Daphne seems unable to believe everything she has just heard and seen. She doesn't really understand Jupiterian language, but that's when it's spoken by a native speaker. But when her own countrymen speak Jupiterian language then everything becomes different, since his Pluto accent is very helpful for her to understand what the Ambassador just said. She keeps staring in shock, at how Stairmount tries to argue with him, and how Mr. Tavon - who is the deputy ambassador of her own country, her own countryman - treats her coldly instead, and now repels her.

That feeling immediately fills her entire mind. The feeling that pushes her to say coldly.

"It's okay, Mr. Rivers. Come on, let's go." Daphne says calmly.

Stairmount turns his gaze at Daphne. Daphne's stiff face is filled with disgust. Taking a deep breath, he also says softly, which is aimed at James. "Okay James... let's go."

James is really confused. However, he doesn't get the point about the real problem. But since his best friend and the entourage have stepped towards the door, he has no other choice.

"Mr. Clay, if you have time, please remain here for a moment."

Mr. Tavon's low voice soon stops James' steps. "Eh... what's wrong?"

Mr. Tavon watches Daphne and the others close the door and disappear from the room, leaving only him and James in this large room now. Then, he immediately blurts out, "You must be crazy! It's evidently the traitor whom you want to help!"

"What?! Traitor?!?..."

"Stairmount Rivers. He is a traitor!"

"W... what?!? But, he is?!..."

Mr. Tavon turns the monitor containing the information data description towards James. "Just read it by yourself. I'm too lazy to explain."

James reads the data handed to him quickly. The next second, his face turns pale.

"He almost thwarted Sapphire Project. Luckily it was just a minor disturbance and the project could go on. Otherwise, our strategy won't work and Neptune will still attack arbitrarily. But that traitor, how dare he mess up that strategy and by then help Neptune indirectly! I have no idea about the way he use so that he could evade our troops in Pluto and even sneak in here! But... his freedom won't last long..." Mr. Tavon reaches for his ultra-cyber minipad, and is about to press the number.

"Don't report him."

Mr. Tavon's fingers freeze in the air as he watches James who is glaring at him. Anger immediately overtakes his temper. "Hey, are you crazy?! If you defend him, then you'll be labeled a traitor as well!"

"If you report him, then the Project of Sierra Pathogen will fail."

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"W... what do you mean?!?..."

"Stairmount Rivers. He is not just anyone." James says in a serious manner. "He is the creator of Sierra-NX635 Pathogen, whose killing power is many times more hazardous than Fuxa Pathogen, and which is proclaimed as the last weapon of mass destruction by the highest superiors. Even Chrono doesn't dare to be reckless when dealing with him."

Now it is Mr. Tavon whose face turns pale. He is now slumped in the chair. "Impossible... he is still young, after all, but evidently... so, he is that mysterious leader of Mist Laboratory of Pathogenology Section..."

"Indeed. Not everyone knows about this matter, so many Chrono members look down on him and even insult him, but they don't know the true identity of the person they insult. So even in Chrono, this matter becomes a mystery." James sighs. "You are the one of the lucky few to find this information, and you are even not the member of Chrono. So, in return for your luck, you should keep your mouth shut about this. Pretend that it never happens. Pretend that all of them never appear in front of you."

Still with the face as pale as a white wall, Mr. Tavon replies limply, "Y... yes... of course..." He takes a deep breath. "Huh! He thinks it's because he has so much power over other people's lives then he can do whatever he likes?! And he even thinks that the entire Planet is under his feet?! He wants to show his power by forcing everyone to worship him?! He's gone too far!..."

"He did that foolishness, is not due to the overproudness for his intelligence." James says, more seriously than before. "Even the genius will become an idiot when dealing with women."

Copyright © by boundless_universe

***

So frustrated by this unexpected result, neither Stairmount, Daphne nor Mrs. Yalle realize that James doesn't follow them. Their frustration quickly turns to anger, which is accompanied by disgust.

Daphne is so urged to get out of the building since it really makes her sick. She is so sick of staying here even a little longer that she has been outside the embassy building as if she just flies while running.

Daphne gazes at Stairmount, her eyes look wistful. "Mr. Rivers. Thanks a lot for your help... but, it doesn't work..." She forces a sad smile.

Stairmount tries so hard to control his overflowing tension, as he knows that even if he may vent his anger, he should release it to the right person. And in fact, it should not be vented even to the right person because it will only stir turmoil. Especially Daphne, she is the victim and suffers the most. He smiles at her, as bitter as Daphne's, "Don't thank me. Since it is in vain, then I should find another way to help you..."

"You don't have to do anything more, Sir. This is all more than enough." Daphne stares deeply right into Stairmount's eyes. "Really."

Unable to stare back at Daphne's beautiful eyes which look so wistful, Stairmount turns his gaze away. He feels so ashamed. For all this time, everything he does will always work. No matter how brilliant it is, no matter how eminent it is, or no matter how unimaginable it is, if he wants it to be realized, then it will really come true. Even those terrible things, those which are feared by the entire human beings, those which are assumed as 'the works that can only be done by Gods or Demons', he even succeeds in making them happen. But why is it different now? He can't help needy people, he fails to do good. What does all this mean, then? Why does everything turn out like this?

"Hey, where's James?" Stairmount just realizes that James isn't with them. "He has returned home? But why didn't he tell me?"

Stairmount is just about to dial his ultra-cyber minipad number when he catches James' figure appearing in the distance. "James! I am just about to call you! I thought you have returned home!"

James has been outside the embassy area, together with them. He quickly leads them to walk away from Pluto Embassy, and is now walking fast toward his car.

"Let's get into the flying car first. We'll talk about it later. This isn't the right place to chat at all. We need to get out of here as soon as possible."