The Public Enemy

The Public Enemy is the fourth part of the Trailblaze Mission chapter In Our Time. It automatically begins after completing Small Town Grotesque.
==Steps==
#Ask Gallagher about the situation
#Learn the whereabouts of the Stellaron from Sunday
#See what Welt has to say
#Follow Gallagher and meet with the "Watchmaker"
#Meet with the "Watchmaker"
==Dialogue==
:
:
: Robin: Look here, brother! A little bird!
: Sunday: Looks like a fledgling Charmony Dove.
: Sunday: But Charmony Doves don't live here. So how did this little bird get here? Maybe its parents abandoned it?
: Robin: It looks weak and frail... Why don't we find something soft and make a nest for it?
: Sunday: This place is too dangerous for a fledgling. Let's take it with us — we can put it on the wooden shelf in front of your window.
: Robin: Okay! A bird like that must have a beautiful singing voice. But where will it live?
: Sunday: I'll ask the family head to build a cage for it.
: Robin: A cage... but then it won't have the freedom to fly, right?
: Kind Voice: Let's see... what is it that has captured the attention of the two best interpreters of the Great One, to the point that they've forgotten how to enjoy their dessert?
: Kind Voice: Oh... poor little thing. Doesn't look like it's doing well. Do you want to rescue it?
: Robin: I do... but I don't want to lock it up in a cage.
: Kind Voice: Why?
: Robin: Even if it's small and not fully feathered, and can't sing... it didn't come into this world just to be locked up in a cage.
: Robin: 
: Kind Voice: That's quite the romantic idea. And what about you, our young scholar? Do you agree with your sister?
: Sunday: I think she's right... but if we leave it out in the wild, it won't survive for more than a few days at best.
: Kind Voice: Ah, I see. It seems our little scholar is still a bit unsure. Well, let me tell you youngsters a story.
: Kind Voice: As you probably know, Charmony Doves can fly through the air. When they fly really high, the friction caused by the flapping of their feathers against the atmosphere creates amazing lights, so that they look like shooting stars.
: Kind Voice: We've seen this spectacle so many times that we think it's just something they can naturally do... but that's not the truth. Their radiant display is the result of countless struggles against nature over generations.
: Kind Voice: Their ancestors were too weak to survive on the ground. So, to escape predators, they started seeking new opportunities in the air...
: Kind Voice: After countless attempts by many generations, one of them finally figured out how to fly. It soared into the sky and never looked back at the ground again.
: Robin: So, you mean, birds aren't born to fly, but they find a way to do it through their determination, right?
: Kind Voice: Well, that's an idealistic way of putting it. So, what are your thoughts, Sunday?
: Sunday: I...
: Sunday: I think people believe birds are meant to fly because... they've never seen those birds crashing to their death.
: Kind Voice: That's an interesting perspective. So, have you decided what to do with the bird now?
: Sunday: For now... I'll keep it in a cage until it can take care of itself because...
: Sunday: 
: Kind Voice: Well said, kids. It seems each of you has found your own answer. Your insights are truly remarkable, and I hope they come true in their own way.
: Robin: We will take good care of it, won't we, brother?
: Sunday: Yeah, but Mr. Gopher Wood, there's one thing I don't quite understand...
: Kind Voice: And what might that be, my son?
: Sunday: What if this little Charmony Dove never learns to fly in the end?
: Sunday: I mean, if there are fledglings in this world that can never fly throughout their lives...
: Sunday: Should we let them go back to the sky... only to see them crash to the ground and die?
:...
----
: Gallagher: Talking in your sleep, birdie? Time to wake up.
: Sunday: ...
: Gallagher: You look a little unsteady. Need a hand?
: Sunday: I'm still alive?
: Gallagher: Yeah, happy about that?
: Sunday: ...Where is Robin? Tell me. Now.
: Gallagher: Heh, I knew that was going to be the first thing you'd ask.
: Gallagher: Don't worry. Your sister is here, safe and sound. She's... probably walking around the streets now.
: Gallagher: If I were you, I'd be more worried about myself... After all, right in front of you is the guy who just stabbed you in the chest with a dagger.
: Sunday: If you wanted to kill me, you wouldn't give me the chance to speak... Just tell me your demands, lackey of the Watchmaker.
