Chapter 271: Round two, Penacony sends another invitation! What? Scaramouche and Dottore croaked ages ago?!

Chapter 271: Chapter 271: Round two, Penacony sends another invitation! What? Scaramouche and Dottore croaked ages ago?!

March 7th: "By the way, the next stop will definitely be Amphoreus, right?"

March 7th: "I wonder what kind of place it will be?"

Furina de Fontaine: "Based on Miss Black Swan’s previous description, it is quite an extraordinary place."

Qingque: "It feels like the danger meter is going to be completely maxed out."

Stelle: "Sometimes, I really feel like I need to buy a massive personal accident insurance policy."

Stelle: "After all, I’m practically testing the limits of death every single day."

Guinaifen: "Sister, who are you going to put down as the beneficiary then?"

Qingque: "Tsk, tsk, Stelle, look at us, we’re practically soulmates!"

Qingque: "Why don’t you just put my name down!?"

Stelle: "?"

Stelle: "Oh, now that there are benefits, I’m suddenly your soulmate?"

Stelle: "As a new-generation Nameless of the Astral Express!"

Stelle: "My beneficiary is definitely going to be the Astral Express itself!"

Stelle: "That way, if I really do bite the dust, the next generation of Nameless will still remember my selfless and great name!"

Paimon: "Understood. Miss Stelle wants to write down the Conductor as her beneficiary."

Pam: "Eh??"

Pam: "Passenger Stelle is so thoughtful!"

Pam: "This Conductor is very touched!"

Aventurine: "Is it possible that because you constantly wander on the edge of life and death..."

Aventurine: "Any insurance company with even a bit of reputation would refuse to accept your policy?"

Topaz: "Hahaha."

Topaz: "That is indeed highly possible."

Silver Wolf: "You’re overthinking it. This kid is tough as nails."

Silver Wolf: "She’s not the type to just kick the bucket so easily."

Asta: "Yeah, after all, she’s a tough cookie who can host a Stellaron in her own body! (giggles)"

....

『 After receiving the group message, Stelle rushed to the Parlor Car.

[ Stelle, you’re finally here! ]

[ We’ve been waiting for you for ages. ]

Seeing Stelle walk over, March 7th said with a grin.

[ It’s only been five minutes. ]

Dan Heng, who was standing nearby, shook his head.

[ Since everyone is here, let’s get down to business. ]

[ Just now, the Astral Express received an invitation from the Planet of Festivities... ] 』

『 ....』

—?Omniscient Viewer’s Chat Lodge?—

Stelle: "???"

Stelle: "Is there something wrong with my ears?"

Stelle: "Did I hear that wrong?!"

March 7th: "Ah??"

March 7th: "I think I heard something incredibly familiar too!"

Furina de Fontaine: "Is this video... a rerun?"

Paimon: "Maybe?"

Paimon: "This scene feels so familiar!"

Paimon: "Is everyone about to go attend the Charmony Festival again?"

Lumine: "No, it’s not a rerun."

Lumine: "Although it’s very similar, it’s different from the previous plot."

Nahida: "Yes, I remember the previous details very clearly. It is indeed different from before."

Stelle: "So, we are going back to Penacony again?!"

Stelle: "What in the world is going on?"

Stelle: "I’m completely dumbfounded."

Hu Tao: "Out of nowhere, why did Penacony send another invitation?"

Hu Tao: "Are they hosting another Charmony Festival?"

Dan Heng: "It shouldn’t be."

March 7th: "Miss Robin, do you know what’s going on?"

Robin: "Apologies, I don’t know either."

....

『 [ Hang on! Why am I getting a sense of deja vu? ]

Hearing Himeko’s words, March 7th was instantly startled!

[ We aren’t still in a dream, are we... ]

At this moment, Stelle strongly suspected that she was still trapped within Ena’s Dream.

