---o---
Theresa didn't keep everyone waiting for long. She quickly returned and, with a clap of her hands, beckoned for the group to follow her.
They walked through a corridor and arrived in a spacious hall. The room was decorated with streamers and balloons, and in the center stood a large round table, almost completely covered with a dazzling array of dishes—a whole roasted chicken glistening a golden brown, a small mountain of fried shrimp, a steaming tureen of cream soup, a platter of thinly sliced and neatly arranged ham, and a multi-tiered fruit tart and cream cake.
March 7th was the first to rush forward, with Stelle close behind. Kiana practically threw herself onto the table's edge. The three of them scanned the feast, their eyes darting back and forth, their throats bobbing in unison.
Fu Zhu and Mei walked over, watching the three greedy cats circling the round table.
Fu Zhu crossed his arms, a smile on his face. "You're all grown up. Why are you still drooling like that?"
Stelle hastily wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. March 7th turned away, pretending to admire the decorations on the wall. Kiana, however, made no attempt to hide it. The three of them shouted in unison, "Because it looks so delicious!"
Kiana spun around, clasped her hands together in front of her, and blinked pitifully at Mei. "Mei, you know what a hard life I had on the moon, eating instant noodles every single day!"
A vein throbbed on Mei's forehead. She walked over, one hand on her hip, the other's index finger poking Kiana's forehead. The force wasn't strong, but the pokes were relentless.
"That's because you played games all day! You were too lazy to cook, so all you knew how to eat was instant noodles!"
Kiana shrank back, giggling sheepishly, not daring to talk back.
Theresa chose that moment to step up to the table. She clapped her hands together and cheerfully beckoned for everyone to take a seat.
Everyone took their places in turn but didn't pick up their chopsticks. March 7th's hand had already touched the edge of a plate before she quietly retracted it. Her eyes, however, kept drifting towards the doorway. Stelle was the same, picking up her chopsticks only to put them down again.
It wasn't just them. Everyone in the room was waiting.
The quiet didn't last long. The sound of footsteps approached from outside, the rhythm steady and unhurried. A young man then stepped into the room. He took in the unfamiliar faces, showing no signs of shyness, and walked straight forward, offering a polite nod of greeting, until his gaze fell upon Welt, who was seated in a chair.
The young man's steps faltered.
At the same instant, Welt froze, the teacup in his hand hovering in mid-air. For a few seconds, the two of them just stared at each other from across half the room, and the sound of conversation around them seemed to fade away.
Welt set down his teacup, pushed back his chair, and stood up. He walked over to the young man and reached out, pulling him into a hug. The embrace was gentle, yet incredibly tight.
"I'm back."
The young man didn't look up. He buried his face in Welt's chest and gave a muffled reply.
At the table, March 7th tugged on Fu Zhu's sleeve and leaned in to whisper.
"Uncle Yang's child? It's a boy, huh."
Stelle peeked over from the other side and added in a small voice, "But he doesn't really look like Uncle Yang, does he?"
Their hushed whispers didn't escape Tesla's ears. She took a sip from her wine glass, her eyes still on Welt and his son, her tone as casual as if she were commenting on the weather.
"He's my and Welt's adopted son, not our biological one."
March 7th and Stelle both let out a soft "oh." They opened their mouths and then closed them again. Their faces were full of questions, but they exchanged a look and tacitly chose to stay quiet. Some things weren't suitable for discussion at the dinner table.
Welt soon walked over with the young man, one hand resting on his shoulder, and faced Fu Zhu's group.
"Let me introduce you all. This is my adopted son, Joffrey Joyce Yang."
Fu Zhu and the others all smiled and greeted Joffrey. Fu Zhu rummaged through his backpack for a moment, pulled out a Totem of Undying, and stood up to walk over to Joffrey, holding it out.
"Hello, Joffrey. My name is Fu Zhu. I'm a companion of Welt's on the Astral Express. Think of this as a meeting gift. It will protect you."
Joffrey didn't take it immediately, instead glancing at Welt.
Welt gave a slight nod.
Only then did Joffrey accept the totem with both hands, offering a sincere word of thanks.
March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng introduced themselves in turn. When it was Himeko's turn, Joffrey's expression became a little strange. His lips moved, and his gaze lingered on her face for a few moments. He knew about the other Himeko, but faced with two people who looked exactly alike, he was momentarily unsure how to respond.
Himeko saw his predicament and offered a simple, smiling explanation. Joffrey nodded with a vague understanding and took a seat with Welt.
At last, the chopsticks came down.
The atmosphere of the banquet quickly grew lively. Theresa raised her glass for a toast, Kiana got her hand smacked by Mei for snatching food, and March 7th and Stelle engaged in a fierce battle of glares over the last piece of cake. Fu Zhu, meanwhile, extended his chopsticks from the side and snagged the cake for himself, earning a simultaneous glare from both girls as he stuffed it into his mouth. Dan Heng ate his food quietly, not refusing when Welt occasionally pulled him into a toast.
Amid the clinking of glasses and cheerful chatter, time flew by. By the time the banquet ended, the sky outside was already full of stars.
Theresa arranged for accommodations for Fu Zhu's group. After saying their goodnights, they all went to their respective rooms.
---o---
Late into the night.
Fu Zhu was lying in bed when March 7th, half-sprawled on his chest, let her hair tickle his chin.
"Fu Zhu."
March 7th suddenly lifted her head.
"What is it?" Fu Zhu opened his eyes to meet the young woman's gaze. She was biting her lower lip, her brow furrowed, hesitating for a good while.
"Uncle Yang is home now... Do you think… he'll still travel with us?"
