HHR 1-15 (Patreon)

Chapter 1: Hyperion Café in Nagazora CityNagazora City.A gloomy-looking girl, head slightly bowed, walked alone into a café.The café's sign displayed an English word: Hyperion.The girl's name was Raiden Mei, a second-year high school student. She was once a highly admired young lady, known as the "Thunder Queen." Wherever she went, she was surrounded by countless people who fawned over her. But now, those who once flocked around her had all turned against her overnight.This was because, half a month ago, her father was suddenly accused of economic fraud and was imprisoned.A father is a child's world, and for Raiden Mei, it was no different. Now, her world had collapsed.Today was the last day of November, a long-awaited weekend. Though she had lost her former admirers, compared to the endless slander at school, a lonely weekend had become Raiden Mei's only respite."Welcome, may I ask if you are alone?"A gentle and warm voice rang in her ears. Raiden Mei looked up, her gloomy expression slightly softening as she nodded silently.Although her mood was far from pleasant, her upbringing and recent unreasonable experiences had taught her to naturally hide her feelings in front of others.Showing weakness to those who were already hostile would only invite endless malice. With her father gone, Raiden Mei had no one left to rely on but herself.But as she composed herself and refocused her attention, her pupils couldn't help but reflect a hint of amazement.What a beautiful maid.The maid's long ash-gold hair shimmered elegantly under the dim lights. Her wine-red eyes were as captivating as precious gems. As a former young lady of ME Corporation, Raiden Mei had seen many servants like maids and butlers, but she had never seen anyone who embodied both "nobility" and "humility" so perfectly as this maid did."Please follow me."The maid with the ash-gold hair led Raiden Mei to a two-person table with impeccable manners, her voice gentle and soothing."Before ten o'clock, we can only serve drinks like tea and coffee. Of course, if you wish to dine, we can also provide meals, though it might take some time to prepare. May I ask what you would like?""No, I'm not hungry. I'll have a vanilla latte, with sugar." Raiden Mei shook her head. "Also, I want to stay here for a while. Is it okay to reserve this table?""Well, if you wish, we can certainly accommodate that," the maid hesitated for a moment before glancing at the adjacent table. "However, the table next to you has already been reserved by another customer. It might get noisy around lunchtime. Would you like to choose another table?""No, it's fine. I'll stay here." Raiden Mei shook her head and sat down."Very well, I'll prepare your vanilla latte. If you need anything else, please press the service bell on the table." The maid nodded and turned, walking gracefully toward the bar.The café wasn't particularly spacious, but its atmosphere was pleasant. The dim ceiling lights, combined with the daylight outside, created a stark contrast of light and shadow. The red brick walls and all-wood décor made it feel like stepping out of the modern world.With nothing else to do, Raiden Mei opened the menu placed on the table. Despite the perfect service and environment, the prices were surprisingly affordable—even she could afford it now, despite her isolation.Is this café new?Feeling relaxed for the first time in a while, Raiden Mei curiously looked toward the bar.Behind the bar, she could hear faint voices. Though she couldn't make out the words, she could tell the maid was talking to someone behind the counter.A waiter and an unseen chef... or maybe a barista?Are there only two people working in this café?At that moment, the maid, who had been talking to someone at the bar, straightened up and elegantly placed a steaming latte in front of Raiden Mei."Your vanilla latte, please enjoy."Suddenly, the wooden door of the café opened."I'm back, Rita."The person who walked in was a young man with short red hair, dressed in a white military uniform and wearing a cap with the word "Fleet" on it.The young man's face looked very young, but his eyes were mature. Following him were two silver-haired women who looked remarkably alike—they might have been sisters, or perhaps mother and daughter. The older one had a calm, confident smile, while the younger one looked particularly displeased.All three carried large bags as they entered the café with a familiar air.As the red-haired man stepped into the café, Raiden Mei clearly saw the two similar-looking women exchange a glance, their eyes flashing with electricity.A strange tension filled the air."Oh, we already have a customer."It was as if the red-haired man had just noticed Raiden Mei's presence. He glanced at the expressionless girl and muttered to himself, checking his watch and saying softly:"Oops, it's already this late... Luna, Kongming, let's get to work. We can't keep the customers waiting.""Hmph." The younger silver-haired girl put down her bags and pulled out a feather fan from her bosom, waving it gently. "You still remember we have to serve other customers? Then why did you waste time listening to that guy's sweet talk and chasing those stupid yellow dolls?"The older silver-haired woman laughed softly, "Oh my, but I remember you were clinging to that not-at-all-cute yellow doll, refusing to let go no matter what."The younger girl bristled, "Nonsense! I just didn't want his efforts to go to waste, so I reluctantly accepted it!"The older woman's expression changed. She leaned close to the young man's ear and whispered, "She says she doesn't like that kind of doll. If she doesn't like it, why not give it to me? I quite like Homu dolls.""You—!""Ahem!"Suddenly, the maid with ash-gold hair cleared her throat heavily. Though she still wore a smile, a dark aura emanated from her. Her voice remained gentle and warm, but she exuded an undeniable authority: "Miss Kongming, Miss Luna, Captain, the café is now open for business. I'm sure you don't want everyone's efforts to go to waste.""...""..."The two similar-looking, but very different in temperament and stature, silver-haired women fell silent, awkwardly muttering apologies to the imposing maid.Raiden Mei took a sip of her vanilla latte. For some reason, the coffee tasted exceptionally good.Chapter 2: Hyperion Café in BelobogJarilo-VI, outside the atmosphere.The gilded Astral Express silently hovered in the near-Earth orbit of this icy planet.Welt Yang.An experienced and mature middle-aged man, a veteran of the Express crew. Although he had rekindled the passion buried deep within him since stepping into the universe, he still retained the steadiness and maturity of a former organization leader.Until——he looked through the window of the Astral Express and saw this planet with its distinct central parting."Your coffee is overflowing."Accompanied by a graceful and mature voice, Welt Yang snapped out of his daze as he stared at the planet outside."Ahem, my apologies."A flash of dark light, and the dark brown coffee that had spilled on his hand silently disappeared into the void under his expert control.He placed the coffee cup back on the round table in front of him, and with trembling fingers, he adjusted the black-framed glasses half-perched on his nose."Speaking of which, that child's power really surprised me."An elegant woman with long, fiery red hair lowered her gaze and took a sip of the steaming coffee, a trace of mixed melancholy and relief flashing in her eyes."I thought we might have to use the satellite weapons pre-deployed in orbit against that huge thing, but unexpectedly, she managed to handle it herself. The young are truly impressive.""Hmm? Ah... indeed."Welt Yang's expression grew complex, words caught in his throat."Truly... the young are remarkable..."Jarilo-VI, Everwinter Ridge.With the help of many, the Trailblazer, who had taken up the Path of Preservation, wielded a flame spear that knew no retreat, inherited the legacy of the city builder, and shattered the enemy once known as the Great Guardian, now bewitched by the Stellaron.—Yes.That was how it was supposed to be."Shamash—"A commanding female voice ordered her greatsword with imposing authority.Gigantic flames wantonly engulfed the sky, mixed with wind, snow, and icy dust."—Roar!!"As the retina-searing light gradually faded, everyone present, or even those not present but still focused on the scene, fell into a similar state of bewildered stupor."Ah...?"After a long daze, the girl holding the bow finally uttered in disbelief."What is that...?""No idea."A calm voice, tinged with a hint of joy as if discovering a new toy, responded to the girl's subconscious question."But it's indeed quite useful.""It's not about whether it's useful or not!!" The girl gripping the bow's handle furiously grabbed her pink hair, her expression gradually breaking down, "It's gone! The huge robot and that woman Cocolia! They're just gone!!""Yes, very impressive, right?"The pink-haired girl pulled out a paper fan from somewhere and mercilessly smacked it on the back of another gray-haired girl's head, the crisp sound of paper meeting scalp ringing out: "Impressive my foot! You overdid it! Didn't you see Bronya and Seele trembling over there?!!""…Calm down, March." The black-haired boy sighed. Although the power displayed by his companion just now left him in a state of astonishment, as the guy who is the "brain" of the group," with sufficient insight, he didn't lose his rationality like his other companion. "In any case, it's good that the problem is solved.""Y-Yes..." Seele, who had been ready for a big fight but ended up doing nothing, swallowed hard, barely managing to calm her emotions, but her gaze uncontrollably drifted towards the Trailblazer—more precisely, towards the greatsword in the Trailblazer's hand. "In any case, it's good that the problem is solved.""By the way," suddenly recalling something, she turned her gaze towards another girl, staring at the cloudless blue sky in a daze, "Bronya, are you... alright?""..." Bronya, snapping out of her trance at the mention of her name, gave a bitter smile, her tone complex and melancholy, "How to say this... compared to the shock of suddenly learning so many things and the sorrow of losing my mother, the simplicity of the problem's resolution makes it feel surreal.""…I understand how you feel." Seele remained silent for a moment, then nodded, redirecting her gaze towards the Trailblazer. Her tone was no longer flamboyant but carried an indescribable sense of trepidation."It's unimaginable that just a simple swing could completely incinerate a robot as big as a mountain... and that woman, Cocolia, without leaving a trace. It's absurd. What is that sword, exactly? Are all these extraterrestrial visitors that extraordinary?""That's a rather embarrassing misunderstanding..." Cold sweat appeared on March 7th's forehead. "Anyway, since the opponents are gone, let's... head back, shall we?"