Chapter 246 - 246: Strange, Why Does My Coffee Taste Like Carbonated Yogurt?

"No wonder March is in such good spirits today; she was looking forward to something fun." Himeko's lips curved into a gentle, knowing smile as she rested against the plush seating of the Parlor Car.

"Thank you for the invitation. However, I still need to pick up Baiheng, so I won't be free for a while." She paused, the warmth in her amber eyes growing more pronounced. "Please send my regards to that Supreme Guardian girl."

"Oh right... and Baiheng!" March 7th clapped her hands together, her pink eyes lighting up with sudden realization. "If Baiheng is also going to Belobog, then the Astral Express must follow. She hasn't activated the Space Anchor there yet."

Although every Trailblazer could use the network of Space Anchors, each person was an independent entity and had to physically attune to an anchor before they could use it for fast travel. Since Baiheng had never set foot on the frozen world of Belobog, she couldn't just warp there directly like the rest of them.

"It's fine, Big Brother can just take her there," Stelle chimed in without missing a beat, her tone completely deadpan.

"That's true. Leon's teleportation ability is ridiculously amazing, and he can even take passengers with him." March 7th nodded enthusiastically, her twin-tails bobbing. By now, the entire Astral Express Crew was thoroughly desensitized to Leon's casual defiance of the universe's physical laws.

"That is indeed a feasible workaround," Himeko agreed, her voice smooth and melodic. "The Trailblaze mark on Jarilo-VI was forged by your own hands, so you should properly enjoy the goodwill and festivities of the locals." She gently set her porcelain coffee cup down on the saucer with a soft clink. "Next time... next time I will definitely make sure to clear my schedule and go with you."

"The Navigator's schedule is always packed to the brim..." March 7th sighed softly, her shoulders slumping a fraction. "It seems it's really just the three of us this time."

"Serval will probably head over too, once she finally wakes up," Stelle pointed out.

"Yeah, it is her hometown, after all," Caelus echoed, crossing his arms.

"That's not what I meant!" March 7th huffed, planting her hands firmly on her hips to emphasize her point. "I meant, the three of us are going to set off first!"

"Oh? Serval isn't awake yet?" Himeko blinked, a flicker of mild curiosity crossing her elegant features.

"Yeah, out cold. But she'll catch up whenever she drags herself out of bed." March 7th waved a hand dismissively, her expression the picture of nonchalance. "Anyway, there's no hurry for her."

"Then let's go back to our rooms and pack!"

A short while later, a rhythmic knock echoed against March 7th's cabin door.

"Come in..."

As the door slid open, March spun around. Holding the edges of a brand-new skirt, she executed a flawless, lightfooted twirl right in front of Stelle and Caelus.

"Ta-da! How is it? My new dress—does it look good?"

"When did you even buy that?" Stelle leaned in, her golden eyes squinting as she thoroughly inspected the fabric and stitching.

"Oh, dressing up for the grand occasion, I see." Caelus gave her an approving, albeit slightly lazy, thumbs-up.

"It's not really 'dressing up'..." March 7th looked down, her fingers gently smoothing out the crisp pleats of her skirt, though she couldn't quite hide the delighted smile tugging at her lips. "Actually, this dress has been hanging in the back of my closet all along. I just never had a good excuse to wear it before!"

She looked back up, her eyes sparkling like polished gemstones. "Since we finally have such a massive celebration to attend, how could I not dress up properly?"

Her bright gaze then swept over Stelle and Caelus, taking in their incredibly familiar, unchanging default attire. March 7th's radiant smile instantly froze, replaced by a look of deep disbelief.

"...You guys don't seriously only own this one set of clothes, do you?"

"How about we dye our clothes red?" Caelus scratched the back of his head, offering the suggestion with absolute, terrifying sincerity.

"I think that's a solid idea. Don't dye the whole thing, though—just the edges." Stelle gestured vaguely at her own collar, completely on board with the terrible fashion advice.

[Leon: Trailblazer fashion finally has an update? That's rare.]

[Leon: What do you mean by just dyeing the edges red?!...The base style hasn't even changed!]

[Leon: If no one points out these 'new' clothes, who would even notice you changed into anything different?]

"Forget it. Just forget I said anything." March 7th aggressively rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. "I suppose it's enough if at least one of us actually cares about our public appearance."

She turned her back on the hopeless duo and continued rummaging through her open travel bag, muttering a checklist under her breath.

