Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

The barren and scattered planets were unable to provide sufficiently large markets unless a stable and vast nation was established, but corporations would not engage in such an endeavor.

As profit-driven entities, or rather, as the embodiment of capital, they instinctively chased after profit and gains because that was the only way to perpetuate their organizational structure.

Building a nation meant taking responsibility for a variety of complex matters, such as establishing order, pacifying the populace, providing education, and constructing infrastructure—all of which required significant investment and carried high risks.

There's a world of difference between managing a company and managing a nation, far beyond just an increase in population. Countless issues awaited, but what was the return? The company only wanted to sell candy for one dollar, and now you're asking it to invest a thousand dollars in comprehensive preliminary construction.

This was clearly a losing deal, which is why companies would never do it.

Some might argue that companies could sell other things, but it's not that simple. Giant corporations producing their specialty products could do so at a cost of only ten thousand, but the profits could soar to a million, an almost hundredfold return.

If they were to start producing different products, not only would they have to start from scratch with research and trial and error, but each new domain would bring a new competitor, and the profits obtained would be limited—not nearly as lucrative as the specialized products controlled by the corporations. To create these products called for significant manpower costs, which would lead to an increasingly bloated enterprise, intensifying internal friction, and eventually, a loss of innovative capability in their specialties, culminating in defeat by new industry challengers.

Despite knowing the limitations of the market, these gigantic corporations did not have better solutions and could only continue as such. This situation endured until the "Golden Flame Rose" emerged, bringing a turning point and opportunity.

For historical reasons, although the Rose Federation was immensely powerful, this strength signified not only the Federal Government's power but also that of the giant corporations that constituted the federation. They had their own armaments and even fleets belonging to the corporations.

However, during the era of the second-generation Color Level Songstress "Cobalt Blue Tears," in the special period of the civil war, she prompted the Federal Government to expand the military actively and continually suppress and reduce the giant corporations' privileges within the federation. Afterward, during the harsh internal purge known as "Cobalt Blue Star Tears," many bribed legislators were imprisoned and executed. These actions ultimately significantly weakened the political power of giant corporations within the federation and eventually led to new legislation. Corporations would no longer possess fleets and were allowed only to maintain limited ground defense forces.

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Turning the topic back to the once Heisheng City, due to the discovery of Azurite, countless people came here, and with the restoration of order and stability, many opportunists left, leaving behind a mess and many abandoned orphans, among whom were Valke and Gleid.

They had an extremely difficult life as children until a pastor with ideals came to District Nine North, where he established an orphanage and church to take in these children.

"Pastor Boise didn't treat everyone equally; he obviously preferred obedient and well-behaved children. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them," Gleid remarked with self-mockery.

"Although he took me in, he never liked me much. It was like raising a dog, just casually feeding me something before being done with it."

"But for you, he was extremely patient, not only imparting a vast array of knowledge but also running around on your behalf, eventually securing you a legal resident file within the federation."

"So what, you, a person blessed by the heavens, are you also advising me to live a dog's humble life?" Gleid asked Valke again.

"Even so, you shouldn't have..." Valke tried to persuade, but ultimately stopped, knowing full well that it was a road without solution.

Gleid, lacking a stable legal identity, could not leave the impoverished and cramped slums of District Nine North, where, aside from some extremely hard and low-level work, he had few other choices.

The world is unfair to many.

"I began to break free from Pastor Boise's leash and searched for opportunities in a complex and murky realm. Although I almost died on a winter night, I managed to secure some money and a crude fake identity file, and then I left District Nine North," Gleid said, standing in the night breeze.

"Pastor Boise must certainly resent me. Because I defied him and posed a threat, if I make a big mistake in the end, this once caretaker of mine will face some trouble too."

"Reverend Boise isn't as terrible as you think," Valke began. "He simply said he regretted not paying more attention to you back then."

"Ha, that's in front of you. He would show a warm side because you fulfill his desire to be seen as a respected, kind father figure."

"He gained psychological fulfillment. The more successful you became, the more others praised him, and the deeper he immersed himself in this persona."

"You think he's noble, but in fact, he's just using us children to satisfy his own lack of self-esteem and inner emptiness."

"I've investigated Reverend Boise's past. He grew up in the affluent South District 2, but there, he was just a nameless failure. The girl he chased fell for someone else, the family business he inherited failed due to poor management, and in his thirties, he still had accomplished nothing. It was only after all this loss that he came to North District 9."

"Even if his motives aren't flawless, I still respect Reverend Boise, at least because of him, we survived," Valke shook his head.

"That's you! Not me!" Gleid's eyes were fierce.

"I can't forget the way he looked at us differently, that disdain and condescending gaze, as if he were looking at trash."

"I want to take revenge on him, I must take revenge. I must achieve something and then go back, slap him hard to make him lose face, kneel in front of everyone, and confess his hypocrisy and nauseating performance over the years."

"You shouldn't spend your time on such things. If you find a proper job, live a stable life..." Valke advised once more.

"I told you, that's you, not me. You haven't experienced that kind of contempt and insult. You don't understand how torturous and uncomfortable it feels to be so demeaned and begging."

After a heated discussion, both sides fell into silence. Looking at the world beneath the high bridge, with its ceaseless flow of traffic, they both understood that neither was the child they used to be, and under these circumstances, they could not persuade each other.

"I'm leaving." Gleid picked up his coat, draped it over his shoulders, and walked toward one side of the bridge.

"I'll remember the kindness you showed tonight. If there's a chance in the future, I'll repay you."

"Pray, Valke, pray that I live long enough to repay your kindness, heh heh." Gleid laughed, which seemed laced with deep self-mockery.

Soon after, the young man in black vanished at the end of the street, leaving Valke still gazing at the bustling night scene on the other side of the bridge.

On countless giant screens, a kaleidoscope of colors and shadows flickered, each advertisement oozing with the scent of money, so prosperous yet so twisted, forcing a silent sigh from anyone who beheld it.

The wheels of history crush everything in the past. Countless innocent things are redefined with new meanings, and as people gain more and more knowledge and theories, they also face increasing choices and confusion.

To be alive was an incredible fortune in ancient times, but in this era, if one can only just survive, that might also be a suffering.

Dignity, freedom—those things once unnoticed, numb to our senses—are now slowly permeating everyone's heart.

They are progressive, they can bring pleasant feelings, but once unsatisfied, they can also cause greater pain. We can no longer go back to the idyllic past, nor can we, like ostriches, bury our heads in the sand and ignore the world.

We can only be swept up in the currents of the times, constantly drawn into fierce competition, to earn this increasingly expensive respect and decency.