"I assume, Mr. Screwllum..."
"You already know why I asked you to come?"
"...Chadwick?"
Screwllum had come to Penacony after accepting Dr. Ratio's invitation to collaborate.
His goal was to utilize Planet Screwllum's technology to develop a new branch of the Simulated Universe—
The Divergent Universe.
However...
Not long after arriving, he received a message from Evan.
The message contained only two things.
A name.
And a location.
The location...
The Radiant Feldspar floating above Golden Hour.
The name...
Chadwick.
"That's right."
"Calderon Chadwick."
"Genius Society Member No. 79."
"His fields of expertise included solid-state physics, imaginary energy applications, and orbital mechanics."
"Throughout my long journey across the stars..."
"He was one of the very few souls truly worthy of being called a genius."
"I met Dr. Chadwick twice."
"The first time..."
"He was still young and full of ambition."
"The second..."
"Was several decades later."
"The man standing before me then..."
"Was nothing like the one I'd met before."
Screwllum still remembered those two encounters vividly.
The first...
A brilliant young genius standing proudly at the peak of his career.
The second...
A weary middle-aged man.
The greatest difference wasn't his appearance.
It was his spirit.
During that second meeting...
Dr. Chadwick had asked Screwllum for help.
Then...
He disappeared without a trace.
No one in the galaxy ever learned what became of him.
Rumors claimed...
His disappearance was connected to the project he had been researching.
The Imaginary Pulse Weapon.
Now...
After two entire Amber Eras...
Hearing Chadwick's name again still shocked Screwllum.
Because...
Dr. Chadwick wasn't a long-life species.
If he truly remained inside Penacony...
Then his physical body had already perished long ago.
Which meant...
The dreamscape itself...
Had become his prison.
"...Information from the Stellaron Hunters?"
"I understand."
Evan immediately noticed...
The atmosphere around Screwllum had subtly changed.
Among all the geniuses...
Screwllum was perhaps the one most like an ordinary human.
Elegant.
Gentle.
Courteous.
No matter whom he spoke with.
Even Herta...
Could sometimes come across as blunt or arrogant.
But Screwllum rarely gave anyone that impression.
Yet now...
Something about him felt different.
So...
This was the aura of a king?
People often forgot Screwllum's true identity.
Because everyone only remembered one thing.
He was a Genius Society member.
But before that...
He was the sovereign of Planet Screwllum.
"Then..."
Screwllum spoke calmly.
"It seems neither of us can afford to miss this meeting."
Evan smiled.
"This time..."
"I'll attend as a representative of the Genius Society."
"And together..."
"We're bringing one of our geniuses home."
The Radiant Feldspar — VIP Conference Room
"Now..."
"We can finally stop speaking in riddles."
"Tell me, Old Oti."
"Do you really believe that, over the past ten Amber Eras..."
"You've been the only merchant to witness the changing tides of the galaxy?"
Jade's expression had completely changed.
Gone was her earlier warmth.
Now...
Every sentence cornered Old Oti another step further.
Making the IPC's stance unmistakably clear.
"Hah..."
"Interesting."
"Very interesting indeed."
Old Oti chuckled.
"So..."
"You want to lay all your cards on the table?"
"Excellent."
"I've always preferred honesty."
"Go on."
"Let's hear your next move."
Jade smiled faintly.
"Unfortunately..."
"My habit is to deliver checkmate..."
"Before making the final move."
"I'll make this simple."
"First."
"Your plan cannot succeed."
"There is absolutely no possibility of Penacony going public without the IPC."
"Second."
"You cannot stop the IPC from entering Penacony."
"We have all the time..."
"And all the methods..."
"Necessary to pry open even the smallest crack."
"And once we do..."
"We'll fill it completely."
"Until the Asdana Star System once again remembers how the IPC operates."
"You once said those words yourself."
"I'm merely returning them."
"For the sake of preserving your dignity..."
"And to prevent you from becoming the target of everyone at the official negotiations..."
"I strongly advise you..."
"Abandon that ridiculous fantasy."
"Hahahahaha!"
Old Oti burst into laughter.
"You silver-tongued woman..."
"Your confidence is certainly impressive."
"Very well."
"Show me what cards you're hiding."
Jade leaned back calmly.
"Don't forget, Mr. Oti."
"The IPC controls the largest media network in the galaxy."
"More than half of all interstellar news outlets..."
"Answer to us."
"The moment news of Penacony's independent public offering spreads..."
"Trillions of users across the galaxy..."
"Will receive a single notification."
The Family's protection over Penacony has failed.
Accidents occurring within the dreamscape may now result in permanent brain death.
