The train pulled smoothly into the starport.
Sylvia and Mei stepped off without a hitch and headed toward the lobby of The Reverie Hotel to check in.
Of course, only Mei needed to register.
But right before they got off the train, Sylvia looked at Pom-Pom, who had already grown quite accustomed to moving around and cleaning while riding on the larvae.
She smiled and said, "Conductor, over the next couple of days, a short girl with twin tails, dressed in red and named Sparkle, will probably come by wanting to board the train."
"Oh? Passenger Sylvia has found another companion to join the Express in Penacony?" Pom-Pom patted Sylvia's shoulder, looking deeply gratified.
"Well, let's call her half a companion. What I mean is, if she comes here alone, remember to wait until I get back before doing anything, Conductor. Sparkle is a Masked Fool."
"Ah... uh..."
Pom-Pom's small, raised hand froze mid-air.
To be honest, the Conductor didn't have a great impression of the Masked Fools as a group. Or rather, most people in the universe didn't look upon them too fondly.
Pom-Pom had likely experienced the absurd, destructive tendencies of the Masked Fools firsthand.
Consequently, the Conductor looked highly reluctant, an adorable face crumpling up completely. "Alright... I'll make sure not to open the door!"
Looking at Pom-Pom's wrinkled little face, Sylvia couldn't help but burst into laughter. But not wanting to dampen Pom-Pom's enthusiasm, she simply reached out and gently rubbed the Conductor's ears.
"Mei and I are heading down now. Call me anytime if you need anything, Conductor."
"Understood! Have a smooth journey, Passenger Sylvia, Passenger Raiden." Pom-Pom waved happily upon hearing Sylvia's reassurance. Having a crew member who could open teleports was truly wonderful—it offered a total sense of security.
After bidding the Conductor farewell, Sylvia and Mei walked toward The Reverie Hotel.
Small, circular, low-altitude flying vehicles were scattered all over the roadside. They were completely free and available to use at a moment's notice.
Once they boarded a vehicle and set their destination, Sylvia turned her head to speak to Mei.
"After you finish checking in and head to your room, I'm going to find Robin first to check on the situation. We can meet up in the dreamscape after that. I'll show you around."
Mei would have preferred for them to share a room, but because of the dream-entry requirement, the rooms in Penacony were all singles. There was no helping it.
Furthermore, strictly from a business perspective, Robin had hired Sylvia. Mei didn't intend to tag along and crowd the space.
Besides, if anything happened, she could still rush over at a moment's notice. So, Mei nodded and readily agreed.
"Alright."
"Come to think of it, didn't we say back then that we'd grab a drink together once we reached Penacony?" Sylvia tilted her head to look over, and Mei offered a genuinely warm smile.
"Yes. Let's go for a drink when we have some free time."
Sylvia was naturally more than willing. Having someone to drink with was definitely happier than drinking alone. Plus, it would ward off any unwanted advances.
The vehicle was fast and steady. It didn't take long to deliver Sylvia and Mei to the main lobby.
However, just as they stepped into the lobby and were about to head to the front desk to check in, Sylvia's eyes suddenly widened. She stared fixedly at a blue-haired youth ahead of them.
The youth, who originally seemed a bit at a loss and looked as though he hadn't fully woken up yet, also appeared to be searching for guests to assist. His gaze locked smoothly with Sylvia's.
"Ah, esteemed guests, have you just arrived at The Reverie? I am a bellboy here at The Reverie Hotel. Allow me to lead the way." Somewhat flustered but still maintaining proper etiquette, the blue-haired youth quickly hurried over to stand before Sylvia and Mei.
Mei glanced at the shifting expression on Sylvia's face, then spoke up. "What is your name? Please guide me to my room in a moment."
"My name is Misha, a bellboy here at The Reverie. By the way, guests, where is your luggage?"
"We don't have any extra luggage."
"I see. Please, right this way—" Misha smiled and gestured politely, then accompanied Sylvia and Mei as they walked toward the front desk.
After waiting in a brief line, it was smoothly Mei's turn.
"This is the check-in desk," Misha's voice sounded beside them. Immediately after, the receptionist's voice followed:
"Hello, guest. How may I assist you today?"
"I am a Galaxy Ranger invited to attend the Charmony Festival. Here is the invitation." She handed the music box over to the receptionist.
The authenticity of the invitation was verified without a hitch, confirming the fact that the Galaxy Rangers were indeed among the invited parties.
"The Galaxy Rangers are indeed on the guest list. May I ask for your name, guest—"
"Acheron. Galaxy Ranger Acheron."
While Mei was handling her check-in, Sylvia kept her eyes glued to Misha.
There were no flaws, and his clothes matched the uniform of The Reverie Hotel perfectly. But the biggest issue lay elsewhere.
Just a moment ago, Sylvia had attempted to utilize the [Truth-Seeking Sigil]. She discovered that once that layer of unknown illusion was dispelled, Misha vanished right along with it.
This made Sylvia instinctively feel that this child, Misha, might somehow be connected to the mastermind behind the scenes. Could this layer of illusion have something to do with him?
Sylvia didn't make a scene.
She waited until Mei had found her room under Misha's guidance.
Once they watched Misha leave, Sylvia slipped into Mei's room, shut the door, and said with immense caution, "There is a massive problem with that child."
"I can tell. Your expression was quite fascinating when you saw him earlier." Mei smiled and pinched Sylvia's cheek. It hadn't been appropriate to indulge in such playful gestures outside, but now that they were in the privacy of the room, it didn't matter.
Sylvia ignored Mei's hands-on behavior and spoke up. "During my last visit to Penacony, I specifically looked for and even investigated Misha. This person named Misha does not exist in the entirety of The Reverie Hotel. He suddenly popped up out of nowhere without my knowledge."
"What's more, I tried using my ability just now, but Misha vanished into thin air the exact moment that layer of illusion was broken."
As Mei listened, a thoughtful expression appeared on her face. She actually wanted to ask Sylvia how she had thought to investigate a nonexistent person before Misha had even shown up in the first place.
But compared to that, she was more curious about the two suspicious points Sylvia had mentioned.
Appearing out of thin air, and vanishing the moment an illusion was broken. It was indeed highly suspicious.
"I understand. Let's look into Misha when we get the chance. But before that, shouldn't you be heading over to find Miss Robin?" Mei didn't object to starting an investigation immediately.
However, Robin was Sylvia's employer after all, so it was best to stick to the plan and go check on the big star first. Perhaps Miss Robin had managed to gather some intelligence during this period as well.
"True enough. Then, Mei, why don't you explore the dreamscape first? For what it's worth, Penacony really is quite interesting. Have fun."
"I'll try to experience it."
Seeing Mei nod, Sylvia pushed open the door and left the room. She walked toward the place where Robin was staying, sending her a message on her phone along the way.
[Sylvia: I'm back. Are you in your room right now, Robin?]
[Robin: Welcome back. Yes, I am.]
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL