That night was destined to be sleepless.
Considering that they would soon be guests on another planet, after Pei Guang and Stelle finished their antics, Himeko pulled them aside to have a small talk.
She wouldn't restrict them from expressing themselves, but she emphasized a few points about Penacony. Their own image didn't matter much, but at the very least they needed to give the host family some face: after all, it was an invitation.
Time passed quickly.
Pom-Pom had completed the final inspection of the train, and they were almost ready to head for Penacony.
But before the train jumped, Pom-Pom gathered everyone who planned to go, preparing to explain a few things about Penacony.
Attending a celebration wasn't really Seele's thing.
Silver Wolf, on the other hand, was paying more attention to the activities of the Stellaron Hunters, though she did say it wasn't impossible they might end up having fun together in Penacony.
When everyone was gathered, March 7th couldn't help but complain: "The conductor still isn't here?"
Himeko: "Maybe he was scared last night~"
Her gaze landed on Pei Guang and Stelle. After all, the two of them had given Pom-Pom quite a fright yesterday.
March 7th nervously looked toward Himeko: "Huh? What happened last night? Don't tell me Ah Guang and Stelle were messing around again?"
By now, she didn't even need an explanation. She could already guess who had done what.
Before Pei Guang had time to say anything, Pom-Pom walked over in small steps: "Ahem, thank you for waiting, everyone. Because of important matters, this conductor took a bit more time to prepare, Pom."
Pei Guang: "Are we changing the route again?"
Stelle: "Another Stellaron blocking our path?"
March 7th looked at them: "Eh? But I just finished packing my luggage…"
Pei Guang: "Do you even have luggage to pack? Didn't you just toss everything into storage space?"
Watching these three clowns, Pom-Pom couldn't help but smile as he began his explanation:
"As all passengers should already know, Pom: the destination this time is Penacony, the Planet of Festivities. This conductor is aware you've all been looking forward to that famous hotel for a long time, but before departure, there are a few things that must be reminded."
As he said this, Pom-Pom gave a pointed look at Pei Guang and Stelle. He really did like these two passengers, their presence brought a nostalgic feeling back to the train, but perhaps a little too much…
The only comfort Pom-Pom had was that Pei Guang wouldn't blow up the train, and he really did respect the rules.
But anything not explicitly written down? He wouldn't follow at all.
For example, because of Pei Guang and Stelle, the train now had a new rule:
"Prohibited to walk on walls, ceilings, or tables using butts, rolling, or similar methods."
As the words suggested, walking on the floor was fine, but clinging upside-down to chandeliers? That was far too much for Pom-Pom.
Of course, that wasn't today's main topic—today was about Penacony.
In short, the environment around Penacony was unusual, and depending on one's physical condition, it could cause dizziness, hallucinations, or memory disorders.
Penacony was the domain of Harmony, and since they were invited guests, they needed to follow the rules.
When Pom-Pom brought this up, he stared hard at Pei Guang and Stelle.
Sensing his gaze, Pei Guang responded seriously: "Pom-Pom, you know me. If something's forbidden by the rules, I won't touch it."
As a qualified player, Pei Guang, unable to reload saves and having already progressed far into the story, had no intention of breaking rules that would affect favorability or game experience.
Pom-Pom, however, felt a headache coming on.
As he had said before, Pei Guang never broke the written rules—but the unwritten ones? Who knew what he might pull off.
The only relief was that, while Pei Guang played wildly, whether on the space station, in Belobog, or in the Xianzhou Alliance, he always acted with the goal of raising "favorability."
Though whimsical, he was still more reliable than some other Trailblazers, maybe even more reliable than Akivili.
Since Pei Guang had given his word, Pom-Pom continued with the last matter: "Finally, rather than a requirement, this is more of a personal request. If possible, while you're on vacation, please also take some time to gather information on a few Trailblazers."
The Astral Express had visited Penacony before, and at that time, several passengers had chosen to stay behind. Pom-Pom hoped they could learn something about them, trace the footsteps of their predecessors, and make this adventure more meaningful.
After explaining the reason, Himeko added: "According to the records, the three who disembarked back then were Tiernan, Mikhail, and Razalina—once a guard, a mechanic, and a surveyor of the train. Beyond that, there's no further information."
This matter of the three Trailblazers wasn't as simple as just searching for information. Himeko had another meaning in mind, but for now, she didn't tell the group.
Her plan was to wait until they arrived at the hotel and found their rooms before explaining individually.
After all, this was supposed to be an enjoyable trip. Saying too much beforehand might spoil the fun.
Once everything important was said, Pom-Pom finally declared: "Before the jump, this conductor will make a broadcast announcement, Pom! Passenger Pei Guang, please note, during train jump, jumping, upside-down spinning, and other such actions are prohibited. Please wait for completion in the normal way."
Pei Guang: "Don't worry! I definitely won't mess around this time!"
Pom-Pom: "Good, then."
Reassured, Pom-Pom left for the control room to prepare the final steps of the jump.
But once he was gone, Stelle leaned closer: "Ah Guang! You're really not going to mess around?"
Pei Guang: "Of course not. But just waiting feels a little boring. Should we do something to liven up the atmosphere?"
Stelle gave him a thumbs up: "Exactly! Doing nothing during a jump feels like something's missing. Since Pom-Pom won't let us do dangerous stuff, let's just do something safe instead."
Pei Guang: "Sounds good. How about we move our bodies in sync with the jump?"
Stelle: "Dance? Let's do it!"
March 7th: "Yay~ Dancing during the jump! Let's see who flies the farthest~"
Himeko and Welt both sighed as they listened to the three. They knew that from now on, there would definitely be another new rule on the Express: no dancing during warp jumps.
As for this time? They let it slide.
Himeko was actually happy to see the three little ones letting loose on the train, brimming with youth and energy. Young people bumping around like that was normal.
Compared with the last two times, just dancing was really no big deal.
The three went to the central space to get ready. March asked curiously, "So what are we dancing this time? Is it that… huh? Gang shake? Or the Axe Gang? Or just freestyle?"
Pei Guang thought seriously. "None of those really fit. Too complicated and it would be too easy to get flung away during a warp. Let's go with something simple and rough."
Stelle: "Simple and rough?"
Pei Guang nodded, pulled out a speaker, and found a track. With a press of the button, pure BGM started playing.
It was the BGM from Pokémon's Driftveil City.
Maybe some didn't recognize the name, but when people heard "Toothless meme song," they'd understand.
That was what Pei Guang planned to dance to this time: simple, rough, and perfectly suited for moving around during a warp jump.