Meanwhile
Welt can be seen glancing at the database to see any information he could find. Everything involving this young man named Zhi Jiang is very weird to him.
What are the very odds of having another Astral Express's Passenger who happens to be someone from his own home planet when said planet is either out of reach, has no information, or even acknowledged by a group of genius people?
There is a possibility that the Aeons knew the planet's existence, but with how they are detached from humanity, they didn't bother mentioning it to anyone. Sure, Aha might be a culprit for such randomness or even playing a cruel irony against him, but something about this makes Welt believe there's more than just a simple 'Aha being Aha' explanation.
Sadly, all he can do is research and see if he can find a clue. Unfortunately, like every one of his attempts to search for an unknown habitable planet that everyone mocked for the inhabitants' naming sense, it failed.
Another weird thing is the weapons. It wasn't something technological advance, it was just a pair of hi-tech weapons that can be mass-produced by either the IPC, the Genius Society, or even a random civilization from a random planet, and even they could create a much advanced tech than those two.
If Welt understood Aha's twisted sense of humor, they would like to see chaos, so bringing a normal hi-tech weapon along with a random person from Earth doesn't feel like their type of chaos.
...when he thought about it, why does everything that he and Zhi Jiang went through feel like a classic tale of isekai from his home planet?
"Is something wrong, Mr Yang?" Welt stops his thought and glances at Dan Heng, who has a neutral expression, but his eyes show a sign of concern.
"...It's nothing," Welt says as he glances at the monitor on the screen.
"...so, this new passenger, he's from your home planet?" Dan Heng asks as Welt nods. "...you never told us much about your home."
"...it wasn't a pleasant memory for me," Welt responds. It wasn't a lie, as he had to save his Earth from complete annihilation from time to time. He had seen friends come and go, so it was not something Welt liked to talk about.
"...sorry. I shouldn't have asked," Dan Heng apologizes.
"Don't be, I know you all are curious after what had happened," Welt says with a small smile.
"...is it truly Aha who's responsible for this?" Dan Heng asks curiously.
"...what makes you believe they weren't?" Welt asks back, curious about what Dan Heng thought.
"From all the archives about Aeon, specifically Aha, I would assume that their antics are more...chaotic. Compared to other records of their...'mischief', this one is pretty tame." Dan Heng points out.
"Let's not start tempting the Aeon," Welt says in a lighthearted manner with a hint of nervousness in his tone. He hoped Aha didn't take his words as a challenge and start causing chaos. A few of the planets they had visited were already chaotic enough to handle; they didn't need more.
"But, I understand your skepticism," Welt says as he adjusts his glasses. "Even so, I don't think our new passenger here will cause any trouble on the train. From what March told us, he isn't a bad person."
"No offense to March, but she tends to downplay some things." Dan Heng says with a frown.
"Put more faith in your junior a bit, Dan Heng," Welt says kindly. "March is a great judge of character, so she's rarely wrong about this."
"...let's hope so," Dan Heng says with slight reluctance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
With March and Zhi Jiang
"And here is the Parlor Car!" March gestures towards the parlor car, and honestly, Zhi Jiang can't help but think this place is like a sci-fi equivalent of a rich guy's living room.
"It's...interesting..." Zhi Jiang says with honesty.
"This is a place where Nameless loves to have meetings. Discussing which planets we're going to visit, what's the best course of action involving any type of threat, and even managing our budget!" March says.
"And you, March, tend to use all the budget to buy as many souvenirs or outfits as you like," March froze as Himeko approached them. "Hello, Zhi Jiang. I hope you get enough rest."
"I did..." Zhi Jiang responded with a nod. "March has been kind enough to give me a tour around. And also, sorry for intruding on the train...although I had no idea how I got here..."
"No worries, neither of us blames you for something like this," Himeko says with a warm smile. "And I hope March didn't cause any trouble."
"Hey! I was being responsible!" March exclaims as Himeko raises her eyebrow in amusement. "...this time."
"She didn't cause any trouble, Ms. Himeko," Zhi Jiang says honestly.
"Ah, March has introduced us," Himeko muses as Zhi Jiang nods. "Well, let me reintroduce myself. I am Himeko, the navigator of the Astral Express Nameless crew. And I welcome you into the Astral Express."
"Thanks..." Zhi Jiang nods with a small smile before glancing around. "I heard in March that there are two more people here, but I don't see them around."
"Ah, unfortunately, they're both busy investigating a few things," Himeko says as Zhi Jiang glances at her.
"...is it because I somehow got into the train cargo without any warning?" Zhi Jiang asks. Something like that is worth investigating, especially when it could threaten the train's safety.
"And the weapon we found besides you!" March exclaims. Himeko seems nervous before glancing at Zhi Jiang, who notices this and grows nervous.
"...I swear, I didn't bring any weapon, nor do I have any plan to harm any of you guys." Zhi Jiang raises his hands, fearing he might get accused of a crime he didn't commit, or planning to commit.
"Don't worry, we're not blaming you for anything," Himeko reassures him, which lets out a sigh of relief. "I was more concerned about how you react to weapons, given the scars of your injuries, we suspect you might have...trauma with anything related to battle, including weapons."