—Hyperion Café.Raiden Mei sat idly at the table, daydreaming.Perhaps it was the human nature of enjoying a good drama, despite still having some lingering gloomy thoughts in her heart, for some reason, when she heard the commotion from the kitchen, the oppressive feeling she had been carrying eased a bit in the process of observing the drama.From the perspective of an onlooker, through a few lines of dialogue drifting from the kitchen, she roughly pieced together the identities of the café's staff and their relationships.The manager, Yufan—the red-haired youth surrounded by other staff, an Easterner, appeared to be around her age. For some reason, he always wore a military hat with the word "Fleet" on it and seemed tired of dealing with the complex relationships with several women.The maid-cum-waitress, Rita—a rose with thorns, the first staff member who greeted her. Although she seemed approachable, exuding a gentle and elegant aura, she could also display an undeniable authority that even the manager couldn't oppose, especially in professional matters.The barista, who had yet to appear before her, spoke with a slightly milky tone but with the demeanor of a worldly person—Bronie.And finally, the two chefs, or rather, chef assistants, referred to as "Luna Kindred" and "Kongming"—Raiden Mei wasn't sure of the relationship between these two girls yet, but it was evident that the tall and short silver-haired girls were always competing with each other, openly or covertly, and they didn't hide their affection for the manager either.Honestly, if not for the fact that one of the similarly-looking women was older than her, combined with the café's impeccable environment that didn't resemble a human trafficking den, Raiden Mei might have already called the police.After all, judging by appearances alone, the girl called "Kongming" didn't seem old enough to be a romantic interest.Although young people in the Far East have a penchant for romantic freedom, even romantic freedom must adhere to the basic law.And Raiden Mei, without a doubt, was a law-abiding student—a fact that only exacerbated her suffering after her father's imprisonment.Chapter 3: And Thus, Fates That Should Not Have Intertwined DidThinking of her father, who was still in prison, Raiden Mei's mood grew gloomy again."Excuse me, dear customer, may I interrupt you for a moment?"At that moment, a clear voice sounded in her ear.The voice was gentle and pure, a remarkably clean boyish tone, and the manner of speaking was quite proper. Therefore, even though her thoughts were suddenly interrupted, Raiden Mei did not feel the least bit offended.Of course, being interrupted while recalling unpleasant memories was, in itself, a good thing for Raiden Mei.She lifted her eyes, her pupils suppressing various emotions, silently looking at the smiling manager with a slight nod, a hint of confusion in her eyes."It's almost lunchtime. If you don't mind, would you like to try a new dish we just developed?" the manager, whose face was full of humility, said with a smile. "Of course, since it's a new product and hasn't been tested in the market, we can't guarantee it will suit everyone's taste. If you could give us your personal feedback after trying it, today's bill will be on the house."Free of charge for tasting a new dish?Raiden Mei widened her eyes slightly, feeling a bit incredulous.Does this café really want to make money?Raiden Mei was not lacking in money.Before Raiden Ryoma's imprisonment, she was the heiress of ME Corp and naturally wouldn't lack money. Even after her father's imprisonment, the remaining family wealth was still considerable.Although she couldn't spend as lavishly as before, she could still comfortably get through her remaining school years.Moreover, with her good upbringing, Raiden Mei had never been a spendthrift. So, after hearing the manager's proposal, she only hesitated for a moment before nodding.Honestly, this café had left a very good impression on her: a clean and comfortable environment, an eye-pleasing décor, well-mannered staff and manager, and a skilled barista.Raiden Mei licked her lips, savoring the aftertaste of the coffee, a glimmer of expectation in her eyes.With such delicious coffee, the café's food shouldn't be bad, right? Raiden Mei thought.—And then, she regretted it."…"A few minutes later, Raiden Mei, holding a fork and spoon, stared with a twitching face at the dish placed before her, unsure if it could even be called food, her voice dry and full of rejection:"Um… this is…?""Our café's new specialty, prepared by our chef Luna. It features the finest crab claws and crab roe—no, crab blue? Paired with the wings of a natural floater, and shrimp from the Tonatiuh, all meticulously crafted," the manager said with a smile full of pride and confidence."How does it look? Quite appetizing, right?"His demeanor made Raiden Mei inexplicably feel as if the problem was on her side.No, no, this café and its manager must have some major issues, Raiden Mei thought.Out of polite kindness, Raiden Mei chose the second option between "throwing this dubious dish at the manager's face" and "politely refusing this unnamable thing":"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not very good with seafood, so…"A rather subtle way of putting it.At least, Raiden Mei believed she was giving him enough face with this response."Is that so?" The manager showed a hint of regret, sighed, and in front of Raiden Mei, picked up an unused fork from across the table. Under her wildly twitching gaze, he nonchalantly skewered a soft—supposedly floater wing—and said quietly, "I think the taste is just fine…"Then he put the still squirming thing into his mouth, chewed for a while, and swallowed it with a nod:"Hmm, the cooking is much better this time.""…"Raiden Mei's eyes widened in shock at what she had just witnessed.Is this really edible?Is this a joke? Am I the one with the problem?Humans are a species adept at thinking.By relying on this ability, humans have ascended to the top of the food chain.But it is also this ability that inflates human curiosity to the extreme.Specifically, when a person encounters a fact that contradicts their knowledge yet is undeniable, they doubt their previous understanding and develop a curiosity that can easily endanger them.Curiosity.Maybe the problem really is me?This dish that doesn't look like food is indeed the café's new specialty?"…"Once curiosity arises, it becomes difficult to suppress."Although I'm not very good with seafood…"Gulp, Raiden Mei swallowed, her trembling hand moving the fork towards the bowl of eerie "seafood.""If it's just one bite…"Then, predictably, Raiden Mei lost consciousness.—At the same time.Belobog, Administrative District.Led by March 7th, the Trailblazers opened the café's door."Hello, manager! We're back… huh…" Just entering the door, the kind-hearted girl blinked her bright eyes and pointed worriedly at the girl with her face in a bowl of soup, "Why is there a girl with her face in a bowl of soup? Hey, are you alright?""…"Naturally, there was no response."Ah, she probably found the soup so delicious that she couldn't stop," the young manager said with a gentle smile, a hint of doubt in his eyes. "But is it really that good…?""Isn't that something others should be asking you?" March 7th quipped, exasperated. She leaned closer to the girl with her face in the soup, and after confirming the girl's vital signs were perfectly healthy, she set aside her worry and curiosity.As a Trailblazer who travels the universe, what bizarre habits hadn't she seen?Just liking to bury one's face in soup—if it didn't bother others, so be it. The optimistic girl praised her own broad-mindedness and understanding.

 Chapter 4: Losing Memory and Knowing Things Are Not ContradictoryThe encounter between the Trailblazers and this café was a very ordinary thing.They consumed a lot of energy during the journey, and at this time, there was a café on the street that looked very comfortable, so it was natural to go in and take a rest."But seriously, manager, the environment of your store is so good, and the coffee is also great. Why are there so few customers coming in?"After sitting down, March 7th took a sip of coffee and asked carelessly."At least there is a girl this time. I didn't see any customers the last time I entered the door."Dan Heng glanced at March 7th, his eyes moving slightly, and he didn't say anything to stop her seemingly rude question.Miss Trailblazer was as silent as ever."Asking a store manager why his store is not doing well? You are really worthy." The young store manager shook his head helplessly and said ambiguously, "If I knew the answer, this store wouldn't be so deserted.""Ah, is the question I asked a bit too rude?" March 7th scratched her hair. "Sorry, store manager, I just think this store deserves more people to come in, nothing else.""It doesn't matter, it's a fact that it's relatively deserted here. There are probably few coffee shops with more staff than customers, or it should be said that if there are such coffee shops, they should have gone bankrupt long ago." The young store manager smiled indifferently."Wouldn't the store manager feel unwilling?" March 7th asked."What's there to be unwilling about? Life is not satisfactory in nine out of ten cases. If you are unwilling to do this or that, you don't have to think about anything else except unwillingness." The young store manager shrugged."Uh... but don't you own the store?" March 7th said cautiously. "If there are no customers, this store will not be able to operate.""No."The young store manager shook his head."The reason why most store cannot operate is mostly because of lack of money, but I am not short of money. Opening a store here can only be regarded as a hobby. To put it bluntly, it is like finding something to do. Whether there are customers or not is not a big deal to me.""Oh~ I understand, it is the kind of life winner who has achieved financial freedom, but just because he can't rest, he comes out to experience life?" March 7th nodded knowingly. "Like the stationmaster of the Herta Space Station, Miss Asta?""I don't know the lady named Asta, but..."The young store manager raised the corner of his mouth and showed a subtle smile. "If that lady is the stationmaster of a space station, she does have something in common with me in a sense.""What do you mean? The store manager also has a space station?"March 7th's eyes suddenly revealed a strong curiosity. She looked up and down at the store manager and suddenly reacted. "Wait, Belobog... there shouldn't be this kind of thing as a space station? Do you know what this word means?""It is a large spacecraft that can travel in outer space for a long time," the store manager spoke casually."You actually know it!" March 7th said in surprise. "No wonder I felt that the environment and atmosphere here were incompatible with Belobog when I entered the café for the first time. If you look closely, your store staff's work clothes is completely different from those of other stores. Could it be that you are all aliens from outer space like us?"In response to her, he smiled meaningfully."I understand!"Seeing the store manager's expression, March 7th fell silent immediately...Although the spirit of Trailblazing is to bravely explore the unknown, these so-called "unknowns" obviously do not include other people's personal privacy."Let's not talk too much. In addition to coffee, what else do you want to order?" asked the store manager."Of course! We are here to celebrate! How can we not order delicious food?" March 7th raised her arm. "Any recommendations?""Do you have any dietary restrictions?"The three customers shook their heads in unison.The store manager turned his gaze to the girl whose face was still buried in the soup and spoke thoughtfully, "Then, would you like a plate of fresh Tonatiuh soup that our store has just launched?""What is Tonatiuh?" asked March 7th."An aquatic animal that lives in the Sea of Quanta, um—just think of it as something similar to a lobster.""Sea of Quanta? What is this place?" March 7th tilted his head and turned her gaze to the only young man in the three-person team who was trying to absorb as much knowledge as possible from his limited memory. "Dan Heng, have you heard of this place?""..."Dan Heng was silent for a moment and whispered, "I have seen this term in the information of the Genius Society. Although I have not studied the specific situation in depth, if I remember correctly, the so-called Sea of Quanta should not be a specific place name.""It sounds a bit complicated, but if aquatic animals can live in it, it should... not be much different from other normal oceans, right?" March 7th said hesitantly. "Or, let's try this?""... You'd better give up that idea."Dan Heng sighed tiredly.

As the team member who thinks most like a normal person in the three-person team, he did not think that the bowl of weird thick soup that can make humans lose consciousness was something that could be eaten.

