Chapter 449

The livestream room.

"Good grief, there's one here too. Lady Sparkle's footprints really are all over Penacony."

"I'm very curious, is Sparkle really planning to blow Penacony up to the sky?"

"Who knows, but I don't think anyone would dare to bet on it."

"Who would dare to bet? Who knows if Sparkle is joking or playing for real."

"March 7th, don't worry. The future of Penacony might be bright (in a physical sense)."

"Good grief, you mean blown into a clean, white slate, right?"

"I feel like there's definitely something fishy going on. Just watch, if it were just blowing Penacony to the sky, that would be a bit too monotonous."

"Good grief, you are the true Elation!"

"But I don't think it's of any use even if the Bloodhound Family confiscates these buttons of Sparkle's. Didn't you see Sparkle impersonate a member of the Bloodhound Family earlier, intending to press it herself?"

"Lady Sparkle is really persistent about her Mutually Assured Destruction buttons."

【In the game's story, after exchanging information about the current situation, the Astral Express crew arrives at the bar.】

【Stelle asks Mr. Gopher Wood: "What happened to Gallagher?"】

【Mr. Gopher Wood shakes his head slightly and says: "I don't know. I haven't seen him since we met at the bar last time. Thinking back, his arrival and departure were so silent."】

【"By this bar, we talked about everything, but when he pushed the door and left, I realized I didn't understand this man at all. Gallagher is just that mysterious."】

【Mr. Gopher Wood's gaze carries sorrow and a sigh as he says: "I just have a premonition... perhaps his wish has been fulfilled, and he won't be coming back."】

The livestream room.

"Of course, can someone on the Path of Enigmata be anything but mysterious?"

"Good grief, so that's the kind of mysterious we're talking about."

"Sigh, but Gallagher is probably gone now. It's really a bit sad."

"Yeah, Gallagher's wish must be the Watchmaker's final wish."

"With an ending like this, at least it won't disappoint them."

"I feel like Mr. Gopher Wood's feelings for Gallagher are quite unusual. And, to some extent, Mr. Gopher Wood might really understand Gallagher."

"Perhaps they share a deep bond, but as a Memokeeper, Gallagher's ending was already destined."

【At this point, Mr. Gopher Wood shakes his head, suppresses those sad emotions, reveals a smile, and says: "I have some ideas about what drink to mix. Bitter or sweet, you make the choice—see which flavor matches your state of mind at this very moment."】

【Stelle thinks for a moment and says: "Sweet, I guess."】

【Hearing Stelle's choice, Mr. Gopher Wood ponders slightly: "【Drowning Sweet】—one of the most difficult drinks to mix. If the ratio of ingredients is even slightly off, the texture becomes overly thick and cloying."】

【"Conversely, if the ratio is correct... you get a unique, sweet drink with a long-lasting aftertaste."】

【"A good choice. Let's start mixing."】

【After a small drink-mixing minigame, the drink is completed.】

【Looking at the finished drink, Mr. Gopher Wood sighs with emotion: "Words are always pale. If one wants to conclude a past event, there is no better way than mixing a drink in this bar."】

【"Pour all the memories and emotions together, stir them well, and filter them through the sieve of the world; what remains in the glass is what's worth savoring."】

【After placing the drink on a tray, Mr. Gopher Wood looks up and smiles: "Alright, that's done..."】

【"To the Nameless who sleep beneath the earth, and to my good friend, Gallagher."】

【"The spirit of freedom will spread far and wide among the stars, and its lingering charm will be more enduring than any pastoral song."】

【"We are not accepted by the world outside, which is why we gather here."】

【"And one day, our souls will return to the same place."】

【"—Cheers."】

The Luo Fu Xianzhou.

In a teahouse where players gather.

Watching Mr. Gopher Wood in the game, some people silently pick up their teacups in a toast.

"Sigh! To an imperfect tomorrow, and... to a clear-headed self."

"Playing the story to this point, thinking of the people and events encountered before, my heart is truly filled with mixed emotions."

"There's a sense of emptiness."

