"What are you smiling about?"
Sparkle had been brooding over her failure to catch a Lord Ravager's attention when she noticed her other self lost in thought, suddenly breaking into a silly grin.
Granted, her face was still pretty cute even with that goofy expression.
But it did somewhat ruin the dignified aura she was supposed to maintain as a Masked Fool.
"Nothing much, just thinking about where to go next. What about you? Decided on your next move?"
Even though this Sparkle had a bit of a bratty streak, given how cooperative she'd been on Aeragan-Epharshel, spending the remaining time playing along with her wasn't out of the question.
"I've decided. I'm heading to Pier Point."
"Where?!"
A flood of locations flashed through 'Sparkle's' mind—even the Land of Light made the list.
But of course, this Sparkle was something else, going straight for the company's headquarters.
"Pier Point. The IPC's headquarters. I was originally thinking of drawing a Lord Ravager's attention and dragging Oswaldo into the mess, but if the company doesn't release the footage, that plan's dead."
Sparkle spread her hands and sighed helplessly.
"Then what's the point of going to the IPC? What are you planning to do?"
"Don't forget, I still have this~ If Oswaldo can be an Emanator of Preservation, why can't I?"
Sparkle produced that crystal.
The power within wasn't weak at all.
Even if Oswaldo ran too far, breaking the resonance range between the two crystals, this one could still briefly unleash a fraction of an Emanator's power.
In essence, it was a kind of signal exchange.
When this crystal's power surged, the other would lower its energy output upon receiving the signal.
The link range between the two crystals spanned an entire galactic arm—not just a star system.
So, Sparkle hatched a devious idea.
Since Oswaldo had chosen power, once he took it back, he'd surely use it as leverage to climb the ranks.
And if Oswaldo could do it, why couldn't she, Sparkle?
Even if she was a Masked Fool, as long as she could wield Preservation's power, who would dare say she wasn't its Emanator?
She'd infiltrate the IPC and make Oswaldo's life miserable.
After all, that guy would definitely come after her eventually. Might as well take the fight straight to his doorstep.
After hearing Sparkle's plan, 'Sparkle's' expression turned utterly peculiar.
"You're actually serious? Playing with fire like this? Aren't you afraid the IPC's top brass will see right through you?"
"If I can be exposed, then Oswaldo will be too. And then the company will realize not only was he utterly duped, but he also lost an entire planet's strategic resources and a whole engineering fleet."
Sparkle could barely contain her grin, looking every bit like someone who'd throw caution to the wind for a good laugh.
Though the sliver of Phase Flame she'd given her was still in her grasp—a last-ditch escape card, at least.
To this, 'Sparkle' twitched the corner of her mouth.
"You really have no intention of letting him off the hook, do you?"
Guess the original was the original after all. Even with Sparkle's brain, she'd never have concocted such a mad scheme—charging into corporate headquarters just to cause trouble.
"Let him off? No way. I'm looking forward to watching him blow up spectacularly. How could I let him off?"
"Then be careful. I can't help you at Pier Point. But if you run into trouble, you can try reaching out to Diamond from the Strategic Investment Department."
Here on Aeragan-Epharshel, she could summon tens of thousands of History Fictionologists without anyone noticing. But at Pier Point, she wouldn't be able to pull such stunts anymore.
"Leaving already? I was hoping you'd impersonate my companion and we'd sneak in together. But why Diamond?"
"Diamond is a genuine Emanator of Preservation. He's always wanted to climb higher and join the board. If Oswaldo rises within the Market Development Department, he'll become Diamond's biggest rival."
"Oh, I see~ I never realized you were so well-informed about the IPC's internal affairs."
"Just a little, just a little. Anyway, it's just a suggestion. I can't stop you from doing whatever you want. I just hope you won't go too…"
"I know, I know. You gave me the entry ticket—how could little Sparkle possibly run amok?"
Sparkle realized that while this other self might not have as many wild ideas, her ability to execute was truly top-notch.
She genuinely wanted to team up with her other self as a Fool duo and go find some fun together.
With the other her around, the mischief they could cause would be even greater.
Too bad the other wasn't interested in playing big.
'Sparkle,' meanwhile, smiled as she watched the progress bar on her panel rise once more.
--+--
[Role-Playing System]
[Name: Bai Ming]
[Lifespan: 450 Years (Paused) + 14 Days (Role-Playing)]
[Transformable Characters: Big Herta (Usable), Acheron (Usable), Irontomb Herta (Usable), Celenova (Charge: 79.4%), Jingliu (Charge: 67.4%), Ruan Mei (Charge: 48.4%), Sparkle (Currently Playing)]
[Available Draws: 0 (32.2%)]
--+--
She never expected that news of her departure would stir Sparkle's emotions like this. Could it be that this petite girl had actually taken a liking to her?
"Compared to waiting around at the company, I prefer roaming the cosmos. Besides, after you're done playing, you'll definitely share the story with me, right?"
"That's true. You're one of the masterminds too—of course I'll share."
Sparkle giggled, quickly accepting the situation.
As for the other's true identity—while she was still curious, there was more exciting business at hand right now.
That could wait for later.
--+--
Sparkle eagerly set off for Pier Point.
The two of them speculated that Oswaldo had likely already returned to IPC headquarters.
But who knew how he planned to report the losses of the engineering fleet and personnel?
After all, in the final moments, whether out of fear of 'Sparkle's' pressure or simply not caring about his subordinates, Oswaldo had left behind at least half of the captured battleship crews and base personnel on Aeragan-Epharshel.
The remaining minority, he didn't even bother with when he fled—they only turned tail and ran when they realized something was wrong.
Sparkle suspected Oswaldo might just silence them all.
That way, he'd have complete control over the narrative.
And with Aeragan-Epharshel soon to be taken over by the Land of Light, the IPC, facing both a new Emanator and the Land of Light, probably wouldn't investigate too closely.
That's why Sparkle hurried off, aiming to throw a wrench in his plans before everything was finalized.
As for 'Sparkle'—after parting ways with the original, she proactively reached out to a few Geniuses.
[Screwllum: Ms. Bai Ming, it is a pleasure to receive your invitation.]
[Nameless: You're too kind. I'll need your help with what comes next.]
[Screwllum: Logic: The research materials of Dr. Primitive have been immensely enlightening. Assisting you, Ms. Bai Ming, is within my purview.]
[Nameless: Well… it's a bit complicated. I'll explain in detail when we meet in person.]
[Screwllum: Very well, Ms. Bai Ming. I look forward to our meeting.]
Because 'Sparkle' had contacted Screwllum and explicitly requested an in-person meeting, he seemed genuinely intrigued.
Ruan Mei, on the other hand, wasn't as enthusiastic—mainly because she was very busy lately.
[Ruan Mei: What is this regarding?]
[Nameless: Zandar, the Lord Ravagers, and Herta.]
[Ruan Mei: ?]
[Ruan Mei: What an odd combination. But apologies, I cannot get away right now. Would a holographic projection suffice?]
[Nameless: That's fine. You've been busy studying Dr. Primitive's materials, haven't you?]
[Ruan Mei: Yes, his research has provided significant inspiration. I likely won't have much free time for a while.]
--+--