Chapter 74 The Strange Mirror

On a regular day before starting the journey, most of the passengers on the Astral Express have their own things to do.

Usually, everyone has the freedom to move around, but today, it seemed like something was different. Stelle received a text from Pom Pom, the train conductor, asking everyone to return to the train.

Stelle walked out of the defining anchor point, looking at the people on the train, feeling a bit confused. Himeko and Welt were onboard as usual, acting normal, but Pom Pom was pacing nervously in the corridor, looking very uncomfortable.

"What's wrong, Pom Pom?" Stelle asked curiously.

"I'm telling you, Stelle, something's not right on the train." Pom Pom was trembling, clearly shaken by something.

"Something's definitely wrong!" Pom Pom added, nervously shifting around, with big ears twitching anxiously.

"Wrong?" Stelle glanced around, following Pom Pom's eyes, but everything seemed normal to her. She didn't notice anything unusual.

"Yes! I'm sure of it, Stelle; you have to trust my instincts!" Seeing Stelle's doubtful expression, Pom Pom jumped up in frustration, nearly bumping into Stelle's knees.

"Okay, okay, conductor, I believe you. Let me help you check things out," Stelle said, trying to calm Pom Pom, who had gotten so worked up she grabbed a broom.

"Alright, Stelle, tell me if you see anything!"

With that, Pom Pom settled down and began patrolling the train again. Even though Pom Pom often asked Stelle to handle both big and small tasks, Stelle didn't mind. After all, who could resist such a cute train conductor?

Stelle started walking around, but oddly enough, there didn't seem to be anything strange nearby, at least not when Pom Pom was around.

After walking a few steps, Stelle noticed a broken mirror in the corner of the Astral Express. She wasn't sure when it had been placed there.

"Strange, when did a mirror show up here?" Stelle looked at it closely. The upper part was shattered, and through the cracks, it seemed like tiny stars were shining, giving it a mysterious glow.

"That's weird. Let's ask Himeko and Welt." Stelle scratched her head, thinking they would know more about the train. Maybe Himeko had put it there without her knowing.

"Mirror? What mirror?"

When Stelle asked Himeko, she looked confused, her golden eyes showing no recognition.

"It's right here! This semi-circular mirror, about this high." Stelle gestured to show its size. But no matter how she explained, Himeko couldn't see it, making Stelle question her own eyes.

Asking Welt gave the same result. Frustrated, Stelle hurried to tell Pom Pom, who instantly jumped up and began repeating her observations.

"I knew it! Something weird is happening on the train! Stelle, you need to figure this out!"

With no other choice, Stelle returned to the mirror to investigate.

Suddenly, a girl in a white hood appeared inside the mirror. Stelle couldn't see her face, which was covered by a blue light, like some advanced high-tech fabric.

As Stelle watched, the girl stepped out of the mirror like a ghost.

Startled, Stelle took a step back.

"Wow, is this the Astral Express?"

The sound came from the girl's face, or maybe from some unknown vocal organ, but to Stelle, the "unknown passenger" who had snuck onto the Astral Express seemed more like a ghost who could travel through mirrors.

"Who are you?" Stelle took a half-step back, still unsure about the stranger in front of her. Even though the girl hadn't done anything threatening, it was better to be cautious.

"Oh, right! I haven't introduced myself yet," the ghostly girl suddenly remembered, patting her chest like a human would.

"I'm a messenger from [Garden of Recollection]. I'll be staying on your train for a while, so please take care of me." Her words were polite, but her behavior was far from it. Stelle was ready to give this messenger a little taste of her bat.

"Did you get the train owner's permission?" A powerful voice interrupted. Both the messenger and Stelle were startled by the sudden sound.

It wasn't Stelle who spoke. Instead, a white-haired figure had appeared beside them without warning.

"Orion Astra!"

As soon as Orion Astra appeared, the messenger's eyes locked onto him, as if drawn by a magnet.

"Mr. Orion Astra, I didn't expect to see you here!" Her tone became much more respectful and polite, and Stelle even noticed the girl making an unfamiliar gesture to show her respect for him.

