"You invaders! You've trespassed upon my master's land and spilled blood without cause! You're enemies!"
The voice that echoed through the air was filled with rage, along with a hint of lingering fear.
Claretwheel genuinely hadn't expected this. It'd been guarding Claretwheel Temple for its master, yet the first visitors it welcomed turned out to be such bloodthirsty monsters. Not only had they tried to kill it, they'd even wanted to eat it alive, devouring its body piece by piece!
What a cruel and bloodthirsty race these Borisin were!
It was only a baby, barely ten days old, and they were already treating it with such cruelty. What monsters!
Still, having inherited all of Claretwheel Temple's memories, it considered itself a member of the temple. Sylvia had also told it not to kill every enemy that came knocking, so it didn't want to cause too much bloodshed.
It'd merely made a small move, tearing apart the creature's mouth and breaking its limbs to stop it from gnawing on its body. Then it'd given the intruders a warning.
But to the Borisin, that sudden attack had come as a huge shock. They could accept the existence of powerful enemies. The Borisin weren't invincible, after all. But having one of their beast ships crippled without even knowing who'd attacked, where the enemy was hiding, or what method they'd used? That was much harder to swallow.
"Who's playing tricks on us?! Are you too scared to show yourself?!"
Claretwheel flew into a rage when it heard those words.
Oh, so that was how it was going to be! These vermin had been trampling all over its back, trying to devour it alive, and now they had the nerve to act like they were the victims?!
Just as its master had said, if you didn't show your strength, these wretched bugs would never learn their place!
"Hmph! If that's how you want it, then remember this name! I am Claretwheel!"
Its furious declaration was so loud that it nearly killed the Borisin on the spot.
RUMBLE!!!
The earth shook with a roar that seemed to pierce the heavens. Terrifying hurricanes swept across the land as the ground lurched and buckled, hurling every Borisin into the air.
In the midst of the chaos, they watched in horror as the vast, lush mountain range began rising straight into the sky!
"The mountain's flying!!!"
"What's happening?!"
"N-no, wait! What... what kind of monster is that?!"
A monstrous head nearly a hundred kilometers across rose from beneath the earth. Its eyes, each as bright as the blazing sun, opened amid tremors that seemed capable of tearing the world apart. Then, right before the Borisin, an abyssal maw of unimaginable size opened wide.
Every Borisin who'd been thrown into the air froze in terror.
"ROOOAR!!!"
Claretwheel unleashed a furious roar at the Borisin army. The resulting gale was so fierce that it swept away both their beast ships and every soldier in its path.
Then Claretwheel drew upon the power within its body and turned its fury toward the massive beast ship stationed beyond the planet.
"You filthy vermin! Claretwheel Temple is my master's domain! Those who wish to join the temple shall be welcomed, but if you dare invade again, only death awaits you!"
Fueled by an immense surge of Path power, its voice spread beyond the planet in a single breath.
BOOM!
The shockwave slammed into the enormous flagship. In an instant, warning alarms rang throughout the vessel as the entire beast ship was brought to the brink of destruction.
Yet Claretwheel's control over its power was precise. Neither the ships nor the Borisin aboard them suffered a single immediate death. Instead, every last one of them sustained severe injuries that left them on the verge of dying. Even the Borisin and beast ships on the surface, which had been blown more than ten thousand meters into the air, received the same treatment.
Claretwheel wanted to obey the temple's precepts, but Sylvia had also entrusted it with protecting Claretwheel Temple and showing off its strength when needed. And in Claretwheel's heart, the wishes of Sylvia, its creator, naturally took priority.
That was why it'd chosen a slightly roundabout method of intimidation.
After all, it hadn't killed any of them outright!
Now, if those Borisin didn't have a way to make an emergency landing from that height and ended up falling to their deaths, well, that wasn't its problem!
RUMBLE...
After blowing away the dangerous creatures that'd tried to eat it, Claretwheel still felt a little shaken. Just what kind of beings were the Borisin? They'd tried to eat it alive the moment they arrived! Their entire race seemed to be bloodthirsty beyond belief.
Yet that only made Claretwheel admire the monks of Claretwheel Temple even more. To think they'd managed to overcome such savage instincts and remain faithful to their vow against killing!
As it pondered this, Claretwheel lowered its head again and buried its eyes beneath the soil, shutting out the harsh sunlight. It'd finished warning those awful intruders. If they still refused to listen, it'd have to call for backup.
--+--
Meanwhile, aboard the flagship, the commander of the Borisin fleet lay sprawled on the floor, coughing up blood. His eyes were filled with terror.
