Accompanied by a piece of gentle, cheerful music. The exhaustion and tension from the previous battle seemed to drift away with the wind.
Within his line of sight, Okhema City was prosperous yet quiet.
Phainon walked out of the Marmoreal Palace and gazed toward the districts and exhibition zones.
Yet his heart had long since drifted to the hometown he had not seen for a very long time.
"What are you thinking about?" Castorice appeared behind him.
She looked at Phainon and noticed the unease and fatigue in his eyes. She advised softly, "You should take this opportunity to rest, Lord Phainon... The Coreflame ritual is tomorrow."
Phainon stared into the distance and gently shook his head. "Today, tomorrow, what difference does it make? It's always morning in Okhema under Kephale's protection."
"So long as the light continues to shine this brightly, I won't be getting any sleep. Why force myself to shut my eyes when I can instead take this time to calm my mind and gather my thoughts? That counts as rest too."
Castorice asked quietly, "Have you... thought things through then?"
"...Not at all" Phainon let out a sigh and turned to look at her.
"Everything's a jumbled mess still. I don't even know where to start."
"The Coreflame was blazing hot in my palm in the beginning, but it has completely cooled off now... I can barely feel it."
In front of Castorice, Phainon did not hide his true feelings.
The firm and resolute attitude he had shown earlier in front of Aglaea was nothing more than a façade. Deep down, Phainon had always been trapped in extreme self-doubt.
"I often wonder… can someone as ordinary as me really become a hero? Thoughts like that echo in my mind every single day."
Phainon didn't even know where this lack of confidence truly came from. Perhaps it was because of his childhood.
Compared to others… what he longed for more was golden wheat fields and the swing from his childhood.
When others were studying and fighting, he was still playing hide-and-seek. As his status grew higher and his achievements greater, these emotions didn't fade, instead, they surged back even more strongly.
When the camera lingered on Phainon's eyes, filled with faint sorrow, the audience also fell silent. The sunny boy everyone admired now revealed nothing but confusion and a trace of fragility.
In their minds, the audience couldn't help recalling the first time they saw Phainon. He had been a calm, likable boy with clear, honest eyes.
Later on, in the temple, it was also Phainon who declared, "Not betraying trust of the masses is the duty of us Chrysos Heirs," words filled with an overwhelming sense of responsibility.
And when facing Nikador, he was always the one charging at the front, never retreating.
In the eyes of the audience, this was a character who perfectly embodied both hero and leader.
And yet now, this hero was weighed down by memories of overwhelming pressure. What kind of place was his hometown?
The audience didn't know what Phainon's home looked like. They could only infer from scattered hints that his home might have long since ceased to exist.
Phainon doubted his own ordinariness, because what fate demanded of him was the most brutal form of pressure.
The joy of slaying a Titan had cooled, simply because Coreflames and demigods were still far too distant from the wheat fields and swings he truly desired.
Yet under everyone's expectations, he had no choice but to keep moving forward, gritting his teeth and enduring.
In that instant, a powerful sense of immersion took hold.
At least at this moment, among the viewers in front of the screen, no one knew how many people were just like Phainon, harboring an unprepared self deep inside, yet forced to keep going.
...
: Phainon really hits me right in the heart!
: Take care of yourself, Big Brother Phainon!
: MiHoYo, I'm warning you, don't you dare bully Phainon! And don't you dare kill him off either!
: This character is written so well, it's insanely relatable.
: The portrayal is absolutely spot-on.
: As expected, none of MiHoYo's characters are simple!
: I just hope Phainon can find his own peace someday.
: It's already the ending and you still make it this sad, seriously…
...
The audience's affection for Phainon skyrocketed. Some viewers even "warned" MiHoYo through bullet comments not to mess with him.
Phainon was different from many previous male characters.
From the story's perspective, there hadn't been any overly explosive, emotional-rollercoaster moments tied to him so far.
He was more like water, gentle, steady, slowly seeping into the audience's hearts.
Just like he was in the story itself. That feeling was simple and sincere. That was why the audience genuinely hoped Phainon could be granted a warm and happy life within the story.