For the sake of his own stomach and life safety, he temporarily took over the task of ordering dishes from March 7th: "Manager, please serve us some local dishes of Belobog, preferably the ones that most people are familiar with.""Local dishes of Belobog, it's not impossible..." The manager touched his chin, smacked his lips, and showed a regretful expression. "Then according to the custom of Belobog, I will serve you Redfish Slices, Grilled Lizard Meat, and Rock-Baked Cave Salamander. Are there only three of you?"March 7th nodded. "It's just the three of us. I originally wanted to invite Bronya and Seele, but they either are delayed by something, or they return to the lower-level area... I don't know when we can have a meal together.""Bronya and Seele..."The store manager smiled and whispered in a voice that only he could hear, "It seems that no matter where they are, the relationship between these two sisters is so good...""By the way, there is one more thing."Suddenly, the young store manager walked to the side of Miss Trailblazer as if he remembered something, patted her shoulder, and his handsome face was adorned with a hearty smile. "Are the two guns I gave you before useful?""Of course."Without even a millisecond of hesitation.The heroic face of the Trailblazer showed a very satisfied expression."In terms of feel, it's not as good as my baseball bat for now, but in terms of destructive power and appearance, it's a perfect score.""Really? I'm glad it suits you."The store manager's eyes showed a little doting. He stretched out his hand and gently stroked Trailblazer's gray hair, saying with some emotion, "I don't know why, but I felt that you were very suitable for that weapon the first time I saw you. Anyway, it's not a unique item. If you think it's useful, just keep it for yourself.""Really?!"Trailblazer suddenly widened her eyes, her golden pupils filled with excitement. "Thank you, Dad... No... Cap... No... Store Manager!"March 7th blinked and looked at Dan Heng, who was also confused.Chapter 5: Don't Try to Reason with BabiesEven from the perspective of a fellow Trailblazer, the gray-haired girl named "Stelle" is an extremely special existence.Her artificially made body easily surpasses the functions of the antimatter army. She has combat experience from hundreds of battles and a terrifying personality, speaking to everyone she meets (NPCs) as if nothing had happened, much like a social terrorist.Well... this also probably includes the "violent words (option)" that she blurts out without warning on certain special occasions, which are completely out of place with her stern face. There’s also her mysterious obsession with all things found on the roadside (interactive items), including trash cans.During this not-so-long journey, March 7th and Dan Heng have already gained a deep understanding of Stelle’s distinctive personality and behavior. They still can't comprehend why this person is someone who only looks good on the outside—both face and body.Of course, not understanding doesn’t mean they can't communicate or get along. Strictly speaking, aside from occasionally embarrassing them, Stelle's eccentric personality didn't have any negative impact on their behavior.Furthermore, from the perspective of companions, she is indeed a trustworthy and easy person to get along with, so March 7th and Dan Heng let her be.However, among those "specialities" that set her apart from ordinary people and are difficult for most to understand, there is a "commonality" shared by all three Trailblazers:That is "the past."Whether it's Dan Heng, March 7th, or Stelle, in a sense, they are all people who have lost their past.March 7th has no memory of her past, and even if she wanted to talk about it, she couldn't explain it.Dan Heng has always avoided the Vidyadhara Clan and is very secretive about his past.Stelle was simply born not long ago. She doesn’t even know if the so-called "past" really exists.The reason why Stelle boarded the Astral Express, became a member of the Trailblazers, and traveled with Himeko and the others (Akivelli) around the universe was not only to prevent the crises and disasters that might arise from the "Stellaron" within her body but, more importantly, to figure out who she was.Therefore, even though the three members of the Trailblazer Team have distinct personalities, they tolerate and respect each other's behavioral styles during the journey. When it comes to "losing the past," they understand each other deeply.It’s like three equally injured puppies licking each other’s wounds, seeking healing while healing each other.So, when Stelle put on the attitude of having known the young store manager for a long time, not only March 7th, who was often startled, but even Dan Heng, who had a calm personality, couldn’t help but show a somewhat confused expression.After a brief moment of shock, March 7th stood up."Wait, wait, wait... wait! Stelle, store manager, did you two know each other before?""Huh?"The young store manager and Stelle looked at March 7th at the same time, then shook their heads in unison, denying it at the same time."No, the store manager/Miss Trailblazer and I have only known each other for a short time."March 7th looked at the calm store manager and then at Stelle, who looked indifferent. She really couldn’t find any flaws in the expressions of the two, so she sat back down in her seat with a depressed mood and muttered under her breath, "You both said you didn’t know each other... then what’s up with this weird tacit understanding between you two?""Well, how should I describe it..."The young store manager turned his eyes to Stelle, and she turned her eyes to him.The handsome young man and beautiful young woman stared into each other's eyes without hesitation, the silent atmosphere between them growing charged, as if Cupid’s arrow of love had struck both their hearts at the same time——but it didn’t happen."Miss, have you ever played a series of RPGs with multiple installments?" The corners of the store manager's mouth curled up slightly as he turned his eyes back toward March 7th."Huh?" The topic change left March 7th, whose brain wasn't very quick, a bit confused. "Series... RPG?""Yes, it should be easier to understand with this analogy," the store manager raised a finger. "RPGs, or role-playing games, typically share a common worldview across installments. Setting aside the constantly evolving gameplay, the only real difference between them is the stories depicted and the roles played, right?""That’s right... but why did you suddenly bring this up?" March 7th’s head was filled with question marks."Nothing, I just think using this analogy will help you understand the relationship between me and this Trailblazer lady more clearly," the store manager shrugged. "Simply put, though we are not related and are not ‘parallel world isotopes’ like you’re familiar with, for some reason, we can be regarded as different ‘operable characters’ in the same unified series of works...""Operable characters?" March 7th's head was now full of question marks.Stelle nodded thoughtfully: "I see... I have that strange sense of trust in the store manager. It turns out it’s not because he used some consciousness ability to hypnotize me, but because of this relationship between the store manager and me."Dan Heng and March 7th looked at the young store manager at the same time, their eyes intensely piercing.The store manager's expression froze for a moment.Feeling the gaze of March 7th and Dan Heng, and the coldness and anger suddenly emanating from the kitchen, the young store manager wiped his sweat and glared at the expressionless and oblivious Stelle."Wait, why do you think I hypnotized you? What kind of image do I have in your eyes? I haven’t done anything bad to you, have I?"Stelle blinked and spoke in a righteous tone, as though stating the obvious: "A red-haired pervert who flirts with girls everywhere and lusts after my body. A standard light novel protagonist."March 7th and Dan Heng silently stood next to Stelle, one on each side."Oh, why didn’t you tell us when you encountered this!" March 7th leaned close to Stelle's ear, her expression a mix of anxiety and frustration. "I should have known not to bring you to this store."Dan Heng didn’t say anything. He just stood silently beside Stelle, his presence silently expressing his position."Hmm? Why?" Stelle tilted her head, looking at March 7th with a confused expression."Why?! Oh, I’m so angry! You’re a cute girl! Can’t you have a little self-protection awareness?""But I don’t hate the manager. I like this store. Why can’t I come here?" Stelle’s expression grew even more confused."..."March 7th was taken aback by Stelle's innocent words.Dan Heng closed his eyes, covered his forehead, sighed deeply, and then sat back down in his seat.He didn’t want to get involved in the mess between the two.The Trailblazers of the Astral Express have the obligation to take care of each other, but the content of that care does not extend to personal feelings.March 7th looked at Dan Heng who had sat back down, and then at Stelle, whose expression was growing more and more confused. She felt a deep sense of powerlessness surge from the depths of her heart.Seeing that the crisis here was resolved, the young store manager twitched his mouth. He felt the coldness from the kitchen growing stronger and stronger and laughed dryly: "I’m glad you could tell your companion that you don’t hate me. That’s nice, but can you tell my people that there’s nothing wrong between the two of us?"If you don’t make this clear, I might be killed—the store manager’s eyes subtly conveyed this meaningful expression.Then, under the store manager's expectant gaze—"Why?"In a tone completely devoid of malice."According to what you said, shouldn’t we be the two closest people in the world?"Stelle delivered the most vicious words a man with a wife could hear.The two auras that suddenly appeared behind him made the young store manager turn his head tremblingly. He looked at Luna and Kongming, both smiling, and a peaceful smile appeared on his face.It was over.Chapter 6: Old man Yang: It Feels Like I'm Back HomeAo↗ao↘ao↗Houhouhouhouhou——!!!Thunderbolt!Snap! Bang! Bang!Whoosh——! Sizzle——!Boom————!Along with the screams from the kitchen, which seems to have been heard somewhere before, the sound of things smashing, the sound of floating guns, the sound of wind mixed with piano music, the sound of electric saws, and the flashing of light and shadow that followed, the three Trailblazers' team ate the local dishes of Belobog served by the gentle maid in silence.After the dishes were served and the maid turned around and left, March 7th looked around, glanced at the girl who was still buried in a bowl of soup without moving, and quietly leaned close to Stelle's ear."Hey, I'm asking, did you do this on purpose?""?"Stelle put a spoonful of vegetable soup into her mouth, tilted her head slightly, and her eyes showed a clear look of confusion.March 7th pointed her mouth toward the noisy kitchen and asked in a low voice, "Is it the store manager? Didn't you see that he has a girlfriend, so you deliberately trip him up?"Stelle pondered for a moment, shook her head with a serious look, swallowed the vegetable soup with a gulp, and spoke seriously."No, I really think that the store manager and I should be the two closest people in the world."The expression was serious, and the tone was firm.That posture made it hard for people not to think of the words "determined to win."March 7th was stunned and felt that her not-so-bright brain have opened a brand new door, and countless truths emerged from it.Dan Heng's hand stopped moving.He turned his face and glanced at Stelle faintly.

