Star Rail: Starting with a Lyre, Living off Busking

"…The Xianzhou Luofu, one of the six great ships of the Xianzhou Alliance. Yes, we're aware."

Welt's tone was flat.

"But how is that relevant to your purpose here?"

"Don't be so hasty. I'll tell you the part you don't know," Kafka replied, her enigmatic smile deepening, the hallmark of the Stellaron Hunters' constant mystique.

"The Luofu is currently quite close to you. A mere two warps away, in fact. Quite the coincidence, isn't it? It also happens to be within the affected range of the recent temporal disturbance. And, even more 'coincidentally'—forty-five system hours ago, a Stellaron erupted aboard the Luofu."

At this, Himeko's expression darkened.

"A perfect storm of disaster and calamity," she remarked icily.

Kafka chuckled lightly, her wine-red eyes, perpetually unfocused, sweeping across the group.

"Are you trying to threaten us, Stellaron Hunter? I doubt that's a wise move," Himeko warned.

Welt adjusted his glasses, his posture subtly shielding the group as the staff in his hand radiated a mountain-like, unyielding pressure.

"Speak plainly. Enough games, Kafka," Himeko demanded, her brows furrowing.

"It's simple. This Stellaron isn't connected to us, but the Xianzhou has pinned the blame squarely on the Stellaron Hunters."

"As a result, my companion Blade has been taken by the Cloud Knights. To get him back, I need to resolve this Stellaron crisis and clear our names."

Before Kafka could finish, March 7th interjected with indignation.

"Not connected to you? Who's going to believe that? What are the odds we just happen to arrive here, the Stellaron erupts, and then you show up?"

The pink-haired girl, already wary of someone both Himeko and Uncle Yang treated with caution, had no intention of extending an olive branch.

"And what does any of this have to do with us? We don't owe you anything, and whether you're guilty or innocent doesn't matter to us one bit."

"You're absolutely right," Kafka said nonchalantly. "But that boy is important to you, isn't he?"

Unfazed by March 7th's hostility, Kafka's tone remained light. Her demeanor likened to a hunter entertained by the snarl of a cub trying to protect its pack—more endearing than threatening.

She cast a leisurely gaze toward Stelle, who had not moved an inch away from Venti's side, her arms wrapped protectively around him.

Sensing Kafka's attention, Stelle tightened her grip and shot her a glare of pure hostility. Kafka, seemingly reminded of something, sighed in disappointment and turned away.

"I want to bring my companion back. And you… you want to ensure your companion recovers and doesn't end up hunted to death by the Xianzhou Alliance. Doesn't that sound like a reasonable basis for cooperation?"

Stelle hesitated, her expression conflicted. Dan Heng, however, narrowed his eyes.

"Are you kidding me? There's no way I'm working with people like you! Besides, isn't the Xianzhou Alliance more than capable of handling a Stellaron? You're just trying to drag us down with you, using Venti as leverage!"

March 7th's resistance was as adamant as ever.

But Kafka remained unfazed, her gentle smile unwavering.

"You could certainly walk away. While the Luofu is preoccupied with the Stellaron, you could initiate a warp to your next destination and leave this mess behind."

"But, if you do, in time this Star Rail corridor will be sealed off and become a dead zone, unreachable by anyone."

Kafka paused dramatically, her tone sharpening.

"Allow me to paint the picture: if you don't go to the Luofu, the Stellaron will eventually corrupt the ship entirely. Over eighty percent of its population will perish, including its famed general…"

She deliberately trailed off, her eyes locking with Stelle's.

"Would brave, righteous Trailblazers turn a blind eye to such suffering? Would they let their companions unwittingly shoulder such guilt?"

Stelle's silence deepened as resolve flickered in her gaze.

Himeko's lips tightened, her frustration at being cornered evident.

"So, your companion, this Blade—he's just as much at risk, isn't he?"

"That… is classified," Kafka replied breezily, wiggling her finger as she projected a set of coordinates into the air.