【Just as the Astral Express crew and Mr. Gopher Wood clink their glasses, a short message suddenly arrives, attracting everyone's attention.】

【In the Astral Express family group chat—】

【Himeko: Everyone, let's move to the Radiant Feldspar.】

【Himeko: I'm finishing up here, we'll meet at the stern pool later.】

【Following Dan Heng: 11】

【Welt Yang: "See you later."】

【Stelle: By the way, what is Miss Himeko busy with?】

【March 7th:! I want to ask too.】

【Himeko sends an emoji, then sends a message: It's a secret for now.】

【Himeko: Don't be impatient, you'll know when the opening ceremony starts.】

【March 7th: Eh—】

【March 7th: Looking forward to it!】

The livestream room.

"Judging by Himeko's tone, has she already reached an agreement with both the IPC and the Family?"

"I feel like I've missed some very important plot."

"There should be an explanation later."

"I'm very curious, how did Himeko reach an agreement with the IPC and the Family? These two sides aren't easy to let go."

"After all, she's one of the three most reliable members of the Astral Express, and the navigator of the Astral Express. Don't underestimate Miss Himeko."

"Ahem, I think you could have left out that first part, it's fine."

"But it's true. Remember when we first arrived at Penacony, Himeko handled Aventurine's difficulties with ease."

【Subsequently, Welt Yang and the others bid farewell to Mr. Gopher Wood at the bar.】

【Before leaving, Mr. Gopher Wood gifts the special drink he mixed extra of to the Astral Express crew: —】

【"The past is like smoke; I hope this lets you remember the taste of Penacony."】

【Welt Yang nods and smiles: "Thank you. I think it will definitely be an unforgettable taste."】

【Mr. Gopher Wood chuckles and says: "If you see Gallagher, let him have a glass too. I know that guy's taste; he'll definitely like it."】

【A dim look flashes in Stelle's eyes, and she nods: "We will."】

【Seeing this, Mr. Gopher Wood reveals a relaxed and cheerful look, saying: "Alright, that's enough. You have serious business to attend to, don't let the atmosphere continue to be sad."】

【Whether it's the Astral Express or Penacony, there is still a long way to go in the future, so cheer up.】

【"And then, let's walk towards our respective tomorrows."】

Where the Astral Express crew is located.

March 7th sighs: "Miss Gopher Wood is really a very good person."

"She must be very sad about Gallagher's matter, and yet she still encouraged us."

Following Dan Heng sighs: "She is a strong person. I believe she already has the courage to walk towards her own tomorrow."

Welt Yang adjusts his glasses and says helplessly: "Indeed, Miss Gopher Wood won't be defeated by this, don't worry."

Stelle nods and says: "However, I wonder how Himeko's negotiations with the Family and the IPC are going in the story."

【On the other side, on the Radiant Feldspar.】

【Topaz and Jade are communicating about the plan mentioned by Mr. Gopher Wood earlier.】

【Topaz sighs: "... He's really hard to deal with, that Mr. Gopher Wood. I didn't expect that at the most critical moment for Penacony, he would actually play such a risky move as 【Listing】."】

【Jade doesn't seem worried about this; instead, she nods slightly with an admiring smile: "Indeed, he has great courage. It is precisely because of this boldness that he was able to become the Gopher Wood of today."】

【At this point, Jade looks at Topaz and says: "But the scales of victory have not tilted to either side yet. No matter how loud the shouting is, the voice itself has no weight. Topaz, the phone call you were asked to make, is there any follow-up?"】

【Topaz nods and smiles: "Yes, the other party agreed. But they won't be able to arrive for a while."】

【Jade has no objections to this; instead, she is happy to see it happen: "That's perfect. The serving order of 【Nectar】 should naturally come after 【Poison】."】

【Topaz looks at Jade's expression and also smiles expectantly: "It seems that this time, the 【Exchanging Apples】 segment will be omitted."】

【Jade chuckles and says: "Who told the other party to be a greedy merchant? A bland apple isn't enough to solve the problem—ah, that seems to have accidentally hit myself too."】

【"I'm suddenly a bit curious, Topaz: In your opinion, is Penacony a high-quality asset?"】

【Topaz thinks for a moment, then lists what she has summarized: "Good credit, high profit, promising prospects. Even after experiencing this disaster, it is still a top-tier high-quality asset in the galaxy, there is no doubt about that."】 ===== CHAPTER 450 =====