Stelle: "Tch, isn't that just because you're the professional here!"
Stelle: "When it comes to playing the champion of justice, we on the Astral Express are simply no match for you!"
Boothill: "Well… you ain't wrong about that…"
Stelle: "Surely you couldn't bear to watch an innocent girl be swept up in a disaster she didn't ask for?"
Boothill: "I am a Ranger of Justice, through and through!"
Boothill: "How could I possibly stand by and let such an injustice occur?"
Stelle: "Then that settles it."
Stelle: "This is your moment to let your justice shine!"
Boothill: "Son of a… I can't help but feel like you're morally blackmailing me."
Boothill: "But, if it really comes down to that, I can't just stand on the sidelines and watch."
Boothill: "It's just a prison break, right?"
Boothill: "Don't you worry—nobody's more professional at this than I am!"
Boothill: "I can slip in and out of the IPC's lion's den with ease; the Family is a walk in the park by comparison."
Hu Tao: "As expected of Mr. Boothill!"
Hu Tao: "His experience in navigating the underworld is truly impressive!"
....
『 [ The time has come, everyone. ]
[ I have an agreement with several key officials from the Company to hold preliminary consultations regarding the upcoming negotiations. I wonder if any of you would be interested in attending as observers? ]
Jing Yuan shifted his tone, posing the question to the group.
[ Since the General has extended the invitation, and given that the matter concerns the fate of the cosmos, the Astral Express crew naturally cannot refuse. ]
[ However, if the Company is not particularly welcoming of our presence… ]
Himeko hesitated, leaving her sentence unfinished.
[ How could that be? On the contrary, they are most welcome! ]
[ They have expressed that you are reliable allies of the Company here in Penacony; there is no reason to be unwelcoming. ]
[ Moreover, if observers as dependable as those of the Astral Express are present, the discussions will undoubtedly proceed more smoothly. ]
[ Well, what do you all think? ]
Jing Yuan spoke with a smile.
[ Then we shall accept your kind invitation. ]
Himeko accepted Jing Yuan's offer on behalf of the crew.
[ Eek… I-I'm a bit allergic to these kinds of formal occasions. I think I'll head back to my room and pack my bags first. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "March, why are you such a coward?"
Stelle: "This is a golden opportunity to get some spotlight, and you're just letting it slip away!"
March 7th: "What 'spotlight' are you talking about?"
March 7th: "It's clearly going to be a verbal battlefield!"
March 7th: "You know I've never been good at handling those kinds of situations!"
Paimon: "Paimon can't handle those situations either."
Paimon: "In a place like that, the other person might say ten things before Paimon can even think of one response."
Paimon: "That's just too frustrating."
Ningguang: "A negotiation table is no different from a battlefield."
Ningguang: "It requires absolute concentration of spirit and mind."
Ningguang: "For someone as pure-hearted as Miss March 7th, it is only natural that she would find it overwhelming."
Stelle: "As I thought, I really am the all-rounder here!"
Stelle: "A little negotiation is a piece of cake."
Silver Wolf: "I don't think you know the first thing about negotiating."
Silver Wolf: "But your skin is thick—exceptionally thick."
Silver Wolf: "You're an excellent shit-stirrer."
Furina de Fontaine: "Pfft… Hahahahaha…!"
Furina de Fontaine: "Sor… sorry, I'm not laughing at Miss Stelle… I just couldn't help it."
Stelle: "Damn it, you're the shit-stirrer!"
Stelle: "Silver Wolf, if you can't say something nice, just shut up!"
Silver Wolf: "I'm merely stating facts. Why are you getting so worked up?"
Silver Wolf: "Besides, isn't being a shit-stirrer a good thing?"
Silver Wolf: "It means nobody can get the better of you."
Qingque: "Hey, 'shit-stirrer' is too crude. Stelle wouldn't like that."
Qingque: "How about 'unshakeable rogue'?"
Qingque: "It sounds a bit more refined."
Stelle: "Both of you, that's enough!!"
Stelle: "To think you'd smear the reputation of the Galactic Baseballer… I'll remember this!"
Stelle: "I'll settle the score with you sooner or later!"
....
『 [ Not to worry. Himeko and I will take care of things. ]
Welt signaled to March 7th that she could return in peace, assuring her that he and Himeko were sufficient.
[ I'm afraid I must return to the Express ahead of you all as well. ]
[ The Conductor is worried about us; it would be best if I went to explain the current situation. ]
Dan Heng was anxious to return to the train and did not intend to accompany them.
[ Yes, I'll leave that to you. ]
[ Stelle, what about you? ]
[ Would you like to come with Welt and me, or do you have other matters to attend to? ]
Himeko asked for Stelle's opinion.