"Do you know me?" Orion frowned. It seemed like his name had spread among her group.

"Of course, Mr. Orion! While your fame isn't widely known across the universe, within the [Garden of Recollection] group, you're someone everyone knows!" The messenger's voice was full of excitement, like she had just met a legendary idol.

Orion frowned deeply. Somehow, his information had spread, and that was never a good sign.

Sensing Orion's displeasure, the messenger quickly clasped his hands and apologized sincerely.

"It might be bold of me to say this, but since you're here, you must have caught the attention of Lord Fuli!"

Orion crossed his arms, trying to extract more information. A few moments earlier, he had been sitting in his cabin on the Astral Express, his mind drifting in his spiritual space, planning his travel to this new world.

While deep in thought, within the fragments of memory in his mental space, he noticed the brief image of a girl. Although it was fleeting, Orion knew it wasn't just his imagination.

Like seeing a figure pass in a rear view mirror, Orion was sure what he saw in his spiritual space was real. He separated a part of himself, passed through the shattered mental mirror, and appeared before the messenger.

"Ahem," the messenger coughed, placing her hand on her chin like a teacher answering a curious student.

"As messengers of the Garden of Recollection, an organization that follows the Remembrance Aeon Fuli, we left our physical bodies behind. We travel the universe as memes, collecting precious memories for Lord Fuli."

"I am here because of this young lady," the messenger pointed at Stelle. "She must have learned about the Garden of Recollection somehow. Normally, no one should be able to see me."

"But Mr. Orion, you showed up in front of me suddenly, like you knew I was here." Though the messenger's face was hidden, her voice made it clear how much this bothered her.

"Having the ability to break the rules and show up in people's memories without any contact might not be rare in [Garden of Recollection], but you're different."

"You still have your physical body, right?"

Orion sighed. He was starting to understand the organization "Garden of Recollection" a lot more from the messenger. Even though he worked for the Remembrance Aeon Fuli, that didn't mean he was loyal to the organization. He still had to stay cautious around them.

"Tell me your purpose, Messenger, and I'll decide how to respond based on what you say." A white light flashed from Orion Astra's hand, and the mirror in front of Stelle glowed slightly as the ground shook.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Mr. Orion!" When the messenger saw the white light in his hand, she immediately raised her hands in surrender. As soon as the light appeared, her body started to dissipate, and her memetic form instinctively reacted with fear. Normally, no physical attack should affect this form.

However, the messenger feels that if Orion's attack hit, it would end her eraseing her existence here, like an eraser.

"Speak clearly if you have something to say. I originally wanted to tell this young lady the news about Garden of Recollection."

Stelle looked up, confused. It was supposed to just be a mission from Pom Pom, but she didn't expect it to be so connected to Orion. The person in front of her seemed to know a lot about Orion's identity. Although the conversation took some detours, it came back to the main point.

"This lady," the messenger said, pointing to Stelle. "The stellaron is one of the most dangerous things in the universe. It's impressive that she can peacefully coexist with it."

Orion nodded. Indeed, stellarons can disrupt the "paths" between galaxies, causing chaos. Different galaxies have vast amounts of imaginary energy. If it weren't for the [Pioneering Aeon] who laid star trails and connected different worlds, many civilizations stuck on their planets would have destroyed themselves through war before ever breaking free.

This isn't an isolated issue. Before cosmic star trails, communication systems, and mobile devices like synesthetic beacons existed, the universe was called a "dark forest" by some.

Without the ability to travel beyond their planet, civilizations often face the fate of either destroying themselves or being wiped out by other civilizations.

Luckily, two great inventions—cosmic remote sensing and synesthetic beacons—have solved this problem. Mobile communication between galaxies is powered by the Aeons. Among them, the Pioneering Aeon Akivili has made the greatest impact, so much so that all the major forces in the universe respect the mysterious traveler who started their journey.

