On the other side of the television, the moment everyone saw Cocolia appear, a deafening wave of cheers erupted. There were also noisy greetings and countless voices volunteering to go into battle.
"Quiet." Zoe was sitting too close, and her ears hurt from the noise, so there was a hint of irritation in her tone.
Her voice seemed to carry some kind of magic, earlier, no matter how much the Supreme Guardian tried to calm them, the people had been endlessly noisy, but the instant Zoe spoke, everything fell silent.
Even the little children who had just learned to walk consciously covered their mouths.
You could say that on today's planet Jarilo, Zoe was no longer merely the "King of Jarilo," a figure equal to the gods, she was a true god herself.
The first thing every child learned after birth was that they must respect the ever-present robots just as they respect their parents, and that they must worship Lady Zoe as a god even more important than their own life.
"As long as Zoe is here, this world will be more beautiful than the paradise of legend."
This sentence had become a common belief among Jarilo's people, and it was certain that even after hundreds or thousands of years, it would not change in the slightest.
"Everyone, don't worry too much. Just do what you should be doing, the sky won't fall." Zoe patted her small chest with unprecedented confidence and gave everyone her assurance.
"Yes, Lady Zoe!" echoed in unison across all of Jarilo. Even without the television broadcast, the people on the grasslands could hear it clearly.
"Topaz, do you still have any questions now?" Zoe spread her little hands and looked at Topaz, her grin almost reaching the back of her ears.
"Hmph, since you're all so determined to seek death, it would be rude for me to stop you."
This time, Topaz's composure completely collapsed. In all her years of service, she had never seen such a planet so dead set on its own destruction.
At this point, she truly wanted to see what kind of ending awaited this world that kept dancing on the edge of death.
Seeing Topaz retreat dejectedly back to her warship, Zoe happily planted her hands on her hips and stood atop the meeting table.
The four members of the Company's Exploration Department also smiled faintly for the first time in a while. It looked as if everything was finally moving in a good direction.
'As if!'
Now that the troublesome pacifist Topaz was gone, Howard couldn't even be bothered to pretend anymore. He dragged over Topaz's chair and sat down, while the sixteen captains of the combat units all stepped forward in unison to stand behind him.
"Before we start discussing debts, I want to settle another important matter first."
Howard tapped his finger on the table. James immediately understood, taking out the files of all the expedition team members, along with an automatically captured photo from their ship before they entered Jarilo.
"Some time ago, our department's expedition team discovered that Jarilo seemed to still have surviving cities, so they wanted to descend and provide aid. But ever since, they've completely lost contact."
"Oh, what a pity!"
Zoe answered lazily while picking up the boxed meals Bronya had brought from the Astral Express, serving Emiya, Acheron, and Vera first before finally opening her own.
"I'm telling you seriously, we're talking business right now!" After being brushed off again and again, Howard was finally about to lose his temper.
But Zoe pursed her lips dismissively. "It's already noon. You know I'm still growing, if I don't eat on time, I won't grow tall."
That sentence left Howard choking for a long moment before he finally managed to breathe again. Smartly, he decided call her as "King of Jarilo."
"Then, King of Jarilo, this is an official search warrant issued by the Interastral Peace Company. We need to enter Belobog for investigation. During that time, you can take your chance to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner all at once."
"Impossible." Zoe's expression instantly turned cold.
"You lost your own people, find them yourselves. Belobog is the place where the Aeon bestowed His miracle. It allows no desecration from anyone."
"Take a good look, this is an official search warrant from the Interastral Peace Company!" Howard finally broke down, his voice turning hysterical.
"What's that got to do with me? I don't belong to your Company. Jarilo is a self-governing planet. We haven't even held you accountable for bringing warships here without permission. Showing mercy for the Company's face was already being more than generous."
"You're looking for death!"
The burly James squeezed out those words from between his teeth, while the other high-ranking Exploration Department officers began radiating dangerous energy.
"Considering that you're still young and ignorant, we'll allow you to retract your childish words. Otherwise, we'll regard this as a deliberate provocation against the Company's authority!"
But no matter how furious the Company's side became, no matter how hard they tried to release their killing intent, Zoe simply couldn't be bothered. With a satisfied little smile, she kept munching on her braised beef.
The three senior officers of the Exploration Department exchanged glances, seeing deep helplessness in each other's eyes. This time, they truly understood how frustrating it felt to be scholars meeting soldiers.
On any other planet, they would've already stopped talking and started punching by now.
But Zoe's technological power was overwhelming, and the identities of Emiya's group were still highly suspicious. Acting rashly without understanding their background would lead to consequences none of them could afford.
Even if they wanted to strike, they'd need a much more solid pretext.
Right now, entering Belobog under the pretense of a search was clearly impossible. Even if they tried to make a move in the Ideal City, they likely wouldn't escape surveillance.
Round and round it went, there was still only one possible entry point, the original mission itself.
"Since you refuse to cooperate, let's set aside the expedition team for now and move on to the next business matter."
Howard rubbed his face, forcing himself to return to a gentlemanly calm. Then, with a slap, he tossed a thick stack of ledgers onto the table in front of Zoe.
"These are the principal loans the Company once gave to the City Builders. As for penalties and interest, since the amounts are enormous, they're still being calculated."
"Looking at you with those little glasses, I'd say your brain's even worse than that girl from before."
Zoe casually flipped through the ledgers, tossed them aside, and looked straight into Howard's eyes with open disdain. She knew this man's very soul reeked of corruption, so there was no need to show even a shred of courtesy.
"The money you gave was long blown away by the wind. As for that broken-down factory, you all ran off before it even began production. How can you shamelessly come here demanding interest?"
"What do you mean by that? Are you openly declaring you won't repay your debts?" James slammed both fists onto the meeting table, standing tall like a mountain, pressing down on Zoe with sheer force.
"It's precisely because of the Company's funding that you were able to build Belobog's tall walls and receive the Aeon's protection..."
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