[Passing by the encampments of the vagrants, the group discovered a locked gate at the entrance to Svarog's base.]
["This gate is so heavy... Alright, watch me!" March 7th suddenly grew excited, placing her hands on her hips: "Open Sesame~!"]
[Behind her, Sampo's lips curled slightly, his expression one of pure amusement, while Dan Heng shook his head helplessly and sighed, unable to bear watching.]
["What was that? A password?" Bronya had actually expected the gate to slowly open in response.]
["A passphrase from a fairy tale—there's no way that would work here." Despite his companion's embarrassment, Dan Heng still felt the need to explain seriously.]
"Pffft—HAHAHAHAHA! Kazuma, March is so dumb! Who in the world would actually try to open a door with a fairy tale phrase? HAHAHAHA!" Aqua was laughing so hard she could barely stand straight.
"Shut up! You're so loud it's hurting my eyes!"
Kazuma stared dreamily at the screen. "Sure, March is a bit silly, but she's really cute. If I could go on adventures with her..." Then his tone shifted as he glanced at the useless goddess in the tavern who was currently spraying water with her fan. "She's clearly way more capable than Aqua!"
"You jerk, Kazuma! I'm obviously the better one!"
[Stelle turned to Sampo: "What about the clue you promised?"]
[Sampo explained the authentication method for the gate in detail. Though it was a tiny bit troublesome, the group eventually managed to obtain the authentication after encountering a trial robot, albeit not without some close calls.]
[Returning to the gate, they inserted the authentication card into the lock.]
[March 7th cheered again: "Open Sesame~!"]
[This time, the gate swung open in response, and March happily strode in first.]
[Sampo, bringing up the rear, couldn't resist taking credit: "See? Your old pal Sampo is still pretty use—"]
[But before he could finish, he realized he'd spoken too soon—because there was another gate inside, and this one was even more complex than the first!]
["Sampo, what's going on... Sampo? Where'd he go?" Seele turned around, only to find Sampo had already vanished.]
["Huh? Where'd he run off to? He was just here!" March 7th was equally puzzled. She knew Sampo had a habit of running away, but she hadn't expected him to be this good at it—there wasn't even a footprint left in the snow.]
["Just another day with him." Dan Heng didn't seem the least bit surprised.]
"Sampo's escape skills are truly top-tier," Kaeya remarked.
"Yeah, I still don't get how he single-handedly carried four people to the Underworld. In a way, he's an absolute genius when it comes to running away," Lisa mused, the mental image of it all feeling rather abstract.
Klee's eyes sparkled with envy. "If only Klee could run away as well as Uncle Sampo, then Acting Grand Master Jean wouldn't be able to catch me!"
Kaeya burst out laughing. "Klee, you're only allowed to say things like that when Jean isn't around, got it?"
"And, haven't you all noticed?" Eula suddenly spoke up. "That Sampo guy seems pretty sharp—the moment he senses danger, he's the first to bolt."
"If someone like him were in Mondstadt, Grand Master Varka would definitely take him along. If Sampo ever tried to slip away mid-mission, it'd mean the expedition was about to run into trouble!"
"Speaking of which, we still don't know how far the Grand Master's expedition has gone..."
[Just then, a small robot approached. After some inspection, it confirmed that they lacked individual access permissions—only Clara could currently apply for authorization.]
["Clara? Oh, the little girl we met at the Great Mine? What's her deal? Why does she have to authorize us?" March 7th was baffled.]
["She's Svarog's master," Stelle declared without hesitation.]
["Uh..." Bronya was at a loss for words. "Family, right? Did you actually forget, or are you doing this on purpose?"]
["On purpose—but accidentally!" Stelle puffed out her chest, unapologetic despite her lack of logic.]
["Family... Uh, I don't really get it." March 7th massaged her forehead.]
"You know, almost everyone shown in these scenes... seems to have had a pretty tragic backstory. Except maybe Dan Heng," Tsukishiro Yanagi murmured, her eyes filled with pity.
March 7th has no memories, Stelle has amnesia, Dan Heng's past is still unclear—but given how young he is yet already out adventuring, his relationship with his family probably isn't great either. Seele and Bronya grew up in an orphanage, their birth parents long gone... and Bronya's adoptive mother just keeps piling on the pressure.
Sigh... Life seems hard for people in other worlds too.
While the otherworldly versions of themselves face an Eternal Freeze, those in the real world have to deal with the ever-expanding Hollow corrosion.
"You should think about it differently, Deputy Section Chief." Asaba Harumasa clasped his hands behind his back. "In modern fantasy stories, things like amnesia or dead parents are basically the standard for protagonists. When they lose their memories, they get to enjoy cheat-like abilities."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Tsukishiro Yanagi tilted her head in confusion. Due to her work, she'd always been rather out of the loop when it came to novels and movies.
Asaba Harumasa explained in detail:
"Look—Stelle lost her memories, but she got the Stellaron, right? The Cancer of All Worlds! Not only can she tank a laser from a Doomsday Beast with her face, she doesn't even get a scratch! She can even one-shot a Doomsday Beast with a bat!"
"And March 7th might have amnesia, but she gained the power of Six-Phased Ice—she can freeze things or shield her teammates at will. Combined with her archery skills, she's plenty strong, right?"
"Dan Heng's family situation is still unclear, but he's definitely no ordinary guy! His spear techniques are so fluid at such a young age—he must have been personally trained by a master. His family's either rich or noble, no doubt about it!"
Asaba Harumasa went on and on, and Tsukishiro Yanagi had to admit it made sense. The three members of the Express crew were indeed extraordinary.
So she pressed further: "Then what about Seele and Bronya? Both lost their birth parents—one grew up suffering in the Underworld, the other was constantly under pressure in the Overworld. It doesn't seem like they..."
"Nuh-uh! Deputy Section Chief, you've got it all wrong."
Asaba Harumasa wagged his finger sagely. "...They have love!"
Tsukishiro Yanagi: ???
But... she couldn't exactly deny it!
Wearing a smug expression, Asaba Harumasa continued: "Just tell me—aren't those two an adorable pair? I remember not long ago, when Seele and Bronya were strolling outside the orphanery, watching the stars together... Deputy Section Chief, weren't you the one giggling the hardest in the office?"