'Georios' looked over with such grand fanfare primarily because, without it, there would be nothing to see at all.
As for any potential fallout... well, if Qlipoth the Amber Lord remained silent, what right did anyone else have to object?
From a distance beyond reckoning, she cast her gaze through the power of an Aeon.
Across countless light-years and even spanning different worlds, her sight pierced into that specific pocket of space-time, capturing the scenes unfolding within Pier Point.
The leadership transition for a department head within the Interastral Peace Corporation was an event that was both significant and trivial all at once.
Oswaldo's ascension wasn't exactly a gala affair, but it did involve a formal handover.
Most members of the Marketing Development Department were gathered in this spacious assembly hall, joined by a fair number of representatives from other departments.
It was in this very setting that the Aeon of Elation suddenly turned her gaze toward them.
Within the Amber Lord's own domain, the laughter of Elation pierced through layer after layer of security, settling right beside Oswaldo, who had only just been promoted to Department Head.
Appearing alongside that gaze was the silhouette of a white-haired woman wearing a mask.
The one who had arrived was not Aha, but that inexplicable second Aeon!
The crowd erupted into an uproar. What did a departmental promotion within the IPC have to do with Elation?
It couldn't be that the Strategic Investment Department's Vice Director was so annoyed with Oswaldo that they'd summoned an Aeon for a targeted hit, could it?
That was impossible—who possessed the kind of influence required to ask an Aeon to personally snipe someone?
Yet, just as everyone's suspicious glances drifted toward Sparkle, the breathtaking Aeon of Elation high in the heavens lowered her eyes.
Her gaze fell directly upon—
Oswaldo??
The new head of Marketing Development had caught the eye of Elation?
Was that even logical? Many were quick to sense that a massive scoop was hidden here. The heads of other departments, in particular, wore amused expressions.
Sparkle was a Masked Fool who had joined halfway through, so her involvement was one thing.
But for a former Nameless who had climbed to this position in the Corporation to be singled out by the Aeon of Elation? That was truly hysterical.
Was there actually something about him worth watching?
The heavy hitters present all began to speculate.
Diamond glanced at Sparkle, then back at Oswaldo.
For some reason, his thoughts naturally drifted toward the identity of the so-called 'Emanator of Preservation.' Although there was no proof, Diamond felt there might be a connection.
Had that Aeon seen through something?
--+--
Meanwhile.
"..."
Oswaldo's expression, fresh with the glow of his newfound power, soured instantly.
His eyes held a complex swirl of emotions as he looked at the figure in the sky.
Oswaldo had met her before.
Back on Amphoreus, she had appeared in the guise of another; at the time, she was merely a peer to the Geniuses, while he was just an executive in the Marketing Development Department.
Yet in the blink of an eye, while he had exhausted every scheme and crossed every line just to sit in this director's chair, she had simply become an Aeon.
If they had never met, perhaps it wouldn't have been so galling. But the problem was that Oswaldo had seen her!
In his eyes, she was nothing more than a clever, talented individual with zero ambition. And yet, such a person had ascended to Aeonhood. She had even chosen the moment of his inauguration to show up.
Envy and jealousy nearly blasted his sanity into oblivion.
What was she planning? Oswaldo was tense.
He didn't believe for a second that she had made such a high-profile appearance just to congratulate him.
Their relationship wasn't even "bad"—beyond knowing her name, they were practically strangers. And as for Elation... when it came to anything involving Elation, he could only think of the thorn in his side: Sparkle!
Oswaldo looked toward Sparkle, who was standing not far away.
For a department head's inauguration, any directors who were free had attended, and those who weren't had sent representatives.
Sparkle had been standing there like a complete nobody, but because of the Aeon's appearance, every department head was now staring at her.
Though Sparkle was surprised, she simply spread her hands wide.
"Don't look at me. Little Sparkle is shy, you know."
Right then, a streak of light plummeted from the heights.
The Amber Lord did not stop it, for it was a mere fragment of power—a speck so tiny THEY didn't care. But Oswaldo cared.
He channeled the power of Preservation, stacking amber-colored walls in front of himself in a frantic attempt to block the falling spark.
Unfortunately, a shield that might have been sturdy for an Emanator was utterly pathetic in the eyes of the current Aeon of Elation. The streak of light didn't shatter the shield; instead, it passed through it like air.
Ignoring every defense, it transformed into a mask and snapped directly onto Oswaldo's face.
A trace of Elation's power manifested upon him.
Normally, gaining the gaze of another Aeon and a bit of extra power would be a blessing. But Oswaldo's face turned a violent shade of ashen-green.
