MTLNOVEL Chapter 3: Chapter 3
More than half an hour later, at the entrance of a cafeteria in the space station.
Yuri sat on a bench, eating a bowl of noodles while watching Himeko, Kevin, and March 7 browsing the goods displayed on his phone.
After leaving the small garden, Yuri had wandered in search of a place to stay. Despite searching for a long time, he found no available accommodations—but he did stumble upon a cafeteria.
Hoping to grab a meal, he approached the counter, only to be met with a problem: the cafeteria required proof of employment for service.
Left with no choice, Yuri had sought out Black Tower and asked her to issue him a work permit for the space station.
As expected, Black Tower didn't care how Yuri had arrived at the station. As long as he had things that interested her, that was all that mattered.
After more than ten minutes, Himeko shut off her phone, having found nothing that caught her eye.
March 7 noticed and commented, "Himeko, if nothing here suits you, you can just tell Yuri what you want.
He said there's nothing he can't buy."
Yuri nodded. "That's right. My goods come from all over. As long as you have enough star coins, you can buy anything."
Himeko considered for a moment. "Do you have a coffee machine? The one on the train just broke."
Yuri snapped his fingers, and three coffee machines wrapped in bubbles appeared, floating in midair.
"Take a look at these three and see which one you like.
The first one is a Magic Coffee Machine, from a world of magic. It has a built-in enchantment array that automatically dispenses water and grinds beans at the push of a button. Price: 2,000 star coins.
The second one is a Fully Automatic Coffee Machine, from a high-tech world. It only requires coffee beans and water to brew coffee. Price: 500 star coins.
The third one is a Spiritual Coffee Machine, from a cultivation world. It uses Spirit Stones as an energy source, and the coffee brewed has body-strengthening effects. Price: 3,000 star coins. Each Spirit Stone costs 100 star coins and can make 100 cups of coffee."
The moment Yuri finished speaking, Himeko's eyes locked onto the Spiritual Coffee Machine.
A coffee machine that improved physical fitness? Not to mention, it was hand-brewed? Perfect.
She had no interest in fully automatic machines with preset ratios.
Pointing to the Spiritual Coffee Machine, she said, "I'll take this one, but I need to head back to the train to get my Stellar Jade."
Yuri put away the other two machines, picking up the Spiritual Coffee Machine in one hand. "Let's go. I've got nothing better to do anyway."
Himeko smiled. "Appreciate it."
And with that, the four of them headed toward the platform where the Astral Express was docked.
—
They chatted as they walked, the mood lighthearted.
On the way, they came across a standard treasure chest.
Kevin wasted no time, brandishing the Holy Judgment of Heavenly Fire and swiftly cutting down the virtual soldier guarding the chest. Inside, he found five Stellar Jade—worth 500 star coins.
March 7 pouted in frustration. "Damn it! I was just a second too slow!"
More than half an hour later, they finally arrived at the platform.
From a higher vantage point, Yuri looked down at the station and saw a massive, retro-style steam train parked on the platform.
Toward the rear of the train, he spotted Welt and Pom-Pom holding a cargo list, checking off supplies.
Himeko noticed Yuri staring and chuckled. "What do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"
Yuri nodded. "I've heard of the Astral Express before, but this is my first time seeing it in person.
I never imagined such a long train could travel through space."
March 7 placed her hands on her hips, looking smug. "Of course! Our Astral Express is super fast! In the blink of an eye, we'll be very, very far away!"
Himeko motioned toward the train. "Alright, let's board."
Following her lead, Yuri, Kevin, and March 7 stepped into the observation car.
Kevin, eyes wide, scanned the interior like a curious child. "Wow... it looked so old-fashioned from the outside, but the inside is really modern."
Himeko led Yuri and Kevin to a sofa. "You two sit and relax. I'll go grab the Stellar Jade. March 7, go get some water."
March 7, who had been busy taking pictures with her new camera, set it down and ran off to fetch drinks.
Meanwhile, Himeko walked to the rest car, heading to her quarters to retrieve the Stellar Jade.
With nothing else to do, Yuri pulled out his phone and resumed cataloging his products.
