In the corridor, Stelle's tone carried a hint of concern.
"Is Dan Heng alright?"
"Oh, he's fine."
March 7th waved her hand dismissively, signaling her to relax.
"Everyone on the Express has their own habits, like Dan Heng—"
"If you wake up one day and don't see Dan Heng, you probably won't see him all day."
"If you don't see Uncle Yang, he's likely tinkering with those interesting things from his hometown."
"If you don't see Himeko, she's usually handling Express-related matters, like dealing with various factions."
"If you don't see the Conductor, they're probably cleaning somewhere on the Express."
"As for me, well, there's no pattern—you never know. I haven't been here long."
Stelle listened quietly, waiting for the rest about Leon.
But several seconds passed, and March 7th didn't continue.
"Did you forget someone?"
"…I'm done, didn't miss anyone."
"Isn't Leon a person? Is Leon even a person?"
"Hey, keep it down, you're gonna deafen me…"
March 7th quickened her pace to put some distance between her and Stelle, shooting her a reproachful glance as she explained.
"My memory's not that bad. Every day I wake up on the Express, I can see Leon in the Parlor Car or the Party Car."
"Every single day!"
"You see him all the time, so how would I know where he is when he's not around?"
Oh, so that's how it is.
Stelle coughed awkwardly. "Sorry, sorry, never mind then."
Never mind?
This could be a big deal!
Ah Xian roared internally.
Her subconscious belief that Leon was destined to face tragedy made her thoughts hypersensitive.
March 7th's words—"How would I know where he is when he's not around?"—sent a chill down her spine.
Don't jinx it! What if, after some future plotline, Leon really does vanish without a trace?
My sister wouldn't handle it!
Not one bit!
March 7th: "You're new here, so it's normal not to know everyone yet. Let me tell you…"
"Actually—everyone on the Express is kinda weird."
Stelle didn't respond, just kept looking at her.
"Hey… don't stare at me like that! Am I not weird too?"
March 7th pointed at her own head.
"I forgot my entire past, you know. Have you ever met an amnesiac without some wild backstory? I've made up dozens for myself."
"That makes sense…" Stelle fell into thought.
March 7th had even concocted a story about being an Emanator. Quite the oddball.
(What about Leon and me?)
(We're all amnesiacs. As members of the Amnesia Squad, we must have unique pasts too, right?)
[LOL, the Amnesia Squad is officially canon.]
Hearing Stelle's inner thoughts, many couldn't hold back their laughter.
Soon, the two arrived at the Parlor Car.
Himeko: "Morning, everyone's quite punctual."
Stelle: "Morning, Himeko. Being on time is my strength, but Dan Heng doesn't seem to care for that quality…"
"No worries. Dan Heng is usually punctual. If he's late, there's probably a reason."
Himeko's smile faded slightly, her expression turning serious.
"Dan Heng's situation is a bit special. We hope to protect him as much as we can."
Hm?
Special how?
Stelle couldn't help but be curious, but seeing Himeko had no intention of elaborating, she didn't press further.
Himeko: "Pam's here. Let's start the meeting."
Pam: "All passengers! The Warp Route Meeting is officially starting!"
"First, Pam would like to thank all Nameless for successfully resolving the issue at this station, allowing the Express to continue racing along the star tracks."
"Next, this Conductor will announce the name of the next station—"
At that moment, a figure holding a brown umbrella appeared at the back of the car.
"Long time no see, everyone on the Astral Express. I'm Kafka."
Her voice was gentle, carrying a captivating laziness.
Except for Leon, everyone else on the Express grew visibly wary.
Welt adjusted his glasses with two fingers, quietly gripping his cane.
Himeko's eyes narrowed, clearly unwelcoming toward this sudden visitor.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Kafka seemed oblivious, leisurely walking toward the group.
"Ah~ Perfect timing. Everyone's here… or so it seems."
Pam appeared slightly afraid of her, cautiously hiding behind Leon and peeking out.
As Kafka passed by, Stelle's gaze turned complex, recalling the moment she awoke at the Space Station.
Himeko casually stretched her slender fingers, saying nonchalantly, "No need for the charming self-introduction, Stellaron Hunter."
"Hmm… Himeko, right?"
Kafka seemed unfazed by the hostility in Himeko's words, her lips curling into a charming smile.
"Sorry for interrupting your meeting, but after hearing my request, I believe you'll understand my boldness…"
Kafka walked to the window, her next words shocking everyone.
"I'd like you to—change your destination."
Welt's eyes darkened imperceptibly.
After a moment of thought, unable to discern Kafka's intentions, he glanced subtly at Leon.
Leon gave Welt a reassuring look, patted Pam's ears, and waited with interest for what came next.
He didn't know Kafka personally, only by reputation.
It was said that Kafka wielded the Art of Spirit Whisper to control minds, an incredibly domineering ability.
He could sense the imaginary fluctuations of a Finality Pathstrider emanating from her.
So, the Destiny's Slave and the Stellaron Hunters under him all walked this Path.
Intriguing.
The Aeon of Finality, Terminus, was highly enigmatic. Over nearly two thousand Amber Eras, Terminus had only cast a glance at one being.
That was at the start of Leon's second life, during his first reincarnation after the fall of Heaven's Mercy.
He still had some recollection of the imaginary fluctuations tied to the Path of Finality.
Though Kafka was merely a projected illusion, she seemed to sense the inexplicable attention on her, slowly turning to face Leon.
Leon remained composed, his eyes holding only a deliberate trace of curiosity.
He wasn't afraid of Kafka's Spirit Whisper.
No matter how many times she tried it on him, it would be futile.
"Mr. Leon, you seem to know me."
Kafka's lips curved slightly, a spark of interest hidden in the true pupils beneath her purple contacts.
Even Elio remained silent about him, rarely mentioning him in the scripts…
Fascinating.
"Of course. Ms. Kafka has a 10.9 billion credit bounty from the Company. Naturally, I have some impression of you."
Leon's smile appeared friendly, but his words carried neither hostility nor warmth.
"10.9 billion? I don't keep track. Seems the Company holds me in high regard." Kafka shrugged nonchalantly.
March 7th: "Hah, you wanted criminals sure are carefree."
Himeko let out a soft chuckle. "In that case, Herta has praised you highly too—"
"A madman claiming to see fate, leading a bunch of reckless lunatics chasing the most dangerous things in the universe."
"Not many earn Herta's praise."
Kafka's tone carried deeper meaning. "Chasing the most dangerous things in the universe? On that point, the Astral Express and the Stellaron Hunters don't seem so different."
Leon: "There's still a difference."
"Oh?" Kafka tilted her head slightly. "Do tell."
…
…
The Xianzhou storyline will involve more perspectives, such as the protagonist's actions and words, some of which will be revealed to players later.
(For example: Leon appears in Sushang or Yanqing's storyline, and players will only see related events in later versions after experiencing them once.)
At this point, would you prefer to write out those parts in detail or just provide a broad summary and move on?
Most of this content consists of character dialogue.
Since the player's perspective may be delayed depending on plot progression—ranging from a dozen to dozens of chapters—some might forget earlier events.
But writing it out risks being called filler by lucky Chosen Ones with good memory who pull rare characters.
Not writing it, though, might disrupt the reading flow for some Chosen Ones flipping back through chapters.
(ノへ￣,) Sigh.