Ariel Hanson

"We are mineral merchants from Moria —from the Mobius Foundation," Augustus introduced himself to the composed, dark-haired girl.

"My fleet has been sailing in space for six months, and now we are facing a food shortage and urgently need to replenish our supplies of flour, canned goods, and processed protein," he said.

Augustus the truth, because the Revolutionary Army Fleets was indeed facing a food shortage crisis due to carrying more than two million additional Korhal immigrants.

"And I learned that Bernard Hansen is the chairman of immigration here; perhaps he can help us."

"I am his daughter Ariel Hansen. My father is presiding over a meeting." Ariel glanced at Raynor and the others behind Augustus, then suddenly took a few steps back.

Ariel was a very pretty little girl, with a beautiful face inherited from her mother and black hair and green eyes from her father. She had long eyelashes and a pair of beautiful eyes that seemed to speak. When she spoke, her voice was soft and gentle, carrying the purity and sincerity that belonged to Agria.

Even Tychus Finley, with his usual expressionless and fierce look, stared at Ariel like a wolf eyeing a newborn fawn. Harnack Hank, bored and staring intently at his own nose, instantly crossed his dead fish eyes. Raynor, with his short black hair, was completely focused on Augustus, who seemed far more attractive than a pretty young girl.

Fortunately, Augustus's appearance was undeniably appealing to a young girl. He wore a well-fitting, old, grass-grey Kel-Morian cotton overcoat and linen trousers, the tapered legs clinging to a pair of Confederacy field boots. Augustus's clothes were always worn, making it clear at a glance that he had endured many hardships and trials during his interstellar adventures.

He possessed the broad shoulders and tall stature of a Mengsk Family man, his robust physique honed through years of swordsmanship and combat. Unlike the decadent young nobles of Tarsonis who had squandered their wealth on wine and women, seemingly easily swept away by a gust of wind, Augustus was strong, powerful, and resolute, unyielding even to the strongest winds.

At that moment, a dozen or so people dressed in khaki coats and top hats were standing around Augustus, but Ariel could tell at a glance that Augustus their leader.

A man like Augustus, simply by standing there, makes others think it's only natural that so many people are willing to follow him. Augustus by standing there, people should feel that he is invincible.

Out of concern that his identity would be exposed and cause numerous problems, Augustus used the nano-mask of the Umojan Shadow Guard to add wrinkles and a beard to his face.

Therefore, what Ariel currently presents is the image of a mature man. The current Augustus has thick eyebrows and a high, hawk-like nose, a thick beard, and a resolute expression, which is exactly what Augustus imagines himself to be like after he turns thirty.

Ariel is only thirteen years old and still attending a local high school, but she seems quite fond of Augustus's mature image, to the point that she has slightly lowered her guard.

"I've heard that the Kel-Morian people are the shortest humans in all of Koprulu —and you are undoubtedly Giant among them," Ariel said, looking at Augustus.

"We can't let Swann and his cousins hear this, or they'll flip the table," Raynor whispered to Harnack and Tychus beside him.

"She's right," Tychus retorted.

"Hahaha." Harnack laughed out loud.

"The prejudice between the Terrans and the Kel-Morian is ancient. But in the end, we are all humans who came to the Koprulu Sector more than two hundred years ago," Augustus a light laugh. "How long until your father returns? If it's still a long time, I'd like to wander around here a bit more."

"In Moria, green plants and clean air are resources more precious than minerals."

"He'll be back soon—the meeting ends in five minutes," Ariel said with scholarly rigor.

"Very well, then we will wait patiently." Augustus nodded.

"Wait a moment—" Ariel raised her hand to look at her digital watch, and just as she was thinking of what to say, a middle-aged man with black hair and green eyes walked over with a group of armed Agria.

The Agria, both men and women, generally have rough, wheat-colored skin, and their bodies are strong and muscular from years of farming. The middle-aged man was followed by both men and women, who wore bulletproof vests and carried semi-automatic rifles, watching Augustus and his men, Tychus, warily.

Currently, only a small number of electromagnetic gun families, such as the E-series and C-series, can penetrate CMC Power Armor. The weapons used by the Agria are still gunpowder firearms that use propellant bullets. These weapons are deadly, but they are still insufficient to deal with Power Armor.

If Augustus, a single Revolutionary Army Marine battalion could destroy the Agria settlement.

"Welcome to Agria, friend from afar." The man strode toward Augustus, his followers following closely behind, the bullet chains on his body gleaming with a golden-bronze light in the sunlight.

"I am Bernard Hansen."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Augustus removed his gloves and shook hands with Bernard in a friendly manner. "I am Caesar Augustus."

"This first and last name isn't uncommon among the Kel-Morian people; some Moria people like to give their children names related to the ancient Romans of Earth." Bernard showed no surprise.

"You seem to be a little too enthusiastic," Augustus then said, pointing to the fully armed Agria behind Bernard.

"A group of Chimera Pirates attacked this place more than two months ago and killed many people." Bernard beckoned to his daughter, signaling her to come to his side.

Bernard Hansen was also a tall man with a long, serious face and black-rimmed glasses perched on his high-bridged nose. A graduate of University of Tarsonis, Bernard was a renowned chemist. Before leaving Tarsonis for Agria, he worked at the Chemical Research Institute, the most prestigious research institution in the main city of Tarsonis.

"Someone saw you in town—but no one could keep up with your Vulture." Bernard smiled gently as Ariel approached him.

Upon hearing this, Raynor and the others revealed smug smiles. They bumped fists with each other, proud of their speed and unrestrained driving skills.

"Last time, that group of Chimera Pirates numbered only fifty-odd, but they carried several sets of Power Armor. We paid a heavy price to drive them away." Bernard said, then carefully observed Augustus and his followers, not seeing any dangerous weapons on them.

