Pearl didn't think she would end up like Somado, dying from the backlash of being unable to bear the Cornerstone's power.
After all, compared to those in the Market Development Department who treated this power purely as a tool and had no real connection to Preservation, the Ten Stonehearts of the Strategic Investment Department were fundamentally different.
Diamond shared this power with them, and they, in turn, polished it with their own will, making the Cornerstone their 'heart.'
Though their interpretations of Preservation and methods differed, each of the Ten Stonehearts was undeniably a Pathstrider who had walked far along the Path of Preservation.
"You're joking, Your Excellency."
Though thoroughly shaken, Pearl quickly regained the composure expected of one of the Ten Stonehearts, of an android, after the initial shock wore off. She spoke calmly, still detached, but this time with a hint of respect in her voice.
She wasn't afraid of Jiang Qiao. After all, she was currently just a projection; her actual body was aboard a starship dozens of light-years away. Even if this individual possessed the ability to easily crush pseudo-Emanators like them, Pearl didn't believe they could threaten her true self.
"You think... this is a joke?"
SAM's voice was utterly calm, betraying little coldness or hostility, merely posing the question.
"..."
"I understand. Although my calculations suggest that the hacker lady from Punklorde cannot threaten me, I sense that confidence emanating from you."
"It seems you do indeed possess means to threaten my main body, even across several light-years."
"I am curious, but I do not expect you to enlighten me."
"Regarding Somado's actions, I will report everything truthfully later. As for all prior Corporation losses, they will be treated as an anomalous incident." Honestly, this decision was quite embarrassing; the Corporation rarely suffered setbacks in its galactic dealings. But Pearl wasn't particularly bothered.
After all, this mess was entirely the Market Development Department's doing. She had merely provided necessary assistance according to the Corporation's external protocols. As for the final outcome... well, she had attempted coordination. It was Somado who had been unrelenting, thereby escalating the losses.
Frankly, Pearl almost wanted to laugh.
For the Strategic Investment Department, this was arguably a net gain. Her superior, Diamond, was competing with Osvaldo for a Board seat, and not only had Osvaldo's subordinate caused this fiasco, but even...
She glanced at the Cornerstone that had burned away along with Somado.
The raw material for Cornerstones came from the shed remnants of the Amber Lord, making them the Corporation's most precious assets. Yet, the Market Development Department had managed to utterly destroy one in such a reckless manner... Osvaldo's expression upon hearing this news should be quite spectacular.
"[Firefly] stated, "That is your Corporation's internal affair. It has nothing to do with me."
"Then your meaning is?" Pearl inquired.
"Leave this planet, and have the Corporation's influence completely withdraw from this star system."
"The Corporation will not permit any place in the galaxy to exist beyond its influence," Pearl frowned, quite serious. The Corporation could accept many concessions, be they financial or otherwise. But it absolutely would not allow any region to become completely devoid of its presence; that would severely conflict with the Corporation's plans.
However, the synthesized, cold voice offered no compromise: "That is your concern."
"Furthermore, this is not a negotiation, but a notification issued in the name of the Empress."
"Silver Wolf, show our guest out."
"You could obviously do it yourself... Honestly, you really know how to order people around. Alright, company lady, you heard her. You're not welcome here. That's it." Silver Wolf, who had been watching the show from the side while chewing bubble gum, grumbled disapprovingly, then stuck her tongue out at Pearl's projection.
Her Aether Editing severed the distant Pearl's connection.
The projection vanished. Back on her ship, Pearl remained stunned for a long moment.
"Lady Pearl, is something wrong?" an android subordinate asked with concern. Among the Ten Stonehearts, Pearl was known for treating her subordinates well, and since she herself was an android, her ship was crewed mostly by her own kind.
"I'm fine."
"Set course back to Pier Point."
---||---
Back on Planet Balmung, after cutting Pearl's connection, Silver Wolf looked puzzled.
