And this top-tier capital, brimming with unwarranted confidence, rapidly crumbled—a scene that clearly wasn't happening for the first time.
Because being able to participate in Eden's world tour project was practically like picking money off the ground for any investor.
It was a surefire deal—anyone lucky enough to get in on this project was guaranteed to make a profit!
Normally, as the funding party, the client should have the right to suggest where their star's concerts should be held, provided they had reasonable grounds, all to chase greater profits.
But what applied to regular celebrities clearly didn't hold for Eden, who was also a star. The so-called client wasn't in any position to boss her around!
In fact, if the funding client dared to raise even the slightest objection that Eden deemed unreasonable, then just a little insistence from Eden was enough to send that investor plunging straight into the abyss of the capital world.
Because even if one client got tossed aside, there were countless powerful people eagerly eyeing this huge pie from behind!
After all, once news about Eden's concert got out, no matter how remote the chosen venue, countless fans from all over the world would instantly snatch up the astronomically priced tickets, traveling thousands of miles from every corner of the globe just to see Eden perform live up close.
Because in the Previous Era, Eden possessed that kind of terrifying charm and influence.
And just as Eden was willing to spend huge sums to personally meet her long-admired "Seele-sensei" while on tour, Lunelle, who had been transferred to the Australia branch and had just finished resting and adjusting her condition, was taken by her dear wife Elysia—who still deliberately kept some distance—to formally meet the current acting combat squad leader and branch head of Fire Moth's Australia branch.
In other words, the Previous Era counterpart of Himeko, Miss Himeko herself!
And upon seeing the Previous Era's Himeko, along with a certain someone currently beside Miss Himeko who clearly had the air of a green recruit—Hua—
Lunelle only then belatedly realized just what kind of dangerous place Schicksal had exiled her to...
'Good grief! To think I'd been sent straight to the "birthplace" of the Herrscher of Fire?'
Having read the comics, Lunelle naturally knew that the future Seventh Herrscher of the Previous Era, the "Herrscher of Fire," was none other than the fiery-haired woman before her, who looked exactly like Himeko-sensei—the "Pre-Civilization Himeko"!
"Oh? So this is the cute little one headquarters told us to 'pay special attention to'?"
Noticing the adorable little Seele seemed a bit timid upon seeing her, Himeko's crimson eyes gazed with interest at this delicate, weak-looking little creature before her.
"Mhm~ Himeko-senpai, Didn't I already say? The cute little Seele is very obedient and well-behaved, you know?"
"If you're still uneasy, then little Seele and I can just stay at headquarters for a while so you can observe her further. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Listening to you earlier, I thought you might be exaggerating, but it really is hard to imagine..."
Like the vast majority of Fire Moth soldiers, Himeko couldn't fathom at first glance how such an exquisitely cute little girl could be the genuine article—a true Herrscher capable of bringing unimaginable disaster to human civilization.
But as a somewhat seasoned veteran within Fire Moth, the well-traveled Himeko naturally wouldn't assume that just because little Seele looked harmless and adorable, it was safe to casually interact with her as a Herrscher.
So from the initial meeting until now, Himeko had maintained a much more cautious distance from Lunelle than even Elysia.
Hua: "..."
As a recruit who already had "just a bit" of a wooden-headed demeanor, Hua watched as her leader Himeko set the example by keeping such a safe distance from Lunelle.
Without a word, she followed suit, slowly stepping back to position her combat squad leader and superior, Captain Himeko, securely in front.
"Oh! That's right~ Our little Seele here is actually a certified top-level researcher approved by headquarters!"
"In fact, the new Honkai Energy inhibitor that started circulating among headquarters' upper echelons and high society a few months ago was developed by our adorable little Dr. Seele!~"
Unaware that Lunelle was startled because she'd just recognized the voluptuous, red-haired, straight-haired big sister before her as the future "Herrscher of Fire" who would reduce nearly all of Australia to ashes, Elysia innocently assumed the little one was just habitually shy.
So Elysia briefly mentioned some of little Seele's key achievements that she knew about.
"Elysia, I recall that new inhibitor was released under Dr. Mobius's name."
"This cute little Herr—ahem—girl actually developed a drug specifically to suppress Honkai Energy?"
Knowing Lunelle's true identity as a Herrscher herself, Himeko wore an oddly perplexed expression upon hearing Elysia's straightforward revelation.
After all, for a Herrscher to develop an unprecedentedly powerful anti-Honkai drug was almost a complete contradiction.
Even though Himeko knew Elysia wouldn't joke about something like this, she still found it hard to believe that such a young, overly delicate-looking little cutie had accomplished what most top researchers couldn't.
Aware that seasoned anti-Honkai fighters like Himeko typically viewed Herrschers with the worst possible assumptions and malicious speculation, "This is no joke at all~ Himeko, you have no idea how reluctant Dr. Mobius was to let little Seele go when headquarters ordered her transfer…"
"Besides, Himeko, your branch must have a research institute, right? Why not have little Seele demonstrate her skills in person? Then you'll know whether it's true or not~"
Elysia understood that without solid evidence or explanation, Himeko wouldn't be willing to trust, as she did, that little Seele posed no threat to human civilization.