After this segment focusing on Phainon ended, the camera shifted to Stelle and Dan Heng, and of course, Mem as well.
The two Nameless still hadn't been able to contact the Astral Express crew.
With nothing better to do, they could only chat with mem Mem. This pink animal had become much smoother when speaking.
But its origins were still a mystery. The only hobby they could confirm was recording things.
That's right.
Mem gave Stelle a book. It was titled As I Have Written.
Inside were records of everything it had experienced since its appearance, all the way through its journey with Stelle.
"Like a diary?" Stelle asked.
Inside the room, Stelle flipped through it casually. Between the lines were fragments recorded by Mem.
"Mem!" Mem floated above Stelle's head, stomping excitedly in midair.
"I have a gut feeling, though! As long as we continue to collect the fragments of memories scattered across Amphoreus, we'll be rewarded with something really, really good."
It expressed its feelings.
"Alright, alright."
"So, once again, it's all down to one gal and her dog." Stelle scratched her head and tossed out a casual complaint.
"Mem!" Mem angrily tugged at Stelle's hair and started yelling "Mem" nonstop.
To Dan Heng, Mem's stuttering voice sounded mysterious and incomprehensible.
But to Stelle, she could clearly understand what it meant.
"How should I put it... Bah, anyway! I just know that this world is very important to me!"
"And I'm not a dog! Or a pet! I am..."
Mem wanted to argue angrily, but got stuck again. "...Uh, what am I? A—Anyhow, I'm an important character for sure!"
"Alright, alright, don't be mad anymore."
Stelle laughed awkwardly and hurried to coax it. "How about this, I'll stay with you and collect even more interesting stories from now on, okay?"
"Mem! I-I feel reassured now!" After being comforted, little Mem immediately softened.
As Stelle and Mem fooled around, outside in the veranda Dan Heng had a different worry.
"I wonder if Himeko and the others are getting anxious."
Watching Stelle and Mem's antics, the audience was once again completely melted by this adorable little creature.
...
: Hahaha, the moment the screen cuts to Stelle, the sense of pressure instantly drops, so relaxing!
: Good, good. Stelle is still as carefree as ever. I'm relieved.
: Mem's way of talking really has flavor, calling herself "Mem" every other sentence, hahahaha.
: Honestly, Mem is both mysterious and cute. A character like that has to have some shocking backstory, right?
: Definitely does, bro.
: That said, the Express still hasn't sent any news. Himeko and Welt wouldn't just sit around doing nothing, right?
: They're probably already trying something on the outside.
...
The comments scrolled past.
And just as Dan Heng finished speaking.
The camera shifted.
This time. It cut directly to a space station located who-knew-how-far away from Amphoreus.
The audience instantly grew excited.
Herta Space Station!
In the previous plot, it had already been shown just how vast Herta's knowledge was!
Could it be that... Under the audience's excited gazes.
A bunch of Herta puppets and several mirrors were gathered around the mature Herta, chattering nonstop.
"Lady Herta!"
"So beautiful!"
"She's really gorgeous!"
"She even had an audience with Nous!"
The noise was deafening. But Herta clearly wasn't enjoying it.
She waved her hand, stopping the Little Herta's from talking.
"..Tsk, Fourth Mirror. Who exactly are you talking to?"
And right along with that sharp command, "Herta, ma'am."
The Fourth Mirror spoke awkwardly. "Wh—Why, I was just ramping it up for our grand appearance, Madam Herta."
"Hm. So, a dramatic debut...?"
Herta's gaze was cold, with a hint of irritation as she complained, "...But what are the odds of that happening!? Sure, slightly plausible if I did manage to talk to Droidhead, but guess what's the problem...? THEY have no reaction whatsoever!"
The Fourth Mirror was shocked. "Err... But look at this, Madam Herta... You're standing before Nous here! Right there."
"Oh, that? That's a hologram." Herta said calmly.
"...You mean to say you've just been reciting your lines before a hologram!?" The Fourth Mirror was stunned.
"Yeah, creating dramatic value. Isn't that what you're most obsessed with?" Herta said, enunciating every word.
