[Fanfic Honkai Starrail] Ortesha Dragon god Chronicle Starrail Chapter

"That's why the Geomarrow at the monument is blue, huh? A mineral that absorbs temperature... it would fetch a good price if sold." Austin raised the coffee cup he received from Serval while sitting and listening to her recount various stories about Jarilo-VI

"That's true, but who are we going to sell it to? All we have is this whole city, and it's not like the general public can easily get it either."

"Come to think of it... well, at least it's good to know. It reminds me of the lava heartstone from my hometown."

"What is Austin's hometown like?" Stellea, who was sitting next to him eating cookies, asked.

"Don't the two of you come from the same place?" Hearing Stelle ask that, Serval raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"We, the trailblazer, or as people call us, the nameless, come from various stars. Besides having the same goal of pioneering, each of us has different backgrounds and personalities," Austin replied as he raised his coffee cup to his lips, sipping it calmly and with impeccable manners.

"Huh, people from various stars, huh~, that's great; they get to go here and there in the endless expanse of space." Serval, upon hearing the answer, rested her chin on her palm, dreaming of the countless stars in the night sky.

"As for my hometown... let's talk about it when the train arrives; save the surprise for later~." Austin winked at Stelle while giving his usual faint smile.

"Moo..." Stelle nodded slightly, biting her cheek before turning to eat more cookies.

"Oh no, is it already this late..." Austin said after turning to see the clock hanging in the shop, then looking down at his smart wristband to check the time again to be sure.

"Oh no, I didn't even notice the time; it's almost closing time." Serval stood up to tidy up the store.

"Then we won't disturb your time any longer; thank you for the cookies and the coffee, Serval." Austin placed the empty coffee cup down and waved his fingers, lifting the scattered items with telekinesis and putting them back in their original places all at once.

"Consider it a small token of appreciation; see you next time."

As soon as they were done, Austin took Pastel's hand, which she hadn't let go of since meeting Serval, and led her to the Goethe Hotel, where Dan Heng and March had been waiting for them in the lobby for a while.

"Ah... finally, both of you are here... I want to collapse onto the soft bed already~." March walked over with Dan Heng, her hands full of snacks and souvenirs she bought from nearby shops.

"Sure, sorry for being a bit late. Let's hurry up and check in; we can talk about everything afterwards."

Austin took the three of them to check in at the counter. As promised by Cocolia, she had arranged accommodations for them, so the train crew didn't have to pay anything for their stay. After everyone had put their belongings in their rooms, Austin called a meeting in his room.

"First of all, let's talk about that supreme guardian," Austin opened the topic. "What do you think, Stelle?"

"She is very beautiful and looks gentle too."

"..." Austin couldn't help but feel exasperated by Stelle's nonchalant attitude, but he couldn't deny that Cocolia was truly beautiful.

"Is there a problem?" Dan Heng, who hadn't met with the Supreme Guardian, saw the two and became curious.

"Right now, I'm not sure, but when we were talking, I felt like the other person was drifting away, focusing on something else more than me and Stelle, who were right in front of them. It was as if at that moment, we weren't the only ones there, as if..."

"Like what? You're making me scared..." March saw Austin's eyes turn wary, her brows furrowing into a knot, and he started to feel more worried.

"...I might be overly suspicious; it's a habit I've had for a long time. If it scared you, I apologize." Austin started to sense that the atmosphere was getting tense, so he brushed off the topic and decided to investigate it himself later. "Alright, moving on. Dan Heng, March, what are your thoughts on the situation with Belobog?"

"It's definitely more concerning than we initially thought. At first, we just thought the corrosion had just started in the city. But after we surveyed the area, we found that many places had to be closed due to extensive corrosion. To be honest, we can't predict how much time is left now. It might not even be a year according to the star calendar..." Dan Heng stroked his chin, his worried expression not much different from his usual demeanor.

"Yeah, some of the erosion just happened a few hours ago, causing everyone to change their routes," March added.

"It's just as I've heard... I understand now. Time is tight, but there are so many things to do. This matter needs to be resolved as quickly as possible for the benefit of this star and our expedition."

Austin nodded in acknowledgment of the additional information from Dan Heng, then began to analyze where to start searching for Stellaron. Before long, the various pieces of the story gradually fell into place, and a rough plan emerged.

But due to Austin's nature, he chose not to say anything for now after seeing that the three of them couldn't handle the tension very well. Of course, this was his own decision.

Concealing the information he had was truly something he shouldn't have done, but Austin chose to do it anyway.

Then, once the serious matters were over, Austin started inviting everyone to talk about the culture and lifestyle of the people here, including the shield currency, the revolving credit system, and even various aspects of food and dining.

March and Stelle seem to be good matches when it comes to food topics. Austin didn't object to either of them because being an adventurous food taster is also a form of pioneering.

"It's already very late; let's call it a night," Austin said as he got up, turning off the ceiling lights and leaving only the bedside lamp on. "Get plenty of rest; I have a feeling the next few days will be quite busy."

"Ugh! It's been such a long day~" March stretched her arms and yawned. "I'm really starting to want a warm shower~."