"...I'm too busy surviving on a deserted island. But, there are a few times I attracted sharks because of the blood from all the fish I gutted." Zhi Jiang says honestly, which earns a concerned look from both Himeko and March.
"...well, you don't have to worry about sharks anymore," March says in a lighthearted manner.
"...I think with everything you told me about the cosmic world, sharks would be the least of my worries," Zhi Jiang says in a deadpan manner, earning a sheepish chuckle from March. Himeko didn't join in as she is visibly concerned for the new passenger here. A boy who didn't attempt to travel the cosmos and lived a normal life had received the short end of the stick by dealing with the natural threat in his home world, while wishing to return.
To some people, what he had gone through seems light, but Himeko never liked to compare people's suffering with each other and believed they should get as much help as possible.
"Zhi Jiang," Himeko calls, getting the young man's attention. "As a passenger of the Astral Express, you have the right to know about the things we have done. As Nameless, our current mission is to retrace Akivili's trace through the star rails between planets that had been severed after our Aeon's disappearance."
"Wait, Aeon could go missing?" Zhi Jiang was surprised to hear about the information. "Is...it like how in some story, gods slowly disappear due to loss of faith?"
"I have no idea where that story comes from, but it's much more complicated than that, and it's still a mystery even for us," Himeko responds before continuing. "And our attempt to connect the star rails had been met with some...interruptions, sometimes a planet-ending interruptions."
"...you guys sound like a cosmic superhero more than travellers," Zhi Jiang says dryly, earning a giggle from March and a chuckle from Himeko.
"We're not self-righteous enough to call ourselves a hero," Himeko says. "But, still, the danger we're dealing with is unquestionable. You can stay in this Express whenever we stop on planet after planet. Pom-Pom will do everything to try and make sure this Express is safe, including this passenger."
"...thank you for telling me this," Zhi Jiang says honestly. It was quite scary to hear Himeko's explanation regarding the threat, but they were honest enough to tell him about it and even suggested that he should stay in the Express for the sake of his safety. It was enough for Zhi Jiang to put some trust in them. And they didn't say he'll be safe but they'll try to keep him safe, so they are aware the possibility that they might not be but they will still try, which reassures Zhi Jiang even more. Himeko nods at Zhi Jiang's response.
"You're not offering him to join the Nameless?" March whispers into Himeko, making sure Zhi Jiang didn't hear it as he glances around the parlor car.
"Perhaps one day we could suggest the offer. Right now, let him adjust to everything around him." Himeko says as MArch nods. Meanwhile, Zhi Jiang walks around the parlor car before noticing two strange tech items he has never seen in his life. One looks like a gun handle with the muzzle missing and the handle's front guard designed to be overly bulky, and one that looks like a spear tip with the handle of a knife.
"Are those the weapons you guys have been talking about?" Zhi Jiang grabs one of them and shows it to Himeko and March.
"Yes," Himeko nods in confirmation. "The one you hold is a collapsible bow that could shoot an energy bow, which means you are not required to hold a quiver filled with arrows."
"Just like me, although my bow isn't collapsible and my ammo is a Six-Phased Ice I could create myself," March exclaims before her voice gets lower as she speaks. "...okay, maybe not like me."
"The other one is a collapsible spear. The blade could be adjusted to a normal spear or an energy spear; each had its own strength." Himeko says as Zhi Jiang furrows his brow.
"Bow and spear....those are weapons I used to hunt fish or any animals to survive..." Zhi Jiang mutters, causing an uncomfortable silence in the Parlor Car. "...I think you guys should keep this. Just for safety sake."
Before Himeko could respond, a sound came from the speaker of the train.
"Attention, passengers!" Pom-Pom's voice could be heard from the speaker. "We have received a distress call from Herta's Space Station! The Antimatter Legion has launched their attack on the station!"
"...is that one of the threats you guys might face in your journey? And this space station is your next stop..?" Zhi Jiang mutters nervously, before noticing Himeko's expression, one that says 'We're going there'.
"I'm preparing my bow," March says as she goes out of the Parlor Car.
"Pom-Pom, set the Warp Jump to near Herta's Space Station!" Himeko exclaims.
"Got it! Choo choo! Passengers, please sit down, no one fight, and warp jump watch your head!! Choo choo!! Seat belt, fasten up, buffet car speedingup!" Pom-Pom responses through the speaker as Himeko glances at Zhi Jiang.
"You should keep those weapons just in cases." Himeko suggests. "Some dangers are...not easy to run away from. It's better to be prepare than defenseless."
"...got it," Zhi Jiang nods before gripping at the collapsible bow and grabs the spear before he tries to put it away but notices the pants he's currently wearing doesn't have a pocket.
"...once this is over, we might need to buy a few clothes for you," Himeko sweatdrops.
"...I owe you all again," Zhi Jiang says before he sits down and Himeko walks out of the Parlor Car.
"Warp jump in three, two, one!" And with that, the skyview from the window turns into millions of glowing lines and Zhi Jiang flinches at how fast the train move. Then, he hears March yelp from the other side of the car.
"...not again," Pom-Pom's muttering can be heard from the speaker, which causes Zhi Jiang to sweatdrop. This isn't the first time it happens!?
To Be Continued