The Astral Express set sail once more, heading toward unknown star systems.
In the parlor car, starlight streamed past the windows, and the atmosphere was fuller and more subtly nuanced than ever before.
The newly added cargo carriage was not only filled with the massive, space-compressed supplies purchased from Kara, but also came with a new resident—Mercy.
After the warm reception on Kara and the discovery of the warehouse’s magical spatial properties, Mercy made a request that once again sent Pom-Pom into a brief state of logical confusion.
“Conductor Pom-Pom,” Mercy said, pointing to a small room deep within the warehouse, originally designed as a temporary rest area for a supply keeper.
“Can I…
live here?” Pom-Pom’s ears shot straight up, his little face full of shock.
“L-live in the warehouse, pom?!
That won’t do, pom!
There are empty passenger carriages on the train, pom!
They’re not as spacious as the parlor car, but they’re very comfortable, pom!” Even Himeko, who was sipping coffee nearby, and Welt, who was checking the newly inventoried parts list, looked over with surprise.
A comfortable passenger carriage, and she wanted to live in a cramped little room surrounded by supplies?
This Lord Ravager’s way of thinking was certainly unconventional.
Mercy fidgeted with her fingers, looking a little embarrassed.
“Well…
the passenger carriages are nice, I know.
But…
this place makes me feel more…
at ease.” She looked around at the neatly stacked, miniaturized supply boxes, her voice soft.
“In a way, these supplies represent ‘reserves’ and ‘survival.’ Their presence makes me feel…
grounded.
And besides, it’s close to ‘my’ workplace!” She tried to use a joking tone to mask a deeper reason.
Perhaps, after losing her home and family, after floating in the void of nothingness, being surrounded by this tangible sense of “stockpile” gave her a false sense of security, an illusion that she could control something.
Himeko set down her coffee cup, a glimmer of understanding in her red eyes.
She had experienced loss herself and could better understand the unease that might lie behind such seemingly strange behavior.
“Since Mercy herself wants it this way, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the warehouse’s function or safety, I think it’s fine,” she said, looking at Pom-Pom and Welt.
Welt adjusted his glasses and surveyed the small rest room.
Though spartan, it had the basic living necessities: a foldable bed, a small table, and a built-in micro-cleanroom.
“From a security standpoint, her staying in the warehouse makes it easier for us to…
keep an eye on her,” he said, choosing his words carefully.
“As long as she doesn’t feel it’s beneath her.” Pom-Pom looked at Himeko, then at Welt, and finally at Mercy, whose eyes were full of hope.
He scratched his head with his little paw.
“Hmm…
since everyone says so…
then, alright, pom!
But!
The warehouse is an important area, so you must be careful about fire safety, pom!
No piling up clutter, pom!
And you have to keep the room clean yourself, pom!” “Definitely, definitely!” Mercy promised immediately, a happy smile spreading across her face.
“I’ll go clean it up right away!” And so, the Astral Express’s first (and only) supply keeper and warehouse resident officially began her first task—cleaning her new home.
Mercy enthusiastically squeezed into the small rest room.
Though the train as a whole was spotless, this long-unused room had accumulated a bit of dust.
She rolled up her non-existent sleeves and got to work.
However, she quickly realized a problem.
She had no physical rag and no bucket.
She tried channeling her energy, imagining using pure energy currents to wash away the dust.
But she accidentally let a wisp of dark-gold destruction energy escape, nearly etching a pattern into the metal desktop.
“Ah!
I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Mercy scrambled to rein in her energy, apologizing profusely to Pom-Pom, who had poked his head in at the sound.
Pom-Pom looked at the faint mark on the table, his little whiskers twitching.
He sighed, trotted away on his short legs, and soon returned with a clean rag and a portable cleaning bucket filled with water.
“Here, use this, pom!” Pom-Pom placed the items at the doorway, his tone carrying a hint of resignation.
“Be careful, pom.
Don’t break anything else, pom!” “Thank you, Conductor Pom-Pom!
You’re the best!” Mercy was deeply grateful.
She quickly took the tools and began cleaning the old-fashioned way.
She wiped down the frame of the foldable bed, straightened the small desk, and hummed a tuneless melody with a Radiant Star flair.
Simulated sunlight streamed in from the observation window at the top of the warehouse, illuminating the dancing dust motes in the air and her focused profile.
At this moment, she didn’t look like a Lord Ravager at all.
She looked like an ordinary, contented girl who had finally found her own little corner of the world.
“Need any help?” A gentle voice came from the doorway.
It was Himeko, still holding a cup of coffee, watching Mercy with interest.
“No, no!
I’ve got it, Sister Himeko!” Mercy quickly waved her hands, full of energy.
She could sense that Himeko’s attitude toward her was gradually softening, and that made her happy.
Welt also passed by the warehouse entrance a few times, ostensibly checking on the supplies, but his gaze would always inadvertently sweep over the busy little figure.
Seeing Mercy meticulously wiping every corner like a little bird building its nest, the tension at the corner of his mouth softened almost imperceptibly.
As Mercy wiped down the shelves, she discovered some interesting items.
Forgotten in a corner, they were “normal-sized” objects that hadn’t been compressed.
There was a cup with a strange planetary pattern on it, a box of what seemed to be a very outdated interstellar chess set, and several books with yellowed pages about early star system exploration.
She treated them like buried treasure, carefully cleaning them and placing them on her small table.
The cup would be perfect for drinking something (even if she didn’t need to).
The chess set could be fun to play with Uncle Yang or Sister Himeko sometime.
