"Right now, only you can get in touch with her, after all, you are her closest friend, aren't you, Rowena."

The elder didn't stop there, her gaze sharp with a glint of light, "I think at such a crucial moment, perhaps you would be willing to share with us the research she is currently undertaking."

Upon hearing this, Rowena sighed quietly to herself.

This was indeed the council's main purpose for gathering everyone; they undoubtedly understood the dangers of the one-way transmission node and wouldn't be foolish enough to recklessly drive the ship into spatial territory like those pirate monkeys. They hoped these monkeys would present their viewpoints, allowing the council to play the role of mediator.

Boring political games.

"Before the project began, I'm sure she submitted an application to the council."

"But that doesn't explain her disappearance."

The chair had anticipated Rowena's response but wouldn't let her easily brush it off, "Furthermore, the Department of Justice's investigation discovered that all her regularly submitted experiment reports were pre-written. We have ample reason to believe she left the Second District early in the project."

"What makes the council think I know the whereabouts of the First Seat?"

Rowena shrugged, "My collaboration with her on the project ended long ago."

"Because we extracted an interesting piece of information from the mind of one of the experiment subjects - the current president of the Imperial Astrology Association Guild happens to be named Rowena, and there's evidence indicating she has maintained close relations with the heretic and the First Seat herself. I believe this is not a coincidence that can be easily explained."

The unexpected information caught Rowena off guard.

Astrology Guild president?

Still keeping close relations with the heretic?

And more importantly, the experiment subject mentioned by the council: given her understanding of her friend, the First Seat would never allow such a crucial experiment subject to fall into the council's hands.

The Department of Justice has numerous methods to open their brains and extract everything they want to know.

Compared to the chair's interrogation, Rowena was more worried about her friend's experiment project having problems. Only when the situation exceeded control would her friend make such a "careless" mistake.

"Of course, you can also flatly deny it, but then we'd have no choice but to let the Department of Justice investigate you and your District."

"Then let the Department of Justice come—"

"There's no need."

A cold voice came from the door of the venue; the guards failed to stop the woman with silver-white hair in a lab coat. The guards maintained a posture of blocking, and faced with the gaze of the council members, they could only respond with embarrassed smiles.

At the sight of the woman striding toward the crowd, even the chair fell silent, toning down her high and mighty demeanor.

The sole reaction came from the pirate group leaders, who unabashedly eyed the white-haired woman greedily, and when she came closer, they even whistled lightly.

But the next moment, the unkempt pirate leader clutched his head in agony, letting out a miserable scream. The intense pain caused him to break into a cold sweat, and he collapsed to his knees, instantly plunging the hall's atmosphere back to freezing point, provoking curses from fellow pirate leaders who activated their combat implants.

Upon entering the council building, their weapons had been confiscated, but they knew it was merely a formality; the guards inside wouldn't拆 their combat implants out, as it would strip them of their sense of security.

Lacking security, no one would take the vanguard for a group of politicians.

Although the pirates didn't understand what was happening, it was clearly the work of the woman who had suddenly barged in.

"Madam First Seat, they are guests of the council."

"Then they should learn the ways of being a guest."

Such a lofty title of Goddess naturally invoked many blasphemous thoughts among them, yet this time, they turned pale.

All combat implants were disabled, which hinted at the reason for the old pirate's scream: an implant malfunction, and his flushed face seemed to imply his brain was about to explode; soon his head might shatter into pieces.

But...

How on earth did this woman achieve that?

They couldn't comprehend it.

They were only swept by this woman's gaze, and their lives were completely within her grasp.

This feeling was absolutely dreadful. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Please cease, Madam First Seat; I believe your actual self is present here."

The chair spoke in a respectful tone, "Since you have returned, it is appropriate for you to preside over this meeting."

The next moment, the pirate man clutching his head finally lay on the ground in relief; he could no longer care about his dignity, staring with fish-like eyes, mouth agape and closed, fully immersed in a post-survival euphoria.

The other pirate group leaders gaped at the chair's attitude toward the white-haired woman.

In fact, none of them had encountered the First Seat researcher from the Origin Society before, but in their understanding, the chair was the boss of the Holy City; yet before the First Seat, even the current chair behaved with utmost respect, never bringing up the Department of Justice again.

Combat implants remained disabled, under these circumstances even the guards outside the conference room could easily blow their brains out with a single shot. Hence, these dominating cosmic pirates could only sit obediently, listening to a discussion they couldn't comprehend at all.