The officers' lounge was completely silent. I could even hear Sylvia's gentle breathing. After a long while, the elder sister said with disappointment, "That girl, she really left this time, right?"
I was silent for a moment. Looking at the small table beside me, I nodded slowly.
On the table beside me, there was a bag of fries, orange peels, coke cans, cake crumbs, chocolate, a half-twisted Rubik's cube, and a PSP …
My heart was heavy. She was so close to getting a + 3 Armor of Wind. It really wasn't easy to send away that person who could last for two and a half hours before her death.
I wondered if there were similar dark histories in other parting stories that had been passed down to this day. For example, Jing Ke and Prince Dan. Now, I could not help but wonder how Prince Dan had been waiting for the other party to disappear from the horizon in the half an hour after the other party left. He couldn't possibly turn around and say to his subordinates, "Looks like he still needs a long time to get past the toll station. Why don't we head back first?"
…
How many shy people have been saved by this toll station.
"I think … Belavilla seems to be a good person."
Shallow Shallow saw that we didn't speak. She scratched her face and muttered, "Although we used to be enemies … but, if we meet again, we might be able to be friends."
Shallow Shallow had a good intuition when it came to relationships between people. Her seemingly naive way of making judgments was shockingly accurate. Regarding her evaluation of Belavilla, we more or less had the same feeling.
After she returned to her original personality, even if she pretended to be cold, we could feel that her personality was deep in her bones. She wasn't a bad person. It was just that her words would occasionally be sharp and unkind. (It seemed that it was only directed at me?) But in reality, she was a very frank person. Perhaps it was related to her past experiences. Trying hard to hide the awkwardness of her original personality had become her specialty. In just a few hours of interaction, we had a whole new understanding of this girl who was once referred to as' Sister Belavilla 'by Visca.
Perhaps, during the era of the Fallen Apostle, her concern for Visca was a little true?
"Unfortunately, she has only been awake for such a short period of time. There are still many questions that we have yet to figure out." Sandora's tone was a bit disappointed. It hadn't been easy for her to find a key figure who might know the truth like the back of her hand, yet she had to leave so quickly. This made Sandora, who had an extremely high sense of responsibility towards the Empire, feel extremely vexed. During the two hours of Belavilla's' final radiance of the setting sun ', she had also continuously asked about the great calamity and the Fallen Apostle's operation. Unfortunately, there was already nothing more that could be said about the first question. The second question — Belavilla hadn't been a big shot for many years, so where was she supposed to find first-hand information?
To be honest, if it weren't for Sandora's interference, Belavilla might have been able to get the Armor of Wind, which was a + 3 buff.
"Don't be too demanding. We already know enough for today." I patted Sandora's shoulder. "Also, Belavilla only had a few hours of true lucidity in the past million years to explain the situation to you. It hasn't been easy for her."
Just as we were speaking, Sylvia, who appeared to be asleep but was actually switching operating systems, slowly woke up. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at us in confusion. Then, she said timidly, "Everyone, why are you looking at me?"
Hearing her stuttering, Sylvia had completely returned.
"How are you feeling right now?"
I quickly stopped her from sitting up. I had to confirm that there was nothing wrong with Silver Hair, who had used his original power in a daze.
Sylvia lowered her head to look at her body. She extended her hand and slowly clenched it before letting it go. "I'm fine. Did she fall asleep again?"
We were stunned at the same time. Half of us spoke in unison, "You know what happened?"
Sylvia shrunk her neck. "I know. I remember."
But your expression doesn't look like you've just gone through a storm, right? My face has collapsed a few times in the past twenty-four hours. How can you, a silver-haired mole who suddenly knows everything, be so calm?!
My elder sister asked with concern, "Sylvia, do you understand what happened? The document library, Belavilla, the Empire, and … and everything in your head. "
Sylvia took a long time to think. Then, she slowly nodded. "I understand. I understand."
The situation was a little unexpected. The girl that we had always wanted to keep out of the matter had gotten involved in the end. She actually understood what had happened to her. In other words, Sylvia understood everything about the Xiling Empire!
So, what plans does she have?
"Plans?" Sylvia looked at me without blinking. Then, she said matter-of-factly, "I want to go home. The dessert shop hasn't been open for business for a long time. The children must be waiting anxiously."
That's it?
We looked at each other. Seeing Sylvia's serious expression, we finally confirmed that that's it!
How should I put it … Sylvia, your brain is really amazing! It's the logic of a saint to return to simplicity to such an extent! That's why they say that saints and idiots are only one step apart. Sylvia, don't tell me you're the latter?
"Alright, alright. Let's go home." I didn't know if I should cry or laugh. I patted Sylvia's head as though I was comforting a child. I had a weird expression. "After we settle the matters in this world, we'll set sail home. Don't think about the Empire anymore. Now that you've honorably retired, leave it to us who are still in active service."
Sylvia immediately revealed a happy expression. Then, she suddenly furrowed her eyebrows and said bitterly, "Also, there's something wrong with my body. I feel bloated!"
Everyone was speechless.
