Chapter 153

Nahida: "A paradise without an end... does that mean a dream without an end?"

Lumine: "Huh?"

Lumine: "Without an end... could it be another endless cycle?!"

Paimon: "No way, does Mr. Sunday want to host another Sabzeruz Festival too?!"

Paimon: "To keep the people in the dream forever immersed, cycling over and over again?!"

Stelle: "Good grief, this Sabzeruz Festival you all talk about is pretty sinister."

Sunday: "You misunderstand. I have never had the thought of making people cycle."

Sunday: "Because that is equivalent to depriving them of their future within the dream."

Nilou: "Phew... that's good. I don't think Mr. Sunday would ever do such a thing."

The video continues.

【........】

Robin and Sunday have now come to the side of an old man who is quietly watching the scenery.

【The scenery in this dream is truly beautiful, isn't it?】

Robin says to the old man.

【Oh? It is actually Miss Robin... what an honor.】

【You are right.】

【Although time does not flow in the dream, it feels fresh every time I look at it... I always have new reflections.】

The old man's face carries a look of deep emotion.

【A philosopher who is good at thinking...】

【I hope I have not disturbed you.】

Robin says very politely.

【Not at all. My days are numbered, so I actually hope someone can keep me company and talk...】

【Especially a distinguished lady like you.】

【If it is convenient, would you like to chat?】

This old man really wants to have a chat with Robin.

【I would be happy to. Let's just chat casually.】

【You mentioned just now that your days are numbered...】

【Forgive my presumption, is this why you came to Penacony?】

Robin asks with some curiosity.

【Hehe, that's right...】

【I served on the battlefield. When I crawled out of the mothership at Su-Ke-Wu, I stuffed some radioactive iron scraps into my head along the way.】

【And what else?】

【My comrades are all gone, and my hometown melted in several neutron radiation bombardments.】

【Hmph, it's all gone. I really couldn't go on living...】

【But I heard there was a way here, so I came.】

The old man recounts his story.

【How regrettable... I hope the Family can help you resolve your worries.】

Robin feels some sympathy for the old man's plight.

【The Family has indeed helped me a lot, and I want to express my deepest gratitude for that.】

【They arranged a comfortable room for me, the most advanced life-support device in the galaxy, and a full reinforced platoon of nurses.】

【Now my body is fixed in the Dreampool, surviving on life-support devices.】

【The me you see is complete, clear-headed, and no different from a normal person...】

【But the me in the hotel is not like this.】

【My true appearance...】

【Heh, Miss Robin, I hope you never see it.】

The old man shakes his head,

and sighs as he explains to Robin.

【So...】

【You are going to live in this dream forever, right?】

Robin hesitates for a moment,

and asks.

【Hehe, being able to live is a stroke of luck.】

【Whether it's a dream or not doesn't matter; after all, I have no choice.】

【My world was already broken to begin with, and it might disappear in the next instant, so no matter how fake the dream is, it is a paradise to me.】

【I cherish every moment here.】

【Ha... I really envy these things that never change.】

The old man's eyes are filled with longing,

and he turns back to admire the scenery.

Seeing this, Robin and Sunday leave silently.

【That old man's story... it's too sad. Fortunately, this sweet dream has indeed left a happy thought for the rest of his life.】

After leaving,

Robin cannot help but say to Sunday.

【This is the meaning of Penacony's sweet dream.】

Sunday believes that the old man just now,

perfectly interpreted the meaning of the sweet dream's existence.

【But the sweet dream has its limitations after all.】

【It is only a harbor for the frustrated, and it cannot eradicate pain at the source of reality.】

Robin feels a bit dejected.

【There will always be a way—Penacony is already on the right path.】

Hu Tao: "This old man's experience..."

Hu Tao: "It's truly miserable..."

Xiangling: "Comrades gone, hometown gone."

Xiangling: "Even his own body is basically gone..."

Xiangling: "If it weren't for the dream, I really can't imagine if this old man would still have the courage to go on living."

Paimon: "Couldn't go on... he really couldn't have gone on, right?!"

Paimon: "Just hearing about this old gentleman's experience makes Paimon feel a wave of despair rushing over."

Paimon: "If it were Paimon who encountered this, I wouldn't have the courage to keep living at all!"

Keqing: "A fate worse than death, that's exactly what it is."

Keqing: "Fortunately, the dream provided some warmth for the rest of his life."

Stelle: "Right, that's the most correct use of a dream!"

Stelle: "Providing a choice to those who have no choice at all!"

Stelle: "This is the most fundamental meaning of the dream's existence."

March 7th: "You can tell that although this old man still has many regrets in the dream."

March 7th: "At least he has found the meaning of living again."

March 7th: "And if there were no dream..."

March 7th: "His situation in reality would be..."

March 7th: "Eww... that scene... just thinking about it is indescribably bleak!"

Miss Sushang: "Not just bleak... it's also terrifying!"