[ Oh, please no! Don’t pull the same trick twice! ]

March 7th was extremely panicked. 』

『 ....』

—?Omniscient Viewer’s Chat Lodge?—

Stelle: "The more I think about it, the more terrifying it gets!"

Stelle: "Are we really still in Ena’s Dream right now?!"

March 7th: "No... way, right?!"

March 7th: "Is Sunday really that powerful?!"

Madam Herta: "What are you thinking?"

Madam Herta: "Even if he forcefully usurped the avatar of Harmony, that’s only at the Emanator level."

Madam Herta: "He still wouldn’t be able to achieve something of this scale."

Xiangling: "Then what on earth is going on?"

Lumine: "It seems everyone is a bit jumpy."

Lumine: "Maybe because the Express Crew helped Penacony in a big way..."

Lumine: "So they are hosting a special event now and inviting them as guests?"

Paimon: "Yeah, I agree with Lumine."

Paimon: "Although it looks a lot like the scene from the very beginning of the video, it probably has nothing to do with the previous events!"

Stelle: "True."

Stelle: "It’s just that the timing is a bit too coincidental, isn’t it?"

Furina de Fontaine: "It’s practically the exact same pattern as the Xianzhou Luofu."

Furina de Fontaine: "Just when everyone is preparing to set off for Amphoreus, an invitation suddenly arrives."

Seele: "So, are we still going to Amphoreus or not?"

Yunli: "Of course we have to go. If we don’t, won’t the Express run out of fuel?"

Yanqing: "But as for when to go, I guess they’ll have to replan it."

....

『 [ Don’t worry, the Express received a normal invitation this time, from Penacony’s academic institution, Paperfold University. ]

Welt saw the panic on Stelle and March 7th’s faces and comforted them.

[ The university plans to hold an academic conference on the topic of "Trailblazing" in the Moment of Sol. The Astral Express has been invited as guests to the conference. ]

Himeko explained the contents of the invitation.

[An academic conference... You mean we’ll have to sit in an auditorium and spend several system hours talking about a few hundred slides’ worth of scholarly discourse? ]

As soon as March 7th heard this, she instantly lost interest. 』

『 ....』

—?Omniscient Viewer’s Chat Lodge?—

March 7th: "Ah, this..."

March 7th: "An invitation to an academic conference at Penacony’s Paperfold University?"

March 7th: "Sigh, and here I was wondering what it was..."

Stelle: "Just this??"

Stelle: "Do they really think of me as some highly educated intellectual?"

Stelle: "I’m still just a baby, only about a year old; I haven’t even attended kindergarten!"

Dan Heng: "Don’t misunderstand. Obviously, this invitation wasn’t meant for you and March."

March 7th: "Mmh... Dan Heng is right!"

March 7th: "This is actually inviting Uncle Yang and Himeko-jie, right?"

Stelle: "Then what are we supposed to do?"

Furina de Fontaine: "Maybe... you guys are going to Penacony for a vacation again?"

Hu Tao: "Or maybe you split up, and Miss Stelle and the others head to Amphoreus first?"

Black Swan: "In my opinion, the journey to Amphoreus still requires the presence of everyone in the Express Crew."

Black Swan: "After all, the risks there are unknown. More people means more strength."

Paimon: "Staying in Penacony for a vacation sounds pretty nice too, right?"

Paimon: "As long as there’s no trouble or chaos, it’s bound to be a lot of fun!"

Stelle: "You mentioned trouble and chaos!"

Stelle: "Exactly! Wherever our Express Crew goes, how could there possibly be no trouble or chaos?"

Stelle: "I bet!"

Stelle: "If we really go to Penacony this time..."

Stelle: "We will definitely run into trouble again!"

March 7th: "For some reason... I feel the same way..."

March 7th: "I hope we don’t run into any more trouble. Just let us have a good rest, please!!"

....

