Home…?
The word echoed softly in Anna’s heart, and the moment it surfaced, her chest tightened with a trembling ache.
Home.
How long had it been since she’d even dared to think of those two syllables?
Her home had ceased to exist countless years ago.
Her father, the first to fall on the frontlines. Her mother, standing guard in the royal palace until the very end.
She still remembered it all vividly—their deaths, unfolding right before her eyes.
It was that day her home truly disappeared.
But she hadn’t allowed herself to grieve. She couldn’t. She’d had to stay strong, to take charge, to lead the remnants of her people.
Until even the remnants were reduced to the children trailing behind her now.
And yet—was she truly going home?
The rigid tension she’d carried for years softened ever so slightly. As the ship descended, her eyes stayed fixed on the buildings below—unblinking.
Familiar. Unbelievably familiar.
The streets, the roads, even the gliding vehicles—it all left Anna in a daze.
She even recognized the building outside the ship. She’d once visited it with her mother, and it had caused quite a stir.
Even the food stalls outside—that had been their secret hideout whenever they snuck out together.
She still remembered the flavors vividly.
Her father used to grumble, “You two always sneak out on your own. You don’t care about me at all, huh?”
And her mother and she would just laugh quietly to themselves.
Those memories were beautiful—precious moments she’d clung to in countless long nights.
And now, it was like those memories were being layered onto reality. As she looked out at the world, it felt as though she had traveled back five years in time.
“Is this all just a dream…?” Anna pressed her face against the ship’s glass.
She didn’t dare blink—for fear that when she opened her eyes again, the world would return to the wasteland she remembered.
Because in her memory, all that was left of this planet was barren, lifeless ground.
And so, even if it was a dream, she treasured it.
At least it let her feel what it was like—just once more.
Unfortunately, her desire to quietly savor the moment was bound to be interrupted.
Because there was one person nearby who would absolutely, without fail, ruin the mood.
“Waaaah!” Ouja let out another cry of wonder at the planet they were descending toward.
“That lake! I remember it! I used to sneak off and fish there while I was on duty!”
“Whoa, look at that highway! I found 3,000 credits there once and got praised for turning it in!”
“Oh, and next to that park is the best food stand. I’ll take you all there later!”
Each comment from Ouja triggered a chorus of agreement from the children around him—especially anything involving food. Their eyes lit up like stars.
With such a noisy companion beside her, it was impossible for Anna to stay immersed in her emotions for long.
Sigh…
Glancing toward the overexcited “king of the children,” Anna finally turned to the other adults on board.
“So it seems what you told us wasn’t far off. The intel from the Garden of Recollection is even more precise than I thought.”
At a table not far away sat two women.
One was Robin, who had returned with them. The other was a woman they’d encountered during interstellar travel—dressed in a sleek bodysuit, her face partly veiled. Memokeeper Black Swan.
“Heh.” Black Swan responded with a mysterious smile, offering no elaboration.
She wasn’t about to admit that her intel had come directly from an Aeon.
Originally, she’d been preparing to depart in search of lost memories. But before she could leave, she’d received a message from Queyu inside the Garden of Recollection.
The message: a planet once thought destroyed was now radiating with the light of life again.
Although part of that planet’s memory was missing, the message declared her commission complete.
Still, Black Swan had decided to visit.
Something about this place… it was shrouded in secrets.
She raised a slender hand and drew a tarot card.
“Seems like this journey will go rather smoothly.”
After the ship docked, Anna led the group of passengers out.
Before disembarking, she turned to Black Swan and said, “Please stay close. I’ll arrange visitor registration for you.”
Black Swan nodded. Things were always easier when someone else handled logistics.
But the moment they stepped out of the docking port, they were met by a massive crowd.
The exit was completely packed with people. Saying it was “shoulder to shoulder” didn’t even begin to cover it.
And once Anna stepped out, all eyes turned toward her.
The tension made her blood run cold.
It reminded her too much of that night in the banquet hall.
