In the image, Robin's corpse gradually dissolved into foam and disappeared into the Dream Pool.

"Calmed down now?" Aventurine glanced sideways at Stella, whose body had stopped trembling. "Oh my, friend, when I witnessed this scene, my expression wasn't much better than yours."

"You're not mistaken. It is indeed that renowned singer, Robin."

"This... how is it possible?" Stella swallowed hard. "Can one die in a dream?"

"Let me clarify something first," Aventurine explained. "I had nothing to do with this. I'm just an unfortunate soul who stumbled upon the scene. The Family can vouch for me. If you don't believe me, ask someone from the Hound lineage. They hate me and the company, so they won't lie." He continued, "This isn't the crime scene either. What I've shown you is a 'memory' - the simplest light cone presentation technology, authorized by Remembrance, owned by the company."

[Aventurine: You see, the Hound people can testify to my innocence. So, please don't direct any meaningless anger towards me or the company. We might become partners in the future.]

"At this point, do you still think that Sea-Roving Ranger is an outsider?"

Aventurine walked to the edge of the Dream Pool, gently touching its rim as he spoke:

"Penacony solemnly promised that in the beautiful dreams woven by the Family, the safety of every guest would be guaranteed. Those in danger would be forcibly awakened, returning safely to reality."

"What gives them the confidence to make such a claim? It's because of the protection of 'Harmony': the Family's Dreamweavers intertwine their thoughts, constructing an unbreakable safety barrier."

To break through this impenetrable defense and create death in the ethereal realm of dreams... Even for a Mnemonic with powerful memory abilities, it would be impossible without the Family's permission. So who could possess such extraordinary power?

The answer was obvious - only she, that mysterious woman who called herself the Sea-Roving Ranger... An uninvited guest using a false name, an envoy who concealed her true identity...

The fate of Afritet was already sealed, and poor Robin... her tragic, miserable form was right before their eyes. Who would be the next sacrifice in this cruel game?

Aventurine's words successfully aroused anxiety and fear among most Penacony residents.

[Dreamchaser A: People can... actually die in dreams?]

[Dreamchaser B: How is this possible! What exactly did your Family do? If the Family can't even protect its own, how can they protect us?]

[Sunday: Please, everyone, don't panic. The loyal and brave Hound lineage will surely investigate the situation quickly and provide an explanation to all.]

[Sunday also felt a sense of helplessness. This was becoming troublesome. Although everything was yet to happen, Penacony could now be described as being in a state of panic after this incident became public.]

Stella cupped her chin, eyeing Aventurine warily as she replied, "If that's the case, I won't trust anyone."

"That's alright. You're entitled to your own judgment. Building trust always takes time, and I'm willing to wait," Aventurine said, appearing unconcerned.

"I just hope you understand that surrounding that so-called 'inheritance'... Penacony is seething with undercurrents, and everyone harbors ulterior motives."

"Don't stand on the wrong side. If I were you, I'd keep my distance from Acheron. After all, the calculations laid out in the open are far better than the monsters hidden in the shadows... don't you think?"

Black Swan gracefully entered the room, speaking as she walked:

"But who says there aren't deeper conspiracies behind the apparent calculations?"

"...Mnemonic, I believe our transaction ended long ago," Aventurine said, his tone somewhat stiff.

Ignoring him, Black Swan turned to Stella and patiently explained, "What Aventurine said is true. This 'memory' is real, without any distortion or fabrication."

Aventurine, making no effort to hide his thoughts, looked at Stella frankly and spoke directly:

"Friend, let's cut to the chase - I want to establish a cooperation with the Astral Express on a personal level."

"I've told you before, I have no interest in the inheritance war. I'm in Penacony purely for work. I'm here to reclaim some lost property for the company, you know... the ownership of the Frontier Prison."

His words revealed a hint of helplessness:

"Thanks to the Cancer of All Worlds, this has become a bad debt. The company has tried to sit down and talk several times, but the Family won't even open the door."

