… Once again, no dreams today. That was some good quality sleep. The early morning air brings with it a briny scent, characteristic of the seaside. A quilt, soaked in moisture, rigidly covers my body. Behind the curtains shines the square-shaped light of the windows. It is indeed a new day. We will pack our luggage, and drive back to London. The results of Ada's deciphering work should be waiting for us. … But I have a strange sense of foreboding. I keep feeling that the fates of myself and the people around me will soon undergo a great change. That is something I had once avoided confronting. At one time, under the excuse of “shelving theories”, I had refused to think any further. … I'm actually not all that fond of London. I just feel that, living under the same roof, we have all gotten used to each other's presence. Even Welt seems like he has always been there with us. I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that this peace will last forever. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Note:

This sentence comes from the “United States Declaration of Independence”.

“The free development of each is the condition for the free development of all.”

Note:

This sentence comes from the “Communist Manifesto”.

The full sentence reads: “In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an association, in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all.”

 Yet, military organisations such as Schicksal are prone to trampling over everything besides the right to life. In life and death situations, this is indeed something that cannot be helped. But, unilaterally pursuing a single kind of right will, in many cases, also tarnish that right itself. If the fundamental “principles” of a military organization were to suffer such a subversion — — Then it will gradually become the same abhorrent existence as the enemies it once destroyed. This is regardless of its leader, whether they be a political and military mastermind such as George III or Napoleon I, or a befuddled incompetent fool like Charles I or Louis XVI. That person, “H.A”, conveyed her views through her videos. She said that the ideals of Schicksal are fundamentally problematic. If this “Schicksal” goes down the same path as many other empires in history — — If it is proven to be an abomination coalesced from the ambitions of a select few … Then any person with a conscience must stand on the opposite side against it. However … The other side is even more conspicuous in their intent, like an engine fueled by the flames of revenge. Princess Nancy … No. Hamlet. When I first met the CEO of the GE mechatronic conglomerate, she left that kind of impression on me. Nancy Thomas Edison, a bona fide, real-life version of Hamlet. It's not that she is lacking feelings or desires. It's not that she is lacking humanity. It's just that, when it comes to very specific matters, she forcibly erases all such things from consideration, leaving behind a simple trade-off of pros and cons — — To take revenge against the Honkai with her own hands, for the sake of her own family, or perhaps for all of humanity. And to this end, she will not hesitate to eliminate any “obstacles” that get in her way. No rest till victory. Herself, her company, her country, the organisation of Schicksal … from her perspective, they are all just bargaining chips towards realising her goal. It's too disagreeable. Such a life is not a joyous one. To fulfill her goals, she has alienated herself, turning herself into a mere tool to achieve her own wishes. … Not to mention the people around her also. Although Tesla is also the type to let her emotions drive her decisions … her direction is completely different. By comparison, it's much cuter. … I should sleep some more. Today could be a long day. Ding dong … Ding dong … Hmm … what time is it … who's ringing the doorbell … Mophead, go check … … .. … ? She already got up and left … You're not some 80-year-old grandma, stop waking up so early … Ding dong … Ding dong … Agh so noisy! Let me get out of bed, you idiot! Good morning, Dr Tesla. … … Who are you? Earlier in the day — ( … Mr Welt, a moment, if you please.) … Who said that? It's me, Rita. B-boss? The corridor is not a good place for conversation. Please follow me. This is all quite sudden, and I'm simply quite mortified … But … What … what happened? The clothes you sent for washing have not had time to dry … Out here, once the power goes out, it'll continue for half a day or so … I'm afraid you may need another change of clothes for when you go home tomorrow … Ugh … I-I didn't bring any extra coats! That last set, I accidentally got some mud on it at the beach — Don't worry, don't worry. This is the fault of our own negligence, so about your coat, I'll find a way to solve it . I happen to have a set of men's formal wear here … Would you like to try it out? Ah … not bad, not bad! It certainly fits you well! Hmm … it feels like … it's tailor-made … Haha, my eye for measurements is very accurate! … Ah, yes. Here's a gift left for you by another guest. Another guest? Er … her name was Fu Hua? She said she's a friend of yours. Fu-Fu Hua? W-why would she … … Can I open it here and take a look? Of course you may. W-what is this, all these bells and whistles … … A pepper spray? Wha? A spray can for girls to defend themselves with. A single “pew” or squirt to the face, and it'll cause great discomfort and suffering to any potential offender. Though there is only enough compressed air for a few uses, because it is so easy to operate, it's virtually fool-proof … For an esteemed guest like you, it seems quite practical, no? … How is this practical? … T-this packaging, no matter how you look at it, it still looks like a girl's toy! … Why would she think I would need something like this!? AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Pepper spray! This poor Overseer, even his own Valkyries really look down on him! … Ah, right. After inspecting it carefully, I found a note inside the gift box — “岸远沙平，日斜归路晚霞明。” (“Distant shores and flat sands, The setting sun returns home to a luminous twilight.”)

