After all the preliminary preparations were complete, Herta and Ruan Mei exchanged a glance. Then they activated the power of their Path, enveloping themselves in a layer of 'Unseen Boundary.'
Immediately after, the two of them swaggered right past a crowd of Bloodhound Family guards and headed deeper inside.
As the 'Family Library'—the storage place for the Family's secret tomes and the true history of Penacony—the Family had naturally deployed a heavy guard here, including not only Pathstriders but even some of the top bounty hunters in the galaxy.
"Hm? People from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, and members of the Annihilation Gang? Heh, this Harmony Family really doesn't discriminate when it comes to who they let in."
As they advanced toward the interior of the Family Library, Herta also spotted a few figures from the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and the Annihilation Gang. She gave a cold snort, her impression of the Family dropping yet another notch.
"Perhaps that's the very will of Harmony. The Family pursues the理念 of Xipe, the Aeon of Harmony—yearning to create a beautiful world where all people are brethren, all things share the same roots, and universal harmony prevails."
"Universal harmony? Hypocritical."
Ruan Mei's words reached Herta's ears. The latter merely sneered disdainfully before speaking up: "If the so-called Harmony really were as the Family claims, then why, back when the Aeon of Order was gravely wounded, did Harmony take the opportunity to devour and assimilate Them?"
"The affairs of Aeons are beyond our comprehension. Moreover, too much time has passed since the Swarm Disaster. We cannot know the truth of that era."
"Yeah." Herta nodded at that, a flicker of fiery determination flashing through her eyes.
"That's exactly why I want to create the Simulated Universe—to unearth the secrets of the Aeons. One day, I will make Them have nowhere to hide!"
The two Emanators of Erudition chatted as they walked, completely ignoring the guards around them. Of course, this wasn't their fault.
After all, the gap between Emanators and ordinary Pathstriders was like heaven and earth—let alone these average members of the Bloodhound Family.
Thus, Ruan Mei and Herta reached the entrance of the Family Library without the slightest effort.
"Hm? I remember there were no guards here the last time I came. Why are there guards now?"
Looking at the tightly shut door ahead and the two 'Bloodhounds' standing guard in front of it, Herta slightly furrowed her brows. The two people before her… both seemed to be Pathstriders.
This was going to be a bit troublesome… The last time she came to 'borrow' historical tomes, there had been no guards at the library entrance. Now that there were guards, cracking the password lock…
Tch! They couldn't just force their way in, could they? While Emanators of Erudition weren't particularly skilled in combat, if the two of them joined forces, turning Penacony upside down was still entirely possible.
However, that was only a last resort. Penacony was one of the Harmony Family's main strongholds. Even if they didn't openly display Emanator-level combat power on the surface, that didn't mean they had no hidden cards.
Just as Herta was silently pondering, she saw their Miss Ruan Mei suddenly produce a blue cyberpunk-style pistol from who-knows-where. Then, under Herta's stunned gaze, she pulled the trigger on the two guarding Pathstriders.
Herta: '???'
...
Golden Moment… Clockie Restaurant…
After bringing Firefly to Clockie Restaurant, Yun Fan called over a waiter to find them a quiet private room. He then asked the waiter to bring over a menu.
"I never thought there'd come a day when I could sit here. I guess I'm riding on your coattails today, Yun Fan."
Sitting on the soft leather dining chair, Firefly slightly raised her head, gazing at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling. She couldn't help but let out a soft sigh as her thoughts drifted back to the past.
"Oh? It seems Miss Firefly is someone with quite a story too. Would it be convenient for you to share a little with me?"
"My story?"
Recalling her days as part of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry, the mission she had been created for as a weapon of war, and her comrades who fell on the Skyfront with no place even to be buried…
For a moment, the girl's gaze became distant. The soft light from the crystal chandelier poured down along her silky silver hair, sparkling faintly at the tips.
Her body, as if drained of strength, slumped into the soft seat, the lines of her clothing outlining her delicate figure.
"I'm sorry."
Firefly took a deep breath and gave Yun Fan a slight bow in apology.
"I… I can't tell you about my past right now. There are reasons I have to keep it that way…"
At this moment, the girl's heart was very conflicted. On one hand, she didn't dislike the boy before her. Though he loved to tease people, Firefly could clearly sense that his gentleness toward her was genuine, not feigned.
Yet on the other hand, she was approaching the youth before her with a certain purpose.
Before the birth of [Causality], in the futures foreseen by Elio, she was destined to experience three deaths in the Land of Dreams, Penacony.
And those three deaths might very well be the key to resolving her 'Entropy Loss Syndrome' in the future.
But with the birth of the Aeon of [Causality], all causes and effects in the world had been mysteriously imprinted and marked. From then on, Elio could no longer accurately foresee the future.
As a result, the three deaths she was supposed to experience in Penacony had also become blurred and uncertain.
This encounter with Yun Fan was both coincidence and inevitability.
It was inevitable because Elio had told her that there was an Emanator of Causality aboard the Astral Express.
Though it couldn't be confirmed with absolute certainty, based on the information currently available, it could basically be deduced that the Emanator of Causality seemed to possess the power to rewrite cause and effect. If that were true, then 'Entropy Loss Syndrome' might not be an unsolvable problem for him.
It was precisely because of this that Firefly had approached Yun Fan with a purpose in mind.
And it was a coincidence because, according to her original plan, she had not intended to make contact with Yun Fan today.
It was only because her whereabouts had suddenly been exposed, forcing her to flee the Bloodhound Family's pursuit, and Yun Fan just happened to pass by, that the girl had a sudden inspiration—leading to the current situation.
"Not convenient to say? That's fine. It was just my personal curiosity. I believe that one day, Miss Firefly will be willing to share your past with me."
Yun Fan gave the girl a gentle smile. At just the right moment, there came a knock on the private room door from the waiter.
"See what you'd like to eat. Order whatever you want—don't hold back. I'll foot the bill."
Taking the menu from the waiter, Yun Fan made a grand gesture, directly handing over the 'supreme authority' of ordering to Firefly.
"Eh? I get to order?"
Looking at the dazzling array of items on the menu, Firefly felt a little dazzled. In the past, whenever she came to Clockie Restaurant, she had always ordered takeout. Dining in the restaurant itself required an extra fee.
Moreover, because she was a stowaway, the Stellaron Hunters' credit points couldn't be used here.
It was precisely because of this that Firefly could only take on small odd jobs to barely make ends meet. Even her favorite Oak Roll Cake—she could only afford to eat one per day.