How come I didn't see before that this woman actually had a good relationship with thieves?The old-fashioned young man from the Xianzhou was silent for a long time with a complicated expression, and finally let out a helpless sigh. "The Astral Express is a place that protects people, but before that, Mr. Welt and Miss Himeko both had very high moral standards."A rather tactful admonition.However, although Dan Heng did not make his words completely clear, his implication was very clear.The Astral Express and the two seniors above will do their best to protect other members of the group - but that is not unconditional.At least, with the upright values of the two seniors, they will never protect clear evil deeds.Stelle looked back at Dan Heng. She nodded as if she understood, then lowered her head and entered eating mode silently.At this moment, the wooden door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.A middle-aged man with a tuft of white hair on his head walked into the store.March 7th subconsciously turned her head when she heard the footsteps. After seeing the man walking into the store, she exclaimed, "Hey, Uncle Yang? Why did you come down?"Welt Yang who walked into the store looked at March 7th and smiled gently. "Don't worry about me, you continue to eat. I just came down to take a look at your situation. Since all three of you are fine, I am relieved."Suddenly, Welt Yang's expression froze.Because he saw the girl sitting behind March 7th, burying her face in a bowl of thick soup.The Herrscher of Thunder, the Herrscher of Origin - Raiden Mei.Although he couldn't see her face clearly, as the original leader of the Anti-Entropy Alliance who had fought side by side with those Herrscher ladies from St. Freya Academy, he could, of course, tell the other party's identity from the back.Is this child the isotope of Raiden Mei on this planet?On different planets, meeting someone who looks like an acquaintance is rare, but it is not the first time that Welt Yang has experienced this. After all, he has been to many worlds with the Astral Express. So after a brief surprise, Welt Yang quickly calmed down.March 7th did not notice Welt's brief surprise. She was enthusiastic by nature, and, of course, she could not watch the senior who cared about her very much in the Express Crew turn around and leave without even eating."How can that be! Since we are here, Uncle Yang might as well have a meal with us. The food on this planet tastes pretty good!"She stood up and waved in the direction of the bar. "Beautiful maid! This table needs another chair and a set of tableware, and then a few more dishes!"The door curtain of the kitchen was slowly lifted by a bare hand wearing a fiber glove, and Welt Yang followed March 7th's line of sight and looked toward the bar.Then, after seeing the maid walking out of the kitchen, the face that had just returned to normal became stiff again.Rita Rossweisse's homonym?No, isn't there a bit too many homonyms in this store?"Do you need to add a guest? I understand."The maid walked to the table, her charming face with an elegant smile. She first pulled the chair under the neighboring table to Welt Yang's side, then went to the counter to take out a set of clean dishes and knives, forks, and silver spoons, and placed them neatly on the table. Then she made a cup of tea and bowed slightly. "The kitchen will start preparing the dishes you ordered right away; please wait for a moment.""Ah... um... I know."For some reason, Welt Yang, who always felt a little at a loss, sat in the new position, feeling uncomfortable. "Sorry to bother you, Miss... maid."The beautiful maid with long gray-gold hair smiled. "Please help yourself."After that, the maid lady returned to the kitchen behind the bar with her usual elegant demeanor.After the maid left, Welt who finally relaxed a little couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He glanced at the 'isotope of Raiden Mei' behind March 7th, hesitated for a moment, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong with her?"March 7th turned her head to look at the still motionless girl. "The manager said that she probably thought the bowl of soup was too delicious, so she couldn't stop eating it and lost consciousness... I originally wanted to try whether the bowl of soup was really that delicious, but unfortunately, Dan Heng wouldn't let me.""..."Well done, Dan Heng!Welt Yang thought, looking at the bowl of ingredients that had several very familiar things.He picked up the tea that the maid had brewed for him and took a sip gently.It tasted unexpectedly good.To be honest, Welt Yang was not the kind of person who understood tea. Even when he was the Anti-Entropy leader and was playing along with various political forces, he was more exposed to those top-notch red wines that he couldn't even name now. But it must be said that the tea brewed by that Rita Rossweiss maid isotope of this coffee shop is so unique no matter in which world.Well, even the taste is exactly the same.Is this the wonderful tacit understanding between isotopes?-Wait, I almost forgot the purpose of this trip.Welt Yang put down the teacup in his hand, and by the way, he put away the homesickness awakened by the familiar taste in his heart.He glanced at Stelle who had started to wipe his mouth. He considered his words a little, and coughed softly. "Himeko and I have completed the sealing of the Stellaron. Congratulations, you did a good job."Hearing Welt Yang's frank praise, March 7th couldn't help but rub her hair awkwardly."Although it is very happy to be praised by Uncle Yang, but... why do I have a strange feeling?""..."Dan Heng glanced at Stelle and pondered for a moment. "Mr. Welt, you should be worried about the power that Stelle showed?"After wiping her mouth, Stelle looked at Welt Yang in confusion."No."Welt Yang shook his head with a complicated expression. "Although that power is strong, it is not an unsolvable threat to our Astral Express, and I also believe that with Stelle's ability, it is not difficult to use that power freely.""It's just..." Welt Yang paused halfway through. "If I'm not mistaken, the power used by Stelle... should have a deep connection with my hometown.""Uncle Yang's hometown?"March 7th's eyes lit up. "It seems very interesting! Is Stelle's big sword something from Uncle Yang's hometown?""Stelle, did you hear it? Hurry up and take out the things for Uncle Yang to see!" March 7th poked Stelle's shoulder and urged.Chapter 7: Those Who Disturb Young People's Love Will Be Punished by GodFor Stelle who suddenly showed in the Herta Space Station alone, the Trailblazers on the Astral Express are not only her travel companions but also a kind of family.In her mind, family refers to those who can be trusted the most.So, after a few seconds of thought, she stretched her palm out onto the table and quickly retrieved the double guns that the store manager had handed her in a flash of dazzling light.The black and gold square barrels reflected the subdued flow of color under the dim light. The rear of the gun had two sharp metal parts intertwined like chains. The hollow section in the middle housed a red-gold crystal, and just looking at the intense light emitted by the crystal made one feel a burning sensation.There’s no doubt that this pair of double guns is both visually striking and powerful, but that’s not what March 7th is focused on."It’s not a pair of guns! Weren’t you holding a big sword back then?"March 7th extended her hand in the air, demonstrating the sword’s size. "A sword about this long and this wide!""But that big sword is actually this pair of double guns," Stelle replied innocently.Before March 7th could ask further, Welt Yang took the lead in covering the handle of one of the guns with his palm."Just as I thought."He carefully stroked the handle and murmured, "The Key of Destruction - Judgement of Shamash. I never expected to see this weapon again on Jarilo VI."But then, at a certain moment, Welt Yang suddenly closed his eyes.In his mind, the design drawings and information of the object he touched silently emerged.The structural material is Soulium, the driving core is the Herrscher Core of the Herrscher of Flame, and the fuel supply is Honkai energy—there’s no problem with these.However, compared to the Key of Destruction he was familiar with, this Judgment of Shamash not only has a much higher output power limit for the zero-rated power, but more importantly, its damage to the user’s body has been reduced to a completely acceptable range.For ordinary Valkyries, the original Judgment of Shamash required  the user enduring the erosion of Honkai energy that could kill them at any moment when using its double-gun form. Even regular Kaslanas could only activate its "0th power" at the cost of their own lives.Yet the one in his hand, according to Welt Yang’s analysis, could be activated by even the two troublemakers from his original world—Rosalia and Lilia—without them losing their lives."Stelle, may I ask where you got this pair of double guns?"After making an accurate judgment about the Judgment of Shamash Stelle held, Welt Yang opened his eyes and asked seriously.Stelle pointed toward the bar counter of the coffee shop. "The manager of this shop gave it to me.""The manager of this shop?" Welt Yang was startled, and his expression instantly became serious.This coffee shop is no ordinary place.In fact, Welt Yang had already sensed this before entering.Though with his remaining Herrscher power, it is difficult to create a mirror image of the Second Divine Key without seeing the real object or its design, and it’s naturally challenging to use the Herrscher of the Void’s power.But first of all, Welt Yang is no longer just a simple Herrscher—he is a Pathstrider.Secondly, the Astral Express they’re riding is, in a sense, a space-jumping vehicle that is even more powerful than the Second Divine Key.The Astral Express that is capable of breaking through space barriers and traveling freely between stars also has extremely advanced space detection abilities.After Welt Yang and Himeko sealed the Stellarons recovered by the Astral Express, they asked Pam to use the Astral Express’s detectors to assess the spatial readings of Jarilo VI. They confirmed that the spatial turbulence caused by the Stellaron would gradually return to normal values—except for the coordinates of this café.The reason Welt Yang refers to it as "coordinates" is that the Astral Express’s detection system cannot capture this café’s location at all.In the Astral Express’s detection system, the spatial coordinates of this café exist in a strange space that fluctuates regularly, yet it has no impact on the surrounding space.Due to the regular fluctuations in space, light, sound, and even matter traveling through it will completely bypass this café’s coordinates, making it undetectable by the ordinary people of Belobog.However, for these Pathstriders, this degree of spatial distortion cannot hinder their perception. So, when Welt Yang actually arrived, he could clearly perceive the café’s existence with his naked eyes.It seems that the appearance of this café in Belobog is not a mere coincidence...Welt Yang thought for a moment and suddenly stood up."Uncle Yang?" March 7th asked, puzzled."You eat first; don’t worry about me," Welt Yang said. "I need to speak to the manager of this café about something."The three Trailblazers exchanged looks and nodded silently.Welt Yang walked to the bar at the back of the café and lightly knocked on the counter."Excuse me, is the manager here?""Tsk..."A low smacking sound came from the kitchen.Then, a conversation in hushed tones began."Okay, there’s a customer looking for you outside. You go out first. (whispering) If we know there’s another woman... you better be prepared.""(whispering) I’ve already said I have nothing to do with that woman. I just helped her out of kindness. I have you all, how dare I mess with anyone else?""(whispering) Humph, you know what's going on.""(whispering) Clearly! Of course I know! So can I go out first? There are still people waiting outside; we can’t let them wait too long.""(whispering) Wait a minute.""(whispering) Is there anything else, my dear Miss Kongming?""(whispering) Stop talking nonsense and give me your head.""(whispering) For now, there are people outside... um...""Ah! Kongming, you're so cunning! I want one too!"...Welt Yang stood at the bar and effortlessly overheard the conversation, he froze. He couldn’t leave, but he also couldn’t continue waiting.Chapter 8: The Road Home is Long and DifficultThe waiting time is tormenting.After all, he is a decent adult. With his personal composure, Welt Yang certainly would not be easily broken by this kind of situation.However, no matter what, accidentally overhearing the sounds of other young couples getting close to each other still made Welt Yang feel embarrassed.After an unknown amount of time, the commotion in the kitchen finally subsided. The handsome red-haired boy lifted the kitchen curtain, his neck covered with conspicuous red marks.The young store manager smiled and sincerely apologized to the customer who had been waiting outside: "Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. Is there something you'd like to ask me?""