The mask was a stereotypical clown mask—stark white base, painted eyes, and a perfectly standard red nose!
Paired with Oswaldo's sharp suit and the solemnity of the promotion ceremony, the effect was jarring.
Countless members of the Marketing Development Department witnessed it: their new director, wearing a red nose, looking like a ridiculous buffoon.
The other department heads said nothing out of politeness.
Those of lower rank, however, were terrified of Oswaldo's reputation; they fought to suppress their laughter, not daring to make a sound. The venue fell into an eerie, suffocating silence.
Then, a crisp peal of laughter rang out from the side—Sparkle!
"Hahaha! I've seen so many Fools in the Tavern, but this is the first time I've seen a masked one with a red nose! Hahaha—I'm dying! Oh, man, I have to share this with everyone at the Tavern!"
Sparkle's outburst was the breaking point. Those who didn't fear Oswaldo's retribution turned away and let out audible laughs.
Those who couldn't afford to offend him were turning red in the face, their necks bulging as they struggled to hold it in, looking like they were in physical pain.
But then, those red noses began to multiply like a viral contagion, suddenly sprouting from the faces of every IPC member present.
'Georios' watched as the IPC staff, now all sporting clown noses, lost their battle with composure. The suppressed chuckles exploded into a roar of laughter.
She laughed, too.
Look how kind she was—not only reminding the IPC people not to be clowns themselves, but also helping them avoid the awkwardness of offending Oswaldo by making them all part of the joke.
Now, it was time for Sparkle's performance.
Sparkle... Sparkle was currently staring at her with a look of pure resentment.
Her eyes clearly accused her of ruining her carefully prepared plans by appearing so suddenly, forcing her to skip the rehearsal and jump straight to the climax.
'Georios' understood Sparkle's look and flashed a smile in return:
Hehe~ Don't mention it.
"..."
Sparkle felt the veins on her forehead throbbing.
That woman had really learned a few tricks, using her status to bully a "down-to-earth" girl like her.
While Sparkle and 'Georios' were locked in their silent exchange, Oswaldo violently ripped the red-nosed mask from his face and slammed it into the ground.
He glared at Sparkle, silent, but his eyes looked ready to devour her whole.
Seeing this, Sparkle let out a wide-mouthed laugh.
"My, it seems today's protagonist really wants to kill me. Too bad you've never succeeded, not even once."
"..."
"Nothing to say? I'll take that as a 'yes.' But since you put on such a great show today, I'll let you in on a secret. Once you know it, you can actually attack me. Want to hear it?"
Sparkle flipped her hand, and an amber-colored crystal appeared in her palm.
The dense aura of Preservation radiating from it convinced everyone that it was a crystal brimming with immense power.
Oswaldo instinctively sensed something was wrong. A nameless dread began to crawl up from the depths of his heart.
"...What are you doing?!"
Now that the laughter had shattered the atmosphere and the order of the ceremony had collapsed, everyone was focused on Sparkle and Oswaldo.
"Hehe~ Panicking already? Don't worry, it gets much worse. Watch closely now~"
With that, Sparkle suddenly tossed the crystal high into the air!
The translucent amber gem soared, drawing every eye in the room. Then, with a fluid twist of her body, a compact revolver appeared in her right hand. She aimed upward, locking onto the crystal in flight.
Bang—!
Sparkle pulled the trigger. With the crack of gunpowder, the bullet cleared the barrel and instantly struck the soaring gem.
While the crowd watched in confusion, a sharp crack echoed. Oswaldo, Diamond, and the others realized something was horribly wrong.
Pop—! The struck amber crystal shattered.
Under the stunned and bewildered gazes of everyone present, it dissolved into a shower of debris that rained down like confetti.
Oswaldo's pupils shrank in shock! He suddenly realized what was happening—
Forget decorum; Oswaldo lunged at Sparkle like a vehicle with the throttle pinned to the floor.
"Sparkle—! Shut your mouth!!"
But Sparkle simply giggled and twisted her body with incredible flexibility, dodging Oswaldo's charge while laughing brightly.
"Hahaha! Have you finally realized? That power you and I shared was nothing but a joke between the History Fictionologists and the Fools!"
"SHUT UP!!!"
Oswaldo saw red. He summoned the signature amber power to swirl around him, his massive presence bearing down on Sparkle.
The golden shockwave condensed into a beam, falling toward the unmoving Sparkle like the heavy hammer of the Amber Lord itself!
Yet, Sparkle just stood her ground, looking into Oswaldo's eyes with a mocking sneer.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL