Chapter 21: Either Patrick or I Must Die 

While Siegel and Patrick were discussing Reid, in another hotel room, Reid was also discussing the two of them with Angie and Noin.

At that moment, Noin stood beside Reid and Angie, holding various medical supplies, while Angie applied medicine to the swollen areas on Reid's face.

To be honest, Angie had never studied medicine, and her application of the medicine was extremely rough. Just like Patrick, Reid winced in pain, his mouth twitching, but he couldn't cry out.

Reid now regretted not building a hospital next to the hotel—at least then he'd have a professional nurse tending to his wounds.

However, he couldn't really complain about a princess personally applying medicine for him. Though Angie and Noin were summoned by the system, they had independent personalities, and Reid had never treated them as mere tools.

After finishing, Angie looked at Reid's face—yellow and blue patches everywhere, cotton stuffed up his nose, his expression twisted in pain, one side of his face still twitching—and found it so amusing that she burst out laughing.

Noin, influenced by Angie, also started to smirk, turning her head to stifle a chuckle.

Reid looked at the two girls laughing at him and sighed helplessly. "Come on, I'm injured here. Your laughter is making this awkward."

Angie stopped laughing and rolled her eyes at him. "Well, whose fault is it that you picked a fight with PLANT's Military Chairman? You're really something—he's countless times stronger than you, yet you just went for it."

Reid didn't regret the brawl with Patrick in the slightest and said bluntly, "Hah, he deserved it. He threw the first punch. Was I supposed to just stand there and take it? Besides, fighting PLANT's Military Chairman—win or lose, I come out ahead. And as far as I'm concerned, he's no different from those Blue Cosmos fanatics—just another racist lunatic. I guarantee, if he ever takes charge of PLANT, the war will only escalate. And for victory, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice innocent lives on Earth."

Reid was speaking from the perspective of a transmigrator. In the future, Patrick would indeed aim the Doomsday Weapon Genesis at Earth and attempt to fire it. Though Genesis ultimately failed to launch, avoiding the worst-case scenario, labeling Patrick as a racist wasn't unfair—whether his actions were driven by hatred or not.

However, only Reid knew he was a transmigrator. Angie and Noin believed he was simply a local chosen by divine luck, so they couldn't yet see the extremism lurking within Patrick. Angie remarked, "Really? That Chairman Patrick seemed pretty genuine to me. I didn't expect him to charge at you like that. A normal politician would hide their anger and plot your demise later."

Reid actually agreed with Angie's assessment—except she didn't know how deeply Patrick loved Lenore Zala. It was no surprise he couldn't resist jumping in to punch Reid. After all, he would later shoot his own son in his quest for revenge.

If Reid hadn't disarmed Patrick in advance today, he would've been shot.

So Reid spoke with utmost seriousness:

"Angie, Noin, let me put it this way. Patrick absolutely wants me dead right now, and that won't change. I don't think our conflict can be mediated.

However, Siegel might persuade him to temporarily set aside his hatred. But in the near future—probably within a year or two—one of us, either me or Patrick Zala, will have to die.

So sooner or later, PLANT and I will come to blows. Whether it'll be an open war or just stabbing each other in the dark remains to be seen."

Seeing Reid's firm stance, Angie didn't argue. She picked up the clothes he had prepared to change into and said,

"Alright, you're the real boss here—what you say goes. After all, even as the head of state, I'm still your subordinate, aren't I? Come on, boss, need me to help you change? This is a rare service, you know."

Reid didn't dare let Angie actually help him change. Moreover, he sensed something hidden in her words, so he snatched the clothes and shooed her away.

"Cut it out. Even though I'm a guy, changing in front of you two would still be awkward. Especially since I can't even fight you off if you suddenly turn wild. Both of you, get out. And 'subordinates'? More like my nagging wives. Have you ever seen a boss who hands over 90% of his income?"

Reid wasn't exaggerating. In terms of personal combat ability, he was the weakest among the three. Angie was a statistical anomaly, and Noin was a professional bodyguard by training. Both were versed in their respective world's combat techniques—Noin was even Reid's current martial arts instructor.

With these two around, Reid never had to worry about them coming to harm. If they ever ran into troublemakers, he figured he might as well prepare the medical fees in advance.

Angie and Noin obediently let themselves be pushed out the door. After Reid slammed it shut behind them, they exchanged a knowing smile.

Then Noin spoke up:

"Angie, you shouldn't keep testing Reid like this. Though we haven't known him long, he genuinely means no harm and hasn't forced us to do anything against our will. But he's sharp—if you keep probing, you'll only push him away."

Angie merely shook her head slightly and sighed.

"Noin, I know some things all too well—people change. So I need to observe him more. That god sent us to Reid's side, and now our fates are tied to his alone. Of course I have to test him properly. If he turns out unreliable, I'd rather find an exit early. That said, the current Reid is fine—I don't dislike him. And 'nagging wives'... that brat's got some nerve."

Noin didn't respond further. Everyone's experiences shaped their wariness differently—Angie's caution wasn't unfounded. As for Reid's teasing, Noin simply ignored it.

Meanwhile, having chased the two out of his room, Reid could only shake his head. The helpers he'd summoned, especially Angie, weren't easy to fool. In the original story, Angie had been betrayed by nearly everyone she trusted. To truly win her over, he'd have to take it slow.

Looking at Angie and Noin in the system, with loyalty ratings of 65 and 69 respectively, Reid felt that he had done quite well during this time; at least their loyalty was increasing. He decided to toss aside the slight displeasure he had just felt into the trash.

Reid thought it would be best to change his clothes quickly, as the upcoming negotiations with PLANT were of utmost importance. If possible, he needed PLANT's covert support to secure enough time for his development.

It was important to note that PLANT was willing to sit down and have a good discussion despite his involvement in the Junius Seven incident.

However, the Earth Alliance was different; they were a bunch of old rogues. Although it seemed that the three major council nations of the Earth Alliance were easier to communicate with, in reality, they would not make concessions without sufficient threats and benefits.

Fortunately, the base provided by the system was in space. If Reid were currently on Earth, he would definitely not dare to reveal his capability to independently develop MS, because once exposed, the childlike New Mirth Republic would not be able to protect its sword in the absence of checks and balances from the adults (Earth Alliance). If he did not join the Earth Alliance, he would only have the options of death or fleeing.

Moreover, once exposed, no matter what choice he made, the base on Earth would inevitably be divided among several major corporations, rendering the awakened system effectively useless.

(End of Chapter)