"I admit, I was wrong, Sir." Stairmount lowers his head. He makes up his mind, to be firm in this final decision. "I've made a mistake..."

"Maybe you can explain the reason why you did that? For example, you are a double agent for Neptune?"

"I don't know any Neptune people."

"Or, for Saturn?"

For some reason, Stairmount feels his blood bubble up automatically as Mr. Landlord asks so, although there is no negative tone inside his question.

"I can't even speak Saturnian language, Sir. How can I communicate with them?"

This time, a new expression appears on Mr. Landlord's face. "Oh? Why?"

"My parents educate me to use Jupiterian language as our mother tongue, because we are the citizens of Jupiter, not the citizens of Saturn."

Once again, a new expression appears on Mr. Landlord's expression. He looks jubilant. "That's an answer I've never heard from Saturnian-Jupiterian who even prefer to keep using Saturnian language instead of Jupiterian even though they've become Jupiterian citizens."

"I am different from them."

"And, what makes ethnic Saturnians rarely get high privileges in Jupiter. Not because they are incapable of it, totally not. But, because of this exclusive thinking." Mr. Landlord moves his seat forward. "But it turns out - as you said - you are different, Dude. Well, I've read all of your records, all of your accomplishments. You know, I can't help but say, if only you hadn't grown up in the wrong times like now, well... maybe back around fifty years ago, when they don't hate the Saturnians... you could have become a great person for sure. At least, as the head of one of the top departments in the government. Too bad..." He shakes his head. "Okay, so what's actually the reason you did that? Don't worry, it's just the two of us here. No one hears it. So, just tell the truth."

And that's you the one I have to avoid telling the truth for most.

"I... just get shocked... how could innocent people have to be slandered like that... and, there are so many of them..."

Mr. Landlord keeps waiting for the struggling Stairmount to finish his argument.

"I... just thought... if we the ethnic Saturnians who were treated like that in our motherland... that... it makes my feeling get turmoil... so... and I don't want it to happen to me."

Mr. Landlord remains silent, waiting for Stairmount to continue his words, but the young man has finished speaking.

Slowly, Mr. Landlord nods. "Let me tell you one thing that can make you breathe a sigh of relief. We are not doing things without a valid reason. We also hope to live in peace. As you can see, if no one fights and points their weapons at us, we won't do anything to them either, right? We still get in touch with peace. And that, is the instinct all humans on this Planet have. Not only limited to the Jupiterian, or the Neptunian, or the Saturnian, or anyone else. I am sure, if Saturn were us, they would surely do the same as we do. So, if they cooperate with us - or at least not oppose us - we will not bother them, either."

Because Stairmount doesn't know to what kind of point Mr. Landlord is carrying this oblique conversation, he thus waits in silence.

"So, you know that it is Neptune who starts the war first, right?"

"Yes."

"And you've lived on Pluto a long time. Before Neptune invades Pluto, have you seen anything like that before?"

"Never."

"That's my point, Mr. Stairmount Rivers. The analogy is the same as your case right now. If you hadn't messed up our plans, we wouldn't have done all this."

"Y... yes, Sir..." Finally getting to this part, Stairmount stares at Mr. Landlord with a pitiful look. "Please... I beg your indulgence... let go of my parents... they have nothing to do with this... they never tell me to do this, they don't even know what I've done... it is purely my own fault..."

"If all you've done was just killing an ordinary person, nobody would even bring it up, but this is different. Even I myself don't dare to oppose this project although I disagree with it. It's the business of the highest orders, you know?"

"Yes, Sir... I know... but now I have handed myself... So, you have nothing to do with them right now?"

Mr. Landlord smiles, very broadly. "We never take your parents into custody, Dude."

"W... what?!?..."

"Let alone take them as captives, we even don't catch sight of your parents!" Mr. Landlord laughs out loud. "We just make a trick so as to attract you to come here. Otherwise, you won't come, mmm? Your parents are perfectly safe, I'll make sure of that."

Stairmount thinks that he will get fainted as he hears that crazy statement. In an instant, he immediately agrees with his father one hundred percent, that it is a big mistake for him to join Chrono. Because they are all made up of crazy people!

Yes, including me. I think, I'm going crazy right now!

