"But why are you still here?" Gaia asked, giving Evindal an annoyed look. She had assumed that their conversation was finished and that he would finally return to his own world. Instead, the silver-haired planetary consciousness was still sitting nearby, looking far too comfortable for someone who had repeatedly irritated her. His expression alone told Gaia that he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.
"That is easy," Evindal replied with an arrogant smile. "I have not yet seen whether your method works, and I intend to remain here until the end of the ceremony next week." His tone made it painfully obvious that he intended to observe everything he could. Gaia also suspected that, if given the opportunity, Evindal would happily take every useful piece of knowledge he could find back to his own civilization.
"I am going to get you for this," Gaia said, her voice filled with genuine anger. To Evindal, however, her fury looked less like the terrifying wrath of a planet and more like an angry puppy barking at someone twice its size. That realization only made his smile grow wider. He clearly found her irritation far more amusing than he should have.
"Yes, sure," Evindal replied, almost provoking her on purpose. "Let's see what you can actually do to me." He leaned back casually as though he had nothing to fear. "The Universe does not care that I am spying on you when I am doing it in such an above-board manner."
"Yes, I know," Gaia replied through gritted teeth. "I have already filed three hundred complaints with the Universe." She was making a visible effort to keep her anger under control. If she truly lost her temper, the consequences would not be limited to the person standing in front of her, because the entire planet was connected to her emotions.
Evindal noticed her restraint and wisely raised both hands. "All right, calm down." He then tilted his head, his curiosity replacing some of his amusement. "But what exactly are you hoping to accomplish by sending the church into the United States in such a high-profile manner?"
The question genuinely interested him because his own civilization operated very differently. His planet was united under a single kingdom, and he had never needed to give his followers detailed instructions beyond encouraging them to accelerate their development. Politics, competing institutions, and religious organizations operating inside a larger political structure were therefore relatively unfamiliar concepts to him. He could already tell that the situation would probably teach him something useful for the future.
"Oh, did I not make that clear?" Gaia asked. Her anger had begun to fade, leaving behind a more serious expression. "I want them to help restore the balance of the world, especially in the United States." She looked toward the distant country as she continued. "The people at the top need to start looking inward instead of pretending everything is clean or simply profiting from the situation."
Gaia's expression softened slightly.
"That country carries far too much of humanity's destiny for me to simply ignore what happens there," she said. "If I can save it through this method, then all the better." She had originally intended to do nothing and allow the void to swallow the United States if that was what its people ultimately chose. Humanity needed to learn that its actions had consequences, but Evindal's arrival had reminded her that sometimes a small intervention could prevent an irreversible disaster.
Evindal scratched his chin.
"Right," he said slowly. "So how exactly do you intend to restore the balance?"
"Simple," Gaia answered.
She smiled.
"I want to show them that if they refuse to treat their citizens properly, those citizens can be taken away from them." Gaia's smile became more mischievous as she explained the plan. "If people join the Catholic faith and become part of its growing community, then the church gains influence over them, and that will make the government increasingly aware that it cannot simply ignore its population."
Evindal looked confused.
"Wouldn't that create a serious problem for the country?"
"Exactly," Gaia replied.
She then sent an additional message to Pope Urban IX through the connection she had established with him. The message explained that the church could negotiate agreements with governments in which church branches operated within a country without formally removing its citizens from that country's jurisdiction. That arrangement would allow people to remain citizens of their respective nations while simultaneously becoming members of the church.
"It would make governments considerably less hostile," Gaia explained. "They might even become happy to have the church operating openly within their territory if the arrangement is structured correctly." She paused before adding another point. "But the church will still become a competing source of influence."
Evindal's eyes narrowed with interest.
"And that is popular there?" he asked.
"Yes," Gaia replied with a devious smile. "If the government refuses to improve itself, the church can become increasingly important." She looked toward the United States again. "If the government does not clean up its corruption and deal with the gangs, then in fifty years it may not even be obvious who governs certain parts of the country."
Evindal looked impressed.
"The excuse that they do not have enough manpower is also nonsense," Gaia continued. "They have fifty legions because every state wanted one." Her expression hardened. "They have more than enough manpower to deal with their problems if they actually decide to use it properly."
"Interesting," Evindal said.
He was barely able to contain his curiosity. His attention had become so focused on Gaia's explanation that he looked as though he was about to start taking notes. Unfortunately for him, Gaia noticed.
A boot suddenly struck him in the face.
This time, it landed.
Evindal disappeared from his chair and crashed backward with a startled cry. Gaia looked down at him with a surprisingly satisfied expression. "Oh," she said calmly. "That works much better than arguing with you."
Evindal slowly raised his head.
"I have some good news for you," Gaia continued. Her smile became disturbingly cheerful. "My race is quite good at torture techniques."
Evindal's expression changed immediately.
"What?"
Gaia grabbed him.
It was fortunate that no humans were close enough to hear Evindal's screams as she dragged him toward the nearest secure facility. She had finally discovered an effective method of dealing with the avatar of another planetary consciousness. More importantly, she had realized just how dangerous his presence actually was.
The problem was not merely that Evindal could spy on Earth.
He possessed an enormous amount of knowledge about her own civilization, and Gaia suspected he would be perfectly willing to trade it for all kinds of treasures. The Universe might permit his actions, but that did not mean Gaia had to tolerate them. Earth existed in an unforgiving universe, and she needed to maintain every advantage she could obtain.
Meanwhile, far away from Gaia's increasingly questionable solution to her Evindal problem, two young people were having a considerably more peaceful conversation.
"Henning, have you read the breathing technique they released for us to use once we become adults?" Mya asked cheerfully. She had been looking forward to discussing the technique ever since its release. The method had already attracted enormous attention because of its unusual requirements and the benefits promised to anyone capable of mastering it.
"Yes, I have," Henning replied. His expression was surprisingly enthusiastic. "The technique seems extremely difficult to get started, but the effects it describes are incredible." He had already read through the instructions several times. "I can understand why they designed it this way, though."
"I heard they modeled it after Arin's physique," Mya said. "That explains why the effects are so impressive." She paused before giving Henning a curious look. "Speaking of physiques, how is your sister doing with the Bingen?"
Henning smiled.
"She must be famous by now," Mya continued. "Especially since she is studying while being part of a faction openly recognized as one of the ancient trade families." Her curiosity was obvious because Henning rarely talked about his sister. She had known him for three years, and during that time he had become much more cheerful and relaxed than when she had first met him.
"Yes, she is doing fine," Henning answered. His smile became warmer when he mentioned his sister. "I am actually going to call her soon because I want to hear about the breathing technique they developed."
Mya immediately noticed the difference in his expression.
Whenever Henning spoke about his sister, his usual mental defenses seemed to disappear completely. He became more animated, more relaxed, and noticeably happier. It was almost as though talking about his family allowed him to forget every concern he normally carried with him.
"Can I join?" Mya asked shyly. "Or is the conversation private?"
Henning hesitated.
His sister had repeatedly asked to meet his friends because she worried that he was not taking proper care of himself. She had apparently decided that knowing the people around him was the best way to make certain he was not neglecting his own life. Henning knew that introducing Mya would probably make his sister extremely happy.
"Yes," Henning finally said. "You can join."
Mya's expression brightened.
"Then let's call her," she said.
Henning nodded as he reached for his phone. For the first time since they had met, Mya could see just how much his family meant to him. Whatever happened with the new breathing technique, the cultivation system, or the increasingly complicated world around them, some things remained reassuringly ordinary. For Henning, a conversation with his sister was one of those things.