[ My intuition tells me there's only one choice here… ]
Stelle glanced at Jing Yuan's expression and felt that her presence might be mandatory.
[ Haha, a good guess! ]
[ While I am not privy to the specific reasons, the Company representatives have insisted that Stelle attend as an observer—I shall lead the way, this way please! ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "See that?"
Stelle: "It seems I'm indispensable regardless of the occasion…"
Stelle: "Sigh, it's all thanks to my cursed charm…"
March 7th: "Look at you, acting all smug."
March 7th: "Can't you just be a little more low-profile?"
Stelle: "Am I not low-profile enough?"
Stelle: "There are still plenty of people in this universe who don't even know my name!"
Furina de Fontaine: "I suspect the reason they called for Miss Stelle is that she's the only one who has experienced every single major event?"
Hu Tao: "True! Basically, every major incident in Penacony had Miss Stelle present."
Hu Tao: "It's as if she's the central figure; everything seems to revolve around her."
Guinaifen: "Truly, the treatment of a protagonist. My sister really is a walking Stellaron."
Aventurine: "Exactly. How could a negotiation be perfect without the protagonist in attendance?"
Aventurine: "However, I'm more interested in the outcome of this negotiation."
Venti: "Ehe, I suspect it'll be quite intense."
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "There will undoubtedly be a clash of wits and words…"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Sigh… if it were up to me, I wouldn't waste my time on such trivialities."
Topaz: "Unless the Family concedes and is willing to hand Penacony over on a silver platter, this matter won't be resolved anytime soon."
Lumine: "Make the Family concede?"
Lumine: "That sounds like a complete fantasy…"
....
『 [ The venue for the consultations is the hotel lobby. ]
[ Everyone, please follow me. ]
Jing Yuan began leading the way toward the hotel lobby.
A moment later…
[ Mr. Aventurine and Miss Topaz have both arrived… and who is that over there? ]
From a distance, Himeko spotted the trio from the Company.
[ Professor Ratio of the Intelligentsia Guild. Quite an impressive entourage. ]
Welt answered Himeko's question, unable to hide a hint of admiration.
[ It has been a long time, members of the Astral Express. ]
[ And my sincerest gratitude to you, General of the Luofu. ]
[ With all of you here to witness this, I am confident that these negotiations will conclude with a result that satisfies all parties. ]
Upon their arrival, Aventurine immediately offered a warm greeting. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "I say, friend, that slash didn't actually do any permanent damage to you?"
Stelle: "How are you standing there completely unscathed?"
March 7th: "Looking at him, he acts like nothing even happened…"
March 7th: "Is Preservation really that sturdy?"
March 7th: "Even Nihility couldn't carve a mark into him?"
Aventurine: "By my own assessment, I certainly should not be unscathed."
Aventurine: "Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to be rescued by that noble knight."
Furina de Fontaine: "Could it be that Aventurine is intentionally hiding his injuries just to attend the meeting?"
Furina de Fontaine: "Now that is true dedication to the job…"
....
『 [ Oh? It seems you all have expectations. ]
[ Why not share them with me? ]
Observing Aventurine's demeanor, Jing Yuan immediately realized they had already made their choice.
[ Of course. ]
[ Why don't you take this, Topaz? ]
Aventurine deferred the answer to Topaz.
[ Right, leave it to me. ]
[ To put it simply, it is good news—following a review and vote by the Strategic Investment Department's Major Affairs Group, an absolute majority passed the following resolution: ]
[ Out of long-term consideration for interstellar peace, and authorized by the Pier Point headquarters, the Strategic Investment Department will, on behalf of the Company, permanently renounce all claims of sovereignty over Penacony and provide unconditional support for the Family's reconstruction efforts. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "…"
Stelle: "Well, we're doomed. I'm starting to smell something fishy."
Paimon: "Huh??"
Paimon: "Why?"
Paimon: "Isn't this a wonderful, wonderful result?"
March 7th: "That's exactly why! It's too good to be true!"
March 7th: "I could believe that Miss Topaz and Aventurine would be willing to let Penacony off the hook."
March 7th: "But the two of them cannot make decisions on behalf of the Company."
March 7th: "And why on earth would the Company be so generous as to give up such a lucrative prize and provide free support to their old rivals?"
Boothill: "Exactly! For the love of all that's holy, there's no way the Company would ever do something like that!"
Jade: "To be frank, the Company is determined to secure Penacony."
Jade: "In other words, this scene would absolutely never happen."
Furina de Fontaine: "Ah… then what exactly is going on here?"
Aventurine: "Heh, this confirms my suspicions…"
Aventurine: "I told you, how could I possibly lose?"
Aventurine: "After all, my gambles never rely on mere luck!"
Zhongli: "Is it all merely a mirage?"
....
『 [ This… ]
After hearing Topaz's words, Himeko was momentarily speechless.