Frowning with worry, Aventurine continued, "You don't know how difficult these people are to deal with. Let me put it this way, they managed to conceal the existence of 'death' before, so they'll certainly be able to cover up Robin's death this time."

"Just silently dissolving into foam and disappearing, with no one ever knowing..." His words were full of regret and resignation, seeming to feel indignant about this injustice.

Aventurine looked at Stella with sincerity and said:

"It's not fair, is it? So, friend, I need your help."

Stella just shook her head, "I have my own plans."

"But what I want isn't much. Why don't you hear me out first, if that's alright?"

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Glancing at Black Swan, Stella replied thoughtfully, "Go on."

"I have only one goal," Aventurine paused before stating his request:

"The Family's door is a high wall. To bring it down, I need to first make a few holes in it. Once there's a weakness, the company has plenty of methods."

"Now, an opportunity has arrived. If we can uncover the truth behind 'Robin's death,' we can not only do justice for the deceased but also gain leverage for negotiations, bringing the Family to the table."

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance... I've been investigating all over Penacony, making friends, all for this moment."

"This tragic news is extremely unfavorable for the family, so they will undoubtedly spare no effort to prevent outsiders from getting involved, especially the company," Sandgold explained, his expression serious.

"However, I believe there are a few factions that are exceptions, and that's why I need your help. The Astral Express is well-known, and Harmony will give you the fairest evaluation."

"Are you trying to exploit the reputation of us Nameless?" Stella questioned, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"No, no, no, it's a win-win situation," Sandgold clarified hastily. "You can uncover the truth and uphold justice, while I can complete the company's mission... That's what we call a mutually beneficial arrangement."

Stella had to admit there was some logic to his argument, but she also felt it wasn't appropriate for her to make this decision alone.

"I can't decide this on my own," she said hesitantly.

Sandgold's face lit up with excitement. To him, this response meant the deal was as good as done. Seizing the moment, he pressed on:

"Don't rush. You can discuss it with your companions first. That Navigator lady is a clever one; she'll surely understand the value of this deal. Here, take my contact information. Once you've reached a conclusion, just get in touch with me."

Sandgold added Stella as a friend on his communication device.

"Oh, and one more thing... Here, take this! You'll need some funds to start your investigation. Please, don't be shy!" As he spoke, Sandgold transferred some credit points to Stella's account.

"Well then, good luck to you," Sandgold said as he took his leave.

The screen went black once more, startling the viewers who thought it might be another "to be continued" moment. However, what followed was an audio-only broadcast:

"Recently, the Interstellar Peace Corporation officially announced that Tzigane IV, under the guidance of the Market Development Department and in accordance with the Interstellar Peace Charter, has established an independent United Emirate and gained a legitimate seat in the Interstellar Peace Conference."

"The establishment of the United Emirate is of great historical significance for Tzigane: it puts an end to the planet's long and bloody history, and the notorious 'Qatiqah-Eveghin Extinction Case' will become a distant memory—"

"Tzigane IV is located in the unclaimed area at the intersection of the Danube-Prut-Dniester triple star system. The planet's surface climate is known for its extreme harshness, and it constantly faces threats from small celestial body impacts."

"As a result, there are now very few intelligent species settled on this planet. They have split into several clans, mostly nomadic, struggling to survive in the arid and rainless desert plains, and have developed folk beliefs completely independent of the Aeons system..."

[Fu Xuan: I heard this broadcast content about a dozen years ago.]

[Qingque: Oh, isn't Tzigane Mr. Sandgold's hometown? But what does this Qatiqah-Eveghin Extinction Case refer to?]

[Jade: The Eveghin race is nearly extinct now, except for their only survivors.]

[Sushang: So Mr. Sandgold was once a slave... I see.]

The screen gradually brightened, revealing a baby lying in swaddling clothes, held in someone's arms. The person had short golden hair.

"...Tzigane, Tzigane. The parched eye of the storm, a place forsaken by the gods..." a mournful female voice echoed in the image.