"Here are the coordinates. The decision is yours. Though our goals may differ, the paths of the stars inevitably converge. I look forward to seeing you again on the Xianzhou."

With those parting words, Kafka's image flickered and vanished, as though short-circuited.

Moments later, Venti stirred. His eyes fluttered open, and he leaned against Stelle to stand.

March 7th, who had been about to cast her "Maiden's Blessing" on him, froze mid-motion, looking baffled.

"Huh? Venti, you're awake? Could it be that just by being near me, I can heal people now?"

"Well… maybe not exactly," Venti said with a mischievous wink. "But if it's you, March, who knows? Maybe it's true!"

March 7th blushed, scratching her head with a sheepish laugh. "Hehe. I guess I am pretty amazing, huh?"

Their banter lightened the tense atmosphere, and even Himeko let out a small sigh of relief.

"Venti, how are you feeling? And what exactly happened earlier?" she asked with concern.

"My body's fine now," Venti assured her. "As for what happened… I think it was the Apothecary's residual power inside me reacting to the Xianzhou."

The Xianzhou Alliance, being closely tied to the Aeon of Permanence and a natural enemy of Lan, had inadvertently triggered the remnants of Lan's influence within Venti. The sudden reaction had even caused a brief activation of his temporal jump ability, which could have flung the group out of the system if he hadn't suppressed it in time.

"Can you control that power now?" Uncle Yang asked, his tone laced with concern.

"As much as I'd like to say 'no problem,' you'd see right through me," Venti admitted, taking a moment to assess himself. "I think I'll need some time to rest, but this kind of incident shouldn't happen again."

"Good. Focus on recuperating. We'll handle the Xianzhou matter," Welt reassured him.

"Wait, are we seriously going to dive into this mess because a Stellaron Hunter wants us to?" March 7th protested. "What if they pin all the blame on us?"

"Hmm… while this situation is suspicious, it's not something we can ignore. If left unresolved, we'll likely find ourselves caught in the crossfire," Uncle Yang sighed.

"After all, who's to say the Stellaron Hunters wouldn't sell us out if they got desperate enough?"

"Welt's right," Himeko said with a tinge of exasperation. "As untrustworthy as Kafka's words may be, the claim that their leader, Elio, can foresee the future does carry weight."

She crossed her arms thoughtfully. "And before we even left Snail III, there were already plans to warp to the Xianzhou. No one here could have leaked that information, so whether Kafka is being honest or not, we have reason to make this trip."

She held up the projected coordinates, her voice heavy with resignation.

"The Stellaron Hunters have taken full advantage of this opportunity and played us beautifully."

"In short—save them, save ourselves," Stelle quipped after ensuring Venti was fine, even managing a lighthearted smile.

March 7th rolled her eyes. "You're awfully optimistic for someone who just got dragged into a mess. And I couldn't help noticing that Kafka, who supposedly knows you, didn't mention anything about you."

"Probably on purpose," Stelle replied, shaking her head, her interest in Kafka's cryptic nature minimal.

"Still… it's odd," Himeko mused, "The Stellaron Hunters went out of their way to implant a Stellaron in you, Stelle. That doesn't seem like a trivial move."

She continued, her expression sharpening. "Everyone says Elio sees the future, and every one of his plans is a carefully placed thread in the tapestry. If someone as calculating as him has made you part of his story, you must remain vigilant. Kafka won't ignore you forever."

"I understand. Himeko, are you coming with us this time?" Stelle asked seriously.

"No, this time Welt will go with you. I'll stay aboard the train to check for any contingencies the Stellaron Hunters may have left behind," Himeko said, waving her hand with a playful smile.

"Besides, you probably didn't know, but Welt's been itching to join you on an adventure for a while now. This opportunity to deal with the Xianzhou Alliance is perfect for him."

Caught off guard by her teasing, Welt, whose demeanor still carried the fiery spirit of youth, quickly redirected the conversation.

"By the way, Dan Heng may not be able to join this mission. You should prepare yourselves for that," he said.

"Huh? Why not?" March 7th asked, puzzled.