: Gallagher: So, you've figured out who I am, huh? No wonder you had the guts to go against the Dreammaster and the four Families. Looks like I made the right choice.
: Sunday: Choice?
: Gallagher: You are aware of my plan and see through my Fictionology. Time is running out, so let's drop the charades...
: Gallagher: I'm suggesting we cooperate.
: Sunday: Cooperate? What makes you think I'd cooperate with you?
: Gallagher: The fact that the famous Robin has chosen my side. Plus, some clues about a traitor, and a bright future for Penacony... Any of that catch your interest?
: Sunday: I find it hard to believe a man who's full of deception.
: Gallagher: Fine, you don't have to trust me. What you should trust is...
: Gallagher: The sense of inside of you.
: Sunday: ...
: Sunday: ...Show me Robin first.
: Gallagher: Alright, as you wish. Here she is...
: Firefly: ...
: Sunday: What's your trick this time?
: Gallagher: Haha, just kidding. I mean, this lady will lead us to Robin, right?
: Firefly: And the Crew too. There are too many people who you owe... an explanation.
: Gallagher: Haha, that'd be great. Please follow me, honorable Oak Family Head. Now all the actors... are on the stage.
:
:Welt: ...
: Micah: This is the monument I mentioned earlier. The names inscribed on it... should be familiar to all of you.
: Welt: Razalina and... Tiernan.
: Micah: When Penacony was known as a frontier prison, it was the Trailblazers who connected it with the stars. They were the heroes who saved Asdana, and their names deserve to be immortalized — not just on this small stone tablet, but in the annals of history for all of time.
: Micah: However, today the Planet of Festivities is nothing but sweet dreams. That heavy piece of history is all a distant memory... just like that prison.
: Robin: If their names are inscribed here, then that means...
: Himeko: According to Micah, they died long ago.
: Micah: Razalina was killed during the War of Independence. She ventured alone into the heart of the star system to investigate the flow of memoria, but she never returned...
: Micah: Tiernan was a skilled gunslinger, strong and reliable. He led the people through countless battles, but he didn't live long enough to witness the arrival of true peace.
: Micah: In the decade following the War, Penacony faced challenges internal and external. To protect Asdana, Tiernan picked up the way of the Trailblaze again, and led the Lampmoth Family to explore beyond the system, only to be surrounded... and wiped out by the Swarm.
: March 7th: Though I had expected as much, the tales of these heroes... truly are sorrowful.
: Himeko: True to the title of Trailblazer, they spent their lives venturing into the unknown. But... what about this tablet? There are no names carved on it.
: Gallagher: When Dreamflux Reef was created, its owner was still alive. However, he insisted on erecting a monument for himself, saying that "it will happen someday."
: Gallagher: Here we meet again, everyone from the Astral Express.
: Sunday: Robin...
===Ask Gallagher about the situation===
;(Talk to Robin and Sunday, optional)
: Robin: Brother...!
: Sunday: ...There's no need for words. You're safe, and that's all that matters.
;(Talk to Micah, optional)
: Micah: Well I did my job — I gathered everyone here. Gallagher will explain the rest to you... Take care.
;(Talk to Misha, optional)
: Misha: Huh? The atmosphere sure has livened up with all these people in here...
;(Talk to Firefly, optional)
: Firefly: I brought Gallagher here. It's time... to face the "truth."
----
;(Talk to Gallagher)
: Gallagher: I promised to give the siblings some privacy, so let's talk about our business first. What do you say?
: Welt: That sounds sensible enough. Since you went through the trouble of gathering The Family head, the Crew, and the Stellaron Hunters, I'm guessing you have something important to say, Mr. Gallagher?
: Gallagher: Oh, is it that obvious?
: March 7th: The look on your face is practically screaming "I'm the one behind all this..."
: Gallagher: Hahaha, you're right, Mr. Yang. It is indeed time to come clean on everything.
: Gallagher: The siblings already know what they need to, and they've made their choice. But you Nameless arrived a bit late, so it's only fair that I answer your questions.
: Gallagher: Before we begin, let me reintroduce myself. I'm the founder of Dreamflux Reef, the deputy of the Watchmaker, and... the one who sent out that invitation...
