As he spoke, a hint of apology appeared on his face, and he bowed slightly.
Seeing this, Star gently shook his head, indicating that he had not taken the matter to heart, and then asked, "What is the silver guy you mentioned?"
Gallagher did not directly answer Star's question, but continued,
"The Hound Family are the gatekeepers of the dream, responsible for a series of security tasks here, including apprehending illegal immigrants."
"We previously received notice that some lawbreakers had infiltrated Penacony under the guise of The star of the Festival. It's currently the eve of the Harmony Festival, and there are quite a few people with ulterior motives...."
The girl tightly clasped her hands, her fingers intertwined, her knuckles slightly white from the excessive force. Her body was still trembling uncontrollably, as if she had just experienced a terrible nightmare and had not yet fully recovered from the fear.
Gallagher softly comforted her, "Don't worry, miss. I believe this is a misunderstanding. How could such a cute girl be an illegal immigrant?"
"...Thank you. If you hadn't helped me, I really don't know what I would have done." The girl's voice was as soft as a breeze across piano strings, carrying a hint of undeniable timidity and gratitude.
Gallagher smiled and waved his hand, indicating there was no need to be polite. Then he turned to leave, saying as he walked, "I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. If you need anything, just find a nearby puppy to contact me. I wish you both enjoy this beautiful dream." With that, he walked further and further into the distance.
The girl watched Gallagher leave until his figure disappeared from sight. Then, she slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on Star beside her, her eyes revealing sincere gratitude: "Thank you for helping me just now! Otherwise, I might really have... been taken away."
At this moment, a slightly smug expression appeared on Star's face, and he deliberately drew out his words, saying,
"This isn't free help..."
Upon hearing this, the girl's expression became particularly serious. She nodded vigorously, indicating that she understood the principle: "I... I know, one must repay a kindness!"
Silver Wolf: "Alas, I always feel like someone is being completely tricked."
Star: "Eh? Who is it? Who is it?"
Firefly: "Pam angry .jpg"
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she widened her eyes, carefully scrutinizing Star, and exclaimed in surprise, "I just noticed... you're a Nameless, aren't you? Is this your first time in Penacony?"
"If you want an autograph, not today..." Star waved his hand.
Seeing this, she quickly explained, "That's not what I meant! Although I really do admire the Nameless...."
She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and continued, "I wanted to say, you were invited by the Family, right? I... I can be your guide!"
"Although the Hound Family thought I was an illegal immigrant, I'm actually a local—Firefly, an artist from the Iris Family! Even if I'm just a temporary actor."
"When I'm not performing, I also take on reception work around Glaux Avenue. If you don't mind, I can take you to experience all sorts of interesting things! As long as I work hard, maybe I won't be investigated..."
Hearing this, Star couldn't help but feel a little surprised, and he curiously asked, "Were you not working before?"
Firefly gently shook her cute little head and replied, "No performance today, and guide work isn't always available... Most of the guests who come here are VIPs, and most of them have escorts with them..."
"The star of the Festival is quite realistic too," Star mumbled casually.
However, before he finished speaking, Firefly, like a kitten whose Tail had been stepped on, hastily and flusteredly retorted, "No, no! Penacony is a place where dreams gather, and the grand feast never ends! It's just that the Harmony Festival is approaching, so the pressure is a bit higher..."
Star nodded thoughtfully, indicating understanding, then suddenly changed the subject and continued to press, "Are you also a Family member?"
Firefly shook her head again, saying firmly, "No, I'm not... I'm not a Family member yet, I'm just working for them..."
Star noticed her lowering her eyelashes and looking around, especially at the noisy crowd, as if something was hiding among them. But soon, she composed herself and turned her gaze back to him.
"...Let's not talk about that! I'll take you to tour the town... Let's go!" She smiled, inviting Star, and pointed in a direction, saying, "This way, this way!"
Star secretly pondered, thinking that this was a good opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the local situation, and it was not impossible, so he took a step and followed closely.
At this moment, an advertisement sound entered their ears—"Drink this bottle of surlada, and happy dreams will come quickly~"
Accompanied by this catchy jingle, the two arrived at a plaza adjacent to a giant shopping center. In the center of the plaza was a special area resembling a pool.
"Speaking of most people's first stop after entering a dream, it's naturally the 'Odie Shopping Center'! The dream vending machines here are super famous," Firefly introduced.
"Besides that, there are all kinds of luxury goods, clothing, trendy toy stores, and even car dealerships—as long as you have enough 'Clover Coins', buying anything is not a problem."
"These items can not only be circulated in dreams but also 'taken back' to reality through an additional service. However, the car dealership's sales window is temporarily closed to the public... You'll just have to wait for another opportunity to buy a car later."
"Outside the shopping center is the plaza. Come here—I'll treat you to something delicious~"
Star followed Firefly to a snack street.
"This is it. Have you heard this saying—in a dream, 'hunger' is the most precious spice."
"Here are most of Penacony's specialty foods, like Clockwork Pizza, Oak Roll Cake, Clover Salad... and the classic surlada! Just pick whatever you want, I'll pay!"
Star joked, "My spending level is a bit high."
"It... it should be fine, I still have some savings..." Firefly said with a bit of uncertainty.
Star walked into the store with a serious expression, but in the end, he only bought one Dream Cone.
"Have you ordered? Then I'll pay." After Firefly paid with her credits, she enthusiastically recommended to Star, "I like the Oak Roll Cake from this store the most, I eat one every day."
"Is your wallet okay?" Star asked with concern.
A hint of loneliness appeared on Firefly's face: "Hmm, so I can only eat one every day."
But quickly, she cheered up and said, "Let's eat as we walk, to the next stop~"