Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

"What! He's found another doctor?! He's planning to ditch me and start over!"

Tesla erupted in a fury, completely stunning Elysia, who had contacted her privately.

Is this really the time to be worried about that?

"No! I'm going to demand an explanation from him!"

Dr. Tesla was on the verge of tears. She had poured her heart and soul into contributing her research skills to Noldrei's new world, only for him to turn around and find another doctor?!

How could he?! He might as well have just sliced her up for research from the very beginning!

I, Tesla, have my dignity!

"No! I will absolutely not forgive his betrayal!"

With that, Tesla started packing her things, ready to fly off and confront him.

"Wait, don't be so impulsive! I have some good news for you!" Elysia, in a stroke of genius, immediately thought of a brilliant idea.

Tesla had just thrown off her lab coat, but this "good news" made her hesitate. The tsundere doctor paused for a moment and said, "W-well, go on then. But just so we're clear, just because I'm willing to hear the good news doesn't mean I'll forgive him."

Elysia cleared her throat lightly. With a twinkle in her eye, she came up with an amazing plan.

"Dr. Tesla, with the way things are going, do you think the current system of marriage, which is rooted in economics, can be sustained?"

This question from Elysia was a bit of a non-sequitur. Tesla asked, confused, "What does that have to do with the good news? What damn marriage? They're about to stop everyone from having kids anyway, so who the hell is going to get married?"

This was exactly what Elysia was waiting for. She nodded eagerly. "Exactly. So, theoretically, the old concept of marriage is about to end, right?"

"Yeah, so what?"

Tesla was completely bewildered, not understanding where Elysia was going with this.

"So... Dr. Tesla... if you don't make a move on Noldrei now, then theoretically, there will never be another chance for a marriage ceremony with this kind of atmosphere, right?"

Tesla's face suddenly froze as she realized something.

"You mean...?"

She understood exactly what Elysia was trying to say.

"I mean, you could go and get a marriage certificate from the Far East as a memento. How about it? If he doesn't agree, then you don't agree to Mobius's terms."

Elysia felt like an absolute genius. She had effortlessly extinguished Dr. Tesla's anger with something that was about to be abolished anyway.

Tesla's face flushed red, then pale. Of course, she didn't see any problem with it. She'd even already thought of names for their children.

"Elysia... from now on, your business is my business! I'm going to find him right now!"

Tesla didn't even bother to hang up on Elysia, simply taking off in a mecha of her own design.

Elysia took a deep breath. She had been on pins and needles just now, almost causing a disaster. Who would have thought that Tesla genuinely didn't care about being studied? The woman only cared about her job being replaced. After all, what researcher wouldn't want a supporter who would let them do whatever they wanted?

"What a silly woman, fooled by a piece of paper."

Mobius hadn't expected Tesla to be so different from what she'd imagined. The red-haired woman practically had "I'm easy to fool" written all over her forehead.

After hanging up, Elysia turned to Noldrei and asked, "You're not going to refuse Dr. Tesla's small request, are you?"

What kind of question was that? His Majesty the Emperor had always been generous. If you asked him to accept the marital customs of a man from the future, he'd probably be scared off in a heartbeat. But this kind of stable marital relationship, built on an economic foundation and external organizations...

To be honest, if Noldrei said he would be the judge and jury, no one would be foolish enough to stand in his way.

"A minor issue. Since Tesla cares so much about the little ceremony this piece of paper represents, we'll just throw a big banquet and invite a few more friends to celebrate."

Noldrei's attitude reassured Elysia. It was obvious that this kind of relationship, which was about to be discarded in Noldrei's new era, couldn't possibly tie him down. Given his usual generosity, as long as his subordinates made their situations clear, he would probably hand out marriage certificates to anyone who asked. Distributing them would be no problem at all.

"Why does that sound like an irresponsible scumbag?"

Mobius found this all too ridiculous. Tesla had actually been tricked into coming just like that. Not that she would do anything excessive in her research of Tesla; after all, Mobius's own life was still in Noldrei's hands. But putting herself in Tesla's shoes, if Tesla wanted to study her body, Mobius probably wouldn't have accepted so easily. Not even for a marriage certificate!

"By the way, will you let her have a child?" Mobius suddenly remembered a crucial question. If Tesla wanted a child, how did Noldrei plan to create the new life's genes?

"Huh? A child..." Noldrei frowned slightly. He said hesitantly, "Creating an ordinary human would be too weak, wouldn't it? But... I can't yet perpetuate my own existence."

He said, with a hint of melancholy, "From the looks of it, I'm not a very good mother yet. After all, Tesla still has to work. When the time comes, I'll have the baby for her."

Elysia sighed and rubbed her dizzy forehead. She seemed to have just heard something incredible. What did he say? He'll have the baby for Tesla?

"I still have Tesla's genetic information. Should we create a child with half of Tesla's genetic information now?"

Tesla hadn't even arrived yet, and Noldrei was already planning to have a child for her.

"But, what if Tesla wants to carry the child herself?" Elysia gently reminded Noldrei to ask for the girl's opinion more often.

"But modern humans need to be pregnant for ten months. With Tesla's level of genetic manipulation, even at top speed, it would still take some time. And she doesn't know if she can properly adjust the child's genes herself."

"So, the best way for her to have a child is not to give birth herself, but to work hard on her research and create more biotech products."

Noldrei felt like an absolute bastard. On one hand, he was planning to take away humanity's right to reproduce, and on the other, he was letting his own friends have this private right.

He thought for a good while, pondering how he could get his friends to accept the public ownership of their own genetic information.

Oh no! The revisionists of the private ownership of genetic information are about to appear right by my side!

Noldrei lamented inwardly. His great empire of public genetic ownership hadn't even been built yet, and his own friends were already starting to revise it?

How was Noldrei supposed to face the ancestors of future humanity now?