: Gallagher: As Gallagher the History Fictionologist, I humbly extend my greetings to you all.
: March 7th: History Fictionologist? So, what? everything you told us was made up?
: Gallagher: Well, don't worry. Almost everything I shared was true... well, except for the part about "The Family accepting me back."
: Himeko: I double-checked with Micah, and everything he said about The Family, the Watchmaker, and Mikhail is true.
: Gallagher: Thank you for your understanding! Now, let's get down to business. I'm sure you're all wondering why I went through the trouble of setting up this battle for the legacy, inviting different factions, and stirring up a ruckus all over Penacony...
: Gallagher: Well, it all boils down to something very familiar to all of you... the Stellaron.
: Welt: The Stellaron? But how is that possible? Penacony is a free-flowing interstellar hub. There are no signs of contamination whatsoever.
: Gallagher: You're totally correct. So, care to take a guess at what that means?
: The Stellaron has been completely sealed?
:: Gallagher: I wish that were the truth! But, if that were the case, I wouldn't have invited all of you.
: Someone is manipulating the Stellaron?
:: Gallagher: How keen! Well, what should I say? I expected nothing less from the person here who is the most familiar with Stellarons.
: You're pulling our leg again!
: Gallagher: The sweet dream doesn't come out of thin air. If you think of the Memory Zone as the sea, creating the land of the dreams is like filling that wild ocean with earth to make an island.
: Gallagher: To achieve this feat, without the help of an Emanator of Remembrance or Enigmata, the only way is to use a Stellaron.
: Gallagher: And that's not something you can achieve with a simple wish. It requires vast quantities of knowledge, time, and manpower. I'm sure you get what I'm hinting at...
: Gallagher: 
: March 7th: The Planet of Festivities itself... is a Stellaron disaster?
: Gallagher: It all started a long time ago. Back when the Watchmaker and his crew liberated the frontier prison, they faced countless challenges as they began building Penacony from the ground up. That's when the idea of using the Stellaron came into play.
: Gallagher: The Stellaron first entered the Asdana system during the war. The Nameless warned everyone against the folly of attempting to tamper with such a power, and most heeded their words. But, there are always people in the shadows with ulterior motives.
: Gallagher: The turning point came after Tiernan's death. With two of the Nameless gone, the Watchmaker had to go to the front lines. It was at that moment his rivals saw an opportunity.
: Gallagher: By the time a representative from the Montour system's Family arrived at the Watchmaker's call, the Stellaron had already been activated and was seeping into the primordial Synesthesia Dreamscape.
: Himeko: And I suppose The Family happened to possess the knowledge to seal the Stellaron?
: Gallagher: Not just that! They knew far more about the Stellaron than the average person. They helped Mikhail swiftly quell the civil unrest and played a part in building Penacony, under the disguise of the Harmony.
: Gallagher: Those three eras were known as the Age of Dreaming. The Watchmaker, who had been left in the dark, sent out invitations across the universe, spreading the hype around the land of the dreams.
: March 7th: Then... how did they turn against each other?
: Gallagher: Remember the island-in-the-ocean metaphor? The truth is, the Stellaron was never truly sealed. It existed in a different form within the Dreamscape. Think about this — what would it cost to create and maintain such a lavish dreamland?
: Gallagher: It's people's lives. The opulent dream is built upon the decay of spirits, with a toxic elixir called "pleasure" flowing through the Dreamscape. It tempts people to indulge in the Dreamscape, and gradually their minds succumb, becoming nourishment for the sweet dream.
: Gallagher: Confusion, laziness, and cowardice... weaknesses that plague humanity were magnified and nourished by The Family. Penacony became a new kind of prison, even more impenetrable than the previous one.
: Gallagher: Sadly, we realized this far too late. By then, The Family had a firm grip on Penacony, swiftly quelling any opposition that arose.
: Gallagher: At my wit's end, I had to use the power of the Enigmata and sought refuge in this chaotic Memory Zone. Over the years, I a meme within this dream for our use...
: Gallagher: that's its real name. We exploited a loophole — you see, regular people can't fall asleep again while they are inside the Dreamscape.
