The profession of Dreamweaver was, in practice, already one of the most illustrious and distinguished in all of Penacony.
But in their eyes, The Family was nothing special. The repeated incidents involving the heads of the Iris family line served as a constant reminder of who truly ruled Penacony.
No one was a fool; they all knew perfectly well what happened to the brilliant Dreamweavers of the Iris family.
Any Iris family head who didn't become a dog for another lineage simply vanished.
Anyone who spoke up for the people of Penacony or for the interests of the Dreamweavers also vanished.
Could The Family's stance be any more obvious?
They weren't illiterate children. This cold, cruel internal struggle among the lineages was a clear sign that they viewed these creators as nothing more than disposable assets to be squeezed dry.
And in the end, cast aside like worn-out shoes.
Stelle had originally just wanted to experience the same thrill Noldrei had on the Xianzhou, but the deeper she got, the more her desire to be some heroic leader faded.
The last of her illusions about this godforsaken place called Penacony had been utterly stripped away by the Dreamweaver's words.
'Bro, with things like this, it feels like we have no choice but to rebel and fight.'
'We can't just leave these people behind, can we? We create this… this party thing, and then just dump it all on Robin. Is that really okay?'
[Do you not believe that the people of Penacony can create their own dream for the future?]
'It's not a matter of belief. I think I'm just starting to understand why some of the Nameless seniors stayed behind.'
'It wasn't that they didn't want to continue traveling with the Express. It was that they found a place they just couldn't let go of.'
Stelle sighed internally, thinking that the Clockmaker must have been unable to leave for the same reason—he couldn't abandon the wave of change he had started.
[It's alright. If the direction you provide doesn't allow them to choose for themselves, if it doesn't make them believe it's in their own best interest, then they will compromise and adapt on their own. Do not underestimate the power of humanity itself.]
[Even in the future, all people are ultimately equal.]
'Bro, you finally stopped talking about that damn car of yours!'
[You just had to bring it up! Where's my car?! Ask her! Where is my car?!]
Noldrei's exasperated voice echoed in Stelle's mind, making her instantly regret her words.
'So, what should we do next? We can't just start something and then walk away, right?'
[Don't worry about that. What we need to do next is give the Dreamweavers a 'new world'—one that will make him walk toward the future for the sake of his own dream.]
[Stelle, you must remember this.]
[If a certain thought, a certain ideology, or a certain philosophy needs to be constantly spoken of and actively believed in just to be sustained…]
[Then that philosophy is better off discarded from the start.]
[All of humanity's ideologies are founded on the principle of protecting one's own position and interests.]
[No ideology is worthy of faith. You just need to see which one best serves your interests and use it.]
'Is Harmony like that too?'
[It is.]
Stelle nodded in sudden understanding, her mood calming considerably.
The heavy atmosphere brought on by the Dreamweaver's emotional breakdown began to lift from her heart.
Robin had given up on the idea of using the power of Harmony to pull the Dreamweaver into her fold.
She waited quietly until he had finished crying, then offered him her handkerchief.
The Dreamweaver waved his hand. "No need. I don't have eyes, and my head is made of wood now. Crying is just a feeling."
Stelle almost lost her composure at his words. She found the Dreamweaver to be a bit absurd.
She nearly had to use the Clockwork trick to stabilize her own emotions.
Robin knew her own limits; she knew she couldn't design a reasonable future for Penacony by herself.
She only had a vague understanding of the new order Stelle had proposed.
The future ruling class of Penacony would only be responsible for linking reality and the dreamscape, conducting business in a manner similar to a gaming platform like Steam.
The Dreamweavers, in turn, would return to the work of building dreams. They would operate their respective dream worlds as independent creators or dream-building companies, sharing the profits with Penacony's new rulers.
Both sides would promote themselves to the universe in this way, attracting more imaginative people to join the work of dream-building.
This would form a new order where Dreamweavers, both inside and outside Penacony, would coalesce into a unified ruling class.
The Dreamweavers and the people of Penacony would form the main body of the electorate, democratically electing the governing members of this platform. They could even design a specific dream world just for the election process.
Thanks to the unique properties of time within the dreamscape's Memoria, the process could be made incredibly efficient and cost-free, further enhancing the transparency of this electoral system.
Robin did her best to convey her understanding of the new Penacony to the Dreamweaver.
She said with a sigh, "I was once just an ordinary singer, but I have now lost the power of Harmony. You could say I'm in a state where I can't sing, and I can only communicate with you by producing sound through this resonance."
"Now, can you believe that I won't perform a 'holy baptism' on you?"
Perhaps it was Robin's attitude that calmed the Dreamweaver down, or perhaps her current state made him less nervous.
But more than anything…
He was captivated by the new world Robin described—a world where everyone could find their own companions, friends with shared ambitions, and work together to create the dreams they loved.
What?
Worried about losing to other Dreamweaver teams in competition, failing to attract consumers from outside Penacony, and starving to death as a result?
Dammit, was this really the time to worry about something like that?
Starving to death then would be because of a lack of skill. But starving to death now was a direct result of being exploited and consumed by others.
For the coming of a new Penacony that belonged solely to the Dreamweavers, he would willingly die right here and now.
The era Robin spoke of was simply too alluring.
For Dreamweavers like him, the existence of such a beautiful world was something they had always dreamed of.
This time, the Dreamweaver didn't hesitate. He decisively pledged his loyalty to Lady Robin.
"What do you need me to do?! As long as it's a dreamscape in Penacony, I know every backdoor left by a Dreamweaver, every secret path they've opened. I know it all like the back of my hand."
"As long as you can ascend to a high position, I dare make you this promise, Lady Robin."
"The entirety of Penacony will be transparent before your eyes!"
"I will kiss the tip of your shoe and offer you my loyalty!"
The Dreamweaver immediately prepared to actually kiss the tip of Robin's shoe.
Robin jumped in fright, quickly pulling her foot back under her skirt and waving her hands. "That's not necessary, really! No need to kiss my shoe."
Stelle blurted out, "Damn, you're eating well in your dreams, huh!"
The others turned to look at Stelle, stunned and bewildered.