Chapter 20: Arrival at Jarilo-VI

The Herta Puppet's calm tone drew a collective sigh of disappointment from the group.

"I think we should be grateful she didn't switch to combat mode," one of them remarked. "I really didn't want to be spun around like a top."

"Besides, if we trashed this beautiful room, Conductor Pom-Pom would be furious," another added. "He put so much effort into decorating it."

March 7th quickly chimed in, and the others nodded in agreement.

"Alright, we're all exhausted today," Theresa said. "Let's just take a bath." She was already eager to explore herself.

"Come on, let's all go together!" March 7th exclaimed excitedly. "Stelle, are you coming?"

Stelle nodded enthusiastically.

"Huh?" Theresa looked puzzled.

"What's wrong? It's perfectly normal for girls to bathe together. Theresa, you don't mean you always bathe alone, do you?" March 7th asked, already heading out of the room to fetch her nightgown from her own room.

"Hehe, take me with you!" Stelle shouted excitedly.

"Alright, fine," Theresa relented.

Theresa blushed slightly. After all, she no longer had her "brother", so there was nothing to be afraid of. Her body was now that of a girl, complete with everything she should have and lacking everything she shouldn't.

As for whether she'd get a nosebleed from excitement like those excitable anime protagonists, she doubted it. All those "educational" videos she'd watched hadn't been for nothing. She'd tempered her mind to steel!

Theresa took the nightgown March 7th had offered, since she didn't have one of her own and planned to buy new clothes when they reached their destination. Stelle also took a nightgown from March 7th. Aside from being slightly taller and perhaps a bit more... developed, they were practically identical.

[Stelle's got quite the figure, she just hides it under her jacket.]

With a mix of anticipation and shyness, the three girls entered the bathroom. Inside Theresa's mind, the Homu System let out an excited, garbled screech. But Theresa remained calm. After all, the system wasn't even human anymore—what was there to fear?

Thus began their bizarre bathroom adventure. They'd expected Stelle to be the reckless one, but surprisingly, it was March 7th who ended up crashing and burning. As for the rest of the steamy details... well, some things are best left unsaid, lest this become NSFW.

In the end, all three emerged from the bathroom with flushed cheeks and bashful expressions, their beautiful eyes glistening with moisture. Stelle, meanwhile, wore a smug grin, as if she'd learned some profound lesson.

"Stupid Stelle! You're practically grown up, and you still have to resort to that? It feels so weird!" March 7th said, her face crimson as she playfully swatted Stelle, who chuckled sheepishly.

Theresa smiled bashfully, her cheeks also flushed, remembering her own indescribable and amusing antics.

As for the Homu System, it had completely crashed from the stimulation. Theresa didn't bother with it, finding it rather surprising that despite its flirty exterior, the system seemed unexpectedly innocent at heart.

The rest of the afternoon passed with the trio helping each other braid their long hair and chatting about girly topics.

Soon, they settled down to rest on the bed. Theresa was startled to find herself being used as a makeshift pillow by March 7th and Stelle.

Meanwhile, the Herta Puppet had slipped out to help Conductor Pom-Pom clean the train, much to Pom-Pom's delight. Eventually, everyone retreated to their cabins to rest, and Pom-Pom returned to the conductor's compartment.

The Astral Express drifted through the cosmos, protected by the Pathstrider Power, which prevented any external intrusion.

The night passed uneventfully. Theresa woke up to the discomfort of cleansing foam clinging to her face, a blob on each cheek pinching her cheeks. With a resigned sigh, she swiped them off and woke March 7th and Stelle. The three groggily brushed their teeth, washed their faces, and got dressed. Theresa changed back into her Celestial Hymn Regalia, a conceptual garment that materialized at her will, saving her the trouble of getting dressed.

"Hey, everyone's up! Pom-Pom has prepared breakfast: Century Egg and Lean Pork Congee with soy milk, and only two Eggs per person!"

Pom-Pom's voice echoed through the Train's intercom. The group immediately gathered in the main hall for breakfast. Himeko smiled and shared her coffee with Theresa, both savoring the intensely concentrated brew. Stelle, curious, took a sip, then yelped, clutched her stomach, and dashed back to her cabin to "purge her inventory."

"Let's take a half-hour break to let our food settle," Himeko suggested. "By the way, have you decided who will disembark for the exploration?"

Once everyone had finished eating and drinking, Pom-Pom spoke up.

Welt and Himeko explained that they wanted the younger members to stretch their legs and show Stelle around.

"We're relieved to have Theresa with you, as long as she doesn't do anything foolish," Welt said, assigning tasks. "Dan Heng and March 7th, keep an eye on her. Stelle, stick close to the group and don't wander off alone."

As Welt finished his instructions, Pom-Pom's announcement rang out:

[The Train is about to initiate a warp jump.]

[All passengers, please secure yourselves.]

With Pom-Pom's broadcast, everyone settled into their seats to await the warp jump. March 7th excitedly squatted into a horse stance, and Stelle curiously mimicked her.

The Train transformed into a pale blue glow as it pierced the fabric of space and warped to a star system hundreds of light-years away.

[Stellaron fluctuations detected. All stops are indefinitely postponed.]

Conductor Pom-Pom's surprised voice crackled over the intercom.

Thud! Thud!

As expected, March 7th and Stelle tumbled to the floor with twin thuds.

"Is this Jarilo-VI?" Stelle asked.

Jarilo-VI: A Planet Transformed into Ice and Snow

"Jarilo-VI?" Himeko exclaimed in surprise.

"That's right," Dan Heng said, gazing solemnly at the planet outside the window. "I checked the Archive. Jarilo-VI used to be a lush, vibrant world. Its current state might be related to the Stellaron."

Welt addressed the group, noticing their apprehension. "We can't be certain how severe the Stellaron's influence is. If you have any concerns, you can contact us through the Terminal. I've already added Theresa and Stelle to the group chat."

"Everyone, please exercise extreme caution on this mission," Himeko said worriedly, turning to Theresa. "Theresa, I'm entrusting them to you."

Theresa nodded confidently. After all, she had single-handedly shattered a Doomsday Beast; dealing with the Stellaron shouldn't be too daunting.

"I have a question," Stelle said, her voice uncertain. "How do we get down there? Do we just... jump?"

Theresa also looked curiously at Himeko and Welt. This was her first Pathstrider mission, and she was just as bewildered as Stelle.

"Alright, Conductor Pom-Pom will teleport us to a suitable location shortly. After our last incident, we'll avoid teleporting directly into a city to prevent further complications—like what happened with March 7th," Dan Heng explained calmly, subtly teasing March 7th.

"Hehe, it wasn't my fault!" March 7th said with an embarrassed laugh.

[Commencing teleportation.]

As Pom-Pom's voice echoed, golden Pathstrider Power enveloped March 7th, Dan Heng, Stelle, and Theresa. Their figures vanished from the Train in an instant.

Himeko and Welt watched them disappear.

"Welt, I've never seen you so relaxed. Was that battle against the Doomsday Beast not her full strength?" Himeko asked curiously, observing Welt's calm demeanor on the sofa.

"Of course not," Welt replied with a smile. "Besides, she's now an Emanator of Elation—one of the Train's most powerful Nameless. And back in my homeland, she was the Headmaster of an academy. Supervising Little March and Stelle should be no problem for her."