Kevin, intrigued, leaned over to watch, reading the descriptions as Yuri typed them out. Whenever something caught his interest, he snapped a picture with his phone for reference.
Seeing this, March 7, now back with the drinks, joined in as well.
—
More than ten minutes later, Himeko returned to the observation car.
This time, she wasn't alone—Dan Heng walked beside her.
Dan Heng, one of the train's quieter passengers, was typically absorbed in his research and rarely ventured out of the archives.
March 7 raised an eyebrow. "Whoa~ Dan Heng, you finally left the data bank!"
Dan Heng replied in his usual monotone, "I was recording information on Doomsday Beasts."
March 7 sighed. "Ugh, can't you ever show a little more enthusiasm?"
She shook her head and turned back to Yuri's product list.
Himeko handed over the Stellar Jade. "Yuri, here are 30 Stellar Jade. Is that enough?"
Yuri took out his scale. "Place them on one side."
Himeko placed the 30 Stellar Jade onto the scale.
A second later, the Stellar Jade disappeared, replaced by thirty 100-star-coin bills on the other end.
March 7, standing closest, picked them up for Himeko. "Here, this is your star coin! Let me show you how to use it!"
She cleared her throat and pointed to the Spiritual Coffee Machine. "Watch carefully, Himeko!"
March 7 grabbed 3,000 star coins and smacked them onto the bubble-wrapped machine.
Both the star coins and the bubble vanished, and the Spiritual Coffee Machine gently descended to the floor.
"Ding-ding! That's all there is to it!"
Himeko smiled at her enthusiasm. "Thanks, March."
March 7 grinned, clearly pleased with herself.
Himeko then turned to Yuri. "Yuri, can you show Dan Heng your product list?"
Yuri handed over his updated catalog.
Dan Heng nodded in appreciation before silently flipping through the listings.
Meanwhile, Himeko examined the Spiritual Coffee Machine, only to realize she hadn't bought any Spirit Stones yet.
Noticing this, Yuri casually tossed her a Spirit Stone. "Here, first one's on me."
Himeko's lips curled into a small smile. "Appreciate it."
Himeko took the Spirit Stone and placed it into the Spiritual Coffee Machine.
The indicator light on the front instantly lit up as the machine whirred to life.
Kevin and March 7 quickly gathered around, curious to see the coffee in action.
Before long, Himeko skillfully brewed a cup and turned to Yuri, Kevin, and March 7.
"Want to try it?"
March 7 visibly shuddered. Himeko's coffee was not something she was willing to risk.
"Uh… I just remembered! I need to check on Dan Heng! You guys go ahead!" she blurted before making a quick escape.
If she didn't run, she'd have no choice but to drink Himeko's infamous coffee!
Himeko's smile twitched slightly.
"Kevin? Yuri? You two want to give it a try?"
Kevin, unaware of the danger, took the cup from Himeko without hesitation.
"Thanks!"
Without thinking twice, he downed the coffee in one gulp.
Himeko watched expectantly. "So? How is it?"
Kevin forced a smile and gave a thumbs-up. "Delicious!"
Then he turned to March 7. "March! Come back, it's really good!"
March 7, still hiding near Dan Heng, peeked out and saw Kevin proudly showing off his empty cup.
A wave of doubt crept over her.
Wait… is Himeko's coffee actually good now? Kevin seems fine. Maybe I should try it?
Gathering her courage, March 7 asked Himeko for a cup of coffee.
She took the cup and sniffed it cautiously.
Hmm… It smells normal. No strange odor.
Kevin urged her, "Go on, try it! It's really good."
Yuri, watching from the side, struggled to hold back his laughter. He had noticed something that March 7 hadn't—Kevin's legs were trembling slightly.
Oh, he's definitely trying to drag March 7 down with him.
Oblivious, March 7 took a big sip and swallowed.
Immediately, both she and Kevin froze, their bodies stiffening.
Then, as if in sync, their legs gave out, and they collapsed onto the floor.
"Gah!"
Yuri, grinning, looked down at them. Yep. Himeko's coffee is still as deadly as ever.