: Himeko: So, this is the true meaning of "the impossible." You sent out invitations in the Watchmaker's name to find forces capable of resolving the Stellaron disaster and draw them in to Penacony to uncover the truth?
: Gallagher: It's not just that. Above all, I wanted to see what happens when the major factions engage in a struggle for the legacy. Since this is the Watchmaker's first announcement in decades, the traitor within The Family is bound to reveal themselves.
: March 7th: So, the legacy is just a facade...
: Gallagher: If you want to consider the Stellaron as the legacy, I'm totally fine with that.
: Himeko: If that's the case, where is the Stellaron now?
: Gallagher: That's a question for Mr. Wings. The Stellaron is still under The Family's control, and as the head of the Oak Family, I'm sure he holds all the answers.
;(Talk to Gallagher, optional)
: Gallagher: Go ahead. I'm sure Mr. Wings holds all the answers.
;(Talk to Firefly, optional)
: Firefly: As I suspected, the core of this issue lies within... the Stellaron.
;(Talk to Misha, optional)
: Misha: You all look quite serious... Is there anything I can do to help?
===Learn the whereabouts of the Stellaron from Sunday ===
;(Talk to Robin and Sunday)
: Gallagher: Are you done talking? So, will you tell us where the Stellaron is?
: Sunday: ...
: Sunday: It... is the Penacony Grand Theater itself.
: Robin: As I suspected. It's the embodiment of The Family, the edifice that first materialized within the sweet dream... That's what turned Penacony into its current state.
: Sunday: As for the person who employed its power... It is in fact Mr. Gopher Wood, the current Dreammaster.
: Gallagher: Well, that was easier than I thought. Did you conduct your own investigation already?
: Sunday: Correct. When I was trying to track down the person who murdered my sister, apart from you... Gopher Wood was my second suspect.
: Gallagher: Confronting me first turned out to be a smart move on your part.
: Sunday: I didn't have other options. The Dreammaster has been elusive, and even the heads of the Families can hardly get an audience with him.
: Sunday: Moreover... Mr. Gopher Wood has been kind to my sister and me, and I didn't want it all to end like this.
: Himeko: What do you mean by that?
: Robin: To be honest, my brother and I are also victims of the Cancer of All Worlds. We grew up as orphans and were adopted by The Family when they came to help. Mr. Gopher Wood recognized our potential and brought us to Penacony.
: Robin: But I can't just stand by and watch Mr. Gopher Wood become an enemy of the Harmony. I won't use my voice to support an evil cause...
: Robin: I won't step on that stage and sing, no matter who the traitor is or what orders they give me. I won't let the Charmony Festival become an event that destroys Harmony itself...
: Robin: For the paradise in our dreams.
: Sunday: Indeed... for the paradise in our dreams.
: Sunday: As the head of the Oak Family, I'm responsible for ensuring Penacony's promising future. Robin and I will head into the sweet dream and confront the Dreammaster, and if it turns out that The Family has truly strayed from the Harmony...
: Sunday: I'll fight alongside you. We'll put the Charmony Festival on hold and make sure Mr. Gopher Wood pays for his blood debt.
: Gallagher: The enemies you are about to face aren't like this old dog here, who can barely even bark...
: Gallagher: Since our interests are aligned, why don't we team up? Maybe, just maybe, we'll have a shot at success.
----
: Himeko: We have always been following in the footsteps of our Nameless predecessors, and there's no reason to stop now.
: March 7th: Yeah, we Nameless won't back down from a challenge! Isn't that right, (Trailblazer)?
: Ain't nothing to fear no more!
:: March 7th: Ah... that line actually makes me a bit nervous...
: Heroes never back down.
:: March 7th: Exactly! It's time for the Crew to save the world once more!
: Going up against the Dreammaster? Nah, I'd surrender.
:: March 7th: Come on. Don't crack jokes at such a serious moment.
: Welt: Rest assured — sitting on the sidelines isn't in our nature. Mr. Sunday, Miss Robin, I'm willing to accompany you on behalf of the Astral Express. Having a third party present should help with negotiations... and could make all the difference if things get ugly.
: Sunday: Thank you, Mr. Yang.
: Robin: Thank you all very much.
: Sunday: The Charmony Festival is about to start, and time is against us. We must hasten.