"Venti's the one who's sick—what does that have to do with Dan Heng? Did he catch something too?"

"Why is everyone so quick to assume I'm out of commission?" Venti pouted dramatically, only for Dan Heng to interject.

"…It has nothing to do with Venti. If it were any other Xianzhou ship, it might be fine. But the Luofu… I cannot go there."

"Wait, why not?" March 7th tilted her head.

"In short, I've been exiled from the Luofu. 'Where it governs, I may not tread.' That was their decree," Dan Heng said, his usually steady tone tinged with frustration.

"So, if you're heading to the Luofu, I can't come with you. Otherwise, I'd bring unnecessary trouble to the group."

Understanding the gravity of his words, March 7th reluctantly nodded. "I see… well, if that's the case, I guess there's no helping it."

"That means it'll be me, March 7th, Uncle Yang, and—" Stelle began tallying the team but paused as Venti caught her attention, winking and making exaggerated gestures.

"Venti? You're not coming, right?"

"Uh… can't I?" Venti scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I'd like to come. After all, this mess is partly my fault. Even if it's not to recover information about the Path of Abundance, I think I should at least help smooth things over."

"…Hmm, that's actually a valid point," Welt admitted, nodding in agreement.

"What do you think, Himeko? Should we play it safe and leave Venti here, or…?"

Himeko smiled ambiguously. "If there's any doubt, why not settle it with a vote?"

"Great idea!" March 7th cheered, dragging Stelle aside and whispering something in her ear while also exchanging a conspicuous look with Dan Heng. Her intent was obvious.

"Alright, as usual—raise your hand if you agree, keep it down if you don't."

Himeko, watching March 7th's antics with amusement, chose not to intervene. After all, the girl had been sweet enough to fetch her an ice pack for her hand earlier.

"Three, two, one—"

Stelle blinked in surprise as March 7th raised her hand.

"Didn't you say you were going to vote against it?" Stelle asked, confused.

"Well… I reconsidered," March 7th admitted sheepishly. "If we stop him from coming, he might sneak off anyway. At least if he's with us, we can keep an eye on him. Plus, we're short on manpower right now, so… compromise!"

"You sly fox!" Stelle huffed.

"Alright, alright. March is just being March—we're used to it," Uncle Yang said with a chuckle, unfazed by the outcome.

"Yay!" Venti cheered, clearly thrilled with the result.

"So, it'll be me and Dan Heng staying aboard this time," Himeko concluded, turning to Welt with a knowing smile. "Welt, the Trailblazing mission is in your hands. You've been eager to join them for a while, haven't you? Don't forget to look after Stelle and little March."

The familiarity of the moment struck Welt as oddly nostalgic, but he nodded with determination.

"Understood. Leave it to me."

Everything was ready. With a ceremonial flair, March 7th declared:

"Destination: Xianzhou—let's go!"

And with that, Pom-Pom officially started the train.

---

Meanwhile, on the Xianzhou Luofu

Chaos was spreading, growing worse by the minute.

Monsters rampaged across the ship, and though the Cloud Knights fought valiantly to hold them back, new waves of creatures kept pouring into the fray.

"Quick, cover the civilians as they evacuate!"

A Cloud Knight officer, clad in gleaming silver armor and wielding a battle-worn formation blade, barked orders to her team.

"Yes, ma'am!"

The patrol guards swung their weapons with precision and ferocity, forming a living wall with their bodies to protect the retreating civilians.

But the strain of battle began to show. Soldiers fell one by one, and moments later, their lifeless bodies stirred unnaturally.

Those who collapsed began to rise again in grotesque, terrifying forms.

Their once-pristine armor warped, their skin transformed, sprouting golden ginkgo leaves. Their limbs were overgrown with sinister, vine-like patterns, and their eyes burned with madness.

"Watch out! Another comrade's turned into a Mara-Struck!"

The once-confident Cloud Knights found themselves increasingly outmatched as more of their allies succumbed to the corruption.

Amidst the escalating chaos, no one noticed a fox-eared girl silently slipping into their ranks.

---

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