『 After putting the syrup away, March 7th, Stelle continued their search for the mixing ingredients. The two of them arrived in front of the sofa where Himeko was resting, where a small table stood, with a bottle of SoulGlad sitting upon it.
Seeing the bottle of SoulGlad, March 7th cried out, "Ah! It's SoulGlad! Didn't that lady say the lounge doesn't sell this?"
"Hehehe, let me shake it!"
No sooner said than done, March 7th grabbed the SoulGlad and shook it vigorously. "Hmm, still plenty of fizz, and the expiration date is safe too!"
Stelle hastily reached out to stop her. "Don't! If you shake it, we won't be able to use it."
March 7th, quickly put it down, scratching her head in embarrassment. "Ah! I… No, it's fine. It'll settle down if we just leave it for a bit… right?"
She then hurriedly changed the subject.
"Hmm… why doesn't this lounge sell SoulGlad? Is there some kind of secret behind it?"
Himeko, sitting on the sofa nearby, provided an answer.
"It's likely the pride of a bartender. If the guests coming here could just order the same drinks they can find anywhere outside, it would be far too boring. I have similar thoughts when I brew coffee."
"Uh… haha, Himeko-jie is right."
After praising Himeko, March 7th quickly dragged Stelle toward their next destination. Himeko watched the two of them flee in haste and shook her head helplessly. 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Your survival instinct is practically overflowing from the screen.
〘March 7th〙: It's only human, only human.
....
『 The two of them arrived at the stage. March 7th scratched her head as she looked at the chips scattered all over it.
Gallagher explained that a few days ago, an actor from the Iris Family had come to cause trouble and got into an argument with Siobhan… they were probably dropped back then.
"I can imagine how intense the scene must have been," Stelle said, looking at the chips scattered across the stage.
"Hah, it was just a one-sided beatdown."
There was a hint of helplessness in Gallagher's tone.
Hearing this, the two nodded. Indeed, considering this lounge was situated in a place teeming with the Dreamjolt Troupe, Siobhan's strength went without saying. 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: So, they got beaten so hard they dropped loot?
〘Stelle〙: Then the drop rate must have been really high.
....
『 Leaving the stage, the two arrived at the other side of the bar. There was a conspicuous empty glass here, with a note pressed underneath it that read, Must be exchanged for something cherished.
"It wants us to exchange something? But what should we trade… and who do we give it to?"
After thinking for a moment, Stelle pulled out a bag of black trash and placed it into the empty glass, much to March 7th's shocked eyes.
"What are you doing! You can't just throw trash…"
Before March 7th could finish her sentence, the writing on the note beneath the glass changed.
"No way?! The writing on the note actually changed!"
"'Happiness is the dream of the humble'… does this sentence mean we can take it? I feel like something is really weird about this…" 』
『 ....』
〘Dan Heng〙: Because she pulled out a bag of trash without a second thought…
〘Stelle〙: Uh-huh~
〘March 7th〙: And you're actually proud of that?
〘Hanabi〙: Fascinating, you actually carry a bag of trash around with you.
〘Kiana Kaslana〙: I feel like one bag is too little.
....
『 The two found Gallagher. Looking at the ingredients they brought, Gallagher nodded and gestured for Stelle to choose the base.
Without hesitation, Stelle chose that bottle of syrup from half an Amber Era ago. 』
『 ....』
〘March 7th〙: I knew it…
〘Dan Heng〙: No surprises there…
....
『 "Hmph, you won't find anything sweeter or more cloying in all of Penacony, but the Dreamseekers just love this stuff."
Gallagher then had Stelle choose the garnish, and Stelle chose the "bright future" obtained through the trash bag exchange.
"A bright future… It's been a long time since I tasted that." A look of reminiscence appeared on Gallagher's face.
"I'll never forget when Mikhail took me riding through the wilderness of the Dreamscape. The storm of memoria carried this exact scent. Those days were truly mesmerizing… almost too beautiful to be real."
"Mikhail…?" Himeko murmured. 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: Oho, the main quest is about to progress.
....
『 As if he hadn't heard her, Gallagher continued to ask Stelle what she wanted to choose next. This time it was the decoration on the glass, and Stelle chose the Hanu standee.
"A symbol of bravery and dauntlessness. May you break free from your shackles just like he did."
