Robin's figure appeared on the screen. "Their names are carved on the monument, which means..."
Himeko replied, "According to Mika, they passed away a long time ago."
The man standing beside Himeko, whom she called Mika, took a deep breath and then continued his introduction: "Lazarina sacrificed herself in the War of Independence. To understand the flow of remembrance, she piloted a shuttle deep into the center of the star system alone and never returned...."
"Tiernan was a cowboy skilled with firearms, strong and reliable. He led the people through a brutal external war but didn't live to see the day peace truly arrived."
"For ten years after the war, Penacony was plagued by internal and external troubles. For Asdana, Tiernan resumed the path of Trailblaze, leading the Moth Family to explore outside the star system, but they were tragically surrounded by a swarm... and completely annihilated."
[Asta: Are there still remnants of the swarm in the Asdana Star System?]
[Herta: An interesting thought, but after all these years, if there were a swarm, the Family would have issued corresponding announcements and countermeasures.]
[Herta: I'm more inclined to believe—there isn't.]
After listening to Mika's introduction, March 7th couldn't help but sigh, "Although I had some expectations, the stories of our predecessors... are still very regrettable."
Himeko thoughtfully stroked the blank monument and raised a question: "Their lives were a continuous journey into the unknown, worthy of the name Trailblaze. But... what about this monument without words...?"
"When Dreamscape Reef was established, its owner was not yet deceased. But that person said, 'There has to be a day like this,' and insisted on erecting a blank monument for Old Woman."
[Guinaifen: Xiao Gui Zi thinks this person is Ragework.]
[Qingque: Isn't that an obvious fact? But I'm more curious about what he experienced, and Mika...]
Just as Mika was about to answer, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him:
"Members of the Astral Express, we meet again."
Everyone turned to look, only to see Gallagher, Sunday, and Firefly walking over.
Sunday's voice trembled slightly as he called out, "Robin!"
"I brought Gallagher. It's time... to face the 'truth,'" Firefly said softly, looking at everyone.
Sunday hurriedly pulled Robin aside. The others were clearly a bit helpless but didn't say much, giving the siblings time to talk.
Misha seemed a bit bewildered: "Eh... It suddenly got lively. There are so many people."
Looking at the two talking privately in the distance, Mika shrugged: "I brought the person. The rest of it, Gallagher will tell you himself... Everyone, take care."
Gallagher nodded slightly at Mika, then turned his gaze back to the Trailblaze Crew and said, "I promised those siblings a little private space. Let's talk about our business first, what do you all think?"
"No problem. But Mr. Gallagher has gone to great lengths to gather the Family's spokesperson, the Astral Express, and the Stellaron Hunters in one place. I imagine there's something important to convey, isn't there?" Welt asked.
"Tsk, even you noticed?"
March 7th, with a helpless expression, crossed her arms over her chest and grumbled irritably, "You've practically written 'mastermind' all over your face."
"Hahaha," Gallagher couldn't help but chuckle softly, but he quickly waved his hand, his expression turning serious as he said, "Mr. Welt is right, it's indeed time to be frank."
Then, the corners of Gallagher's mouth curved slightly upward, revealing a hint of cunning amusement: "Those siblings know everything they need to know; they know how to choose. You Nameless arrived relatively late, so I should take some time to answer your questions."
"Before we begin, let me reintroduce myself—"
With that, Gallagher paused briefly, then cleared his throat with a light cough, and continued: "The founder of Dreamscape Reef, the Clockmaker's assistant, and also the one who sent that invitation..."
"Imaginary Historians Gallagher, greetings to everyone."
"Oh, you Imaginary Historians, so everything you told us before was made up?" March 7th said, sounding a bit angry.
"I can vouch for this: the stories I told you earlier are all true... well, most of them, except for the part about 'the Family re-accepting me.'"
[March 7th: You really are only thirteen years old!]
[Himeko: It should be said... Mr. Gallagher himself belongs to a 'fictional character'? He was created thirteen years ago, so saying he is only 13 is also correct.]
[Gallagher: Very clever, that is indeed the truth.]
Himeko then explained to the others: "I confirmed with Mika that the stories about the Family, the Clockmaker, and Mikhail are all verified."
Gallagher breathed a sigh of relief: "Understanding is paramount, so we can talk openly now. I'm sure you're all very curious why I went to such great lengths to orchestrate an inheritance battle, send invitations to so many factions, and stir up Penacony..."
"The answer is actually very simple, and you are all very familiar with it. The root of everything... is the Stellaron."
[March 7th: I knew it! Otherwise, why would Sam and Silver Wolf both come to Penacony... We're practically Stellaron disposal experts now!]
[Bronya: But it's really strange. Penacony is so prosperous, how could it have a Stellaron problem?]
"A Stellaron? Penacony is unobstructed, an interconnected interstellar hub, and there are no signs of contamination. How could it be related to a Stellaron?" Welt asked, frowning.
Gallagher shrugged and said:
"What you said is completely correct, so why not guess what that means?"
"Someone is manipulating the Stellaron?" Star said tentatively.
"Very sharp. How should I put it, as expected of the person most familiar with Stellarons here?" Gallagher replied.
"Beautiful dreams don't just appear out of thin air. If the Remembrance Domain is compared to the ocean, establishing a Land of Dreams is like filling in land in a turbulent sea."
"To achieve this feat, unless an Emissary of memory or Mystery takes action, the only way is to use a Stellaron."
"Moreover, this isn't something that can be done with a simple wish. It requires a considerable degree of knowledge, plus a lot of time and manpower, to make it so flawless. Now that I've said this much, you should understand, right...?"
"The star of the Festival today is the Stellaron disaster of Asdana."