"Okay! Take it easy. Your brain won't be able to think correctly if you're still in a state of shock, right? The important thing is that you can be assured that your parents are okay." He waves to a young female employee having the face of Ralaran who immediately nods obediently, and a moment later she begins to make two cups of hot coffee that gives off a pleasant aroma. "After all, why do we have to punish you by taking your parents into custody? The Sapphire Project is still going on anyway, and it becomes a huge success. Soon, we'll be able to actualize that grand plan."

If it isn't for catching me with the lure of my parents' captivity, then why does this old man bring me here... Stairmount is busy thinking hard until he doesn't realize the female employee has served them two cups of steaming hot coffee.

"Drink the coffee first, Mr. Rivers."  Mr. Landlord starts to sip his coffee.

Copyright ©️ by boundless_universe

Being forced to follow Mr. Landlord's obscure chats since he has no other choice, Stairmount then sips his coffee.

"Alright. Actually, what I want to discuss with you is, this matter."

Mr. Landlord hand Stairmount a piece of paper. The young man reads it immediately.

Mr. Landlord continues to wait calmly for Stairmount, who gets more confused as he reads the contents of the document. The young man asks in a perplexed manner, "This... what does it mean, Sir?..."

"This is the reason why I want to meet with you. Such a piece of good news, isn't it?"  Mr. Landlord smiles, very widely. "You should be proud of this. It's never been recorded before that the Lismesans - let alone at your age - can directly become the Head of CHDM." CHDM is the acronym for The Center of Health and Disease Manipulation, the most important health agency in Jupiter directly under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, which authority is heading up all hospitals, laboratories, medical research centers, and other institutions related to the manipulation and determining one person to be healthy or sick. "That's the reason why I am so eager to meet with you in person. To inform you of this good news."

"B...but why?..."

True, why do they suddenly do this? He is certain that he's never done anything great recently. The completion of Sierra Pathogen is just 98%, and it has to be stopped due to Neptune's invasion of Pluto. And more, he has committed something the higher-ups of Chrono and Jupiter don't like, hasn't he? So that he becomes scared to death as he is right now. Yet again, if they really want to create him as the Head of CHDM, they must summon him to a more formal and official ceremony, and in an atmosphere full of joy, not by acting like they are torturing prisoners as Mr. Landlord is doing at this moment?...

The corner of Stairmount's eyes catches the oddity. "De facto..."

"Ah. That's why they don't officially summon you to accept a formal position at the CHDM Headquarters. It only happens in practice, while according to law, the CHDM Director is still the present incumbent."

"What actually do you mean by all of this, Sir? I don't get your point..." Stairmount feels like he has to support his vertigo-inducing head. Instead of feeling like he is getting a good thing, he feels that he is being snared into a snake's lair.

"Well, you're smart. there's no such thing as a free lunch. This position, you can only fully get after completing a mission."

"Mission..."

"Actually, the country that bothers us the most is not Neptune, but Saturn. It is Saturn that becomes a heavy burden for our country. You must be very informed about this. In the economic sector, many of them are richer than our citizens. In the propaganda as well as indoctrination sector, all of that has fallen into their grasp. And the most annoying matter is, they have surpassed us in technology sector, whereas in the past they instead glorified magic and mysticism. Saturn dominates everything. The problem is, if they want to cooperate with us, then it will be so good for both of us... but they instead refuse to cooperate with us, and although they always deny their partnership with Neptune, but as we can see, they help Neptune more massively than before. So, actually our opponent is not Neptune. But Saturn. And they are even more terrible, because they hide behind Neptune's rudeness, not performing as bad people, but later, if Neptune wins the war, it is they who will become a superpower because they have been monitoring all of this from behind the scenes.

"Unfortunately, we can't be frontal in struggling with those who carry out this kind of strategy. Instead, we should use follow their path, using a slanted strategy. Well, Sierra Pathogen has been in 98% of completion, right? The highest order of us has given the instructions; to complete the biological weapon and, use it immediately. But we just need one more thing."

Still listening with his back covered in a cold sweat, Stairmount suddenly feels his heart pounds violently as Mr. Landlord continues, "Complete Sierra Pathogen into 100%. Then go to Saturn, collect the blood samples of the Saturnians, and pair them with Sierra Pathogen, following the work methods of the pathogen so that it can spread to the entire Saturn. That's what you have to do now. If you succeed in completing the mission, the post of Head of CHDM will be yours completely."

Copyright © boundless_universe