Now, back to the main point: the stellaron doesn't just block the communication needed between civilizations; it also responds to their desires by bringing disasters. Based on what we know, these disasters are all caused by stellarons. For example, the cold wave on Jarilo-VI is one of these events. In this galaxy, no civilization other than the Stellaron Hunters seeks out these objects.

Of course, the Interstellar Peace Corporation and other similar organizations have ways to block or reduce the effects of the stellaron.

"And such a dangerous thing can stay safely inside this lady? By the way, her reputation is even bigger than Orion's!" The messenger exclaimed.

"Get to the point," Orion said calmly, lightly tapping their fingers on their shoulder. As they spoke, the range of white light grew slightly.

The messenger quickly took a few steps back and spat out a string of information like a machine gun. "So, Garden of Recollection wants to strike a deal with her by copying her memories and offering reward in exchange!"

"Phew~" After rushing through the words, the messenger made a dramatic exhale. You have to admit, the messenger's voice was at least as pleasant to hear.

"What's your suggestion, Stelle?" Orion looked at Stelle, who was listening closely, and asked.

"Hmm..." Stelle crossed her arms, thinking after hearing Orion Astra's question.

"You'll know once you try." Miss Messenger stepped aside and gestured toward the mirror, as if encouraging Stelle to go through.

"Go if you want. Don't worry, I'll be with you," Orion reassured Stelle, seeing her excitement.

"Okay, I feel more confident with you here." Stelle clenched her fists and stepped forward.

When Stelle entered, Orion Astra and the messenger exchanged glances, remaining silent for a moment.

"Mr. Orion..." the messenger began, and after getting permission, continued, "If you're unsure about your current state, you might want to return to a form without a physical body."

The messenger's suggestion made Orion pause. It wasn't the first time he'd considered it, but completely letting go of a physical body wasn't something most people could easily do.

"But you still have your companions, right?" the messenger reminded Orion Astra with a sigh.

Orion nodded quietly. While he could still use the power of "remembrance" with a physical body, the memory of being in his spiritual space, where he felt omnipotent without his physical form, still lingered.

"Letting go of material burdens often makes one purer," the messenger hinted, though Orion's body shook slightly, resisting the suggestion.

"Hmph!"

Orion's cold snort echoed like thunder, causing the messenger's form to blur for a moment, almost disappearing.

Here's a simplified version with all the requested changes:

"I'm back!" Stelle shouted as she stepped out of the mirror excitedly. She stopped when she saw the two people in front of her, surprised.

"Uh, Orion, you didn't do anything to her, right?" Stelle asked, scratching her head and looking confused.

"Let her explain herself," Orion replied, turning away, not wanting to talk to the messenger anymore.

"Ugh, people always... remind... caring so much about others..." the messenger mumbled while sobbing.

"Could this be your issue?" Stelle, trusting Orion as her partner, didn't fall for the messenger's act.

"Hmph," she snorted. Realizing she hadn't fooled Stelle, the messenger quickly stood up.

"It seems you've experienced the [Garden of Recollection]. How did it go?" the messenger asked.

Stelle looked at Orion, who gave her a nod, then answered, "It was great. It worked well as a training exercise during our journey."

Hearing Stelle's words, Orion looked at the messenger again. From what he could tell, the mirror in front of them didn't seem dangerous. It was just a simulator that could recreate battles and experiences. If Stelle benefited from it, it was good training.

"Also, please don't tell anyone on the Astral Express about me," the messenger whispered to Stelle.

"What should I tell them?" Stelle asked, holding out her hands in a helpless gesture.

"Just say it was a phase spirit or a strange entity passing. Those things are naturally mysterious."

Stelle wasn't planning to hide this from the others on the Astral Express. When everyone was upset and wanted to kick the messenger out, Orion stepped forward and promised that everything was safe. That settled the matter.

"Ugh, come on, you didn't listen to my advice." The messenger's annoyed tone was softened by her cute voice as she made some "adjustments" to the people on the Astral Express.

Just as he was about to reach out from the mirror with his mischievous hand, a large hand pushed him back into the mirror without anyone seeing.

"Stay in the mirror and behave!"

"Ah!"

With that scream, this strange interlude came to a close.