『 [ Don’t worry, we’ll leave this kind of dry event to the adults. ]

[ Welt and I will attend the conference as invited, while the three of you... ]

[ If you are interested, you can enter the university as guest students. ]

Himeko looked at the frowning March 7th and said with a smile.

[ Guest students? ]

Stelle scratched her head.

[ Well, it happens to be the start of the academic term, and Paperfold University is preparing for its Dreamlight Anniversary. These annual festivities serve as both a welcoming gift for new students and a chance to celebrate for those already enrolled. ]

[ Why don’t you youngsters join the new students? You could explore the campus, experience student life... ]

Welt explained.

[ D—Do we have to study? ]

[ ...That’s great! A young, cute girl full of energy living her best life on campus? That experience is practically made for me! ]

March 7th was very satisfied with this arrangement, and an excited expression appeared on her face.

[ It is said that Paperfold University is a world-renowned top art academy. I would also like to see it for myself. ]

Dan Heng also showed a look of interest.

[ Help! I don’t want to go to school! ]

Only Stelle, upon hearing that she had to go to school, immediately slumped over. 』

『 ....』

—?Omniscient Viewer’s Chat Lodge?—

Stelle: "Waaaaah, I don’t want to go to school! I don’t want to!"

March 7th: "Oh, what’s so bad about going to school?"

March 7th: "Campus life is so colorful and vibrant!"

March 7th: "Yours truly has been looking forward to experiencing this kind of life for a long time!"

Hotaru: "Mmh, I have always had a dream like this too."

Hotaru: "It’s a pity I never had the chance to realize it."

Paimon: "Miss Stelle’s face completely soured the moment she heard about school."

Paimon: "Is school really that scary?"

Stelle: "Of course it’s scary!"

Stelle: "Endless classes, endless homework, endless lectures from teachers..."

Stelle: "And never, EVER GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP!!!"

Stelle: "And this is just the terrifying tip of the iceberg of going to school!"

Paimon: "AH!!"

Paimon: "Stop... STOP TALKING!!"

Paimon: "It really does sound... a bit terrifying."

Welt Yang: "Haha, indeed, going to school is not easy."

Welt Yang: "But on campus, it is not all dull and exhausting."

Welt Yang: "You will also gain other precious things."

Li Sushang: "Going to school... sigh..."

Li Sushang: "I’m also really scared of school."

Li Sushang: "After all, I really don’t understand a single thing the teacher says!"

Dr. Veritas Ratio: "To be so resistant to a place of seeking knowledge, it seems your academic qualifications will end right here for the rest of your lives."

Aventurine: "But not having a degree doesn’t mean one can’t succeed."

Aventurine: "Just like me, strictly speaking, I haven’t had much schooling either."

Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Success and academic qualifications have no necessary connection."

Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Those are two different things."

Dr. Veritas Ratio: "But speaking from a professor’s perspective, I still hope you can acquire more knowledge, thereby increasing your chances of escaping mediocrity."

Stelle: "Professor, not being mediocre is too exhausting. I want to be mediocre!"

Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Hmph... Suit yourself."

....

『 [ Haha, don’t worry — guest students don’t get a lot of homework. Besides, all of the professors and students are busy preparing for the festivities. Just... treat it as a party. ]

Welt dispelled Stelle’s concerns.

[ Campus life without homework or examinations? That sounds like paradise! ]

Hearing this, March 7th’s face lit up with joy.

[ Looks like everyone can’t wait. Let’s go ahead with that plan, then. I will submit the admission documents to Paperfold University. We’ll leave once everyone is ready. Let’s all have some fun. ] 』

『 ....』

—?Omniscient Viewer’s Chat Lodge?—

Stelle: "What? No exams and no homework?"

Stelle: "You should have said so earlier!"

Stelle: "Gave me a huge fright!"

Stelle: "Tsk, Paperfold University, get ready to welcome your invincible senior sister!"

Dan Heng: "To correct you, it’s junior sister, not senior sister."

Dan Heng: "Because we are entering as freshmen."

