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At this moment, Sol looked at Jade and Topaz, sensing their sincerity and intelligence. He smiled and said, "I can tell that you're being sincere, and I truly don't have any urgent personal desires right now."
"If I had simply picked up these two cornerstones by chance, I wouldn't mind returning them to you."
"But they originated from a conspiracy. I can't make a hasty decision."
When mistakes are made, a price must be paid.
The strong can use various methods to evade responsibility, but when two forces of equal standing clash, that is not an option.
Right now, he wasn't merely speaking with Jade and Topaz—he was negotiating wills with the Interastral Peace Corporation, a colossal entity in its own right.
"Once again, please accept our apologies," Jade said, lowering her head with a trace of bitterness. "We understand your approach. This is indeed our fault."
"It's just that the cornerstones are of critical importance, tied to the course of our future lives," Topaz said as she looked at Sol, her voice sincere. "That's why we shamelessly come to you, hoping you'll grant us a lenient resolution."
If the cornerstones were lost under their watch, their fate would be grim.
They were vital corporate assets. Jade and Topaz merely held and wielded them on the IPC's behalf.
Even if Director Diamond said nothing, plenty of other factions would seize the opportunity to attack them—and by extension, the entire Strategic Investment Department.
"Then let us set a contract," Sol said calmly, a smile appearing on his face. "I admire both your talents and your beauty, and I don't wish to see you severely punished over this matter. But the IPC—and the two of you—must still pay a price for your mistake."
"First: the IPC will spin off all departments under your command and place them under my authority."
"Second: compensation in the form of funding as my service fee. I don't want credit points—I want research resources of equivalent value. This part will be handed over to Herta Space Station, with Genius Herta sending representatives to negotiate with the IPC."
"Third: under the premise that the IPC does not station itself in Penacony, you will sign an unconditional support agreement as compensation for your influence here. This part will be discussed between you and Robin; the specifics will depend on the situation."
"Once these three conditions are fulfilled, the two cornerstones in my possession will be returned to the IPC."
"These three clauses are binding in substance, not in name. You're free to assign whatever titles or explanations you wish."
Sol did not possess an in-depth understanding of this universe. He only knew that the Interastral Peace Corporation spanned the cosmos—immense, powerful, and extraordinarily wealthy.
As for which technologies or resources were truly valuable, or how much they were worth, he had no clear idea.
So, he simply left the compensation to those who understood such matters best.
With Asta—the corporation's own heiress—serving as station master under Herta, they would certainly strike hard enough.
And on Robin's side, Penacony had its own professionals—more than capable of carving out a satisfying share.
What Sol himself gained were Jade, Topaz, and their subordinates—people who could handle all kinds of affairs on his behalf.
As two of the Ten Stonehearts, Jade and Topaz were unquestionable corporate elites, second only to a handful of Preservation Emanators. The personnel under their command were numerous and capable—enough to handle the vast majority of matters across the universe with finesse.
Herta had Asta, the corporate heiress, as her station master.
And Sol would have two Stonehearts managing affairs for him.
That was symmetry.
Now, it all depended on whether these three conditions could be accepted.
If stated plainly, they would certainly be unacceptable.
But the key lay in the final line: binding in substance, not in name.
That meant enormous room for maneuver. Sol was almost certain that the Strategic Investment Department would agree.
Investors were opportunists by nature, masters of reframing narratives.
A routed retreat could be called a strategic redeployment.
A failed investment could be framed as experience gained.
A small loss becomes a small win.
A big loss becomes a big win.
Win, win, win—win until it hurts.
Sol even helped the Interastral Peace Corporation come up with explanations.
Ceding a critical department—or a key portion of it—could be labeled as deep cooperation with an Erudition Emanator, with joint parallel leadership over the department.
Redirecting the compensation to Herta Space Station could be presented as the IPC's forward-looking vision, showing respect for the collaboration between two Erudition Emanators by providing massive, no-strings-attached resources.
As for the compensation agreement with Penacony, that could be framed as humanitarian post-disaster reconstruction aid.
With a bit of narrative maneuvering, a crushing defeat could easily become a great victory.
Jade and Topaz grew solemn, apologizing once more. "Please allow us some time to consider these conditions."
"Take all the time you need," Sol replied casually.
He was in no hurry.
Robin naturally stepped forward and began gently massaging Sol's shoulders, her movements soft and attentive.
The third clause—the support for Penacony—was of immense importance to her.
Although all conspiracies at the Charmony Festival had been thwarted, and hope had risen here—offsetting the effects of Sunday's attempt to revive Order—Penacony had not suffered severe damage.
Still, for Penacony to move forward, it could not do without contact with the outside world. And the strongest potential partner was none other than the Interastral Peace Corporation.
So long as the IPC did not pursue annexation or plunder, it would be the best possible collaborator.
By imposing the condition that the IPC could not station itself here, Sol had cut off that possibility entirely. And if Penacony could also obtain unconditional compensation, it would surely enter a new era of prosperity.
How could she not be moved by such consideration for her sake?
"Thank you," Jade and Topaz said with a nod, then fell into contemplation.
The first condition essentially meant that the two of them—and their entire teams—would be transferred under Sol's command.
Seen this way, he truly did admire them, even making their recruitment one of the terms.
That left them unsure whether to feel troubled… or honored.
To be valued so highly by such a special Emanator was undeniable proof of their worth.
Yet it also made them uneasy—would Director Diamond agree? And if he did, what would that mean for them?
The second and third conditions were secondary—mere resource expenditures.
They had already prepared for that, though not on the scale Sol demanded.
But if reframed as investments and cooperation, Diamond likely wouldn't refuse.
After all, this incident was extremely serious—a catastrophic strategic failure, compounded by conflict with an Erudition Emanator who might even be a throne-level existence.
Handling it internally within the Strategic Investment Department was the only way to minimize the damage.
This matter had already drawn the attention of two of the corporation's founders. It was extraordinarily grave.
If Jade and Topaz failed to resolve it, and it was escalated further, the losses suffered by the Strategic Investment Department would be far greater.
Jade and Topaz exchanged a glance, then nodded in unison.
"Mr. Sol," they said, "we will need to submit your proposal to Director Diamond for discussion."
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