Miss Sushang: "This old man's body in reality is probably already riddled with holes."

Miss Sushang: "But in his dreams, he can have a perfectly intact body."

Aventurine: "Being able to come to this dream, the second half of his life is undoubtedly lucky."

Aventurine: "It's just a pity that many people similar to him don't have this good fortune..."

Furina: "Speaking of which, Mr. Sunday said at the end that Penacony is already on the right path?"

Furina: "Is it?"

Furina: "Something like a Stellaron has appeared silently in Penacony's sweet dream."

Furina: "How can that be considered being on the right path?"

Stelle: "I appeared openly, not silently."

March 7th: "Oh, you're just good at being cheeky!"

March 7th: "Miss Furina is clearly talking about the Stellaron that the Family integrated into the dream."

.....29................................................

The video continues.

[Look... who is this cute young lady?]

Robin and Sunday were walking on the road,

when they suddenly heard a voice.

[Huh, is that... me?]

Robin looked in the direction of the voice,

her expression becoming somewhat surprised.

[Brother!]

[What a coincidence, we meet again.]

Silver Wolf: "I'm dying of laughter, the fake bumped into the real one, right?"

Silver Wolf: "No, how do you have the nerve to call someone's brother right in front of them?"

Stelle: "Mm, very consistent with my persona as Director Sparkle."

Sparkle: "What's wrong?"

Sparkle: "She is Robin, so I am also Robin."

Sparkle: "Why can't I call the chicken-wing boy brother?"

Paimon: "Mm... it... it sounds so reasonable."

Paimon: "Uh... no, no!"

Paimon: "You are Miss Sparkle, not Miss Robin!"

Sparkle: "Who says? Look at me, aren't I Robin~"

March 7th: "You are me, and I am you, right?"

March 7th: "You really have it all figured out."

Furina: "Hehe, two Miss Robins standing together, they really look good."

Furina: "That... can the Sparkle version of Robin sing?"

Sparkle: "Singing... hehe... I can!"

Sparkle: "I, the great Sparkle, am proficient in everything. Singing is just a small matter, even performing at the Charmony Festival is a piece of cake~"

Stelle: "Cough cough... Director Sparkle, isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

Stelle: "I admit you are a top-tier actor, but when it comes to singing, I think you're not even as good as me!"

Sparkle: "Is that so?"

Sparkle: "Then for my birthday party, you, little gray-hair, will be the one singing!"

Stelle: "That's no problem, it's time to show off my heavenly voice!"

March 7th: "You and your heavenly voice..."

March 7th: "I think you're just mysteriously confident..."

Miss Qingque: "Hey, at that time, I'm afraid others charge for singing, but you charge for lives!"

Stelle: "Damn, General Qing, shut up!"

Stelle: "As long as I want to, I would have debuted as a big star long ago!!"

Silver Wolf: "Sigh... keep bragging..."

Firefly: "It's okay, bragging is also a hobby!"

Silver Wolf: "Please, stop spoiling her so much..."

Silver Wolf: "If you keep spoiling her, she's going to swell up to the sky..."

The video continues.

[Reveal your true form, your tricks are useless against us.]

Sunday looked indifferently at the Robin disguised by Sparkle,

his expression completely calm.

[I heard that a Masked Fool skilled in deception also received an invitation...]

[It seems it is you.]

[Are you having fun?]

Robin asked, looking at the other self.

[Barely.]

[The people here are too easy to fool. Give them a little sweetness and they'll take the bait. When there's danger, they shrink back quickly...]

[Simply put, they're stupid, rich, and afraid of death!]

Sparkle gave the people here,

a very incisive summary.

[Since you've had your fun, it's better to leave early.]

[The movement of Harmony cannot tolerate noise.]

Robin began to issue an eviction order.

[Why?]

[The original is back, so I'm useless?]

[I helped the Family so much, it's really chilling.]

[You should thank me properly. If I hadn't been willing to clean up this mess...]

[Penacony would have been in a mess by now, you know?]

Sparkle put on a wronged look.

[That was a private request from the Iris Family head, it has nothing to do with us.]

[Step down, don't add any more chaos to the Charmony Festival.]

Sunday's face was somewhat unpleasant.

[Charmony Festival?]

[Hmph, who are you trying to scare? Do you think I don't know what you all are planning?]

[Not to mention what you're thinking, chicken-wing boy, our cute Miss Robin should have made up her mind not to go on stage now, right?]

[After all, you've seen how ugly this dream is under the operation of Harmony...]

[The land of dreams, Penacony... is this what the paradise you two siblings want looks like?]

Sparkle asked the two of them with sarcasm.

[...Shut up!]

Sunday's face darkened completely.

[Are you anxious, chicken-wing boy?]

[Did I touch a sore spot?]

Looking at Sunday like this,

Sparkle smiled.

[Our agreement has nothing to do with you, Fool.]

[Leave immediately, or don't blame the Family for being impolite.]