Aventurine narrowed his eyes slightly and asked softly, "...How did you find out?"
"I never expected that something I accidentally learned would become the key to connecting everything," Herta explained.
"It's the identity of 'that person', isn't it?" Aventurine's lips curled into a slight smile.
"It seems you're also aware," a hint of surprise flashed in Herta's eyes.
"I can't be sure, but I'm willing to bet on that possibility."
"The murder case is a good excuse, but it's far from enough. Even if there were one or two murders in Penacony, they would only affect a very small number of people and wouldn't cause a stir."
"This beautiful dream is not a vast ocean, but an isolated island. The Family uses harmony to build seawalls and high walls, isolating the outside world and protecting people from drowning in the ocean...."
...At the same time, they also use this 'isolation of death' barrier to bury unknown secrets in the deep sea. In a beautiful dream without pain or casualties, those secrets will never see the light of day. Unless...."
"Unless someone goes to the other side of the barrier and can come back alive," Herta interjected.
"March 7th: It's two more riddlers. What's this isolating wall, and who is 'that person'?!"
"Sparkle: Actually, I think~ maybe your idea is going down a dead end. Why not think~ who has Herta seen in the video so far?"
"March 7th: Uh... Could it be...? No way?!"
Aventurine said confidently, "I received a hint very early on: If the mute person isn't pointing to 'someone who can't make a sound,' then it can only be 'someone who can't speak'..."
"That person who survived the deep sea but can no longer step forward and speak—I'm very glad to know she's still in Penacony and safe and sound."
"Hint... not evidence...?" Herta asked, puzzled.
However, Aventurine slowly shook his head in denial: "Unfortunately, I have no evidence. The only thing that can corroborate these conjectures is the Family's honesty when facing death. They are too generous to outsiders, which makes them seem to be trying to cover something up."
"But suspecting something doesn't require evidence; uncovering the truth does—for me, the former is enough. I don't need to find that Memory Zone Meme; I just need someone who can kill me like it can."
Herta replied, "In my opinion, you weren't entirely confident. Broadcasting across the entire city, trying to draw more people into the game... that's also because you're betting on the possibility that 'someone can break the barrier.'"
"You are indeed very lucky. Fate made our paths converge, and I happen to be equipped with a sharp blade—sharp enough to cut down the curtain of dreams and simultaneously sever the harmony brand on you..."
"You are also very cunning. You deliberately designed us to stand on opposite sides, repeatedly repeating the 'Emissary' rhetoric in front of others, leaving me with no choice but to draw my blade."
"Silver Wolf: And he also cleared his negative status. This wave was a huge win."
"March 7th: Wow, he's really scary. I remember Sunday had already used his ability on him, and he was going to be assimilated by harmony in a few hours. But through this move, he not only completed his mission but also became safe."
"Jing Yuan: Yes, but the premise is to gamble—gamble that death does not exist, putting his own life as a chip in the gamble. The title of Gambler is well-deserved."
"Aventurine: General, you flatter me. I just prepared to bet everything—all, or nothing."
"That's why you can win. Luck and strategy are indispensable."
"And in your plan, the Company is always the winner. Even if you lose in the end... for the Family, the life of an envoy is expensive enough."
"Silver Wolf: The declaration of war is there."
"Botio: Then he's certainly precious. The Company isn't some good guy. The death of a high-ranking executive is enough for them to send a small cute fleet to bomb the Family."
"A huge gamble, isn't it? But allow me to point out one mistake: The Company is not guaranteed to win. On one crucial matter, I truly have no backup," Aventurine replied.
"Detonating a Stellar Core... I can't do it. The sha jin stone is already too shattered, unable to even protect me from leaving the stage unscathed."
"If you hadn't drawn that blade in the end... I would have lost everything."
"Qingque: This is a huge gamble, my friend."
"Discussing 'if' is meaningless. You won. You won yourself a ticket to that deep sea," Herta reminded the other party calmly, as if she had seen through everything long ago. Then, she changed the subject: "And after this, whether you can return from the abyss... that will be your other big gamble."
After saying this, Herta frowned slightly, then asked softly, "...Did you never hesitate?"
Facing this question, Aventurine's expression remained as indifferent as ever. He slowly replied:
"Hesitate? Of course. But I can only trust my good luck. Because besides that, I have nothing."
Herta quietly closed her eyes. A moment later, she gently turned around and said:
"...Wake up from this dream and go where you should go. Your gamble... is not over yet."
Watching Herta's receding back, Aventurine took a deep breath, then slowly said:
"Before we part, can you answer one more question? As someone walking on that path, can you tell me...."
"Why are we born into this world for death?"
"Black Swan: It is precisely because people will always die that Memory seems so precious and fleeting. Everything one does in life, every little experience, and the connections one builds with others, all become precious memories. These are existences that cannot be erased by time."
"Ruan Mei: The land beneath every life, no matter how many years of vicissitudes it experiences, always carries the reproduction and life of all living things. Although everything may eventually turn to dust, the process displayed during this process is irreplaceable. Since everything will return to nothingness, then the present moment we possess is the most real and meaningful."
"March 7th: What you two are saying is so complicated.... I just feel that since we live in this world, we should always record something, leave something behind."
Herta gently shook her head, responding with a firm tone, "I never think that, and neither do you."
Aventurine let out a long sigh: "But nothingness does envelop you and me... and everyone."
She frowned slightly, turned to look at Aventurine, and replied indifferently, "Precisely because of that, it has no meaning."
"But it's still there. If the dice of fate are always loaded, then that is our destined 歸宿. Why... should we resist it?"
Herta's gaze deepened: "My answer may not resolve your confusion, because it has accompanied you all the way and is already a part of your life."
"But you said that sleep is a rehearsal for death. Why does life fall asleep? Because we are not yet ready to face death."
"So you must also understand why we want to be prepared."