Note:

This verse comes from “南乡子·岸远沙平” (“nán xiāng zǐ - àn yuǎn shā píng”, “Son of the Southern Country: Distant Shores and Flat Sands”), written by Ouyang Jiong, a poet of the Later Shu Dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

The whole verse: “岸远沙平, 日斜归路晚霞明。孔雀自怜金翠尾, 临水, 认得行人惊不起。” (“Distant shores and flat sands, the setting sun returns home to a luminous twilight. The peacock pities its golden-jade tail, by the waterfront, and recognises passers-by but is not alarmed.”)

 I have no idea what that means. Hmph. So you should just keep it safe. When you really do find yourself in trouble, just recite that poem, and maybe she'll make a special trip just to save you. Urgh … Pfft. I bet Dr Tesla's eating her heart out. E-eat your own heart! Why should I be feeling jealous?! Er … Hmm!? Urgh … I was saying … That matter with the Overseer … leaving him be … is that really okay? … If you really want to take the matter into your own hands, how would you go about it? Urgh … it's not that I want to do it personally … Okay okay I know you're actually quite worried. But honestly … If worst comes to worst, we can all just change jobs and jump over to Edison's side … it'll be nothing extraordinary. Don't … don't you hate her a lot? Ah. Yup. But so what? In the case that something does go wrong, do you think it's better that we abandon you to your fate? Ugh … No … That's not what I meant … Hmph, then shut up you. When the sky is falling, it's not up to you to keep propping it up. Besides, I really admire your courage to straight-up choke him to death with a pepper spray. Don't you feel the same, Mophead? Later that day — Everyone, the encrypted information in the Soulium has been completely decrypted. There are a total of two pieces of content: a string of text, and another video. Let me start with the text, may I? As usual, Aida projected the text directly into the air. It is English —

“Follow the Freedom Trail, then visit Lexington in the midnight.”

 Follow the Freedom Trail, then visit Lexington in the midnight …

Note:

The Freedom Trail is a route marked by red tiles (since 1951), in downtown Boston, connecting 16 places of historical interest from the War of Independence period.

 Does this mean … a tour of Boston? Really, are they really going to toss us back and forth from one side of the planet to the other? … We should finish watching the video first. The person in the image is obviously the mysterious H.A. — However, she seems to be older than when she recorded the last video. First of all, congratulations on your successful decryption, explorers of the distant future. I do not know what kind of experience it is to travel back and forth across oceans in your era. Maybe it is a trivial thing. But still, I would like you to take your time and think carefully … About what you will do with the information after you have found the last piece of Soulium. I trust you remember the conclusion I mentioned earlier, yes? Schicksal's brute-force methods will never defeat the Honkai. Here, I will admit … this is merely my personal opinion. Although I still believe that this judgement is correct — I won't insist that you endorse my point of view. Nobody is perfect. In the previous video, you would have seen me in my younger days — Full of blood and vigor; seething with hatred for all evil; seizing every minute of every hour of every day. I won't say I've changed — But at least, as I continued to live my life incognito, I've learned to observe this world with a broader perspective. Rather than being blindly hostile to anyone, I've focused instead on improving the ability to make good judgments. I want you all to do the same. Whatever your positions may be, I still hope — That you can listen intently to the deepest voice in your hearts. You must know, in this world, the one thing that you cannot take back is time and effort wasted on misjudgement, acting alone in a way that defeats your own purpose. Actions are just means to an end … ideals are our true guiding stars. Which is why … I hope you will all spare no effort, to once again visit our country, a country that had never before existed in ancient history. The United States of America. She was founded by such a group of people — They respected the inner voices in their hearts … and bravely stood up to protect the justice they believed in. It is about time I tell you my real name. I am Harmony Ayette. Née Motier. Descendant of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette. Or, you can address me using my nickname from the business world — “Godfather”. Marquis de Lafayette? H-he had such a descendant? Who's that? Some kind of noble from the past? Hey! Don't you guys know about the Marquis de Lafayette? Good heavens! Uh … so who is this marquis … At age 18, participated in the American Revolution; at age 36, participated in the French Revolution; at age 72, participated in and led yet another French revolution; known as the “Hero of the Two Worlds” — — Such a person, you dare say you don't know? Uh … probably because I am neither French nor American … Anyway, let me tell you, just in Boston alone there are five roads all named “LaFayette Avenue” — think about that. … Ahem. Her ancestors were her ancestors, and she was her own person. We don't need to care about such empty things. But … Ultimately, we still don't have an inkling about what we're about to discover. But despite this … I think we may have possibly reached a point of no return. … Tesla. Welt. From this point onwards, we are deciding to withhold the truth from people who have greater authority and influence than us — But still, do we wish to proceed? To uncover the secret that this “Godfather” took great pains to keep concealed to the present day?