He couldn't understand where such a horrifying monster had come from, much less what kind of being the creature meant when it spoke of its master.
And then there was Claretwheel Temple. Where had those cowardly weaklings found such a powerful guardian for their gates? What were they planning?
Were they trying to turn Claretwheel Temple into the strongest clan among the Borisin?!
No. He had to get this information back to the other clans, no matter what! This was far beyond what a mere fleet commander like him could handle.
"Gah... Retreat! Return at once! We have to... agh... bring this information back!"
With the fleet's defeat, news of Claretwheel Temple spread throughout the Borisin territories.
And would the Borisin simply accept such humiliation?
Of course not!
They gathered their main fleet on the spot and launched another assault on Claretwheel Temple. Some even planned to shatter the planet itself to destroy the colossal beast.
Yet all it took was another furious roar.
Every attack crumbled. Every fleet was defeated in a single blow, and every soldier was left grievously wounded and close to death. More than half of them couldn't even endure the return journey, dying in their beds before they made it home.
But the defeat of one clan only invited mockery from the others. More and more clans refused to believe the reports and sent their own main forces to challenge the beast.
Without exception, they all ended up on the verge of death.
After all six major clans had been crushed by Claretwheel, the Borisin finally understood one thing.
Claretwheel Temple had found itself an unimaginably powerful backer.
The "master" mentioned by the beast guarding the mountain was probably... an Emanator.
Once that suspicion began to spread, the Borisin finally lost their nerve.
Their Warhead had been executed by the Xianzhou, and his heart had vanished without a trace. They couldn't afford to provoke anyone who might be an Emanator anymore.
With the Borisin backing down, news of Claretwheel Temple spread across the cosmos. A mysterious Emanator had taken the temple under their protection, a terrifying beast guarded its gates, and Claretwheel Temple was openly recruiting disciples.
The story even made it onto the Interastral Peace Corporation's news broadcasts.
--+--
Strategic Investment Department.
Topaz hadn't given much thought to why Sylvia had wanted to borrow a spaceship. At least, not until word of the events in Borisin territory began to spread.
The IPC had identified the ship Topaz had lent out. After following the trail and tracing its records back to their source, the investigation eventually led straight to her.
It was only after receiving a notice from Jade that Topaz realized the latest uproar was yet another incident caused by Sylvia.
"So, Director Topaz, you're saying that Emanator Sylvia approached you in private to borrow a spaceship, and because of your personal friendship, you lent company property to an outsider without authorization?"
"Please watch your wording. Although that spaceship is under contract with the company, the vessel itself is privately owned. How its owner chooses to use it outside working hours is none of the company's concern."
Faced with the Intelligentsia Guild's accusations, Topaz refused to give an inch.
What did their recent misfortunes have to do with her? If those people thought they could drag her down with them just because they'd been having a rough time, they had another thing coming.
"Y-you..."
"First of all, all I did was introduce Miss Sylvia to a spaceship rental service. Whatever purpose she had for using that ship has nothing to do with me. Second, the relevant application was approved through the proper internal channels. For one system month, that spaceship isn't under company jurisdiction. I'd suggest the Intelligentsia Guild get its facts straight before contacting me again."
Topaz brushed aside the Guild's attempt to hold her accountable with ease, then let out a soft laugh.
The Intelligentsia Guild had recently lost a shipment of automated weapons on the Xianzhou, prompting the Xianzhou Alliance to demand a serious explanation.
Then, because of the Claretwheel Temple incident, the Borisin clan that worked with the Guild had turned around and started blaming them as well.
Caught between two angry parties, the Guild had searched for someone to pin the blame on. When they discovered that Topaz had been the one to arrange the spaceship rental, they'd tried to drag her into the mess.
Unfortunately for them, whoever was in charge of the project seemed to have lost their mind. Either that or they'd grown so used to throwing their weight around that they didn't bother thinking before they spoke.
Topaz had shut them down in just a few sentences.
Jade, who'd listened to the entire conversation from the side, couldn't help laughing.
"The Intelligentsia Guild wants the Borisin to turn their anger toward us. I imagine they'll hand over that recording as evidence to the clan they're working with."
Topaz gave a carefree smile.
"The Borisin aren't idiots. They're just looking for a way to save face."
For one thing, any Borisin clan capable of working with the Intelligentsia Guild was bound to be among the more levelheaded factions. They'd never launch a real campaign of revenge against the IPC.
And even if they lost their minds and decided to go after her personally, what would that accomplish?
On one side was her friendship with Sylvia, a powerful Emanator. On the other was the goodwill of the Borisin, which the IPC could take or leave.
Anyone with half a brain could tell which one mattered more.