===See what Welt has to say===
: Welt: Everyone, let's gather over here — we still need to make some preparations.
;(Talk to Welt)
: Welt: I may have been quick to step up to the plate, but confronting the Dreammaster could be a very dangerous affair.
: March 7th: Huh? Even you're saying that, Mr. Yang? How powerful is that Dreammaster?
: Himeko: He's the leader of the Families of Penacony, and he has the entire power of the Harmony behind him... not to mention the Stellaron in his possession. We must proceed with great caution.
: March 7th: Maybe you can just stay behind this time, Mr. Yang...?
: Welt: No, that won't do. Even if we count Robin as an ally, something felt off about Mr. Sunday just now, although I can't quite put my finger on it... I have to make sure he won't turn against us when things start to get dicey.
: Welt: You're still carrying the keepsake the IPC envoy gave you, right, (Trailblazer)? May I borrow it for a moment?
;(Submit )
: Welt: Huh... I knew it.
: What do you need it for?
: I don't think this'll bring us any luck....
: Welt: As I suspected, this chip Aventurine gave to you... is actually a miniature transmitter.
: Welt: If I'm right, he intends to use it to track your location or contact you when needed. As it so happens, this may actually be of some use in the current situation.
: March 7th: Aventurine? Is he still alive...? And what does he have to do with our mission to confront the Dreammaster?
: Welt: Remember what I said earlier? Working with the IPC is a way to keep The Family in check.
: Welt: If negotiations go south and The Family show their true colors by going after the Stellaron, I'll use this transmitter to send a message to the IPC. It'll be just the opportunity the IPC Ambassador was hoping for.
: Welt: The only question mark in all this is Aventurine's current status... but the IPC is always listening, especially senior Strategic Investment Department heads like him. Getting the message across shouldn't be a problem.
: Himeko: ...Good luck to you, Welt.
: Welt: Well, you take care too. If anything goes wrong... don't worry about me. Just make sure to seal the Stellaron.
----
: Gallagher: Spoken like a true hero.
: Gallagher: Even if the Dreammaster is innocent, The Family's corruption runs deep. I won't make the same mistake Mikhail did. Let's wish him the best of luck...
: Himeko: Don't you have something else to tell us, Gallagher?
: Gallagher: Why would you say so?
: Himeko: Before we departed, the conductor asked us to inquire about the three Nameless in Penacony. We've already collected intel about Razalina and Tiernan, so the only one left is Legwork.
: Himeko: If I'm not mistaken... we've already met him somewhere, haven't we?
: Gallagher: Hm... it's not enough to say "meet," but the answer is pretty obvious. After all, I've hinted at it in quite an evident way.
: Gallagher: I've been watching over you ever since I received the reply from the Astral Express, and I've seen the great effort you all put into linking different realms together across the cosmos. And now, after getting this far all in one piece, you have truly proven yourselves.
: Gallagher: Miss Himeko, were you the one who repaired the Express and got it sailing through the cosmos again?
: Himeko: Yes.
: Gallagher: And you two young Nameless... you have very interesting life stories and extraordinary skills.
: Awww, you're making me blush with these flatteries....Keep them coming'!
:: March 7th: I don't know much about my life story... but I do have extraordinary skills!
: Ha, of course, my reputation precedes me. Believe in the Galactic Baseballer supremacy!
:: March 7th: What...? Hey, you can't just make up "titles" like that!
: Gallagher: Heh, you're full of energy. Please send my regards to... the conductor, Pom-Pom. Please let them know that their friend has fond memories from his time aboard the Express, which he reminisces on every time he has a good drink.
: Gallagher: As for the last Nameless... he embarked, disembarked, and embarked again... traveling in a great circle and ending up back where he started.
: Gallagher: On his deathbed, he told me to find the Astral Express and deliver an invitation to the future Nameless. He left behind a special gift, a true "legacy"... something that belongs only to the successors of the Trailblaze.
: Gallagher: Come with me. Now... is the time to reveal it.
===Follow Gallagher and meet with the "Watchmaker"===
: March 7th: Back here again...
: Gallagher: Sometimes I feel like you're still alive, old friend, like you've still got so much to say and do.
