Zeras sat down there numb, the tea he was about to take a sip, pausing just an inch from his lips, and quietly he laid it back onto the table, thinking deeply.
If he chose the first choice, then he could live his life peacefully from henceforth without needing to do anything to survive.
He would, as promised, be able to live a comfortable and relaxed life.
And the second choice was to join the EIA.
Compared to the first, it wasn't that appealing, but looking at things from a different lens, he realized quite a few things:
If he chose to join the EIA, then he got to follow through with his major goal.
To seek revenge on the Celestria family for how they have betrayed him.
But even besides that, there lay a deeper goal within Zeras.
A goal that, though he refused to acknowledge, was always there...
And that was finding his origin.
Just who was he?
Sure, he was an orphan, but who were his parents?
How did he end up in an orphanage room?
He wasn't just spawned at the orphanage's gate somehow, was he?
If he needed any answers, then simply living a comfortable, relaxed life doesn't in any way seem to have a higher chance of bringing him closer to these goals.
Then there was the system.
It was a source of great power.
A once-in-a-lifetime aid to achieve his goals.
Should he forego all that just to live a peaceful life?
Besides, he knew now, better than most, that this world is not safe.
Even the EIA, which he considered heroes of Earth, couldn't take care of everything.
More than a thousand people were turned into experimental subjects and brutally killed.
Who knows how many of these bases are still there, lurking around.
There are worlds out there, races, aliens beyond humanity.
The universe is limitless, and surely there is someplace out there that has not even been discovered yet by humans.
Should he leave all of that fascination, just to have a roof and free food?
The two choices were greater than they appeared.
It was a decision of either forfeiting his goal and living a peaceful and safe life or embracing his goals and living a life of always treading between the lines of life and death.
Commander Shiron, who sat opposite Zeras, never interfered at all, simply sipping his tea without saying a single word.
After about 10 minutes of quiet contemplation, Zeras slowly exhaled, and he made his decision, staring into Commander Shiron's green eyes.
"I choose to join the EIA."
Commander Shrion smiled.
A smile that almost reached his ear, and he let out a chuckle.
"I have allowed you to live a peaceful life free from any worry whatsoever."
"And you chose to forfeit that to accomplish your goals instead."
"You have earned my approval, son."
Zeras looked at him with a strange expression, noticing the man was genuinely happy about his decision.
Even when he shouldn't have any reason to.
"Fortunately for you, I'm also taking my granddaughter to the EIA trial grounds."
"Since you chose to join the EIA, then we're on point. I'll simply drop you there, too."
"You can use this week to familiarize yourself with the world before we arrive there."
Commander Shiron said as two gigantic books appeared in his hands and he shifted them forward on the table to Zeras.
Zeras was surprised to hear the man was the grandfather of the girl he had seen.
The reason was that he was also young, just about 45 years of age.
But now, he knew the man's real age could be well over 70.
He looked at the book in his hands and smiled happily.
This was just what he needed right now.
"Also, you can take any room you want in the place."
"Just stay far away from the Northern side of the spaceship if you want to avoid trouble."
"And if there's something you don't understand in the book, you can always find me here."
The man said with a chuckle as Zeras bowed towards him
"Thank you..."
"It's nothing," He said, waving it off, and Zeras exited the hall.
After he left, Commander Shrion's smile waned slightly before his smile soon widened to a big grin.
"O Celestria family, it seems you have yet another enemy right on your back, and I can tell this one's quite determined to take you down."
"I wonder how this would play out..."
Commander Shiron mused quietly, taking a sip, and he closed his eyes, relishing the taste.
________
Zeras appeared outside the long corridor again, and he moved towards the South.
He didn't know why he was told to avoid the North, but he didn't care much.
Arriving there, he could already see the doors, and he opened one of them, entering.
BAAAAM!
The book he was holding fell from his hands, and his mouth opened to form an O.
'This... is this only a spaceship?'