Chapter 176
[Gallagher stopped the remaining members of Himeko's group and revealed to them the final Nameless. The playful banter between Stelle and March 7th actually brought a knowing smile to Gallagher's face:
"Such energy.
As for that conductor named Pom-Pom... please give it my regards. Its friends always seem to reminisce about their time on the express after a few drinks."
"That final Nameless—he set out, paused, then set out again... made a full circle, only to return to where he started."
At this moment, Gallagher's eyes filled with sorrow: "On his deathbed, he made me promise to find the Astral Express and deliver that invitation to the Nameless of the future. For this, he prepared a gift, a true [legacy]... meant solely for the descendants of [Trailblazing]."
"Follow me. Now... it's time for it to see the light of day once more."]
[Honkai Star Rail·Seele]:"So there really is a legacy? I thought Gallagher just made that up."
[Pom-Pom]:"Passenger Mikhail, Pom~ Pom-Pom never forgets any passenger who rode the Express, no matter who, Pom..."
[Aha]:"What about me? What about me?"
[Pom-Pom]:"Pom-Pom doesn't want to remember you at all, Pom!"
Aha's sudden appearance instantly dispelled Pom-Pom's original sadness.
[Murata Himeko]:"A gift belonging solely to [Trailblazing]? The passing of the torch from senior to junior."
[Honkai Star Rail·Himeko]:"Yes, exactly. The flame is passed on."
[They returned to the tombstones of the senior Nameless. "Old friend, sometimes I forget you're already gone. It feels like there's still so much to say, so many roads left untraveled."
"Now, I've kept my promise and brought the descendants you worried about all your life.
I never understood why you could never forget that train, but I still remember the last words you spoke before leaving this world..."
"Don't let us down, old man."
As he spoke, Gallagher activated a mechanism. After a violent tremor, a previously unseen structure appeared before them. "Go on ahead. His final resting place is in the garden up front."
"Penacony's first, and last, Nameless—"
[The Clockmaker, Ragvok Charles Mikhail.]]
[Kiana]:"Such an advanced mausoleum!"
[Theresa]:"Mikhail spent his entire life longing for the Astral Express. Even at the very end, he was still awaiting their arrival."
[Otto]:"Because that's what 'inheritance' is, little Theresa."
[With heavy hearts, Himeko led Stelle and the others slowly up to the platform. Beneath the Memoria sea surface, in the garden closest to the full moon reflected in the waters, an old man lay reclined in an armchair, utterly silent.
[The Clockmaker]—Ragvok Charles Mikhail—had already embarked on that endless long dream, and no sound could ever wake him again. "So it's true... The Clockmaker was the third Nameless. Even I figured that out."
Mikhail appeared as if asleep, his hat covering his eyes, holding a brilliantly colorful dream bubble in his hands. Gallagher pointed at this dream bubble and said: "The legacy he left behind is a dream bubble. I suspect it contains something that only holds meaning for the Nameless."
At Himeko's signal, Stelle reached into the dream bubble, but there was nothing inside—it was an empty dream bubble. Gallagher smiled somewhat sadly: "I never could figure out what that old man was thinking, but this empty dream bubble is truly his style. Full of nonsensical fantasies... and incomprehensible romanticism."
"Old rascal... I never expected him to leave any backup plans anyway."
"That's not right, Mr. Gallagher. I believe Mikhail would definitely leave his most precious possession to us."
"Hah, you're not about to start lecturing me with some grand philosophy, are you?"
Himeko explained: "Just as Mikhail believed in the Nameless of the future, we too unconditionally believe in the Nameless of the past. They devoted their entire lives to the land they loved—how could they depart hastily with regrets for the future?"
"This dream bubble must have content; we just haven't deciphered it yet. Mr. Gallagher, when it comes to believing in [The Clockmaker], you're no different, are you?"]
[Sushang]:"This... this can't be the legendary blank divine scripture!?"
[Huohuo]:"O-or maybe it needs certain conditions to be met before the content appears?"
[March 7th]:"Would our Nameless senior really be this boring? This totally isn't our Nameless style at all!"
[Stelle]:"Yeah! Misha, Misha, come explain what this actually means!"
[Misha]:"That dream bubble is empty, at least for now. As for what the gift is... that depends on whether you can figure it out."
[Gallagher]:"Truly worthy of you, you old rascal..."
[10 system hours until the opening of [Harmony Festival], reality [Dreamville]
Hotel "Welcome to Dreamville Hotel. How may I assist you?"
Dan Heng stepped forward to negotiate with the staff: "Hello, we're Nameless from the Astral Express, here to check in."
"The Astral Express? But previously..."
"Yes, our companions checked in earlier. I'm [Dan Heng]. My personal information should be in your hotel system."
The staff member nodded: "I see. However, your companions mentioned earlier that your plans had changed and you wouldn't be able to check in."
"Hah! Plans changed again, didn't they?"
"And you are?"
Boothill proudly replied: "I'm the new Nameless who just boarded the Astral Express. Name's [Pom-Pom]."
Dan Heng turned to look at him, rendered speechless for a moment, but still covered for this Galaxy
Ranger: "...He's my companion. We replied to the Family's invitation before he boarded the Express. So there shouldn't be any record of him in your system. Is there any way you could make an exception?"
The staff member had a sudden realization: "Oh! Among the Nameless who checked in earlier, there seemed to be one in a similar situation. It appears more and more people are embarking on [Trailblazing] lately."
Just as the staff member tried to contact Himeko and the others to verify their identities again, they discovered they couldn't reach them. Dan Heng and Boothill found themselves stuck at this step once more.]
[Pom-Pom]:"...Pom?"
[Tail]:"Hahaha, laughing myself to death here! We've got a mechanical cowboy newbie Nameless here. Is there also a fluffy cute Galaxy Ranger on that train now?"
[Qingque]:"Hiss~ Now that I look closely, Pom-Pom and Boothill actually look quite similar."
[Boothill]:"Well I'll be damned! How are we similar!?"
[Herrscher of Sentience]:"Oh~ They really are quite alike. Don't you two share the same color scheme?"
[Boothill]:"Damn it all, why's sneaking in so troublesome?"
[Guinaifen]:"Maybe Boothill shouldn't have used a Nameless identity. They encounter all sorts of unexpected situations way more often."
[March 7th]:"Can't really argue with that statement."