The imposing Tychus Findlay and the distinctively styled Harnack caught Bernard's attention, but the red-haired woman beside Augustus was perhaps the most dangerous character. Not for any other reason than the small-caliber spiked gun tucked into her belt.

Sarah Kerrigan long, fiery red hair, tied in a single ponytail, was particularly eye-catching. She wore a khaki military coat with a long hem, and two daggers several inches long hung from her waist on a deerskin leather belt.

Bernard knew he couldn't afford to be careless.

Agria has always been a tranquil garden world, with skies and clean air untouched by industrial pollution. Immigrants live in harmony with nature, leading a secluded, idyllic pastoral life.

Because of its great distance from other Terran Confederacy planets, Agria was not affected by the Guild Wars, and even the Confederate Congress of Tarsonis had forgotten about this colony established independently by immigrants. Although it is still absorbing new immigrants, the total number of immigrants in all of Agria is still less than the population of a small city on the main planet of Tarsonis.

Agria boasts stunning scenery and a pleasant climate, and its tranquil lifestyle is why many immigrants are willing to cross the Koprulu Sector to relocate there.

However, the planet's defenses were so weak that they had to rely on mercenaries to deal with the pirates who had stumbled upon this virgin land. Any sizable group of space pirates, even if they only had a few hundred men and a few heavy weapons and Power Armor, could bring devastating disaster to the settlers of Agria.

Pirates have always been the main enemy of the remote colonies of the Terran Confederacy. Everyone knows that pirates who roam the stars year-round are bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. They only target the weakest caravans and newly established, remote colonies that are not defended by Confederacy troops.

"We are merchants from Moria," Augustus said with a smile. "Believe me, we hate the Chimera Pirates as much as you do; they are both the most notorious outlaws and the most insidious technology traffickers in the Koprulu Sector."

"I'm here because my caravan has run into some trouble," Augustus. "I need to purchase a large amount of food supplies in Agria and add a few barrels of high-energy gas fuel to our ship's fuel tanks."

"It wasn't easy to reach Agria safely. After the end of the Guild Wars, the number of pirates on the edge of the Koprulu Sector is far greater than before." Bernard knew that the Guild Wars had ended in a victory for the Confederacy, and he had no aversion to the Kel-Morian people.

Despite remaining wary of Augustus and his group, Bernard was willing to sit down and have a proper talk with them. Any caravans from other worlds would be warmly welcomed in remote colonies, as they would bring valuable goods from the core world.

"We are an armed caravan. If the Chimera Pirates encounter us, they will have no choice but to take a detour," Augustus said with a smile. Bernard may still be somewhat skeptical of Augustus's words, but what he said was undoubtedly true.

"Let's have a good talk." Bernard turned and sent some of the Agria who were with him home, then led the remaining twenty-odd people toward the fence in front of his house and opened the wooden gate made of planks.

"Come in and have a seat, Moria's friends," he said.

Augustus glanced at Faraday, who remained silent as he led Augustus's personal guards to stand watch outside the fence. Raynor and the others followed Augustus into Bernard's house.

The Hansen family's house was mainly built of wood and brick, with hardwood floors. The living room was spacious and bright, decorated with bookshelves filled with books and glass display cases displaying various biological specimens.

There didn't seem to be a woman living in the house; the family photos hanging on the wall only showed Bernard and his daughter. Only one framed photo in the corner contained a picture of a young woman wearing a white lab coat standing in a chemical research institute, exuding the intellectual beauty of a career woman.

Augustus noticed that the books on the shelves were all about chemistry and biological genetic engineering, and he couldn't help but think that he really lacked scholars in these fields.

Augustus's only remaining agency responsible for genetic engineering projects Cerberus Company, which he acquired a couple of years ago. This company, operating under a false name, is currently working on a project in Umojan to control the Zerg through mechanical modifications, but progress is slow. After the encounter with the Tal'darim in Bhekar, Augustus has begun sending several Protoss corpses and some Protoss weapons back to Umojan.

"I graduated from the Department of Chemistry at University of Tarsonis and used to work at a chemical research institute in Tarsonis," Bernard said, pointing to the books and the white lab coats hanging on the coat rack by the door.

"You're from Tarsonis, and a top student and renowned scholar at University of Tarsonis, so why did you come to such a faraway place Agria?" Augustus asked casually as he sat down at the coffee table in Hansen's living room.

"Because I was tired of the skyscrapers and backstabbing in the research institutes of Tarsonis. While I was focused on my research, my colleagues were busy playing mind games and plotting, stealing other people's research results or committing academic fraud," Bernard sighed.

"They are all intelligent and knowledgeable, but they are unwilling to conduct down-to-earth research—because Tarsonis has become increasingly impetuous, and bureaucratic infighting has affected every aspect of scientific research and people's lives," he said.

"I began to feel fear—I would spend my entire life in the oppressive Tarsonis, following the same routine until I died, and my daughter would face the same fate."

This is not the future I want.

"Later I came to Agria, determined to build the world of my dreams," Bernard said. "A New World that hadn't yet decayed."

"Agria is indeed a beautiful, secluded world, far removed from all strife," Augustus nodded.

Next, Augustus discussed the purchase of food supplies with Bernard. The currency for the transaction was foreign exchange from the National Bank of Umojan Republic, whose reputation as the Koprulu Umojan in the Koprulu Sector was trustworthy.

When Bernard was quite pleased with this, Augustus then subtly brought up the issue of the pirates in Agria.

"I know some trustworthy mercenary friends who might be able to help you solve the Chimera Pirates problem." The mercenary friends Augustus mentioned were, of course, his own Revolutionary Army.