So, she had noticed after all.
Fu Zhu didn't answer right away. He raised a hand and gently stroked March 7th's cheek.
"Even if Uncle Yang doesn't travel with us anymore, you should still be happy for him. After all, he's found his home, hasn't he?"
March 7th's eyes fell, her eyelashes casting small shadows in the dim light.
Fu Zhu paused, then added, "Besides… nothing is absolute. Who's to say there isn't a solution that's best for everyone?"
March 7th stared at him for two seconds, then her eyes suddenly curved into a smile.
"Mm, I believe you."
Fu Zhu raised an eyebrow. "I haven't even said anything yet."
"But I believe you'll definitely come up with some Upper, Middle, and Lower Strategies, right?"
"Heh… March, this time there is no middle or lower. Only upper."
March 7th buried her face in his chest again, her laughter muffled.
---o---
For the next few days, Welt and Kiana dragged the group all over half the planet.
They saw all sorts of beautiful sights and had all kinds of fun. March 7th took so many pictures her phone memory was about to burst. Stelle's phone was filled with all sorts of games from Earth. And though Dan Heng didn't say much, his bag was now a few local postcards heavier.
Kiana even dragged Stelle and March 7th to try out a Schicksal mech. The two of them were trembling when they got out of the cockpit, but the smiles on their faces couldn't be suppressed.
But all good things must come to an end. The day eventually came for the Astral Express to depart once more.
The transport ship descended slowly onto the moon base, and the aftershock from the engines died down, quickly dissipating through the soles of their feet.
Fu Zhu and the others walked down the ramp. Theresa and her group were already waiting on the tarmac to see them off.
Himeko, Fu Zhu, March 7th, Stelle, and Dan Heng turned to face the other side.
Welt stood between Tesla and Joffrey. The three of them stood shoulder to shoulder.
No one spoke first.
The silence stretched for a few seconds, a sort of unspoken confirmation.
Finally, Himeko took a deep breath. A very faint smile touched her lips as she nodded at Welt.
"Welt. Stay and be with your family."
Welt's expression flickered. His lips moved, but no words came out. His gaze couldn't help but shift to Tesla and Joffrey beside him.
Himeko's smile didn't change. She turned around and said softly to Fu Zhu's group, "Let's go."
Seeing Himeko turn to leave, March 7th and Stelle whipped their heads towards Fu Zhu, their eyes filled with panic.
Fu Zhu simply shook his head at them.
Then he reached out, taking one of each of their hands, and led them onto the boarding ramp. March 7th glanced back one last time, only to be gently tugged forward by Fu Zhu.
Dan Heng was the last one.
He walked to the entrance of the ramp, stopped, and turned around.
The lights of the landing pad stretched his shadow long, pointing straight towards Welt. Dan Heng stood tall and straight, his gaze meeting Welt's, and he spoke each word with perfect clarity.
"Mr. Welt. I will protect them. You have my word."
With that, he gave a solemn bow, turned, and walked towards the Astral Express.
Welt stood on the tarmac, watching his companions of old walk one by one into the train he had been on for so long. His eyes held a mixture of so many emotions, none of which could be put into words.
"You can still catch up if you go now."
Tesla's voice suddenly came from beside him.
Welt sighed with a wry smile. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes were caught by something.
Two train tickets.
The golden background, the red-lined edges, the unique pattern of the Astral Express shimmering under the lights.
One was in Tesla's hand, the other in Joffrey's.
Welt was stunned.
"This…"
Tesla spun the ticket on her fingertip and grinned, tilting her chin up.
"Fu Zhu and the Conductor gave them to us. They said the Astral Express never refuses any passenger who wishes to board. Once you become Nameless, you can freely use the Trailblaze Anchor Points to travel. Didn't you set one up on Earth when you came back?"
She paused for a beat, her smile softening as she looked into Welt's eyes.
"Joffrey and I are Nameless now, too. If we want to see each other, we can meet anytime. Do you really want to put another group of your family through the pain of separation?"
Welt looked down at the two tickets, then at the faces of Tesla and Joffrey.
He didn't say another word.
His hands closed around theirs, squeezing once before letting go. He then turned and ran towards the Astral Express.
The sound of his footsteps echoed, sharp and urgent, on the metal ground.
When he slapped open the cabin door, Himeko was standing just inside, her arms crossed. March 7th was leaning against her with a cheerful smile. Stelle peeked out from behind March 7th's shoulder with one eye. Dan Heng leaned against the wall, a faint curve to his lips.
Everyone was waiting for him.
Welt's steps halted at the threshold, his chest heaving. He looked at the faces before him, and the tension that had held him for so long finally broke.
"I was still a little worried."
Himeko smiled and shook her head, stepping aside to let him pass.
Fu Zhu walked out from behind them, a wide grin on his face. His gaze shifted from Welt to Himeko.
"Well then, Navigator—"
He raised his voice, letting it carry down the corridor of the train, all the way to the far end.
"We should get going. Next stop!"
(End of Book)
---o---
Author's PS: I'm sorry, I really dragged this out for far too long. This isn't a very good ending, but at least it is an ending. At the very least, I've provided an imperfect answer for all of you. Thank you to everyone who has read until now. I am truly, truly grateful.
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Tl: this was fun to translate and as my first ever translation to get popular and established where I am now. it's sad that it ended so soon. But at least it happened! thank you everyone for the support you have given from the start to the end of this novel. I can't thank you enough. I know many of you may go but in the near future I hope to see you enjoy my translations again!
all in all. thank you. and I hope you have fun in the next novel I will translate!!!!
aleph_0 going to the next novel!