Chapter 95
Chapter 95
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 095
Chapter Title: Transaction
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*
"Senior, what in the world are you doing right now?"
Robert Vandam, Director of the Central Investigation Bureau's External Counterintelligence Division, looked at Councilor Reinhardt Koster with bewildered eyes.
"Sorry about this. It's not that I suspect you personally."
Robert Vandam furrowed his brow toward the Koster family guards filling the surroundings from his seat.
"This is just a necessary procedure."
"What do you mean by..."
"Robert."
Reinhardt Koster pulled a brainwave reader from the box on the table and asked.
"Mind if I use this on you?"
"...!"
It was a highly accurate lie detector of sorts.
Robert Vandam's expression hardened upon seeing it.
"Senior, you know what it means to use equipment like that on someone in a national security position without just cause, right?"
"I do. It's a serious crime. But only if I use it without permission. That's why I'm asking for your consent."
"Senior, I'm the current Director of External Counterintelligence. Not your snot-nosed deputy."
As such, he naturally knew quite a bit about counterintelligence secrets.
"Do you really think I'd allow you to use that on me?"
"Then let me ask again, Robert."
The councilor crossed his arms and stared at him.
"Do you think I'd be the type to pry into counterintelligence secrets like this?"
"......"
"If I were truly curious about that, I'd use other means. Why bother calling in a stubborn old tree like you for an interrogation like this?"
"That's..."
Director Robert let out a small groan.
Reinhardt Koster was once the Director of the Investigation Bureau, after all.
If he really wanted counterintelligence secrets, he wouldn't resort to such cumbersome and crude methods.
"Then what is this about? Why use this on me...?"
"Robert, this involves a grave matter."
"A grave matter?"
Startled, Robert narrowed his eyes.
"Does this have to do with the Great Bloodlines, by any chance?"
"No, not that... but..."
Reinhardt tapped the table a couple of times and spoke.
"...the problem is, it might be even more vicious than that."
"...!"
The director couldn't help but be shocked by those words.
He knew his senior well.
He even knew which organization the man before him had once backed.
'For someone like him to say it could be worse than something involving the Great Bloodlines.'
What on earth had happened?
Councilor Koster continued to the puzzled Robert.
"I trust you, Robert. Someone as rigid as me, who would throw away his life for this city's peace—you have to be innocent."
But.
"No matter how much I trust you, that alone won't convince others. So I'm asking you like this."
Koster slid the brainwave reader toward him and asked.
"...May I use this on you?"
"......"
Staring at it for a moment, Robert soon sighed.
"Fine. But Senior."
He sharply lifted his eyes.
"If your questions touch on Investigation Bureau secrets even slightly... I won't say a word. And this ends our connection today."
"Hearing you say that actually puts me at ease."
As he attached the reader to Robert's head, Koster smirked.
"You haven't changed since the days I knew you."
Whirring—! As the machine activated, the councilor turned on a camera to record it.
"Let's begin, then."
About 20 minutes passed.
After asking a few questions and examining the results, Koster said.
"It's clear."
He removed the device from his junior and continued.
"You're clean."
"...What is all this about?"
Having finished the interrogation, Robert recalled the questions with a strange expression.
"Is Councilor Marshall plotting something?"
Koster had his guards pack away the reader and spoke.
"...Do you know about the incident where a demon nearly descended at the Mage Tower not long ago?"
"Of course. Different department or not, I'm bureau brass. I know it well."
"Circumstances were found where Major Incident Management Division's Special Ops Team 3 chased and tried to kill a mage fleeing the tower, barely escaping themselves."
"...Pardon?"
"The Director claimed Team 3 was possessed by the demon... but."
Koster gave a meaningful look.
"According to those who actually clashed with Team 3, their movements were too tactical for demon possession."
"!!"
Director Robert raised a hand to interrupt.
"W-Wait a minute, Senior. You're saying..."
"Yes."
Koster narrowed his eyes.
"A group including the Director... might have been aiding the demon descent at the Mage Tower."
"What?!"
Robert shouted as if it were absurd.
"Why would the Investigation Bureau do something like...!"
"I don't know that either. At least, no solid reason."
But there was clearly some collusion between the Marshall family, the Director, and Major Incident Management.
"And that's not all."
"Not all...?"
"From what I've uncovered these past few days..."
The councilor interlaced his fingers and said.
"Counter-Terrorism Tracking, Mass Destruction Weapons Control, Crime Investigation, Intelligence Division, Director's Office affiliates, Cyber Operations... executives from these divisions are also 'suspected' of involvement."
"...!!"
Even Robert couldn't hide his shock.
That meant over half the bureau might be complicit.
Robert Vandam's face froze like ice.
"...Treason?"
"Likely."
Not certain, but whatever it was, it was on that level.
"What the hell..."
His anger made his face tremble.
The Investigation Bureau, meant to dedicate itself to Dun City's security and peace, plotting treason or something similar.
