Welt's mood was... complex. Perhaps he'd been through the wringer enough times that he could now rationally accept and process even this level of insanity.
He just hadn't realized that what Noldrei's geneticism sought to dismantle wasn't just nations and races, but even "geographical-ism" like the concept of Earth itself.
But on second thought, it seemed perfectly logical. It didn't make sense that Noldrei's future human empire, which occupied such a vast expanse of space, would consist only of Earthlings.
To foolishly make Earth the capital star of a central government? That would be a bit too stupid.
As for finding the key to dismantling the geneticism Noldrei had created, Welt hadn't been able to grasp it yet.
'How on earth did Otto negotiate with Noldrei?'
Welt couldn't imagine it. As the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, he couldn't even properly manage the organization's own conservative faction.
And now, achieving equal footing with Noldrei—who had seized control of Earth's entire genetic technology apparatus—was dozens, if not hundreds, of times more difficult than it had been when Otto was still around.
At this moment, Welt actually found himself missing the good old days of Overseer Otto.
Regardless of whether Otto was a bastard or not, when it came to getting things done, he certainly had guts and drive. If he said he could do something, he would definitely get it done.
Welt even considered the idea of diverting the conflict outward, but the thought was snuffed out as soon as it emerged.
The current Kaslana Stigma organizations were bound together by the will of the Stigma, forming an incredibly powerful interest group that was devouring everything in the name of geneticism.
If it were confined to Earth, Welt could still control the highest authority of the Stigma organizations by controlling the researchers, and by extension, the production rights of Stigma-powered Battlesuits and the execution of social reproduction rights.
But with the appearance of the Venusian civilization, Vitas had chosen to kneel immediately. This forced humanity on Earth to face an even more formidable competitor.
Because Sa did, in fact, possess additional reproductive rights that were beyond the control of Earth's people.
Noldrei explained, "I actually gave Vitas a choice. One was for her to create an alien human civilization beyond my control, in which case they would have to negotiate with the upper echelons of Academy City themselves."
"The other was for me to give her the branch of the gene tree related to Kaslana MANTISes, allowing 12 billion people to become a new Venusian humanity with Kaslana blood. I could even teach them how to awaken the power of the Stigma to counter the threat of the Honkai."
Noldrei's words made Welt's eyes light up in realization.
"You mean, you exploited their fear of the Cocoon of Finality?"
Welt was not oblivious to the underlying issues.
To put it bluntly, all of these assets were in human hands.
Noldrei could use Kiana Kaslana's Stigma background to buy off the Venusians, thereby countering the native Earth forces that were trying to dismantle Kiana's imperial authority.
By the same token, Earth's people could also use the results of geneticism to dismantle the Venusians from within, cultivating a council faction among them.
Regardless, with the influx of higher-quality new blood, the current situation was highly advantageous for the accelerated expansion of geneticism.
'But there's just one last problem, and that is...'
'How do we ensure the Venusians don't turn the tables on us? The Venusians have a population of 12 billion. The cost for the Council to buy their obedience is too high. It can't possibly compete with the power of the Kaslana Stigma.'
The genetic legacy left to the Kaslanas by the Previous Era was too powerful.
'Unless... we are the Kaslanas...'
Welt's expression shifted slightly as he understood the application of geneticism that Noldrei was talking about.
'Make Earth's people actively try to evolve to the level of MANTISes!'
In the past, Welt would have considered this a mad idea.
But now, in this era of feverish geneticist expansion, Welt could only see it as an excellent way to protect the interests of Earth's people.
Becoming a MANTIS to protect world peace and fight the Honkai? ❌
Becoming a MANTIS for the stability of power and profit? ✔️
At this moment, Welt felt like a madman, but he was genuinely considering the best interests of Earth's people.
And there was one method for resolving this conflict with the lowest cost. That was for them to concentrate all the power of Earth's people and kill Sa in the shortest possible time.
Thinking of this, Welt couldn't help but ask Noldrei, "What if we proactively kill Sa? And even get rid of Vitas?"
Noldrei looked at Welt in shock.
He hesitated for a moment, touched his lips, and asked, puzzled, "What... gave you the idea to kill Sa? Do you remember the social principles you wrote for the new civilization you established? 'Equal rights and responsibilities'!"
"Your job isn't to kill the other party, but to prove that Sa is not a 'human' capable of independent human interaction."
"What if 'Sa' is such a person? Would you still kill her? For the interests of Earth's civilization? Have you considered that sacrificing the principles of an organization for the sake of its so-called overall interests is, in itself, a betrayal of that organization?"
Welt's brow furrowed tightly. He understood that simply killing Sa wouldn't solve the conflict; it would only postpone it.
If he went down that social-conflict dead end, his exit probably wouldn't be as graceful as Otto's.
'The reproduction of one's own kind... I see! So that's how it is!'
A flash of insight lit up Welt's mind. He suddenly realized the key to the three tenets of civilization.
The focus wasn't on the Emperor's power, but on the paramount principle within geneticism: "the reproduction of one's own kind."
'Expanding and plundering populations is, in itself, a primitive form of reproducing one's own kind. Similarly, introducing external forces to create a new generation that serves the rulers is also a way of using public power for private gain.'
'The feudal system did it, turning slaves into peasants. The industrial revolution of the bourgeoisie did it too, turning peasants into workers. These were all ways to create a group of like-minded individuals living under the same conditions who could understand each other.'
'So geneticism is no exception. In fact, the centralized power of the Stigma is even more radical and ideologically religious.'
After figuring this out, Welt calmed down considerably. He nodded. "I understand. I will help you manage the population of Venus. Will the Council be responsible for implementing the future social structure and new lifestyle arrangements for the Venusians?"
Noldrei's face lit up with an exceptionally happy expression. He loved this kind of executor, one who had their own ideas.
"Of course! Go ahead and do it with full confidence!"
Noldrei had finally found the first qualified, native-born anti-Proliferationism warrior, and it made him quite enthusiastic.
It was like that unexpected feeling of 'I'm playing the role of an RPG boss feeding experience to the hero, and I've finally raised the first qualified hero.'
Welt now understood what he had to do. He shouldn't be troubled by the infinite vertical divisions inherent in geneticism, nor should he feel hamstrung by the horizontal divisions created by the Stigma organizations.
Instead, he needed to further grasp the principle of "equal rights and responsibilities" to firmly control the implementation process of "reproducing one's own kind" within the entire framework of geneticism.
The expansion of geneticism was frenzied. Whether the Emperor's side could seize the opportunity to control more people, or the Council's side could, was something they, as humans, would have to figure out for themselves.
On this point, Otto had seized every opportunity during Noldrei's expansion of power, bringing most of the outstanding geneticist talent under the Council's authority.
They shouldn't treat the 12 billion Venusians as enemies, but rather as a reserve force for the Council.
The Kaslana Stigma did indeed possess an incredibly powerful will that could influence others.
But Welt's chosen path was naturally different from His Majesty the Emperor's. He acknowledged and believed that humans possessed the free will to escape the influence of the Kaslana Stigma.
Therefore, he needed to use his own methods to make the Venusians accept the Council's ideals.
As for why the two of them had talked for so long without mentioning Sa?
By not mentioning Sa, they had already tacitly acknowledged that her influence over the future Venusians was so insignificant that it didn't even merit a place at the negotiating table.