"I see." Stelle nodded slightly, abandoning the current room and walking with Black Swan down the dark, deep corridor.
Their footsteps echoed in the silent air. As they continued forward, more and more bodies—or, to be precise, the remains of Memory Zone Memes—appeared before their eyes, lying scattered in strange positions.
"These poor, disheveled little ones…" Black Swan's voice abruptly stopped midway, replaced by a hint of confusion. "Hmm? Strange, there seems to be someone else's presence lingering here."
[Stelle: Firefly... you really didn't leave?]
[March 7th: So suspicious... a stowaway, and so close to Stelle...]
[Natasha: Actually, I always felt that Miss Firefly should have known Stelle before, after all—her behavior was truly too intimate.]
"Stay alert," Stelle whispered, tightening her grip on her baseball bat and pushing open the tightly shut door ahead.
The moment the door opened, a cold wind mixed with a strong remembrance aura blew in. What lay before them was a spacious hall. In the center of the hall, Himeko stood silently, her feet surrounded by the shattered remains of Memory Zone Memes.
"Ah… it's actually her? How is this possible!" Black Swan exclaimed in shock.
"Is there… no staff here?" Himeko murmured softly, as if hearing something, then turned her head. "Oh, it's you two!"
Stelle looked at her, feeling a little surprised, and asked in confusion, "You… are lost again?"
Himeko quickly shook her head and explained, "It's not quite like that. I just don't know where I am."
[Sushang: Ah, such a stubborn mouth.]
[Qingque: From the previous information, it can be seen that Miss Himeko's combat power is very strong—but she gets lost very easily!]
[Sampo: Old Sampo suddenly thought of a possibility—do you think Duke Inferno was accidentally killed by Himeko when he got lost?]
[March 7th: Ah, well… that's probably not possible, no matter what.]
"Ladies, let's put the pleasantries aside for now… How about we work together to politely escort these hospitable little fellows away?" Black Swan suddenly interjected, interrupting their conversation.
Himeko and Stelle looked in the direction she was pointing, only to see more Memory Zone Memes slowly approaching them from a distance.
"Then thank you both for your help," Himeko readily agreed without declining.
After the three of them worked together to clear all the hastily arriving Memory Zone Memes, Himeko carefully wiped the scabbard, which had a little dirt on it, and asked, "Finally, peace has returned. Why are you two here?"
"Actually, that's the same question we wanted to ask you," Black Swan replied.
"Recently, there have been some rumors circulating in Penacony, involving obscure topics like the Clockmaker, legacy, and nightmares. I was very curious about who was spreading these messages, so I tried the method mentioned in the rumors… I didn't expect to actually arrive here," Himeko explained.
"You… aren't hiding anything from us, are you?" Black Swan narrowed her eyes, her tone slightly suspicious.
"Hiding? Facing a Recollector, I'm afraid I don't have that ability," Himeko answered honestly.
"So, in front of me, you can?" Stelle said, deliberately putting on an annoyed expression.
Himeko explained, "I didn't mean that; it's merely a… figure of speech."
Then she suggested, "You two came at just the right time. This dream is fraught with danger. Since our goals are the same, why don't we travel together?"
"I can protect you from harm. In the Remembrance Domain, I also need the assistance of a Recollector, and… if we encounter the Family, an extra person always means an extra explanation," Himeko explained.
"This… what do you think?" Black Swan looked at Stelle.
"More people isn't a bad thing," Stelle nodded and said.
"Thank you, Stelle… I'm truly grateful. And it's a pleasure to travel with you again, Miss Black Swan."
"Hmm… I hope so." Black Swan smiled helplessly.
[Seele: The Astral Express seems to have good connections everywhere, completely different from the treatment Aventurine from the Company gets.]
[Aventurine: Friend, you saying that really hurts me.]
[Jing Yuan: Haha, after all, generally speaking, the Nameless who walk the Trailblaze are all legendary figures. Of course, all of this comes from the famous 'Trailblazing Prodigy' Granholm. He led the Astral Express to extend a helping hand to countless worlds, making the Nameless synonymous with extraterrestrial heroes.]
[Natasha: Extraterrestrial heroes, truly worthy of the name! They come from beyond the distant stars, yet they are willing to help strangers.]
[Bronya: That's right, they have already saved us once… The people called heroes are truly deserving!]
[March 7th: Oh, that's making Stelle blush a bit.]
[Botio: Humph, the main reason the Company's reputation is getting worse and worse is because of what that annoying little cutie, Oswaldo, did in the Market Development Department.]
[Botio: Partner, I see you must have a grudge with that little cutie. If you get a chance, let's have a drink together, hmm?]
The three wandered together in the dream world, and just like Stelle's previous experience—it was equally distorted and chaotic. After painstakingly walking for an unknown amount of time, they were stopped by a locked door. Black Swan paused and sighed.
"This is going nowhere. Let me handle it."
The Recollector closed her eyes. She was searching every corner of the room, and even beyond, in a nearly sensory manner.
"This Remembrance Domain… is a bit too distorted. I'll have to use some less elegant methods, you two… please give me some time…"
Black Swan said slowly, still with her eyes closed, "Hmm… I've got it. I can see the center of this dream, and people from the Family… and a few figures are groping their way forward. It seems your friend isn't having much luck either… one, two, three…"
"…No, three? Is there a third person looking for the way to the hall? Wait… this is…"
"—Is it the young girl who was with you before?"
"You said she had already returned to reality," Stelle said.
"I don't understand, but there's a familiar shadow in the Remembrance Domain, very similar to her presence… Does she have some reason to delve deep into the dream?" Black Swan said with a frown, "Is she… running? No… fleeing? It seems there's something behind her…"