[ Heh, interesting. ]
Jing Yuan chuckled, finding the Company's decision quite intriguing.
[ Then did Aventurine take that hit for nothing? ]
Stelle looked at Aventurine with a touch of sympathy.
[ Haha, if it brings peace to the entire universe, then it was a price worth paying. ]
Aventurine smiled, speaking with an air of nonchalance. 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Guinaifen: "Mr. Aventurine's perspective suddenly became very broad."
Guinaifen: "So broad that it's actually suspicious."
Hu Tao: "Hmm? The fact that Miss Stelle asked that means she hasn't forgotten Miss Acheron."
Hu Tao: "And it seems Aventurine hasn't forgotten either."
Boothill: "That's weird. Why are Dan Heng and I the only ones who forgot?"
Qingque: "Didn't Miss Black Swan forget too?"
March 7th: "Maybe Miss Black Swan is just pretending?"
....
『 After chatting with Topaz and Aventurine for a while, Stelle and Welt approached Dr. Ratio.
[ Finished discussing the Company's position? ]
[ Then it is our turn. ]
[ The Guild and the Genius Society have both maintained a high level of concern regarding the recent disaster in Penacony. ]
[ Ultimately, both parties have decided to enter into a comprehensive cooperation to provide technical support for the reconstruction of Penacony… ]
[ …As for the specifics, I shall leave it to this genius. ]
[ Your turn, Mr. Screwllum. ]
As Dr. Ratio finished speaking, the projection of Screwllum appeared beside them.
[ The relentless exploration of the internal spiritual world by organic life is something that fills me with both admiration and envy. ]
[ Inorganic life lacks the function of dreaming. ]
[ However, when an intelligent pulse is activated, and the inspiration circuits begin to operate, I enter a state defined as 'imagination.' ]
[ Each time, within that imagination, a flame rises from the darkness. ]
[ It is warm and radiant. ]
[ I often ponder if that flame is the very essence of intelligence—a spark of inspiration ignited by high temperature. ]
[ Perhaps the future direction of the universe lies within it. ]
[ Regrettably, to me, it is but a virtual image refracted by my cognitive system, visible yet unreachable. ]
[ But after learning of Penacony's current achievements, I have finally realized that such a flame is not unattainable. ]
[ After discussions with several partners, we have decided to suspend the advancement of the Simulated Universe project temporarily and instead provide technical consultancy to the Intelligentsia Guild's research into dreams and the Memory Zone. ]
[ This is to ensure that such a substance can better serve all of humanity. ]
Screwllum spoke at length, eventually summarizing the consensus of several geniuses.
[ Furthermore, we have established contact with the Company and the Garden of Recollection, both of whom have promised to assist in this research… ]
[ Heh, I truly feel happy for the dreamchasers of Penacony—the most brilliant and the most foolish minds in the universe are now all at their disposal. ] 』
『 ....』
—✦Omniscient Viewer's Chat Lodge✦—
Stelle: "Aaaah, it's over! It's completely over!"
Stelle: "Has everyone in Penacony been turned into puppets?"
Stelle: "Otherwise, why would they say something so utterly unrealistic?!"
Stelle: "And Screwllum, where did you even come from?"
Stelle: "Have you been influenced by Penacony too??"
Dr. Veritas Ratio: "Heh, to think I would ever utter such words… the very idea is laughable even to me."
Madam Herta: "Suspend the development of the Simulated Universe to support Memory Zone research in Penacony?"
Madam Herta: "Frankly speaking, the research value of Penacony isn't even one-ten-thousandth that of the Simulated Universe."
Madam Herta: "I would have to be insane to support such a resolution."
Ruan Mei: "Madam Herta's words are blunt, but not without merit."
Screwllum: "I do indeed wish to conduct research in Penacony. Conclusion: However, that research is also regarding the Simulated Universe."
Furina de Fontaine: "In other words… everything said in the video is impossible??"
Furina de Fontaine: "This… this!"
Hu Tao: "Puppets of Order…"
Hu Tao: "Could it be… that they didn't win at all?"
Hu Tao: "But were instead turned into puppets of Order without even realizing it?!!"
Qingque: "That… that can't be possible, right?!"
Qingque: "Our General was there too…"
Qingque: "He is an Emanator; how could he be tricked so easily?"
Fu Xuan: "Do not underestimate the Sunday.
Fu Xuan: "After all, he wields a fragment stolen from an Aeon."
Fu Xuan: "The fundamental nature of that power is unimaginably high."
Lumine: "The situation has taken a sudden turn."
Lumine: "I'm afraid things have just become very troublesome."
....
( It was confirmed that all Arbiter-Generals are Emanator, so starting from this chapter, I won't cross out anymore if they make a statement about a General for being Emanator )