Honkai Star Rail: Starting With Marrying Acheron

Lin Shuang finally saw Pom-Pom, the train mascot, in real life.

The short but fine hair made her look fluffy.

The train's interior was far more spacious than in the game, and the decorations were exquisite and luxurious. Lin Shuang had always been curious about what it would feel like to live on a train.

Unfortunately, there was no time to follow the crew to Jarilo-VI for an adventure.

After all, she had already made plans with Kafka to do something on The Blue, and her second date with Firefly likely wouldn't last too long.

There was also a special folding space device being designed for Bella and Mount No. 1. Lin Shuang consulted Asta over the phone.

According to her, while there were personnel on the space station researching in that field, the specialist she knew was injured in an incident and in poor mental condition.

Designing a custom device for Lin Shuang wasn't possible at the moment.

After learning about Lin Shuang's connection to Xianzhou, Asta suggested seeking help there.

Lin Shuang had originally hoped to solve the issue directly at the space station to avoid unnecessary travel, but with the researcher unavailable, there was no other choice.

It wasn't right to demand an outsider abandon their research just to help her.

After touring the Astral Express and taking several photos with Pom-Pom, Stelle finally arrived at the platform. She came bearing an answer.

—

Just before the train's departure, Asta and a Herta puppet arrived at the platform, joining Lin Shuang and Himeko to bid farewell.

"Hehe~ Lin Shuang, if you get the chance, you must take me to the Xianzhou Luofu to play!" March 7th waved eagerly, eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Alright, alright. When you go to the Xianzhou Luofu, just contact me directly." Lin Shuang smiled and nodded, paying no mind to Dan Heng's slightly complex expression.

The train slowly started moving. Lin Shuang watched as the Astral Express gradually picked up speed, leaving the space station behind.

A sudden urge to compose music stirred within her. It was a pity that the song 'Setting on the Journey' didn't exist here.

She still remembered it well. Lately, she had been learning music online with Robin and was making steady progress. With enough practice, she might be able to recreate some of the songs she remembered.

Herta, who had been standing beside her, turned to leave but cast an intrigued glance at Bella before departing.

"This little thing is quite interesting. Lin Shuang, how about lending it to me for research when you have time?"

"Ah…" Bella instinctively sensed danger.

The doll-like woman before her exuded an ominous aura, as if she were sizing up a test subject.

Terrified, Bella quickly turned to Lin Shuang, letting out a pitiful whimper.

"She's very smart. Don't treat her as some expendable research material."

"Tsk, what do you take me for? It's settled then. Also, when the simulated universe updates in a few days, come test it first."

With that, Herta walked off and went offline in the corner of the passage.

Watching the Astral Express completely disappear from sight, Asta snapped out of her daze and smiled at Lin Shuang.

Lin Shuang returned the smile before saying, "Asta, I'm heading back to The Blue first. As for Bella and Mount No. 1…"

Her plan was to leave them in the space station's care for now and bring Bella to Luofu in a few days. She intended to request two custom Poké Balls from the Artisanship Commission for easier transport.

"I've already arranged for their landing on The Blue. With Ms. Herta's endorsement, their application was approved in no time," Asta said.

"…Huh? Bella, they actually approved this?"

A Doomsday Beast alone was classified as an extremely high-risk entity, and Bella was an even stronger, enhanced version. Were the people of The Blue really willing to allow this?

Lin Shuang had underestimated Herta's influence. To put it simply, aside from necessary infrastructure and development, almost all of Azure Star's production was dedicated to supporting space operations.

The most significant policy was their absolute reliance on Herta. Moreover, even without considering Herta, every expert on the space station was an irreplaceable figure.

The station held immense influence.

What's more, Asta was the stationmaster, personally appointed by Herta.

With Herta's name backing it, the approval process was seamless. There wasn't even room for hesitation.

Of course, Asta wasn't going to delve into these details. "With Madam Herta and me vouching for them, as long as they don't enter the city, it's fine."

"Got it."

Lin Shuang didn't dwell on it further and walked toward Bella. "Then I'll be off. See you!"

—

Flying back to Azure Star on Bella filled Lin Shuang with excitement.

Mount No. 1 seemed to be doing well in the Defense Department, so she decided to leave it there for now.

Returning to her residence, Lin Shuang finally had time to examine the Herta puppet she had brought back. She laid it flat on the sofa.

"Wow—so cute."

She gazed at the little Herta doll, intrigued by the novelty of handling a figure.

The design was particularly detailed, and Herta's outfit was undeniably adorable.

Lin Shuang had to admit—she actually liked this style quite a bit.

But then she remembered what she was about to do.

A faint blush crept onto her cheeks.

Clasping her hands together, she murmured, "This is purely for experimental purposes. I'm sure Ms. Herta will understand."

Muttering to herself, she reached out and pressed the puppet's shoulder.

Then, slipping off her shoes and socks, she sat astride the doll, looking down at it.

Her fingers slowly traced from its shoulder to its neck, then to its face and delicate features.

It was the first time she had truly felt the texture of a high-quality doll.

The synthetic skin was astonishingly lifelike—warm and soft to the touch, almost indistinguishable from human skin.

Yet, the joints retained the hard, spherical articulation characteristic of dolls, emphasizing its artificial nature.

Lin Shuang swallowed hard as she looked down at 'Herta.'

She whispered to herself, "I can ride her… I can ride her…"