Acheron: You are cuter than an emoticon

Lin Shuang did not refuse Robin's invitation.

The Charmony Festival was still a while away, and the main storyline had yet to begin.

There was no need for Lin Shuang to rush. It made more sense to head to Penacony first to gather information.

With teleportation making travel easy, she might as well consider it as unlocking the map in advance.

After her conversation with Robin, Lin Shuang contacted Acheron.

Acheron seemed to be busy and showed no signs of returning to rest anytime soon.

Thankfully, the place where Acheron was currently located was still within the interstellar network's coverage.

Since Acheron's target was also Penacony, Lin Shuang mentioned Robin's invitation.

[Lin Shuang: …That's the gist of it. Robin delivered my invitation. If I go with her, I should be able to move in directly. Do you want to come with me?]

[Acheron: I didn't expect you to head to Penacony before me.]

[Acheron: But I won't go with you. You go ahead first. Penacony's Dream is quite famous. Have fun.]

Acheron looked at Lin Shuang's invitation displayed on her screen and smiled faintly.

If she wanted to stay at Penacony, she'd need to do so under the guise of a Galaxy Ranger.

Otherwise, attracting the real sea patrollers would be difficult.

If she went with Lin Shuang, she'd most likely have to move in under Lin Shuang's name. As part of the entourage, she'd avoid unnecessary attention.

Besides, according to Lin Shuang, Robin's invitation to Penacony was to investigate a traitor within The Family.

This would inevitably lead to interactions with the family members—at the very least, with Robin's brother, Sunday, the head of the Oak family.

With so many factions eyeing Penacony because of the Watchmaker's legacy, it was better not to place all bets on a single hand.

Although neither Lin Shuang nor Acheron were particularly interested in that inheritance, Robin's invitation alone would surely draw attention to Lin Shuang.

If Acheron operated in the shadows, it would serve as a safety net.

[Lin Shuang: I hope so. Though, I have a feeling this won't be an easy trip…]

Lin Shuang was certainly looking forward to her visit to Penacony, but she didn't expect it to be smooth sailing.

She could already imagine the chaos—like someone trying to stab her in her dreams the moment she landed.

[Acheron: Not necessarily. It's still a bit early for the Charmony Festival. Many factions haven't made their moves yet—especially the most significant one, the Astral Express. From what you said, it just left the Herta Space Station.]

[Acheron: I doubt there will be any major conflicts until the Astral Express arrives.]

[Lin Shuang: How can you be so sure the Astral Express is that important?]

[Acheron: Just a guess. Didn't you mention that the Nameless were involved in Penacony's history?]

Lin Shuang hadn't directly told Acheron about the invitation. Professional ethics demanded some discretion, after all.

Still, she had shared bits of Penacony's history with Acheron.

And Acheron was quick to pick up on the subtle signs of the growing tension in Penacony.

After all, if everything were fine, why would Robin invite an outsider like Lin Shuang for help?

The history of Penacony was intricately linked to the Nameless who had once departed from the Astral Express.

The star of that historical event wouldn't have been born without the Nameless' involvement. The Watchmaker, a key figure in Penacony's past, was also likely tied to that same guest.

Meanwhile, the company had been itching to reclaim its influence in Penacony.

Though she had no concrete evidence, Acheron's instincts told her that whatever was about to unfold in Penacony was sure to involve the Astral Express and the Nameless.

Lin Shuang looked at Acheron's message, chuckling. She was curious—was this what they called a boss's intuition?

[Lin Shuang: Alright, alright, I get it. I'll go gather some information first.]

[Acheron: Be careful.]

[Lin Shuang: I will. By the way, Acheron, do you like the sea?]

[Acheron: It's alright. Why?]

[Lin Shuang: In a few days, I'll probably visit a resort planet famous for its oceans with Firefly. Want to join? I haven't seen you in a swimsuit yet.]

Lin Shuang's face warmed as she sent the message, her mind drifting to Acheron in a swimsuit.

Given Acheron's usual attire—where a coatless look already showed off her waist and shoulders—a swimsuit would be a whole different story.

[Acheron: A vacation sounds nice. I'm also interested in your swimsuit.]

[Acheron: [Acheron eating peach]]

Lin Shuang couldn't help but laugh at the chibi-style sticker.

[Lin Shuang: Where did you get that? Did you make it yourself? Got any more?]

[Acheron: Made it myself. It's a service from the Interastral Peace Corporation. A few credits lets you customize stickers—either of yourself or an original character. I even made some of you.]

Lin Shuang saved the sticker pack without hesitation.

[Lin Shuang: Pretty cute. You weren't that cute when you actually ate peaches, though.]

On the other end, Acheron chuckled.

That was true—if she did it herself, she'd never look that cute.

It seemed only an AI could create a 'cute Acheron'.

Initially, Acheron only planned to make a few stickers of Lin Shuang for fun.

But after thinking it over, it felt unfair to not make some of herself as well—especially if others found out.

It wasn't expensive anyway, so why not?

[Acheron: That's true, but I think the real you is cuter than the sticker.]

[Acheron: [Lin Shuang crying]]

[Lin Shuang: ?]

[Lin Shuang: ??]

Lin Shuang's expression froze at the sight of the crying sticker.

Was Acheron hinting at something?

Claiming the real Lin Shuang was cuter than the sticker—while sending a crying one, no less.

The audacity.

When did she ever cry?!

[Acheron: Why, is it not cute?]

[Lin Shuang: Okay, okay, you're definitely implying something! Admit it!]

[Lin Shuang: [Pom-Pom is angry]]

Seeing Lin Shuang's flustered response, Acheron's smile widened. She could almost picture Lin Shuang's flushed cheeks.

Though Acheron hadn't meant it that way, seeing Lin Shuang's reactions made her reluctant to explain.

After all, wasn't this side of her adorable?

As Acheron contemplated how to coax her, two new stickers popped up:

[Lin Shuang: [Acheron dazed]]

[Lin Shuang: [Acheron feeling wronged]]

[Lin Shuang: This is you!!]

"Pfft—"

Acheron burst into laughter for the first time in a while.