Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 234 - 154: Fully Prepared

Chapter 234: Chapter 154: Fully Prepared

Extraditor.

As an envoy from the Universe, he came to warn the Blue Star People about the impending danger, and he also possessed the ability to transform himself into animals.

Mingyuan had an epiphany.

"Medivh, when did you arrive?"

Clearly, this Extraditor from the Universe had gotten hold of Medivh’s script and had surreptitiously met with the Blue Star’s....."Defense Against Evil Spirits" teacher.

"If you’re referring to the form of address, you can call me ’Oath.’ I don’t know who Medivh is."

The Endangered Species Protection Association had never had anyone by the name of Medivh, either.

"To the people of Blue Star, this name might seem a bit strange."

It gave the first impression that an executive from Universe Company had created the moniker to resonate with the locals on other planets, a name that could be quickly understood. Although customs and naming conventions differed from planet to planet, the recognition of objects was the same—flowers were flowers and grass was grass in any civilization.

The style of "Oath," however, seemed like it had been passed down from the Ashen Church, in the same way as a baptism ritual.

It appeared that as time went by, Mr. Oath had become completely universalized.

"To put it accurately, it’s the creed that I abide by."

The crow on the table spoke.

"Creed?"

"This is the source of strength for all Extraditors. We derive our strength from the creed, and we act according to the principles we believe in."

An Oath, then, was a promise that must be enacted, an action that must bear consequences.

Once they violated their creed, the strength of the Extraditors would be diminished.

"Our ancestors, after being invited to the Sixteen Star Summit, had always tried to push for Blue Star’s inclusion. Sadly, as Extraditors were few in the Association, our ancestor’s cherished wish had been making little progress. But now, the opportunity was ripe."

The crow said, "The proposal for the merger between Shanqi Commerce Association and Universe Company has put enormous pressure on the Summit. They urgently need fresh blood to join the Summit, which is why the entry criteria this time are much more relaxed than before."

In theory, this was good news for Blue Star.

But after studying a series of recent cosmic news reports, Mingyuan couldn’t shake off the feeling that this "relaxation" was akin to looking for a scapegoat before everything collapsed, as though they were saying once you’re through the Summit’s doors, everyone is family.

A family that would die together, all neat and tidy.

At least from the information he had so far, the powers of the Sixteen Star Summit and the Shanqi Commerce Association were not anywhere on the same level.

Lately, Shanqi Commerce Association had been targeting the Iron Guard Consortium, covertly stirring cosmic pirates on the Eastern Battlefront and the companies’ extermination troops to wage local warfare. During this time, by merely diverting some of their resources to "deal with" a few Summit representatives, the entire Summit had been effectively silenced.

"As far as I’m aware, the Shan Clan’s visit to the Summit representatives is to canvass opinions. They will rigorously control the voters to ensure a majority agreement during the Summit,"

The crow paused, then continued, "You must be following the news closely and are probably aware of the fate of those dissenters. As your delegation was preparing to depart, an unexpected space disaster occurred, preventing them from attending the Summit."

Although the manufacturing of air disasters was a commonplace tactic of the Company and the Chamber of Commerce, it had never been as blatant as it was now, which was enough to show the Shan Clan believed they had enough power and no longer cared about public opinion.

"But what does this have to do with the crisis of the planet you mentioned?"

"Because of you."

The Crow said bluntly, "Given my observation of you, if the Chamber of Commerce did the same thing to you, given your character, you would definitely not let it go. The leader of the United Front’s Rebels mentioned your name, which means the Shanqi Commerce Association has already taken notice of you, and they have learned from the Company’s failure. If a conflict arises, the next ones to come will not be just a few Long Branch Guards or Interstellar Cowboys. Both the Company and the Chamber command many war machines capable of completely obliterating an entire planet."

Nominally, these weapons of mass destruction were subject to strict restrictions; only after an audit confirmed a planet as a Dead Star and devoid of any signs of life, could it "enjoy" the "gift" of a Planet-Destroying Weapon, "But once the Shan Clan facilitates a merger between the Company and the Chamber, they would truly be able to do as they please."

Even if they used Planet-Destroying Weapons on a planet that had not been "Cocooned," they would not face trial.

"Once they merge, you will become the first target to establish their authority."

In the vast expanse of the universe, nothing is more deterrent than the elimination of a Transcender.

Of course, in interstellar media reports, Transcenders would be replaced by "Cocoons," and all the propaganda would turn into the Company having stopped a "Cocooned" planet, protecting the peace of the universe, widely acclaimed.

"Therefore, from a standpoint perspective, it seems you don’t have much choice."

"I understand."

Duan Mingyuan said, "You’re actually an envoy sent by the Summit."

Compared to the iron-fisted approach of the Chamber, the Summit could only send people to the planets of the respective Peaks in such a covert way, persuading their representatives to cast opposing votes.

There was just one thing Duan Mingyuan didn’t quite understand, "But if, as you say, the Chamber has already reached a point where it can do whatever it wants, is our opposing vote still useful?"

This was similar to the old Imperial Court.

Who would succeed the Prime Monarch had been predetermined from the day the Crown Princes were born, and their lives were just going through the motions to achieve the outcome desired by the Company.

"At least it can delay their actions. Compared to destruction by force, the Chamber would prefer that all institutions remain as they are. Otherwise, rebuilding after destruction would also consume a lot of their energy."

Of course, all this is predicated on the assumption that these organizations and institutions would position the interests of the Shan Clan at their core, allowing them to retain a certain degree of freedom on this basis.

"This is the origin of ’relative freedom.’ To put it in the words of the Chamber and Company, they believe some leaders of planets or organizations are too short-sighted to decide the future of an entire civilization properly, so the Company or the Chamber will make decisions for them. On less critical issues, these civilizations still have the freedom to decide."

For instance, what to eat for lunch, what clothes to wear when going out, or what mode of transportation to use.

These are manifestations of freedom.

"The problem is, if you outright reject the representative of the Chamber, there is a high probability of an air disaster befalling the flagship you travel on, and even you would probably find it difficult to survive in such a situation in the cosmos," the Crow said.

For the Company and the Chamber, even if a target had invincible combat capabilities as an individual, they had many other methods at their disposal.

"Even if you object, you must be well-prepared."

The Crow said, "The best course of action would be to outwardly agree to the Chamber’s demands, and when the flagship arrives at the Peak’s planet, we will arrange things further."