..."Welt Yang raised his hand and gently adjusted the square-framed glasses that had slid down to the tip of his nose. All the questions he wanted to ask were choked in his throat.His pupils trembled, and a little cold sweat oozed from his forehead as he stared at the kitchen scene revealed through the curtain. His Adam's apple moved up and down.From the bottom of his heart, Welt Yang would rather not have seen everything in the kitchen. He had never hated his eyesight as much as he did at that moment, having to face such a strange situation.Rita with long flowing hair, Bronya with flexible hands and feet, and two Theresas, one big and one small...Damn, what is going on in this ghostly place? If you count Raiden Mei who fainted in the soup outside, this small coffee shop has managed to gather five "isotopes" of Welt Yang’s acquaintances.No—rather than saying that there are five isotopes of his acquaintances here, it would be more accurate to say that all the employees in this store, except for the young store manager, are known to him.Fortunately, Welt Yang is an experienced Trailblazer. The ups and downs of the atmosphere have trained him to adapt quickly, so he forced himself to calm down.Welt Yang took a deep breath and extended his hand to the young store manager. His magnetic baritone voice sounded inexplicably hoarse: "Let me introduce myself. I am Welt Yang. In a sense, I can be considered an elder of the three children outside. May I ask your name?""Yufan, Yu as in driving, Fan as in sailing." The young store manager shook hands lightly with Welt Yang. He reported his name with a gentle smile at the corner of his mouth. "From what you've said, it seems you have some questions for me.""There are indeed some questions, but before that, please allow me to express my gratitude to you for helping Stelle and the others." Welt Yang withdrew his hand and looked serious. "If it weren't for your help, they wouldn't have been able to resolve the Stellaron issue so easily.""What's the big deal?" The young store manager waved his hand dismissively. "Now, I am just a coffee shop manager who wants to live a stable life. While the Key of Destruction is not a trivial thing, in my hands, it's just a decent-looking decoration with no real value.""If it can meet the right owner, then let it continue to shine in their hands. For a weapon, there's no better destination than that.""The store manager is more open-minded than I thought." Welt Yang chuckled, his eyes unconsciously softening as he looked at the store manager. Although he didn't know what experiences this young store manager had gone through, his attitude of enjoying life after seeing through everything was similar to his own and to those old friends still in his hometown."You’re the same, aren't you?"The store manager glanced at Welt Yang’s expression. "The leader of the Anti-Entropy Alliance who saved the world several times is actually content with this kind of adventurous life with children... Well, from what I know about you, you do seem like the kind of person who would do something like that."The three Trailblazers sitting in the hall pricked up their ears.Hearing Yufan reveal his past identity, Welt Yang wasn’t surprised. He only clarified one point. "Although I did serve as the leader of Anti-Entropy, I am not the 'Welt Yang' you know.""Not to mention knowing each other, I just read your information during a trip." The store manager shook his head. "Compared to you, the leader, it's the other executors of your Anti-Entropy who have more connections with me.""Of course—just as you said, the executors I know are not the same as those under you, and the place where I met them isn’t in your hometown.""Well, I can roughly guess." Welt Yang nodded. "Bubble Worlds in the Sea of Quanta, right?""Yes, there are too many Anti-Entropy factions in those Bubble Worlds, and their members are surprisingly similar," the store manager said. "Is this what you wanted to confirm?""It was just a guess at first, but now that the truth has been confirmed, I can rest easy for the time being." Welt Yang smiled softly. "The real location of this coffee shop should be on a singularity in the Sea of Quanta.""You guessed it mostly right. The Sea of Quanta is a gap between different worlds. As long as certain conditions are met, you can travel through the Sea of Quanta to different parallel worlds."The store manager did not hide the meaning from Welt Yang.In fact, any customer who visits this coffee shop multiple times will eventually come to realize this fact, especially to those spatially aware."And my coffee shop happens to occupy a fixed point that connects different worlds.""Unfortunately, with my abilities, I can only let this coffee shop passively accept customers who perceive it at the fixed point.""If you want to use this shop to return to your original world... I’d advise you not to have too high expectations.""... Really?"Welt Yang sighed faintly. "It seems that returning to my hometown is not an easy thing."After a moment of regret, Welt Yang suddenly turned his head and directed his gaze toward a certain direction in the hall."By the way, since this coffee shop can accept customers from different worlds, then that girl... the one sitting behind March 7th should not be a resident of Belobog."The store manager followed Welt Yang's line of sight and glanced at Raiden Mei who was still motionless. "Did you see it?""It would be strange if I hadn’t. Her attire isn’t Belobog’s style at all."Welt Yang lowered his voice. "Besides, I also sense something very familiar in this child’s body.""A store manager who can give the Key of Destruction to others at will should be able to recognize it.""The Gem of Conquest implanted in this child’s body—that is, the core of the Herrscher of Thunder."Chapter 9: Me! I Just Want to Retire!"Wait."Suddenly, the young store manager raised his hand and interrupted Welt Yang's words.He put away his usual gentle smile, and his clear golden eyes took on a meaningful expression. "Why are you saying this to someone you just met for the first time?""..."Hearing the store manager's words, Welt Yang couldn’t help but feel a little speechless."I am just the manager of this coffee shop. My duty is to try my best to meet the needs of customers," the manager said, looking deeply into Welt Yang's eyes. "—within the scope of service that a coffee shop should provide.""If customers have doubts about this shop, I can try my best to answer them. If customers want to sit down, even if they don't order coffee, we will welcome them during business hours.""However, the service scope of this coffee shop does not include saving the world. Saving the world is the responsibility of heroes, not the manager.""The troubles encountered by customers should not be solved by the coffee shop, but by themselves."At this moment, an inappropriate voice suddenly sounded in the hall."But didn’t the manager help us solve the core problem of Jarilo VI?"March 7th who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between the two spoke subconsciously. "If it weren’t for the weapon the manager gave to Stelle, we wouldn’t have been able to solve the problem of this planet so easily.""..."Now, it was the young manager who was speechless.He first glared at March 7th, who had sabotaged him from a distance, took a deep breath, and put on a gentle and polite smile again."First of all, the Judgement of Shamash is my private property. My gift of the weapon to Stelle was a personal act, not something done on behalf of the manager of this store.""Secondly, with the power of the three of you, even without the Judgment of Shamash, it shouldn’t be difficult to solve the problems on this planet."The young store manager swept his eyes over the faces of the three Trailblazers one by one, revealing an intriguing expression."As for the result, I just gave you a weapon. The great heroes who saved this planet from beginning to end are you three.""In this world, no one should call the owner of the item, this shop owner, a hero, am I right?"Silence spread.March 7th didn’t actually know the specific situation of Mei Raiden, but from the conversation between the store manager and Welt Yang, she could vaguely feel that the girl was in a very bad situation.With her personality, it was impossible for her to turn a blind eye to a girl in crisis."What? If you don’t want to help, then don’t help. If you won’t help her, then let us help her."She turned her chair behind her and patted Mei Raiden’s shoulder. "Hey! Wake up!""..."No answer.A long and steady breath came from the bowl."My God, this child sleeps so deeply..." March 7th held Mei Raiden's shoulders and shook her upper body. "Hey, wake up!""..."Still no answer.A trace of worry flashed in March 7th’s eyes."Why is she still unconscious? Manager, what did you feed this child? It’s not some bad stuff like knockout drugs, is it?""Our store is legally operated, and all ingredients are strictly subject to market supervision at the place of origin." The young manager said calmly.Anyway, no one in the Sea of Quanta will check whether the Quantum Honkai Beast can be eaten, so this sentence is not a lie, he thought quietly to himself."Then why does she look unconscious?" March 7th asked, unwilling to accept the answer.Suddenly, Welt Yang noticed something."Hmm?"He left the bar and walked behind Raiden Mei, squinting his eyes and carefully looking at the girl's body."Is this... the trace of Fenghuang Down?""Fenghuang Down?" March 7th asked, "What is that?""An ite. that can interfere with consciousness," Welt Yang said succinctly."Interfering with consciousness? Isn’t that the same as knockout drugs?!" March 7th’s eyes widened, and she looked at the store manager indignantly. "Manager! You said you didn’t give this kid knockout drugs!""Wait, March, don’t talk yet."Before the young store manager responded to March 7th’s accusation, Welt Yang raised his palm and interrupted March 7th’s words."This feeling is the same as what happened to Kiana at that time..."Welt Yang turned his face and looked towards the bar with a strange expression. "Manager, are you using Fenghuang Down’s ability to suppress the Gem of Conquest in Mei’s body?"The exposed Store manager opened his eyes wide. "You... How can you slander someone's innocence like this?"Welt Yang put on his glasses, pushing them up the bridge of his nose. The lenses of the glasses reflected the light of wisdom. "What innocence? I saw with my own eyes that you controlled the Herrscher core of this child very well, and she couldn’t move at all."The young manager blushed, and veins popped out on his forehead. "I just didn’t want her to lose control in my store! Self-protection! Can self-protection be considered as helping others?"Then came some difficult-to-understand words, such as "I don’t care about this girl's Herrscher core," "I’m retired, don’t want to work overtime," and "I don’t care whether other worlds are dead or alive," etc., and the coffee shop was suddenly filled with a happy atmosphere."In other words, the problem of this child has actually been solved by the store manager?"March 7th tilted her head and looked at the only person involved in the team, Welt Yang, with an inquiring look."It’s hard to say that it has been completely solved. There is one thing that the store manager said is actually correct," Welt Yang shook his head. He looked at the motionless Raiden Mei and sighed softly. "The problem encountered by this child can only be completely solved by herself.""But no matter what, the help of the store manager has indeed alleviated the severe situation faced by this child.""I can feel that Mei is relaxed now. In addition to helping her suppress the Gem of Conquest, the Store Manager's Fenghuang Down should have calmed her emotions a little. Am I right?""..." The young store manager twitched his mouth and silently turned his eyes away."That is to say, although the store manager said he was unwilling to help her, he had actually helped the child a lot in secret, right?" March 7th’s expression suddenly became kind. "Manager, you’re quite nice.""..."The young store manager rolled his eyes expressionlessly, turned around, and lifted the kitchen curtain. "Rita, can I scold them?""No."An elegant tone of suppressed laughter came from the kitchen. "You are the store manager of this store, after all. You can’t attack customers with words at will."Chapter 10: The Missing Herrscher BodyThe cold winter wind carried the smoke from the exhaust pipe, and the heavy roar of the car engine resounded on the highway outside Nagazora City.In Nagazora City, a building wrapped in a black iron glass curtain wall stood out among the dense buildings. At the top of the building was a string of words with a very sci-fi design: Massive Electric.In the science and technology park downstairs, the closed automatic door slowly opened in front of an old military jeep from Ulyanovsk. A Russian military license plate hung on the rear of the jeep.The vehicle stopped in front of the building's door. On both sides of the glass door stood a man in a suit wearing sunglasses. One of them greeted the jeep after seeing it parked at the door. He opened the door and bowed slightly with an extremely respectful attitude."Welcome, Ms. Cocolia."A high-top military boot stepped steadily on the steps in front of the building's door, and the not-so-slender calf revealed a very powerful beauty.The person who got out of the car was a middle-aged woman in a military green coat. She had a beautiful face, but her eyes were completely inconsistent with it, like a female general who had been fighting on the battlefield for many years.She didn’t even glance at the man in the suit who opened the car door for her and walked into the VIP elevator of the ME Society building with a swift motion.After the former president of ME Society, Raiden Ryoma, was imprisoned on charges of economic fraud, the industry that originally belonged to Anti-Entropy needed to be taken over by other executors of Anti-Entropy.At the moment the leader disappeared, Cocolia relied on her extraordinary experience in internal power struggles and the iron-blooded skills honed in the army to quickly took over most of Anti-Entropy’s power.As a result, after Raiden Ryoma was framed and imprisoned, the control of ME Society naturally fell into her hands without surprise.Although Cocolia understood political struggles, she didn’t have much economic acumen, so the ME Society’s industry itself didn’t hold much value for her. She just wanted to use the ME Society's superior status in Nagazora City to achieve all-round control over the