader, Elio, who supposedly possessed the ability to see fate itself and even interfere with it to arrange a "script."
He wondered whether Elio had foreseen Kafka and Silver Wolf being controlled by him.
If he had, then perhaps they would not be able to return to the Stellaron Hunters at all.
However, judging from the fact that Elio had been unable to foresee his own existence, it was not certain that Elio could predict this either.
That would have to be verified later. For now, there were other matters to attend to, so he decided to set it aside and let Kafka and Silver Wolf remain in the Void Star Sea for the time being.
Since it was a world under his control, and Elio could not even predict him, he likely could not peer into this place either.
…
When Nolan and Stelle stepped out of the Void Star Sea, they appeared within the Wonderland Space. The place he intended to arrange for Stelle to stay was naturally his own home.
With Command Seals in place, there was no need to worry about accidents. And as the saying went, proximity breeds advantage. Naturally, he would arrange for Stelle to live at his house so they could spend plenty of time together and gradually build affection.
Stelle was currently confused and lonely. The girls in the Wonderland Space could also help her adjust.
As for whether Stelle would notice his less than pure intentions toward her, she probably did not understand such things for now. But after spending enough time together, she would surely realize something eventually.
Especially once she learned that all the girls in the Wonderland Space were Nolan's lovers, and yet he still had her move in. Even an idiot could guess what he was thinking.
Still, with Level 4 affection as a foundation and his strong charm toward girls, even if she realized it, at most she would be embarrassed or annoyed for a moment.
By then, after spending so much time together, her affection level would likely be much higher anyway. At that point, it would not matter. Becoming lovers would happen naturally.
At this moment, Stelle looked at the unfamiliar living room, where numerous girls were chatting and playing games, and asked with mild confusion,
"Where is this?"
"This is my home. Ahem… since we couldn't find you a place to stay for now, you can live here temporarily. I'll also introduce you to some friends."
Nolan casually made up an excuse.
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?" Stelle did not think too deeply about it. She assumed it might already be nighttime outside or something similar.
"Don't worry. There are plenty of rooms here. You can stay as long as you like."
Nolan smiled.
"Alright."
Stelle nodded. Her attention was quickly drawn to a virtual screen in the living room, where a blonde girl and a floating white fairy like creature were intensely focused.
Nolan looked over and saw that Fischl and Paimon were completely absorbed in a fighting game, while Lumine stood beside them watching.
Noticing the faint glimmer in Stelle's eyes, he found it a little amusing. It seemed she was quite interested in games.
"Come on, I'll take you over to play."
Nolan took Stelle's hand and led her toward Fischl, Paimon, and Lumine. Before Stelle could even process what was happening, she was already pulled in front of them.
Her expression turned surprised, but before she could say anything, Nolan had gently pressed her down onto the sofa.
"Hehe, you play here for now. I'll go prepare a room for you."
Fischl and Paimon were battling fiercely. Lumine, however, looked at Nolan with clear disdain, as if saying, "You've brought another girl home again, haven't you?"
"This is Lumine. That's Fischl, and this is Paimon. Anyway, you all play together for now. I'll go get her room ready."
Nolan coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment, then gave Stelle a brief introduction to the three of them before slipping away.
(End of Chapter)
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