"Pajamas, warming packs, Pom-Pom plushie... All set! Ready to go..."

"Wait, speaking of which," she paused, throwing a highly suspicious glare over her shoulder at Stelle and Caelus, "how did you two pack so quickly? Don't you have any luggage to bring?"

"Nothing to bring. We can always just warp back anyway." Caelus shrugged, the picture of a seasoned, minimalist traveler. "Besides... why on earth are you bringing a Pom-Pom plushie?"

"Never mind that, it's already packed!"

"What if," Stelle blinked, her expression turning dead serious, "all my Relics rolled with Speed substats?"

"You've been playing way too much Honkai: Star Rail! 'Speed substats' and all that nonsense..." March 7th loudly complained, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "And I don't believe you for a second! It's ridiculously hard to farm perfect Speed substats!"

"Forget it, never mind!" She waved her hand, her boundless energy returning in full force. "Ready... set... go!"

"Always ready!" Stelle and Caelus chanted in perfect, monotonous unison.

"Yay! Belobog, get ready to welcome me back!" March 7th cheered, pumping a fist into the air.

The three energetic youths marched down the corridor and stepped back into the Parlor Car, intending to say their final goodbyes to Himeko before departing.

Instead, they found Himeko standing near the center console... with Baiheng standing right beside her, looking around with wide, awe-struck eyes.

"Hi! Stelle, Caelus, March 7th, hello!"

Baiheng's eyes curved into happy crescent moons. Her gaze darted around the luxurious train car, her face painted with pure novelty. "Wow, so this is the Astral Express? It's really magnificent..."

"Baiheng! You're here!" March 7th quickly bounded over to greet her.

"Are you guys... heading out?" Baiheng observed the trio, taking in their ready-to-depart postures.

"Yes! We're heading back to Belobog for a bit; there's a massive celebration going on over there." March 7th nodded vigorously. "It's going to be super... lively!"

"Belobog? The Belobog from the game?" Baiheng's eyes lit up instantly, practically shining with excitement. "C-can I go see it too?"

"Of course you can... but you'll have to wait for Leon." March 7th explained patiently. "You haven't lit up Belobog's Space Anchor yet, so you can't just warp there for now."

"Baiheng, thank you for making the special trip out here." Himeko approached with her signature gentle grace, handing the newcomer a steaming, freshly brewed cup of dark liquid. "Here, warm yourself up first."

"Nyu-m~"

Down on the floor, Himeko's personal Cat Cake raised a miniature coffee cup with its little paws, politely handing it over to Baiheng's own Cat Cake.

March 7th, Stelle, and Caelus's eyelids twitched simultaneously in absolute horror.

They had all personally experienced the devastating, soul-crushing power of Himeko's coffee. The trauma was still vividly burned into their memories.

Watching the innocent Baiheng eagerly accept the porcelain cup, the three Trailblazers silently lit a metaphorical candle for her in their hearts.

"Oh, Sister Himeko, you're far too kind..."

Baiheng smiled brightly, raised the cup to her lips, and downed the dark brew in one confident gulp.

Beside her feet, Baiheng's Cat Cake simultaneously raised its tiny cup and gulped it down.

A second of total silence passed.

Then, both the girl and the little pastry-cat fell backward, their bodies completely stiff, matching each other with perfectly identical trajectories and speeds.

March 7th and Stelle, blessed with the quick eyes and fast hands of seasoned combatants, lunged forward. They caught the falling victims steadily—one grabbing Baiheng on the left, the other snatching the Cat Cake on the right.

Their movements were fluid, their division of labor flawless.

It was nothing more than practiced skill born from tragic repetition.

"It's good to be young, falling asleep so easily." Himeko leisurely sipped from her own cup, her elegant brows relaxing in pure contentment.

'Hmm, today's flavor is still just right.'

"She's not asleep... she's passed out!" March 7th cried out in total despair, struggling to hold up Baiheng's dead weight.

"Oh my, why didn't you say so earlier!" Himeko played along smoothly, a beautiful, teasing curve forming at the corner of her crimson lips.

"Didn't we say it a million times already?!" Stelle and Caelus fired back, picking up the comedic routine with practiced ease.

"S-strange..."

A weak groan drifted up from March's arms. Baiheng slowly blinked her eyes open, groggily rubbing her aching forehead as she smacked her lips, tasting the lingering flavor with deep uncertainty. "...Why does my coffee taste like carbonated yogurt?"

Her eyes rolled back, and she stiffly passed out all over again.

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