city—or, in other words, to target a specific goal within the city.The elevator took Cocolia to the conference room on the top floor of the ME Society building. After taking over the ME Society's industry, Cocolia had already completely cleared out the company employees who had originally belonged to Raiden Ryoma, leaving only her own people in the building.The researchers of Anti-Entropy and her direct subordinates sat in a circle around the round table in the conference room. An operating panel floated in front of everyone, and opposite them was a huge projection screen suspended in the air.For some reason, after seeing Cocolia walk into the conference room, everyone present had a trace of guilt in their eyes.Cocolia walked to the empty seat and sat down. Instead of making a useless opening speech, she asked the question she was most concerned abou. "How is the condition of the Herrscher body?""There is no sign of losing control yet."The person who answered this question was a researcher in a white coat. The man clicked a few times on the operating panel in front of him, and the huge screen suspended in the air immediately displayed all of Raiden Mei's recent movements and her various physical parameters: "However, the mental state of the body has fluctuated greatly recently. According to our calculations, if the mental fluctuations continue to increase, the Gem of Conquest in her body will most likely generate the Herrscher’s will from the Honkai.""How long will this process take?""This..."The researcher was speechless. Although the Gem of Conquest implanted in Raiden Mei’s body had almost confirmed her as the third Herrscher, as long as Raiden Mei’s emotions completely collapsed, he was almost certain that she would be influenced by the Honkai. However, even those researchers who had been studying Honkai for a long time could not calculate the exact time when the Honkai would interfere with the subject.Cocolia’s expression turned cold. She didn’t know how to research, so she lacked the knowledge to express an opinion on these matters involving professional fields. However, as an executor of Anti-Entropy, she still had some basic knowledge about the Honkai."Since we can't control the specific time when the Honkai Herrscher’s body is triggered, is there any way to actively make her a Herrscher?""In theory, there is, but...""But what?""In Anti-Entropy’s record of the Second Herrscher, the reason why the Second Herrscher was born was because her body was injected with Destiny. After the body passively absorbed Honkai energy exceeding a certain threshold, the Second Herrscher’s core spontaneously formed in her body."The researcher wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "According to the precedent of the Second Herrscher’s birth, when the body has been locked by the Gem of Conquest, as long as the body is injected with a solvent containing Honkai energy, similar to the one that triggered the Second Herrscher’s birth, the body will be forcibly transformed into a new Herrscher.""A large amount of Honkai energy solvent..." Cocolia repeated the researcher’s words and couldn’t help but feel a headache.Silence spread in the conference room.Although Cocolia had actually controlled most of the power of Anti-Entropy, it did not include scientific research funds.The reason was simple—the other two executors standing on the opposite side of her were Anti-Entropy members and possibly the two greatest scientific researchers of this era. If she wanted to use other resources from Anti-Entropy, it was easy to do, but scientific research projects—even if she wanted to bypass the two doctors—were difficult to carry out on her own.Especially with the extremely dangerous Honkai energy solvent, which was strictly restricted by the Anti-Entropy covenant law."Or, there is another possibility."At this moment, the researcher suddenly broke the deep silence."In the surrounding environment of the Body, artificially triggering a sufficiently high-intensity Honkai phenomenon should also achieve a similar effect.""Honkai is something that can spread rapidly in the environment and expand uncontrollably. As long as humans are infected by Honkai and become zombies, the zombies will spontaneously attack other humans and assimilate the attacked humans.""As long as a small amount of Honkai energy solvent is placed in different locations around Nagazora City, then, using this chain reaction, a Honkai Eruption on a scale that exceeds the threshold can be triggered. The Body immersed in Honkai will then be forced to become a Herrscher.""But if this is done—"Halfway through the words, the researcher closed his mouth and looked toward Cocolia."A city of living people in exchange for a Herrscher?"A bone-chilling chill flashed across Cocolia’s eyes, and she sneered, "If the birth of each Herrscher only requires a city as the price, then this world will never be destroyed by the Honkai."Cocolia accepted the deal."How long will it take to set up the Honkai energy solvent in Nagazora City?""Including planning and action, the total time should take only one month.""One month? Then it’s decided. You will artificially create the third Herrscher for me in one month, and the recovery of the third Herrscher will be handled by my people personally."According to the cases of the first and second Herrscher, after the birth of a Herrscher, there is usually a vacuum period where the Herrscher adapts to the power they’ve just obtained.As long as the Herrscher is recovered and controlled immediately after birth, there will be enough time to study the living body of the Herrscher, making solid progress in humanity’s journey to defeat Honkai. Cocolia was confident.With a clear goal, Cocolia, in a good mood, relaxed her expression slightly: "By the way, isn’t today a day off? Our people should still be monitoring the body lady who is peacefully enjoying her holiday, right?""This—"As soon as the voice fell, except for Cocolia, everyone in the conference room was sweating profusely."Huh?" Cocolia’s expression became stern, "Don’t tell me something happened to the body. Before our experiment is completed, her life belongs only to me, not anyone else.""Accident... There was no accident." The researcher raised the cuffs of his white coat and wiped the cold sweat gushing out from his forehead, "It’s... that..."Pah!A gun was slammed onto the conference table by Cocolia.The researcher’s eyes twitched, he closed his eyes, stiffened his neck, and said in resignation: "According to reports from the monitors, the Herrscher Body... seems to have disappeared right under their noses."The air in the conference room suddenly solidified.Chapter 11: When the Touch System Is Re-InstalledCompared to the ME Club meeting room where the atmosphere was so heavy that it felt like a heinous murder had just occurred, in the Hyperion Cafe—where this whole situation had originated—no one sympathized with or care about the messed-up emotions of the people from another world."In short, I'll ask the store manager to take care of this child for the time being."After enjoying a comfortable and peaceful meal, Welt Yang gave the young store manager, who was rolling his eyes, a kind smile, like an elder speaking to a younger one."Hmph, you get a quiet life, but you push all the troubles onto me," the store manager grumbled with a sour expression. "Aren’t you an acquaintance of this girl? Go and solve it yourself! Besides, it's your subordinates who made her like this. As the leader of the alliance, shouldn’t you feel ashamed and angry about the situation where no one in this organization listens to you?""Shame and anger... a little bit," Welt Yang scratched his head awkwardly. "It’s fine for me to follow this child to the world over there, but aren’t you the store manager who doesn’t let us interfere with other timelines at will?""You just do what I say? Do you listen to me that much?"The young store manager turned sideways and extended his hand to Raiden Mei who was now lying on the table after the bowl covering her head was finally removed."Then I'll let you go now. What’s this about messing up the world line and timeline? This matter has nothing to do with me. Go ahead! It’s time for the almighty Herrscher of Reason to show up! Teach your insignificant subordinates a lesson! Cocolia doesn’t listen? Then hit her hard!""Why do I suddenly hear a very familiar name...?" March 7th muttered quietly, standing at the door."Well, I still think what the store manager just said is right," Welt Yang laughed awkwardly. "Interfering too recklessly with the past, which no longer belongs to me, could lead to irreparable serious consequences.""Then let me interfere with your past? What kind of perverse logic is that?""I’ve seen the store manager's methods, and I believe the store manager will solve these problems perfectly." Welt Yang nodded seriously. "After all, your coffee shop is the singularity that connects different times and worlds. Since you’ve opened a store in the singularity where different worlds intersect, you should also be prepared to interfere with other worlds to some extent, right?""Where does this unprovoked trust come from?" The young store manager let out a long breath, lowered his head, and felt utterly powerless.Suddenly, he felt someone touch his chest."F**k (Shenzhou swear words)—!" The young store manager recoiled like lightning. He raised his head, about to curse, but froze in place.Stelle's expression was as calm and dignified as ever, but her posture...—The posture of raising her arm in the air, no matter how you looked at it, seemed like her palm was covering someone's chest.After being stunned for a long time, the young store manager hugged his chest and vented the angry curse that should have been spoken half a minute ago: "You, you, you—what are you doing suddenly? Don’t think you can molest men just because you’re a woman!"In fact, not only him but also the other members of the Express Crew wore dumbfounded expressions.Bursts of surging black air came from the kitchen.A slender arm lifted the kitchen door curtain, and a beautiful maid, with a smile on her face, walked out of the kitchen."Dear customer, this is a proper coffee shop. Please forgive me for clarifying that the manager of this shop does not provide special services to the public."Accompanied by the maid's elegant but thorny voice and the pungent smell of gunpowder, the originally peaceful atmosphere of the coffee shop quickly turned tense.Stelle glanced at the maid, who had a smile on her face and cold eyes, then put her palm back in front of her, shrinking her five fingers. She muttered quietly, "Well, is this his unique ability? I thought I could do it too."Although Stelle had suppressed her voice as low as possible, others in the room easily heard her.The maid narrowed her eyes slightly, and a charming smile appeared at the corner of her mouth. One hand stretched restlessly from under the bar to the store manager’s waist. "Please allow me to ask what the customer's words mean?""Could it be that my store manager did something bad to you while the employees were not in the hall?"As she asked with a smile, the gentle maid applied enough force with her fingertips to twist her body.The huge force twisted the muscles of the store manager’s waist, causing him to grimace in pain.Facing the maid's smile, our Miss Trailblazer, after thinking for a moment—"He didn’t do anything bad to me."—with a decisive tone, she said the words that instantly set the kitchen door curtain ablaze with fire."He just touched my hair a little when he gave me the pair of double guns.""..." The corner of the maid's mouth froze instantly.Two pairs of pupils, one red and one blue, flashed a chilling light from the raging fire in the kitchen."You mean..." the maid asked persistently, and the pressure on her fingertips increased, "The manager touched your head, right?""Yes." Stelle put on a thoughtful expression. "When he touched me, I always had a strange feeling. In connection with the example of the series of RPGs your manager gave me before, I thought it was some kind of ability we both shared, so I wanted to try it on the manager.""You feel wrong," the maid said decisively. "The manager doesn’t have any special ability related to touch. What you feel is just a simple illusion.""Illusion? I clearly feel—""It’s an illusion," the maid said with a smile. "If I have to say it, it’s probably a kind of gratitude for receiving a gift suddenly."The maid's voice was gentle and persuasive. "I can see that you are a kind child. It is reasonable for you to feel grateful to the benefactor who gave you the gift after receiving it. There is absolutely no extra emotion in it.""So that feeling was just gratitude?"Without a doubt, the maid's clear explanation made Stelle unconsciously waver. "I thought your store manager had a special ability to increase the other party’s favorability just by touching others... What a pity...""You are wrong, how could our store manager have such a shameless ability?"The maid slowly turned her beautiful face, full of smiles, and gave the store manager a cold stare. "You are right, Captain."Chapter 12: The Current Situation of the Shop Assistants Who Did Not ArriveAfter sending away the group of plague gods from the Astral Express, the atmosphere in the coffee shop became quiet again.The beautiful maid smiled slightly, glared at the store manager with a slightly angry expression, then loosened her fingers, releasing the tension in the store manager's waist. Her slender fingertips lightly brushed the store manager's chest, which was slightly stained with oil. "Captain, what do you think Rita should say to you?""Although Rita already knew you were an extremely greedy boy, in front of us, you attacked a girl you just met for the first time... Let's not talk about Rita, but Kongming and Luna, the two young girls who saw their lovers aiming at other girls when they should have only looked