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Inside the Penacony Grand Theater.
Amid the wreckage of the devastated venue, multiple factions watch as the two figures in the center negotiate.
Robin takes a deep breath and says calmly, "Please state your demands. As long as they fall within reasonable bounds, Penacony's familia are willing to offer compensation."
There is no denying the severe consequences Sunday nearly caused.
Even though everything is peaceful now, that peace was salvaged through everyone's efforts. Mistakes do not simply vanish.
"Your courage in acknowledging fault is truly admirable, Miss Robin."
Aventurine loosens his grip on the Cornerstone slightly and offers his praise sincerely.
He had genuinely feared that Robin would shamelessly rely on Sol standing behind her and simply refuse to pay up.
At present, Sol's status as an Emanator of Erudition has already been confirmed, along with his command of a force capable of easily defeating Septimus.
This puts Aventurine in a bind—openly opposing an Emanator is not in his interests. It would only cause even greater losses for the Interastral Peace Corporation, rendering all the chips he placed on Penacony worthless, even if they are already not worth much now.
Robin replies evenly, "The families will not evade responsibility. This is simply what we should do."
"But we also hope the IPC will show the families a measure of respect. The families are willing to compensate for losses, but we will never accept extortion."
She weighs the pros and cons in her heart, carefully calculating the chips each side holds.
On her side, she has Sol's support, many newly made friends, and the remaining power of the families in Penacony—each of them capable of influencing the outcome of the negotiations.
On the other side, the opposing chips are equally clear: her brother's attempt to revive the Path of Order and create an eternal dreamscape. For Penacony's future development, this must be handled properly.
"The demands will, of course, remain within reasonable limits. The IPC has always been people-oriented." Aventurine glances at Sol without leaving a trace, then smiles. "Given the tremendous impact the families have had on Penacony, placing the lives of millions—tens of millions—under threat…"
"We have reason to question whether the families still possess the ability and the qualifications to continue governing Penacony."
He originally intended to directly demand Penacony's sovereignty—starting negotiations from the highest point would have benefited the IPC.
But with Sol backing Robin, he must carefully consider off-the-table factors and strive to extract the greatest possible benefit.
"That's impossible." Robin rejects him without hesitation, her tone firm. "This incident was solely the Oak Family acting on its own. The Bloodhound Family, Alfalfa Family, and Iris Family were completely unaware."
"Penacony was developed through cooperation between the families and the Watchmaker. Its sovereignty should belong to Penacony. We will revoke the Oak Family's governing authority and allow other innocent factions to take the lead."
The IPC's infamy is known to all. Penacony was once liberated from the IPC's grasp by the families and the Watchmaker together.
Aventurine's wording now is mild, merely questioning the families' administrative capability.
But in essence, the moment she relaxes even slightly, the IPC will propose something like joint governance, gradually infiltrating and swallowing Penacony whole.
And if Penacony were to be handed over to the IPC, the consequences would be far more terrifying than letting it sleep within the dream her brother created.
Aventurine smiles helplessly and reassures her, "No need to be so tense, Miss Robin. The IPC has always respected local sovereignty and will not interfere in Penacony's internal affairs."
"..."
Robin stares steadily at Aventurine, her expression clearly asking whether he believes that himself.
"All right, that's a matter of perspective."
Aventurine shrugs, even amused by his own humor.
His homeland, Sigonia-IV, was one of the planets whose internal affairs were interfered with by the IPC. His people were destroyed by conspiracies, leaving only him behind.
Sometimes even he doesn't know why he joined the Interastral Peace Corporation—perhaps to live on with all his strength, so as not to betray his family's expectations.
Shaking off those unnecessary thoughts, Aventurine says to Robin, "I'm only concerned about Penacony's future development. Recently, incidents have been occurring one after another. Interstellar tourists are losing confidence, and revenue will inevitably plummet."
"Out of humanitarian concern, the IPC is willing to provide a substantial sum to help Penacony weather this crisis—requiring only a reasonable amount of interest."
If hard tactics won't work, then he'll go soft. He has no choice but to complete his mission.
He has lost too much here already; he doesn't dare imagine what failure would look like when he returns.
"These matters can be discussed later. I can't decide on my own." Robin nods slightly, treating it as a tentative agreement.
This is also a form of corporate infiltration. The so-called interest is insignificant.
It's highly likely that, under the guise of assistance, the IPC will take the opportunity to sink its hands into various Penacony industries.
Losses of this scale are acceptable. Penacony does indeed need the IPC's influence to dispel the negative fallout from this incident, and it is also time to yield some benefits to the IPC in moderation.
Seeing some gains at last, Aventurine exhales in relief and smiles. "Then let's move on to the main event."
"..."
Robin lets out a faint sigh. So, it's finally here.
Aventurine points at Sunday and smiles. "The entire Oak Family, along with Mr. Sunday, are the culprits behind this incident. They pursued their own ambitions while treating the lives of countless visitors as expendable."
"Many of the IPC's employees were also endangered. As a legitimate IPC that values employee lives, we demand a thorough investigation into this incident."
"Our people will form a special investigation team. We don't need full control, but we must have a seat on the committee."
Out of respect for Sol Mercer, he has already lowered his demands considerably.
But he must have something to report—at the very least, the IPC needs an entry point into Penacony.
Using case investigation as a pretext, they can threaten some, win over others, and still exert influence over Penacony.
No matter how many people are involved this time, no matter how powerful they are, the IPC only values results. He must achieve a breakthrough.
"This request…"
Robin frowns, finding it troublesome.
It is reasonable—but she doesn't want to agree.
A force like the IPC will never behave itself once inserted into Penacony; they are still coveting it.
Moreover, her brother is one of the masterminds. On a personal level, she wants to secure the best possible outcome for him, even if it doesn't align with justice. Such is familial affection.
"Is there some difficulty?" Aventurine smiles and says considerately. "We can always discuss it later. Making such a decision on short notice is indeed difficult."
"But before a decision is made, I hope Mr. Sunday can be taken into custody by our Interastral Peace Corporation."
"Rest assured—we will absolutely guarantee Mr. Sunday's safety. Before the final verdict, not a single thing will happen to him."
He intends to stall. As long as he can wait Sol out, as long as Sunday remains in his hands as a trump card, the IPC will hold the initiative in future negotiations with Penacony.
"..."
Robin hesitates.
She doesn't want to hand her brother over to the Interastral Peace Corporation.
Everyone knows the corporation's credibility is in the negative.
Yet the request is entirely reasonable, and she finds herself unable to refute it.
Sol steps between the two and speaks sincerely to Aventurine. "Ahem. Let me say a few fair words."
"..."
Aventurine's expression stiffens, his hand immediately tightening around the Cornerstone.
People who say they're about to speak fairly almost never say anything fair.
Especially when Sol is clearly biased toward Robin—there's even less chance his words will be impartial.
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