Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking

"—Pom-Pom, what's the stability of the star rail? And are there any spatial anomalies detected?"

Unlike the rest, who were eager to set foot on Jarilo-VI, Himeko focused on the Astral Express's safety along the star rail.

Should the rail collapse or become obstructed, the Express, which fundamentally traversed through Imaginary Domain pathways, would face serious hazards.

It'd be akin to a regular train hurtling forward when the tracks suddenly end, with an endless abyss waiting below—not exactly something it could survive.

Fortunately, Himeko's worries didn't seem warranted this time.

Pom-Pom, small and ever-prepared, anticipated her concern and quickly reassured her.

"Everything's stable, Navigator Himeko. The rail is secure, and spatial anomaly readings are within normal parameters. We can leave whenever we're ready."

Though Pom-Pom's quirky demeanor could be deceiving, as the train's long-time conductor, it had absolute command over the Express.

Navigating the Astral Express was, after all, Pom-Pom's primary role—and it was linked to Akivili, the Aeon of Trailblaze, in ways still not fully understood.

Himeko exhaled in relief, trusting Pom-Pom's assessment.

"Still… what could be going on with this planet?"

With all systems in the clear, curiosity finally began to creep back in. Even Welt seemed inclined to explore, and Himeko's own urge to investigate stirred.

"Based on past experiences, although the situation looks similar to a Stellaron's impact, there's no accompanying spatial distortion," Welt noted.

"It's possible the Stellaron recently arrived, so its distortions haven't spread yet, but as the source of such calamity, I'd expect its effects to be more profound."

Though it sounded cold, if a Stellaron truly had landed, the consequences could extend far beyond the planetary-scale climate shift they observed.

At the very least, the shift had turned Jarilo-VI from an icy wasteland to a warmer, more livable climate, preferable from a survival standpoint.

However, the expanding reach of a Stellaron's corruption could infect entire star systems, a metastasizing cancer.

Without eliminating a threat of that magnitude, they couldn't truly call themselves Trailblazers.

"A Stellaron… What could it really be?" March 7 pondered aloud, feeling the weight of the discussion.

"There are too many unknowns about Stellarons. Not even Miss Herta could fully decipher them. There's no need to worry, March—it's all speculation," Dan Heng replied.

"Uh... that sounded reassuring, but why do I feel like I'm being treated like an idiot?"

"Do idiots get compared to Miss Herta?"

"W-Well, no, I guess not… I'll give you that one, Dan Heng!"

Utterly oblivious to Dan Heng's teasing, March 7 grinned, placing her hands on her hips with newfound enthusiasm.

"Anyway, whatever happens, we've got work to do!"

"Indeed. This Trailblaze journey will be handled by you, Dan Heng, and Welt."

Himeko's gaze softened as she looked at March, her tone gentle.

"Our primary mission is clear: locate and record the anomaly readings Miss Herta mentioned. Second, if there is indeed a recently fallen Stellaron, bring it back to the train. After that, Pom-Pom and I will take over."

"Wait, Himeko, you're not coming? Isn't this exactly the kind of thing you'd want to see for yourself?"

"Someone has to stay on board, or Pom-Pom will be lonely. Besides, if I joined, I'd only be stepping on someone else's toes."

She teased, casting a sly glance at Welt, who adjusted his glasses, quickly diverting the conversation.

"Ahem. No point delaying any longer. If the Stellaron's effects haven't spread, let's collect our data and head down."

Usually, he and Dan Heng handled data collection, though Dan Heng had already returned to the data library shortly after their warp.

Maintaining his usual calm, Dan Heng shared his findings with the group.

"Preliminary observations show this planet's surface temperature is slightly abnormal. In simple terms, it's in early spring. Many regions haven't fully warmed up yet."

"This seems plausible given the rapid climate shift, but you said there's something unusual?"

March asked, curious as ever, while Dan Heng explained without missing a beat.

"It's a localized anomaly—a particular area where the temperature is stable, fully in line with springtime conditions. It's ideal for human survival. If I had to choose a starting point for our exploration, it would be there."

"Understood! Just as expected from Teacher Dan Heng!"

March clapped her hands, wide-eyed in realization.

"Let's get going! Who knows, maybe we'll find something tied to my past!"

"The type of hex-ice that held you in stasis is a rare element. Given this planet's long freeze, we might actually find something related."

"Really? I thought you'd just be discouraging me again, Dan Heng!"

"…That's your misunderstanding. I wasn't discouraging you. I'm more concerned about the planet itself. First, it undergoes this drastic climate shift, and now it has you intrigued."

Dan Heng deadpanned.

March gritted her teeth, feeling an urge to chomp on him.

Dan Heng was dependable in every way, but his unflappable coolness made getting mad feel petty while not getting mad felt… frustrating.

"All right, save the squabbling for the journey, and don't forget—"

"'Explore, Observe, Establish, Connect'—the four things we do whenever we reach a new world!"

March 7 beamed, proud to have chimed in at just the right moment.

"Hehe, I can practically smell adventure right around the corner!"

Himeko ruffled her hair playfully, then turned to Welt and Dan Heng with a small, knowing smile.

"Same as always, I'll leave March in your capable hands."

"Understood. Leave it to us," Dan Heng nodded, as did Welt.

"Then, let the Jarilo-VI 'Trailblaze' team… begin!"

With Welt's ceremonious words, the team vanished into the light of the warp.

Himeko and Pom-Pom remained on board, her tone shifting to something more serious as she turned to the conductor.

"Pom-Pom, did you sense it? Is the power of Trailblaze… stirring again?"