at themselves, have probably been burned by the anger to the point of losing their rationality."The kitchen door curtain was lifted by two arms stretching out from the back at the same time. Two silver-haired girls, looking 90% similar with only slight differences in eye color and age, walked out of the kitchen side by side."You don't need to try to excuse this guy while secretly criticizing our tolerance. If you have any opinions about us, you might as well say it to our face." The short silver-haired girl rolled her eyes at Rita, who was smiling, and sneered, "If we were really such petty people, I would never have allowed a dangerous woman like you to follow us in the first place.""Well, I do feel a little jealous of that child."Although she appeared much more mature than the other in both face and figure, the silver-haired girl, as charming and evil as bloodstone, showed an excited expression, stretching out her sinful hands toward the young store manager. "So human, let me touch your chest too! This way, I’ll be even with the gray-haired girl!""You guy! Don't try to fish in troubled waters here!" Kongming jumped up in frustration and slapped Luna's arm that was stretched toward the store manager. "Don't stretch your hand! Don't touch!""Tsk~" Luna pouted and retracted her arm with a dissatisfied expression.In the kitchen, Haxxor had already hung her apron aside. She looked at the scene behind the bar through the gap in the door curtain and smiled silently in the dark.The young store manager chuckled and changed the subject as his eyes wandered. "By the way, Kongming, when I announced that I was going to open this café, several other members of Hyperion said they would come to work as my clerks. However, after that, Luna and I got busy with the decoration of the café, so I temporarily handed the job of connecting with them to you. Since you're free now, can you tell me about their situation?"Precise and accurate multiple landmines.Under the young store manager's words, which included the triple debuffs of "mentioning other women in front of me," "working with other women after losing a job," and "that job is to connect with and communicate with other women," Kongming's already ugly expression suddenly became even uglier."Hmph, such a poor topic change."However, considering that this guy was so confident in letting her communicate with other members of Hyperion, Kongming, who thought "There's really nothing I can do; this guy can't work without me," finally suppressed ber dissatisfaction and spoke lightly, "You know the situation with Sirin and Himeko. They still have an inseparable bond with their original world, so we've temporarily arranged jobs for them. When they have free time, they will naturally come to this café to report.""That ninja and Kallen are cleaning up the surrounding monsters near the 'singularity.' The food you asked Luna to prepare for that girl was cooked with the shells of the monsters they brought back.""Finally, you should know more about Delta's situation than we do.""Hmm? Ah... I remember, it seems that's the case." The young store manager hammered his palm, revealing an expression of sudden enlightenment. "I remember she have borrowed my Hyperion to hunt down the two troublemakers, Rosalia and Lilia. Before leaving, she asked if my store was still short of dishwashers and garbage collectors. If I needed them, she'd send the sisters to me.""That's what happened."After informing the others of their current situation and whereabouts, Kongming walked out from behind the bar and walked around to the store manager, arms folded across her chest, her blue pupils revealing a stern color that would not allow doubt or deception. "I have reported to you the content of my work. In exchange, Captain, shouldn't you also explain the previous situation to us?"After going around in circles, it ended up back to the original question."You should know your own specialness, and you're also very clear that that ability will impact specific targets without your subjective will. You once promised not to touch other women except us, but now, why did you suddenly break your own promise?"Kongming stared at the store manager’s eyes, her intellectual gaze as deep as the bottomless ocean. "Is there anything special about that child to you?""As expected of a sage king who once wrote the world’s great trends, you easily grasped the key point of the problem with just a few inferences." The young store manager sighed, raised his hands, and made a gesture like surrender. "Um, do you believe what I say?""I believe it."Without hesitation. The moment Yufan asked this question, Kongming nodded gently."As long as you say it, I believe it."Even if it is a lie, I believe it."Hiss—It's really a headache. You put on such a serious expression, so I can't fool you at all, right?" The young store manager smiled bitterly and shook his head. "That child named Stelle does have some indissoluble bond with me, so when I saw her, I couldn't help but give her the Judgement of Shamash.""So, Captain, you didn't plan to take back the pair of guns at the beginning, right?" Rita whispered."Ah, that's right." The store manager nodded. "In addition to the fact that the pair of guns are indeed not unique to me, it’s also because of that origin that I instinctively think this weapon is quite suitable for her.""That origin, what exactly does it mean?" Kongming frowned."What you know is the deepest secret about me, and then the identity of that Trailblazer and I..." The store manager put a finger on his lips and raised his lips slightly. "...It's the relationship between the two of us."Chapter 13: Better to Digest It Internally Than to Let Outsiders Take Advantage of It“…”Rita, Kongming, Luna, and Bronie who was watching the show in the kitchen, were all stunned at the same time.

The next moment, they all showed understanding expressions on their faces."To be honest, when she first came into the store, I had the thought that this child and I were of the same kind... or did I expect it?" Yufan spread his hands, his eyes blurred, as if recalling a recent past. "But after seeing the child's reaction to Judgement of Shamash, I realized that she and I were not of the same kind."Luna gently grasped Yufan's palm, and her soft lips slowly moved to his ear. Her soft and gentle voice could melt the bones of a human being: "Human, we are here, we are all here, and we will always be by your side."Yufan smiled, and he gently scratched Luna's nose. "Don't put on such a calm look. If you count the time, the time I have spent here has long exceeded the time on the 'other side.'""Now I am no longer in the mindset of a newcomer. With you by my side, I am not lonely.""As for Miss Trailblazer—"Yufan paused. "She is a customer of this store, and I gave her some small extra assistance in my capacity as a non-store manager. That's all.""..."Seeing that their store manager have completely let go of the mentality he had in the past, Kongming and others unconsciously showed relieved expressions."Since everything has been clarified, let's not talk about Miss Trailblazer for now." Rita said, "Captain, how are you going to deal with the child with restless power in her body?""..."If Yufan who was in the Shura Field just felt a little troubled, then the whole question raised by Rita immediately made his troubles escalate into a headache.Of course, he knew this girl. Like Welt Yang in the countless Bubble Worlds of the Sea of Quanta, "Raiden Mei" had appeared in front of him in various completely different identities. Sometimes she was an assassin belonging to the dynasty, and sometimes she was a wandering warrior.But Yufan met her most of the time as a student from Saint Freya Academy who waz also the Third Herrscher, directly protected and monitored by Saint Freya Academy.The store manager is actually a transmigrator, but just as he said to Kongming before, if time is counted, the time he has experienced in this world has long exceeded the time before the transmigration.Of course, he and the long-legged fox girl "Yukong" of the Xianzhou are not relatives.Not to mention the experience before the transmigration, even his original name was renamed "Yufan" with the meaning of "captain," as "the ferryman who controls the sails."In his heart, the so-called Herrscher is not an untouchable existence for Yufan, and even solving the problem of Raiden Mei is not too difficult in his eyes.However, if he wants to solve the problem of Raiden Mei, he must inevitably have a connection with Raiden Mei or even the world where Raiden Mei is.This is really not a wonderful thing for Yufan who is ready to retire and live a stable life after setting up a coffee shop.After solving the problem of Raiden Mei, the world will throw more problems at him, and his heart is not really hard enough to turn a blind eye to the life and death of an acquaintance—it's just like cooking. The one with better cooking skills in a family is usually asked to do more cooking work, further improving his cooking skills in the process, and then inevitably embarking on the path of a cooking master in this vicious cycle.What a joke, he was saving the world when he was a captain. Now he has retired and is the manager of a cafe, and you still want to pull him to save the world?He is tired of saving the world in the Sea of Quanta. Now he just wants to hug his wives and spend the rest of his long life leisurely in this cafe.Yufan, irritated, shook his head uncomfortably. "Let's talk about Herrscher's matter later. It's still business hours now. Let's worry about how to receive the next customers.""The next customers..." Rita chewed on Yufan's words, and a helpless arc appeared at the corner of her mouth. "Captain...""By the way, don't call me by that name in the store." Yufan said."...Okay, store manager, do you have any misunderstandings about the customer flow of this cafe?"Rita gently supported her forehead. "The location of this store was chosen by you in the singularity of the Sea of Quanta. Although this singularity will invade different real worlds, giving this cafe the characteristic of connecting different worlds, ordinary people without abilities cannot detect this store. Normally, no one will come in to patronize it.""We have opened the store here for more than half a month. In addition to the Trailblazers who patronized it twice, only Miss Mei accidentally came to this store."Rita spread her hands, her charming eyes with a tear mole suddenly flashing a hint of mischief. Her pink little tongue gently licked her moist lips. "So, instead of waiting for customers who won't come, would you like to do something more meaningful with us?"Looking at Rita's deliberate flirting with the opposite sex, the already shy Kongming couldn't hold it anymore. "Hey! There are customers in the store! Can you not be so shameless?!""That customer lady won't wake up for a while." Rita smiled. "And, Master Kongming, don't you think it would be more exciting if there was a sleeping person lying next to you?"Luna's face flushed all of a sudden. She pinched her skirt, her expression was a little shy, and she stuttered unconsciously: "Human... human, what Rita said... makes sense. Why don't we...""Hey! Calm down! Bronie is still behind us!""It doesn't matter. With Miss Haxxor's upright character, Rita believes she will take the initiative to avoid the tryst between us and the store manager." Rita said with a smile. "Am I right, Miss Bronie?""Is that guy going to be killed again? Steal it?" Bronie put her hands on her hips, raised her neck, and said dissatisfiedly. "We all agreed to play games together during the break.""No playing games during working hours, Miss Bronie.""Tsk... no matter how you look at it, your violation is more serious!""What you said..." Rita blinked her eyes gently. "The rules of the store are made by the store manager and Master Kongming. What the store manager is doing is certainly not a violation of the store rules.""Is this the cafe that the Trailblazers are talking about?"Just at this time.Accompanied by the sound of the door opening, a girl dressed in a luxurious military uniform, looking noble, walked in. The footsteps of her knee-high heels were crisp and awe-inspiring.The conversation behind the bar stopped abruptly."Huh?"Suddenly, the customer who came to the store uttered a light  "Huh?" She looked at Bronie's face with surprise and rubbed her eyes hard. "I... stayed up too late...""If you stayed up too late, I recommend a cup of lily tea."The young store manager first looked at Rita with a smug look, and then hurried to greet her. "You look like you've been working for a long time. Why don't you take a good rest in the store? If you work too much and ruin your body, it will be more trouble than gain."Although the store manager just wanted to show the pride and complacency of "Look at what I said, isn't there a customer coming to the store?", in the eyes of Rita and others, the store manager's behavior is undoubtedly saying, "I am more interested in new customers than you guys."Well. Let's find a chance to poke this restless man.The four girls standing behind the bar looked at each other, showing a high degree of cohesion under the special situation of foreign invasion, and instantly united the front.Chapter 14: The Girl Who Just Lost Her Emoji, and the Upcoming EmojiIt was noon in Nagazora City. The pedestrian street, which should have been bustling at lunchtime, was unusually quiet at this moment.Except for the distant sound of traffic, only a few faint footsteps could be heard.No one was seen on the road or in the shops along the street.The shops were all closed, with signs reading "Closed." Several yellow cordons were drawn at both ends of the pedestrian street, and anti-entropy guards armed with advanced machine guns stood in front of the cordons, facing outward, ready for battle.Once the pedestrian street was completely blocked, all the shops were forced to close, and people and cars were driven away from the area under the watchful eyes of the guards.Of course, the old jeep with the Russian military license plate was not included in the vehicles that were forced to leave."Did Raiden Mei disappear here?"After opening the car door, Cocolia arrived at the door of Hyperion Cafe.She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing the wooden door of the cafe without missing a single detail, and asked the researcher who had joined her from the co-pilot seat in a meaningful tone."