Himeko, staring at the two unconscious victims, began to question her coffee-making skills.
But instead of dwelling on it, she calmly picked up a book on hand-brewed coffee, flipping through it to see where she had gone wrong.
Yuri sighed and, feeling somewhat merciful, moved Kevin and March 7 onto the sofa.
Meanwhile, Dan Heng had finished browsing Yuri's products and settled on a pair of headphones with unlimited power. They were relatively cheap—only 300 star coins.
Dan Heng exchanged three Stellar Jade for star coins, purchased the headphones, then bid farewell and returned to the data room.
With March 7 and Kevin still out cold on the sofa, Yuri decided it was the perfect time to bring up an important matter.
He approached Himeko. "Himeko, there's something I'd like to discuss."
Himeko put down her book. "Oh? What is it?"
Yuri took a sip of water before speaking. "I want to rent a carriage on the train to open a shop. Would that be possible?
Of course, I won't ask for it for free. Every month, your train crew can choose one item from my shop worth up to 3,000 star coins. How does that sound?"
Himeko fell into deep thought.
Nothing like this had ever been done before—at least, not in the history of the Nameless that she knew of.
But the idea wasn't bad. In exchange for a carriage, the train crew would receive a valuable item each month, sourced from the various worlds Yuri had access to.
As for whether Yuri posed a threat? Highly unlikely.
From what she had observed, Yuri was nothing more than a businessman—a pure merchant, though one with a surprisingly good sense of ethics.
After some consideration, Himeko said, "I can't make that decision alone. I need to consult the rest of the crew."
Whenever a major decision affecting the train was involved, the crew followed an old tradition: a vote.
Yuri smiled. "That's fair. I'll wait for your answer. Just send me a message once you've decided.
Speaking of which, we haven't exchanged contact info yet. Shall we?"
After exchanging numbers, Yuri left the train and returned to the space station.
—
After arriving, he sent a message to Black Tower, asking her to arrange a place for him to stay.
Finding a hotel or lodging on the space station had proven impossible. The employees all had designated living quarters provided by the company for free.
No need to ask why—the company was massive, and they could afford such luxuries.
—
More than two hours later, inside the observation car.
Himeko, Welt, Pom-Pom, Dan Heng, March 7, and Kevin were all gathered together.
Welt, Pom-Pom, and Dan Heng had already been informed of Yuri's request. Now, they were just waiting for March 7 and Kevin to wake up before holding a vote.
Finally, the two groggy victims stirred from their slumber.
After sipping some hot water and regaining their strength, Himeko explained the situation to them.
Kevin, still half-asleep, looked puzzled. "Wait… why are you telling me this? You're not part of the train crew."
Himeko smiled. "Kevin, remember when I invited you to join the Express? What do you say?"
Kevin rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
March 7 nudged him. "Come on, Kevin~ Join us! Fight for justice across the galaxy! Save a few worlds along the way! Become a legendary hero! How cool is that?"
Kevin's eyes lit up. That did sound cool.
These past few days on the space station, he had felt like an outsider. Aside from Asta, Arlan, and Black Tower, no one really paid attention to him.
Everyone was busy with their own work—there was no sense of camaraderie.
But when he was with the train crew, it felt different. It felt… fun.
"Alright, I'm in."
March 7 cheered. "Yeah!"
Himeko pulled out a train ticket and handed it to Kevin. "This is your proof of identity as a Nameless. Wear it proudly."
Kevin pinned the ticket onto his collar.
Welt and Dan Heng welcomed him to the team with a nod.
After some casual conversation, Himeko steered the discussion back on track.
"Alright, now that everyone's here, let's vote on whether Yuri should be allowed to rent a carriage.
The usual rules apply—majority rules. Those in favor, raise your hand."
She began the countdown.
"Three… two… one."
Kevin, March 7, Himeko, and Dan Heng all raised their hands.
Only Welt abstained.
Welt explained, "Consider my vote neutral. I haven't met this Yuri yet, so I can neither support nor reject the idea outright. I'll form an opinion after observing him."