"Ugh—"
Out of nowhere, a sudden chill ran down Sylvia's spine.
Alert, she quickly scanned her surroundings. Her eyes met Robin's gentle gaze before drifting over to see Sparkle's mischievous, grinning face.
"..."
She had a nagging feeling that Sparkle was brewing another one of those "misery loves company" schemes. But Sylvia had no proof.
Still, that look of someone just waiting for the drama to unfold was enough to make Sylvia shoot a sharp glare in her direction.
Sparkle didn't seem to mind. She just gave Sylvia a playful, cheery wink before turning on her heel and skipping off to find a place to rest.
With the arrival of the engineering vessel from the Xianzhou, the initial cleanup of the Train was completed swiftly, and the interior space was finally cleared out.
Although the damage was severe—the glass, the doors, and the interior decor were almost entirely pulverized—it was clear the engine would also need a total replacement.
In short, it was going to take a fortune and a team of experts to get it running again.
However, after discussing the situation with Sylvia, the leader of the Xianzhou dispatch team advised against transporting the Train back to the Alliance.
Though it hadn't been intentional, the wreckage of this train had fused with the remnants of the Swarm. It had become a parasitic fusion of machinery and biological matter.
In the Xianzhou Alliance, anything involving that particular brand of contamination was subject to the strictest regulations.
Forget about docking at the Luofu for repairs—even if you were just passing through a Xianzhou port, the authorities would likely impound the vessel.
They would haul it away for a grueling inspection and only release it once they were absolutely certain it posed zero threat.
Strictly speaking, as a citizen of the Xianzhou, the lead engineer probably shouldn't have been giving such advice. But rules are static, while people are flexible.
This mess was clearly tied to the Propagation, and since the parties involved were Sylvia and the Astral Express—both trusted friends of the Alliance—she offered the most practical suggestion she could without compromising her principles.
Sylvia took the advice to heart and began to ponder where exactly they could tow this thing for repairs.
Her own planet was currently in the middle of a massive monster-clearing operation.
With artillery fire booming across the surface, it wasn't exactly an ideal shipyard.
Jarilo-VI was a decent candidate, but Sylvia didn't personally know the people there. There was no need to drag the Express crew into a long negotiation on her behalf.
Besides, the Astral Express was a significant piece of history.
Handing it over to strangers for restoration didn't feel right, and neither Sylvia nor the crew had the luxury of time to sit around and micromanage the construction schedule.
It was best to find someone they already knew.
After thinking for a moment, Sylvia realized that Herta Space Station seemed like an excellent choice. She just wasn't sure if Herta herself would be interested.
With that in mind, Sylvia reached out to Herta for the first time in a while. Lately, Herta hadn't summoned her to test the Simulated Universe; Stelle had been the one making all the trips.
Sylvia wondered if the genius had simply lost interest in her, or if she just didn't want to simulate the Aeon of Permanence anymore.
--+--
[Sylvia: Madam Herta, are you interested in a broken Astral Express train?]
[Sylvia: (Attached Image)]
--+--
A good while passed before the message status changed to "Read." Madam Herta's reply finally popped up:
--+--
[Herta: It's alright, I guess. I've already studied Himeko's Express; there's nothing particularly rare about it.]
[Herta: Why? You want me to fix it for you?]
[Sylvia: I wouldn't dream of troubling you with that, Madam Herta. I just wanted to ask if I could borrow some space at the station. I'll pay for the spot.]
[Sylvia: By the way, aren't you curious about where the Conductor of the Astral Express comes from?]
[Sylvia: According to Miss Himeko, after she finished repairing the train and set out into the cosmos, Pom-Pom just... walked out on their own.]
[Herta: Hm? Is that so?]
[Herta: Interesting. Elaborate.]
[Sylvia: I don't know the details myself; I'm just a listener. If you're curious, Madam Herta, you can come see for yourself.]
[Herta: Girl, you've successfully piqued my interest.]
[Herta: Send it over. I'll have Asta handle the repairs, but you have to let me study it.]
[Sylvia: Deal. Just don't take the whole thing apart.]
[Herta: Relax, I know what I'm doing.]
[Herta: Make it quick.]
--+--
A moment later, Herta suddenly reappeared to add one last thing:
--+--
[Herta: Oh, right. Remember to stop by and test the Simulated Universe. I've prepared something big for you.]
[Sylvia: ?]
--+--
Herta went offline immediately after. Sylvia's question mark hung there, unread.
It wasn't a huge deal; she'd figure out the situation once she got back to the station. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of "big" thing Herta had cooked up this time.
Sylvia put her phone down, only to find everyone else huddled in front of her, watching her expectantly.
"How did it go? Is there a good spot?" March 7th asked, clearly invested in the new train—especially after learning there used to be an entire fleet of them.
"Yeah. I asked Herta. She said we can take it to the space station, and she'll help with the repairs."
"Yay! Sylvia, you're the best!"
March was thrilled to have found such a reliable solution.
Even if her own feelings toward Madam Herta were a bit complicated, having a member of the Genius Society on the job meant this train would definitely be restarting its journey of Trailblaze soon.
And so, the following day, the engineering ship towed the damaged train toward Herta Space Station. March 7th and Stelle left with the ship as well.
Sylvia asked Robin if she wanted to go along for the trip, but Robin simply asked if Sylvia was going.
When Sylvia said no—explaining that she could teleport and visit the station whenever she liked, so there was no need to spend days on a slow ship—Robin declined the long-distance voyage as well.
Instead, she chose to return to Penacony with Sylvia and Sparkle.
The moment they stepped back into their room at the Reverie Hotel, Robin visibly relaxed. She even kicked off her high heels, revealing her near-perfect, pale feet.
Stepping barefoot onto the plush carpet, Robin threw herself onto the sofa, abandoning her idol image for a moment of pure comfort.
"Phew... getting out for a bit really cleared my head. I feel so refreshed."
Sylvia glanced at the slightly flushed soles of Robin's feet and poured a cup of coffee, handing it over.
"Tired from all the walking these past few days?"
A superstar like her had been hiking through the wilderness with Sylvia, flying haphazardly through space with Bella, and even taking a power drill to some bugs. It was no wonder she was exhausted.
"Mm... a little, but I'm okay."
Robin leaned against the armrest, stretching her legs out across the length of the sofa. She didn't seem to mind at all that her bare feet were in full view.
"Then you should take the day to get some proper rest."
Sylvia took a seat a fair distance away from Robin. Unlike Stelle and March, who rarely used perfume or makeup, Robin was different.
Her scent wasn't overpowering, but it was distinct and lingering.
The last time Acheron had caught a whiff of Robin's scent on her, things had... escalated.
Thinking back on that scene made Sylvia's face flush every single time. If she could help it, she didn't want a repeat performance.
However, seeing Sylvia sit so far away, Robin pouted. She began to playfully drum her heels against the sofa cushions, complaining:
"Why are you sitting all the way over there? Come closer! It's hard to talk from across the room."
--+--
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.