Jade's smile never wavered.
"Tell me..."
"When the entire galaxy turns its attention toward Penacony..."
"How many different ways do you think the IPC has..."
"To reduce your Clover Coin..."
"To complete worthlessness..."
"Within twenty-four system hours?"
Old Oti indeed had a way to bypass the IPC's stock exchange.
But if he did...
The IPC would unleash its greatest weapon.
Public opinion.
Penacony wasn't a flawless paradise.
There had been Stellaron disasters.
Deaths inside the dreamscape.
The lingering influence of Order.
Any one of those incidents...
Would shatter Penacony's reputation overnight.
Old Oti's expression gradually changed.
His confidence...
Turned into shock.
Then fear.
Then unwillingness.
Every emotion was laid bare before Jade.
This was negotiation.
Unless absolutely necessary...
Jade had no intention of dragging both sides into mutual destruction.
But...
If Old Oti refused to compromise...
She wouldn't hesitate.
"You think..."
"You can really do that?"
Old Oti's voice had already become filled with anger.
Jade merely smiled.
"My whip reaches very far."
"Even from Pier Point..."
"I can tighten it around your neck."
"But..."
"If you abandon that foolish listing plan..."
"The IPC guarantees..."
"The interests of you and the Family Heads will remain untouched."
"In Asdana..."
"We also need allies."
"The IPC can provide funding."
"We'll begin..."
"By purchasing thirty percent of Penacony's shares."
"With our capital..."
"Penacony's reconstruction..."
"Would take only a single night."
"Thirty percent?"
Old Oti frowned.
"And who can guarantee..."
"Your appetite won't continue growing?"
Before he could finish—
The conference room doors opened.
Evan.
And Screwllum.
Walked inside together.
Smiling politely...
Evan looked at the two negotiators.
"My apologies."
"For interrupting your meeting."
"But..."
"I'm afraid this discussion..."
"Needs to end here."
Jade's expression darkened slightly.
She had nearly secured complete control over Old Oti.
Only to be interrupted.
However...
The moment she recognized the newcomers...
Her expression returned to normal.
"So it's our friends from the Astral Express."
She smiled.
"Mr. Oti."
"This is the witness I invited."
"I intend to gift five percent of Penacony's shares to the Astral Express..."
"In honor of Penacony's founding father..."
"Mikhail."
"..."
Strange.
According to her original plan...
The one arriving today should've been Himeko.
So why...
Had Evan come instead?
"The matter of the five percent share transfer..."
"Can wait."
Evan calmly interrupted.
"I came today..."
"To ask both of you..."
"To hand someone over."
"...Someone?"
Jade blinked.
She couldn't quite follow.
Who?
The Stellaron Hunters?
But the IPC hadn't planned on arresting them.
Nor had she ordered anyone to pursue them.
Then...
Who exactly was he talking about?
Old Oti was equally confused.
He had only just regained control after the Oak Family's downfall.
What exactly gave this young man such confidence?
"I believe..."
"Neither of you is unfamiliar with this name."
Evan placed the note Kafka had given him onto the table.
Old Oti lowered his gaze.
Then froze.
At the exact same moment—
Jade's calm expression completely disappeared.
Because...
The name written there...
Was also one of the reasons she'd come to Penacony.
The creator of the Imaginary Pulse Weapon.
The genius imprisoned by the IPC inside Penacony's dreamscape...
For two entire Amber Eras.
Calderon Chadwick.
Dream's Edge
An elderly man sat quietly upon a wooden bench.
His eyes gazed peacefully toward the distant City of Dreams.
Following his line of sight...
Smoke drifted into the artificial horizon.
Another carnival.
Another celebration.
The city remained as lively as ever.
Yet...
It had nothing to do with him.
Soon...
The old man's gaze shifted toward two familiar girls.
His eyes lingered briefly...
On the emblem resting upon the girl's left shoulder.
"Hello..."
"Nameless."
"I've forgotten many things..."
"But..."
"I still remember that symbol."
"The Nameless..."
"Are legends."
Stelle and March 7th had merely been wandering around the area.
Neither expected this mysterious old man...
To recognize them immediately.
"March!"
"March!"
"He knows us!"
March folded her arms.
"He doesn't know us."
"He recognizes the emblem."
"It's the Astral Express insignia."
"Then..."
"Who exactly is this old man?"
Stelle looked at him carefully.
Something felt...
Off.
As though he had lost part of both his memories...
And his emotions.
Such cases...
Were hardly uncommon in Penacony.
Without another word—
Stelle immediately reached out.
Preparing to use Clockwork on him.
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