The Borisin Warhead had been imprisoned by the Xianzhou for centuries before his execution, and they still hadn't chosen a successor. Did they really think they were some great power?
They just couldn't stand the thought of doing nothing after such a humiliating defeat, so they were using the Intelligentsia Guild as a way to back down without losing face.
Only the Guild's researchers, who coveted the Blessing of Abundance flowing through Borisin veins, would treat them like some precious treasure.
Topaz even suspected that the person who'd contacted her had been acting with a simple goal in mind: drag Topaz into the mess if possible, and if that failed, at least show their Borisin partners that they were making an effort.
If they hadn't technically been colleagues, and if there weren't limits to how harshly she could speak to them, Topaz would've given them a much sharper piece of her mind.
Diamond's promotion to the Board of Directors was still being arranged, and there wouldn't be any definite results for some time. The entire company was watching the Strategic Investment Department, leaving them surrounded by rivals on all sides.
There were plenty of people eager to make trouble for the Ten Stonehearts, and the Intelligentsia Guild probably had its own schemes in mind.
Jade smiled and shrugged.
"More importantly, I'm curious about what Sylvia was trying to achieve. Surely she wasn't doing all this out of charity?"
Topaz had wiped the borrowed spaceship's travel records clean. Still, Jade knew where the ship had gone after visiting Claretwheel Temple, and where it'd made its final stop.
A single planet could easily support twenty thousand people or so, but what was the point?
Even the Astral Express usually focused on teaching people to stand on their own feet. Who went around packing up an entire population and taking them away?
And even if Sylvia wanted to relocate them, that was one thing.
Why go out of her way to leave such a terrifying beast behind?
It was almost as if she'd wanted to announce to the entire universe that Claretwheel Temple had a powerful protector and that no one was allowed to lay a finger on its people.
She might be able to hide her involvement for a while, but she couldn't keep it secret forever. Sooner or later, people would learn that Sylvia was the one who'd protected Claretwheel Temple.
Of course, with Sylvia's current strength, it probably wouldn't matter even if they found out.
"Sylvia wouldn't tell me about something like that."
Topaz shrugged.
She couldn't exactly pry into Sylvia's affairs, and Sylvia was unlikely to tell her much even if she asked.
Thanks to her connection with Sylvia, Topaz was already on the verge of being promoted to P46, though the official notice hadn't been issued yet. According to Jade, the promotion was practically guaranteed.
For now, all Topaz needed to do was maintain her relationship with Sylvia.
Perhaps that same connection could even become an important bargaining chip in Diamond's promotion.
That was exactly what Topaz intended to do.
It was also why she'd been so confident during the confrontation. With Diamond backing her, she didn't have to worry about some absurd internal investigation causing her trouble.
Jade didn't stay long. Once the matter with the Intelligentsia Guild had been handled, she took her leave.
Left alone, Topaz found herself wondering about the situation too.
"Sylvia borrowed a spaceship just to take the people of Claretwheel Temple away? There has to be a reason behind that. I just hope it doesn't lead to more trouble."
Resting her chin on her hand, Topaz could only hope she wouldn't get caught up in another disaster.
After all, Sylvia had a habit of getting involved in some truly enormous incidents.
First there'd been Phantylia, then Zephyro, and right after that, the Lord of Silence.
Now it was Claretwheel Temple's turn. Who knew whether the whole affair would end up involving yet another long-established Emanator?
And while Topaz's thoughts wandered...
--+--
The very person she'd been thinking about, Sylvia, was currently aboard Herta's spaceship.
Herta had just pushed her down into a chair.
Then Herta leaned forward, bracing one hand against the backrest while lifting one leg and placing it on the seat beside Sylvia.
Her dark gray stockings brushed against Sylvia's thigh.
A triumphant smile played across Herta's stunning face as she leaned closer.
"...Didn't you say we were going to do research? W-what are you doing?"
As Herta's face drew closer, Sylvia found herself overwhelmed by her beauty. A faint blush spread across her cheeks, and she lowered her gaze on instinct, looking away from Herta's face.
Only to find herself staring straight at Herta's petite chest.
To be fair, Herta didn't have Ruan Mei's gentle charm, nor was she as well-endowed as Ruan Mei or Mei.
But Herta's bearing and beautiful face possessed a bold, almost aggressive allure that made it hard for anyone to look away.
"What am I doing? Hah! You've got the nerve to ask me that? Shouldn't you be asking yourself what you did to my puppet back then?"
"Uh..."
Sylvia shuddered from head to toe.
'I'm screwed! Herta's seriously coming after me for something that happened ages ago?!'
--+--