Feeling the pressure from someone far above it, the Fourth Mirror immediately shut up.
But even if it didn't want to talk, Herta clearly wasn't done venting.
"Moving on. Don't try, but you wouldn't even begin to imagine how difficult it is to send a message to Nous. And I went all out for it..."
"Powering the Audience System alone required me to reconfigure the energy supply of the entire space station! I had to switch it to Hibernate mode before rebooting everything. Do you have any idea how much that costs?"
The Fourth Mirror cautiously played along. " ...How much? How much?"
"Uh..." Herta thought seriously for a moment, then said, "...I'm not in charge of finance. Go pose that to Asta instead. I am Herta herself, the Emanator of Erudition and a true-blue genius. Why would I be holding the purse strings? That menial task is beneath me."
"You're absolutely right, Madam Herta!" The Fourth Mirror immediately shouted, "The IPC should really be providing a genius like you with all that you require, so you can freely dive into any research that tickles your fancy!"
The audience, who had been expecting some earth-shattering revelation, instead found themselves watching Lady Herta personally perform a comedy routine.
The comments were laughing out of control.
...
: I'm dying laughing.
: Herta and her creations, every time I see them, I laugh.
: This dialogue is way too fun.
: The Fourth Mirror is basically a full-on simp!
: What are you saying! It's Lady Herta's most loyal fan!
: Damn it, so it was just a projection. I thought something big was about to happen!
: But honestly, Herta messing with people is always worth it.
: Let me tell you something you don't know-
...
While the comments were still joking around.
On screen. The Fourth Mirror asked, "With that said, Herta herself, Emanator of Erudition, and true-blue genius... What do you plan to do now?"
Herta shook her head. The irritation on her face suddenly turned into a smile, one that made people uneasy.
There was danger hidden in that smile.
"No."
"I'm planning to play a little with an uninvited guest first."
As soon as those words fell, the Fourth Mirror immediately sensed something.
At the same time. The other three mirrors appeared beside Herta.
"There's an invisible intruder on the space station!"
"Follow me."
After leaving those words behind. Herta vanished from where she stood.
Moments later. She was moving through labyrinth after labyrinth of memories.
Until she finally caught that sneaky little thief. The intruder had tried to use some laughable tricks, hoping to deceive a genius into guiding her, but she had no idea that the Fourth Mirror and the others had already locked onto her.
At the critical moment of requesting an audience with Nous. These Memokeepers actually dared to steal memories straight from a genius's mind.
Utterly audacious! Faced with such evil deeds. The punishment granted by the merciful Lady Herta was merely to imprison this Memokeeper inside the Fourth Mirror.
And the duration of the imprisonment was only one-thousandth of a lifespan.
Oh, right. It was Herta's lifespan, and not the Memokeeper's.
In theory, Herta's lifespan is infinite. Upon seeing this punishment. The audience couldn't help but exclaim, How merciful! Great Lady Herta!
After cleaning up the trash. Herta continued with her attempt to request an audience with Nous.
That was just the kind of person she was, she wouldn't stop until she achieved her goal.
When Herta transmitted her message through the mirror once more, it finally responded.
"Madam Herta... We picked up some voices from the path space."
Hearing the mirror speak. Herta's eyes lit up. The audience leaned forward in anticipation.
"Hmm? Let me hear them," Herta said decisively.
The mirror immediately transmitted the sound.
"0001..."
Hearing it. Herta frowned. And the audience sucked in a sharp breath.
That was Nous's voice? That didn't seem right. Why did it sound like some middle-aged guy?!
"0011..."
"0002..."
The mirror kept transmitting.
Herta grew even more confused. "Is this... binary arithmetic? Could it be Droidhead?"
"But, there shouldn't be a "2" in binary arithmetic!"
Just as Herta's brows knit tighter, thinking the machine-head was messing with her,
Another voice, younger this time, came through the mirror.
"0126..."
"Wait a minute. This door... isn't locked?"
'Door?'
'Locked?'
Herta was still completely lost. But the audience had finally recognized the voice.
At that very moment. Countless people burst out laughing.