After Pom-Pom announced Sylvia's official induction to the rest of the crew, something miraculous happened.
Sylvia felt a surge of new energy manifesting within her out of thin air. If she wasn't mistaken, this had to be the power of the Path of Trailblaze.
With a smile, Sylvia took a seat in the parlor car to join the others for breakfast.
Her gaze drifted toward Pom-Pom every now and then.
Last night, Himeko had given her the nod as the Navigator, yet Sylvia hadn't felt any different then.
It wasn't until this morning, when Pom-Pom acknowledged her and made the public announcement, that this power finally surfaced.
It seemed the Astral Express—and its Conductor—held more mysteries than met the eye. The "judgment criteria" for joining was certainly intriguing.
Once breakfast was over, Sylvia claimed a room of her own on the train. It was in the third carriage, right next door to Stelle's. The four rooms in the previous carriage were already occupied by the other veterans.
Stelle headed straight back to Aurum Alley after eating; things were reaching a critical climax there, and she was in the thick of the excitement.
She gave Sylvia a quick wave before vanishing. Welt, meanwhile, returned to the Artisanship Commission, while Himeko did something rare—she went window-shopping with March 7th.
They mentioned needing to stock up on snacks and the Xianzhou Alliance's specialty coffee beans.
Sylvia took the opportunity to head back to her home on the Luofu to pack some clothes and bedding, giving her new quarters on the Express a bit of personal flair.
Even though she had joined the crew, Himeko mentioned that the Express would remain docked at the Xianzhou for a few more days before departure.
During this time, the members were free to come and go as they pleased.
Instead of lingering, Sylvia used the teleporter to head back to Penacony, rematerializing within the Reverie Hotel.
Back in the Planet of Festivities, she wasn't in a hurry to investigate anything specific.
Instead, she messaged Robin first to check on the current situation.
The girl hadn't updated her on the results of her latest move; if Robin hadn't been consistently reporting that she was safe, Sylvia might have already marched off to demand answers from Sunday.
As she walked, eyes glued to her phone, Sylvia suddenly froze.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted an unexpected character perched on a roadside railing.
There, protruding quite abruptly from a banister post, were three tufts of hair that looked exactly like cartoon cowlicks.
"...An Origami Bird?"
Sylvia was puzzled, but then it clicked—she had completely forgotten these little things existed in the Dreamscape. But wait...
As far as she remembered, Origami Birds were supposed to be nothing more than cartoon mascots in Penacony.
When she first arrived, she had excitedly gone to check the spots where they gathered in the game, only to find absolutely nothing.
After asking Miss Robin, she learned that Penacony had never actually had "wild" Origami Bird sightings.
Robin had assumed Sylvia was chasing some strange rumor and even recommended several gift shops that sold Origami Bird merchandise.
"So what the heck is this thing in front of me? Some kind of game event organized by the Family?"
Intrigued and confused, Sylvia reached out and grabbed those three cartoonish, strangely-textured feathers. She gave them a sharp tug.
Pop!
Even the sound of it being pulled out was incredibly cartoony. A yellow Origami Bird was yanked right out of the railing post by Sylvia.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp!"
The familiar chirping ensued, accompanied by a series of bizarre-sounding complaints.
Before Sylvia could even process what was happening, she gave a few distracted nods of "uh-huh" and "sure," only to watch the chubby little bird flap its tiny paper wings and fly away.
By the time Sylvia snapped out of it, she noticed the passersby staring at her with bewildered expressions.
A helpful member of the Bloodhound Family even stepped over to ask if she was having some kind of trouble.
"...Um, did you see that Origami Bird just now?"
"An Origami Bird?" The Bloodhound blinked, assuming she was talking about a lost keychain or plushie.
"Did you lose some merchandise, guest? If you can describe the features, I can help you look for it."
Sylvia stared back, stunned. What did he mean? How could he miss a bird that big?
"No, no, I didn't buy any merch. I mean a real one—it was right here, flapping its wings, chirping at me, and then it flew off. You didn't see that?"
"Er..."
The Bloodhound's gaze turned pitying. He clearly thought Sylvia had spent a little too much time in the Dreamscape and was starting to lose her grip on reality.
"Honored guest, perhaps you've been submerged in the dream for too long. You might need some medical assistance... or perhaps you should leave the dream and get some proper rest."
"...You really didn't see it?"
"Guest, there are no 'living' Origami Birds scripted into the Golden Hour. I'm afraid you may have been mistaken, or perhaps you confused a piece of merchandise for the real thing."
Seeing the Bloodhound's earnest attitude and the increasingly concerned looks he was giving her, Sylvia finally threw in the towel.
"Yeah... maybe I'm just overtired and seeing things. Sorry to bother you. I'll go get some rest later."
"Not a problem at all. Feel free to reach out if you need anything else. May your dreams be beautiful."
The Bloodhound was patient, even offering a bit of comfort before they parted ways. Once he was gone, Sylvia's expression darkened.
"Something is wrong. This is beyond weird..."
So, normal people couldn't see the Origami Birds.
Or rather, she herself hadn't been able to see them until now. Was the "Origami Bird Hunt" from the game not just a gameplay mechanic, but a literal part of the lore?
But why could she see them now? What was the difference between her yesterday and her today?
Wait—there was a difference!
Sylvia suddenly realized that before today, she wasn't a member of the Astral Express. Before today, she didn't possess the power of the Trailblaze.
Did it have to do with being a Trailblazer? But... why on earth would Penacony's classic cartoon mascot be linked to the Trailblaze?
Sylvia felt her brain stalling. Good grief. If she hadn't run into Himeko last night and joined the crew on a whim, who knows how long she would have been kept in the dark?
She knew that three Nameless had been instrumental in the liberation of Penacony, but the subsequent reconstruction was supposed to be the work of the Family, who had basically swooped in to claim the spoils.
With the Watchmaker's influence supposedly waning, just how many "hidden nails" had he driven into Penacony's foundation?
Sylvia scratched her head in frustration. Let's be real here: the plot she remembered from the Space Station to the Luofu had been a fairly straight line.
Why was it that as soon as she hit Penacony—the part of the story she hadn't finished—everything suddenly got so complicated?
"...Wait a second. Speaking of things I forgot... where the hell is Misha the bellboy?! How can a whole grown man just go missing like that?!"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.