Suddenly thinking of something, March 7th cautiously asked, "...Officer, how old are you?"
Gallagher replied expressionlessly, "Thirteen."
"That's impossible!" March 7th exclaimed.
[Botio: He's thirteen, my foot!]
[Sampo: He's thirteen, my foot!]
[Sparkle: Cool, a thirteen-year-old uncle.]
[Star: I... I'm less than a month old...]
[March 7th: Wake up, Star! You just have amnesia! You're not really that young!]
[Star: Feeling wronged...]
Gallagher didn't answer that question again, merely gazing at the Clockie statue and murmuring softly, "Hanu liberated the Border Prison, but he didn't live to see peace before he left. Scarce resources, external threats lurking, and the various prison districts pulling in different directions... Asdana's future remained precarious."
"It wasn't until the historical Clockmaker extended an olive branch to the families, attempting to transform this prison into The star of the Festival, a place of banquets and revelry, that Penacony finally acquired its current name and stepped onto the stage facing the stars."
"That's why he's called the 'Father of Penacony.'"
"But you just said the Clockmaker was a traitor to the families? And you said you were his companion, so you also..." March 7th stammered.
"I am not his companion, but one of his many 'children,'" Gallagher slowly shook his head. "But I am indeed a traitor, not to the families, but to... Mikhail."
[Asta: It was mentioned before that three Nameless remained in Penacony. Could they be behind this?]
[Seele: So who betrayed whom in the end? These relationships are so complicated.]
[Bronya: To be precise... It's hard to say who betrayed whom in such matters. It's just that their positions were different.]
"What did you do?" Himeko asked.
"I did nothing... And that is the greatest betrayal," Gallagher's voice became low, filled with sorrow and resentment. "Like you, I once had intimate companions. We poured our hearts and souls into Penacony, but the Oak Family... led us astray."
At this point, a flicker of anger flashed in Gallagher's eyes, and he gritted his teeth as he continued, "Mikhail grew old and could no longer protect his children. When we left the families to find our own way, we became traitors to the harmony... even though the true betrayer was someone else."
As Gallagher narrated, his emotions grew more agitated, and his voice unconsciously rose an octave: "They continued to praise the Clockmaker's good name publicly, but secretly they nailed him to the pillar of shame."
"Even so, we still hoped to clear his name. As long as we could expose the true betrayer, the mastermind behind all this, Penacony's harmony could return to normal..."
"...But we lost. A long time passed, and the Land of Dreams was too deeply affected. Under endless pursuit, I gave up... like a stray dog." At this point, his voice gradually lowered, revealing a hint of helplessness and sadness:
"The families re-accepted me, giving me the job of an officer. On the surface, it was forgiveness, but in reality, it was punishment. From then on, I completely lost contact with my companions... and my past. And Mikhail..."
"...I heard he died in an unnoticed corner, a place no one could find. I understood that from that moment on, the Penacony of the past could never return."
"We deeply regret this story... But things aren't that simple, are they?"
"Hmph... Apparently, someone inherited the Clockmaker's name and has been secretly continuing anti-family activities until now."
"Is the Clockmaker an organization?" Star asked, puzzled.
"You could see it that way. However, only one person should have inherited the 'Clockmaker' title." Gallagher nodded, then sighed with some emotion, "It's a pity, after all these years, I still don't know who that person is, or even if it's a person at all... or Mikhail's ghost wandering in dreams."
"So do you understand now? Why I'm telling you so much... Because that girl's death must be related to the Clockmaker's legacy. And at the end of the thick fog..."
"...You and I will both get the answers we want."
[Sushang: The Clockmaker's descendant... Could it be Misha?]
[Aventurine: Their names are very similar, and... Misha's question earlier reminded me of something. Sunday, I know you're watching. Have you found any information about Misha?]
[Sunday: Heh, how sharp. No, there's no bellhop named 'Misha' in The Reverie Hotel at all.]
[Sunday: I'm also very curious about this. How did a stranger get to the hotel's reception and greet guests without anyone stopping him?]
[Aventurine: As expected.]
[Star: Misha guided me when I first entered The Reverie Hotel and the dream. Was that arranged by the Clockmaker?]
[Bronya: A very reasonable inference, but those crying voices for Mikhail sound full of sorrow.]
"If that really is Mikhail's ghost at work, I'd quite like to meet him. People who look down on me can go around the hotel three times, but those who are willing to look me in the eye..." He sighed, "One less when one dies."
"I've told you everything I know, consider it a thank you for being willing to look at this old dog."
"How ironic. What's the difference between these stowaways now, shunned by Penacony, and the Dreamseekers who were hailed as pioneers a few amber eras ago?"
After explaining the situation, Gallagher glanced at his phone: "Hmm? Something's come up at the film studio. I'll have to excuse myself. Good luck."
With that, he turned and left.
After a familiar black screen transition, the view gradually cleared. Above Golden Hour, Aventurine was seen flying in the sky of Clock Studios Theme Park, with countless chips raining down from above.
[At the same time — Inside Oak Manor]
"Labyrinthine corridors and halls, ubiquitous traps and mechanisms... The owner of this mansion seems quite paranoid."
Gallagher strolled on the palace carpet. In the distance, behind the Golden Hour base model, Sunday stood with his back to Gallagher, looking at the wall.
[Arlan: Sunday is here! No wonder no one was managing things when Aventurine was making a fuss.]
[Welt: No, I believe that as a family spokesperson, his control over Penacony's affairs shouldn't be so low. I'm more inclined to believe that he tacitly approved of Aventurine's actions.]