Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again.-Chapter 615: Maybe Noxians.

Noise erupted in the room as council members opposed Melvin’s move. This was the kind of decision made after long hours of debating behind closed doors.

The King watched the drama with the bored detachment of a man watching a slow-moving parade. He tapped a finger against his chin, waiting until Melvin finally slammed a gavel against his desk to quiet the room.

"Enough!" Melvin shouted. "Your Highness, the liability_ "

This proposal," the King interrupted, his voice dropping an octave into ’danger territory,’ "is more of a notice. I am telling you what will happen. Sunshine is one of the few repairmen I actually trust. She has a way of fixing things that your ’Grandmasters’ can’t seem to grasp. She uses her head, not just her manual just like my good friend Maximus. All Glacis business concerning repairs will go through her from now on."

More opposition rose and Nine squealed, the sharp sound he made caused everyone to wince. He received many glares, but at least the room was quiet.

Melvin sighed, the sound of a man who had finally run out of ways to say ’no’ to a billionaire. "Fine. As long as the liability waiver is signed in triplicate, the request is granted. Sunshine Raine is now the designated Royal Repairman for the Glacian Palace."

Sunshine felt like she was floating. Royal Repairman. It sounded like something out of a fairy tale, only with more grease and less ballgowns.

Everyone thought the meeting was over. The council members started to reach for their ’disconnect’ buttons, and Melvin began to gather his papers. But the King didn’t move. In fact, he did something unexpected: he sat down.

He pulled a chair toward the center of the room, draped his royal robes over the back, and looked directly at Commander Melvin.

"Now that the small talk is out of the way," the King said, his voice terrifyingly calm, "let’s talk about the important stuff. How far have you gone with giving Sunshine her inheritance?"

The air left the room.

Sunshine froze. Yes, my Inheritance! She looked at the King, then at Melvin. She had been wanting to deal with it for a while.

The silence in the tribunal chamber wasn’t just quiet; it was the kind of silence that happens right before a star goes supernova. All eyes were on Commander Melvin. He looked like he was trying to swallow his own tongue.

"Sunshine," Melvin said, his voice cracking like dry parchment. He turned a sickly shade of ash grey. "Have you... have you not requested the inheritance disbursement? I am quite certain you were briefed on the fiscal legacies of the Raine fortune the very first day you reported for duty."

Sunshine crossed her arms, her boots clicking sharply against the floor. "Nope. That definitely did not happen. I had no orientation and above all nobody mentioned anything about inheritance.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. The accusatory gaze of the council swung like a heavy turret toward the woman in the white veil.

"Zevran," the red-skinned officer muttered, his voice low and dangerous. "You are a representative on the Inter-Galactic Finance Board. The Raine fortune is one of the largest holdings in the vault. How did a briefing of this magnitude simply... slip through the cracks?"

Zevran, the woman with the snow-pale skin and strawberry lips, let out a short, elegant sigh. She didn’t look guilty; she looked annoyed that she was being asked. "I am high up on the board, not a vault manager. We all know how she sneaked her way in here, not like the other recruits who earned their positions. Besides mistakes in the financial department are rare, but not impossible. I will, of course, follow it up."

The King of the Glacians didn’t look convinced. He stood up, his regal robes shimmering like a disturbed pool of water. "I expect you will," he said, his voice echoing with a regal threat. "Just as I expect Commander Melvin to follow up on this matter."

As the King began to turn, Nine’s hand shot into the air again. Beside him, Vortan_ their long-suffering supervisor_ was practically vibrating with a silent, frantic signal to put the hand down. He was making a cutting motion across his throat, his eyes wide with the plea of a man who just wanted to go home and have a drink in peace.

Nine, of course, pretended he was blind to the gesture.

"What is it now, Repairman Nine?" Melvin groaned, rubbing his temples.

"Just a quick logistical query, sir!" Nine chirped, his mandibles wiggling. "Since we are now royal Repairmen, do we still have to do the Mandatory Cooperation Duty?"

Commander Melvin let out a sigh so long it felt like it sucked all the air out of the room. He looked at Sunshine_ the girl who had just bankrupted his ego_ and Nine_ insectoid who was apparently didn’t care about rank.

"No," Melvin snapped. "You are pardoned from the punishment; I believe that you two can cooperate well. However," he added, pointing a trembling finger at the back of the room, "Vortan remains your direct supervisor. I doubt anyone else in this building has the patience or the insurance policy required to work with you two."

The King didn’t wait for the council’s further complaints. He motioned for Sunshine to follow him. As they walked toward the massive exit, Sunshine could hear the muffled, frantic arguing of the council members behind them.

"This is an outrage!" the red-skinned man yelled. "The King thinks he has some kind of influence over us! We are an independent body! We are a pillar of the galaxy!"

"A pillar made of salt, apparently," Zevran muttered under her breath.

They stepped out into the grand, sweeping walkways of the High Council building. The architecture was dizzying_ spires of glass and light that seemed to pierce the very sky of the orbital station. Nine followed three paces behind, trying to look like a dignified royal servant while simultaneously leaning his head forward so far, he was practically a third member of the conversation.

"The disaster that happened in my world," the King began, his pace slow and measured. "The investigations are ongoing. My soldiers are combing the wreckage of each and everything,"

"And?" Sunshine asked. "Any leads?"

The King looked down at her. "Very few. It was a targeted strike if you ask me, but the origins are... murky. Tell me, Sunshine, did you see anything strange that day? Anything at all?"

Sunshine pretended to think, her mind racing. She knew the truth but that would cost her a lot_ her life maybe.

Nine, however, couldn’t help himself. He stepped forward, his antennas twitching with gossip. "Your Highness! If I may! The Noxians! They were all over the outer rim that day, attacking us repairmen. You know how they are_ always harassing others, looking for an excuse to start a scrap. They love a good war. It’s their primary export."