Stelle turned around, only to find the entire train crew staring at her with surprised expressions, causing the girl to feel a bit embarrassed.
"Uh… what's wrong?"
After giving Stelle a quick once-over, Miss March 7th shook her head.
"Nothing, I just didn't expect you to say something like that, giving out chicken soup for the soul…"
Stelle: "…"
In response, Stelle couldn't help but roll her eyes, looking utterly exasperated.
What kind of comment is that? So rude! Can't I occasionally say one or two profound things?
'Beep, beep, beep…!'
Just as Stelle was silently grumbling to herself, a series of urgent beeps rang out. The Trailblazers present instinctively pulled out their phones from their pockets.
Looking at the message on the screen, Miss Himeko, whose brows had been tinged with worry, immediately relaxed.
"It's a message from Welt. He's fine, little March. You don't need to worry anymore."
Indeed, the message was from Welt. After the Astral Express escaped the body of the giant true sting bug, Mr. Welt had further infused the power of the Path into the Star of Eden.
In an instant, a black hole with immense gravitational pull erupted fully within the true sting bug, crushing and absorbing it entirely.
'I've run into a slight issue here. Due to the pseudo-black hole absorbing too much mass, the concentrated energy at one point caused a distortion in space-time.'
'Pulled by this space-time distortion, I've been transported to another galaxy. It'll likely take some time to return to the train. Moreover, in this galaxy, I seem to have discovered something quite intriguing…'
'By my calculations, I won't be able to join the Trailblazing expedition to Penacony this time.'
'Take care, everyone.'
After reading the message on the phone, little March finally let out a sigh of relief. But soon, the optimistic and cheerful girl sighed again, this time with a hint of helplessness.
"Sigh, Uncle Yang won't be able to join this Trailblazing expedition. It feels like such a shame…"
Seeing March 7th's slightly dejected look, Himeko gave a wry smile.
"The journey of Trailblazing never stops, and likewise, it will never reach an end. What matters along the way is the process, not the destination."
"This is just a temporary parting, little March. No need to be too down about it."
With that, Miss Himeko, the navigator, walked to the music console in the train's parlor car, her fingers swiftly scrolling through the playlist.
"Let's listen to a song. The galaxy-renowned songstress, Miss Robin, recently released a new album."
As Himeko's words fell, a melodious and graceful song filled the parlor car, enchanting and captivating.
'Birds are born with no shackles~'
(Birds are born to break free from chains~)
'Then what fetters my fate~'
(What, then, binds my destiny?)
'…'
'Let my heart bravely spread the wings~'
(Let my heart soar with wings unfurled!)
'…'
Like celestial music that briefly enlightens the ears, Robin's voice seemed to carry a special magic, instantly tugging at the heartstrings of everyone present.
"What… what a beautiful voice…"
Enthralled by the lingering, melodious notes, Miss March 7th couldn't help but murmur in a daze.
"Miss Robin's singing is indeed remarkable. Compared to other singers in the galaxy, she's among the very best."
Hearing March 7th's comment, Mr. Dan Heng suddenly spoke up unexpectedly.
"But if it were just her exceptional vocal skills and voice, it wouldn't be enough to achieve this level of resonance with the soul."
As Dan Heng's words fell, everyone turned their gazes toward the insightful Dragon Lord.
Noticing this, the Dragon Lord paused briefly before continuing.
"[Harmony]. Miss Robin's singing contains the power of [Harmony]."
"But this power is very gentle, with no trace of aggression. It's precisely because of this power that Miss Robin has become a renowned songstress across the cosmos."
"[Harmony], huh?"
Stelle stroked her chin, nodding thoughtfully, though in truth…
This Stellaron-bearer hadn't understood a thing. Still relatively inexperienced, she had only just begun to grasp the meanings of the Paths of [Destruction], [Preservation], and [The Hunt].
As for [Harmony] and the Harmony Star God 'Xipe,' her understanding remained superficial at best.
As the song ended, its echoes lingered, unbroken and continuous. Under the eager gazes of March 7th and Stelle, Miss Himeko shook her head with a light smile.
"Let's pause the music for now. We'll listen more later. It's almost 7 system hours—time for the Interstellar Peace Broadcast. After the broadcast, we can continue listening to Miss Robin's songs. How about that?"
"Mm-hmm!"
March 7th and Stelle nodded eagerly like chicks pecking at rice. They understood the importance of priorities.
While the Interstellar Peace Corporation didn't have the best reputation, the Interstellar Peace Broadcast was still quite helpful for the train crew.
With March 7th and Stelle's affirmative responses, Miss Himeko began tuning the interstellar communication terminal in the train.
Soon, the terminal responded. After a brief crackle of static, a man and a woman in professional attire appeared on the parlor car's screen.
[Woman: Good evening, dear viewers.
Man: Good evening.
Woman: As the Amber Lord's great hammer slowly descends, its sound reverberates through the cosmos, resounding and deafening.
Man: The Erudition Society's Stellar Ecology Faction has announced—the Amber Era 2157 has ended, and 2158 has officially begun.
Woman: In this new Amber Era, the Interstellar Peace Corporation will continue its commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the galaxy.
Man: Let us uphold the will of [Preservation]—all for the Amber Lord!
Woman: A new era brings new beginnings, new opportunities, and new risks.
Man: In the opening months of Amber Era 2158, several monumental events have shaken the cosmos!
Woman: A planet once lost to the Stellaron disaster has returned to normalcy, reconnecting with interstellar civilization.
Man: This planet is Jarilo-VI. According to its supreme leader, 'Cocolia Rand,' the planet has received the blessings of the Aeon of Causality, 'Lord of Samsara.'
Woman: Now, Jarilo-VI is dedicated to developing into a blessed land of the Aeon of Causality.]