"Alright, Team Train, lights out~!" March walked out of the room before Dan Heng could follow her closely.

While Austin was pondering where to start, he noticed Stelle, who wouldn't budge and had already thrown herself onto his bed, ready to lie down.

"...Stelle, I remember that your room isn't here…?"

"But we're roommates, aren't we?" Stelle pulled the blanket up to cover herself while asking innocently, though it was clearly an act.

"That's on the train; besides, the hotel has a room prepared for you, doesn't it?" Austin sat down, holding his head in the chair next to the window.

"But I like this bed more~" Stelle smiled brightly, unlike Austin, who was holding his head in despair.

Austin admitted that he had quite a reputation with women, but this was the first time he had met a woman who was this open. Even in a situation where he had no other choice, many people he knew wouldn't easily accept something like this.

Until it occurred to him that maybe it was just him thinking negatively. Stelle might be someone who doesn't really care about this kind of thing. Plus, she didn't think anything of it at all, so she had that relaxed demeanor.

But what could explain her constant teasing of Austin? The more he thought about it, the more his brows furrowed, creating a knot even tighter than when discussing the Stellaron issue.

"What are you doing? Don't we need to hurry and go to bed? Hurry up~" Stelle tapped the mattress on the bed, calling for the other person.

"...*sigh~*" Austin lowered his hand from his temple and sighed in frustration, then let his mind go blank instead. He walked slowly to the bed and collapsed next to Stelle, who had brought a blanket to cover him.

"Good night, Austin~" After saying that, Stelle closed the bedside lamp and lay down next to Austin, their shoulders touching.

Austin, who was at a loss for words, reluctantly went to sleep in that state. When his fiery eyes closed, his body rested, but not his mind. Austin used his psychic power to connect with the runes and the magical net inscribed on the willow leaf that he had left in Kocelia's study.

The silver willow leaves slowly floated up from the ground, drifting back and forth as if carried by the wind until they stopped at Cocolia desk. The small silver leaves gradually transformed into silver herons.

"Visiting at such a late hour, do you have any business here, esteemed guest?" Cocolia, who had been observing the entire scene from a corner of the room, spoke up. The silver Raven's eyes fixed on the other party for a moment before its beak opened.

"Cocolia.... the Supreme Guardian of Belobog, the foolish and simple-minded, the savior of the misguided." Austin's voice echoed through the silver-gray haze, resonating throughout the hall. But his voice was nothing like his own. It was deep and hoarse, and the language he spoke was unlike anything Cocolia had ever heard.

His voice was distorted like scratched tape. Even though Cocolia understood the meaning of what the other party was saying, she couldn't replicate the sound. Moreover, just listening to the voice made Cocolia heart tremble.

"Those who dare to borrow the power of disaster, those who betray Perservation, the foolish..."

The insults and contempt continued to pour from Austin in his silver form. The words were sharp as a sword, shaking Coco's body as if struck by a war hammer.

"You.... you.... who are you.... what are you really?" The question, filled with a faint and powerless tone, escaped from the lips of Cocolia, who could barely stand. Blood flowed from her nose, bathing her lips, as well as her eyes and ears, which were soaked with red liquid.

"You are unworthy," Austin spoke again. "I once thought you were noble and unyielding like a guardian... then why?" he turned the raven's head towards the large window behind the High Guardian's desk.

"Why did you keep such a cursed thing so close to you!" The silver eyes ignited, turning into the color of flames, revealing a swirling mass of Cancer of all world in the air, Stellearon.

"Shut up, how could you possibly know anything!" Cocolia tried to resist, but even though she shouted at the top of her lungs, she felt that even her words couldn't reach the thing in front of her at all.

"No matter the reason, no matter the goal." The silver Raven spread its wings, its avian form transforming into that of a human, like an ordinary person. But both its face, demeanor, and attire were shrouded in darkness in Cocolia eyes, indistinguishable and unrecognizable, just like his voice.

"If you think of using the disaster that destroys your own home as a weapon, you do not deserve mercy." The silver hand reached closer to Cocolia. The male, having no strength left to resist, could only shut his eyes tightly, trembling before the irresistible power. But the silver hand stopped.

His fiery eyes noticed the traces of corrosion around her body, on her arms, and on her shoulders, and the part that was most severely gnawed at was her mind. It was like a glass shattering on the floor.

"..." Austin's voice quieted down. The fiery red eyes gradually dimmed until they resembled a small lantern. Golden light was released from his palm, slightly reducing the corrosion of Cocolia.

Because this is merely a manifestation through the magic circuit left on the leaf, Austin's power is not as great as the physical body, so it cannot truly demonstrate its power.

And even if it were possible, it would take time.

Because even a being as powerful as Austin, who can traverse stars, cannot easily handle Stellearon, the disaster that devours millions of worlds.

Right now, he can only use the power from the willow leaf to cleanse the corrosion on Cocolia as much as possible, and he hopes that there will be enough opportunity and time to cleanse it completely.

Cocolia, whose mind had found a peace not experienced in a long time, gently collapsed onto the ground, lying flat and entering a dreamless sleep that had been absent for so long.

After using up all his power, Austin's silver form disappeared, leaving only Cocolia lying on the ground.