Himeko and Welt had gone to negotiate with the hotel staff about accommodation for Twilight and Caelus. Meanwhile, Caelus and March 7th, who said they were going to buy SoulGlad, had wandered off somewhere halfway.
After all, it was quite normal for the protagonist, Caelus, to trigger side quests. The only ones left sitting there were Twilight, lost in thought, and Dan Heng, resting his eyes nearby.
Dan Heng actually found it a bit strange why Twilight hadn't stuck to March 7th and Caelus, but was instead sitting motionless in her seat. But he thought, perhaps Twilight occasionally wanted some time alone, so he didn't disturb her and just quietly kept watch nearby.
This was rather convenient for Twilight. After all, if he really came over and asked, she would have had to think of an excuse…
Penacony's efficiency was quite high, but faced with the upcoming Harmony Festival, a renowned galactic event, they were extremely busy. By the time Twilight could feel the slight discomfort in her body disappear, Himeko and Welt still hadn't returned.
Intermittent attacks? Looks like it will become more frequent later on, maybe even continuous…
But since the episode was over, she should be able to move normally now, right? Just as well, she sensed a few interesting guys approaching. Time to play with them.
"Twilight, what's wrong?" The moment Twilight stood up, Dan Heng immediately opened his eyes and looked over. "Himeko and the others aren't back yet, we should wait a bit longer… Want to find March and Caelus?"
Twilight just shook her head silently, then turned to look towards the lobby entrance: "Someone strong is coming."
"Someone strong?"
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow and followed Twilight's gaze, just in time to see a flamboyant blonde man wearing sunglasses and a hat, smiling as their eyes met.
Trouble's here—instantly, Dan Heng's intuition warned him.
Although the other party didn't seem hostile, anyone Twilight described as "strong" definitely wouldn't be a safe character. After a brief thought, Dan Heng decisively made a decision, preparing to pull Twilight away from this blonde guy. After all, they came to Penacony for vacation, so it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
However, as members of the protagonist group, trouble couldn't be shaken off so easily. Sure enough, just as he lifted his leg to leave, cheerful laughter came from behind.
"Friends from the Astral Express, why leave in such a hurry? Please rest assured, I'm not some strange salesman."
"…" Hearing this voice, Dan Heng sighed, knowing it wouldn't be easy to leave just yet. He could only silently turn around to face the strange person before him.
"May I know who you are?"
"Haha, my apologies, allow me to introduce myself—" The man took off his hat and gave a slight bow. "The humble [Aventurine], affiliated with the Strategic Investment Department of the IPC, under [Diamond], specializing in the liquidation of non-performing assets. I've come to Penacony this time at the invitation of the [Clockmaker]…"
"So, a distinguished guest from the Corporation." Dan Heng nodded. "Long admired your name. Farewell."
Seeing Dan Heng turn to leave without the slightest hesitation, Aventurine quickly stepped forward to block him: "You two, meeting is fate, why be in such a rush? I have long admired everyone on the Astral Express."
Long admired? Dan Heng didn't believe a single word.
It was true that the Express had some reputation in the galaxy. If an ordinary employee of the Corporation paid special attention to the train, he might believe it, but this person? Dan Heng hadn't met him, but this was someone Twilight described as strong.
With this level of strength, could he possibly be an unknown figure within the Corporation?
Aventurine… If Dan Heng remembered correctly, there was indeed a senior executive codenamed Aventurine in a group within the Corporation known as the Ten Stonehearts. Someone in this position would absolutely not have any unnecessary interest in the train without a special reason.
"Mr. Aventurine, if you have something to say, why not say it directly?"
"Haha, straightforward enough! Fine, I'll be direct. I came simply to befriend you all. After all, I love making friends, especially upright Trailblazers like the Nameless, renowned throughout the universe." Aventurine silently lowered his sunglasses, looking meaningfully at Dan Heng and Twilight (Mistake in original text, it should be Dan Heng and Twilight, not March 7th). "Besides, my colleague received quite some… care from you all a couple of days ago~"
"Colleague?" Dan Heng frowned. A few days ago, they should have still been on their way to Penacony and shouldn't have met anyone from the Corporation.
"My colleague Topaz went to a planet called Jarilo-VI a couple of days ago to collect debts. It's a planet isolated from the galaxy and covered in frost for hundreds of years. We originally thought there wouldn't be any surprises…"
Aventurine chuckled. "Unexpectedly, when she arrived, the planet had become warm as spring. Not only that, but there were also many giant robots with heavy firepower… Sigh, my colleague was caught off guard, bombed until she was covered in soot and utterly wretched. How pitiful."
As soon as these words were spoken, Dan Heng instantly fell silent.
If he remembered correctly, it seemed that before leaving Jarilo-VI, Welt had, perhaps, maybe… indeed modified those Engines of Creation just a tiny bit.
Wait, the Corporation shouldn't have evidence that they did it—
"In that city of Belobog, my colleague not only saw your group photo and signatures, but there was even a giant statue. If not for that, I wouldn't have recognized you."
Looks like they accidentally left a little evidence at the crime scene. No choice, it seems they can only…
"We were merely acting out of basic humanitarian considerations, providing some humanitarian aid to the residents of Jarilo-VI." Dan Heng calmly crossed his arms. "Any disputes or conflicts arising from the supplies we provided have no relation to the Astral Express. Please contact the relevant responsible parties for such matters."
"Of course, if you wish to use this as a pretext to provoke the Express, we will not be responsible for any consequences."
"Ah, Mr. Dan Heng, you misunderstand. Although Director Topaz is practically my dearest friend, sister, and sibling… accidents are common in our line of work. If we fuss over such small matters, business can't go on~"
Aventurine smiled and waved his hand. "I have no ill intentions, purely wanting to befriend everyone on the Astral Express. If there was a misunderstanding because of this, I apologize… Might I have the honor of asking my [Trailblazing] friends to look after me a bit during my trip to Penacony?"