A high-ranking executive of the IPC's Strategic Investment Department.
A risk-taker, his constant smile makes it difficult for people to discern his true feelings.

Senior manager of the Strategic Investment Department at the IPC and one of the Ten Stonehearts. His Cornerstone is the “aventurine of stratagems.”
An ostentatious risk-taker, he often wears a smile that masks his true motives.
He won his current position by wagering against fate itself. He views life as a high-stakes, high-return investment, and he plays this particular gamble with masterful ease.

“I have something to report to you about the new employee.”

“What makes you so worried, Erwin?”

“It's complaints about him, both formal and informal. My mailbox has been flooded with them like countless pieces of paper. I wonder… if it's worth reconsidering his inclusion in the Strategic Investment Department.”

“What do these complaints say?”

“Mostly about his origins. Those eyes of his…
He once deceived the Marketing Development Department by falsely claiming that there were energy sources hidden in the barren land of Sigonia, not yet effectively developed and utilized. A huge amount of funds were invested into excavating it before we realized it was all a scam.
And then there's the notorious Egyhazo Aventurine Case. His misled the Intelligentsia Guild into believing that the remains of Tayzzyronth the Imperator Insectorum were buried there. Despite the scholars being extremely cautious, they ultimately still fell into the trap.
And let's not forget the letters form the councilors of the Signonia Sovereignty. They denounce his tribe for once breaking agreements and sowing discord, leading to significant changes in the balance of peace between the tribes, resulting in repeated delays in signing of agreements between Sigonia and the IPC. Allowing such an employee to join at the IPC would be a severe detriment.”

“If these are the extent of the complaints, there's no need to tell me.”

“… You already know it all?”

“Each gemstone holds unique value, and our task is to make investments.
We don't need to appease those stubborn old-timers who sent in complaints, as these rumors will eventually reach… No, they would already have reached his ears. Well, let's take this chance and see how bit of a surprise he can bring us.”

“You're quite something else, boy… I still can't figure out how you managed to empty out my entire business. But I will never surrender. If push comes to shove, I'll just blow up this whole place… What are you gonna do about it?”
The Mad Bull of Iymanika signals his followers to let go. He raises his head from the table, dusting off his collar.
“You arrogant dogs from the IPC never respected us wanderers, did you? But now that you're in our territory, you'll play by our rules.”

Mad Bull empties the cylinder, putting only one bullet in the revolver, and tosses it to the other man's feet.
“Six shots. Fate will decide whether we live or die after a maximum of six shots. Do you have the nerve?”

The other man bends down and picks up the revolver.
“There are too many people who've pointed a gun at me. Some of them even just went ahead and pressed the trigger straight up… Now, guess how come I'm still standing here.”
The man stands up, stares into the Mad Bull's eyes, raises the gun, and puts it against his own heart.
“It's because the gun will always end up in my hand.”

“And now, this game is making me bored… One in six? That possibly is nowhere near enough. If you want to tempt fate…”
Six consecutive gunshots thunder out in the starship that is wrapped in a deathly silence. After the smoke clears, the man raises the gun again and walks toward Mad Bull. The revolver is now loaded with a fresh bullet.
“You need to learn how to turn yourself into a die first.
… You won't surrender, but why? Because you have this lousy game of chance? Or…”
He points the gun into the darkness.
“Because of her?”

A woman holding a pistol emerges slowly from the direction the revolver points. The Mad Bull acts as if he found a lifeline when he sees her.
“Madam Jade, this is not what we agreed upon…”
At that moment, both of them opened fire simultaneously, and two figures dressed in black fall from the shadows behind each of them.

“The IPC has enemies everywhere, right?”
The woman calmly holsters her pistol, takes out her cosmetic mirror, and inspects her appearance.
“You used our lives as bait, making them believe there was internal strife between us, and then you eliminated them all… A clever trick, although a bit reckless.” He greets the woman with a smile, although his hands tremble slightly.

“Trick? No, it was just a test.”
The elegant lady opens her palm, revealing a shimmering aventurine of peculiar hues.
“There's nothing strange about it. Gemstones are destined to be… desired, sought, cut, and sold.
However, there's so much more you can do. It all depends on how you see yourself.”