"...The key point is, we don't even know if their true goal is treason, or how deep the involvement goes."
Everything was suspicion; nothing was certain yet.
"That's why you wanted to meet after so long?"
"Because I knew you wouldn't be involved in something like this."
He probably hadn't even been approached.
Robert Vandam, his former deputy, was infamous in the bureau for his inflexible nature.
"Ha, of course. If they had any sense, they wouldn't dare try to recruit me."
"Exactly."
Approaching him would just cause trouble.
Robert asked seriously again.
"So, what do you want me to do, Senior?"
"First, figure out their true goal and scale. Whether it's simple treason, and how far it's rooted in the bureau."
And if possible.
"How deep it extends into other government agencies."
"That should come first, yeah."
You need to know your enemy to plan countermeasures.
With the enemy's scale unknown and even their goal in doubt, options were limited.
"But as you know, I'm external affairs. Internal investigations aren't my forte; I'm limited there."
"Don't worry. The important thing is having one more reliable insider."
"Got some plan in mind already?"
"Robert."
Koster smirked.
"Ever heard of the Trojan Horse?"
Kwaaaaang-!!
A sudden tsunami of ice crystals swept over the hilltop scavengers in an instant.
"Agh...!"
"Urk...!"
They were buried in the surging glacier, freezing solid without even a proper scream.
"W-What the hell is this...!"
"A mage! It's a mage!!"
The scavenger leader, so shocked he fell on his ass, yelled.
"F-Fucking shoot these bastards!! Fire!! Hurry up and fire!!"
"U-Ugh!"
"Shoot, fire!!"
"Switch to lethal rounds!!"
In a panic, the scavengers unleashed plasma rifles at Kyle's group in the clearing.
Kwa! Kwakwakwakwa!
Bloody red beams tore through the air with lethal whooshes.
But it was futile.
Kyle snapped his fingers, and a brilliant wall of fire rose across the center of the clearing as if waiting.
"W-What the hell is this!!"
Then, with a pathetic pop pop bang!, the rounds were blocked by the barrier and vanished.
"N-No way..."
Someone muttered at the absurd sight.
"Dual elements?"
At that moment, ice crystals pierced through the fire wall once more, shooting toward them.
Kwaaaaang-!!
"F-Fucking hell!!"
"The walker tank...!"
The walking weapon shattered into pieces after taking the glacier head-on.
"Uwaaaak!"
The scavenger boss barely leaped off beforehand but rolled pathetically in the mud.
"Keurk! Urk!"
But that wasn't the end.
Ice crystals poured over the fierce flames, erupting into an enormous cloud of steam that blanketed the clearing in seconds.
In that thick mist, neither massive floodlights nor cheap night-vision goggles would be of any use.
The sudden chill silence made the scavengers' eyes tremble helplessly.
"F-Fuck... fuck."
"What? What the hell happened?"
As they gulped amid the thick steam.
"Aaaaah!!!"
A chilling scream pierced between them.
At the same time, a shadow flew through the mist like a broken doll.
Those who witnessed it widened their eyes.
"Uwaa! Stay away! Don't come... Aaaaak?!"
That started it—terrified voices erupted from all directions.
"F-Fuck, where?! Where is it!!"
"H-Here... Keurgh?!"
"Die! Fucking die!!"
"W-Wait...! Aaaak!"
Kwa! Kwakwa! Kwakwakwa!
Red rounds flashed chaotically in the fog in resistance, but only briefly.
The clearing fell silent again as if nothing happened. The scavenger boss, prone and watching, cautiously lifted his head.
"Uwaaaak!!"
One of his men flew through the mist and slammed right in front of him.
"Hiiik!"
The boss scrambled away on all fours.
"W-What..."
His eyes trembled helplessly.
"What the fuck is it...!"
He whipped his head around, but no gunfire or screams echoed in the clearing.
"What the fuck, I said!!"
Then.
Thud, thud.
A footstep echoed through the thinning steam.
"?!"
Lifting his gaze, an unfamiliar shadow stood there.
"F-Fuck...!!"
The boss, grabbing his plasma rifle again, yelled.
"You think I'm fucking kidding!? Huh?!"
Some lash out in bravado to overcome fear.
His sweat-slick finger aimed at the shadow as he threatened.
"D-Don't move. One step, and you're fucking dead...!"
But at the casual thud, the boss yanked the trigger hard.
Kwakwakwakwakwa-!!
"Aaaah! Aaaaah!!"
He screamed and sprayed wildly.
The red beams tore the shadow's spot to shreds.
"......!"
But seeing nothing there, his eyes bulged—
Someone whispered from behind.
"What'll you do if I move?"
"?!"
His heart dropped.
A strong grip seized his head briefly.
Kyle easily tripped him, smashing his face mercilessly into the ground.
Kwaaaaang-!!
"Keurgh?!"
