Dan Heng, the Brotagonist

March 7th had run off somewhere with Twilight, so Caelus could only wander around the Herta Space Station by himself.

After all, in a sense, this place could be considered his birthplace. All of Caelus's current memories were made here. 

Although he would definitely have the opportunity to return after traveling to other parts of the galaxy with the Astral Express, that wasn't something that could be done anytime soon.

Since I have the time, I might as well wander around before leaving—just as Caelus was thinking this, a figure flashing in the corner of his eye suddenly caught his full attention.

"Huh?!"

Caelus frowned and abruptly looked up in that direction, but only saw the white-haired figure disappear around the corner.

That person is… Wait, shouldn't she be dead?

Confusion and tension instantly clouded his thoughts. Without thinking, Caelus hurried after the figure.

…

Hehe, farming March 7th's favorability is so easy. Just spending the pocket money Himeko and Welt gave me on her was enough to raise her favorability by a whole level~

At this rate, March 7th might even surpass Himeko and become the second Express crew member to have their favorability maxed out at level ten.

Although she seemed calm and collected inwardly, as if everything was under control, in reality, Twilight was currently dressed in a puffy, medieval princess-style dress, held in March 7th's arms, her face being rubbed frantically like a cat. 

If Twilight's skin wasn't tougher than the Astral Express's hull, it might have been rubbed red…

As the price of farming favorability, she had been treated like a dress-up doll by March 7th for half a day… But Twilight believed that all her efforts would eventually pay off!

Also, being petite had its downsides. She was always being picked up and petted like a pet… The listless Twilight looked at her small arms and legs, hating that she wasn't developing fast enough.

When she finally grew into a long-legged, older-sister type with a better figure than Himeko, it would be her turn to do the petting! Twilight wasn't worried about her development at all. After all, Nous was an old Aeon, it couldn't be that he would design her as an eternally young Loli, right? 

It's not like he was Aha, the Aeon of Elation. He shouldn't have such a strange fetish…

Holding Twilight in her left arm and carrying bags of clothes and shoes for Twilight in her right hand, March 7th rushed back to the Astral Express, ready to show off her latest achievements to the others.

"Everyone, look—"

Arriving at the train door, March 7th yelled, tossing the bags to a bewildered Pom-Pom, then hugged Twilight and jumped into the train. 

Like the old monkey lifting Simba, she raised the speechless Twilight high in the air: "My latest invention, a treasure of the universe—Lady Twilight!"

"Greetings, everyone… desu wa." Although inwardly embarrassed enough to want to dig out a galactic warship with her toes, Twilight still silently raised her hand and cooperated with March 7th, speaking in the classic "ojou-sama" tone from anime.

…

Silence.

When you put all your effort into putting on a show for your friends, it's even more awkward when they don't say a word than when they laugh or make fun of you.

If you had to find a situation even more awkward than this, it would be when you're putting on a show and are accidentally seen by a complete stranger who doesn't understand the situation at all, but they're still trying to praise you.

And now, March 7th, standing in the silent train car, felt this way.

"Uh, so… so cute, you two! Is this, some kind of new performance…?"

Looking at Asta, who was trying to find a way out for her, March 7th awkwardly laughed and silently put Twilight down: "Haha, this is, that… You guys talk about business, Uncle Yang! We'll go back to our room first…"

Ugh, I want to die! She thought the worst-case scenario would be that only Dan Heng was in the train car, and he would mercilessly criticize her with his lectures… Why did Asta and Herta come today? And they were seriously discussing something with Himeko and Uncle Yang!

It's over, my reputation is completely ruined…

Twilight, who was held up by March 7th, didn't know what she was thinking, but from her heavy footsteps, she could also sense her embarrassment.

To this, she just wanted to say—Why are you embarrassed? Have you considered my feelings?!

You're just the one lifting, I'm the Simba being lifted!

And Twilight's personality wouldn't allow her to complain about this, although she was too lazy to open her mouth anyway… It could only be said that while maintaining her persona and gaining favorability, she was destined to lose some things—like dignity and self-respect.

But sometimes misfortunes never come singly. When March 7th carried Twilight to another train car, she saw Dan Heng standing in the corridor.

This cold-faced Azure Dragon was also expressionless, calmly looking at the galaxy outside the porthole, seemingly completely unaware of what March 7th and Twilight had just done. Just as March 7th breathed a sigh of relief, she saw Dan Heng, who was usually serious, slowly turn his head towards her, and then—he couldn't help but laugh.