Her fingers trembled slightly, but she forced herself to stay steady.
Worst case, I just run. Back to the ship. What’s the big deal?
“You’re all crowding here just to block the exit?” she called out, firming her tone and facing the crowd head-on.
But after a moment of exchanged glances, the entire crowd stood at attention and shouted in unison:
“Welcome home, Princess Anna!!”
The sudden shift stunned everyone. Even Anna was too shocked to respond.
And then, from the parting crowd, two figures stepped forward.
Anna’s initial wariness melted away the moment she saw their faces.
“…Dad? Mom?”
Their features hadn’t changed at all—the same smiles, the same poise.
As if not a single day had passed.
It was her parents.
“Anna. Welcome home,” her mother said softly.
That gentle voice shattered the final barrier within her.
Her emotions threatened to surge out all at once.
But she held it in.
Such a surreal moment felt too much like a dream—a final sweetness before descending into hell.
She carried more than her own fate now. She carried the hopes of the children behind her.
Robin, sensing her hesitation, leaned close and whispered:
“Anna, those two really are waiting for you.”
“They want this reunion. Their memories are genuine. There’s no doubt—they’re real.”
“You don’t need to hesitate. Go.”
She gave Anna a little push.
At first, her steps were tentative. She still looked back with uncertainty.
But the closer she came, the faster her pace became—
Until she was running.
Then sprinting—
Until she flew into their embrace.
Robin smiled as she watched the family reunite.
This was the scene she had come here to see.
This was what she wanted most.
After the reunion, Anna gave her parents a few parting words and returned to escort Robin, Black Swan, and the children onward.
The crowd began to disperse.
They boarded a transport vehicle bound for the palace.
From the windows, Robin took in the breathtaking beauty of the planet.
But as they passed a roadside plaza, something caught her eye.
Her gaze locked on a figure—and didn’t look away.
“Driver, please stop the vehicle,” she said quickly.
Black Swan, noticing Robin’s urgency, peeked outside with curiosity.
She saw Robin leap out and head toward a cluster of people.
Among them, one young man stood out—completely at odds with the others.
“Interesting…” Black Swan murmured and stepped off to follow her.
Robin moved faster as the figure came into clearer view.
There was no doubt.
That was Hoshigaki Sora.
When she’d parted ways with the Galaxy Rangers, she hadn’t seen him again.
She hadn’t expected to find him here.
Am I seeing things? No—it wasn’t a hallucination. He was animatedly arguing with someone.
Robin quietly joined the crowd, listening in.
“I’m telling you, the guardian deity had to have come from Mount Fang!” one man declared.
Sora: “Huh? Why do you think that? I’m pretty sure the planet just birthed it naturally.”
“Hmph! You don’t understand. Here, I’ll give you three examples—”
The man rattled them off—covering the sky, sea, and land. Every one of the planet’s terrains.
“None of them match the guardian deity’s shape! But Mount Fang’s cracks—look closely! They’re just like the deity’s armor!”
“There’s no doubt! It was born in that mountain!”
Sora: “Ah… or maybe it’s just… natural erosion?”
“Hah! What kind of coincidence would that be?”
Sora: “But, like… what if it is a coincidence?”
The planetary archives had it all recorded—he could even quote the wind speed at the time.
“No way! And besides, I’ve lived on this planet for 35 years! You think you know it better than me?!”
“Ah… well… I—y’know what? You’re totally right.”
Seeing how confident the man was, Sora could only keep nodding.
Just then, a familiar voice called from the side.
“Sora-san?”
He turned—and saw Robin and Black Swan walking toward him.
Seeing Sora, Black Swan smiled.
There was a scent on him. A story.
And stories meant knowledge.
“Sir,” she said with polite interest, “I have a few questions for you, if you don’t mind?”
—
T/N: lmao bro wrote ur entire history smh
This is a fan translation of 星穹铁道，骑士力量每周刷新 by 想吃手枪腿 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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