And the books would help her learn more about this universe.
When she finished, the little rest room was transformed.
Though still simple, it was now full of life.
Mercy clapped her hands in satisfaction and looked around her new home.
A long-lost warmth, a feeling of “belonging,” quietly flowed through her heart.
With the work done, a certain long-suppressed “mischievous impulse” began to stir.
Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the parlor car, where Pom-Pom was standing on his tiptoes, trying to wipe the higher parts of the windows.
Those long ears that twitched with every movement.
That round, fluffy back.
That fur that looked so soft to the touch.
She wanted to pet him!
The thought grew like wild grass.
She had wanted to do this ever since she first saw Pom-Pom!
Before, with her sensitive identity and the tense atmosphere, she hadn’t dared to act.
But now…
she was practically “one of them,” right?
A temporary Nameless, a supply keeper, someone who had contributed to the train (by manifesting the warehouse)!
Mercy took a deep breath, plastered what she thought was the most harmless, adorable smile on her face, and crept toward Pom-Pom.
“Conductor Pom-Pom~ you’ve been working so hard~” she said in a saccharine sweet voice.
Pom-Pom turned around warily, eyeing Mercy’s suspicious smile.
He clutched his rag tighter.
“Wh-what do you want, pom?” “Oh, nothing~ I just thought you looked tired, and I wanted to help you…
um, give you a massage?” Mercy tried to come up with a plausible excuse, but her hands were already reaching toward those tempting ears.
“A massage, pom?!” Pom-Pom jumped back in alarm, pressing his ears flat against his head.
“No need, pom!
Pom-Pom can do it himself, pom!” “Don’t be shy, Conductor!
I’m very professional!” Mercy didn’t give up, closing in.
“Stay away, pom!” Pom-Pom cried, clutching his head and starting to run around the parlor car, dodging behind the sofa.
“Passenger Himeko!
Passenger Welt!
Help, pom!
The Lord Ravager is attacking the conductor, pom!” Himeko, leaning against the bar with her coffee, watched the chaotic scene and couldn’t help but laugh softly.
She made no move to intervene, instead seeming to enjoy the entertaining spectacle.
Welt Yang looked up from his book, adjusted his glasses, and watched Pom-Pom being chased around the carriage by Mercy, who wore an expression that said, “I won’t rest until I’ve petted Pom-Pom.” He shook his head helplessly, then lowered his gaze back to his book.
But the barely suppressed smile at the corner of his mouth gave away his true feelings.
“Just once!
Conductor Pom-Pom!
Just one pet!” Mercy pleaded as she chased him.
“Not even once, pom!
This is an affront to the conductor’s authority, pom!” Pom-Pom panted as he ran, his short legs moving as fast as they could.
The chase went on for several minutes.
Finally, Pom-Pom tripped on the edge of the carpet, his small body losing its balance.
“Oh no, pom!” Mercy was quick (or perhaps she had planned it all along).
She lunged forward, not to catch him, but to scoop him up.
“Gotcha!” Mercy cheered in triumph.
Her hands finally, finally made contact with Pom-Pom’s fluffy, soft ears and head.
The texture was exactly as she had imagined.
Warm, soft, smelling of sun-dried fabric, and carrying a strange, comforting feeling.
Pom-Pom froze in Mercy’s arms, his entire rabbit-like body stiff as stone, only the tips of his ears trembling slightly.
He seemed to want to struggle, but then again…
maybe he didn’t mind so much?
After all, Mercy’s touch was gentle, careful and precious, not at all offensive.
“L-let go of Pom-Pom, pom…” His protest was clearly lacking conviction.
“Conductor Pom-Pom, you’re adorable,” Mercy said, thoroughly satisfied as she petted him, a smile like a cat that had gotten the cream spreading across her face.
“I’ll work hard and be a good supply keeper from now on.
So let me pet you once in a while, okay?
Think of it as…
an employee benefit?” Himeko finally burst out laughing.
Welt raised his hand to cover a cough.
Pom-Pom squirmed in Mercy’s arms for a bit, but couldn’t break free.
He finally went limp in resignation and muttered, “…J-just this once, pom…
don’t let it happen again, pom…
and!
Don’t let it interfere with your work, pom!
And don’t break anything else, pom!” “Mission accomplished!” Mercy replied happily, petting him a few more times before reluctantly letting him go.
The moment he was free, Pom-Pom hopped to the floor, straightened his rumpled uniform and fur, and tried to put on a stern face to restore his conductor’s dignity.
But his still-flushed cheeks (or was it a change in fur color?) and twitching ears betrayed his true feelings.
“Hmph!
Pom-Pom needs to go check the course, pom!” he announced, then practically fled toward the front of the train.
Mercy watched Pom-Pom’s retreating back, rubbing her fingers together as if savoring the memory, a satisfied grin on her face.
Himeko walked over and handed her a cup of freshly brewed fruit tea (using the strange cup Mercy had found in the warehouse).
“It seems you’re settling in well.” Mercy took the cup, feeling the warmth of the energy through its walls.
She looked out at the sea of stars beyond the window, then at the cozy furnishings of the carriage, and finally at her companions who, though still keeping their distance, were no longer so cold.
She nodded firmly.
“Yeah…
it’s nice here.” The shadow of Destruction might still linger within her, and the road to finding her siblings might still be long.
But at least for now, on this train sailing through the sea of stars, she had found a long-lost sense of everyday peace and warmth.
And the achievement of petting Pom-Pom added a joyful, colorful touch to this ordinary day.