Chapter 226

Botio: "He's got a leg he treasures!"

Botio: "If this damn Pinocone weren't so far away, my treasure would've arrived long ago!"

March 7th: "Ha, Mr. Botio, keep pushing!"

March 7th: "Otherwise, you might really miss Pinocone's festival."

The video continues.

Some time later.

{Here—Klauck Film Park, Pinocone's most popular entertainment center. }

Gallagher led the three to the outer perimeter of Klauck Film Park.

{Wasn't this about the Clockmaker? }

{I thought we'd go somewhere like an archive, why here........ }

March 7th looked at the bustling park,

and scratched her head in confusion.

{A city's culture is the most authentic footnote to its history. }

{To you, this is a place of amusement; to me, it is a prison, locking away this planet's past. }

{You know Pinocone was once the Company's prison planet, right? }

{Prisoners were brought here to retrieve Memory Substance leaking from the Great Hole for the Luminous Memory Court...... }

{Long-term exposure to high concentrations of Memory Substance caused a unique phenomenon. }

{Countless individual dreams interwove and overlapped; people began meeting in dreams, living lives as real as waking ones. }

{But everything has a price—even sweet dreams. }

{In the end, dreams could not dissolve the suffering of reality. Under the leadership of one prisoner, the frontier prison shattered the Company's shackles and began fighting for freedom..... }

{..... He was the Hano Brothers. }

{The big brother of Dreamtown, builder of peace, eternal ally of the weak. }

Gallagher began explaining to the three.

{So "The Clockwork Boy" is a documentary....... }

Stelle was surprised.

{History is always written by the victors, but apart from artistic embellishment, "The Clockwork Boy" is an animation based on Pinocone's history—that is undeniable. }

{These characters didn't just live in Dreamtown—they lived in the distant past. }

{Once you understand this..... }

{You'll understand why we came here. }

As Gallagher spoke,

he led the three closer to Klauck Film Park.

{There are so many Hound Clan people around here...... }

March 7th glanced around and said in surprise.

{Just got a lockdown order—said to be issued personally by Sunday. Who knows what they're up to. }

{Huh...... This is quite the show. }

{I've never seen this much effort even during a manhunt. }

When they reached the entrance,

Gallagher looked at the scene at the gate,

and muttered with sarcasm.

{Even from outside, it's impressive. }

Though they couldn't enter Klauck Film Park,

just gazing from afar,

Stelle felt the grandeur of the place.

{After all, it's the work of a family. }

{Aside from the Faithful of Preservation, no one else is better at building wonders. }

{Let's find a quiet corner to continue. }

After casually explaining,

Gallagher led the three to a secluded spot.

{Right here—good view. }

{Perfect for seeing him....... }

{.... The Clockwork Boy. }

Gallagher gazed at the statue of the Clockwork Boy,

his expression unreadable.

{If these animated characters have real-world counterparts, then the Clockwork Boy unquestionably corresponds to the Clockmaker. }

{He was a companion of the Hano Brothers, one of the earliest members of Dreamtown....... }

{Does this mean the historical Clockmaker personally participated in that war and stood on Asderna's side? }

Himeko asked at once.

{It was a massive independence war—the Masked Fool, the Nameless Guest, the Fictional Historian, the Mourning Performer, the Vanguard Commander..... }

{Hanoono quelled the chaos with help from his companions and extraterrestrial guests. }

{Naturally, the future Clockmaker was among them. }

Gallagher nodded,

and explained.

"But if you count it that way... hasn't the Clockmaker been alive for several hundred years?"

March 7th asked, somewhat puzzled.

"I don't know."

"When I knew Mikhail, he was already the Clockmaker. It might also be a title that was inherited."

Gallagher shook his head and said.

"...... Mr. Constable, how old are you?"

March 7th couldn't help but ask.

"......"

".... Thirteen."

Stelle: "You with that whole world-weary look on your face, and you're telling me you're thirteen?!"

Stelle: "Fooling March is one thing, but don't fool yourself too!"

Gallagher: "What? Is that so surprising?"

Gallagher: "Still can't compare to your one-odd years old, right?"

Stelle: "Mine is a special case!"

Stelle: "What? Yours is a special case too?"

Herta: "You actually hit the nail on the head — he really is special."

Gallagher: "Sigh, big shots are such a hassle. The slightest trace gives everything away."

Herta: "Relax, I'm not interested in you."

Furina: "So... Mr. Gallagher is really thirteen?!"

Gallagher: "Couldn't be more real."

Hu Tao: "That's absurd. With that face of yours, saying you're forty-three I could still buy...."

Hu Tao: "Thirteen is just a bit........"

Gallagher: "Sorry, I just happen to look a bit old for my age."

March 7th: "This isn't something 'a bit' can describe anymore, is it?"

Venti: "Tch, in the universe really every kind of bizarre phenomenon can show up!"

Venti: "Someone with that look, and they're only thirteen."

Venti: "Really quite a shock!"

Zhong Li: "Indeed shocking!"