"…No, Navigator Himeko. It does feel similar, but it's not the same as Akivili. Still… I sense there is some overlap between their fates. It's possible… that Akivili…"

Pom-Pom's voice held a trace of sadness.

"I see…"

Himeko fell silent, thoughtful. The symbolism of Trailblaze was crucial for the Astral Express crew.

With Akivili fallen, any new Aeon with an expansive path could inherit that legacy.

In the cosmos, intersecting paths often collided, with the broader path consuming the narrower. "Order" Ena, for example, had been assimilated by "Harmony" Xipe.

If they truly encountered an Aeon seed on this journey, bringing it back to the Express might indeed be the wisest choice…

—Warp Ends—

Welt was the first to recover from the disorientation of warp travel. He adjusted his glasses and took in the vast plains around them. A gentle breeze brushed past, filling him with a rare sense of peace.

At first glance, it seemed hard to believe a Stellaron had crashed here; the space felt so undisturbed. But that, in itself, felt ominous.

In Trailblazing, anomalies always heralded something lurking beneath.

As Welt processed his surroundings, the other two stirred and spoke in unison.

"Jarilo-VI. We're here."

"It's… well, pretty uneventful?"

March had expected to be struck by some awe-inspiring sight, but the calm, familiar landscape left her a little disappointed.

"I thought it'd at least be a bit colder."

"With the power of Trailblaze on us, even a freezing landscape wouldn't feel all that harsh," Dan Heng pointed out, exasperated.

"Well, yeah, but if I see people shivering, I'll feel it too!"

March stuck out her tongue, glancing around.

"So, where exactly are we?"

"…We're a little off from the coordinates, but not by much," Dan Heng answered, humoring her enthusiasm.

March couldn't wait any longer and urged them forward.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"March, remember, we're here on a mission, so don't let your guard down."

Welt cautioned her.

"Yeah, yeah, I know! Come on, we've been a team long enough. Trust me!" March assured him with a wink.

"After all this time together, that's exactly why we're not so sure about that."

"H-Hey, rude!"

"Remember the snowmobile you broke last time? I'm the one who had to repair it with Uncle Yang after you tried to prove yourself and nearly wrecked it a second time."

Dan Heng didn't hold back.

"Haha… Okay, maybe that happened once, but it's irrelevant now! There's nothing to crash into here!"

"That's far from irrelevant. And last time, too—"

Dan Heng shook his head, while Welt had to step in once more, pointing ahead with a serious tone.

"Both of you, let's focus. We may need to talk to the local over there."

"Huh? Already? I didn't think we'd run into anyone so soon!"

March dashed forward eagerly.

Welt and Dan Heng exchanged a look, then followed, their silent understanding honed through countless missions.

The figure Welt had noticed was a young man with blue hair covering one eye. Handsome, sure, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes and a roguish smirk that immediately suggested he was trouble.

"Hey there! Mind if we ask you a few questions?"

March slapped a hand on his shoulder, startling him so much he almost jumped out of his skin, his reaction like a mouse faced with a wildcat.

"Gah! You scared the life outta me!"

"Hey, I might've surprised you, but is that any way to greet an adorable young lady?" March teased, hands on her hips.

The man let out a breath, recovering his composure, and gave a sly grin.

"Oh, right, right, my bad! Wasn't expecting to find anyone outside the city! Haha, with such nice weather for once, us folks who grew up in the shadows finally got a chance to enjoy some sunshine. Nothing wrong with that, yeah?"

He looked them over, then asked cautiously,

"Uh… you wouldn't happen to know Captain Gepard, would you? We're, uh, pretty close, you see!"

"Who?"

"Seriously? You don't know Gepard? Alright, then… maybe you're familiar with Big Sis Seele?"

"Who?"

March was baffled, having no idea what he was talking about. Meanwhile, the mention of these names brought a subtle reaction to Welt's eyes, though he quickly hid it.

Realizing they weren't with the Silvermane Guards, the man let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, so you're not Silvermane Guards? I was wondering why the uniforms looked so… personalized. Haha, here I was, thinking it was one of those 'family feud' kinda deals."

"None of us has punched you, right?"

"That's irrelevant. Anyway, I'm Sampo Koski. Pleased to meet you."

The man named Sampo flashed a charming grin, handing out a card before giving a flamboyant bow.

"I'm March 7th, that's Dan Heng, and this gentleman here is Uncle Yang."

March introduced everyone, and the others nodded politely.

"Got it, got it. You know, I was worried the ban outside the city wasn't lifted, but now I meet fellow travelers like myself! I bet you're here hunting for ancient robot parts to sell, same as me, huh?"

In a flash, he slung an arm around Dan Heng, who looked none too thrilled, and continued babbling.

"Ah! And don't get me started on the rules they keep adding. It's ridiculous! Like a mom refusing to let her kid out to play!"

"Huh? Why's that a problem?"

"It's a huge problem! They crack down, and folks like us can't turn a profit! But don't worry, I'm all about sharing the wealth. Loads of treasure out here—we can split it, no worries."

"So, you're just a junk dealer?"

March rolled her eyes.

"Hey now, that's harsh. Think of me as a courier of nature's bounty. Just delivering things to those who need them, and receiving a small token of appreciation for my efforts. That's all."

Sampo grinned, looking utterly shameless.

Then he glanced at the trio, a wicked smile spreading across his face.

"Hey, how about we team up? If nothing else, we'd have each other's backs. And here's some insider info—two days from now, the Silvermane Guards plan to send an expedition outside. Perfect chance to snatch some territory before they do!"

"Uh… what does that even mean?"

March 7 was thoroughly baffled.

---

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