"Alright, all done—"
Gallagher placed the mixed drink on the bar for the three of them to admire. The purple-on-top, yellow-on-bottom color scheme was enough to drive a certain white-haired lad from Elysia. 』
『 ....』
〘Phainon〙: Tasteful.
〘Aglaea〙: Another yellow and purple color scheme…
....
『 "Here's to you, dream seeker, with this glass of El Dorado—"
"—To the golden dream."
Siobhan clapped. "Not bad, Gallagher. You've still got it."
"And the rest of you? Are you satisfied?" Gallagher asked, looking at the three who had taken a sip.
After savoring the taste, March 7th gave her evaluation.
"This flavor… is way more complex than SoulGlad."
"Rich texture, distinct layers—it's a masterpiece. Especially the handling of the garnish; I can taste a peculiar flavor, spicy and tart, yet with a hint of sweetness…" Himeko gave a highly professional critique, then looked at Gallagher and continued, "I don't know what this signifies. Perhaps Mr. Gallagher would care to explain the ingenuity behind it?"
"Regrettably, if you're expecting a profound answer, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed." Gallagher shook his head. "The imagery it carries is very simple… It's merely the true flavor of the sweet dream paradise, nothing more."
"Does this true flavor… have anything to do with that, Mikhail?" Himeko pressed.
March 7th also nodded, mentioning she had heard the name somewhere before. She then looked at Stelle and remembered. Stelle had said that when she was knocked out by Hanabi, she heard someone muttering that name.
Gallagher fell silent for a moment upon hearing this, then slowly spoke, "Heh, you know quite a lot. I really didn't misjudge you all. In that case, I have no reason not to be frank with you."
"Then let's expand on the case, and of course… I'll throw in the story of Mikhail as a bonus." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: It's finally coming.
〘Hanabi〙: It's my favorite foreshadowing payoff segment~
....
『 Gallagher led the three to the side of the stage and began his tale.
"Let's start with the conclusion: according to the clues in the Family's hands, this Hotaru indeed isn't a local, nor is she an invited guest. In other words… she's a bona fide stowaway."
Speaking of this, Gallagher shook his head helplessly. "I was fooled by that girl, too. I guess I really am getting old. But on the Planet of Festivities, stowaways aren't that rare, nor are they hard to investigate. The Bloodhounds took action immediately after the incident, tracking her from both the Dreamscape and reality."
"But the result… was only bad news, and the most headache-inducing kind."
"The girl has vanished into thin air. No trace was left in the dream, and her physical body couldn't be found in reality either, as if she had never come to Penacony."
Hearing this, March 7th said in shock, "Ah? Doesn't that mean…"
Having said that, March 7th immediately looked at Stelle, fearing the news would crush her.
"Could there be a turn for the better?"
Stelle was unwilling to believe this truth investigated by the Family; it was a bit too cruel for her.
Hearing this, Gallagher looked at Stelle and sighed, "A turn for the better… You want to say that the girl wasn't actually killed?"
"Wake up. Weren't you the eyewitness to this case yourself?" 』
『 ....』
〘Hanabi〙: Wake up, don't harbor unnecessary expectations. You watched her die right in front of you with your own eyes, turning into Firefly-chan right before you.
〘March 7th〙: Whoever came up with 'Firefly-chan' is a real piece of work.
〘Belle〙: Close to a god, far from human.
....
『 "I'll put it bluntly. This girl's situation… let alone you, even the Hound Family is seeing it for the first time."
Himeko decisively caught the loophole in Gallagher's words and asked, "'For the first time'… so in Penacony, death indeed exists, doesn't it?"
Gallagher nodded, acting indifferent. "You've already seen it, so what's there to hide? Beneath the glamorous surface of a city, there's bound to be an unspeakable flipside. I don't need to explain adult matters to you." 』
『 ....』
〘Stelle〙: Why do I feel like I know who the Family's traitor is…
〘March 7th〙: Ahaha, indeed…
〘Hanabi〙: What? Can't he just be an officer who happens to dislike the Family, happens to order two loose-lipped subordinates to watch the IPC, and happens to know Mikhail?
〘Sampo〙: Big sis, did you manage to keep a straight face when you said that?
〘Kiana Kaslana〙: The riddle-man uncle isn't speaking in riddles anymore. He basically just self-destructed.
....