Qingque: "So the trip to Amphoreus just turned into college life?"

Guinaifen: "It’s all about social etiquette!"

Guinaifen: "Paperfold University specially organized an academic conference on Trailblaze. If we didn’t show them some respect, it wouldn’t look good!"

Guinaifen: "Isn’t that right?"

Himeko: "Indeed."

Himeko: "As a world-renowned top academy, since Paperfold University sent an invitation, we do have to go."

Welt Yang: "It’s not a big issue. The previous two Trailblaze journeys are enough to sustain the Express for a while."

Paimon: "Speaking of which, what is school life actually like?"

Paimon: "I’ve never been to school."

Furina de Fontaine: "I haven’t either."

Charlotte: "Lady Furina, you are the Hydro Archon; there’s no need for you to go to school, right?"

Furina de Fontaine: "Ahem, I’m just curious about how it feels!"

Tighnari: "If you want to go to school, that’s easy."

Tighnari: "Sumeru’s Akademiya will let you experience exactly what going to school feels like."

Stelle: "Speaking of Sumeru, I seem to recall you guys from Teyvat saying you were going to aid Sumeru?"

Stelle: "It’s been so long, how did it go?"

March 7th: "Oh right, has Miss Nahida been rescued?"

Paimon: "Uh... about that... actually, she was rescued a long time ago."

Qingque: "And the process?"

Qingque: "We didn’t hear you guys talk about it?"

Lumine: "The process was surprisingly simple."

Lumine: "Previously, Scaramouche, with the help of the Doctor, forcefully ascended to godhood."

Lumine: "He wanted to make a move on Nahida in advance."

Lumine: "And then..."

Tighnari: "Yes, I witnessed a massive meteorite falling from the sky, crushing the false god known as the Everlasting Lord of Arcane Wisdom."

Tighnari: "The terrifying power swept in all directions, and that false god was instantly pulverized on the spot."

Kaveh: "Fortunately, when that false god appeared, it was in a certain mountain range. Otherwise, if that meteorite had landed on Sumeru City, I wouldn’t even dare to imagine if Sumeru City would still be standing today!"

Boothill: "Huh??"

Boothill: "I was wondering why that absolute fool Scaramouche stopped making noise. Turns out he was crushed to death by a meteorite?"

Boothill: "What about that absolute fool, the Doctor?"

Alhaitham: "Dottore was annihilated by a brilliant bolt of lightning from the void, along with a mysterious hurricane."

Alhaitham: "But it is said that the Doctor has many segments."

Alhaitham: "I suspect he is not dead yet."

Nahida: "Don’t worry. With the power of the Gnosis, and the help of several kind deities..."

Nahida: "I have already erased all of the Doctor’s segments that suffered the backlash."

Boothill: "Holy moly!"

Boothill: "In other words, that absolute fool, the Doctor, is gone too?"

Lumine: "That is the case."

Lumine: "Dottore’s strength was still quite impressive."

Lumine: "In our Teyvat, he could be considered to have the strength of a god."

Paimon: "Haha, but unfortunately, he provoked a few gods who are usually very good at playing dumb."

Paimon: "So he was thoroughly dealt with."

Lumine: "They really are good at playing dumb."

Lumine: "I didn’t even know these gods, who usually slack off, actually had such ridiculous strength!"

Lumine: "Especially a certain wine-loving god!"

Raiden Ei: "I do not care for wine, so this is likely not referring to me."

Venti: "Hehe."

March 7th: "That’s great! Congratulations on getting rid of two major scourges!"

March 7th: "And successfully rescuing Miss Nahida!"

Paimon: "Everything went incredibly smoothly."

Paimon: "I really didn’t expect things to turn out this way."

Lumine: "Hmph, it’s all because a few old geezers couldn’t sit still after watching the live stream. (funny face.jpg)"

....

(Wait, so no more bickering between Boothill, Scaramouche, and Doctor? awh....)