"Hi, welcome back."
Inside the spaceship, a silver-haired girl hopped down from her chair and greeted the two people who had teleported aboard.
If Chu Mu could have seen her, he would surely have been surprised by how much she resembled his little sister, Xiao Bu.
She was a little taller than Xiao Bu and already looked like a teenage girl, but her features and hair color seemed to have been cast from the same mold.
Yet their eyes were entirely different, as were the ways they dressed.
That suggested a marked difference in their personalities.
To the blind Chu Mu's senses, the girl before him was lively and brimming with boundless energy.
And precisely because he was blind, he no longer simply equated two people based on their appearance. Instead, he took the time to feel out each person's character.
So he returned her greeting, saying:
"Hello, my name is Chu Mu."
"I know your name." The silver-haired girl walked up to Chu Mu. "Kafka kept mentioning you over comms, but this is my first time seeing you in person. You're even younger than I imagined."
She paused, then said with a smile:
"Nice to meet you. I'm Silver Wolf, the little sister Kafka described as hopelessly addicted to the internet."
"You seem a lot older than me." Using his ability to sense Silver Wolf's general build, Chu Mu confirmed that she was considerably taller and bigger than he was.
Kafka spoke up then:
"A-Mu, age is meaningless to an interstellar civilization. A single voyage through space can easily take years, decades, or even centuries. The existence of cryopods makes age cease to be a meaningful measure. Technological advances keep pushing the limits of lifespan, and the blessings of gods can even grant immortality."
She looked at Chu Mu gently and continued:
"Now that you've stepped into the Sea of Stars, you should let go of certain ideas from less advanced civilizations. Here in the Sea of Stars, maturity is measured not by age, but by the mind."
Chu Mu pondered her words.
He had heard Sampo say that last sentence before. That merchant from the Underworld was becoming more and more mysterious.
Then Kafka shrugged and said:
"Without a doubt, you're much more mature than Silver Wolf. You'd make a perfect big brother for her."
"Don't listen to this woman's nonsense!" Silver Wolf exclaimed. "Chu Mu, I'll just tell you the truth. I can't let this wicked woman keep fooling you!"
"My daughter, I know you've always refused to acknowledge me as your mother!" Kafka put on a pitiful expression. "Tell Mommy, what has Mommy done wrong?"
Silver Wolf flew into a rage at that:
"Kafka, you've already tricked him into boarding the ship. There's no need to keep lying, is there?"
Then Chu Mu spoke:
"I know she's lying to me."
"You knew?" Silver Wolf gave Chu Mu a surprised look, then turned to Kafka with a smile. "Kafka, looks like your lies were exposed ages ago."
"I know." Kafka looked at Chu Mu with gentle eyes. "I've known for a long time that A-Mu knows I'm lying to him."
Chu Mu nodded:
"I've also known for a long time that you know I know you're lying to me."
The corners of Kafka's lips lifted slightly as she said with a smile:
"I've also known for a long time that you know I know you know I'm..."
"Stop!" Silver Wolf interrupted their endless nesting of words and asked incredulously, "If you both know, then what's the point of repeating this lie?"
"I was just playing along with her act," Chu Mu said softly.
Kafka, meanwhile, gave Chu Mu a reproachful look:
"I was just playing along with your act."
"So both of you were acting, and I was the only honest one?" Silver Wolf said resentfully.
"If you hadn't exposed it, we could have kept acting forever," Kafka sighed.
"Fine, blame me. It's all my fault." Silver Wolf looked at Kafka and Chu Mu, utterly helpless.
Then Chu Mu asked seriously:
"So can you tell me the truth now? What kind of organization are you, exactly, and why did you come looking for me?"
"Don't rush, A-Mu. I'll explain everything in time." Kafka's voice was soft and unhurried. "It all starts with someone named Elio..."
Kafka began to tell the story in a calm, flowing voice.
It was Chu Mu's first time hearing Elio's name, and he finally understood who the "slave to fate" Kafka had mentioned back then actually was.
The world would eventually meet its end. That was a fact everyone acknowledged.
Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, endlessly built walls, while Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance, gathered memories, all in preparation for that day's arrival.
Elio could see countless futures.
Among those countless possible futures, he could choose the best one.
To reach that future, an organization had formed around Elio: the Stellaron Hunters.
Kafka was a member of the Stellaron Hunters, while Silver Wolf was still undergoing her probation as a newcomer and needed to complete an introductory mission.
There was another full member aboard the ship named Blade, a man of few words who had not appeared.
The Stellaron Hunters had few members, and Kafka did not tell Chu Mu about the others.
She did not even explain what a Stellaron was, saying only that it was not something Chu Mu needed to understand yet.
Stellarons were far too dangerous, and Kafka did not want Chu Mu getting caught up in anything involving them.
That was business for Stellaron Hunters like them.
After hearing all this, Chu Mu let out a quiet sigh:
"So Elio chose me because he's already seen how my story ends? What role do I play in the future he saw?"
"Elio didn't tell me much. He only asked me to take you off that planet." Kafka took Chu Mu's hand. "I know how you feel, but what Elio sees are only possibilities. The actual course of your fate is yours to choose. All you need to do is follow your own wishes and keep moving forward without hesitation."
"I understand." Chu Mu nodded slightly.
His life might be short, with few choices to make, but he hoped every choice would be one he would never regret.
To do right by the past, not waste today, and expect nothing from tomorrow-that was how Chu Mu lived now.
So he stopped dwelling on this supposed future and asked instead:
"Since the Stellaron Hunters are an organization that saves the universe, you must have a pretty good reputation in the Sea of Stars."
"Pfft!" Silver Wolf, who had been sipping a drink, sprayed out a mouthful, then hurriedly said, "Ahem, went down the wrong pipe. Keep talking, keep talking."
Kafka glanced at Silver Wolf, then turned back to Chu Mu and sighed:
"The Stellaron Hunters are a secret organization, so, as you can imagine, a lot of people don't understand us, and we can't explain ourselves publicly either. Alas."
"I see." Chu Mu nodded. "Then can I put it another way? How many wanted notices are out for you?"
"Not many. Just one at the moment," Kafka said with a smile.
Relieved, Chu Mu asked:
"Which faction is after you?"
Kafka gently held Chu Mu's small hand and said:
"The Interastral Peace Corporation."
Chu Mu silently pulled his hand away:
"Is it too late to get off the ship?"
"Haha, you're so funny." Kafka took Chu Mu's hand again.
This time, she held on tight and refused to let go.
Before you continue