Chapter 261 (2/2)

“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll give you a case of SpongeBob SquarePants! I asked about this in the Imperial Data Network two days ago. There’s a business that specializes in custom-made shells for Data Terminals like you. My one month’s worth of rationing points is enough to change 30,000 cases for you!”

The Data Terminal shut up at once.

Hilda was actually quite open-minded. As a standard elf of Aerym, she felt that throwing her useless body into the recycling furnace was not an issue. Despite the psychological pressure, she could bear it. However, Hao Ren, as a bystander, felt that it was not quite right to throw the body into the recycling furnace when it was still alive. In the end, he could only suggest that they leave the body there first. There was plenty of space on the Petrachelys anyway, and the ship usually remained idle. They may as well just make it a warehouse.

Hilda thanked Hao Ren, but Lily could not stop muttering, “Not so much a warehouse… Why does it feel more like a morgue?”

Hao Ren faked a smile while he looked at the husky and said, “This girl just doesn’t know how to sugarcoat the truth!”

Hilda’s problem was finally solved, and the great migration of Aerym was once again back on the queen’s desk. When she returned to her palace, she did not have time to rest. She immediately rushed to the Assembly of Elders’ Tower to preside over the important meeting, which had been postponed for several hours.

They went back to the lounge of the Royal Tower and waited for new progress. If there were no surprises, they would get wind of news soon enough.

As for Hilda’s “corpse”… Hao Ren was not thinking about it anymore. He kept the body in the medical chamber and locked it. Then, he put the entire chamber in the small garage behind the medical bay, leaving a self-regulatory machine specifically responsible for monitoring the body. After that, he put the matter aside. The Petrachelys had become a mortuary ship for the time being. He felt that something was not quite right, but it did not really matter at that point.

One had no choice. Working for immortals, one needed indestructible nerves as thick and strong as pillars. Otherwise, these immortals could bring you a lot of surprises, and those with a weak mind may become even more insane than Raven 12345 after two or three tasks. Hao Ren had to protect his mind: the most effective way was via self-hypnosis and being forgetful.

At the same time, the one billion elves outside the Royal Tower and across the island chain were waiting for news.

Vimm, following Hilda’s instructions, had released the notice of “big news”. Two hours ago, all of the broadcasting systems on the island chain of Aerym—the information screens that spread through the streets and homes of every household—played such a baffling emergency notice that the elves easily felt something big was about to happen. The notice was read out by representatives of the prince regent, the Assembly of Technocrats and the Assembly of Logisticians. It was only a short paragraph, which kept replaying:

“Attention to all the elves of Aerym, the whole country has entered a state of special mobilization. All citizens, please record your important personal belongings at hand, ensuring that the material transportation channels of all islands are unblocked. The citizens of transport, statistics, records and personnel-related departments need to return to work and ensure that your departments can operate at full capacity in the next 24 hours… This is a major preparatory event. This message will continue to be replayed and all citizens have the obligation to inform each other about this. Also, all citizens are requested to ensure that they are in contact with each other and if someone is missing, please report it immediately. It is important to ensure that all citizens are under social control to prevent omissions.”

There were many details following this message, basically to ensure that all the elves were ready for the great migration. At the same time, they had to make sure that every one of the elves would be able to receive new messages at any time during the next 24 hours. This was a great migration of one billion people and the preparation they had to do was extraordinary.

At the end of the message, the most important piece of information appeared. It was something all the hopeful elves were waiting for. “Please rest assured that this special mobilization is not a disaster. Her Majesty has returned, and she has brought us an unprecedented and inspiring hope. Please be prepared, the dawn is coming.”