The choice was never in the hands of the Defense Force...
The commander fell silent for a moment, quietly pondering that statement.
Beside him, the colonel stood in silence, his gaze fixed on the wall-mounted map before him, eyes lingering on the Janus District and the Mars District.
The real visionaries now had their sights set beyond New Eridu, and this responsibility had fallen to him.
Though someone else was helping shoulder the load, the pressure was immense—partly due to the major's instructions, and partly because of the Defense Force's duty.
On one side was gratitude, and on the other, responsibility. For him, both were heavy burdens.
"By the way, from now on, the Defense Force has an official code name for him. There's no need to keep calling him the special Ethereal."
"Actually, it was the major himself who approved it."
"What's the code name?"
The colonel finally pulled his eyes from the map and replied slowly,
"Fire Picker."
...
"Please connect me to Channel 423."
"Channel 423 is experiencing a malfunction and is currently unavailable. Please switch to another channel."
Inside an old research institute, an elderly man dressed in traditional clothing sat on a sofa, frowning as he listened to the message over the phone.
"The Marcel Group's dedicated line just keeps getting worse. In just the past year, there've been over a hundred maintenance issues."
"I don't even know why they're keeping it around. They'd be better off building a new one from scratch."
"The higher-ups are brilliant, huh? Throwing money at a bunch of freeloaders who can't even do their jobs."
Grumbling in frustration, the old man stood up, grabbed his cane, and headed toward the group's headquarters.
His young apprentice, who had been dozing nearby, was roused by the noise. He opened his eyes and looked over with a resigned expression.
"Old man, what are you up to now?"
"The institute's been restructured for ages—there's nothing left for you to tinker with. Even the materials I bought doing side jobs are all gone."
"If this keeps up, we're really gonna be drinking cold wind this month."
"You, of all people—a top-tier Bangboo design master—would rather stay holed up in this tiny place than go back to proper work. And now I'm stuck suffering alongside you."
The old man shot a glare at his apprentice and snapped,
"What do you know? You think you can lecture me? Save it for when you become a real design master."
"At least leave a note or something, old man. You are my master, after all. I'm scared one day you'll just kick the bucket without warning."
"You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting?!"
The old man's beard bristled with fury. He nearly raised his cane to give the kid a smack, but held back for the sake of dignity.
Back in his day, with his temper, he definitely would've thrashed this foul-mouthed junior.
After all, he was a regional boxing champ once!
Still, the apprentice wasn't entirely wrong. With a sigh, the old man decided to explain.
"According to the memory module, another initial machine has been activated. I need to inform those guys. It's my responsibility."
"Whether they care or not after I tell them—that's none of my business."
The apprentice blinked in surprise.
"Initial machine? Old man, you mean the very first batch of Bangboos crafted personally by Lady Sunbringer?"
"So that's why you keep staring at those busted lamps all day. But what's the big deal with initial machines?"
"You're always hyping them up like they're some mystical artifacts. Come on, Bangboos from that long ago can't be better than what we have now."
"Who told you that? The first ones aren't necessarily worse than the latest. Nobody knows what Lady Sunbringer did back then."
The old man, clearly dissatisfied, continued,
"I'm not exaggerating. The Bangboos that followed those great figures back then were the best proof. Each had its own strengths."
"Alright, alright, you're always right."
The apprentice waved dismissively, his half-hearted response reigniting the old man's temper.
"But seriously, old man—if the initial machine's so amazing, why don't you just bring it back?"
"Are you dumb?"
"The initial machine doesn't take orders from anyone—not even Lady Sunbringer. All I can do now is observe its activation, shutdown, and life support."
"As for info, data, whatever—nothing. I don't even know how many initial machines there are."
"Enough chatter—I gotta go. I've got a date with Miss Ellie tonight."
The old man shook his head and quickly left.
The apprentice sighed. He knew exactly who Miss Ellie was—a sweet old lady from the next street over, about the same age as his master.
Talk about "old but vigorous."
"All this fuss over some ancient machine... I don't get it. Honestly, it's better to be like me..."
He leaned back, closed his eyes, and muttered to himself.
"Three days of fishing, two days of sunbathing. Embrace the laid-back life. Enjoy a carefree existence in hustle-crazy New Eridu..."
...
"Not compatible?!"
Belle's brows furrowed as she stared at Panta lying lifeless on the table, looking almost... dead.
They had worked so hard to find those parts, and now he tells her they're not compatible?
Wasn't this exactly what he asked for?
For the first time, Belle began to question Master Enzo's professional credibility.
It was over. If something really happened to Panta, how could she ever face Zane?
He had trusted her so completely, and now...
"Did something go wrong somewhere?"
Wise rested one arm on the table and leaned his chin on the other, rubbing it thoughtfully as he spoke.
"I'm... not sure."
Even Master Enzo was beginning to doubt himself. He had run checks over and over, and finally narrowed it down to one questionable part—only for it to end up being a mismatch!
His skills were unmatched in the city. There were few who could even come close to his level, let alone surpass it.
Forget repairs or modifications—just give him a moment with a Bangboo, and he could figure out its psychological gender on the spot!
"These parts clearly fit—but this Bangboo outright rejected them. It's like..."
"It's like it was rejecting garbage."
Master Enzo hesitated for a moment but still gave his professional opinion.
He moved to Panta, now returned to its original state, ready to examine it further. For someone who had never backed down from a challenge, his pride was now on the line.
There wasn't a single Bangboo in all of New Eridu he couldn't fix!
While he tinkered, Belle and Wise continued discussing the situation.