Chapter 100: Earthly Paradise
[After leaving the Family, Aventurine's expression was grim, yet he still found the energy to bicker with Dr. Ratio. This was all part of their unspoken act—a well-performed charade in front of Sunday.
Though he grumbled about some "chicken-wing boy" giving him no leads before sending him off to investigate, he still ventured out to gather clues from the guests. But Aventurine still had his ultimate weapon—money! With gemstones paving the way, every spectator became more than willing to spill everything they knew. As Aventurine continued his inquiries, the restraints of Harmony grew more severe. His mind trembled with pain, voices echoing relentlessly within. After exhausting his supply of gemstone bribes, Aventurine still found no substantial leads—only the endless rumors swirling through Penacony. Until, at his final stop, he encountered—Sparkle!]
[Qingque]: "The baptism of Harmony is terrifying! Isn't this just forcibly warping someone's will?"
[Stelle]: "Sparkle! My savior! Just seeing you instantly brightens my mood!"
[Sparkle]: "Oh~ Praise the Aeon of Elation! Sparkle exists solely to bring joy~"
[Stelle]: "So many gemstones! Aventurine, my rich king! Daddy, I'm hungry—feed me!"
[March 7th]: "Have some dignity! The whole group chat is watching! If you're gonna simp, at least do it properly!!"
[Dan Heng]: "Don't bother. Ever since Akivili's dream bubble, the Astral Express has lost all face here anyway."
[Stelle]: "Does that mean I can livestream dumpster-diving now?"
Stelle was suddenly wide awake! This sounded perfect!
[Honkai: Star Rail · Himeko]: "Absolutely not!!"
[Guinaifen]: "Changchang, should we try this idea out?"
[Sushang]: "That... doesn't seem appropriate?"
Though she said this, Sushang was already itching to try it herself. Watching Stelle rummage through trash looked oddly thrilling!
[Li Sushang]: "Other me! What are you thinking?!"
The S-rank Valkyrie let out a horrified screech!
["Remember what I said? You Sigonians belong under manhole covers…"
"Look at you, sneaking around—sniffing here, poking there—"
"Does the stench of death really entice you that much, little peacock?"
Aventurine responded weakly, "Hah… It's you.
I should've guessed. After Robin's death, the [stand-in] on TV was you, wasn't it? Masked Fool."
Sparkle began her performance, wielding the art of words with masterful precision. But there's always a bigger fish. Aventurine had been scattering cheap jewels across the streets precisely to lure Sparkle out. From her, he confirmed he'd been on the right path all along. Sparkle neither confirmed nor denied it, instead fanning the flames further. She produced a button and handed it to him:
"Here. My prized [Mutually Assured Destruction] button. I've got an identical one. Press yours, and boom—both you and all of Penacony go sky-high."
"If you're truly desperate for the IPC to take over Penacony… well, flipping the table isn't the worst idea. Start fresh! The IPC excels at that, no?"
Aventurine declined her "kindness." He had no intention of seeking out Sparkle's so-called [mute friend]. Instead, he'd prepare a grand opening act for the Family's downfall.]
[Qingque]: "Sparkle's words are pure violence—now that's linguistic artistry."
[Fu Xuan]: "Is it really?"
[March 7th]: "That 'mute friend'… does she mean Firefly? Firefly survived [Death] unscathed—is dying in the dream necessary to reach the truth?"
[Honkai: Star Rail · Welt]: "March's deduction seems plausible. It's certainly possible."
Stelle suddenly stared at March with such intensity that the latter squirmed:
[March 7th]: "Stelle, wh-what are you doing?"
[Stelle]: "Nothing. Just surprised you could make such a logical deduction."
[March 7th]: "Hmph! I'm the great detective March 7th!"
[In the prison, Aventurine sat ragged and bruised behind bars. "Back so soon, No. 35? Like your good-luck charm?" The cold male voice dripped with disdain. "…Since when are [product codes] considered lucky charms?" Aventurine's tone was unreadable—mocking or genuine? Impossible to tell. The man had bought Aventurine from the pan-galactic slave market for sixty Ta'aba (copper coins). Alongside him were thirty to forty other slaves—all forced to fight until only the survivors remained two days later. Aventurine tried to gamble with him, but to that cold man, he was just another slave. Gambling? Out of the question. "'All or nothing'—don't embarrass me now, 'lucky one.'" The man's words were ice.]
[Sparkle]: "Battle-damaged little peacock~"
[Theresa]: "Fighting others just to prove your worth…"
[Murata Himeko]: "Theresa? What's wrong?"
[Theresa]: "Just remembered something. It's nothing."
[Dr. Ratio]: "I never knew you had such a past."
[Aventurine]: "You saw the product code on my neck, Professor. You must've guessed."
[Dr. Ratio]: "But I didn't know the specifics of how this gambler came to be."
......
[Stelle]: "You two are so close—but take your bickering to DMs! Stop spamming!"
[Back with the Trailblazers…
Gallagher brought the Express crew to Shun's Dreamjolt Hostelry, where he prepared to showcase his skills by mixing drinks—after having them gather ingredients for him.
While searching, they met Amyqi, Shun's friend, who wanted Shun to leave the bar and join her on stage. Using Clockie's tricks, they eased her mind and sent her off happily. After Stelle delivered all the ingredients, Gallagher mixed them a special drink. Then, seeing how much the crew already knew, Gallagher began elaborating on the case—and along the way, Mikhail's story.]
[Amyqi]: "Shun! Let's perform together! I'll do anything!"
[Shun]: "Sorry, Amyqi… I'm happy at the bar for now."
[March 7th]: "Why do I suddenly feel heavy gravity? Like Mr. Yang's cane or something."
Without warning, Stelle threw herself at March in front of everyone: "Stay with me on the Astral Express forever! I'll do anything!"
Stelle felt no shame—but March was mortified by this public display. "Stelle! What are you doing?!"
Stelle scratched her head absentmindedly. "Dunno… just felt like doing it."