Fortunately, Elysia had confirmed that little Seele's ability to assist Dr. Mobius with most tasks was indeed genuine.
In fact, after discovering how exceptionally useful little Seele was as a "workhorse" to drive relentlessly, Dr. Mobius had gone so far as to dump all her own work onto the adorable little one for full processing!
With her own schedule freed up, the bored Dr. Mobius then took it even further—while the little cutie was busy working, she would frequently take advantage, sneak in hugs, or cop a feel...
For a period after realizing this situation, Elysia had no choice but to watch helplessly as little Seele was hugged and snuggled by Dr. Mobius in all sorts of ways, while she could only shrink back meekly, unable to do anything...
It hurt! It hurt so much!
"If even you, the organization's ace Elysia, say so, then I'll trust you for now."
"However, recently our Australia branch has been under significant frontline pressure, and the medical supplies allocated by headquarters are running a bit tight."
"If this cute little girl truly possesses the independent capability to develop advanced anti-Honkai drugs as you say, Elysia, could we trouble Dr. Seele here to develop a more affordable, mass-producible anti-Honkai agent for us?"
Hearing Elysia's confident declaration, Himeko couldn't help but regard little Seele with greater respect.
Then, considering the disastrous state of the frontline battles in Australia, Himeko wondered if she could squeeze some benefits from this Herrscher doctor who seemed to have been dumped like trash at her Australia branch.
Her previously indifferent tone shifted noticeably to one of earnest request.
Feeling Himeko's previously scrutinizing gaze soften almost immediately upon learning she was a highly capable, doctoral-level talent, and sensing the newfound respect, "Mhm! Seele... will try her best to help everyone!"
Relieved of pressure, Lunelle, who had been too nervous to speak earlier, finally replied in her soft, gentle voice.
"Then I'll be counting on you! Cute little Dr. Seele!"
Hearing the faint hint of determination and sincerity in the adorable little one's voice, Himeko, who had still been wary of Lunelle's Herrscher identity, suddenly stepped forward and actively reached out to ruffle Lunelle's cute little head.
Yet Himeko couldn't help but feel a tinge of irony—this genuine Herrscher seemed far more "adorable" than those profit-obsessed, ugly capitalists!
After all, due to the Australia branch's terrible geographical location, not only was frontline Honkai resistance pressure immense, but the region's urban prosperity was also quite limited—a typical, barren backwater with little profit to be had.
So within the Previous Era world, Fire Moth's Australia branch was notoriously the one that shouldered the greatest pressure compared to other branches, while headquarters, for various reasons, paid the Australia branch even less than normal branches!
Because for each branch's "pay" to reach its head, there were quite a few "middlemen" along the way who could take a certain "handling fee"!
And if you wanted that "pay" to have "just a bit" less "handling fee" deducted, the branch head naturally had to find ways to get along with certain higher-ups, performing some "you-know-what" "showing of respect" operations so the "pay" that reached you wouldn't be so easily "discounted."
As the Australia branch head, Miss Himeko, being a seasoned soldier, naturally knew nothing about the twists and turns of capital.
All that nonsense about "showing respect" or "currying favor"...
Himeko only knew one thing: her soldiers didn't have enough supplies to fight with!
And you expect me to have spare cash to "show respect" to you lot?
Dream on!
Such terrible geography and capital conditions directly led to most within Fire Moth, given a choice, being unwilling to be assigned to the Australia branch to suffer.
Especially top-tier scientific and technical talent!
They absolutely, one hundred percent, did not want to be assigned to this barren Australia branch!
Because for those engaged in research and technological development, the most important thing was naturally sufficient funding.
If you didn't even have the budget for trial and error or to purchase high-end research equipment, how could you possibly do any research?!
So most talents assigned to the Australia branch were essentially those left over after the better-equipped branches had picked through the truly capable ones—the ones no branch wanted were forced into this barren land.
That's why Dr. Mobius had so bluntly labeled headquarters' act of exiling someone to Australia as "dumping trash."
Thus, while the Australia branch did have a research institute, truly top-tier talents like Lunelle with advanced research capabilities were almost impossible to find.
Even the current leading talents in the research institute were locally recruited individuals with strong ties to Australia, who stayed in this barren land despite the poor conditions.
But with funding constantly being skimmed and the R&D department's limited capabilities, Himeko, coming from a soldier's background, couldn't help but recall the tragic scenes of her Australia branch's young, lovely soldiers missing their best chance for rescue due to various "insufficient medical supplies," ultimately forcing her to make the heartbreaking decision to end them before they turned into zombies.
A surge of intense dissatisfaction, even "hatred," toward those capitalist workhorses welled up uncontrollably in Himeko's heart.
But Lunelle naturally wasn't yet aware of these true inside stories not covered in the comic's plot.
Right now, the little one was simply relieved to have temporarily gained Himeko's trust and was determined to make good use of her abilities to achieve real results.
Afterward, she'd see if she could investigate, in her own way, the true cause behind Himeko's Herrscher transformation.
Because looking at Himeko's face, so identical to Himeko-sensei's, Lunelle couldn't just stand by and do nothing while Himeko underwent that change!
--+--
T/N: Why is everyone in the previous era diddy?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.