"March, can you two perform that again? The thing you just did…" Dan Heng tried to maintain a calm expression while extending his hands to imitate March 7th's posture, but feeling it was too ridiculous, he silently put them down.

"Stop bullying Twilight. Don't you always want to be a reliable senior?" Looking at March 7th, who was too embarrassed to speak, Dan Heng shook his head helplessly. "So this time, you used food to trick Twilight into doing this with you again?"

"Hmph, you're wrong, Dan Heng!" Seeing that Dan Heng didn't continue the topic of their embarrassing act, March 7th immediately perked up, smirking, "This time, little Twilight volunteered to help me, and I also helped her complete 30 pages of wish missions in one go, it's a win-win!"

"…Huh?"

After a brief explanation, Dan Heng finally understood the whole story and felt even more helpless at March 7th's wild imagination: "March, this is too much… Since Himeko arranged this, it's naturally—"

"Master Dan, please stop lecturing, I beg you, please stop, my head is about to explode…"

Seeing March 7th holding her head and pretending to wail before he even finished a sentence, Dan Heng could only sigh.

To deal with March 7th, simply using words was difficult. He had to learn her outrageous methods and use them against her… As the saying goes, there's always something to counter something else. Caelus seemed to understand this deeply.

Just let March 7th be smug for a little while longer. After they start traveling together with Caelus, she'll understand how he feels now.

"What's Dan Heng's wish?"

"Huh?" Dan Heng looked at Twilight, who had suddenly asked him, in surprise. "Me?"

Twilight nodded and began counting on her fingers: "March 7th's wishes are to shop in Pinecone Soup, eat all the snacks in the Herta Space Station, have me try on all the clothes in the closet, and perform pranks on everyone together…"

She went on and on for a long time, until March 7th started whistling with a shifty-eyed look, did Twilight finally finish listing the wishes she had helped March 7th fulfill. Then, she looked up and continued looking at Dan Heng: "What's Dan Heng's wish? I'll help you fulfill it too."

"I don't really have any wishes…"

Dan Heng didn't want to be like March 7th, listing a bunch of things to trouble Twilight. 

But seeing her staring at him with those innocent, clear eyes full of expectation, he paused and said, "If I had to say, it would be for everyone in the Express crew to be safe and sound… and, to have a good sleep."

"I'll protect everyone on the train." Twilight tilted her head, puzzled. "What does having a good sleep mean? Can't Dan Heng sleep?"

"Sometimes annoying people appear in my dreams… No, forget I said anything, don't mind it." After hesitating, Dan Heng shook his head.

What was he thinking? Could he ask Twilight to help him solve the lingering effects of those past events? Pushing the burden of his past sins onto others was too despicable… He knew that the danger of this matter was far greater than any Doom Beast.

But what he didn't expect was that Twilight in front of him was already seriously drawing in her little notebook again.

"Protect everyone and… solve Dan Heng's nightmares."

Dan Heng watched as Twilight put the notebook back into her pocket. Then, a rare, faint smile appeared on her face: "I'll beat up all the bad guys, and then Dan Heng's wish will come true."

"…Your safety is more important."

In the end, Dan Heng just sighed: "If you're really going to do something, remember to call me."

If it really came to an unavoidable situation, then he would have to use that power he didn't like… No matter what, he wouldn't let his companions get hurt, especially not for his sake.

Hehe, little Dan Heng, easily handled~

Neither Dan Heng nor Twilight's expressions showed much excitement, but the latter was practically dying of laughter inside.

Unexpected, truly unexpected. Dan Heng, you're not simple.

Before boarding the train, his favorability lingered around level one or two, but after confirming that he was boarding, with a little manipulation, it actually jumped up to be on par with Himeko's… So you're the legendary "companion bro" who can match the "family bro", only triggering the buff with a specific identity?!

A companion bro is good. If you value relationships so much, you should drop more gold, right?

It's all your fault for always having a cold face and not increasing your favorability. I almost forgot you were the hidden boss who caused the incident of the Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae…

Should she farm less favorability from Dan Heng? If her death caused Dan Heng to do something crazy again and harm innocent people, Twilight's meager conscience would ache.

But now Dan Heng wasn't the Imbibitor Lunae anymore. His current gravity and power shouldn't be enough to recreate his past feats… right?