Herta and Screwllum—two geniuses from the Genius Society—had come to visit, which naturally drew the attention of Sunday and several other Family heads. They took the matter extremely seriously.
Especially Herta. This genius usually appeared through puppets; her true self rarely showed up in public.
"Esteemed Lady Herta, Mr. Screwllum—may I ask what brings you here?" Sunday wore a smile. He was neither overly deferential nor dismissive; his attitude was calibrated just right.
With the Charmony Festival right around the corner, the visit from two geniuses was obviously abnormal.
Don't be fooled by the fact that both of their names were on the permanent VIP list—practically speaking, they almost never came to a place like Penacony. This was far too unusual.
Sunday especially had his own plans: he intended to carry out the Dream of the One. If two top-tier geniuses showed up, it would definitely cause trouble.
"We're looking for someone. Dr. Calderon Chadwick lives here in Room 260, right?" Herta said bluntly.
As a genius, she had no intention of lowering her posture. Even if it came off as rude, no one would dare complain.
"…"
Sure enough, the moment the name "Chadwick" was spoken, the expressions of several Family heads changed noticeably.
Sunday glanced at them. He knew about this, but it wasn't under his jurisdiction. Penacony's Family had multiple factions; he was busy with the Dream of the One—where would he find the time to get involved in this mess?
He'd see how they handled it. Normally it had nothing to do with him, but if geniuses stayed in Penacony too long, it would affect his plan—he couldn't just watch and do nothing.
Seeing their reactions, a trace of mockery appeared on Herta's face.
"Hand Chadwick over. Or what—does your Family think the Genius Society is easy to bully? Are you planning to stand against the Genius Society?"
Even though members of the Genius Society were scattered across the cosmos, Herta was very good at bluffing. Calling in a few more geniuses wasn't a problem.
The moment she finished speaking, the heads' faces turned ugly—yet none of them could snap back.
"Dr. Calderon Chadwick is an old friend of mine," Screwllum said calmly, his tone dominating despite its flatness. "May I ask—does the Family intend to stand against my homeworld?"
That was the unique aura of the Machine King.
Even the Interastral Peace Corporation didn't want to clash with him head-on. If Screwllum truly wanted to, he had the ability to ignite another Machine War across the universe.
The Family understood that as well. Whether it was the Genius Society or Screwllum's homeworld, they couldn't afford to provoke either. And in any case, these few heads couldn't represent the entire Family in picking a fight with enemies of that magnitude.
Under pressure from the two geniuses, they were caught in an awkward bind.
But their greed for the Imaginary Collapse Pulse made them unwilling to let go so easily.
…
After an internal struggle, they had no choice but to compromise. A forearm couldn't beat a thigh.
Herta and Screwllum followed the heads to take Chadwick away. Sunday and Robin didn't go—this had nothing to do with them.
The Family did have Emanators, but the Genius Society's members were far too special. Even someone like Chadwick could develop a weapon with terrifying destructive power—let alone several geniuses of his caliber.
"Brother… why is Dr. Chadwick in Penacony?" Robin asked.
She didn't know him, but she knew that if two geniuses had come in person, then Chadwick had to be a member of the Genius Society.
Still… why would he be in Penacony?
When Chadwick was detained, it had been two Amber Eras ago. She hadn't even been born back then.
"I don't know much either," Sunday said. "This isn't a matter for our Oak family line."
Sunday didn't care about that kind of weapon. As long as the Dream of the One could be realized, that was all that mattered.
"Hey, Robin. Long time no see." Asta smiled and waved in greeting.
They'd met once before; they could be considered acquaintances.
"Asta?"
Robin was surprised. She hadn't expected to see her in Penacony. Robin knew a bit about Asta's background—Asta absolutely didn't need to come here to indulge in sweet dreams. If she wanted something, she could get it with a single word.
Robin was a famous singer, but this low-key Asta had terrifying influence behind her.
Sunday felt tired in his bones. One moment it was geniuses from the Genius Society, the next it was the young lady from a top IPC family. He was starting to suspect they'd heard some kind of rumor.
"I'm not here to play," Asta said. "After Lady Herta leaves, I'll return to the space station with her."
Hearing that, Sunday let out a breath of relief. It was good that this young lady would be leaving. Otherwise, if anything happened, it would be even easier for the Corporation to come down on them.
Reason: if something happens to the young lady, an 'routine investigation' is triggered…
"Asta, these are my friends. Can you help arrange things for them?" Asta asked.
Robin looked toward Koji's group, her emerald-green eyes flickering slightly.
"Brother, that's fine, right?" Robin made her meaning obvious: she agreed, but it was more appropriate for her brother to approve it.
"Mm." Sunday nodded.
These people didn't give off any dangerous aura. Their strength looked roughly like ordinary Pathstriders.
Koji's Blessing was a classic "hide your power" one—ferocious. It could directly invalidate other people's attempts to probe him.
Sunday was still the head of the Oak family line and hadn't exposed anything related to Order yet. Arranging for a few people to enter Penacony was effortless.
"Robin, I heard you sing really well. Can you hum a couple lines right now?" Lumine suddenly scooted forward.
The distance between Lumine and Robin was basically zero—she was one step away from pressing herself right up against Robin.
"Uh, well… if there's a chance later, I promise." Robin smiled awkwardly, polite but strained. This person was way too enthusiastic—she really couldn't handle it.
Blondie?!
Sunday stared at Lumine, his expression turning serious. Lumine really was a "blondie"—could she be into girls?
The moment he imagined Lumine pulling up to his front door one day on a rumbling bike with his little sister on the back, asking him if it was safe to park here, his heart practically seized.
"Robin's throat hasn't been feeling well lately," Sunday said. "She shouldn't sing right now."
Lumine glanced at Sunday.
So that's a… chicken-wing—chicken-wing boy?
"Mr. Sunday, we need a guide. Does Miss Robin have time?" Koji asked with a smile.
No!
Sunday's smile didn't reach his eyes. Giving his sister alone time with that blondie? At that point his sister really would get "plucked away."
"Brother, I'm not that busy," Robin said. "They're Asta's friends. I can be their guide."
"…Fine." Sunday sighed inwardly. "Robin, then go take a proper break."
He only wanted to be her brother. He didn't want to become some kind of future brother-in-law. He sincerely hoped that day would never come.
(End of Chapter)
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