I really didn't know how to explain to her how much food Belavilla had eaten in this body … But Sylvia, you should just accept it. If it was a master like Sandora controlling your body, you would have been sent to the emergency room several times by now.
Just as I was silently lamenting how a certain former Empire Queen who was so energetic even before she disappeared could cause so much trouble, I suddenly felt a slight movement in the pocket in front of my chest. Then, a certain little goddess who had eaten enough sweets and slept until now popped her head out from the pocket. Looking at the surrounding atmosphere, she carefully grabbed the button on my collar. "Ah Jun, the atmosphere is so weird. However, Jingle is hungry. When are we eating?"
Where did all the sweets that you ate previously go?!
Looking at the little thing who was spreading out her wrinkled wings on the table and carefully flattening them with her hands, I suddenly recalled what Sandora had lamented about regarding the Protoss's wisdom accumulated over countless years as dullness. What I wanted to say was, who knew when this little thing's accumulated dullness over countless years would turn into wisdom …
"Speaking of which, Jingle, you are a God, right?"
Big Sis reached out her hand to hold the little goddess up and asked thoughtfully.
"Of course! Jingle is very powerful! You can't look down on the prestige of a God! "
Do you know that my words are more credible than yours? Also, the wings on your back have curled up again, you idiot!
Big Sis didn't care about Jingle's imposing manner which didn't match her words. Instead, she turned her gaze towards us. "Belavilla wants us to look for the Protoss for help. What do you think?"
I glanced at Jingle and shuddered. "For the future of the Empire, I think it's better for us to work hard ourselves!"
"I know that she isn't reliable, but she can at least pass on a message, right?" Big Sis tugged on Jingle's wings and swung them around in front of us, causing the latter to giggle. "With the Gods' concept of time, who knows how many years it would take for them to contact us. Didn't Jingle have a headache over how to write this year's work report? Why don't we just write this discovery as a report? Just like what Belavilla said, those powerful beings in the Star Field are probably the only true friends of the Empire in the endless void. Although we won't completely rely on external forces, it would be better to look for them to help us investigate the remnants of the Empire in other parts of the void rather than blindly working like this, right?"
"That's a good idea." Shadora nodded in agreement. "It seems like the disaster that caused the Empire to go into hibernation was more severe than we expected. The Xi Ling Empire, which was originally the strongest force against the Abyss, became the greatest creator of the Abyss, and the entire race was transformed into the Abyss. Only the Gods know how much damage such an event has caused. I'm afraid that even the Gods are confused by the sudden disaster. After all, although the Gods have a large influence, due to the peace agreement between the top civilizations, they don't know much about the situation in the Empire's territory. Due to the unique nature of the Abyss, the worlds that are contaminated by it will self-destruct very quickly. I'm afraid that the remnants of the Empire would be destroyed in a few years after the disaster. Even if the Gods investigate, they won't be able to find the truth … It's just that, this truth is a little embarrassing to tell."
"A little brat who made a huge mistake has to look for his older sister to admit his mistake. I often felt this way before I was ten."
"Ah Jun, you summarized it well." Sandora sighed sincerely.
The older sister covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Hehe, it seems that my precious little brother has a deep impression of my strict upbringing."
How quick was my reaction? At that time, my expression was as if I was reporting to a senior official. "That's the most precious memory of my life!"
Fortunately, the older sister only shot me a sideways glance before she got down to business. She grabbed Jingle and explained the current situation to the still confused little one, such as the reason why the Empire had gone into hibernation, and how we needed the Protoss's assistance in investigating the aftermath of that calamity. But, looking at the little one's confused expression as she furiously took notes in her little notebook, it was likely that the older sister's workload would be quite heavy.
"Alright, just send this notebook to the Protoss as it is." After more than ten minutes had passed, the older sister waved her hand with a parched mouth. "Remember to add this sentence: Regarding the aftermath of the calamity, the Empire will take responsibility by itself. The only thing we need the Gods' assistance is to investigate the affected worlds. Yep, that's all."
"'… That's all.' Alright! Jingle has memorized everything! "
The little one proudly announced as she raised her notebook.
This idiot must have memorized too much!
Speaking from the bottom of my heart, I was now filled with doubt as to whether Jingle would be able to take on the responsibility of this communication. But, given that she was the only Protoss spokesperson on our side, I could only make do with her.
At this moment, the internal broadcast suddenly sounded. It turned out that the Empire Admiral and its escorts had already left superluminal mode and were about to rendezvous with the Resistance Army. The leaders of the Resistance Army had to head to the bridge to prepare for communication with the other side.
The Empire Admiral had returned ahead of schedule. The Death Star Fleet was still slowly charging up for a dimensional jump. Since the war was over, it didn't matter if the big guy was slow.
When I arrived at the bridge of the Empire Admiral, the place was already in a state of preparation for the fleet to stop. Although it still looked hectic, a relaxed atmosphere still lingered in the hall. As it was a triumphant ceremony, Sives had already changed into a military uniform specially prepared for such occasions. Even Raven 001 and Vika were no exception. And beside the three of them, I saw a new face.
"Aura, are you used to it?"