"Weren't you going to teach that company tin can lady a lesson?"
"[Firefly] replied, "The main culprit has been dealt with. She was merely fulfilling her duties. There's no need to pursue it further."
"Besides, you weren't really hurt, were you?"
"True... If it weren't for that Market Development guy playing dirty, that tin can lady wouldn't have been able to touch me," Silver Wolf nodded, then pouted slightly. She then noticed her surroundings and asked, full of curiosity and confusion:
"Ah, right... What was that about an 'Empress' you mentioned earlier? And all these monsters... and this unfamiliar woman..."
Barely a standard system hour had passed since Jiang Qiao went inside, yet everything seemed completely different, utterly unrecognizable. How could the ever-curious Silver Wolf resist asking?
Especially that last question.
Silver Wolf eyed the mature woman—with her cascade of white hair and exceedingly gentle beauty—with considerable suspicion. She's gorgeous, but who is this?! She looked accusingly at her partner. Seriously, you go inside for a bit and come out with this beautiful woman? Explain yourself to Ms. Silver Wolf, right now!
"Lady Mercy's Bane Swarm King?"
Just then, the recovered firefly guard recognized the white-haired woman's true identity, looking at her in disbelief. "How did you become like this?"
"Her Majesty the Empress granted me new life."
"...Huh? This woman? Is she the Swarm King you went in to see?" Silver Wolf's eyes widened upon hearing the exchange between the woman and the bug.
[Firefly] deactivated the SAM armor, revealing the girl's form, and gave an affirmative nod.
"It's like this..."
He explained Mercy's Bane's story in the simplest terms possible, detailing what had happened inside. Ms. Silver Wolf, despite her massive mental capacity for data due to her specialization, felt her head spin momentarily from the sheer volume of information, her eyes going crossed.
Of course, that didn't stop her from grasping one key point:
"So, you're the Empress of the Swarm now?"
"Correct."
"..." Silver Wolf looked utterly shocked.
Wait, my partner goes inside for a bit and comes out as the ruler of the bugs?
Jiang Qiao felt a bit helpless about it too.
This Empress title was much like Tayzzyronth's status as the Aeon of Propagation.
Tayzzyronth, as the last of its kind, on the brink of extinction, gained the true meaning of Propagation through its fear of loneliness and desire for companions, opening the Path of [Propagation] and ascending to Aeonhood.
Firefly's situation was similar.
At the end of that great war against the Swarm, Firefly had effectively become the 'Empress' of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry. Because the Iron Cavalry shared an origin with the Swarm, this essence was also valid for the Swarm itself.
By completing the necessary 'coronation' step, Firefly could become the recognized successor to the Swarm Emperor—the new Swarm Empress.
There were two conditions for coronation: mastery over the power of the Propagation Path, and the witnessing by a Swarm King.
And Jiang Qiao, inhabiting Firefly's body, happened to have fulfilled all the steps. To gather the remnants of the Iron Cavalry, he had drawn upon the unowned power of the Propagation Path beyond normal limits.
The second condition needed no further explanation.
The moment he met Mercy's Bane Swarm King, [Firefly] had essentially completed the 'Swarm Empress' authentication. Furthermore, due to Mercy's Bane Swarm King's unique status within the Swarm, its recognition carried even more weight than other Swarm Kings.
Therefore... regardless of [Firefly]'s own wishes, the Swarm already regarded her as their supreme Empress, the highest ruler in the Swarm hierarchy.
"Wait, I thought the Swarm Emperor was an Aeon... Does that mean you're now..."
"Not quite that," [Firefly] shook her head at Silver Wolf's question.
In truth, the title 'Swarm Emperor/Empress' wasn't equivalent to being an Aeon. It was just that Tayzzyronth happened to be the creator of the Swarm, and according to Swarm rules, this Aeon was thus regarded as their Emperor.
"Although I can currently freely command the entire power of the Propagation Path, I haven't become an existence like an Aeon."
