Chapter 168
[Since we now knew the suspect, our highly efficient Stelle immediately confronted Bernard. "...I don't understand what you're talking about."
Facing Stelle's questioning, Bernard tried to brush it off. "Young people these days don't study, just wander around aimlessly."
"I've already seen the surveillance footage."
Stelle directly presented the prepared evidence. "...Seems you fixed the machine."
"Sigh, you kids really worry me to death!"
"—I destroyed the records for Roche's sake!
He's been neglecting his studies because of Lily... that's bad enough."
"Not to mention you don't understand the situation at all. Lily she... she..."
At this point, Bernard hesitated to continue. Seeing him like this, Stelle couldn't help but worry: "Did something happen?"
"No, she's completely unharmed. Moreover, she accepted Roche's confession."
"But they can't be together."
"If you think I'm interfering, you're wrong! Kid, thinking you're so clever."]
[Sushang]: "No way? Did I actually guess right?"
[Bernard]: "Young lady, you should read less of those frivolous books! Do I look like some stubborn old fossil to you?"
[Stelle]: "Wait, didn't you agree to let me check the relay? Are you surprised that I can fix it?"
[Bernard]: "Ahem, I thought you were the kind of person who idles around without pursuing proper studies..."
[Kiana]: "Isn't she though?"
["They can't be together... never can be together."
"Do you know why? No, you don't. Very few people understand what a starquake truly is..."
"If properly protected, starquakes don't cause physical harm to people."
"However, the gravitational collapse caused by starquakes creates massive changes in the spacetime curvature of the affected Stelle sector."
"To put it simply, if time in Lily's Stelle sector was once a straight line like ours, by now gravity has compressed it into a massive canyon."
"Do you know what this means?"
Stelle understood: "The flow of time is different between them."
Bernard nodded: "If Roche, including myself, are living in the present moment like this."
"Then relatively speaking, Lily she..."
"She's already living in the future."
"...I was once a young man too." "I think compared to rejection, being unable to be with someone who shares your feelings when you should be able to—that's far more cruel."]
[March 7th]: "This... so that's how it is..."
[Otto]: "Time is the most difficult chasm to cross, whether it's the past or the future."
[Silver Wolf]: "No way, they're doing it like this..."
[Roche]: "This time it's really thanks to [], though I don't know how [] managed it, but even across time, we can still communicate normally without any delay."
[[]]: "(･ω･` ) Shy~"
[Elysia]: "Though slightly regrettable, at least in reality they didn't have to part forever♪"
[Stelle questioned why he didn't tell Roche, but Bernard retorted: "So you want to tell him the truth. But please tell me, what can he actually do?"
"After learning the truth, Roche would just spend dozens of times more time waiting for a message that should have returned quickly."
"He'd just live alone in the present, waiting for that future with Lily to slowly approach him step by step."
"But how long can he wait in his lifetime?"
...... "Space can be crossed; but time remains untouchable!"
"You're still too young... you don't yet know that in this world, anything that requires waiting generally has no outcome."
Stelle remained silent.]
[Otto]: "Time ah..."
[March 7th]: "Sigh, Roche isn't a long-life species..."
[Dan Heng]: "No, March, on a cosmic scale, even the lifespan of long-life species is but a fleeting moment."
[Roche]: "Please keep watching, I believe even without this light screen, without this miracle, I wouldn't give up, never!"
[As Stelle remained silent, Bernard said: "I have two signal translation records copied from the relay, one red and one blue."
"The red translation contains Lily's real response, but it includes the truth about the starquake."
"The blue translation is my fabricated record—Lily rejecting Roche.
Don't think this is cruel, this way Roche won't have to wait for her replies anymore, his life still has opportunities."]
[March 7th]: "Stelle, what would you choose?"
[Stelle]: "I... don't know, both are possible."
[Stelle returned to Roche's side, where he happily shared his newly written poem with Stelle. Though quite hesitant, Stelle believed he deserved to know the truth and handed him the red truth.
"Why so hesitant? Are you sure the red one is mine?"
Stelle nodded gravely. Roche smiled hopefully.]
[March 7th]: "Heavens, I can't imagine how desperate Roche must be right now!"
[Theresa]: "This parting means eternal separation, just like Stargazer and Rita."
[Rita]: "No, Lady Theresa, it's more despairing than that. The immortal Rita could still possibly wait for Stargazer's return, but Roche cannot."
[Just as Stelle could have predicted, Roche nearly collapsed: "Seems... because of the starquake's gravitational effects, for every month that passes for her, decades pass for me.
Doesn't that mean by the time she returns, I'll be as old as master?"
"Is that what it means? Can you help me check? My brain isn't working well, is that what she means?"
Stelle repeated it again. "Then the long time I spend missing her would be just an insignificant moment to her?"
He苦笑䦤:"Never thought even time could be unfair to people."
"Spending a lifetime waiting for someone, enduring endless longing and loneliness..."
He抬起头,脸上挂着明媚的笑容:"Honestly, buddy, you didn't think I was that naive, did you?"
"Haha! Of course I won't wait for her! I won't wait!"
"I won't wait..."]
[March 7th]: "Ah, Roche, I misjudged you! Never thought you'd change affections so quickly!"
["But I'll go chase after her. I'll go, chase time!"
"Since her spacetime curve has become a great canyon, rather than waiting for her to emerge, shouldn't I cross this great canyon myself?"
"Maybe I'll spend ten years finding her who only experienced one month, but our time flow will synchronize from then on, much better than sitting here waiting for death."
"Don't you think?"
"No, no matter what you think, I've already decided! I'll quickly inform master, pack my luggage, and set off to find Lily!"
"The universe might be full of dangers," Stelle tried to persuade again. "Maybe... there's beautiful danger, wonders that eliminate loneliness, and that person I've been desperately searching for..."
"When I find Lily. I still want you to be our bridesmaid, don't forget this promise."]
[March 7th]: "Sorry, Roche! I misjudged you!"
[Otto]: "I knew it, chasing time ah..."
[Stelle]: "Go for it! In reality, I'd be willing to be your bridesmaid too!"
[March 7th]: "And me! And me! We from the Astral Express will all come!"
[Theresa]: "Even if we can't come, we'll congratulate you across the universe."
[Aha]: "Aha doesn't like tragedies! Aha will save Lily right now!!"
[Stelle]: "? The most supportive Aha episode~!"
[Roche]: "Thank you, God of Merriment!!!"
Nothing Aha does is surprising. Let Aha make it happen for this couple~
Praise the God of Merriment! Praise Aha! Praise the Everjoyous Lord!