I stepped forward to greet the girl that I had just picked up … err, the Leader Bee. She was still dressed like a machine girl. She wore a metallic combat uniform with six drooping wings on her back and a high-tech visor that covered most of her face. Apart from the emblem on her shoulder that had been replaced with our military emblem, she was dressed exactly the same as when I first saw her.
Aura, who had long hair that almost reached her body, didn't seem to expect that I would take the initiative to talk to her. She paused for a moment before nodding slightly. "You're adapting well. I've established a mental connection with the other commanders and entered working mode."
The way this Leader Bee spoke … Forget it. She was used to it, and I could only get used to it.
I had heard from Sandora that the Leader Bee was a unique type of Schilling unit. She didn't explain why, but this type of Schilling unit's way of thinking was indeed different from that of most Apostles. In fact, many Shiring Apostles didn't even know what these Leader Bees were thinking. They looked mechanical and rigid, just like low-level AI without a personality template. But when it came to actions, every Leader Bee was highly intelligent. At the same time, they would often show genuine concern for their comrades in battle. This made this swarm of Leader Bees the most unique among the Shiring Apostles. Machines and personalities, indifference and concern, miraculously blended together. This must have fed many Schilling social psychologists — I wondered if they had such a profession.
"Your Majesty, we've established a connection with the Resistance Army's command channel. They've sent us a message of welcome."
The intelligence officer's voice interrupted my conversation with Aura. All of us immediately adjusted our expressions and stood in front of the military officer's platform. We lined up in descending order of height. I had the standard half-body portrait of the Resistance Army's spokesperson, and when it came to the Pandora sisters and Liliana's side, all that was left on the camera was a black arc … Alright then, the three little girls decisively went to move their stools.
Although the airship hadn't docked yet, the holographic projection of the Resistance Army's leaders had already appeared. They had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
The news of the Resistance Army's victorious return had already been sent to these leaders through the high-level communication channel. Thus, most of these leaders' calm and weathered expressions were filled with joy after learning the truth. This current communication could actually be considered a live broadcast. According to the plan, the leaders of the Empire and the Resistance Army would be the ones to announce the good news of victory to the entire world's ordinary species. In other words, billions of eyes were actually watching this scene.
When I was young, I had always dreamed of what I would look like on television. In the end, this dream of mine had come true multiple times in the past two years. Just thinking about how my ordinary face would be displayed on the same screen as the true heroes of the Resistance Army, and having them announce their victory in front of an audience that was several dozen times the population of Earth, I felt a headache coming on. If fame could be converted into combat strength, I would probably be able to defeat several thousand armies of Dragon Aotian by now.
However, when Shallow Shallow sneakily nudged my arm and muttered in a low voice, "Ah Jun, just which television station do you think got lucky with this live broadcast?" I instantly stopped feeling nervous.
This lass, who was always daydreaming, was far too good at adjusting the atmosphere.
Looking at the calm expressions of the Resistance Army's leaders, who had gone through the most difficult trials and tribulations possible, and imagining the billions of expectant eyes watching this scene from a place I couldn't see, I closed my eyes slightly. When I opened them again, they were calm. I exchanged glances with Sandora, and the two of us spoke at the same time, telepathically connected.
"Heroes, it's time to rejoice!"
Too many things had happened, too many unforeseen events had occurred, and the Empire's future was no longer shrouded in mist, only to reveal even more rugged roads. If I were to describe all these situations, it would probably take more than a day and a night, but that was our own business. For those tenacious warriors who were about to lose everything but still held onto hope, they only cared about one thing: whether freedom had arrived.
Now, all of you can rejoice!
I didn't know if the Resistance Army's battleships would immediately erupt in a wave of ecstasy after the communication ended, or if the colonies that still had life in the entire universe would immediately light up with celebratory bonfires, or if those leaders who were worthy of respect would finally be able to smile like they hadn't for thousands of years, but that no longer had anything to do with us. Now, what we had to think about was where this world should go, and where the Resistance Army should go …
Time was cruel, and the world was unpredictable. Even if thousands of years passed in the blink of an eye in Sandora's eyes, to these ordinary races, it was enough time for them to pass down generations. In this caged universe, only a small portion of the people were the unfortunate ones who had recently lost their way here. They might have only stayed here for a few years, and it would be a simple matter to send them back home, but what about the rest?
Most of them had stayed in this world for generations, even like the Bibolu family who had stayed here for tens of thousands of years. Their entire concept of home was a name passed down by word of mouth and some fragments of customs that even they themselves didn't understand. Even the name of their home might have even disappeared with time a long time ago.
The Space Administration had been preparing for this day since a few days ago. The macro system made it easier for us to locate the home of these lost people, but the information that the special agents had gathered wasn't all good news. For example, the leader of a small kingdom in the South had filled in the information about his home. The special agents from the Space Administration had confirmed that the name had been removed from the list of intelligent civilizations as early as 237 years ago. Their entire race had been destroyed in a supernova explosion — this kind of extinction wouldn't even cause a ripple in the universe.
Now, what we had to settle down was no longer a group of wanderers far away from home, but a large group of homeless people. Dealing with the aftermath, dealing with the aftermath … This most complicated incident in history really wasn't that easy to solve …
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