--In this empty space?""I am very sorry, Ms. Cocolia." The researcher in the white coat wiped cold sweat from his forehead and spoke in a slightly trembling voice, due to the fear of punishment and the confusion of not understanding what had happened. "From the moment the body left home, our team has been closely monitoring its movements. But just two hours ago, she vanished without a trace before our eyes.""I don't like to hear repeated nonsense. You've said similar things on the way here, and my ears are starting to feel sore."Cocolia smiled faintly."But don't worry. After all, I watched the surveillance video you released in the conference room. That video proves that the disappearance of the Herrscher's body was not due to your negligence, but rather a strange phenomenon that neither you nor anyone else could have anticipated or prevented."Hearing that Cocolia did not intend to blame him, the researcher visibly relaxed.As a member of Anti-Entropy and a full-time researcher studying the Herrscher, he obviously understood the danger they posed.Thus, after the concern of punishment was alleviated by Cocolia’s slightly reassuring words, the researcher shifted his focus to another issue."But since the Herrscher body disappeared right under our noses, doesn't that mean she went out of the control of Anti-Entropy?""No. Although Raiden Mei disappeared right in front of you, if I’m not mistaken, she didn’t actually leave here," Cocolia said, turning her head slightly and locking eyes with the researcher. "Additionally, the reason she disappeared wasn’t because she awakened a special ability as a Herrscher."The researcher stared at Cocolia blankly, unable to understand how she could make such an assertion, especially when even he couldn’t draw such a conclusion with his soldier’s knowledge."... As expected, I’m the only one who can see it."Cocolia narrowed her eyes and murmured quietly, only audible to herself.Before coming here, Cocolia had carefully reviewed the nearby surveillance footage and reports from the monitors. Whether in the surveillance images or the descriptions provided by the monitors, all signs pointed to the fact that there was nothing in the space in front of her.However, in Cocolia’s eyes, the ground that appeared empty to everyone else actually held a very exquisite cafe.This cafe was an independent two-story building with a Hyperion sign hanging above the wooden door. The first floor was entirely covered by floor-to-ceiling windows, which were frosted. Standing here, one could faintly see the dim glow of ceiling lights from within.This was a cafe that could not be monitored, nor could it be seen or touched by ordinary people.It was highly likely that the missing Herrscher sample Raiden Mei entered this cafe.But no matter what this cafe was, the Herrscer had already become private property in Cocolia's mind.Rationally speaking, when confronted with this strange phenomenon for the first time, it would be wise to understand its nature before engaging with it.However, since none of the researchers except for her could see this cafe, it meant that they couldn’t provide any effective intelligence or help.And, of course, she would not report the fact that "only she can see this cafe" to other Anti-Entropy operatives.After all, her experiment on Raiden Mei would never be allowed by her colleagues, and the longer Raiden Mei stayed missing, the more her plans would spiral out of control.In this situation, Cocolia’s choice was clear:Bring Raiden Mei back from this cafe."Notify them to continue blocking the area and have all tactical mechs and combatants stand by in the nearby area."Cocolia instructed."--Next, I might disappear for a while, just like that girl."...The fresh scent of lilies rose from the hot tea on the wooden table, enveloping the air in thick fog."I told you not to make tea for me. I just came to take a look and leave."The girl in military uniform sitting on the sofa looked helpless."There’s still a lot of work to do. I really don’t have time for afternoon tea in a cafe.""Don’t be silly. With your face that looks like it might collapse any second, do you really think you can handle your work properly?"The young store manager stood opposite the girl, brewing tea for himself, before leisurely sitting down in the seat across from her."You have heavy dark circles under your eyes. As the ruler of a country, it’s going to be hard to earn the trust of people who’ve just gone through changes if you look like that.""Our Supreme Guardian is a girl who looks like she’s about to fall over—what? You want to hear such a critique?""..."Two steaming cups slowly released their thick fog into the silent atmosphere.The girl in military uniform blushed and whispered, "Really... is it that obvious?""Yes." The young store manager chuckled. "I heard about you from the Trailblazers. They’ve been complaining to me: 'We’re the heroes here, but the Supreme Guardian doesn’t even give us the courtesy of a meal' and 'If we knew that this Supreme Guardian was like this, we wouldn’t have come to this planet.'""Don’t tease me. Those Trailblazers are not the kind of people who would talk bad about others behind their backs." The girl in military uniform smiled helplessly."Oh? But you’ve only known them for a short time, haven’t you? In just a few days, you think you know them well?""I can’t say I know them well, but I can say that those Trailblazers are a group of upright and noble people." The girl in military uniform stated."Tsk, boring." The young store manager shrugged and took a sip of his tea. "Just tell me, what do you want to see me about?""You opened a store in the city under my jurisdiction without permission, and you still ask me this question?" The girl in military uniform tilted her head in disbelief."So, you’re going to drive me away?"The young store manager laughed. "That’s right, after all, a group of illegal residents suddenly appear in your territory, and it’s normal for a ruler to want to send them back as soon as possible.""I didn’t say that..." The girl in military uniform paused, then stood up and extended her hand to the young store manager, who was still sitting in his seat. "Bronya Rand, the current Supreme Guardian of Belobog."The young store manager made no move to answer or take Bronya's hand, instead nodding towards her: "Sit down, sit down, it’s just a simple meeting. Why so serious?""No, please allow me to express my sincere gratitude," Bronya said, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you for your support of Belobog. If it weren't for—""Stop, stop!" The young store manager waved his hand, looking pained. "Let me make this clear upfront: I don't know what those Trailblazers said to you, but I’ve already said it clearly here...""Uh..."Looking at Bronya who appeared utterly exhausted and lifeless, the store manager's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.Oops, maybe I said too much.Chapter 15: This is a Plan to Drive the Tiger to Eat the Wolf!——As the store manager said, Bronya Rand had not had a proper night’s sleep for a long time.As the successor of the former Supreme Guardian of Belobog and the current Supreme Guardian herself, Bronya had not managed to sleep properly even once during the past few days, amid regime changes, world turmoil, and dramatic shifts in the planet’s ecology and climate. She couldn’t even afford to close her eyes for a short nap.Because, whenever she closed her eyes for even a moment, her mother’s face would inevitably appear in her mind.After Stelle used the Shamash like severing the clouds with a monstrous sword, the Stellaron incident on Yalilo No. 6 ended in a farce.Although the overly dramatic ending of the Stellaron incident, and Cocolia's overwhelming failure, diluted much of the “sadness” Bronya had barely begun to feel, when she returned to Belobog, she was forced to take on the role of Supreme Guardian. The following tasks and events consumed her every second, leaving her no time to reflect on the Stellaron incident.But whether it was Cocolia whom she had regarded as a role model and close relative betraying the Path of Preservation and attempting to use the power of the Stellaron to exterminate the humans on this planet with her own hands, or the Trailblazers who came to help and ultimately burned Cocolia, deceived by the Stellaron, to death—it all happened in front of Bronya’s eyes. These were facts that couldn’t be refuted.With Bronya’s integrity and kindness, she could not hate the Trailblazers who killed her mother, for she knew that those Trailblazers had saved countless lives on this planet. The one who made the irreparable mistake was her mother.But on another level, Cocolia’s kindness in raising her made it difficult for Bronya—who already valued family affection—to despise her mother from the bottom of her heart.If Bronya were a cold-blooded person, or a wicked person who had done many evil deeds, perhaps it would be easier to accept the situation.But she is neither cold-blooded nor wicked.So, she forced herself to squeeze every second out of her time, leaving no room for thinking about Cocolia. She was the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, the supreme ruler of Belobog. She would never allow the sentimentality deep in her heart to interfere with her judgment, nor would she allow such weak illusions to surface before her again.Yes.Just like now, knowing her mother is dead, she can’t help but see her figure before her.And over and over again—“You are—”—calling her name.“Alexandra?”Yes, calling Bronya...“—n?”“Alexandra?” Bronya blinked, her mind confused by the strange name she suddenly heard from "Cocolia's Phantom."“Who?”………………Before entering this cafe, Cocolia had mentally prepared herself for everything.But the moment she opened the wooden door, this woman, who was extremely adept at handling civil conflicts and accustomed to all kinds of big scenes, couldn’t help but be stunned.In the entire cafe, there were only three figures in the reception hall. One of them was her target, a Herrscher who was sleeping alone at a table. The other two, sitting opposite each other, were a very young red-haired boy and another one—“You are—”Compared to thinking, words had already dug out the name buried deep in Cocolia’s memory faster.“Alexandra?”The elegant girl in military uniform with silver-gray long hair tied in several spiral curls hanging behind her was obviously stunned.“Who?”“…No, I must have recognized her wrong.”Cocolia rubbed her brows.After a closer look, although the girl in front of her bore striking facial features similar to Alexandra, whom she had met only once, in terms of age, even Alexandra from ten years ago was clearly much older than this girl in military uniform.And...“Compared to Alexandra, she looks more like Bronya...” Cocolia whispered.Cocolia thought her voice had been suppressed to a very low level, but what she didn’t know was that the girl in military uniform in front of her was no ordinary person, so she heard the whisper very clearly.“Um, do you know me?” Bronya asked with a serious expression.At the same moment that Cocolia recognized that Bronya in front of her was not an acquaintance, Bronya, who had come to her senses, also realized that the person in front of her was not her mother.Although they looked very similar, the woman in front of her was clearly older than her mother, and the aura she exuded was completely different from her mother’s, who was the Supreme Guardian.Perhaps because the girl in military uniform looked so much like her daughter, Cocolia's expression softened a little, despite her original purpose for coming to this cafe being less than friendly.“This should be the first time we meet, but you look very similar to my daughter Bronya, so I’m a little surprised.”Bronya’s expression suddenly became strange. “Your daughter’s also named Bronya?”“Also?”“Well, my name is Bronya Rand...” Bronya paused, then suddenly stood up, clenched her fists, and asked tentatively, “Excuse me, is your name Cocolia Rand?”“Bronya Rand?” Cocolia’s pupils shrank slightly. “…I’m Cocolia, but I don’t have the last name Rand.”“….”Bronya lowered her head, casting an inexplicable glance at the store manager. “Did you do this?”She had heard of this cafe’s arrogance from the Trailblazers, so after receiving Cocolia’s answer, Bronya had a rough guess about the strange happenings unfolding before her.“No, her appearance here has nothing to do with me.” The store manager drank a sip of tea expressionlessly and then turned his face toward Cocolia. “This customer, would you like a drink?”“I didn’t come here for a drink.” Cocolia had no intention of hiding her purpose. “I came to take one of your customers.”“Are you a law enforcement officer?” the store manager asked.Cocolia narrowed her eyes. “No, but our military force is stronger than that of law enforcement officers.”“Is that customer a criminal?”“Not yet, but she will be soon.”“Then there’s nothing to talk about.”The store manager put his teacup on the table, the bottom of the cup colliding with the surface with a crisp “pop.”He looked at Bronya’s increasingly serious expression, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.“My dear Supreme Guardian, this person pretended to be a law enforcement officer under your nose, and also intended to force an innocent citizen onto the path of crime. Alas, can you tolerate this?”“Anyway, I think I definitely can’t tolerate it.”