"With stone but no water, with thunder but no rain, with blood but no tears. You hammer us with falling stars, temper us with wind and thunder, chew us with cracked earth. You bestow upon us the name of honey, yet place us under the bitter knife. Three-eyed Earth Mother, if you can hear, I beg you to open your eyes and look upon this child..."

"When you took his father, my child was still sleeping in the amniotic fluid. And now, I am about to go to the place where my husband is..."

"I do not ask for a peaceful passing for myself, I only wish you could tell me, the child sleeping in swaddling clothes.. can he dream of his mother's heartbeat, dream of the sound of rain falling on the earth? I beg you to tell me, is life but a fleeting dream...?"

"...Otherwise, why must this child face death from the moment of his birth...?"

Accompanied by rolling thunder, raindrops began to fall more densely. "Rain, it's raining!" An excited and joyful shout came from off-screen.

"Rain... Rain!" More excited calls followed: "It's raining! It's real! Those outsiders didn't deceive us, they really succeeded in summoning the rain... Mom, we can finally leave this place... We can go home..."

"My darling, listen quickly..." the mother said softly to the child in her arms.

This is the sound of falling rain. On the day you were just born, the sky bestowed the Earth Mother's grace just like now.

"You are an incredibly lucky, blessed child... Just like your name, you are a precious gift bestowed upon the Eveghin by the divine... My dear child..." The mother gazed at her flesh and blood with deep affection.

"You are a lucky child, a blessed child... Just like your name, you are a gift He gave to the Eveghin people... My child..."

"May the Mother Goddess close her eyes thrice for you"

"May your bloodline always pulse"

"May your journey always be smooth"

"May your tricks never be exposed"

"Welcome to this sorrowful world, Kaqavasha"

The screen went black again, with only a familiar male voice ringing out:

"Hey, it's time to wake up, gambler"

The scene changed once more, showing Sandgold sprawled on the bar counter, rubbing his eyes as he sat up groggily:

"Oh! Heavens, I might have had too much Soledar... Didn't expect you to return so quickly. So, any discoveries?"

Standing beside him, Dr. Ratio crossed his arms and said:

"Just as you guessed, nobody outside knows that Robin has been killed. Not even a whisper of a rumor. The TV is still broadcasting her ceremony rehearsal, probably using a body double. People are all still dreaming."

Sandgold responded with an air of having expected this: "Of course. Who could imagine that death would truly descend upon the beautiful dream built by the family? And that the victim would be the family's leading lady?"

"To be honest, I didn't believe it before, and even experimented a few times myself," Sandgold said calmly. "Until I discovered that I truly couldn't die. Heh, once there's danger, I'd be forced into the dream pool and awakened, as if it was just a nightmare."

[Qingque: He tested on himself to see if he could really die? Calling him a gambler is indeed well-deserved.]

[Dreamchaser A: If that's the case, why did a real death occur?]

[Fu Xuan: I suspect it might be internal strife within the family. After all, they said, 'There will be no real death under the family's protection.' But what if the family withdraws its protection?]

[Herta: Internal strife? Indeed, it's a very common reason.]

Dr. Ratio continued: "You must have heard about that memory meme too — when I went to negotiate with the Oak family on your behalf, they were in a state of panic."

"And besides Robin, there was another victim. The details are unclear, but it's known to be a stowaway."

Sandgold looked surprised, but then seemed to realize something and said:

"Two murders?! I knew that Nameless' reaction was off. She must have stumbled upon the other scene..."

"This killer is truly a madman... But I must say, these murder cases are an excellent breakthrough point. We can accuse the family of dereliction of duty, giving the company a pretext to intervene."

[Stella: Eh? I stumbled upon a murder scene?]

[Qingque: This person is really a dedicated workaholic, isn't he? He should learn to slack off when he can. Why put his heart and soul into working for the company? Work doesn't count as labor, slacking off is how you create value for yourself~]

[Fu Xuan: Qingque, look behind you.]

[Qingque: ..Ah! Master Tabu, why are you here?]

[Fu Xuan: I predicted you'd be slacking off, and sure enough, here you are goofing off again. Have you finished this year's report yet?!]