Buzz buzz buzz…!
While Yun Fan was on his "date" with Robin, a sudden vibration came from the phone in his pocket. Annoyed at the interruption, our Mr. Yun Fan frowned slightly. But when he saw Topaz's profile picture on the screen, his furrowed brow gradually relaxed.
"Topaz poked you and sent a friendly greeting."
It was that little lass Topaz? He had thought she'd take longer to message him, so this was quite unexpected for our Mr. Yun Fan.
What's up, Miss Topaz? Why the sudden message? Yun Fan typed in reply before slipping the phone back into his pocket without waiting for a response.
This little maneuver didn't go unnoticed by Robin. The most beautiful Halovian girl couldn't help but take note.
It wasn't that our Miss Robin was particularly concerned about who Yun Fan was communicating with. What piqued her curiosity was why this Aeon before her seemed to possess such rich emotions, so akin to an ordinary human.
From their interactions, she could sense that his behavior was no different from that of a typical young man. It was as if the person standing before her wasn't an envoy capable of destroying star systems, let alone an exalted Aeon who could effortlessly dictate the life and death of countless beings.
Noticing Robin's curious gaze, like that of an inquisitive child, our Mr. Yun Fan chuckled and playfully ruffled her hair. "What's up? Curious about who I'm talking to?"
"No, no, no!" Robin shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum. "I'm just curious about you… (Why does an Aeon act so much like the boy next door? Even if he ascended from humanity, it shouldn't be like this, right?)"
As the two continued their "sweet date," not far from Yun Fan and Robin, a silver-blue-haired man with feathered ears was watching the scene with a "kindly" expression. Seeing his sister laughing and chatting with Yun Fan, our Mr. Sunday was practically grinding his teeth to dust. If it weren't for ensuring his sister's safety, how could he have made such a decision?!
Staring at the receding figures of Yun Fan and Robin, Sunday clenched his teeth, vowing to himself, "Once I master the power of [Order], I'll drive you out of Penacony, Envoy of [Causality]!"
— — — —
Astral Express…
"Dear passengers, we are approaching Herta Space Station. The train will dock here for one day to replenish supplies. During this time, passengers are free to move about."
Conductor Pom-Pom's voice echoed through the loudspeaker.
"Mr. Velite, we're arriving at Herta Space Station. Once we're there, you can board a train to the company's headquarters," Himeko said.
"Thank you for the Astral Express's assistance, and thank you, Nameless." Velite, mimicking the Xianzhou's etiquette, cupped his hands toward Himeko. Unfamiliar with the common tongue of the Nameless, he opted for the universally recognized Xianzhou salute. "I'll never forget this kindness. If you ever need my help, please don't hesitate to ask. Though my influence is modest, if the Express calls, I'll go through fire and water without hesitation!"
Like Argenti, Velite, who had narrowly escaped death thanks to the Express crew, made his own pledge. Though he was only a P20-rank employee, he was somewhat of a notable figure on smaller planetary systems.
Hearing Velite's words, our Miss March 7th perked up with interest. "Mr. Velite, what's your rank at the company?" she asked curiously.
"Miss March, I'm at P20. Compared to regular employees, my rank…" Velite began, ready to explain his position.
But March 7th's next question left him sweating profusely. "Do you know Topaz? We have a friend named Topaz who's also with the company."
"Director Topaz?!" Velite exclaimed in shock. Looking at the seemingly harmless girl before him, he couldn't believe she was acquainted with the formidable Director Topaz.
As a key department of the Interastral Peace Corporation, the Strategic Investment Department was led by the [Preservation] Envoy "Diamond." The Ten Stonehearts, as high-ranking members of the department, were among the company's elite. And Director Topaz was one of those Stonehearts.
"I never would've thought the Express crew knew Director Topaz. My earlier words were presumptuous, and I sincerely apologize," Velite said, sweating as he bowed deeply to the crew.
March 7th: ???
Himeko: 눈_눈
Caught off guard by Velite's sudden apology, our Miss March 7th was utterly baffled. Did I do something while I was half-asleep? Or did Mr. Velite do something wrong? Why's he apologizing out of nowhere?
March was completely lost by his actions.
Sigh…
Taking in the scene, our Miss Himeko let out a sigh. Unlike the innocent (and slightly clueless) March, Himeko wasn't so naive. She could tell Velite had misunderstood. He had just promised the Express his assistance if they ever needed it. While the crew might never need to cash in on that promise, his sincerity was clear.
But then March had brought up Topaz and asked if Velite knew her, leading him to think she was mocking his overconfidence. March, with only a few months' worth of memories, didn't realize the weight of Topaz's status, but Himeko, as the navigator, certainly did.
As one of the company's top brass, Topaz's value far surpassed that of even a thousand or tens of thousands of Velites. The gap between P20 and P45 was beyond comparison—not just a difference of heaven and earth.
And according to recent news, it seemed Topaz had been promoted…
"Mr. Velite, may I have a word?" Himeko gestured for him to step aside.
The two moved to a corner of the train car, where Himeko explained the situation. After her explanation, Velite realized March's words carried no mockery. Learning that March only had memories from the past few months, Velite looked at her with a hint of pity, leaving our Miss March 7th utterly perplexed.