"Please, Screwllum. This is the request of a lifetime."
"Conclusion: There is no need for such gravity. If it is merely a toy of this caliber, I can provide it to you in three hours. It is not a troublesome matter."
Screwllum's voice was calm. When Chen Li had first mentioned a combining mech, Screwllum had initially wondered about the level of power required. It only needed to be capable of leveling a small hill at full output?
Isn't that trivially easy?
And if it needed to be universally compatible across all worlds, then solar-powered charging would suffice. Planets without a star to illuminate them would have difficulty birthing carbon-based life. Therefore, it follows that any planet with carbon-based life would have a star.
Who was Screwllum? A member of the Genius Society, the sovereign of Planet Screwllum. He could construct an entire planet and its mechanical lifeforms using only basic components like screws and nuts.
"Thank you so much. Speaking of which, Screwllum, is there anything you want? Like, would you like me to forge a Curio for you? I feel a bit bad for always troubling you," Chen Li asked during their video call.
Once he forged a Curio for Screwllum, he could then trouble him with a clear conscience.
"Judgment: Not at present. Perhaps in the future." Screwllum shook his head.
He didn't mind Chen Li "troubling" him. After all, they were not significant troubles and didn't even require his personal intervention. Whether it was delivering a package or assembling a combining mech, neither was a major undertaking.
"Then just let me know if you need anything. I'll deposit 50 Star Jades into your account later," Chen Li nodded.
Just by taking all those Teigu from the Akame ga Kill! world, Chen Li had earned 600 Star Jades, so he didn't mind paying a little. Besides, the Star Jades were secondary; the offer to forge a Curio for Screwllum was the most precious gift he could give.
"You are too kind. If you were to seek out the Interastral Peace Corporation for such matters, they would also resolve them for you swiftly."
"I'd rather not get involved with the IPC. I'm the type who responds to a soft approach, not a hard one. Rather than trying to figure out how to refuse the IPC when they eventually ask me for a favor, it's better to just ask someone else for help in the first place," Chen Li said, shaking his head.
It wasn't that he was incapable of getting support from the Interastral Peace Corporation. In fact, after he had first demonstrated his power as a member of the Genius Society, in the eyes of the IPC, he was the most suitable member to cooperate with. The ability to manipulate wealth was a perfect match for the wealthy IPC, wasn't it?
But Chen Li truly felt that a faction like the IPC, which sometimes had a conscience and at other times was utterly devoid of one, was the most likely to cause trouble. If the IPC were to cause a disaster using one of his Curios, he'd have to clean up his own mess, which would be exhausting.
Hmm, wait a minute!
Chen Li suddenly had a realization.
If he owed the Interastral Peace Corporation a favor, how would he resolve it?
Couldn't he just eliminate the IPC? If you can't solve the debt, can't you just solve the debtor?
I'm a genius!
"Query: If you truly wish to repay me in some way, then perhaps you could satisfy my curiosity. I wish to know what question you posed to Nous, the Aeon of Erudition, during your audience. And what request did you make of It?" Screwllum asked.
"...I don't mind satisfying your curiosity, but are you sure you really want to ask?"
"Conclusion: Yes. Every question posed to the Aeon of Erudition and every response It gives is vital data for the study of Aeons. This may assist me in constructing the Aeon personalities within the Simulated Universe," Screwllum nodded.
"Alright. But you can't tell anyone."
"Agreed."
"The first question I asked Nous when I met It was: It believes my intelligence is unparalleled in this world, and It isn't just watching me because It thinks I have the ability to disrupt the future, right? I forget the exact words, but that was the gist of it," Chen Li said.
"Logic: As a Curio Forger who edits reality, it is reasonable for Nous to pay attention to an unfamiliar system and an unfamiliar individual such as yourself. What request did you make, then?" Screwllum was not surprised by Chen Li's question, nor by the reason for Nous's interest. If the profession of Curio Forger could create miracles, it could naturally erase futures as well.
"My request... 'Could you help me take out the trash in the venue, please?'"
"Acknowledged. The trash from which venue?" Screwllum asked.
"..." came the silent commentary from Chen Li.
An "as expected" expression appeared on his face. When a normal person heard Chen Li's honest answer, their brain really might not be able to process it.