The boss's head shook violently in agony, mind blank.
"Told you."
Walter emerged from the steam then.
"I said pull your crew out if you don't wanna get fucked up, asshole."
"Urk... eurk..."
Kyle chuckled dryly.
"Gotta have expectations. You think they'd listen in the 8th District?"
"Fair point, but..."
He glanced up at the massive glacier sprouting boldly in the clearing's center.
'This is kinda spectacular, though.'
He'd sensed magic prep, but not something this massive.
'Knew it was multi-element, but...'
Walter, looking at Kyle, clicked his tongue in admiration.
'Didn't expect ice magic too.'
Making people gawk like this every time was a talent.
'At this point, can he handle all elements?'
Walter smirked.
'Nah, that's too much even for him.'
Squatting before the boss, he said.
"Lemme see..."
"S-Spare..."
"Well, well, looking at you."
He yanked, and rip! the epaulet tore off.
Walter smirked.
"Freshly pinned, huh? Nowadays scavengers hand these out to half-assed punks like you?"
He tsked.
"Dumb fuck. If you don't know, at least read the room. Even if, I warned you that much—you should've figured something was up."
This was the lower levels, after all.
Judge by appearances, and who knows what happens.
"Even if you thought my warning was bluff."
He tossed the epaulet aside.
"Roaming the lower darks without a fixer? I'd be on guard minimum."
'Makes sense.'
Kyle nodded in agreement.
A true 141 Unit veteran perspective.
Not strong, but he'd survived long for a reason.
"Or did you slack 'cause we're surface infiltrators?"
"S-Sorry! I didn't recognize your graces...!"
"Whatever."
As Kyle glanced, Walter nodded and asked.
"Heard you muttering about handing some guy to the Great Bloodlines as tribute."
"Sorry! So sorry!!"
"Not that, dumbass."
He smacked the boss's head and asked again.
"You scavs don't touch Bloodline turf around District 21. So what's this tribute shit?"
"T-That's..."
As he gulped, Kyle conjured a fireball in his palm.
Basic Fire Magic
[Our scavenger's gone quiet?]
"Our little scavenger's clamming up?"
"N-No! I'll talk! I'll talk!!"
Pale-faced, the scavenger nodded frantically and continued.
"I-In two days, the Great Bloodlines are coming near the neutral zone. Gotta stay on good terms, so the zone boss is prepping prime blood bags...!"
"...The Great Bloodlines coming to the neutral zone often?"
Kyle asked, and Walter shook his head.
"No way. That's why I said spare him. Gotta know if the neutral zone's changed from what I knew."
He turned to the scavenger.
"So, why are the Bloodlines coming?"
"T-That's..."
As he hesitated, Kyle grew the fireball.
The scavenger spilled instantly.
"This time! Neutral zone's hosting a deal between District 23's demon knights and the Bloodlines...!"
'Demon knights?'
Kyle and Walter exchanged looks.
Their destination was District 23.
Kyle pressed.
"What exactly? Spill."
"W-Well, the Bloodlines somehow caught a ton of hidden demons—accident or not. Demon knights always wanna wipe demon seed..."
"So they're dealing with the demon knights in the neutral zone?"
The boss nodded vigorously.
After the Demon King abandoned demons, some fled District 23, wandering the lowers.
Demon knights slaughtered or dragged them back on sight.
Reason unknown.
People guessed Demon King's orders.
But recalling the Demon King from the stone gate, Kyle thought.
'...Probably not his orders.'
"Deal location? Know where?"
The scavenger shook his head.
"N-Not that far... R-Really! I swear!"
"Yeah, figures. Scav trash wouldn't know."
Walter nodded as expected, grabbed a dropped rifle from the ground.
Kwaaaa-!
"......"
And blew the boss's head clean off.
Kyle blinked and asked.
"Wasn't it 'answer and live' vibes?"
"Why bother?"
Pulling a crumpled cigarette from god-knows-where, he lit it and said.
"Scavs look ragtag, but they're an off-books org made by neutral zone bigwigs for slush funds. They saw our faces? Terminal already. Letting him go's just headaches."
"Aha."
Local knowledge paid off.
Bringing Walter was spot-on.
"So, what now?"
Demons would know about the Demon King or District 23.
"What else."
Kyle stood, smirking.
"Obvious. Smash the deal."
Bloodlines or demon knights—didn't matter.
If it led there, trash the trade.
"Sigh... Knew you'd say that."
As Walter sighed knowingly.
"U-Um...!"
A voice called; they turned.
Predictably.
"S-Sorry..."
Mickey, fallen again and flailing, looked up red-faced.
"Could you... pick me up one more time?"
"......"
"......"
"Uncle."
"What."
"Getting annoying. Ditch him here?"
"Funny, same thought."
Kyle and Walter turned without hesitation; Mickey paled and yelled.
"S-Sorry!! I'll strip! Taking off the suit—just don't leave me!!"