"Of course..."
"You're free to stand by your principles."
Evan smiled faintly.
"But if you do..."
"May I take that as the Family choosing to stand against Planet Screwllum?"
"And..."
"Are you truly prepared to bear the consequences of making an enemy of the Genius Society?"
The sudden pressure in the room caught both of them off guard.
A moment later...
The tension quietly dissipated.
Jade's expression remained unpleasant.
Yet she quickly regained her composure.
When she looked at Evan again...
Something about her gaze had changed.
Just now...
He had released the aura of an Emanator.
"Very well."
Evan stood up leisurely.
"Since Mr. Screwllum has already gone to Dream's Edge..."
"My companions should already be waiting for him."
"You two can continue your negotiations."
"There's no need to concern yourselves with me."
He paused for a moment before turning toward Jade.
"Oh, right."
"Miss Jade."
"When you return..."
"Please pass along a message to the IPC's Technology Department."
"One day..."
"I'll personally pay them a visit."
Without waiting for a reply...
Evan walked out of the conference room.
Even before the Emperor's War...
The IPC had already been recognized by the Aeon of Equilibrium as the dominant power of the galaxy.
After the Emperor's War...
It had rebuilt an entirely new galactic order in an astonishingly short time.
If the IPC were ever to regain control of the Imaginary Collapse Pulse...
The balance of the universe would truly cease to exist.
As for the Technology Department...
The things they had done were nothing short of revolting.
Then again...
The Marketing Development Department wasn't much better.
Unfortunately...
Until another force capable of replacing the IPC emerged...
There was little anyone could do against them.
Even a civilization as powerful as the Xianzhou Alliance...
Still had to coexist with the Corporation.
Some Xianzhou ships had already embraced modern IPC-style civilization almost entirely.
The IPC's influence...
It really was terrifying.
Fortunately...
Evan alone...
Could still use both his status as an Emanator...
And his connections with multiple factions...
To put some pressure on that damned Technology Department.
Calderon Chadwick.
His life had risen...
And fallen.
To some...
He was a genius among geniuses.
A brilliant scientist.
To others...
He was a devil whose hands were stained with countless deaths.
Someone who had brought destruction wherever he went.
His entire life had been filled with controversy.
Manipulation.
Control.
And an endless burden of guilt.
Yet...
One unwavering belief had remained with him until the very end.
After a lifetime of suffering...
Fate had finally chosen...
To show this condemned man a measure of kindness.
Someone like him...
Should never have spent two Amber Eras enduring such torment.
That was never the ending he deserved.
Because of that...
Evan genuinely appreciated Kafka.
Had she not given him Chadwick's name...
The old genius might never have received the peace he deserved.
A true ending.
Evan smiled faintly.
Then quietly left the Radiant Feldspar.
As expected...
Nothing unexpected happened aboard the Radiant Feldspar after Evan departed.
Neither Jade...
Nor Old Oti...
Raised any objections regarding Dr. Chadwick's preserved memorial.
It was almost as though...
The matter had simply been forgotten.
After all...
The assignment had merely been entrusted to Jade by the Technology Department.
Now that the mission has failed...
She wasn't particularly concerned.
What truly irritated her...
Was something else.
Being completely cornered.
Lady Jade...
One of the Ten Stonehearts...
Had always been the one controlling others.
Never...
Had she been placed in a situation where someone held absolute leverage over her...
While she had no way to fight back.
...Damn it.
The secret of the Imaginary Collapse Pulse...
Would soon return...
To the geniuses who rightfully owned it.
Whether she cared about that old man or not didn't matter.
What mattered...
Was that she now had to report the movements of the living members of the Genius Society.
As for Penacony...
A smile slowly appeared on Jade's face.
"Desire..."
"Has always been the easiest way to control people's hearts."
"It seems..."
"It's about time I opened another branch of Bonajade Exchange here."
Having finished all the negotiations...
She finally left the VIP conference room.
Meanwhile...
Evan returned to Golden Hour.
Outside Clockie Diner...
He sat together with Boothill, each holding a cold drink.
"Hell yeah!"
"You really scared the life outta me back there!"
"If I hadn't grabbed onto that railing..."
"I'd have fallen straight off!"
Boothill laughed loudly.
"How about joinin' the Galaxy Rangers?"
"I reckon you'd fit right in!"
Not far away...
Evan noticed another figure.
A young girl.
She wore graffiti-style clothing...
A baseball cap...
And had pink hair.
She seemed to be quietly observing something in the distance.
"The Galaxy Rangers..."
Evan chuckled.
"Maybe someday."
"But look at me."
"I'm already busy enough."
"I don't exactly have time to join another faction."
"Hah!"
Boothill grinned.
"Fine!"
"I ain't gonna keep recruitin' ya."
"Once I finish this job..."
"I'm headin' straight back to make the IPC miserable again."
"See ya next time!"
"Oh..."
"I don't think it'll take that long."
Watching the pink-haired girl in the distance...
Evan couldn't help recalling the absurd Banana Monkey song that would appear before long.
Honestly...
Dr. Primitive might be a Genius Society member...
But his followers...
Were complete lunatics.
Some ridiculous memetic virus?
That sort of thing...
Wouldn't affect him in the slightest.
"E-Evan!"
"There you are!"
Just as Evan clinked his drink against Boothill's...
March 7th and Stelle hurried over.
Both wearing excited expressions.
"Evan!"
"Mr. Screwllum..."
"Mr. Screwllum has already taken Dr. Chadwick's remaining memoria with him."
"Before leaving..."
"He asked us to invite you to the Herta Space Station."
"As a fellow member of the Genius Society..."
"He hopes you'll witness Dr. Chadwick's final farewell."
"...Already?"
"We're heading to the Space Station that soon?"
Evan suddenly remembered something.
Herta had invited him there for another reason.
If he remembered correctly...
She wanted him to assist with a new research project.
Something related to the Emperor's War.
Was it Rupert II?
Or...
Polka Kakamond's Omniscient Domain?
Unlike Stelle and the others...
He had boarded the Astral Express on Jarilo-VI.
Which meant...
He had actually never visited Herta Space Station before.
"So?"
He looked at the others.
"Are you all going too?"
"Of course!"
March answered immediately.
"The Xianzhou Luofu's Wardance Ceremony won't begin for another few months."
"So there's absolutely no rush."
"And..."
"Himeko said she accepted a commission from Miss Ruan Mei."
"Something about studying the remains of an Ancient Beast."
"So we might as well all go together!"
"Besides..."
"Herta Space Station is connected through the Star Rail Anchor."
"A round trip won't take long at all."
Evan nodded thoughtfully.
The Astral Express was running low on fuel.
Its next Trailblaze destination would have to be a completely unexplored world.
Fortunately...
There was still more than enough fuel for return trips.
There was even enough time...
To visit Jarilo-VI once more.
To see...
Whether everything he had left behind for Seele and the others...
Had finally begun leading that frozen world...
Toward a brighter future.
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