"So, you have informed him?"

"I have no choice, Friend. I told you earlier, he was even about to report you! It is only when I told him about your track record, he then turned pale with the face filled with fear as if he had just seen a Satan. By then he fully obeyed what I told him."

James thinks that his words can impress Stairmount as he tries to arrange them to sound like a compliment. But out of his expectation, Stairmount instead purses his lips. "So, he thinks that I am a Satan? The deeds he and his cronies have committed can even make the evilest Satan tremble with fear!"

"Sometimes, to frighten those evil demons, we have to be crueler and more evil than them, by then the demon is willing to undo its evil intentions."

"You are really a true Chrono personnel."

"So, what's going on? What actually prompted you to do that? You should have fully understood the track records of Chrono for all this time. So you can't be that fragile-hearted. Don't tell me that you've fallen in love with that girl and hence you did that stupid thing."

Stairmount immediately chokes. Thank God, Daphne and Mrs. Yalle aren't around at that time. But it is also what Stairmount and James have arranged. They have returned to Pearl, and are now at Sunshine, the largest department store in Pearl city and also on the entire Planet. Knowing that shopping at the Pearl department store is the dream of the girls all over the Planet, James takes his guests to Sunshine. And while Daphne engrosses in admiration of those branded fashion with her mother, Stairmount and James stand far apart from the mother and daughter to talk specially about this. And for James, to interrogate Stairmount more deeply.

"Be honest, Stairmount. Are you in love with her?" James insists.

"Geez James, what kind of job actually do you have? Are you an elite personnel, or a cheap gossip newspaper?" A flush creeps up Stairmount's face.

"I am a professional personnel when working, and gossip newspaper for my friend. My goodness! I make a correct guess, then, tsktsk..." James pats Stairmount on the shoulder. "You are really amazing, Stairmount! So amazing, that the woman you choose to love is indeed Merressa!"

*) in this Planet Merressa is at one kind of Medusa.

"Don't say such words!..."

"She is indeed very enchanting, I have to admit it. I tell you, just because I have got married, and moreover, I am your best friend, then I'll just let her go, otherwise, to be honest, I'll try to win her heart. So she is the same as Merressa who is very enchanting. Then, she is also as dangerous as Merressa, who will turn you to stone by looking at her eyes. And you've turned to stone, Stairmount. Chrono has your name listed in their pursuit case, you know..."

"That's why I said, don't make such an assumption, because you don't know what's actually going on." Stairmount takes a very deep breath, as he prepares to explain everything in detail to James, from beginning to end, so that his friend will not be misled.

And, after Stairmount finishes with his story, it is James' turn to take a deep breath. "That's crazy," He said briefly.

"Is that all your response? For the crimes against humanity which remain shrouded in this thick cloth?"

"After all, what else should I respond? Well, isn't that what Chrono has always been doing all this time? Disrupting the stability of national and international countries, overthrowing the regimes disliked by the superiors, slandering, spreading propaganda to bring down their rivals, and even making any kind of weapons to make destructions. Everybody knows about that, and Chrono is not the only culprit for all this. If there are no promoters - whose powers are even greater than our country's highest government - Chrono would not exist, either. And you know for sure, the true power is not held by the legal authority - it is them who are actually in control of our country, as well as most parts of this Planet. It's illegal, but it's the fact. Even though everyone hates the fact, it's the fact after all. And Chrono, is their accomplice. It is not the executioner who does wrong. The culprit, is those who give the instructions."

"So, you can't blame me for taking that action..."

James purses his lips. "But now, you've made a big misstep. Even now you are in pursuit of Chrono, so if you die, who else will protect that girl and her mother? In fact, all you are doing is delaying their deaths."

"Don't keep repeating negative things. There must be a way to solve all of this, it's just that I don't have any idea about it right now..."

"But Stairmount, I think, if you cut your ties with that Plutonian girl, then Chrono won't hurt you. They are really in need of you. So in my opinion, stop this pursuit, return to Chrono without making any complaint, and everything will be fine."

Copyright ©️ by boundless_universe

Stairmount suddenly feels a strange bell ring in his ear. As if he just realizes something he has missed for a long time. "James... don't tell me, that you... are commissioned by Chrono to persuade me to do this..." Suddenly feeling his body is cold and clammy, he doesn't stop to curse his stupidity for being late in realizing this fact - and it is really too late, for certain.

"No, Stairmount. Nobody tells me to do this. This is of my own accord."

"Really..." Stairmount feels his heart leaps into his throat. "Can I trust you, James?..."

James stares back at Stairmount's suspicious eyes with a look full of seriousness. "When I am on duty, I am a state professional officer. But after that, I am an ordinary human being who is free to make my own choices. And now, what I do, is as your friend, Stairmount. As a friend who wants you to live a safe, peaceful, and happy life. Use your logic, then you'll find that my idea is not very bad. You just need to break up with that Plutonian girl, and go back to your original life. And breaking up with you doesn't mean the girl will die. She just breaks up with you, that's it. As for where she has to stay, I can manage it. She can also stay at Pearl if she wants. Pearl is too crowded, any kind of people can be found here, so the appearance of two illegal immigrants won't make much difference."

Responding to the idea James conveys in a tone full of seriousness, Stairmount falls silent.

Copyright © boundless_universe