For example, some people simply cannot imagine that a guy would choose the skill to skip a stone across a river 30 times over 10,000 credits. Nor could they imagine a gamer so dense he'd stick a C4 on an AI, see the AI walk towards him, but then suddenly get distracted by a "Heart of Africa" in a display case nearby. His left brain and right brain would start fighting—one wanting to run, the other wanting the loot—and the result would be him just standing there, getting blown up by his own C4, losing both his life and the prize.
If you can't imagine that, you haven't lived enough.
"..." came the silent commentary from Screwllum.
Watching the expression on Chen Li's face, Screwllum's own thoughts couldn't help but grow bolder.
"Inference: Are you suggesting... that the request you made to the Aeon of Erudition was for It to take out the trash from the venue where you forged your Curio?"
For a rare moment, Chen Li could hear a fluctuation in Screwllum's voice that was remarkably similar to that of an organic lifeform at its absolute wit's end.
"It's not an inference, it's a fact. I had no choice! The venue was huge, I didn't have a high-powered robotic vacuum, and it would have taken me all night to sweep it alone. But Nous just happened to show up, right? As the saying goes, 'it's not about being early, it's about being on time'... Surely you can understand my thinking at that moment, Screwllum."
"I understand..."
He did not understand. Not one bit!
Screwllum simply understood one thing: carbon-based lifeforms were truly miraculous. Perhaps Aha, the Aeon of Elation, had found Chen Li even earlier than he had imagined. Screwllum mused that if he were the Aeon of Elation, he would also have to give Chen Li a second look. Just to see what other kind of absurdity he could possibly come up with.
"As long as you understand," Chen Li said, relieved. The feeling of being misunderstood was terrible.
"Conclusion: When I am constructing the combining mech for you, I will personally design a super-high-powered robotic vacuum cleaner for you," Screwllum said gravely.
He didn't plan to build the mech himself, but the vacuum cleaner required his personal touch. Screwllum hoped to ensure that the next time Chen Li had an audience with the Aeon of Erudition, he wouldn't waste the opportunity for such a reason.
To face the Aeon that countless scholars dreamed of meeting, not only did he show no fear, but he even made It take out the trash? This guy, Chen Li...
"Why did you come to such a strange conclusion?" Chen Li asked, completely baffled.
"It is time to end this communication. I enjoyed our conversation. Every time we speak, I learn that the limits of carbon-based life are far greater than I imagined. This is very helpful for my research on the differences between organic and inorganic life."
After this very polite farewell, Screwllum hung up.
"...Screwllum. Was he just insulting me?" Chen Li asked uncertainly.
"I don't know if he was insulting you, but can you please do something about Najenda in the Friends Circle? After an hour of chatting in there, she seems to be getting more and more unhinged," Kaguya said, opening her mouth to accept the food Chen Li was feeding her while offering a reminder.
"Is that so?" Chen Li continued his feeding duties while checking the chat log.
According to Kaguya, since she was competing on his behalf, he was responsible for everything else outside of the competition. For example, feeding her.
The problem with Najenda stemmed from the Friends Circle terminal Chen Li had given her when he let her and the rest of Night Raid go. After all, once he finished the mech, he had to have a way to send it to them, right?
Although Chen Li felt that the higher-ups in the Revolutionary Army were not necessarily righteous, the percentage of idealists was definitely higher than in the Empire, and Najenda was a promising talent. So, after she joined, he had suggested she learn about the governmental systems of the other members' worlds.
Najenda was still resentful about his plan to make Esdeath the military pillar of the new empire, but she relaxed after Chen Li promised to hang Esdeath up and whip her for three days and three nights if she didn't behave. Based on her knowledge of Esdeath, Najenda knew she would never behave. An Esdeath who was constantly being hung up and beaten was equivalent to no Esdeath at all. It was perfectly logical.
If you were wondering how Najenda knew Esdeath so well, it was because she used to be her second-in-command.
"Najenda seems very curious about the systems of other countries."
"Najenda is now learning about constitutional monarchy. Considering the little emperor is just inexperienced and deceived by the Minister, it's understandable that she, as a former Imperial general, would consider this system."
"Najenda is now learning about the presidential system. This fits the Revolutionary Army's goals, so it's normal for her to be interested."
"Najenda is now learning about the papal system. If the Path of Peace becomes the state religion in the future, it would indeed need a well-established system."
"Najenda is now learning about republicanism. Electing the head of state is very democratic."
"Holy shit, what's this about 'smashing the local tyrants and dividing the land'?"
"What's this about 'if you can change the world, you should change it completely'?"
"How is she even more extreme than me?!"
---o---