"Hey! Don't be so ridiculous!"
Stelle pounded on the door. "When did I ever say I'd help? I still need to take down Sunday!"
Yet, no one responded.
—"Miss, why are you here?"
At that moment, a cool, clear voice rang out. Stelle turned around to see Robin, dressed in knightly attire, standing not far behind her, holding a silver revolver with its dark muzzle aimed directly at her forehead.
Stelle hurriedly raised her hands. "Lady Robin… I'm a law-abiding citizen! I'm not with those Memory Zone Memes, I swear!"
"Hmph, Memory Zone Memes are skilled at mimicking humans these days. Your words aren't exactly convincing."
Robin narrowed her eyes. "Besides, who did you just say you were going to take down?"
Stelle was momentarily at a loss for words. Trying to appear as harmless as possible, she shifted the topic. "Miss Robin, do you remember me? We've met before!"
"It was right next to Oti Mall, remember? A bunch of hounds trampled over me, and you docked their pay!"
Robin replied, "I dock people's pay all the time. How am I supposed to remember which one was you?"
Stelle: ?
Stelle thought for a moment and hurriedly added, "And, and! You gave me two sets of Dreamscape outfits back then, remember?"
Robin: "Hmph, Dreamscape outfits are standard for new visitors. How would I know which one you are?"
Stelle: ?
So you compensated me with something I was supposed to get anyway?!
Robin, what happened to you? Where's my gentle, virtuous, cute, and kind little bird?
How did you turn into a capitalist?!
"Alright, I'll ask you a few questions. Based on your answers, I'll determine whether you're a Memory Zone Meme in disguise. Understood?"
"Got it, got it, got it! Ask away, I promise to answer seriously!"
Robin cleared her throat and asked, "First question: Who is the greatest person in Penacony?"
Without hesitation, Stelle replied, "The Watchmaker! The Watchmaker, Mikhail!"
For a normal human, this question was a freebie—something anyone could answer without thinking.
It was also a convenient way to verify identity, since Memory Zone Memes wouldn't know the answer.
"…Unfortunately, your answer is incorrect."
Robin narrowed her eyes. "Though your answer was close, so I won't execute you immediately. I'll give you one more chance."
Stelle: ?
"Wait a second, isn't 'the greatest person in Penacony' the Watchmaker, Mikhail?!" Stelle was dumbfounded, momentarily unsure if Robin was the Memory Zone Meme in disguise.
It was as if someone asked her what one plus one equals, she answered two, and Robin said, "Wrong! It's obviously three!"
"Hmph, the answer to this question was updated in last month's Penacony Daily."
Robin continued, "Your answer might have been correct before last month, but unfortunately, the answer has changed."
Stelle couldn't help but blurt out, "Then who else could it be? Besides Sunday, Mikhail, and maybe Gallagher, there aren't any other particularly famous people in Penacony, right?"
"You already mentioned the answer," Robin said.
Stelle: ?
"It's… Gallagher? Why? What did he do to become Penacony's greatest person?" Stelle asked, utterly confused.
"Tch."
Robin clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. "The answer is Sunday! He is, without a doubt, the greatest person in Penacony today!"
Stelle: ?
Hold on, little bird, you haven't… turned into a brother-obsessed fanatic, have you?
You're defending that?
Isn't Sunday just a textbook capitalist now? The kind of person who deserves to be strung up on a lamppost! How did he become Penacony's greatest figure in your mouth, and with such righteous conviction?
Robin proudly declared, "Brother Sunday… cough, Mr. Sunday is gentle, kind, cares for the people, and leads Penacony forward, ever forward, and forward again. He is undoubtedly the greatest person in Penacony today!"
"If you've seen his posters, his promotional videos, or his speeches, you'd understand that he's a true embodiment of truth, goodness, and beauty—a people's entrepreneur."
Stelle fell silent for a moment before hesitantly saying, "But… everyone calls him a capitalist now."
"Just idle gossip born of jealousy. Pay it no mind."
"But he is amassing wealth a bit excessively. I saw him walking around with gold dust falling off him…"
"That's not amassing wealth. He's merely safeguarding that money for everyone. The economy needs a leader to thrive—first the few prosper, then they uplift the rest. They say the tallest tree catches the most wind, and Mr. Sunday reluctantly became the first to prosper because with great power comes great responsibility."
"And… what about him keeping penguins in his office? That's not true, right?"
"Well… that is true, but doesn't that showcase Mr. Sunday's kindness?"
Stelle: ?
How does that showcase anything?
"Look, penguins' habitats are shrinking. Mr. Sunday couldn't bear to see those little creatures suffer, so he took them in to care for them. Isn't that saving them from peril?"
Stelle: "And where did this peril come from?"
Robin: "I don't know."
Stelle: "…"
She finally understood. This Robin might seem serious on the surface, but she was an unapologetic brother-worshipper. Stelle had no doubt that the answers to the next few questions would inevitably revolve around "Sunday."
She even suspected that if she shouted, "Sunday is an evil capitalist!" Robin would immediately shoot her dead and say, "Memory Zone Memes are getting more human-like these days."
Thinking this, Stelle paused for a moment before cautiously saying, "Actually, I didn't come to Penacony for anything special. I just wanted to get Mr. Sunday's autograph."
Robin smiled slightly and lowered her gun. "I knew you couldn't be a Memory Zone Meme in disguise. How could those primal beasts possibly appreciate Mr. Sunday's nobility?"
"Heh… haha, yeah, how could they possibly understand…"
"Ahem, miss, if you're here for Mr. Sunday's autograph, there's an opportunity tomorrow morning. Mr. Sunday will be hosting the opening ceremony of the Charmony Festival alongside Mr. Gallagher. Be sure to show your support."
Robin pulled a golden ticket from her pocket. "I'll cover the ticket. Just make sure you show up."
Looking at the excited Robin, Stelle knew she couldn't refuse, so she accepted the ticket with an awkward smile. "Haha… thank you."
"No need to thank me. It's all for Mr. Sunday."
"Ah… right! Yes, yes, yes! It's all for Mr. Sunday. I love Mr. Sunday. My greatest wish in life is to marry Mr. Sunday, hahaha…"
Stelle laughed and laughed, then suddenly stopped.
Because she felt something hard press against her.