Confirmation of Cooperation

"She might have something the Holy Infant has taken a fancy to, perhaps a talent, which is why the Holy Infant rarely spoke so much!" an expert said excitedly.

Indeed, even though Shiraishi Wataru had only spoken four sentences, three of them were directed at Kasegawa Haru. This gave them reason to believe that there might be some kind of talent in this woman that caused the Holy Infant to pay her special attention.

After that, Shiraishi Wataru said nothing more, simply sitting quietly and waiting for William to arrive.

Five minutes later, William stood before the door, adjusting his breathing—which had become rapid from his hurried arrival—and tidying his attire before signaling the surveillance team to open the door.

He walked into the isolation room, set aside his phone and other equipment, and only then was the door to the room where Shiraishi Wataru sat officially opened.

Glancing over the food on the table and Kasegawa Haru, William flashed his signature smile and walked to the side opposite the Holy Infant.

"Lord Holy Infant, on behalf of Commander Ricky of the U.S. Forces Japan and the Special Incident Countermeasures Bureau, I greet you. We are delighted by your arrival once again."

The Holy Infant gave him a slight nod.

Behind the monitors, someone's brow twitched, as if they had realized something. They looked at their colleagues and found that they, too, had turned to look over. As they exchanged glances, they confirmed that they weren't the only ones who had thought of it.

Commander Ricky stood in the center, stroking his beard, his expression unchanged.

"There aren't many vessels suitable for me at the moment; this body is one I find relatively satisfactory."

Shiraishi Wataru said this without the slightest concern for revealing the importance of this body, effectively handing them a card of his own volition.

"If Lord Holy Infant requires more vessels, perhaps we could be of some small, insignificant help." William offered to assist, though he held no real hope for it.

Shiraishi Wataru did not continue the topic, gesturing for him to sit.

"It seems you have encountered some trouble," Shiraishi Wataru said calmly while sipping his tea.

Upon hearing this, William's Adam's apple bobbed. Listening to the priority questions being fed to him by experts through his earpiece, he deliberated for a few seconds before asking.

"Lord Holy Infant, what kind of existence is that Faker?"

"A tiresome fellow." Shiraishi Wataru was concise. Although he had prepared the setting, there was no need to reveal everything all at once.

In reality, even this single sentence contained a significant amount of information.

"We have always been curious: what is the purpose of the Holy Infant developing members and bestowing power upon them? Perhaps there is a possibility of cooperation between us."

Shiraishi Wataru set down his teacup and stared at William for a while, long enough for the latter's back to be soaked with sweat in the cold room.

Meanwhile, Kasegawa Haru, who was sitting to the side trying her best to minimize her presence, had her head buried almost entirely into her bowl.

Only one thought occupied her mind: I'm not going to be silenced, am I?

This information was clearly not something a minor B-rank like her should be privy to.

"I have heard a proverb in your world: 'seeking a tiger's skin.' Your current thoughts align perfectly with that phrase."

After a long silence, Shiraishi Wataru finally spoke to break the stillness.

"But I am also a bit surprised that you could make a decision so quickly. I thought you would wait until more of the Descenders arrived before being forced by the situation to choose a partner. From my perspective, cooperation is indeed the only way your plane's civilization might survive."

Are you underestimating the life-extending, healing, and awakening effects of the Holy Son Pill? The fundamental goal of the pro-cooperation faction is actually that. It has something to do with the situation, but it's certainly not the deciding factor, William thought to himself.

"We understand. Under the influence of a high-energy plane like yours, our civilization might be fragile, but please believe that the resilience of our civilization will surprise you." William shamelessly boasted on behalf of humanity.

To this, Shiraishi Wataru offered no comment.

"I can tell you that in high-energy planes, those with an adventurous spirit who aim to explore other planes are what we call Travelers. However, most Travelers spend their entire lives without ever successfully traversing a plane and bringing information back. Those who can return alive from another plane may call themselves Great Travelers."

"There are exceptions, however. Over the long passage of time, there have been a few exceptionally gifted Travelers who have traversed countless planes, bringing us back much information and many artifacts, while also bringing significant inspiration and progress to our civilization. Thus, they are also respectfully called Pioneers. According to my precise intelligence, at least one Pioneer once came to this plane and, for reasons unknown, left behind a treasure. Our arrival is for that very object."

This was the first time the Holy Infant had revealed such a massive amount of information, and the experts behind the monitors were already lost in excitement or deep thought.

William was stunned. Before this, countless experts had analyzed the purpose of these transcendent beings coming to this world, with mainstream views focusing on looting, occupation, and colonization. And yet, you're telling us you came here to find something?!

He had only two thoughts now: this object must be incredibly precious, and was the Holy Infant telling the truth?

Until the information could be verified, they certainly wouldn't believe everything the Holy Infant said.

However, they could proceed with a hypothesis: assume everything the Holy Infant said was true, and that he was merely selectively withholding some details.

"Then... what kind of things are they? Can we be of any help?" William asked tentatively.

Shiraishi Wataru shook his head. "The treasure requires specific timing and specific people to be found. It would be good enough if you didn't cause trouble."

"No need to beat around the bush. Get straight to the point. Play all our cards. In front of these transcendent beings, I hope sincerity can also serve as a card," Commander Ricky commanded.

Hearing the order, William sat up straight, facing Shiraishi Wataru directly.

"Lord Holy Infant, we are willing to cooperate with the Holy Infant Society, revoke all charges against Holy Infant members, release all members currently in custody, and cooperate with activities on the premise that they do not infringe upon our interests..." William laid out their bottom line in one breath.

Shiraishi Wataru listened, his face remaining as expressionless as ever.

"Very well."

Two simple words dismissed everything William had just said. But you didn't say what you intend to give us in return!

Surely you don't expect a free ride?!

"Your people may join the Society normally, exchange for Holy Son Pills based on their contributions, and request the Society's intervention when you encounter existences you cannot handle."

Behind the earpiece, Commander Ricky and the experts were engaged in a heated discussion.

"Perhaps we can strive for more benefits, such as demanding intelligence on other factions and that treasure!"

"Stop while you're ahead. What we should be pursuing now is a down-to-earth approach to facilitate this first cooperation; this is the foundation for all future collaboration!"

"Correct. We cannot use conventional negotiation mindsets when considering how to interact with transcendents."

"We need more time for research to unravel the mystery of transcendence; only then can we truly initiate these so-called negotiations."

The heated argument subsided after a few minutes, and everyone turned their gaze toward Commander Ricky and Director Inoue, for they were the ones who would make the final decision.

Inoue had already weighed the situation in his mind. While these terms deviated somewhat from the upper management's bottom line, they had no better bargaining chips to offer, so he was inclined to agree.

Ricky glanced at him, and upon receiving an affirmative look in return, he picked up the device and relayed the instructions to William.

After receiving the definitive order from Commander Ricky, William took a deep breath and spoke with a solemn demeanor, "Lord Holy Infant, it is a pleasure to cooperate."