Chapter 1147 – A Bloody Hard Time

Miranda took a moment to process the request as she shook her head. “You are aware that the moon is currently having a bit of a ghost problem.”

“I am indeed,” Nanna confirmed. “A B-grade is occupying it, to be exact.”

“Right,” Miranda nodded. “And a B-grade that I’m fairly certain the World Leader has plans to hunt down. Last time I checked, this ghost caused him quite some grief and even severely injured the Chosen of the Boundless Hydra. With that in mind, he definitely considers it his prey.”

“He likely does, but that doesn’t mean he has a monopoly over wanting revenge. As you just said, the Chosen of the Boundless Hydra is the most wronged party by the Ghostvine Sovereign. Seeing as the Chosen of the Malefic Viper is currently indisposed, Sandy has agreed to allow Arnold to stand for Operation: Moonfall.”

“Operation: Moonfall? Really?” Miranda asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Named by Sandy, and apparently also someone called Tom? Either way, the name isn’t important. Originally, Arnold considered just launching this operation on his own, but I believe it would be best to approach you first,” Nanna said. “The moon is halfway considered a part of Earth, and the World Leader does have some control over it, so I wanted to run things by you first and ask if Arnold can claim it.”

Miranda got quiet as she considered the offer. In truth, the situation on the moon did remain a concern for her. Having a B-grade lurking above their heads like that was unsettling, even if it had been reported that this B-grade seemingly didn’t have any true intelligence.

This lack of intelligence could also turn out to be a danger, though. Creatures like the Ghostvine were driven by instinct, and the instinct to grow was stronger than any other. When the moon stopped being a suitable source of nutrients, it was bound to seek out Earth, and while Miranda was confident they could handle the moon invading them, she would prefer to avoid such a situation ever taking place.

That’s why Arnold’s offer to take care of the lurking threat was tempting. Having Arnold set up shop on the moon would also solve the space issues he was currently suffering from, and by the time even the moon became too small for the scientist, he should have good enough spatial expansion tools to make it work.

Having him up there was also another layer of defense for the planet. Miranda was fully aware that Arnold was as deadly as any of the other peak geniuses on the planet, and his presence would serve as a deterrent to any would-be troublemakers. If she granted him the moon, she would also have some level of influence over Arnold and have him owe her and the planet a favor. More so than he already did.

The only real problem with giving Nanna the go-ahead was Jake’s reaction to learning someone had potentially stolen his prey. However, she didn’t want to let such concerns stop her from making the decision she believed was best. Jake hadn’t called dibs on the Ghostvine Sovereign, and Nanna did have a point that Sandy was the one with a more rightful grudge.

Still, she wanted to play things safe, and considering she had a legendary skill with the sole function of contacting Jake across nearly any distance or space, reaching out to him wouldn’t be overly difficult.

“I’ll give preliminary approval for now, but I’ll need to check in with the Chosen of the Malefic Viper before providing you with a final answer. I will expect you’ll be granted permission, though,” Miranda said. “In the meantime, we’ll also have to draft up what an agreement for handing over the moon would look like. I’ll also need some more insight into what exactly you plan on doing up there.”

Nanna smiled as she summoned a tablet and handed it to Miranda. Accepting the tablet, Miranda saw it was already full of blueprints and plans, making her chuckle and shake her head. “I got the feeling you were still in your initial planning stages.”

“To Arnold, his initial planning stages look like others’ finished projects,” Nanna smiled, Miranda unable to argue against that one.

Briefly scanning what she’d been handed, Miranda had to give him credit. He had a lot of plans for the place, none of which she objected to. After a minute or two of getting a basic understanding, Miranda nodded again.

“Alright, this all seems good, but as I said, I’ll have to contact the World Leader to confirm it’s fine,” Miranda reiterated.

“We will wait patiently,” Nanna bowed.

“But just one question before you go,” Miranda said, putting down the tablet and looking Nanna straight in the eye. “From everything I’m seeing here, the Moon isn’t your only choice. There is plenty of barren land on Earth, so be honest with me… Arnold just wants a moon base, right?”

“I’m unable to neither confirm nor deny that Arnold’s self-admitted childhood dream of having a moon base may have influenced his viability assessment models,” Nanna smiled in response, confirming what Miranda had indeed suspected.

“Figures,” Miranda sighed. “Say, from one personal assistant serving an eccentric genius who is equally likely to destroy or better the world to another, what is your coping strategy to deal with… well, Arnold, in your case?”

“Raunchy romance novels,” Nanna answered without a shred of hesitation or shame. “You would be surprised how many are still being produced, even now. I would recommend that you read some, but I would be careful if I were you, or the experience would leave you less sane.”

“Why?” Miranda asked curiously. Sure, it had never really been her thing, but getting a new hobby could be an idea to better destress when Jake got too Jake-like.

“Fan fiction,” Nanna answered, looking Miranda straight in the eyes. Miranda took a moment before she realized what she was hinting at.

“… I should make a law against that.”

“If you do, don’t have it work retroactively,” Nanna said, remaining bereft of shame.

“This conversation has left me more stressed than before,” Miranda said, leaning back in her chair. “I guess I’ll just stick to working until I either suffer a nervous breakdown or get accustomed to it. Willpower is one hell of a stat sometimes.”

“Also, my highest stat for a good reason,” Nanna smiled. “Will you reach out once you’ve contacted the Chosen of the Malefic One, or should I come by again at a later date?”

“I’ll send someone to inform you,” Miranda waved her off. “Oh, and do tell Arnold I wish him luck in ridding the moon of its haunted nature.”

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“I believe the phrase he used was to “bust” the moon,” Nanna chuckled. “All while humming a familiar theme song.”

“Goddamn geniuses and their childish natures… either way, good luck. Both in dealing with the moon and the one who’s going to deal with it.”