: Gallagher: I've kept my promise... brought the future Trailblazers you've waited so long for. I don't know why you were so obsessed with that train, but I remember your last words...
: Gallagher: Don't let us down, old man.
----
;(Cutscene plays)
:March 7th: What's happening!?
;(Cutscene ends)
----
: Gallagher: Go ahead. His resting place... lies in the garden up ahead.
: Gallagher: The first and last Nameless of Penacony...
: Gallagher: Mikhail Char Legwork, the Watchmaker.
===Meet with the "Watchmaker"===
:Beneath the sea surface of Memory Zone, in a garden closest to the full moon in the water, an elderly man rests on a recliner, enveloped in utter silence.
:The Watchmaker, Mikhail Char Legwork, has passed into that endless, timeless dream, where no sound could ever awaken him.
: March 7th: Sure enough... the Watchmaker is the third Nameless. Even I could guess that one.
: Gallagher: The legacy he left behind was a dream bubble. I believe inside that bubble, there's something that holds meaning only for the Nameless.
: Gallagher: After all, when I checked its contents, I found nothing inside ... Maybe some Trailblaze runes? Even more enigmatic than me.
: Himeko: Well, let's have a look.
:As the words cease, Himeko nods ever so slightly in your direction. You take a deep breath, steady your mind, and turn your gaze towards the Watchmaker...
: Touch the dream bubble in Mikhail's hand.
:You press your hands against the dream bubble and the thick viscous memoria converges under strain, then stretches outward from your fingertips. As if weaving a delicate web, it gently cradles your palm.
:A chill travels from your fingertips, carrying with it a myriad of vibrant and intertwined memories, as experience would suggest...
:But this time, you see nothing at all.
: How could this be?
: Try to focus and capture memories...
: Take a deep breath and try to read the dream bubble again...
:The dream bubble is clearly extraordinary. Perhaps the approach was wrong, you think, holding your breath and closing your eyes. With one knee on the ground, you press your forehead against the thin film coated in memoria.
:Yet, before you, there remains an abyss of darkness. No crimson sun descending upon snow-capped mountains, no gentle laughter, no twinkling stars, no echoes of swords clashing, and most of all, no traces of "trailblaze"...
:...There is nothing and nothing is there. Indubitably, this is but an empty dream bubble.
: March 7th: Wait, what's going on...?
: March 7th: Seriously... there's nothing inside this dream bubble?
: Himeko: ...
: March 7th: How could a dream bubble be empty?
: Gallagher: Hmph, just as I suspected.
: Gallagher: That old man always had this strange belief in the Nameless and the Trailblaze, and I never understood where he got that confidence from... especially since he never managed to get in touch with the Express while he was alive.
: Gallagher: I could never figure out what was going on in that old man's head, but this empty dream bubble is so typical of him. He was always full of weird fantasies... and incomprehensible romanticism.
: Gallagher: That mischievous old man... Well, I didn't expect him to leave anything concrete behind anyway.
: Himeko: ...
: Himeko: Don't think that's the case, Gallagher. I'm sure Mikhail has left us the most precious thing of all.
: Gallagher: Heh, don't start getting all philosophical on me, alright?
: Himeko: Just as Mikhail believes in the Nameless of the future, we unconditionally believe in the Nameless of the past. How could they leave with regrets for the future when they were ready to dedicate their lives to the land they loved?
: Himeko: There must be something contained in this dream bubble. It's just we haven't figured it out yet. You also have faith in the Watchmaker, don't you, Gallagher?
: Gallagher: Well, I'm a follower of the Enigmata. My philosophy forbids me to have faith in anything.
: Gallagher: ...That's why I understand what "faith" means in the Path of Trailblaze, and I also want to know what he left behind. Heh, I'll leave it to you guys then.
: Himeko: Can I borrow your ? I need to make a trip back to Golden Hour and check something at the Dreamscape Sales Store...
: Himeko: It's for Mikhail, and for the future of Penacony.
----
:Switching to Boothill's POV...
:Boothill comes to an agreement with Dan Heng. They will now try to infiltrate the sweet dream and save their friends...
==Trivia==
*The name of this mission is a reference to 's .
==Other Languages ==
==Change History==
==Navigation==
ru:Враг государства