The reason was quite simple: he wasn't particularly willing to become one.
While an Aeon is the foremost traveler and guide along a Path, wielding the Path's full might, Jiang Qiao wasn't particularly interested in the title.
It was like Herta's assessment of Aeons. Though immensely powerful, they weren't as glamorous as mortals imagined. Rather than gods, they were more like 'slaves' eroded by the power of their Path. Even if they possessed a degree of self-awareness and subjectivity, the actions of Aeons were confined within a specific range.
Jiang Qiao had no interest in becoming such a being.
"Ah... I see... I thought I'd have an Aeon buddy." Silver Wolf, not grasping the nuances, sounded a bit disappointed.
After all, she'd imagined that if Jiang Qiao became an Aeon, she could brag online while gaming.
If anyone dared mess with her, she'd just drop: "My pal's an Aeon, watch out or I'll have them smite you!" Having an Aeon watching your back sounded pretty awesome, didn't it?
[Firefly] just smiled at this and asked, "Do you really want an Aeon as a friend?"
"Ah... Forget it, forget it. Aeons don't seem that great anyway. I like you better~" Seeing the girl's serious expression, Silver Wolf paused, then quickly shook her head. "I hear those Aeons in the universe are all weirder than the last. Having such strange beings as friends sounds like too much trouble."
"Is that so..."
"Actually, not all Aeons are that strange, like... okay, maybe they are a bit weird," Jiang Qiao thought of mentioning Akivili, but remembering Akivili's abstract antics, which rivaled Aha's, he felt Silver Wolf might have a point. Could it be that becoming an Aeon inevitably makes one eccentric?
Curious, but lacking the need and interest in the title, Jiang Qiao mentally 'kicked away' the Imaginary energy from an unknown source and the power of the Propagation Path that was trying to crowd in on him. While escape wasn't impossible, getting truly entangled felt like it would be a hassle to shake off later.
Mercy's Bane Swarm King had no objections to this. For the Swarm, having an Aeon wasn't actually that important. While it granted immense power, all the Swarm truly desired was survival. In a way, the fact that their Emperor was an Aeon was the root cause of the Swarm's current predicament. If not for the drive instilled by Propagation, the Swarm might not have become so extreme.
The new Empress had been born.
Henceforth, the Swarm existed only for survival and loyalty to the Empress. These were their sole purposes.
"...Wait, so all these... these beasts and avians are actually bugs too?" Silver Wolf looked at the surrounding creatures, a thought suddenly striking her.
Mercy's Bane nodded.
In fact, not only these creatures but even the survivors out on the wasteland—they were also Swarm.
The past war had already destroyed everything on this capital planet of the Glamoth Republic. In such harsh conditions, how could any true 'survivors' possibly remain? They were all Mercy's Bane's creations after arriving on this planet.
Though grievously wounded upon crashing here, as the 'survival' branch of the Swarm, she remembered her mission. Thus, despite her injuries, she created new offspring. Some fused with the 'remnants of the Glamoth populace'—likely altered by some genetic weapon used during the war—and evolved into humans who believed themselves to be Glamoth survivors.
Others, because Mercy's Bane lacked the energy to guide them, were left to evolve freely, eventually becoming the beasts and avians spread across the planet.
As for why they didn't maintain insectoid forms? Simple.
Mercy's Bane had observed that other species in the universe harbored an extreme hatred for the Swarm. Encountering them almost invariably led to attempts at total annihilation.
If that was the case, then it was time to 'evolve.'
Mercy's Bane understood.
To survive, the Swarm needed to begin a new 'evolution path.'
Shedding their bloodthirsty nature, shedding their ignorant perceptions, shedding their monstrous appearance.
As long as they could survive among the stars, as long as they wouldn't face the desolate end of a severed bloodline and absolute loneliness...
Then 'form,' for the Swarm, was not something to cling to.
Everything was for continuation.
Everything was for Propagation.